Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16F—SPRINGS; SHOCK-ABSORBERS; MEANS FOR DAMPING VIBRATION
  • F16F9/00—Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium
  • F16F9/32—Details
  • F16F9/48—Arrangements for providing different damping effects at different parts of the stroke
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16F—SPRINGS; SHOCK-ABSORBERS; MEANS FOR DAMPING VIBRATION
  • F16F9/00—Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium
  • F16F9/32—Details
  • F16F9/44—Means on or in the damper for manual or non-automatic adjustment; such means combined with temperature correction

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a hydraulic shock absorber and it relates more particularly to an improvement according to which means make it possible to choose the type of damping and which in particular makes it possible to pass from a linear variation in damping to a progressive variation and vice versa.
• linear shock absorbers which allow a load to be braked with a constant resistance force or so-called progressive type shock absorbers which allow a load to be braked with a variable damping force, as shown in FIG. figure 1.
• shock absorber despite the diversity of existing shock absorbers, certain applications do not find shock absorbers adapted to their specific constraints of use. In addition, in certain fields, the stresses applied to the shock absorber can vary greatly and the shock absorber is then adapted only over one or more reduced operating ranges and is essentially unsuitable for operating constraints.
• the present invention aims to solve the above problems using simple means, easy to implement, reliable and inexpensive. It offers a hydraulic shock absorber capable of being able to adapt to a wide range of constraints different thanks to a specific adjustment of its damping characteristics.
• the shock absorber of the invention is of the hydraulic type comprising a shock absorber body inside which is disposed a compression chamber in which slides a piston and its rod to compress a damping fluid that it laminates by rolling means, and is characterized in that it has at least two different operating modes corresponding to different rolling means and in that it includes adjustment means making it possible to switch from one mode of running to each other.
• the damper comprises constant rolling means which correspond to a linear operating mode of the damping and variable rolling means which correspond to a progressive operating mode of the damping.
• the shock absorber comprises constant rolling means constituted by a rolling orifice situated in the lower part of the wall of the compression chamber to connect the downstream part of said chamber to a chamber for compensating the volumes of the damper.
• the shock absorber it is characterized in that it comprises variable rolling means formed by a set of rolling orifices located in the wall of the compression chamber to connect it to a compression chamber. compensation of the shock absorber and distributed along the piston stroke.
• the compression chamber comprises a cylindrical peripheral wall which comprises along one of its generators the rolling orifices of the variable rolling means and on another generator the orifice of the constant rolling means and in that the adjusting means consist of an adjusting bush mounted movable in rotation around the compression chamber between a linear position where the orifices of the variable rolling means are obstructed by the wall of the sleeve and at least one position where the orifices of the variable rolling means are at least partially free.
• the adjustment means are constituted by an adjustment sleeve movable respectively with respect to rolling orifices located in the peripheral wall of the compression chamber and which form the various means of lamination
• the adjustment sleeve has a peripheral wall which comprises a succession of parallel slots, said slots extending partially over an arc portion in a slightly inclined plane with respect to a transverse diametral plane.
• the relative position of the adjustment sleeve and the compression chamber is adjusted by an adjustment button of the adjustment means, the adjustment of the position being an adjustment of continuous type.
• variable rolling means are produced by a succession of orifices going in pairs or in groups of three.
• the damper of the invention is characterized in that the dimensions of the variable rolling orifices and / or their spacing varies (s) along the stroke of the piston.
• FIGS 1 to 11 illustrate the preferred embodiment of the damper and alternative embodiments.
• FIG. 1 illustrates by a diagram two operating modes of a shock absorber according to curves of the force to be applied as a function of the stroke performed, a linear operating mode and a progressive operating mode.
• Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the damper of the invention in its linear damping position.
• Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the damper of the invention in a progressive damping position.
• Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the damper of the invention in a second progressive damping position.
• Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the compression chamber.
• Figures 6, 7 and 8 illustrate the outer sleeve, Figure 6 being a longitudinal sectional view, while Figure 8 is a side view, and Figure 7 an end view.
• FIG. 9 shows in detail the orifices of the variable rolling means of the compression chamber.
• Figure 10 shows in a view similar to Figure 9 an alternative embodiment of the variable rolling means
• Figure 11 illustrates in longitudinal section an alternative embodiment of the preferred embodiment of the damper of the invention.
• the shock absorber bearing the general reference (1) is a hydraulic type shock absorber, comprising a shock absorber body (16), a main compression chamber (2) inside which slides along an axis longitudinal of revolution (XX ') a piston (3) carried by its rod (4).
• the sliding of the piston (4) in the chamber (3) takes place against a hydraulic damping device which partly transforms the kinetic energy of the piston (3) into thermal energy of a fluid (5 ) by rolling using the rolling means (ML).
• the damper (1) further comprises a volume compensation device (6) such as a foam, making it possible to compensate for the volume taken up by the fluid (5) in the compression chamber by the piston rod (4) when sliding.
• Said shock absorber (1) is also equipped with an elastic return device such as a spring (7).
• the damper (1) has at least two different operating modes which make it possible to modify the behavior of the damper, that is to say its damping curve. These different operating modes each correspond to different rolling means (ML) which can be selected by adjustment means (MR).
• the adjustment means allow the choice of the rolling means used and therefore the choice of the type of operation of the damper such as, for example, a linear operation as illustrated by the curve (L) of FIG. 1 or a progressive operation illustrated by the damping curve (P) of FIG. 1.
• the stroke of the piston (C) is shown, and, on the ordinate, the force (F) to be applied to the piston rod to get its stroke.
• the force to be applied (F) is constant during the entire stroke of the piston regardless of the position of the piston, as illustrated in FIG. 1.
• the force to be applied (F) has a progressively increasing value during the stroke of the piston, as illustrated in FIG. 1.
• the shock absorber (1) comprises at least two different types of rolling means (ML) capable of being used by the shock absorber as a function of the position of the adjustment means (MR) of the shock absorber.
• ML rolling means
• MR adjustment means
• the latter comprises constant rolling means (MLC) which allow obtaining a linear operating mode, the surface of the rolling orifice (s) forming said means not varying when the piston (3) moves in the compression chamber (2). Therefore, these means (MLC) allow the rolling of the fluid (5) at constant flow rate, they are advantageously formed by a rolling orifice (10) located in the lower part of the compression chamber, substantially at the point where is the piston (4) when the damper is in the extreme compression position. This orifice (10) laminates the fluid (5) between the main compression chamber (2) and the volume compensation chamber (20) of the damper compensation device (1) when the adjustment means (MR ) select the linear operating mode of the shock absorber as illustrated in figure 2.
• MLC constant rolling means
• variable rolling means which allow obtaining a progressive operating mode thanks to the variation of the rolling surface, it that is to say of the flow rate, as a function of the position of the piston (3) in the compression chamber (2).
• variable rolling means are advantageously formed by a set of rolling orifices (9a-9'a-9 “a, 9b-9'b-9” b, 9c-9'c-9 “c, 9d-9'd-9 "d, 9e-9'e- 9” e) which extend substantially along a generator of the compression chamber (2).
• the peripheral wall (8) of the compression chamber is of cylindrical shape and comprises on one of its generatrices a set of small holes and more particularly a succession of several pairs of small holes crossing the wall (9a-9'a, 9b-9'b, 9c-9'c, 9d-9'd, 9e-9'e) as illustrated in Figure 9, extending on the length of the stroke damping the piston, while the diametrically opposite generator includes a hole (10) passing through the wall as shown in Figure 5.
• the compression chamber comprises a succession of several groups of three small holes (9a-9'a-9 “a, 9b-9'b-9” b, 9c-9'c-9 “c, 9d-9'd-9” d, 9e-9'e-9 “e) which are positioned in a triangle as shown in FIG. 10, this variant with groups of three holes making it possible to refine the precision of the adjustment while also retaining continuity in said adjustment.
• the number, the shape and the configuration of the holes which form the small groups of successive holes of the variable rolling means could be different without departing from the protective fields of the invention, even if the invention is essentially illustrated in the description with the first mode of realization corresponding to the successive pairs of holes.
• the adjustment means (MR) of the damper (1) advantageously comprise an adjustment member (11) movable between at least two positions: a position (A) illustrated in FIG. 2 where the orifices (9a -9'a, 9b-9'b, 9c-9'c, 9d-9'd, 9e-9'e) variable rolling means (MLV) are blocked while constant rolling means (MLC) are at least partially free and connect the compression chamber (2) to the compensation chamber (20), and a position (B) illustrated in Figure 3 where the orifices (9a-9'a, 9b-9'b, 9c-9 'c, 9d-9'd, 9e-9'e) variable rolling means (MLV) are at least partially free and connect the two aforementioned chambers (2, 20) to obtain a progressive operating mode.
• a position (A) illustrated in FIG. 2 where the orifices (9a -9'a, 9b-9'b, 9c-9'c, 9d-9'd, 9e-9'e) variable rolling means (MLV) are blocked while constant rolling means
• the adjustment member (11) is formed by an external sleeve (11) movable respectively with respect to the compression chamber (2) and whose the peripheral wall (12) comprises a succession of parallel slots (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, 13e); each of said slots extending along a diametrical plane inclined and partially on an arc of angle (A) equal to approximately 155 degrees as shown in Figures 6 and 7. It goes without saying that the slots could extend over 180 ° for example or any other value without departing from the scope of the invention.
• Tilting the parallel slots allows you to do vary the progressivity of the damping by defining several indexed positions (A, B, C) of the socket: a position (A) illustrated in FIG. 2 where the orifices (9a-9'a, 9b-9'b, 9c-9 'c, 9d-9'd, 9e-9'e) are obstructed and where only the orifice (10) is open or partially open, a position (B) illustrated in FIG.
• the width (e) of the slots (13a, 13b , 13c, 13d, 13e) is greater than the width (L1) of a pair of orifices and is therefore sufficient to allow the pairs of orifices to be released.
• the adjustment member (11) is movable in an adjustable manner respectively with respect to the compression chamber (2) or vice versa, and more particularly with respect to the constant and variable rolling means (MLV, MLC) of the damper (1 ).
• the sleeve (11) is mounted movable in rotation about the longitudinal axis (XX ') of the damper relative to the compression chamber (2).
• the end of the compression chamber opposite to that disposed on the side of the piston rod comprises an extension (14) projecting outside the body of the shock absorber and on which an adjustment button (15) is secured.
• the damper it is the assembly formed by the compression chamber (2) with its projection (14) and the adjustment button (15) which is rotatable around the longitudinal axis (XX ') relative to the external sleeve (11).
• the adjustment knob by manipulation of the adjustment knob and more precisely by its rotation which causes the chamber to rotate relative to the sleeve which is fixed relative to the body (16), it is possible for the user to pass from the position (A ) illustrated in FIG. 2 in position (B) or (C) illustrated in FIG. 3 or in FIG. 4 or in any other intermediate position not illustrated, and vice versa.
• the adjustment device could use a fixed compression chamber and a movable external sleeve whose rotation would be controlled by the adjustment wheel, without however departing from the protective field of the invention.
• the compression chamber and its adjustment extension are illustrated as if they were fixed while the adjustment sleeve is illustrated as being movable relative to the compression chamber.
• the adjustment between the sleeve (11) and the chamber (2) is advantageously of the continuous type thanks to the particular construction of the sleeve and the dimension of its slots ( 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, 13e) and means for laminating the chamber (10, 9a-9'a, 9b-9'b, 9c-9'c, 9d-9'd, 9e-9'e ), the relative positioning between the chamber and the bushing being carried out continuously over the entire arc portion (A) over which the slots extend (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, 13e).
• the adjustment button (15) may include a reduction device and / or a graduation device to allow fine adjustment of the type of damping and its stiffness.
• the system for adjusting the sleeve (11) and the compression chamber (2) could be of the discontinuous type and include a set of respective positions of the sleeve (11) and the chamber ( 2) indexed while keeping the particular arrangement of the illustrated embodiment of the shock absorber.
• the peripheral wall of the compression chamber no longer has successive pairs of orifices but groups of three holes (9a-9'a-9 “a, 9b-9'b-9” b, 9c-9'c-9 “c, 9d-9'd-9” d, 9e-9'e-9 " e) which are arranged in a triangle.
• This solution makes it possible to have for each group a rolling surface continuity along the longitudinal axis (ZZ 1 ) of the damper (1) since the longitudinal space between the two orifices (9a , 9'a) which existed in the first embodiment is now occupied by the third orifice (9 "a) which is slightly offset relative to the generator on which the two other orifices (9a, 9'a) are located. Therefore, the stiffness of the damper can then be adjusted perfectly continuously without being hindered by the gap between the orifices of the previous embodiment.
• the width of the inclined transverse slots (e) is not necessarily greater than the width (Ll) of a group of orifices (9a-9 ' a-9 "a, 9b-9'b-9” b, 9c-9'c-9 “c, 9d-9'd-9” d, 9e-9'e-9 “e) but it can also be smaller or equal without departing from the scope of the invention.
• the external sleeve (11) no longer has inclined transverse slots, but a longitudinal lumen (25) intended to come, in indexed positions, to the eye.
• rolling means (MLC, MLV) of the type described above, which are carried along several generatrices of the main compression chamber (2), for example.
• variable rolling means are formed by three series (26a, 26b, 26c) of orifices (9), each arranged on a generator of the compression chamber (2) , while the constant rolling means (MLC) are formed by an orifice (10) identical to that previously described.
• the orifices (9) in the same series (26a, 26b) may be of different dimensions and offer an increasing diameter from upstream (HA) to downstream (BA) of the damper or vice versa.
• the number of orifices can vary as well as the spacing of the orifices (9) of the same series (26c).
• the compensation chamber (20) is arranged annularly between the body (16) and the chamber (2) provided with its sleeve (11) and that the foam ( 6) is located in the upstream part of the shock absorber (1) at the level of the guide of the piston rod.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Fluid-Damping Devices (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

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• 2000
  • 2000-07-26 FR FR0009764A patent/FR2806770B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2001
  • 2001-03-19 AU AU2001244267A patent/AU2001244267A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-03-19 JP JP2001571003A patent/JP2003529029A/ja active Pending
  • 2001-03-19 WO PCT/FR2001/000809 patent/WO2001073314A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2001-03-19 CA CA002403917A patent/CA2403917A1/fr not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-03-19 EP EP01917174A patent/EP1266149A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2001-03-19 US US10/239,603 patent/US7055661B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime

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