Accumulator

Claim 1

In a hydraulic accumulator having an upright pressure vessel with an oil port at the bottom and a gas inlet at the top with a deformable, uniformly flexible bladder secured to the vessel and separating the gas and hydraulic fluids in the vessel, means securing the bladder to the upper end of the vessel with a central lower portion movable toward the oil port upon expulsion of hydraulic fluid through the oil port, a poppet valve for the oil port having a head positioned on the interior of the vessel, a cushion member carried by the bladder centrally over the poppet valve, said cushion member being flexible and located to engage the head of the poppet valve and extend thereover preventing contact between the bladder material and the poppet valve head and cushioning the bladder against concentrated bending over the poppet valve, said cushion members having a peripheral portion flexible relative to the bladder so that oil may enter a peripheral space between the bladder and cushion member over the poppet valve head periphery and a central portion secured to the bladder in a position centrally over the poppet valve securing the cushion to the bladder for movement therewith upon ingress and egress of the oil in the vessel and insuring bladder contraction away from the poppet valve upon ingress of oil into the vessel.