GB1465487A - Oleo-pneumatic vehicle suspension struts - Google Patents

Abstract

1465487 Hydropneumatic shock absorbers; valves JONAS WOODHEAD Ltd and AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTS Ltd 11 April 1974 [24 April 1973] 19292/73 Headings F2S and F2V A hydropneumatic vehicle suspension strut comprises an inner cylinder 2, a piston-rod guide 5 through which passes a piston-rod 4 carrying a piston 3 reciprocatable in the inner cylinder, an outer cylinder 1, rigid with an end connection 9, surrounding the inner cylinder to provide an annular chamber, a movable wall 12 dividing the annular chamber into a liquidcontaining chamber 14 in communication with the interior of the inner cylinder 2 and a pressurized gas containing chamber 13, the inner cylinder 2 being connected at one end to the piston-rod guide 5 and having its other end located with respect to the outer cylinder by a resilient ring 40, 43, 44. The resilient ring is formed as a bead on the separating diaphragm 12. The end closure 38 for the inner cylinder is not joined to the end closure 8 for the outer cylinder but is formed with a complementary flange 41, 42 for mating with the resilient bead. The resilient bead compensates for any lack of concentricity in the components as manufactured. The strut may be self-levelling in response to internal or external regulation (not shown), liquid being introduced or exhausted through a unit 54. Valves.-In the modified piston of Fig. 2, a flexible valve element 84 controlling flow in one direction seats on a flexible valve element 82 controlling flow in the opposite direction. On flow upwards through the piston, the valve element 82 lifts off its seat 83 on the piston. On flow in the opposite direction, the valve element 84 lifts off the valve element 82 to uncover apertures 85.