Segmented Air Shock

Abstract

This is a novel shock absorber based on an oil-gas emulsion air shock design with both shock damping and suspension spring properties. The design's underlying purpose is the capability to extend beyond twice its compressed length—a quality inherently unobtainable by current shock absorbers. This capability is derived from a design possessing multiple stages whereby each stage refers to a paired working tube and shaft, and operates independently of and in series with other stages—in effect a shock within a shock. This shock is specifically created to exploit the extreme travel capacity associated with the opposed triangulated 4-link suspension system; and, is suitable for use with other high-articulation suspension systems that can be installed on street-driven four wheel drive (4WD) vehicles.

1 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A vehicle air shock absorber having a multiple-stage design, the vehicle air shock absorber comprising:
 an emulsion, the emulsion consisting of hydraulic oil and inert gas;   a working tube, the working tube having a cylinder-like structure with an open end and a closed end;   a working piston, the working piston having a disk-like structure machined with orifices whereby a flow of oil through the orifices is regulated with valves and shims;   a shaft, the shaft having a cylinder-like structure with either both ends closed or one end closed and the other end open, whereby a closed end is attached to the working piston;   a Schrader valve, the Schrader valve is used to add oil and gas to or remove oil and gas from the working tube;   an end cap, the end cap having a ring-like structure and is attached to the open end of the working tube;   mounting eyelets, the mounting eyelet being affixed to the closed end of the working tube or shaft and serves to connect the multiple-stage air shock to the vehicle;   wherein each stage is constructed with the working tube, shaft, working piston, end cap, and Schrader valve; wherein the end of the shaft that is attached to the working piston is slidably inserted through the end cap and into the working tube such that the shaft is able to slide into or out of the working tube during compression or extension in a manner typical in the art, respectively; wherein whereby the oil and gas are able to be added to the working tube following insertion of the shaft through the end cap and into the working tube;   wherein the working piston and end cap act in unison to guide the shaft as it slides into and out of the working tube; wherein the end cap also serves as both a mounting surface for the Schrader valve and as a pressure seal to confine the emulsion within the working tube such that the oil can act to dampen road obstructions and the gas can act as a suspension spring that bears a weight of the vehicle;   wherein the sliding of the shaft into and out of the working tube serves to govern both the dampening via the working piston passing through the oil and a spring rate via a change in pressure of the gas, whereby the sliding of the shaft acts to change a volume of the working tube occupied by the emulsion thereby causing the change in pressure of the gas.   
     
     
         25 . The vehicle air shock absorber of  claim 24 , whereby the multiple-stage design exemplifies a first step-wise process of connecting four stages together, the process embodying the construction of a four-stage air shock absorber:
 wherein, there is a fourth shaft, having two closed ends, whereby the one closed end is affixed to the mounting eyelet that serves as an attachment point for connecting the four-stage air shock to a vehicle's running gear, while the other closed end is narrowed down into a threaded shank and thereby connected to a fourth working piston;   wherein, there is a fourth working tube upon which the closed end is narrowed down into a threaded shank and thereby connected to a third working piston, while the open end is attached to a fourth end cap, the fourth end cap serving as an alignment device for the fourth shaft and as a mounting surface for the Schrader valve.   
     
     
         26 . The vehicle air shock absorber of  claim 25 , wherein the end of the fourth shaft that is attached to the fourth working piston is slidably inserted through the fourth end cap and into the fourth working tube; wherein the fourth shaft is enabled to slide in and out of the fourth working tube under unified guidance by the fourth working piston and fourth end cap; henceforth, the fourth working tube and fourth shaft are said to be paired and signify a fourth stage of the four-stage air shock absorber. 
     
     
         27 . The vehicle air shock absorber of  claim 24 , there is a third working tube upon which the closed end is narrowed down into a threaded shank and thereby connected to a second working piston, while the open end is attached to a third end cap that serves as an alignment device for a third shaft and as a mounting surface for the Schrader valve. 
     
     
         29 . The vehicle air shock absorber of  claim 24 , there is a second working tube upon which the closed end is narrowed down into a threaded shank and thereby connected to a first working piston, while the open end is attached to a second end cap that serves as an alignment device for a second shaft and as a mounting surface for the Schrader valve. 
     
     
         30 . The vehicle air shock absorber of  claim 29  or  41  wherein the third working tube, by having the second working piston attached to its closed end, serves as the second shaft and thereby the end of the second shaft that is attached to the second working piston is slidably inserted through the second end cap and into the second working tube; wherein the second shaft is enabled to slide in and out of the second working tube under unified guidance by the second working piston and second end cap; henceforth, the second working tube and second shaft are said to be paired and signify a second stage; whereupon, by the third working tube serving as the second shaft, the second stage is connected to the third stage and given that the third stage is connected to the fourth stage then the second, third, and fourth stages are interconnected and represent the second, third, and fourth stages of the four-stage air shock absorber. 
     
     
         31 . The vehicle air shock absorber of  claim 24 , there is a first working tube upon which the closed end is attached to the mounting eyelet that serves as an attachment point for connecting the four-stage air shock to a vehicle's chassis, while the open end is attached to a first end cap that serves as an alignment device for a first shaft and as a mounting surface for the Schrader valve. 
     
     
         32 . The vehicle air shock absorber of  claim 31  or  42 , wherein the second working tube, by having the first working piston attached to its closed end, serves as the first shaft and thereby the end of the first shaft that is attached to the first working piston is slidably inserted through the first end cap and into the first working tube; wherein the first shaft is enabled to slide in and out of the first working tube under unified guidance by the first working piston and first end cap; henceforth, the first working tube and first shaft are said to be paired and signify a first stage; whereupon, by the second working tube serving as the first shaft, the first stage is connected to the second stage and given that the second stage is connected to the third stage and the third stage is connected to the fourth stage then the first, second, third, and fourth stages are interconnected and represent the first, second, third, and fourth stages of the four-stage air shock absorber; wherein, the construction of the four-stage air shock absorber is complete. 
     
     
         33 . The vehicle air shock absorber of  claim 24 , whereby the multiple-stage design exemplifies a second step-wise process of connecting four stages together, the process embodying the construction of the four-stage air shock absorber:
 wherein, there is the first working tube upon which the closed end is affixed to the mounting eyelet that serves as an attachment point for connecting the four-stage air shock to the vehicle's chassis, while the open end is attached to the first end cap that serves as an alignment device for the first shaft and as a mounting surface for the Schrader valve;   wherein, there is the first shaft, having a closed end and open end, upon which the closed end is narrowed down into a threaded shank and thereby connected to the first working piston, while the open end is attached to the second end cap that serves as an alignment device for the second shaft and as a mounting surface for the Schrader valve.   
     
     
         35 . The vehicle air shock absorber of  claim 24 , there is the second shaft, having a closed end and open end, upon which the closed end is narrowed down into a threaded shank and thereby connected to the second working piston, while the open end is attached to the third end cap that serves as an alignment device for the third shaft and as a mounting surface for the Schrader valve. 
     
     
         37 . The vehicle air shock absorber of  claim 24 , there is the third shaft, having a closed end and open end, upon which the closed end is narrowed down into a threaded shank and thereby connected to the third working piston, while the open end is attached to the fourth end cap that serves as an alignment device for the fourth shaft and as a mounting surface for the Schrader valve. 
     
     
         38 . The vehicle air shock absorber of  claim 37  or  43 , wherein the second shaft, by having the third end cap attached to its open end, serves as the third working tube and thereby slidably receives the end of the third shaft that is attached to the third working piston via insertion through the third end cap; wherein the third shaft is enabled to slide in and out of the third working tube under unified guidance by the third working piston and third end cap; henceforth, the third working tube and third shaft are said to be paired and signify the third stage; whereupon, by the second shaft serving as the third working tube, the second stage is connected to the third stage and given that the first stage is connected to the second stage then the first, second, and third stages are interconnected and represent the first, second, and third stages of the four-stage air shock absorber. 
     
     
         39 . The vehicle air shock absorber of  claim 24 , there is the fourth shaft, having two closed ends, upon which one closed end is narrowed down into a threaded shank and thereby connected to the fourth working piston, while the other closed end is affixed to the mounting eyelet that serves as an attachment point for connecting the four-stage air shock to the vehicle's running gear. 
     
     
         40 . The vehicle air shock absorber of  claim 39  or  44 , wherein the third shaft, by having the fourth end cap attached to its open end, serves as the fourth working tube and thereby slidably receives the end of the fourth shaft that is attached to the fourth working piston via insertion through the fourth end cap; wherein the fourth shaft is enabled to slide in and out of the fourth working tube under unified guidance by the fourth working piston and fourth end cap; henceforth, the fourth working tube and fourth shaft are said to be paired and signify the fourth stage; whereupon, by the third shaft serving as the fourth working tube, the third stage is connected to the fourth stage and given that the first stage is connected to the second stage and that the second stage is connected to the third stage then the first, second, third, and fourth stages are interconnected and represent the first, second, third, and fourth stages of the four-stage air shock absorber; wherein, the construction of the four-stage air shock absorber is complete. 
     
     
         41 . The vehicle air shock absorber of claim  28 , wherein the third working tube has the second working piston attached to its closed end, and is paired to the third shaft thereby referring to the third stage; wherein the third stage is connected to the fourth stage so that the third and fourth stages represent the third and fourth stages of the four-stage air shock absorber. 
     
     
         42 . The vehicle air shock absorber of  claim 30 , wherein the second working tube has the first working piston attached to its closed end and is paired to the second shaft thereby referring to the second stage; the second stage is connected to the third stage and given that the third stage is connected to the fourth stage then the second, third, and fourth stages are interconnected and represent the second, third, and fourth stages of the four-stage air shock absorber. 
     
     
         43 . The vehicle air shock absorber of claim  36 , wherein the second shaft has the third end cap attached to its open end and is paired to the second working tube thereby referring to the second stage; wherein the first stage is connected to the second stage so that the first and second stages represent the first and second stages of the four-stage air shock absorber. 
     
     
         44 . The vehicle air shock absorber of  claim 38 , wherein the third shaft has the fourth end cap attached to its open end and is paired to the third working tube thereby referring to the third stage; wherein the second stage is connected to the third stage and given that the first stage is connected to the second stage then the first, second, and third stages are interconnected and represent the first, second, third stages of the four-stage air shock absorber. 
     
     
         45 . The vehicle air shock absorber of  claim 32 , wherein by the process of constructing the four-stage air shock absorber as discussed above, the first stage is connected to the second stage, the second stage is connected to the third stage, and the third stage is connected to the fourth stage such that the shafts of the first, second, third, and fourth stages are able to slide out of or into the working tubes of the first, second, third, and fourth stages. 
     
     
         46 . The vehicle air shock absorber of  claim 40 , wherein by the process of constructing the four-stage air shock absorber as discussed above, the first stage is connected to the second stage, the second stage is connected to the third stage, and the third stage is connected to the fourth stage such that the shafts of the first, second, third, and fourth stages are able to slide out of or into the working tubes of the first, second, third, and fourth stages. 
     
     
         47 . The vehicle air shock absorber of  claim 24 ,  45 , or  46 , wherein the shafts of the first, second, third, and fourth stages are able to slide out of or into the working tubes of the first, second, third, and fourth stages such that during full extension or compression the four-stage air shock absorber possesses: an extended length equivalent to the length of the first working tube plus the lengths of the first, second, third, and fourth shafts less the parts of the first, second, third, and fourth shafts that are necked down and connected to the first, second, third, and fourth working pistons; or a compressed length equivalent to the length of the first working tube plus the lengths of first, second, third, and fourth end caps, respectively.