DAMPING SYSTEM COMPRISING A FLUID DAMPER AND A FLUID RESERVOIR

Abstract

A damping system is provided including at least one fluid damper including a damping volume containing a damping fluid, and a fluid reservoir including a reservoir piston partitioning an inner volume of the fluid reservoir into a damping chamber containing the damping fluid and a recoil chamber containing a recoil fluid. The damping volume of the at least one fluid damper is connected to the damping chamber of the fluid reservoir in a fluid-conducting manner. The reservoir piston is movable in a compression direction increasing a volume of the damping chamber and decreasing a volume of the recoil chamber. The reservoir piston is movable in a dilatation direction decreasing the volume of the damping chamber and increasing the volume of the recoil chamber. The reservoir piston includes a damping chamber surface facing the damping chamber and a recoil chamber surface facing the recoil chamber.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A damping system comprising: a. a first fluid damper and a second fluid damper each having a damping volume containing a damping fluid, and b. one single fluid reservoir comprising a reservoir piston partitioning an inner volume of the one single fluid reservoir into a damping chamber containing the damping fluid and a recoil chamber containing a recoil fluid, and c. a fluid conduit connecting the damping volumes of the first fluid damper and of the second fluid damper to the damping chamber of the one single fluid reservoir in a fluid-conducting manner, d. wherein the reservoir piston is movable in a compression direction increasing a volume of the damping chamber and decreasing a volume of the recoil chamber, e. wherein the reservoir piston is movable in a dilatation direction decreasing the volume of the damping chamber and increasing the volume of the recoil chamber, f. wherein the reservoir piston comprises a damping chamber surface facing the damping chamber and a recoil chamber surface facing the recoil chamber, g. wherein a surface area of the damping chamber surface is smaller than a surface area of the recoil chamber surface.

17. The damping system according to claim 16, wherein the damping system comprises a pump connected in a fluid conducting matter to the recoil chamber of the one single fluid reservoir for adjusting a pressure of the recoil fluid in the recoil chamber.

18. The damping system according to claim 16, wherein the reservoir piston of the one single fluid reservoir comprises a reservoir piston rod extending into the damping chamber of the one single fluid reservoir.

19. The damping system according to claim 16, wherein the damping chamber of the one single fluid reservoir has a smaller diameter than the recoil chamber of the one single fluid reservoir.

20. The damping system according to claim 16, wherein a lateral reservoir wall of the one single fluid reservoir delimiting the damping chamber and the recoil chamber of the one single fluid reservoir has the same wall thickness at the damping chamber and at the recoil chamber.

21. The damping system according to claim 16, wherein a lateral reservoir wall of the one single fluid reservoir delimiting the damping chamber and the recoil chamber of the one single fluid reservoir is made in one piece.

22. The damping system according to claim 16, wherein the one single fluid reservoir comprises an adjustment means for adjusting a volume of the recoil chamber.

23. The damping system according to claim 16, wherein a lateral reservoir wall of the one single fluid reservoir comprises a low friction surface layer to reduce friction between the lateral reservoir wall and the reservoir piston of the one single fluid reservoir.

24. The damping system according to claim 16, a. wherein the first fluid damper and the second fluid damper each comprise a damper piston, b. wherein the damper piston partitions the damping volume of the respective fluid damper into a back chamber and a front chamber, c. wherein the damping chamber of the one single fluid reservoir is connected to the front chamber in a fluid conducting manner, d. wherein the damper piston is movable in an insertion direction increasing a volume of the back chamber and decreasing a volume of the front chamber, and e. wherein the damper piston is movable in an extraction direction decreasing the volume of the back chamber and increasing the volume of the front chamber.

25. The damping system according to claim 24, wherein the first fluid damper and the second fluid damper each comprise at least one overflow channel connecting the back chamber to the front chamber in a fluid conducting manner.

26. The damping system according to claim 25, a. wherein the first fluid damper and the second fluid damper each comprise a first overflow channel allowing the damping fluid to flow only from the back chamber to the front chamber, and a second overflow channel allowing the damping fluid to flow only from the front chamber to the back chamber, b. wherein the first overflow channel has a different flow resistance for the damping fluid than the second overflow channel.

27. The damping system according to claim 24, wherein the damping chamber of the one single fluid reservoir is connected to the back chamber and to the front chamber of the first fluid damper and the second fluid damper in a fluid conducting manner.

28. The damping system according to claim 24, wherein the damping system includes at least one overflow valve for adjusting a flow of the damping fluid between the back chamber and the front chamber of the first fluid damper and the second fluid damper.

29. The damping system according to claim 24, wherein only the front chambers of each of the first fluid damper and the second fluid damper are connected to the damping chamber of the one single fluid reservoir in a fluid-conducting manner.

30. The damping system according to claim 29, a. wherein the damping system is arranged for damping movements of a component being displaceable from a resting position in a first direction and in a second direction, b. wherein the first fluid damper is arranged for damping a movement of the component, when the component is displaced from the resting position in the first direction, and c. wherein the second fluid damper is arranged for damping a movement of the component, when the component is displaced from the resting position in the second direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0045] Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with references to the following Figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

[0046] FIG. 1 shows a schematic longitudinal section of the fluid reservoir of a damping system according to embodiments of the invention;

[0047] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a damping system according to embodiments of the invention; and

[0048] FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of another damping system according to embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] FIG. 1 shows a schematic longitudinal section along the longitudinal axis RA of the fluid reservoir 120 of a damping system 100 according to embodiments of the invention.

[0050] The fluid reservoir 120 comprises a reservoir piston 122 partitioning an inner volume of the fluid reservoir 120 into a damping chamber 123 containing a damping fluid, for example a hydraulic oil, and a recoil chamber 124 containing a recoil fluid, for example air. The reservoir piston 122 of the fluid reservoir 120 comprises a reservoir piston rod 132 extending into the damping chamber 123 of the fluid reservoir 120.

[0051] The reservoir piston 122 comprising the reservoir piston rod 132 is movable in a compression direction CD increasing a volume of the damping chamber 123 and decreasing a volume of the recoil chamber 124. Furthermore, the reservoir piston 122 is movable in a dilatation direction DD decreasing the volume of the damping chamber 123 and increasing the volume of the recoil chamber 124. For example, the compression direction CD and the dilatation direction are oriented opposing to each other along the longitudinal axis RA of the fluid reservoir 120.

[0052] The reservoir piston 122 comprising the reservoir piston rod 132 comprises a damping chamber surface 128 facing the damping chamber 123 and a recoil chamber surface 129 facing the recoil chamber 124, wherein a surface area of the damping chamber surface 128 is smaller than a surface area of the recoil chamber surface 129.

[0053] The damping system 100 comprises a fluid conduit 130 connecting the damping volume of the at least one fluid damper (not shown) of the damping system to the damping chamber 123 of the fluid reservoir 120 in a fluid-conducting manner.

[0054] The damping system 100 comprises a pump 140 connected in a fluid conducting matter to the recoil chamber 124 of the fluid reservoir 120 for adjusting a pressure of the recoil fluid in the recoil chamber 124.

[0055] The damping chamber 123 of the fluid reservoir 120 has a smaller diameter orthogonally to the longitudinal axis RA of the fluid reservoir 120 than the recoil chamber 124 of the fluid reservoir 120.

[0056] A lateral reservoir wall 131 of the fluid reservoir 120, for example a cylindrical wall surrounding the longitudinal axis RA of the fluid reservoir 120, delimiting the damping chamber 123 and the recoil chamber 124 of the fluid reservoir 120 may have a higher wall thickness at the damping chamber 123 than at the recoil chamber 124.

FIG. 2

[0057] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a damping system 100 according to embodiments of the invention.

[0058] In addition to a fluid reservoir 120, which may be designed as shown in FIG. 1, the damping system 100 comprises a conduit 130, 130a, 130b, for example a branched hose, connecting the damping volumes of a first fluid damper 110a and of a second fluid damper 110b to the damping chamber of the fluid reservoir 120 in a fluid-conducting manner.

[0059] The fluid dampers 110a, 110b comprise each a damper piston rod 115a, 115b, attached to the respective damper piston (not shown) and guided out of the fluid dampers 110a, 110b. The fluid dampers 110a, 110b comprise each a damper fixation means 109a, 109b for fixation of the fluid dampers 110a, 110b to a first component (not shown). The damper piston rods 115a, 115b comprise each a rod fixation means 108a, 108b for fixation of the damper piston rods 115a, 115b to a second component (not shown). This way, the fluid dampers 110a, 110b may dampen a movement of the first component relative to the second component.

FIG. 3

[0060] FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of another damping system 100 according to embodiments of the invention.

[0061] The damping system 100 shown in FIG. 3 differs from the one shown in FIG. 2 in that the damper piston rods 115a, 115b comprise each a stopper 119a 119b instead of the rod fixation means 108a, 108b. The stoppers 119a, 119b are designed to inhibit the respective piston rod 115a, 115b from passing through a hole in a flange of the second component when the stopper 119a, 119b contacts the respective flange.

[0062] Although the present invention has been disclosed in the form of embodiments and variations thereon, it will be understood that numerous additional modifications and variations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0063] For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of a or an throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and comprising does not exclude other steps or elements.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

[0064]

TABLE-US-00001 100 damping system 108 rod fixation means 109 damper fixation means 110 fluid damper 115 damper piston rod 119 stopper 120 fluid reservoir 122 reservoir piston 123 damping chamber 124 recoil chamber 128 damper chamber surface 129 recoil chamber surface 130 fluid conduit 131 lateral reservoir wall 132 reservoir piston rod 140 pump RA longitudinal axis of the fluid reservoir CD compression direction DD dilatation direction