Brakes – Internal-resistance motion retarder – With heat exchanger
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-24
2001-01-30
Schwartz, Christopher P. (Department: 3613)
Brakes
Internal-resistance motion retarder
With heat exchanger
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179098
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicular damper with a vehicle height adjusting function which is applied to a vehicle such as a motor vehicle. In this specification, the term “vehicular damper” means a damper for use in a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A vehicle damper is provided with a damper main body, and a damper rod which is inserted into the damper main body so as to be movable up and down. One of the damper main body and the damper rod is connected to an unsprung member, and the other thereof is connected to a vehicle body so that a damping force against the vibrations of the unsprung member can be obtained.
In case a function of adjusting the vehicle height (also called a vehicle height adjusting function) is added to the damper, the following arrangement is conventionally employed. Namely, a cylinder for adjusting the vehicle height is interposed between the vehicle body and the damper. A pressure fluid from a pressure source is supplied to the cylinder to thereby adjust the vehicle height.
In the above-described conventional vehicular damper, the pressure source must be attached to the vehicle body in addition to the damper. Further, a piping work becomes necessary between the pressure source and the cylinder which adjusts the vehicle height. As a result, the assembling work of the above-described members to the vehicle body is time-consuming.
In view of the above points, the present invention has an object of providing a vehicular damper in which the pressure source is integrally assembled into the damper to thereby improve the ease with which the damper is assembled to the vehicle body.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to attain the above and other objects, the present invention is a vehicular damper with a vehicle height adjusting function having a damper main body, and a damper rod which is inserted into the damper main body in a vertically movable manner. The damper comprises: a case which is provided on an outside of the damper main body so as to be vertically movable and which is connected to the damper rod, wherein the case contains therein in a hermetically sealed manner a refrigerant which varies between a gaseous phase and a liquid phase; and an electric heater for heating the refrigerant.
When the electric heater is charged with electricity, the refrigerant is heated and evaporated. The case, i.e., the damper rod, is thus pushed by the vapor pressure of the refrigerant and is displaced in the direction of extension, whereby the vehicle height is increased. In this manner, the pressure source of heat-pressure conversion type is constituted by the case in which the refrigerant is filled in a hermetically sealed manner, and the electric heater. Since this pressure source is integrally assembled into the damper, the ease with which the damper is assembled into the vehicle body can be improved.
It is possible to mount the electric heater on an outer peripheral portion of the case. However, if the electric heater is disposed inside a liquid sump portion in which the refrigerant in liquid phase is accumulated, the refrigerant can be efficiently heated as a result of heat transfer with boiling. It is thus possible to advantageously increase the vapor pressure inside the case, i.e., the vehicle height, with a good response.
If a cooling fin is disposed on that outer peripheral portion of the case which lies above the portion in which the electric heater is disposed, it is advantageous in the following point. Namely, when the electric charging to the electric heater is stopped, the remaining heat of the electric heater is rapidly deprived of, or taken away, by the condensation of the gaseous phase refrigerant in the portion in which the cooling fin is disposed and the evaporation of the liquid phase refrigerant which flows down to the portion in which the electric heater is disposed. As a result, the vapor pressure inside the case, i.e., the vehicle height, can be decreased with a good response.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4616810 (1986-10-01), Richardson
patent: 650974 (1979-09-01), None
Hayakawa Yukio
Nakahara Kiyoshi
Armstrong, Westerman Hattori, McLeland & Naughton
Bartz C.
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Schwartz Christopher P.
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