Patent ID: 8240642

Claim:
A monotube shock absorber assembly including oil and gas for absorbing forces between a first component and a second component, comprising; a housing ( 20 ) extending along an axis (A) from a first housing end ( 22 ) to a second housing end ( 24 ) and having an inner wall ( 26 ) presenting an interior ( 28 ), a gas cup ( 32 ) slidably disposed in said interior ( 28 ) of said housing ( 20 ) for sliding along said axis (A) and having a first gas cup end ( 36 ) facing said first housing end ( 22 ) of said housing ( 20 ) to define a gas chamber ( 38 ) between said first gas cup end ( 36 ) and said first housing end ( 22 ) and having a second gas cup end ( 40 ) opposite said first gas cup end ( 36 ), a piston ( 42 ) extending between a compression face ( 44 ) and a return face ( 46 ) and slidably disposed in said interior ( 28 ) of said housing ( 20 ) for sliding along said axis (A) and defining an oil compression chamber ( 48 ) between said compression face ( 44 ) and said inner wall ( 26 ) of said housing ( 20 ) and said second gas cup end ( 40 ) and defining an oil return chamber ( 50 ) between said return face ( 46 ) and said inner wall ( 26 ) of said housing ( 20 ), a piston rod ( 54 ) engaging said piston ( 42 ) and extending said through said oil return chamber ( 50 ) and through said second housing end ( 24 ), a cushion ( 58 ) engaging one of said piston ( 42 ) and said second gas cup end ( 40 ) and extending axially into said oil compression chamber ( 48 ) for intermittent contact with the other of said piston ( 42 ) and said second gas cup end ( 40 ) and includes a resilient material for elastic deformation in response to contact with the other of said piston ( 42 ) and said second gas cup end ( 40 ); and said cushion defining a slot ( 68 ) and one of said piston ( 42 ) and said gas cap ( 32 ) including a retaining flange ( 66 ) for interconnecting said cushion ( 58 ) and one of said piston ( 42 ) and said gas cap ( 32 ).