This invention relates to a vehicle shock absorber, and more particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus for removing ice and debris from a shock absorber rod.
Vehicle shock absorbers such as those used in snowmobile and other cold weather applications may have problems of icing inhibiting proper operation of the shock absorber. Snow and ice become compacted around the shock absorber rod preventing the rod from moving in and out of the cylinder. Prior art devices have proposed a scraper to scrape the ice and other debris from the rod. However, these prior art devices utilize separate support rings and other components to support the scraper, which increases the dead length of the absorber and adds cost to the assembly. Furthermore, the scrapers are made from a plastic material. Plastic scrapers have limited durability in deicing applications.
The shock absorber rod is exposed to water during its operation including during deicing with the scraper. Prior art scrapers have failed to provide any mechanisms for preventing water from penetrating the rod and the scraper interface. Instead, they relying only on the rod seal, which is best suited to retaining hydraulic fluid within the cylinder. Water may enter the shock absorber fluid chamber through the interface and cause damage to the shock absorber. Therefore, what is needed is an improved scraper for a shock absorber.
The present invention provides a vehicle shock absorber including a piston rod. A cylinder head having a bore defining an axis supports the rod within the bore. A scraper is arranged proximate to the cylinder head and includes a hole with the rod arranged within the hole. The scraper removes debris from a portion of the rod exterior of the scraper, and opposite the cylinder head. Preferably, the scraper is axially located and retained relative to the cylinder head by a retainer. A wiper is at least partially disposed in the hole of the scraper and is in engagement with the rod. The wiper removes water from the rod preventing penetration of the water past the wiper.
Accordingly, the above invention provides an improved scraper for a shock absorber.
The various features and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the currently preferred embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows:
A shock absorber 10 is shown in
The cylinder head 18 includes an annular pocket 28. The present invention scraper 30 is arranged with the annular pocket 28 and includes a hole 32 with the rod 16 disposed within the hole 32. The annular pocket 28 is adjacent to the bore 20 and may include an annular groove 34 in an outer portion with a retaining clip 36 for axially retaining the scraper 30 within the annular pocket 28. The scraper 30 includes an outer circumference 38 spaced from the outer portion of the annular pocket 28 to create a gap 40. The gap 40 ensures that the scraper does not bind in the cylinder head 18 if the hole 32 and bore 20 are not concentric due to machining tolerances. A seal 42 such as an O-ring is arranged in the gap between the cylinder head 18 and the scraper 30 to prevent the intrusion of water and debris past the scraper. The scraper 30 is preferably constructed from a bronze material to enhance the durability of the scraper. The scraper 30 removes debris from the rod 16 as it moves axially.
Referring to
Referring to
The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology that has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20040206590 A1 | Oct 2004 | US |