Combined shock absorbent and suspension for vehicle

Claim 1

A combination shock absorber and suspension device for a vehicle comprising: (a) a first, exterior tube having a closed lower end and an open upper end; (b) a second, interior tube having a closed upper end and an open lower end and being telescopically positioned within the upper end of said exterior tube; (c) a first piston being rigidly connected to the lower end of said interior tube, said interior and exterior tubes being axially spaced apart from one another and thereby forming a first, annular chamber for retaining pressurized fluid, said first chamber comprising the space between said tubes and having a lower end bounded by said piston, a second chamber for retaining said pressurized fluid being located within said exterior tube below said piston, a third chamber for retaining said pressurized fluid being located within said interior tube and adjacent to said lower end of said interior tube, and above said piston, said piston comprising a central axial bore providing a permanent fluidic connection between said second and said third chambers, said piston further comprising at least one first flap valve orifice for conducting fluid from said second chamber to said third chamber during compression of said shock absorber and at least one second flap valve orifice for conducting fluid from said third chamber to said second chamber during extension of said shock absorber, wherein fluid is adapted to be retained within said chambers and to be communicated between said chambers during relative displacement of said interior tube and said exterior tube, and wherein fluid is adapted to reside between said piston and said exterior tube; (d) a closing ring attached to the upper end of said exterior tube, said interior tube and said piston being slidably retained within an opening in said ring, said ring being adapted to guide longitudinal movement of said piston and said interior tube and said piston thereby being movable within said exterior tube so as to change the relative size of said second and third chambers, said piston and said inner surface of said exterior tube being spaced apart from one another in non-abutting relationship and said ring and said interior tube defining the upper end of said first chamber; and (e) a flexible lip adapted to contact said exterior tube and which is adapted to permit fluid to be conducted along the periphery of said piston and from said second chamber into said first chamber during compression of said shock absorber, and wherein said piston has at least one radial orifice positioned above said lip and which is adapted to permit fluidic communication between said first chamber and said third chamber via said second flap valve orifice.