US3647199A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Variable-damping liquid spring
Assignee: Menasco Inc
•
Filing: 1970-05-07
•
Granted: 1972-03-07
•
Expires: 1990-05-07
Abstract
Abstract A variable-damping liquid spring having a housing adapted to contain a compressible fluid under pressure, a piston means extending into the said housing in slidable sealing engagement therewith, and damping means positioned within said housing which provide a variable fluid flow pattern to permit changes in the rate or direction of fluid flow within the housing during relative movement between the piston means and housing. A plurality of sleeves may be mounted within the housing with each of the sleeves having apertures therein. One fluid flow pattern during relative movement between the piston means and housing is established by the flow alignment of one set of apertures in the sleeves and another flow pattern during relative movement between the piston means and housing is established by the flow alignment of a different set of apertures in the sleeves.
Inventors
- 👤 Harish K Bhutani
- 👤 Giles A Kendall
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 23:59
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16F; F16F5/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
139 words
A variable-damping liquid spring comprising: a housing adapted to contain a compressible fluid; piston means extending into said housing in slidable sealing engagement therewith; damping means within said housing to vary the fluid flow pattern within said housing during relative movement between said piston means and said housing, said damping means including an inner damping sleeve in slidable engagement with said piston means and an outer damping sleeve concentrically positioned about said inner damping sleeve in slidable engagement therewith, said inner and outer damping sleeves containing a plurality of apertures, and means to cause relative movement between said inner and outer damping sleeves during relative movement of said piston means and said housing, whereby the alignment of the apertures in said inner and outer sleeves is changed in response to relative movement of said piston means and said housing.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
139 words
A variable-damping liquid spring comprising: a housing adapted to contain a compressible fluid; piston means extending into said housing in slidable sealing engagement therewith; damping means within said housing to vary the fluid flow pattern within said housing during relative movement between said piston means and said housing, said damping means including an inner damping sleeve in slidable engagement with said piston means and an outer damping sleeve concentrically positioned about said inner damping sleeve in slidable engagement therewith, said inner and outer damping sleeves containing a plurality of apertures, and means to cause relative movement between said inner and outer damping sleeves during relative movement of said piston means and said housing, whereby the alignment of the apertures in said inner and outer sleeves is changed in response to relative movement of said piston means and said housing.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
The liquid spring as defined in claim 1 wherein certain of said apertures are relatively large in size and other of said apertures are relatively small in size.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
60 words
The liquid spring of claim 2 wherein said piston means includes a larger diameter shaft, a piston head on the inner end of said larger diameter shaft and a smaller diameter shaft on the opposite side of said piston head, whereby on relative movement of said larger diameter shaft into said housing the free volume within said housing is reduced.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
64 words
The liquid spring of claim 3 wherein said outer damping sleeve is fixed with respect to said housing and said inner damping sleeve is movable with respect to said outer damping sleeve, said piston head being in slidable engagement with the inner surface of said inner damping sleeve, and means to cause movement of said inner damping sleeve on movement of said piston head.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The liquid spring of claim 4 including biasing means positioned within said housing to resiliently bias said inner damping sleeve in the direction of said larger diameter shaft.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
53 words
The liquid spring of claim 3, wherein said smaller diameter shaft extends through one end of said housing and said larger diameter shaft extends through the other end of said housing, such that movement of said larger diameter shaft into said housing causes movement of said smaller diameter shaft out of said housing.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
158 words
A variable-damping liquid spring comprising: a housing adapted to contain a compressible fluid; piston means extending into said housing in slidable sealing engagement therewith, said piston means including a larger diameter shaft, a piston head on the inner end of said larger diameter shaft and a smaller diameter shaft on the opposite side of said piston head; an outer damping sleeve within said housing; an inner damping sleeve concentrically mounted within said outer damping sleeve in slidable engagement therewith; said piston head slidably engaging the inner surface of said inner damping sleeve; a plurality of apertures in said inner and outer damping sleeves, and means to cause relative movement of said inner damping sleeve with respect to said outer damping sleeve on relative movement of said piston means with respect to said housing such that the alignment of apertures in said inner and outer sleeves changes in response to relative movement of said piston means and said housing.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
158 words
A variable-damping liquid spring comprising: a housing adapted to contain a compressible fluid; piston means extending into said housing in slidable sealing engagement therewith, said piston means including a larger diameter shaft, a piston head on the inner end of said larger diameter shaft and a smaller diameter shaft on the opposite side of said piston head; an outer damping sleeve within said housing; an inner damping sleeve concentrically mounted within said outer damping sleeve in slidable engagement therewith; said piston head slidably engaging the inner surface of said inner damping sleeve; a plurality of apertures in said inner and outer damping sleeves, and means to cause relative movement of said inner damping sleeve with respect to said outer damping sleeve on relative movement of said piston means with respect to said housing such that the alignment of apertures in said inner and outer sleeves changes in response to relative movement of said piston means and said housing.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
The liquid spring of claim 7 wherein said outer damping sleeve is fixedly mounted within said housing and said inner damping sleeve is movable with respect to said outer damping sleeve.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
The liquid spring of claim 7 wherein certain of said apertures are relatively large in size and other of said apertures are relatively small in size.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
75 words
The liquid spring of claim 7 including a plurality of circumferentially grooved channels on the exterior surface of said inner damping sleeve, said channels communicating with said apertures in said inner damping sleeve, whereby flow passages between said apertures in said inner damping sleeve and said apertures in said outer damping sleeve are provided when the apertures in said inner damping sleeve and the apertures in said outer damping sleeve are not in rotational alignment.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
170 words
The liquid spring of claim 8 including an inwardly projecting closure on said inner damping sleeve; a hole in said closure in slidable engagement with said smaller diameter shaft; a first chamber bounded by the inner surface of said inner damping sleeve, said closure and the slidable contact between said piston head and said inner damping sleeve; an inwardly projecting end on said inner damping sleeve, a hole in said end in slidable engagement with said larger diameter shaft; a second chamber bounded by the inner surface of said inner damping sleeve, said inwardly projecting end and the slidable contact between said piston head and said inner damping sleeve, and biasing means positioned within said housing to resiliently bias said inner damping sleeve in the direction of said larger diameter shaft, whereby on relative movement of said piston means into said housing the volume of said first chamber is reduced and on relative movement of said piston means away from said housing the volume of said second chamber is reduced.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
26 words
The liquid spring of claim 11 wherein certain of said apertures are relatively large in size and other of said apertures are relatively small in size.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
49 words
The liquid spring of claim 12 wherein said relatively large size apertures are brought into flow communication during relative movement of said piston means into said housing and said relatively small size apertures are brought into flow communication during relative movement of said piston means out of said housing.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
68 words
The liquid spring of claim 13 wherein said biasing means is enclosed by a portion of said outer damping sleeve, and a relatively large and a relatively small hole in said outer damping sleeve in juxtaposition to said biasing means, said relatively large hole being normally open but being capable of being covered by said inner damping sleeve during relative movement of said piston means into said housing.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2767978A
Cited
US3078967A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-03-07 | 1975-09-06 | 1976-03-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-03-07 | 1979-09-06 | 1980-03-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-03-07 | 1983-09-06 | 1984-03-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |