Gas bladder for combination liquid gas suspension device

Claim 2

A combination gas and liquid suspension device comprising, an outer cylinder having a closed end and an open end, an inner cylinder located within said outer cylinder in spaced relationship therewith to form an oil reservoir spaced therebetween, damping means within said inner cylinder including a rod member extending from said inner cylinder and beyond the open end of said outer cylinder, means for forming a gas space in the oil reservoir between said inner and outer cylinders including a closure member closing the open end of said outer cylinder and a bladder member having a closed U-bend end and an inner wall and an outer wall joined thereto, said closure member having axial spaced seal surfaces thereon, each of said seal surfaces located radially inwardly of said outer cylinder, means for sealing said inner wall of said bladder to one of said seal surfaces, means for sealing the outer wall to the other of said seal surfaces to form a sealed space between said closure member and said bladder member, passageway means in said closure member having an outlet formed in said closure member between said seal surfaces thereon, said passageway means adapted to be connected to a gas source for charging the space within said bladder to a predetermined pressure, means for filling the reservoir space with oil around said bladder and to fill said inner cylinder with oil, said bladder pressurizing said oil filled reservoir and the oil in said inner cylinder to produce a resultant force on said rod to cause it to extend from said inner and outer cylinders to produce a load leveling effect when the rod and outer cylinder are connected between the sprung and unsprung mass of a vehicle.

Claim 3

A combination gas and liquid suspension device adapted to be connected between the sprung and unsprung mass of a vehicle for maintaining a predetermined height relationship therebetween, an outer cylinder having means thereon adapted to be connected to one of the masses, an inner cylinder located within said outer cylinder forming therewith a liquid reservoir space, damping means including a piston rod within said inner cylinder, said piston rod extending from said inner cylinder outwardly of said outer cylinder and including means thereon adapted to be connected to the other of the masses of the vehicle, said outer cylinder having an open end and a closed end, a rod guide member located within the open end of said outer cylinder including a pair of axially spaced seal surfaces thereon, each of said seal surfaces located radially inwardly of the inner surface of said outer cylinder, a bladder member mounted in said liquid reservoir having a U-bend end portion with spaced apart circumferentially formed inner and outer walls thereon, one of said outer walls being located on one of said seal surfaces, the other of said walls being located on the other of said seal surfaces, means for sealingly securing each of said walls to said seal surfaces for connecting the bladder to the closure member for forming a flexible gas space within the outer cylinder supported solely on said rod guide member, means forming a passageway through said guide member having an outlet opening between said seal surfaces, said passageway means serving to provide a path for directing gas under pressure into the interior of the bladder for maintaining a predetermined pressure therein, means for filling the inner cylinder and the reservoir space with liquid to cause the gas space within the bladder to expand and contract, said gas space pressure being directed against liquid filling the reservoir space and the inner cylinder to produce a resultant force on the piston rod to cause it to move outwardly of the inner cylinder and outer cylinder to maintain a predetermined height relationship between the sprung and unsprung mass connected to the piston rod and to the outer cylinder.

Claim 4

A combination gas and liquid suspension device adapted to be connected between the sprung and unsprung mass of a vehicle for maintaining a predetermined height relationship therebetween, an outer cylinder having means thereon adapted to be connected to one of the masses, an inner cylinder located within said outer cylinder forming therewith a liquid reservoir space, damping means including a piston rod within said inner cylinder, said piston rod extending from said inner cylinder outwardly of said outer cylinder and including means thereon adapted to be connected to the other of the masses of the vehicle, said outer cylinder having an open end and a closed end, a rod guide member located within the open end of said outer cylinder including a pair of axially spaced seal surfaces thereon, each of said seal surfaces located radially inwardly of the inner surface of said outer cylinder, a bladder member mounted in said liquid reservoir having a U-bend end portion with spaced apart circumferentially formed inner and outer walls thereon, one of said outer walls being located on one of said seal surfaces, the other of said walls being located on the other of said seal surfaces, means for sealingly securing each of said walls to said seal surfaces for connecting the bladder to the closure member for forming a flexible gas space within the outer cylinder supported solely on said rod guide member, means forming a passageway through said guide member having an outlet opening between said seal surfaces, said passageway means serving to provide a path for directing gas under pressure into the interior of the bladder for maintaining a predetermined pressure therein, means for filling the inner cylinder and the reservoir space with liquid to cause the gas space within the bladder to expand and contract, said gas space pressure being directed against liquid filling the reservoir space and the inner cylinder to produce a resultant force on the piston rod to cause it to move outwardly of the inner cylinder and outer cylinder to maintain a predetermined height relationship between the sprung and unsprung mass connected to the piston rod and to the outer cylinder.

Claim 5

A combination gas and liquid suspension device for maintaining a predetermined height between the sprung and unsprung mass of a vehicle comprising an outer cylinder having a closed end, mounting means on said closed end adapted to be connected to a mass portion of a vehicle, said outer cylinder having an open end, a liquid filled inner cylinder located within the outer cylinder having the outer surface thereof formed in spaced relationship to the inner surface of the outer cylinder to define a liquid reservoir space therebetween, damping means within said inner cylinder including a piston and a piston rod extending outwardly of said outer cylinder, a closure member for the open end of said outer cylinder including a rod guide surface thereon guiding the outer surface of said piston rod upon reciprocation thereof into and out of said inner cylinder, said closure member having a seal chamber therein, a seal member located within said seal chamber located in sealing engagement with the outer periphery of said piston rod for sealing said rod against leakage of liquid from within the inner cylinder outwardly thereof, a rod guide member located within said closure member supporting said rod at a point in axially spaced relationship with respect to said first mentioned rod guide surface, said closurE member having an axial extension thereon extending inwardly of said outer cylinder, said extension having a first seal surface thereon located radially inwardly of the inner surface of said outer member and a second seal surface thereon located both axially and radially inwardly of said first seal surface thereon, a bladder member located within said reservoir space including a closed U-bend thereon joined to spaced-apart inner and outer wall portions, said outer wall portion having a circumferentially formed distal end thereon in engagement with said first seal surface, said inner wall portion having a circumferentially formed distal end portion thereon in engagement with said second seal surface, means for supporting each of said distal end portions in sealing engagement with their respective seal surfaces to form a sealed gas space within said bladder member, said inner and outer wall portions of said bladder depending from said closure seal surfaces in free floating relationship within said reservoir space, means forming a passageway through said closure member having an outlet formed on said closure member at a point between said first and second seal surfaces whereby gas under pressure can be charged into the sealed gas space, means for directing liquid into said reservoir space and to fill the inner cylinder with oil thereby to increase the gas pressure within said sealed gas space, means for communicating the reservoir space and the inner cylinder whereby changes in pressure within the gas space will act on the liquid within the liquid filled reservoir and the liquid filled inner cylinder to produce a resultant force on the piston rod to cause it to move from the inner and outer cylinders to control the height relationship between the sprung and unsprung mass of the vehicle.

Claim 6

A combination gas and liquid suspension device for maintaining a predetermined height between the sprung and unsprung mass of a vehicle comprising an outer cylinder having a closed end, mounting means on said closed end adapted to be connected to a mass portion of a vehicle, said outer cylinder having an open end, a liquid filled inner cylinder located within the outer cylinder having the outer surface thereof formed in spaced relationship to the inner surface of the outer cylinder to define a liquid reservoir space therebetween, damping means within said inner cylinder including a piston and a piston rod extending outwardly of said outer cylinder, a closure member for the open end of said outer cylinder including a rod guide surface thereon guiding the outer surface of said piston rod upon reciprocation thereof into and out of said inner cylinder, said closure member having a seal chamber therein, a seal member located within said seal chamber located in sealing engagement with the outer periphery of said piston rod for sealing said rod against leakage of liquid from within the inner cylinder outwardly thereof, a rod guide member located within said closure member supporting said rod at a point in axially spaced relationship with respect to said first mentioned rod guide surface, said closurE member having an axial extension thereon extending inwardly of said outer cylinder, said extension having a first seal surface thereon located radially inwardly of the inner surface of said outer member and a second seal surface thereon located both axially and radially inwardly of said first seal surface thereon, a bladder member located within said reservoir space including a closed U-bend thereon joined to spaced-apart inner and outer wall portions, said outer wall portion having a circumferentially formed distal end thereon in engagement with said first seal surface, said inner wall portion having a circumferentially formed distal end portion thereon in engagement with said second seal surface, means for supporting each of said distal end portions in sealing engagement with their respective seal surfaces to form a sealed gas space within said bladder member, said inner and outer wall portions of said bladder depending from said closure seal surfaces in free floating relationship within said reservoir space, means forming a passageway through said closure member having an outlet formed on said closure member at a point between said first and second seal surfaces whereby gas under pressure can be charged into the sealed gas space, means for directing liquid into said reservoir space and to fill the inner cylinder with oil thereby to increase the gas pressure within said sealed gas space, means for communicating the reservoir space and the inner cylinder whereby changes in pressure within the gas space will act on the liquid within the liquid filled reservoir and the liquid filled inner cylinder to produce a resultant force on the piston rod to cause it to move from the inner and outer cylinders to control the height relationship between the sprung and unsprung mass of the vehicle.

Claim 7

A combination gas and liquid suspension device for maintaining a predetermined height between the sprung and unsprung mass of a vehicle comprising an outer cylinder having a closed end, mounting means on said closed end adapted to be connected to a mass portion of a vehicle, said outer cylinder having an open end, a liquid filled inner cylinder located within the outer cylinder having the outer surface thereof formed in spaced relationship to the inner surface of the outer cylinder to define a liquid filled reservoir space therebetween, damping means within said inner cylinder including a piston and a piston rod extending outwardly of said outer cylinder, a closure member for the open end of said outer cylinder, said closure member having an axial extension thereon extending inwardly of said outer cylinder, said extension having a first seal surface thereon located radially inwardly of the inner surface of said outer member and a second seal surface thereon located both axially and radially inwardly of said first seal surface thereon, a bladder member located within said reservoir space including a U-bend thereon joined to spaced-apart inner and outer wall portions, said outer wall portion having a circumferentially formed distal end thereon in engagement with said first seal surface, said inner wall portion having a circumferentially formed distal end portion thereon in engagement with said second seal surface, means for supporting each of said distal end portions in sealing engagement with their respective seal surfaces to form a sealed gas space within said bladder member, said inner and outer wall portions of said bladder depending from said closure seal surfaces in free floating relationship within said reservoir space, means forming a passageway through said closure member having an outlet formed on said closure member at a point between said first and second seal surfaces whereby gas under pressure can be charged into the sealed gas space for moving said inner and outer walls apart from another, a curved surface on the end of said extension for supporting said inner wall portion through a transition angle between the point at which it is connected to said closure and the outer Surface of said inner cylinder, said outer wall being movable between an expanded position in engagement with the inner surface of said outer cylinder and a floating suspended relationship within said liquid reservoir in accordance with the amount of liquid within said liquid reservoir to allow for cooling of gas within said bladder by liquid surrounding said bladder, means for directing liquid into said reservoir space and to fill the inner cylinder thereby to cause said inner and outer walls of said bladder to move toward one another and increase the gas pressure within said sealed gas space, and means for communicating the reservoir space and the inner cylinder whereby changes in pressure within the gas space will act on the liquid within the liquid filled reservoir and the liquid filled inner cylinder to produce a resultant force on the piston rod to cause it to move from the inner and outer cylinders to control the height relationship between the sprung and unsprung mass of the vehicle.

Claim 8

A combination gas and liquid suspension device for maintaining a predetermined height between the sprung and unsprung mass of a vehicle comprising an outer cylinder having a closed end, mounting means on said closed end adapted to be connected to a mass portion of a vehicle, said outer cylinder having an open end, a liquid filled inner cylinder located within the outer cylinder having the outer surface thereof formed in spaced relationship to the inner surface of the outer cylinder to define a liquid filled reservoir space therebetween, damping means within said inner cylinder including a piston and a piston rod extending outwardly of said outer cylinder, a closure member for the open end of said outer cylinder, said closure member having an axial extension thereon extending inwardly of said outer cylinder, said extension having a first seal surface thereon located radially inwardly of the inner surface of said outer member and a second seal surface thereon located both axially and radially inwardly of said first seal surface thereon, a bladder member located within said reservoir space including a U-bend thereon joined to spaced-apart inner and outer wall portions, said outer wall portion having a circumferentially formed distal end thereon in engagement with said first seal surface, said inner wall portion having a circumferentially formed distal end portion thereon in engagement with said second seal surface, means for supporting each of said distal end portions in sealing engagement with their respective seal surfaces to form a sealed gas space within said bladder member, said inner and outer wall portions of said bladder depending from said closure seal surfaces in free floating relationship within said reservoir space, means forming a passageway through said closure member having an outlet formed on said closure member at a point between said first and second seal surfaces whereby gas under pressure can be charged into the sealed gas space for moving said inner and outer walls apart from another, a curved surface on the end of said extension for supporting said inner wall portion through a transition angle between the point at which it is connected to said closure and the outer Surface of said inner cylinder, said outer wall being movable between an expanded position in engagement with the inner surface of said outer cylinder and a floating suspended relationship within said liquid reservoir in accordance with the amount of liquid within said liquid reservoir to allow for cooling of gas within said bladder by liquid surrounding said bladder, means for directing liquid into said reservoir space and to fill the inner cylinder thereby to cause said inner and outer walls of said bladder to move toward one another and increase the gas pressure within said sealed gas space, and means for communicating the reservoir space and the inner cylinder whereby changes in pressure within the gas space will act on the liquid within the liquid filled reservoir and the liquid filled inner cylinder to produce a resultant force on the piston rod to cause it to move from the inner and outer cylinders to control the height relationship between the sprung and unsprung mass of the vehicle.