Damper with pressure-sensitive compression damping

Abstract

A damper includes a piston rod, a damping piston, at least one cylinder containing a damping liquid, a fixed partition member for partitioning the interior of the damper into two liquid chambers, a pressure source, and a valve in communication with the pressure source which reacts as a function of the pressure. The valve can also be in communication with additional forces, such as mechanical spring forces, which can be adjustable. The valve can include a pressure intensifier. The valve generates fluid flow resistance during flow of liquid in a first direction through the partition member. The fluid flow resistance in the first direction varies according to the amount of force communicated to the valve by the pressure source and any additional forces. The partition member can include means for providing low-resistance return flow of liquid in a second direction.

What we claim is: 
     
         1 . A damper operable between a compressed position and an extended position, said damper comprising:
 a damper cylinder assembly comprising a damper cylinder enclosing a bore, said damper cylinder having a damper cylinder first end and a damper cylinder second end, said damper cylinder assembly further comprising:
 an intensifier assembly disposed at an upper end of said damper cylinder first end and within said bore, said intensifier assembly comprising:
 an intensifier piston having a first surface with a first surface area, said intensifier piston also having a second surface with a second surface area, wherein said first surface area is greater than said second surface area, wherein movement of said intensifier piston with respect to said intensifier assembly is dependent upon a ratio of a first pressure exerted upon said first surface to a second pressure exerted upon said second surface, said intensifier assembly disposed at said upper end of said damper cylinder first end such that the entirety of said intensifier assembly is disposed within said bore; 
 
   a damping piston which moves within said bore of said damper cylinder;   a compression chamber separating said intensifier assembly and said damping piston; and   a remote reservoir coupled to said damper cylinder assembly via an hydraulic hose and having a remote reservoir first end and a remote reservoir second end, said remote reservoir comprising:
 a reservoir chamber disposed at a furthest upper end of said remote reservoir first end, wherein said reservoir chamber and said intensifier assembly are in fluid communication with each other via said hydraulic hose; 
   an internally-pressurized chamber disposed at a furthest lower end of said remote reservoir second end;   a floating piston separating said reservoir chamber and said internally-pressurized chamber;   wherein resistance provided to movement of said damping piston into said bore of said damper cylinder, said damping piston coupled to a piston rod, varies:
 (a) according to the amount of force communicated to said intensifier assembly; and 
 (b) increases as said piston rod moves further into said bore of said damper cylinder; 
   a damping cylinder, said damping cylinder having two ends and an interior for containing a damping fluid, the first of said two damping cylinder ends for mounting said damping cylinder to one of a sprung mass or an un-sprung mass of a vehicle;   a piston rod axially-slidable with respect to the interior of said damping cylinder and passing through the second end of said damping cylinder;   a reservoir, said reservoir positioned spaced from said damping cylinder and having an interior defining a damping fluid reservoir chamber;   a pressure source in communication with said reservoir chamber;   a valve assembly positioned at least partially in said reservoir and at least partially between said damping cylinder and said reservoir and that generates resistance to the flow of said fluid in a first direction from said interior of said damping cylinder to said reservoir chamber, said flow of said fluid resulting from movement of said piston rod into said interior of said damping cylinder, said resistance:
 (a) varying according to the amount of force communicated to said valve assembly by at least said pressure source; and 
 (b) increasing as said piston rod moves further into said interior of said damping cylinder; and 
   said valve assembly having a portion that contacts the atmosphere.