MXPA99008351A - Adjustable shock absorber - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a shock absorber which includes: A box with a cylindrical passage formed therein, further includes an opening in the box leading to the cylindrical passage, a piston advancing longitudinally in the cylindrical passage, a monofilament element including a first end and a second end, the first end is joined to a first connecting element and the second end is joined to the piston, the monofilament element passes reciprocally through the opening, a connecting element that includes a second joining element; second joining element joined to the second joining element wherein the first connecting element joins the second joining element through a range of positions by means of which it provides an adjustable position of the connecting element in relation to the monofilament element

Description

ADJUSTABLE SHOCK ABSORBER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention This invention pertains to a shock absorber, as used with a glove box of an automobile. The shock absorber includes an adjustable clamp and further includes a cushion housing forming a cylinder with a decreased internal diameter area. Description of the Prior Art The use of an air cylinder cushioning device in combination with a monofilament element biased by a spring for use with a storage box, such as an automobile glove box, is well known as illustrated in FIG.

U.S. Patent Number 5,333,845, entitled "Cushioning Device" and issued to Seiichi on August 2, 1994. Similarly, an air cushion is illustrated in U.S. Patent Number 5,104,098 entitled "Cylinder-type Air Damper" and issued to Kaneko on April 14, 1992. However, the prior art designs have several disadvantages. First, prior art designs often require secondary fasteners to attach the shock absorber to the panel. Second, prior art designs have often used a monofilament element with loops formed at each end. The metal clamps are compressed on the monofilament element at each end to form loops. One loop is fixed to the piston and the other loop is fixed to the glove box. However, this design would fail if the clamps loosened. In addition, once the loops are created on the monofilament element, the distance of the monofilament element is adjusted and can not be changed. Third, the prior art designs normally have an initial jump when the glove box is released. OBJECTIVES AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an objective of this invention to provide a shock absorber, such as for automobile glove box applications, which can be installed with few or no secondary fasteners. Therefore, another objective of this invention is to provide a shock absorber, such as for automobile glove box applications, which has an adjustable space. Therefore, another objective of this invention is to provide a shock absorber, such as for automobile glove box applications, which provides a reliable engagement between the piston, the monofilament element and the door, such as the coupling of an automobile glove box . Therefore, another object of this invention is to provide a shock absorber, such as for automobile glove box applications, which minimizes or eliminates the initial jump when the door, such as the door of an automobile glove box, initially opens . These and other objectives are achieved by providing an air damper with a housing, a cover, discs, an integral plastic monofilament / piston element and a spring. The housing forms a cylinder through which the piston moves and further includes an integral fastener with opposite hook structures similar to the scythe to allow the housing to be "swung" in the panel without the use of separate secondary fasteners. The piston and the monofilament element are molded as one piece. This eliminates the need for a secondary monofilament element with loops and clamps that can fail. The open end of the molded monofilament element has molded annular rings which allow an adjustable fastener to be fixed to the open end. This adjustable fastener allows the length at which the monofilament / piston element is fixed to the glove box to be adjustable. Therefore, a molded monofilament / piston element can be adjusted to various lengths, as appropriate for the application. The diameter of the cylinder formed within the damper housing is decreased near the closed end of the housing to increase friction between the piston discs and the housing when the air damper is in a closed or nearly closed position. This additional friction eliminates the initial jump otherwise associated frequently with air dampers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and from the accompanying drawings., wherein: Figure 1 is an exploded view, partially in imaginary line, of the shock absorber of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side plan view of the integral piston and monofilament element of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a side plan view of the piston of the present invention. Figure 4 is a side plan view of the annular rings of the monofilament element of the present invention. Figure 5 is a side plan view of the shock absorber of the present invention with the extended monofilament element. Figure 6 is a side plan view of the shock absorber of the present invention with the monofilament element retracted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in which like numerals refer to like elements in all views, one sees that Figure 1 is an exploded view, partially in imaginary line, of the damper 10 of the present invention. The shock absorber 10 includes the cylindrical piston 12 with circular peripheral discs 14, 16 which engage the cylinder passage 18 of the lower housing 20 of the shock absorber. The lip seal 13 extends from the cylindrical piston 12. The piston 12 moves within the cylinder passage 18 when the cushion 10 is extended or retracted as shown in Figures 5 and 6, respectively. As shown in the imaginary line in Figure 1, the cylinder passage 18 of the lower damper housing 20 includes a lower portion 22 of reduced diameter, this reduction in diameter being exaggerated in Figure 1. The diameter reduction of the part lower 22 provides an increased tightness adjustment between the piston 12 and the cylinder passage 18 when the piston 18 is completely inserted into the cylinder passage 18 as in the retracted position shown in Figure 6. This eliminates or minimizes the initial jump which is associated with air dampers. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the piston 12 is integrally molded with the monofilament element 24. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the end 26 of the opposite monofilament member 24 of the piston 12 includes a series of rings. elongate and molded rings 28 which form a male element 30 for attachment to a corresponding female fastener element 32. The female fastener element 32 is a shell-like clam configuration with two clamping portions 33, 34 joined by a hinge 35, each fastening portion 33, 34 including a longitudinally-split complementary half 36, 37 of the interior knurled opening 38. The fastening portion 33 includes inwardly extending detent legs 39, 40 laterally adjacent to the complementary half 36 of the grooved opening in the interior 38. The retainer legs 39, 40 engage the catch openings 41, 42 of the fastening portion 34 when the fastener portions 33, 34 are in the closed position thereby forming the grooved opening in the interior 38 which engages the male element 30. The outer side 43 of the holding portion 33 includes the cylindrical detent member extending outwardly. The cylindrical retainer element 45 is normally used. for hooking a cylindrical opening of a structural device, such as the glove box door of an automobile (not shown) and can be replaced with many other fasteners that would be known to a person skilled in the art. As shown in Figure 1, the coil spring 44 is wound around the monofilament element 24. A first coil spring end 44 abuts the piston 12 and a second coil spring end 44 is adjacent the upper housing 46 of the shock absorber thereby pushing the piston 12 and the monofilament member 24 towards a retracted position as illustrated in Figure 6. The upper housing 46 of the shock absorber includes the ring 48 at the open end 50 of the same which press fit to the lower housing 20 of the damper. The upper housing 46 of the shock absorber further includes the closed end 52 with the central opening 54 through which the monofilament element 24 passes reciprocally. The central opening 54 is formed so that a longitudinal axis of the shock absorber 10 passes through the central opening 54. The cylindrical wall 56 of the upper housing 46 of the shock absorber further includes the fastener 58 with opposite hooks similar to the scythe., 62. Similarly the lower housing 20 of the shock absorber includes the fastener 63. The configuration of the fastener 58 allows the damper 10 to be installed by an "oscillating" movement with subsequent alignment and engagement of the fastener 63 without the need for fasteners. secondary To use the shock absorber 10, the installer normally chooses a female fastening element 32 of suitable shape and size and fixes the element 32 to the male element 30 of the monofilament element 24 in the position suitable for the application. The installer then affixes the fastener 58 to the appropriate door or panel (not shown) by a "swing" movement and in the same manner fixes the cylindrical detent member extending outwardly to the appropriate door or panel (not shown). it shows) . The choice of the dimensions of the particular elements and the adjustment thereof must be provided so that the piston 12 is urged to the lower portion 22 of reduced diameter of the cylinder passage 18 when the associated door (not shown) is closed and for let the piston 12 cross the cylinder passage 18 during the opening of the associated door. The sequence of steps can be modified according to the application and the user's preference. In this way, the aforementioned objectives and advantages are achieved in a more effective way. Although a single preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed and described in detail herein, it is to be understood that this invention in no sense is limited by it and its scope will be determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (15)

1. CLAIMS 1. A damper including: a housing with a cylindrical hall formed therein, further including an opening in the housing leading to the cylindrical hallway; a piston that crosses the cylindrical aisle; a monofilament element including a first end and a second end, the first end fixed to a first joining element and the second end fixed to the piston, the monofilament member passing reciprocally through the opening; a coupling element including a second connecting element, the second connecting element being fixed to the first connecting element.
2. 2. The shock absorber of Claim 1 wherein the first attachment element is fixed to the second attachment element over a range of positions thereby providing an adjustable position of the engagement element with respect to the monofilament element.
3. The damper of Claim 2 wherein one of the first and second joint elements is a male element with a plurality of annular rings and the other of the first and second joint elements is a female element with internal grooves, the annular rings engaging the internal stretch marks.
4. 4. The shock absorber of Claim 3 wherein the latching element further includes a third attachment element.
5. The shock absorber of Claim 4 wherein the engaging element has two fastening elements hinged together, each fastening element including longitudinally-split complementary halves of an opening in which the internal grooves are formed.
6. 6. The shock absorber of Claim 5 wherein the monofilament element is formed integrally with the piston.
7. 7. The shock absorber of Claim 6 wherein the monofilament element and the piston are formed of plastic.
8. 8. The shock absorber of Claim 7 further includes a coil spring through which the monofilament element passes.
9. The shock absorber of Claim 8 wherein the coil spring includes a first end and a second end, the first end being adjacent to the piston and the second end being adjacent to one end of the cylindrical passage.
10. The damper of Claim 9 wherein the end of the cylindrical passage adjacent the second end of the coil spring is adjacent to the opening.
11. The damper of Claim 1 wherein the piston crosses a first portion of the cylindrical passage when the monofilament element is in a relatively retracted position and the piston crosses a second portion of the cylindrical passage when the monofilament element is in a relatively position extended and wherein a diameter of the first portion of the cylindrical passage is reduced by a diameter of the second portion of the cylindrical passage.
12. The shock absorber of Claim 11 wherein the reduced diameter of the first cylindrical passage portion minimizes any initial jump of the shock absorber.
13. 13. The damper of Claim 12 wherein a longitudinal axis of the housing passes through the opening and wherein the opening is formed adjacent to the second portion of the cylindrical aisle.
14. The damper of Claim 13 wherein the housing is formed by a first part and a second part, the first part joining the second part along a circumferential section of the housing.
15. 15. The shock absorber of Claim 14 wherein the first housing part is press fit to the second housing part.