Having A Thrust Member With A Variable Volume Chamber (e.g., Coaxial Or Telescoping Tubes, Compensating Reservoir) Patents (Class 188/297)
  • Patent number: 11949368
    Abstract: A photovoltaic system includes a collection of photovoltaic modules, a base supporting the collection of photovoltaic modules, and a damper coupled between the collection of photovoltaic modules and the base. The damper resists movement of the photovoltaic modules relative to the base. The damper has a first damping ratio when the collection of photovoltaic modules moves at a first rate relative to the base and a second damping ratio when the collection of photovoltaic modules moves at a second rate relative to the base, and the damper passively transitions from the first damping ratio to the second damping ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: FCX Solar LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Thomas Needham, Frank Carl Oudheusden
  • Patent number: 11732771
    Abstract: A hydraulic damper assembly comprises a housing extending between a first end and a second end. A main piston is slidably disposed in the fluid chamber dividing the fluid chamber into a first chamber and a second chamber. A piston rod extends along a center axis and attaches to the main piston. An additional piston is coupled to the piston rod and axially spaced from the main piston. The additional piston includes a main body defining a compression channel and a rebound channel that allow fluid to flow through the additional piston. A securing member secures the additional piston to the piston rod and defines an outer groove. A piston ring is located in the outer groove between the additional piston and the securing member. The piston ring is radially spaced from the securing member to allow the piston ring to be in engagement with the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: BEIJINGWEST INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Arkadiusz Malec, Piotr Stanislaw Suprewicz, Mateusz Sarapata, Waldemar Jaroslaw Ryndak, Dominik Jaroslaw Kasprzyk
  • Patent number: 11701672
    Abstract: A sprinkler head nozzle assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes a housing including an inlet for pressurize water and an outlet downstream of the inlet, a valve member, operable to extend and reduce an arcuate opening at the outlet of the housing, wherein the size of the arcuate opening indicates the arc of coverage of the sprinkler head nozzle assembly and a rotating distributor, mounted on a central shaft extending through the housing and the valve member, and operable to deflect a flow of water from the arcuate opening out of the nozzle assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Inventors: Carl L. C. Kah, Jr., Carl L. C. Kah, III
  • Patent number: 11530032
    Abstract: An exemplary tiltrotor aircraft includes a fuselage carrying a wing, a pylon assembly coupled to the wing such that the pylon assembly is rotatable to selectively operate the tiltrotor aircraft between a helicopter mode and an airplane mode, a vibration isolator assembly connected to the pylon assembly and the wing including a first vibration isolator configured to isolate vibration in a vertical plane a second vibration isolator configured to isolate vibration in a lateral plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Bosworth, Robert Veltre
  • Patent number: 11065931
    Abstract: A suspension system includes a primary actuator, an inertial actuator, and a controller. The primary actuator applies force between a sprung mass and an unsprung mass of a vehicle to control movement therebetween. The inertial actuator applies force between the unsprung mass and a reaction mass to damp movement of the unsprung mass. The inertial actuator has a threshold capacity. The controller controls the primary actuator and the inertial actuator. The controller determines a required damping of the movement of the unsprung mass, and apportions the required damping between the primary actuator and the inertial actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Paul J. Keas, Jonathan L. Hall, Kan Zhou, Troy A. Carter, Neal M. Lackritz
  • Patent number: 10900537
    Abstract: A vibration isolator assembly includes a bellows component, a piston component, a shaft component, and a housing component, wherein at least one of the bellows component, the piston component, the shaft component, and the housing component is formed using additive manufacturing techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Donald G. Godfrey, Brian Cottrell, Mark C. Morris, Zach Rogers
  • Patent number: 10829212
    Abstract: A telescoping strut for a retractable landing gear in an aircraft. The telescoping strut comprises a pre-pressurized and central extension chamber extending along the telescoping strut and a surrounding retraction chamber. For retraction, an hydraulic generation architecture of the aircraft feeds a single input/output passage of the surrounding retraction chamber with a overcoming fluid pressure that overwhelms a extension positive pressure in the central extension chamber and opposes the effect of the pre-pressurizing. The retraction system is for instance for a rotorcraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
    Inventor: Wolfram Grieser
  • Patent number: 10738798
    Abstract: The energy recovery system includes an inertial fluid container, a low pressure container, a high pressure container, a low pressure valve, and a high pressure valve, a valve flow conduit, and a valve controller. The valve controller switches, in response to a decrease in volume of the fluid chamber, the inertial fluid container between communicating with the low pressure container and the high pressure container, thereby generating inertial forces of the working fluid flowing toward the low pressure container in the inertial fluid container, and causing the working fluid to flow into the high pressure container by the inertial forces. The valve controller sets a switching frequency for the valves to a frequency close to an Nth-order (where N is a natural number) anti-resonance frequency of a flow conduit for the working fluid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignees: Kobe Steel, Ltd., Kochi Prefectural Public University Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Maekawa, Naoki Sugano, Yoshio Inoue, Motomichi Sonobe
  • Patent number: 9995362
    Abstract: A cylinder device includes a piston rod that is inserted into a cylinder so as to be movable back and forth. The piston rod has a rod portion that extends outside the cylinder, and a piston connected to an end portion of the rod portion, the piston moving in the cylinder in a slidable manner. The rod portion has a rod inner space formed in the rod portion, the rod inner space communicating with the piston-side chamber of the cylinder, a first communicating passage that connects the rod inner space and the rod-side chamber of the cylinder, and an orifice plug provided in the first communicating passage in a changeable manner. The piston is connected to the rod portion so as to cover a part of the orifice plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: KYB Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Funato
  • Patent number: 9282996
    Abstract: Implantable assemblies/devices and methods for manipulating energy transferred by members defining an anatomical joint, wherein the members collectively define a path of motion. Assemblies/devices are provided with a first component configured to be attached to a first member of the anatomical joint, a second component configured to be attached to a second member of the anatomical joint; and a hydraulic member joining the first and second components. The hydraulic member is placed under compression to absorb energy transferred by the members when the first component is attached to the first member and the second component is attached to the second member and a distance between locations of attachment of the first and second components becomes smaller then a predefined distance between the locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: MOXIMED, INC.
    Inventors: Clinton N. Slone, Toru Mino
  • Patent number: 9163690
    Abstract: A hydraulic shock absorber having a plurality of tubes (outer and inner tubes), which constitute a multiple-walled cylinder to be inserted inside a damper tube, held and secured between a rod guide and a support piece under a compressive load applied to all of the tubes. In the hydraulic shock absorber (10), a contact surface (P), where an end surface of the inner tube (13B), of the tubes (13A, 13B) of the cylinder (13), is in contact with a seating surface (201) of a rod guide (21) in the axial direction, is formed intermittently at a plurality of circumferential positions on the end surface of the inner tube 13B in the state where the tubes (13A, 13B) of the cylinder (13) are held and secured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Showa Corporation
    Inventor: Yosuke Murakami
  • Patent number: 9004516
    Abstract: A bicycle fork includes a pair of fork leg assemblies, each of the leg assemblies having an upper leg telescopingly engaged with a lower leg. A damping assembly is provided in at least one of the legs. The damping assembly includes lock-out and blow-off compression circuits. These compression circuits are externally adjustable without tools. Furthermore, these two compression circuits may be adjusted independently of each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Fox Factory Inc.
    Inventors: William M. Becker, Brian Lampman
  • Publication number: 20150096852
    Abstract: A suspension apparatus includes: a partition wall member that divides a space inside an inner tube into an upper space and a lower space; a cap that covers an upper opening portion of an outer tube; and a support member of which one end portion is retained by the cap, and of which the other end portion supports the other end portion of a piston rod, in which a through-hole is formed in a portion of the inner tube, an inner space of the piton rod is a space inside the piston rod and communicates with the lower space, the support member is a cylindrical member and forms an upper portion space, and the upper portion space communicates with the inner space of the piston rod, and at least one of the cap and the support member is provided with a communication path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Publication date: April 9, 2015
    Applicant: SHOWA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kojiro YOSHIDA
  • Publication number: 20150090548
    Abstract: A lock piston (13) of a locking mechanism (11) includes a flow path limiting-opening mechanism (14) provided on an outer peripheral side of a piston rod (7), an annular stopper (19) for supporting the flow path limiting-opening mechanism (14) from a piston (6) side, and a restriction ring (20) for restricting a fitting cylindrical body (15) of the flow path limiting-opening mechanism (14) from moving to a rod guide (9) side, the restriction ring (20) being fitted to a second annular groove (7B) of the piston rod (7). The restriction ring (20) is inserted along an outer peripheral side of the piston rod (7) from an upper end side of the piston rod (7), and fitted and fixed into the second annular groove (7B).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventor: Teruaki YAMANAKA
  • Patent number: 8967346
    Abstract: A multi-stage shock absorber with closed ends has a plurality of tubular shock bodies telescopically interconnected together, and includes a piston arrangement slidably mounted within certain of the shock bodies to define a number of chambers variously containing damping and/or spring elements for enabling damping of shock forces applied to the shock absorber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Great Lakes Sound & Vibration, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen E. Polakowski, Christian Michael Muehlfeld, Steven Mattson, David Labyak
  • Publication number: 20150034436
    Abstract: An air spring comprising a pressurized first chamber including a gas, a first piston adjacent the first chamber and configured to slideably move relative to the first chamber, pressurized second chamber adjacent the first piston and opposite the first chamber, the air spring configured such that the first piston moves towards the first chamber during compression of the air spring and the first piston moves away from the first chamber during extension of the air spring, wherein as said first piston moves towards the first chamber during compression of the air spring, said first piston pushes at least a portion of said gas within said first chamber in a direction opposite said first piston, a second piston configured to slideably move relative to the first chamber, a pressurized third chamber adjacent the second piston and opposite the first chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Applicant: SPECIALIZED BICYCLE COMPONENTS, INC.
    Inventors: Michael McAndrews, Brian Lampman
  • Publication number: 20150014107
    Abstract: A damper assembly comprises a piston and cylinder type damper with a piston (14) mounted for reciprocal movement in a cylinder (10) containing damping fluid. The piston (14) is acted on by a piston rod (11) which comprises a reaction surface for engaging the piston. The cross-sectional area of the reaction surface is designed to be significantly greater than the cross-sectional area of the piston rod (11) in order to spread the load exerted on the piston (14). Also, the piston (14) is designed to engage the piston rod (11) at its inner end in a manner that provides lateral guidance for the inner end of the piston rod in its movement in the cylinder (10).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Valter Svara, Danijel Kozlovic, Pecar David
  • Publication number: 20140367212
    Abstract: A hydraulic damper for an electrical switching apparatus includes a damper enclosure including an inner wall. Also included is a chamber defined by the inner wall, the chamber having a first end, a second end. Further included is a tapered portion of the chamber extending from a tapered portion initial end to a tapered portion terminal end, the tapered portion angled inwardly in a direction from the first end toward the second end of the chamber. Yet further included is a press rod at least partially disposed within the chamber. Also included is a piston having a piston outer surface and disposed within the chamber and having an initial position adjustable in a longitudinal direction of the chamber. Further included is a gap defined by the piston outer surface and the inner wall, wherein adjustment of the piston in the longitudinal direction adjusts the gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Jin Wu, Yu Lu, Wenhua Que, Hao Wu
  • Publication number: 20140339032
    Abstract: PROBLEM The present invention relates to a tubular shock absorber including a tubular case protruding from a side of a main body portion of the shock absorber. An object of the present invention is to prevent a foreign object such as water and dust from entering toward a screw portion of the case. MEANS FOR SOLVING A piston 5 with a piston rod 6 coupled thereto is inserted in a cylinder sealingly containing oil, and a damping force is generated by controlling a flow of the oil generated by a movement of the piston 5 with use of a damping force generation mechanism 25. The damping force generation mechanism 25 is contained in a cylindrical case 26 protruding from a side of an outer tube 3, and the damping force generation mechanism 25 is fixed by threadably attaching a nut member 34 to a male screw portion 50 of the case 26.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin Yamasaki, Tetsuo Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8887881
    Abstract: A shock-absorbing device includes a first cylinder with a first room defined therein and a room is defined in an end of the first cylinder. A second cylinder extends into the first cylinder and has a first piston so as to define a third room and a third room. Hydraulic liquid is filled in the second and third rooms. A first tube and a second tube extending through the first tube are located in the first room. A first path and a second path communicate with the recess. The first and second tubes extend into the second cylinder and are connected to the first piston. When the first and second cylinders are relative moved, the hydraulic liquid is controlled to flow or not flow between the first and second paths so as to absorb different levels of shocks, and the speed that the shock-absorbing device returns can be adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Kind Shock Hi-Tech Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jung Yu Hsu
  • Publication number: 20140291087
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a suspension method and to a shock-absorbing device for an automobile in the broadest sense of the term, i.e. any vehicle having a suspension and moving under its own power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2012
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Inventor: Mauro Bianchi
  • Patent number: 8840094
    Abstract: A self-pumping suspension strut with internal level regulation, for example for motor vehicles having a fluid-filled working cylinder pressurized with the pressure of the fluid acting as a spring. A hollow piston rod is guided, in a sealed manner, within the working space, into which projects a pump piston attached to the working cylinder. During relative movements between the working cylinder and the piston rod, fluid is delivered from the working space into a pressure chamber in which a pressure is higher than the pressure of the working space. Flow connections between the pressure chamber and the working space selective set a specifiable dynamic level, determined by the extension length of the piston rod, such that the piston rod can be rotated, by a rotating device, for selective cooperation of the axially and the circumferentially spaced flow connections to control flow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Markus Renninger
  • Publication number: 20140262650
    Abstract: Apparatuses, tools, assemblies, and methods are disclosed for reducing vibration. A shock absorption apparatus may include a stator and a rotor inside the stator. A first piston section may be included and define a first piston chamber having a first piston therein. The first piston chamber may be fluidly coupled to a first end portion of an annulus defined in a region between the stator and the rotor. A second piston section may also be defined and may include a second piston chamber with a second piston therein. The second piston chamber may be fluidly coupled to a second end portion of the annulus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: SMITH INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventor: Jay M. Eppink
  • Publication number: 20140262651
    Abstract: A shock absorber for a vehicle contains a shock absorber tube in which at least one shock absorber piston is guided in a sliding manner. The shock absorber tube is made of a carbon fiber composite material and has a coating made of an epoxide on the inside of the shock absorber tube, which coating forms the sliding partner for the shock absorber piston guided in the shock absorber tube. A method is explained for producing the shock absorber tube for the shock absorber and to the use of a tube made of a carbon fiber composite material having an epoxide coating to form a shock absorber tube for a shock absorber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: THYSSENKRUPP BILSTEIN GMBH
    Inventor: Hanno Luczak
  • Publication number: 20140238795
    Abstract: A damper unit includes first and second chambers, a first piston dividing the first chamber into first and second volumes, and a second piston dividing the second chamber into third and fourth volumes. Each piston is moveable along the respective chamber. The second chamber has a cross-sectional area that is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the first chamber so that the second chamber at least partially slides inside the first chamber and at least part of the first chamber can be located around the outside of the second chamber. The first piston is attached to the part of the second chamber that slides inside the first chamber. The position of the second piston is fixed relative to the first chamber as the second chamber slides relative to first chamber. The length of the damper unit changes as the second chamber slides relative to the first chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: McLaren Automotive Limited
    Inventor: Will HOULT
  • Publication number: 20140231198
    Abstract: A piston-cylinder unit includes: a cylindrical pressure tube having a first end side defining an end side opening; a piston, axially displaceable in the pressure tube, the piston having a piston rod, the piston rod being guided out of the pressure tube at the first end side through the end side opening; a piston rod guide and a piston rod seal, arranged inside the pressure tube, which cooperate together to sealingly guide the piston rod at the end side opening; and a cup-like protective cap surrounding an end region of the cylindrical pressure tube from the first end side, the protective cap having a base at its end, the base having a coaxial through-orifice having an inner wall through which the piston rod extends in a displaceable manner. The inner wall of the through-orifice tightly surrounds the piston rod.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Inventors: Stefan ACKERMANN, Arnold Schilz
  • Publication number: 20140231201
    Abstract: A shock absorber has an inclined surface that is inclined to a moving direction of the free piston in at least one of a free piston contact surface of a free piston with which an elastic body is in contact and a housing contact surface of a housing with which the elastic body is in contact. A shortest distance between the free piston contact surface and the housing contact surface is changed by movement of the free piston.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: ATSUSHI MAEDA, MASARU KOUYAMA, MIKIO YAMASHITA, FUMIYUKI YAMAOKA
  • Patent number: 8807300
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for a shock absorber having a damping fluid compensation chamber with a gas charge. In one aspect, a partition separates a first chamber portion from a second chamber portion, wherein the first portion of the chamber is at a first initial gas pressure and the second portion of the chamber is at a second initial pressure. A valve separates the first and second chamber portions and opening the valve commingles the first and second chamber portions so that the combined chamber portions are at a third pressure. In another aspect, a piston disposed through a wall is in pressure communication with the gas charge and is biased inwardly toward a pressure of the charge, whereby an indicator is movable by the piston in response to the pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.
    Inventor: John Marking
  • Patent number: 8800973
    Abstract: A spring for a suspension is described. The spring includes: a spring chamber divided into at least a primary portion and a secondary portion, and a fluid flow path coupled with and between the primary portion and the secondary portion. The fluid flow path includes a bypass mechanism, wherein the bypass mechanism is configured for automatically providing resistance within the fluid flow path in response to a compressed condition of the suspension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Fox Factory, Incorporated
    Inventor: Sante Pelot
  • Patent number: 8801017
    Abstract: A damper assembly for a vehicle suspension system includes a primary damper and a secondary damper. The secondary damper is coupled to the primary damper and includes a housing and an annular piston. The housing includes a sidewall that partially surrounds the primary damper, and the volume between the sidewall and the primary damper defines a damping chamber. The sidewall defines a plurality of apertures. The annular piston is positioned within the damping chamber and slidably coupled to the sidewall. The primary damper provides a base damping force and the secondary damper provides a supplemental damping force that varies based on the position of the annular piston along the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Oshkosh Corporation
    Inventors: Erik S. Ellifson, Patrick S. Dillman, Jason J. Zuleger, Aaron J. Rositch, Robert K. Sollenskog
  • Patent number: 8793052
    Abstract: A change of performance of an electromagnetic suspension unit is detected. When an integral ?|Vs??Vs*| of an absolute value of a difference between an actual value Vs* and an estimated value Vs? of an expansion/contraction velocity of a shock absorber is larger than a performance change threshold value Sth, it is detected that the performance of the electromagnetic suspension unit is changed. Further, when an integral ?|Vs*| of an absolute value of the actual value Vs* is larger than an integral ?|Vs?| of an absolute value of the estimated value Vs? by a predetermined value, performance of the shock absorber is changed such that a damping force of the shock absorber is reduced. Thus, the performance change of the electromagnetic suspension unit is detected based on the expansion/contraction velocity of the shock absorber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hirofumi Inoue, Masanori Horie
  • Patent number: 8770594
    Abstract: An electric suspension device includes a cylinder, a sub-tank, a first oil passage and a second oil passage, a damping force adjusting valve, and a damping force adjusting motor. The cylinder is rotatable about a mounting axis. The first oil passage connects a first inner oil chamber and an outer oil chamber. The second oil passage connects the first inner oil chamber of the cylinder and an oil chamber of the sub-tank. The first and second oil passages are disposed outside an inner tube and an outer tube, and share a portion with each other. The first and second oil passages are entirely disposed on the same side with respect to a reference plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignees: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha, Kayaba Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuji Tominaga, Yuki Amano
  • Publication number: 20140182984
    Abstract: A shock absorber includes a first cylinder portion, a second cylinder portion, a first piston portion arranged in an internal space of the first cylinder portion, a second piston portion arranged in an internal space of the second cylinder portion, a first rod portion connected to the first piston portion, and a second rod portion provided between the first piston portion and the second piston portion. The second rod portion has a stiffness lower than the stiffness of the first rod portion. When the first piston portion moves toward the one end portion side of the first cylinder portion, the first rod portion moves into the first cylinder portion so that the volume of the internal space of the first cylinder portion decreases, while the second piston portion moves along with the first piston portion so that the volume of the first chamber of the second cylinder portion increases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: YAMAHA MOTOR HYDRAULIC SYSTEM KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Keisuke ITO
  • Patent number: 8746661
    Abstract: The invention relates to a hydro-pneumatic piston accumulator (1), particularly for vehicle suspension systems, consisting of an accumulator housing (2) and a separating piston (6), which is disposed free-floating inside the accumulator housing in a displaceable manner in the direction of the movement axis (4). The separating piston separates an accumulator area (8) for a hydraulic medium from a pressure area (10) that is filled or is to be filled with a compressible medium, and is guided with an interior guide opening (30) on an elongated guide element (32), which is axially fixed within the accumulator housing (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Hemscheidt Fahrwerktechnik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Walter Runkel
  • Publication number: 20140144738
    Abstract: Disclosed is a buffer assembly of a vacuum molding and cutting machine, and the buffer assembly includes a lower mold base, at least four hydraulic elements and a movable plate. The lower mold base has at least four installing holes for installing the hydraulic elements respectively, and each hydraulic element includes a piston plunger for propping the movable plate to a predetermined distance. When the cutting thickness is 0.1 mm-0.5 mm of a sheet, the impact force can be absorbed effectively to maintain the parallelism for the cutting, so as to improve the cutting quality and extend the service life of a die cutting tool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: CHENG MEI MACHINE CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Chiou-Sheng WEI
  • Publication number: 20140137624
    Abstract: The invention provides an aerocushion assembly in a power press having a frame. The power press includes a shape assembly; a shaft communicating with the shape assembly; a cushion assembly communicating with at least one of the shaft and the shape assembly, the cushion assembly preventing at least one of off-center loading of the shaft or deflection of the shaft during movement thereof; a snubbing assembly communicating with at least the shaft; and an adjustment assembly communicating with the shaft and adjusts a stroke length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Inventors: Kenneth L. Smedberg, Jesse N. Smedberg
  • Publication number: 20140137475
    Abstract: There is disclosed a miniature damper (17),a viewing panel unit (1, 2, 3) incorporating a miniature damper, and a method of installing a viewing panel unit (1, 2, 3). A disclosed miniature damper (17) comprises: an elongate body (14) comprising an internal cavity having a substantially constant internal cross-section over a range of longitudinal positions; a piston housed with-in said internal cavity and configured to be movable longitudinally within said range of longitudinal positions; and a rod fixedly (15) connected to said piston at one end and extending outside of said internal cavity at the other end, wherein: a width of said elongate body in at least one direction perpendicular to a longitudinal axis is less than 6 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: VISTAMATIC LIMITED
    Inventors: Paul Kaye, John Nerden, James Godbold, Richard Cardin
  • Patent number: 8727366
    Abstract: A bicycle fork includes a pair of fork leg assemblies, each of the leg assemblies having an upper leg telescopingly engaged with a lower leg. A damping assembly is provided in at least one of the legs. The damping assembly includes lock-out and blow-off compression circuits. These compression circuits are externally adjustable without tools. Furthermore, these two compression circuits may be adjusted independently of each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Fox Factory, Incorporated
    Inventors: William M. Becker, Brian Lampman
  • Patent number: 8701845
    Abstract: A suspension device (S) comprises: an actuator (A) including a motion conversion mechanism (T) for converting rotational motion of a screw nut (1) to linear motion of a threaded shaft (2), and a motor (M) connected to the screw nut (1); and a fluid pressure damper (D) connected to the threaded shaft (2), wherein the threaded shaft (2) is formed in a cylindrical shape, a connecting shaft (30) for connecting a rod (31) or a cylinder (32) of the fluid pressure damper (D) to the threaded shaft (2) is inserted into the threaded shaft (2), and the connecting shaft (30) is connected to an end, opposite to the fluid pressure damper, of the threaded shaft (2). Accordingly, the connection between the actuator and the hydraulic damper is facilitated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Kayaba Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takuhiro Kondo
  • Patent number: 8695765
    Abstract: A shock absorber comprises a damping cylinder pressurized by a system pressure and divided by a piston into a compression chamber and a return chamber. A resilient device is disposed in the return chamber. The resilient device comprises a pressurizing member or pressurizing medium disposed in an inner volume that is delimited from the return chamber. The resilient device acts upon the damping medium volume in the return chamber such that the pressure initially during a compression stroke does not fall below a predetermined minimum pressure. As long as the pressure in the return chamber is less than the pressure created by the resilient device, the device is able to absorb energy. When the pressure in the return chamber is greater than the pressure created by the resilient device, the device becomes inflexible. The resilient device compensates for pressure reduction in the return chamber that occurs under rapid damping movements and that can cause cavitation during a compression stroke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Ohins Racing AB
    Inventors: Magnus Danek, Henrik Schiƶlde
  • Patent number: 8672306
    Abstract: A vehicle shock absorber includes a plurality of communication holes axially provided side by side in a peripheral wall of the cylinder of the damper, another communication hole provided in a peripheral wall of the cylinder and located below a position of piston of the damper, and a third oil chamber provided in an outer tube and an inner tube of a fork body and outside the cylinder and communicating with only a second oil chamber via the communication holes. This configuration enables the vehicle shock absorber to make a damping force generated by the damper positional dependent, and suppresses the entering of an air bubble into the cylinder, even when a cylinder of the damper is located above an oil level in an oil reservoir within the absorber body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mikio Uchiyama
  • Publication number: 20140048364
    Abstract: A shock absorber includes a cylinder sealingly containing oil, and a piston coupled with a piston rod and inserted in the cylinder. The shock absorber generates a damping force by controlling the oil flow generated according to movement of the piston with the use of a damping force generation mechanism. A separator tube is externally disposed around the cylinder. The oil is transmitted into the damping force generation mechanism via a branch tube integrally formed on a cylindrical sidewall of the separator tube. Both sides of a proximal portion of the branch tube in a circumferential direction of the sidewall of the separator tube are pressed from an inside to concave an inner circumferential surface radially outwardly, thereby forming recesses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2013
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Makoto NISHIMURA, Takayuki OHNO
  • Patent number: 8651214
    Abstract: A two-wheeled vehicle is disclosed. The two-wheeled vehicle may include highway bars. The two-wheeled vehicle may include a steering axis which is tilted relative to a fork axis. The two-wheeled vehicle may be configured in a faring configuration and in a non-fairing configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Polaris Industries Inc.
    Inventors: Scott A. Orpen, Mark W. Chevalier, James Arthur John Holroyd
  • Patent number: 8640835
    Abstract: A suspension unit, for example for a track-laying vehicle, comprises an oil-filled cylinder within which a piston, connected to a piston rod, is provided. The cylinder 4 is oil-filled, and communicates with an upper region of a spring chamber, the lower region 46 of which contains gas under pressure. The piston rod has a hollow interior filled with gas under pressure. The piston is connected by a connecting rod to a secondary piston which is slidable within the piston rod. On rebound the piston rod and the piston move relatively to each other between a retracted end position and an extended end position. During this movement and the return movement, oil is transferred, by way of apertures between damping chambers which serve to damp the relative movement of the piston and the piston rod so avoiding shock loading at the end positions of the movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Horstman Defence Systems Limited
    Inventors: Timothy J. Holman, Brian Stockford
  • Publication number: 20140027218
    Abstract: A damping element, particularly for a vehicle, includes first and second cylinder chambers, a cylinder and a connection element formed as a hollow body fastened to the end of the cylinder. A movable separating piston is arranged between the second cylinder chamber and the interior of the connection element for separating the region of the second cylinder chamber that is filled with hydraulic medium from a region of the connection element that is filled with a compressible medium. The connection element has a tube cross section having an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the cylinder and is inserted into the cylinder and tightly and fixedly. The separating piston is arranged so as to be coaxially displaceable in the cylinder and its displaceability is limited relative to the end region of the cylinder by the front side of the end region of the connection element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Inventors: Andreas ZIETSCH, Ines Schultheiss
  • Publication number: 20140020995
    Abstract: An annular dashpot damper is utilized to provide flow resistance from viscous shear to an orifice or gap which provides flow metering. This is accomplished by dividing the flow channel into circumferential segments or damping cavities which are sealed and limit rotational flow of the fluid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2012
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Inventors: Mark Leonard Hopper, Joshua Dean Smith
  • Publication number: 20130341139
    Abstract: A shock absorber that absorbs a vibration using a working fluid charged into a first chamber and a second chamber comprises a tube body, an inserted body, a tip end of which is inserted into the tube body from an end portion of the tube body, and a partition wall portion that is provided on the tip end of the inserted body to be capable of sliding within the tube body and partitions an interior of the tube body into the first chamber and the second chamber. The shock absorber comprises a connecting portion that is provided within a partition wall portion sliding region of the tube body and connects the first chamber and the second chamber when the partition wall portion passes thereby.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2013
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: KAYABA INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Nobuhiro NOGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20130333992
    Abstract: A damper for a bicycle having a primary unit and a remote unit that, in some arrangements, is substantially entirely outside of the primary unit. The primary unit includes a damper tube, a spring chamber, and a piston rod that supports a main piston. The main piston is movable within the damper chamber of the primary unit. The main piston and the damper tube at least partially define a compression chamber. The remote unit comprises a remote fluid chamber and, in some arrangements, an inertial valve within the remote unit. The inertial valve is preferably responsive to terrain-induced forces and preferably not responsive to rider-induced forces when the shock absorber is assembled to the bicycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2013
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicant: SPECIALIZED BICYCLE COMPONENTS, INC.
    Inventors: Michael McAndrews, Anthony Trujillo
  • Publication number: 20130319804
    Abstract: A shock absorber has a first pressure tube and a second pressure tube. A first piston is disposed within the first pressure tube and a second piston is disposed within the second pressure tube. Movement of the first and second pistons within their respective pressure tubes control both damping characteristics for the shock absorber and stiffness for the shock absorber. Valving in the pistons and/or external valving associated with each pressure tube generates both the damping characteristics and the stiffness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2012
    Publication date: December 5, 2013
    Applicant: Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.
    Inventors: Kristoff Six, Peter Boon, Jan Soeffers, Ward Opdekamp, Gert Mangelschots
  • Patent number: 8596431
    Abstract: A self-adjusting end position damping arrangement includes a stroke space 9 which is delimited by a movable stroke element 7, 24 and a part of the pneumatic cylinder 1, with the stroke space 9 being connected via a connecting duct 14 to the working pressure P1 which acts on the cylinder piston 22 or to the ventilation pressure (P3) in the outlet duct 3 and the stroke element 7, 24 being acted on via a damping duct 16 by the damping pressure P2 in the damping volume 19, a non-return valve 12 is arranged in the connecting duct 14 upstream of the stroke space 9, which non-return valve 12 blocks in the direction of the working pressure P1 or the ventilation pressure (P3), respectively, and a ventilation duct 5 is provided, which ventilation duct 5 can be opened by means of the movable stroke element 7, 24 and which is connected to an outlet duct 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Parker Origa Holding AG
    Inventor: Christian Bruder