US4880213A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Gas spring apparatus
Assignee: NHK Spring Co Ltd
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Filing: 1988-06-27
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Granted: 1989-11-14
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Expires: 2008-06-27
Abstract
Abstract In a gas spring apparatus according to the present invention, a cylinder assembly comprises a cylinder housing and a rod fitted therein for axial reciprocation. An oil chamber and a gas chamber are defined inside the cylinder assembly, and the capacity of the gas chamber changes as the cylinder housing and rod reciprocate relatively to each other. A damping force generating mechanism is provided in the cylinder assembly. A flexible bladder includes a body made of elastomer and a gas-barrier film. The film is formed on the surface of the elastomer body. The bladder divides the oil and gas chambers completely. Thus, when the rod reciprocates in the axial direction, relatively to the cylinder, the bladder inflates and deflates. The gas spring apparatus is used for a suspension system of an automobile.
Inventors
- 👤 Takeyoshi Shinbori
- 👤 Ichiro Takadera
- 👤 Kohei Taguchi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 09:14
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16F; F16F9/00; F16F9/06; F16F9/08; F16F9/088; F16F9/02; F16F9/04; F16F9/0409; F16F9/096; B; B60; B60G; B60G2202/00; B60G2202/10; B60G2202/15; B60G2202/154; B60G2500/00; B60G2500/30; B60G2600/00; B60G2600/22; B60G2600/26
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
328 words
A gas spring apparatus comprising: a cylinder assembly including at least one cylinder housing and a rod, said rod being fitted in said cylinder housing and being movable in the axial direction of said cylinder housing, said cylinder assembly further including an oil chamber for containing oil and a gas chamber for containing gas; damping force generating means disposed inside said cylinder assembly, and being adapted to damp reciprocation of said rod by means of viscous resistance produced when the oil in said cylinder assembly is circulated; and a flexible bladder in the form of a bag, located between said oil chamber and said gas chamber and extending at least partly into said oil chamber, said gas chamber being defined inside the hollow of said bladder and said oil chamber being defined outside the hollow of said bladder, said bladder dividing said gas chamber from said oil chamber, and said oil in said oil chamber contacting an outer surface portion of said bladder; said bladder including a flexible elastomer body made of an oil impervious elastomer having a thickness of from about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm so as provide a gas-barrier characteristic to substantially prevent passage of said gas therethrough, and a gas-barrier film made of a non-elastomeric material impermeable to said gas forming an inner surface of said bladder that is directly exposed to said gas chamber, said non-elastomeric gas-barrier film having a gas-barrier characteristic which is better than that of said elastomeric body, said gas barrier characteristic of said gas-barrier film being not more than about 1×10 -11 cc·cm/(cm 2 ·sec·cmHg), said elastomer body covering the outer surface of said gas-barrier film to protect said gas-barrier film, and said elastomer body being thicker than said gas-barrier film, said oil contacting said outer surface portion of said bladder contacting said elastomeric body to prevent said elastomer body from drying out and to provide lubrication if said elastomer body contacts a wall of said cylinder assembly.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
328 words
A gas spring apparatus comprising: a cylinder assembly including at least one cylinder housing and a rod, said rod being fitted in said cylinder housing and being movable in the axial direction of said cylinder housing, said cylinder assembly further including an oil chamber for containing oil and a gas chamber for containing gas; damping force generating means disposed inside said cylinder assembly, and being adapted to damp reciprocation of said rod by means of viscous resistance produced when the oil in said cylinder assembly is circulated; and a flexible bladder in the form of a bag, located between said oil chamber and said gas chamber and extending at least partly into said oil chamber, said gas chamber being defined inside the hollow of said bladder and said oil chamber being defined outside the hollow of said bladder, said bladder dividing said gas chamber from said oil chamber, and said oil in said oil chamber contacting an outer surface portion of said bladder; said bladder including a flexible elastomer body made of an oil impervious elastomer having a thickness of from about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm so as provide a gas-barrier characteristic to substantially prevent passage of said gas therethrough, and a gas-barrier film made of a non-elastomeric material impermeable to said gas forming an inner surface of said bladder that is directly exposed to said gas chamber, said non-elastomeric gas-barrier film having a gas-barrier characteristic which is better than that of said elastomeric body, said gas barrier characteristic of said gas-barrier film being not more than about 1×10 -11 cc·cm/(cm 2 ·sec·cmHg), said elastomer body covering the outer surface of said gas-barrier film to protect said gas-barrier film, and said elastomer body being thicker than said gas-barrier film, said oil contacting said outer surface portion of said bladder contacting said elastomeric body to prevent said elastomer body from drying out and to provide lubrication if said elastomer body contacts a wall of said cylinder assembly.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
The gas spring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said gas-barrier film is comprised of metal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
The gas spring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said gas-barrier film is comprised of synthetic resin.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The gas spring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said elastomer body is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of polyurethane elastomer, polyester elastomer, and polyamide elastomer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
The gas spring apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said rod is hollow, and said bladder is contained in said hollow rod.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
53 words
The gas spring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cylinder housing includes a first cylinder housing portion in which said rod is fitted and a second cylinder housing portion coupled to said first cylinder housing portion, said second cylinder housing portion having said oil and gas chambers therein, and containing said bladder.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The gas spring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a hydraulic unit coupled to said cylinder assembly, and adapted to deliver said oil from or into said oil chamber.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
70 words
The gas spring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said bladder has an open end, and which further comprises a circumferentially continuous projection, protruding outwardly from that portion of the outer peripheral surface of said bladder in the vicinity of said open end, and a circumferentially continuous recess formed in the inner peripheral surface of said bladder, in a position corresponding to said projection, said recess having an O-ring therein.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
The gas spring apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said bladder is a molded member.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
42 words
The gas spring apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said cylinder assembly further includes a pair of fixing members for fixing said the bladder, whereby said projection is pinched from both sides thereof, with respect to said axial direction of the bladder.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
70 words
The gas spring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said bladder has an open end, and which further comprises a circumferentially continuous projection, protruding inwardly from that portion of the inner peripheral surface of said bladder in the vicinity of said open end, and a circumferentially continuous recess formed in the outer peripheral surface of said bladder, in a position corresponding to said projection, said recess having an O-ring therein.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
16 words
The gas spring apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said bladder is a blow molded member.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
The gas spring apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said cylinder assembly further includes a pair of fixing members for fixing said bladder, whereby said projection is pinched from both sides thereof, with respect to the axial direction of said bladder.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
The gas spring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said rod is hollow, and said bladder is contained in said hollow rod.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
The gas spring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said gas-barrier film is comprised of ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
The gas spring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said gas-barrier film is comprised of polyvinyl chloride.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
17 words
The gas spring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said gas-barrier film is comprised of polyvinylidene chloride.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
The gas spring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said gas-barrier film is comprises of high molecular compound containing acrylonitrile.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
27 words
The gas spring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said elastomer body has a gas barrier characteristic of not more than about 6×10 -10 cc·cm/(cm 2 ·sec·cmHg).
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
25 words
The gas spring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said film has a thickness of from about 3×10 -5 mm to about 5×10 -2 mm.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-11-13 | 1993-05-15 | 1993-11-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-11-13 | 1997-05-15 | 1997-11-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-11-13 | 2001-05-15 | 2001-11-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |