The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 04, 1998
Filed:
Sep. 27, 1996
William C Pierce, Muskegon, MI (US);
Nai Neway, Inc., Muskegon, MI (US);
Abstract
A valve assembly for controlling the delivery and exhaustion of pressurized air to and from an air spring. The valve assembly comprises a body having a bore and a port in communication with the bore. The port is adapted to receive an air connection with an air spring. Actuator shaft having a first end and a second end, is disposed coaxially in the valve bore for reciprocal movement between actuating and rest positions, and is biased toward the rest position. A valve block fixes within the bore and has an internal end and an external end. A stop chamber is disposed between the external end and the internal end. A stop member mounts on the actuator shaft within the stop chamber. Actuator shaft movement relative to the valve body is limited to the distance the stop moves within the stop chamber. The valve bore is filled with an incompressible fluid and the actuator has a piston disposed within the valve bore in order to dampen movement of the actuator shaft to provide a time delay in actuating the valve. The piston includes an aperture that passes therethrough and a hollow metering tube that extends from the aperture. The size of the tube controls the damping effect of the piston and thus the actuator shaft as the actuator shaft moves toward the valve seat.