Self-pumping height controller and damper

Claim 2

An integral shock absorber and self-pumping leveling unit for an automobile comprising: a member adapted to be attached to the unsprung mass of the automobile; said member having a hydraulic fluid filled pressure cylinder tube within its interior; a piston rod adapted to be attached at its one end to the sprung mass of the automobile; said piston rod extending through said member coaxially into said pressure cylinder tube; a piston on another end of said piston rod for reciprocation within said pressure cylinder tube to dampen movement between said sprung and unsprung masses; said piston dividing said pressure cylinder tube into a fluid filled rebound chamber and a fluid filled compression chamber; a fluid reservoir chamber encircling said pressure cylinder tube; turbine means within said member for converting fluid kinetic energy into rotational energy; said turbine means having inlets fluidly connected to said rebound chamber and said compression chamber and an outlet fluidly connected to said reservoir chamber to provide an open fluid passage between said rebound and compression chambers and said reservoir chamber for dampening fluid flow through said turbine means and whereby normal fluid damping through said turbine means is unaffected by rotation or nonrotation of said turbine means; means for pumping hydraulic fluid having an inlet fluidly connected to said reservoir chamber; pressure accumulator means connected to an outlet of said pump means for storing pressurized fluid; means between said turBine means and said pump means for operating said pump means in response to rotation of said turbine means; a control valve responsive to movement of said piston rod downward from a predetermined position within said pressure cylinder tube for directing pressurized fluid from said pressure accumulator means against the cross sectional end area of said piston rod to produce a force thereon which moves the piston rod outward from the unit and increases the spacing between said sprung and unsprung masses of the automobile; said control valve directing pressurized fluid from said end area of said piston rod to said reservoir chamber upon upward movement of said piston rod from the predetermined position to reduce the force thereon which causes said piston rod to move into the unit and decreases the spacing between said sprung and unsprung masses.

Claim 3

An integral shock absorber and self-pumping leveling unit for an automobile comprising: a member adapted to be attached to the unsprung mass of the automobile; said member having a hydraulic fluid filled pressure cylinder tube within its interior; a piston rod adapted to be attached at one end to the sprung mass of the automobile; said piston rod extending through said member coaxially into said pressure cylinder tube; a piston on another end of said piston rod for reciprocation within said pressure cylinder tube to dampen movement between said sprung and unsprung masses; said piston dividing said pressure cylinder tube into a fluid filled rebound chamber and a fluid filled compression chamber; a cylindrical wall encircling said pressure cylinder tube and fluidly connected to said rebound chamber forming an annular passage; a fluid reservoir chamber encircling said cylindrical wall and said pressure cylinder tube; a tube extending from a lower end portion of said member into an axial bore within said piston rod; a generally disc shaped turbine rotatable about said tube for converting fluid kinetic energy into rotational energy; said turbine being supported between said lower end portion and the ends of said cylindrical wall and said pressure cylinder tube; inlets in the turbine fluidly connected to said rebound chamber through said annular passage and to said compression chamber; radially directed outlets in said turbine leading to said reservoir chamber; said turbine inlets and said turbine outlets providing an open fluid passage between said rebound and compression chambers and said reservoir chamber for dampening fluid flow through said turbine and whereby normal fluid dampening through said turbine is unaffected by rotation or nonrotation of said turbine; means adjacent said outlets for redirecting fluid flow from said outlets into a tangential direction to impart a tangential force on said turbine; means for pumping hydraulic fluid having an inlet fluidly connected to said reservoir chamber; pressure accumulator means connected to an outlet of said pump means for storing pressurized fluid; means between said turbine and said pump means for operating said pump means in response to rotation of said turbine; a control valve responsive to movement of said piston rod downward from a predetermined position within said pressure cylinder tube for directing pressurized fluid from said pressure accumulator means through said tube and into said axial bore in said piston rod against the cross-sectional end area of said piston rod to produce a force thereon which moves the piston rod outward from the unit and increases the spacing between said sprung and unsprung masses of the automobile; said control valve directing pressurized fluid from said end area of said piston rod to said reservoir chamber upon upward movement of said piston rod from the predetermined position to reduce the force thereon which causes said piston rod to move into the unit and decreases the spacing between said sprung and unsprung masses.

Claim 4

An integral shock absorber and self-pumping leveling unit for an automobile comprising: a member adapted to be attached to the unsprung mass of the automobile; said member having a hydraulic fluid filled pressure cylinder tube within its interior; a piston rod adapted to be attached at one end to the sprung mass of the automobile; said piston rod extending through said member coaxially into said pressure cylinder tube; a piston on another end of said piston rod for reciprocation within said pressure cylinder tube to dampen movement between said sprung and unsprung masses; said piston dividing said pressure cylinder tube into a fluid filled rebound chamber and a fluid filled compression chamber; a cylindrical wall encircling said pressure cylinder tube and fluidly connected to said rebound chamber forming an annular passage; a fluid reservoir chamber encircling said cylindrical wall and said pressure cylinder tube; a tube extending from a lower end portion of said member into an axial bore within said piston rod; a generally disc shaped turbine rotatable about said tube for converting fluid kinetic energy into rotational energy; said turbine being supported between said lower end portion and the ends of said cylindrical wall and said pressure cylinder tube; inlets in the turbine fluidly connected to said rebound chamber through said annular passage and to said compression chamber; radially directed outlets in said turbine leading to said reservoir chamber; said turbine inlets and said turbine outlets providing an open fluid passage between said rebound and compression chambers and said reservoir chamber for dampening fluid flow through said turbine and whereby normal fluid dampening through said turbine is unaffected by rotation or nonrotation of said turbine; means adjacent said outlets for redirecting fluid flow from said outlets into a tangential direction to impart a tangential force on said turbine; means for pumping hydraulic fluid having an inlet fluidly connected to said reservoir chamber; pressure accumulator means connected to an outlet of said pump means for storing pressurized fluid; means between said turbine and said pump means for operating said pump means in response to rotation of said turbine; a control valve responsive to movement of said piston rod downward from a predetermined position within said pressure cylinder tube for directing pressurized fluid from said pressure accumulator means through said tube and into said axial bore in said piston rod against the cross-sectional end area of said piston rod to produce a force thereon which moves the piston rod outward from the unit and increases the spacing between said sprung and unsprung masses of the automobile; said control valve directing pressurized fluid from said end area of said piston rod to said reservoir chamber upon upward movement of said piston rod from the predetermined position to reduce the force thereon which causes said piston rod to move into the unit and decreases the spacing between said sprung and unsprung masses.

Claim 5

The integral shock absorber and self-pumping leveling unit as set out in claim 2 wherein, said flow-redirecting means are cUrved blades affixed to said turbine which extend in a radial direction adjacent said outlets and are curved into a tangential direction with increased radial distance from said outlets.

Claim 6

The integral shock absorber and self-pumping leveling unit as set forth in claim 2 wherein, said pressure storage accumulator means includes at least one elastic separator wall for accommodating pressure fluctuations therein.

Claim 7

The integral shock absorber and self-pumping leveling unit as set forth in claim 2 wherein, said pump-operating means includes a cammed groove in said turbine; one end of an arm engaging said cammed groove to produce lineal reciprocation of said arm which drives said pump means connected to the other end.