阅读说明：本技术 悬挂调节组件 (Suspension adjustment assembly ) 是由 威廉·布兰克森 于 2019-06-28 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种震动吸收器组件,包括两个弹簧11、12,所述两个弹簧串联布置以便在使用中在一对间隔开的弹簧座之间延伸。联接构件13布置在弹簧11、12的邻近端部11b、12a之间。联接构件13是可调节的,并且由具有一对凸缘14、15的轴形成,所述对凸缘设置在轴的外表面上。轴轴向地延伸超过每个凸缘14、15,以便延伸到邻接的弹簧端部11b、12a的线圈内部,以将弹簧端部11b、12a定位在联接器13上。每个凸缘14、15接合弹簧11、12中的一个的相关联的邻近端部11b、12a。所述凸缘14、15中的至少一个可沿着轴纵向移动,以便改变两个凸缘14、15之间的纵向间距,并从而改变弹簧11、12上的预载荷。(A shock absorber assembly comprises two springs 11, 12 arranged in series so as to extend, in use, between a pair of spaced apart spring seats. The coupling member 13 is arranged between the adjacent ends 11b, 12a of the springs 11, 12. The coupling member 13 is adjustable and is formed by a shaft having a pair of flanges 14, 15 provided on the outer surface of the shaft. The shaft extends axially beyond each flange 14, 15 so as to extend inside the coils of the adjoining spring ends 11b, 12a to locate the spring ends 11b, 12a on the coupling 13. Each flange 14, 15 engages an associated adjacent end 11b, 12a of one of the springs 11, 12. At least one of said flanges 14, 15 is longitudinally movable along the shaft in order to vary the longitudinal spacing between the two flanges 14, 15 and thereby vary the preload on the springs 11, 12.)

1. A shock absorber assembly comprising: at least two springs arranged in series to extend, in use, between a pair of spaced apart spring seats; and a coupling member disposed between the or each pair of adjacent ends of adjacent springs, wherein the coupling member is adjustable and is formed by a shaft having a pair of flanges provided on an outer surface thereof, the shaft extending axially beyond each flange so as to extend inside the coils of the adjoining spring end to locate the spring end on the coupler, each flange engaging one of the adjacent ends of the adjacent springs, at least one of the flanges being longitudinally movable along the shaft to vary the longitudinal spacing between the two flanges and thereby vary the preload on the springs.

2. The shock absorber of claim 1, comprising: a plurality of springs arranged in series with one another to be longitudinally distributed between the spring seats; at least one adjustable coupler built in collinear with the springs and disposed between a pair of the springs.

3. The shock absorber of claim 2, wherein an adjustable coupler is disposed between each pair of adjacent spring ends.

4. An adjustable spring coupling for a shock absorber comprising a coupling member formed by a shaft having a pair of flanges provided on an outer surface thereof, the shaft being dimensioned to extend, in use, inside the coils of abutting spring ends of at least one pair of springs arranged in series between a pair of spring seats mounted on the shock absorber, each flange engaging one of the adjacent ends of the adjacent spring, at least one of the flanges being movable longitudinally along the shaft so as to vary the longitudinal spacing between the two flanges and thereby vary the preload on the spring, in use.

5. The shock absorber of any one of claims 1 to 3, or the adjustable spring coupling of claim 4, wherein the shaft is hollow so as to optionally allow a suspension strut to extend therethrough.

6. The shock absorber or adjustable spring coupling of claim 5, wherein the shaft is a cylindrical member having a circular cross-section.

7. The shock absorber or adjustable spring coupling of claim 6, wherein the shaft has threads formed on at least a portion of an outer surface thereof, the at least one adjustable flange having internal threads, the at least one adjustable flange being mounted on the cylindrical member by the internal threads and being longitudinally adjustable along the cylindrical member.

8. The shock absorber of any of claims 1 to 3 and 6 to 7, or the adjustable spring coupling of any of claims 4, 6 or 7, wherein the at least one adjustable flange has an associated retaining collar for retaining the at least one adjustable flange in position.

9. The shock absorber of any of claims 1 to 3 and 6 to 7, or the adjustable spring coupling of any of claims 4, 6 or 7, wherein the other of the flanges is fixedly mounted on the cylindrical member.

10. The shock absorber of any of claims 1 to 3 and 6 to 7, or the adjustable spring coupling of any of claims 4, 6 or 7, wherein the other of the flanges is longitudinally movable along the cylindrical member.

11. The shock absorber of any one of claims 1 to 3 and 6 to 7, or the adjustable spring coupling of any one of claims 4, 6 or 7, further comprising a detent means associable with the or each adjustable flange, thereby enabling the adjustable flange to be locked in position to prevent accidental longitudinal movement.

12. The shock absorber or adjustable spring coupling of claim 11, wherein the detent means takes the form of one of a locking ring or nut that wraps up behind the adjustable flange, a locking collar or locking pin that engages between the flanges to prevent them from moving back towards each other.

13. The shock absorber of any of claims 1-3, 6, 7 or 12, or the adjustable spring coupling of any of claims 4, 6, 7 or 12, wherein the outer dimensions of the shaft are dimensioned to form a close tolerance fit inside the spring in which the shaft is engaged to minimize lateral movement of the spring on the coupling.

14. The shock absorber of any of claims 1-3, 6, 7 or 12, or the adjustable spring coupling of any of claims 4, 6, 7 or 12, wherein one end of the shaft has a different size than the other end.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to improvements in spring shock absorbers and more particularly to an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the spring load of such a spring shock absorber comprising at least two springs arranged parallel to each other.

Background

Shock absorbers (such as those used on automotive suspension systems) are well known in the art. A typical such shock absorber includes a coil spring optionally wrapped around a central fluid-filled shock damper strut. More specifically, the strut is formed by a strut housing in which a strut shaft is longitudinally movable so as to be extendable out of and retractable into the strut housing. The strut housing is fluid filled and the end of the strut shaft acts like a piston in said housing so that its longitudinal movement is damped. A pair of spaced apart spring seats are provided on the strut, one spring seat connected to the housing and one spring seat connected to the shaft, such that when the shaft moves into and out of the housing, the spring is compressed or relaxed to control the shock absorbing capability of the shock absorber. Therefore, this capability depends on the spring constant of the coil spring. In a construction without a strut, the spring seats are fixed to portions of the body of the vehicle and the wheel mount (such as a yoke) respectively and the springs extend therebetween.

In some applications, it is desirable to be able to adjust the preload of the spring, for example to be able to change the responsive shock absorber, changing the ride height of the vehicle. To achieve this object, the applicant's own earlier patent application discloses a shock absorber in which one of the spring seats is configured to be adjustable relative to the portion of the shock absorber on which it is mounted by means of a threaded mounting.

It is also known in the art to provide shock absorbers comprising more than two helical springs associated with a single strut, said springs being arranged in series with each other such that an intermediate coupling seat arrangement is located between adjacent ends of adjacent springs, in order to position the springs together and transfer loads between them in a reliable manner. Typically, such devices employ springs having different spring constants to improve shock absorber performance. Such a device is disclosed in US 2002/0038929. Such a device teaches a portion of springs having different lengths arranged in series with a flange coupling member arranged between the springs. The coupling member is generally cylindrical with a central flange providing a seat for the ends of the springs on either side and cylindrical engagement portions extending from either side of the flange which engage in the end coils of the associated spring to locate it relative to the flange and hold the flange in position against radial movement, the coupling then floating in position between the two springs and being held in place by the preload on each spring. In this arrangement, an adjuster of the type described above is also provided to allow the preload on the spring to be adjusted. However, such devices may be difficult to adjust due to the difficulty of accessing the adjusters behind the wheels of the vehicle.

Disclosure of Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a shock absorber assembly comprising: at least two springs arranged in series to extend, in use, between a pair of spaced apart spring seats; and a coupling member disposed between the or each pair of adjacent ends of adjacent springs, wherein the coupling member is adjustable and is formed by a shaft having a pair of flanges provided on an outer surface thereof, the shaft extending axially beyond each flange so as to extend inside the coils of the adjoining spring end to locate the spring end on the coupler, each flange engaging one of the adjacent ends of the adjacent springs, at least one of the flanges being longitudinally movable along the shaft to vary the longitudinal spacing between the two flanges and thereby vary the preload on the springs.

The shock absorber according to the invention has the advantage that by incorporating the adjustment mechanism into the coupling, the adjustment of the vehicle is made more accessible without, for example, the need to remove the wheel. Moreover, because no separate adjuster is required at the top or bottom of the strut, the number of parts required is reduced, making it easier to retrofit existing shock absorbers, and also allowing the variation in the relative preload between the springs to be varied in a manner not possible with prior art devices.

A plurality of springs may be provided, arranged in series with one another so as to be longitudinally distributed between the spring seats. At least one adjustable coupling is then built in line with the springs and arranged between a pair of springs. Preferably, however, an adjustable coupling is provided between each pair of adjacent spring ends to provide the maximum range of adjustment of the shock absorber.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an adjustable spring coupling for a shock absorber comprising a coupling member formed by a shaft having a pair of flanges provided on an outer surface thereof, the shaft being dimensioned to extend, in use, inside coils of abutting spring ends of at least one pair of springs arranged in series between a pair of spring seats mounted on the shock absorber, each flange engaging one of the adjacent ends of the adjacent springs, at least one of the flanges being movable longitudinally along the shaft so as to vary the longitudinal spacing between the two flanges and thereby vary the preload on the springs, in use.

The shaft is preferably hollow to optionally allow the suspension strut to extend therethrough. The shaft is preferably a cylindrical member having a circular cross-section, but other shapes are possible and are understood to be within the scope of the described invention.

Preferably, the shaft is a cylindrical member having a thread formed on at least a portion of an outer surface of the shaft, and the at least one adjustable flange has an internal thread by which the at least one adjustable flange is mounted on the cylindrical member and is adjustable longitudinally thereof. The other of the flanges may be fixedly mounted on the cylindrical member or may also be movable longitudinally thereof to facilitate a wider range of adjustment options. Other adjustment means, such as a retaining collar or the like, may also be used.

A stop means may be associated with the or each adjustable flange to enable it to be locked in position to prevent accidental longitudinal movement. The stop means may take the form of, for example, a locking ring or nut that wraps up behind the adjustable flanges, a locking collar that engages between the flanges to prevent them from moving back towards each other, a locking pin, or the like.

The outer dimensions of the shaft are preferably dimensioned to form a close tolerance fit inside the spring in which the shaft engages to minimise lateral movement of the spring on the coupling. In particular, one end of the shaft may have a different size or diameter (if circular) than the other end to allow for close tolerance engagement in springs having different sizes. A circular cross-section is advantageous because it facilitates the formation of threads on the outer surface and will also create a better engagement within the adjacent spring ends between which the coupling engages.

Drawings

In order that the invention may be fully understood, embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a prior art spring device;

FIG. 2 is an exemplary embodiment of a spring device according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is the spring device of FIG. 2 installed in place in a vehicle;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a coupling according to the present invention;

figures 5a to 5c are views of a cylindrical member forming part of the coupling of figure 4; and is

Fig. 6a to 6c are views of an adjustable flange member forming part of the coupling of fig. 4.

Detailed Description

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown an example of applicant's own earlier prior art device. A pair of springs 2, 3 is arranged in series between a pair of spring seats 4, 5. The coupling 6 engages between the adjacent ends 2b, 3a of the spring to hold the spring in place. More specifically, the coupling 6 has a central flange 6a with axially extending shafts 6b, 6c on either side of the flange 6a so as to extend inside the coils of the springs 2, 3, thereby preventing radial movement of the springs relative to the coupling 6.

The upper spring seat 4 is similarly formed as a shaft extending into the coils of the abutting end 2a of the spring 2 to hold it in place. The outer surface 4a of the shaft of the upper spring seat 4 is threaded and has a flange member 7 against which the upper end 2a of the spring 2 engages. The flange member 7 is threadedly mounted on the outer surface 4a of the shaft so as to be longitudinally movable along the shaft by a coil along the thread. In this way, the compression of the spring can be adjusted.

Referring now to fig. 2, a suspension spring arrangement according to the present invention is shown. As with the prior art device of fig. 1, the device includes a pair of springs 11, 12 arranged in series. In use, as shown in figure 3, the distal ends of the springs engage in spring seats to hold them in place, the spring seats being generally positioned so that one end 11a is on a lower fork or similar carrying the wheel with which the device is operating, and the other end 12b is on the chassis of the vehicle above the wheel.

The coupling 13 is similarly engaged between the adjacent ends 11b, 12a of the springs 11, 12, but unlike the prior art device, the coupling 13 has a pair of flanges 14, 15 and has a thread 13a formed on its outer surface. As shown in fig. 5b, the lower flange 15 is formed integrally with the coupler so as to be in a fixed longitudinal position along the coupler 13 and spaced from the lower end of the coupler so that an axial extension 15b is formed on the coupler below the flange 15 to engage in the interior of the coils of the spring 12 in the same manner as in the prior art.

The upper flange 14 shown in figures 6a-6b, on the other hand, is formed separately from the coupling and takes the form of an annular disc having a thread 14a formed on its inner surface. The upper flange 14 also comprises an axial extension 14b having a reduced diameter compared to the flange 14 and sized to be engageable within the ends of the coils of the abutting end 11b of the spring 11 for positioning purposes. The threads 14a of the flange 14 are of a complementary size to the threads 13 formed on the outer surface of the coupling 13, so that the flange 14 is threadably engaged on the coupling 13 and its axial position is adjustable along the coupling 13 by rotating the flange 14 relative to the coupling 13. In this way, the spacing between the two flanges 14, 15 can be adjusted and the load on the spring varied.

The springs will typically be of different sizes in order to provide different spring loads, and the extensions 14b, 15b will similarly be sized to fit tightly inside the adjoining springs to minimize radial movement. In particular, the extension 14b on the movable flange is generally larger in size than the extension 15b of the integrally formed flange.

Although the invention has been described with respect to one of the flanges being fixed, it will be appreciated that both flanges may be movably mounted on the coupling. Similarly, instead of a threaded coupling, other coupling types known to those skilled in the art may be used instead. A stop may also be applied to prevent accidental movement of the flange on the coupling.