Integrated and self-contained suspension assembly having an on-the-fly adjustable air spring
US7703585B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 5, 2002 |
| Grant date | Apr 27, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 5, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF16F2228/066
- WIPO fieldMechanical elements
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An integrated and self-contained suspension assembly having a gas spring integrated with a shock absorber (damper) is described. The rigid gas cylinder of the air spring is divided into a first gas chamber and a second gas chamber. A flow port connects the first and second gas chambers, and can be manually opened or closed by valve and a simple one-quarter turn rotation of an external knob to instantly switch the gas spring between two different spring rates. The different spring rates are functions of the separate or combined volumes of the two gas chambers. The integrated suspension assembly is compactly packaged and self-contained, i.e., does not require any externalities, such as gas sources or electricity, to operate.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.