CLIAMS:We claim:

1. A system (100) for testing durability of a suspension dampers (101), said system (100) comprises:
a base frame (102) adapted to be rigidly mounted on ground, the base frame (102) is configured to form a support surface for the system (100);
at least one support pillar (103a and 103b) mounted on either sides of the base frame (102) for supporting an upper support frame (104);
the upper support frame (104) comprises at least one through hole on either sides for accommodating the support pillars (103a and 103b), wherein the upper support frame (104) is configured to be positioned at predetermined height using suitable mechanism;
at least one cross beam (105) is mounted on the upper support frame (104), and at least one cross beam (106) is mounted on a vertical actuator mechanism (107);
one or more mounting bars (108) mounted on each of the cross beam (106 and 107), wherein each of the mounting bar (108) is configured to hold plurality suspension dampers (101) to be tested;
the vertical actuator mechanism (107) mounted on the base frame (102) for applying vertical load on the plurality of suspension dampers (101) through the cross beam (106);
an anti rotation mechanism (110) mounted on the base frame (102), wherein the anti rotation mechanism (110) is configured to pass through the cross beam (106) mounted on a vertical actuator mechanism (107) for preventing the rotation of cross beam (106) during testing;
a side loading mechanism (109) provided between plurality of the suspension dampers (101) mounted on respective mounting bars (108) for applying a side load onto the suspension dampers (101) for testing; and
a container (112) for holding a mud and slurry mixture, wherein said container (112) is mounted in a sealing area (101a) of at least one of plurality of suspension damper (101) to apply mud slurry onto at least one of the plurality of the suspension damper (101) during testing.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 comprises a cooling arrangement (111) for cooling suspension dampers (101) during testing, said cooling arrangement (111) comprises:
a metallic jacket (111a) having a coolant inlet (111b) and a coolant outlet (111c) is provided around each of the plurality of the suspension damper (101), wherein said metallic jackets (111a) are connected to the suspension dampers (101) using rubber boots (111d);
atleast one rubber hose (111e’ and 111e’’) connectable to the coolant inlet (111b) and the coolant outlet (111b) of each of the metallic jackets (111a) for circulating the coolant around the suspension dampers (101);
at least one coolant inlet source (111f) connectable to coolant inlet rubber hoses (111e’) for supplying the coolant into the rubber hoses (111e’), and atleast one coolant outlet source (111g) connectable to coolant outlet rubber hoses (111e’’) for discharging the coolant from the coolant outlet rubber hoses (111e’’), wherein the coolant inlet source (111f) and the coolant outlet collector (111g) are connectable to the coolant inlet and outlet headers (111h and 111i) respectively.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the side loading mechanism (109) is selected from atleast one of spring loading mechanism, hydraulic loading mechanism, and pneumatic loading mechanism.

4. The system as claimed in claims 3, wherein the spring loading mechanism (109) comprises a compression spring (109a) provided between the plurality of suspension dampers (101), a nut (109b) for adjusting compression of the spring (109a), and a lock nut (109c) for locking the position of the spring (109a) during testing.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anti rotation mechanism (110) comprises an anti rotation member (110a) mounted on the base frame (102), and a rod (110b) protruding from the anti rotation member (110a).

6. The system as claimed in claims 1 and 5, wherein the cross beam (106) mounted on a vertical actuator mechanism (107) comprises an anti rotation bearing (106a) for receiving the rod (110b) protruding from the anti rotation member (110a).

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper support frame (104) is positioned at predetermined height using the mechanism selected from atleast one of hydraulic pressure clamping, manual clamping and pneumatic clamping.

8. A method for conducting durability test on suspension dampers (101), said method comprises acts of:
mounting a plurality of suspension dampers (101) on each of mounting bars (108), wherein the mounting bars (108) are provided on each of cross beam (105) mounted on the upper support frame (104), and a cross beam (106) mounted on a vertical actuator mechanism (107);
applying vertical load onto the plurality of suspension dampers (101) using the vertical actuator mechanism (107) through the cross beam (106);
preventing rotation of the cross beam (106) mounted on a vertical actuator mechanism (107) using an anti rotation mechanism (110) mounted on the base frame (102), wherein the anti rotation mechanism (110) is configured to pass through the cross beam (106)
applying side load onto the plurality of suspension dampers (101) using a side loading mechanism (109) provided between plurality of the suspension dampers (101) mounted on respective mounting bars (108); and
applying mud and slurry mixture onto a sealing area (101a) of at least one of the suspension damper (101) out of plurality of suspension dampers (101) during testing through a container (112) mounted in the sealing area (101a) of at least one of the suspension damper (101) out of plurality of suspension dampers (101).

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 comprises act of cooling the plurality of the suspension dampers (101) during testing using a cooling arrangement (111).

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the applying side load, and mud and slurry mixture is performed alternatively or simultaneously.
,TagSPECI: FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970 (as amended)
[39 OF 1970]
&
The Patents Rules, 2003

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
[See Section 10 and rule 13]

TITLE: “A SYSTEM FOR TESTING DURABILITY OF SUSPENSION DAMPERS AND A METHOD THEREOF”

Name and address of the Applicant:
TATA MOTORS LIMITED, an Indian company having its registered office at Bombay House, 24 Homi Mody Street, Hutatma Chowk, Mumbai - 400 001, Maharashtra, India,

Nationality: INDIAN

The following specification particularly describes the invention the manner in which it is to be performed.
TECHNICAL FIELD
Embodiments of the present disclosure relates to a system for suspension damper testing. More particularly, embodiments relate to the system for testing durability of suspension dampers to validate suspension dampers durability under combined effect of vertical load, side load and mud water ingress.

BACKGROUND OF DISCLOSURE

Dampers also referred as suspension dampers are mounted on the vehicle in between tire and body of the vehicle along with other suspension components. The main purpose of the suspension dampers is to provide better ride comfort in case of any undesirable undulations from the road. Damper function is to absorb the shocks caused due to these road undulations. During functioning of the dampers, compression and rebound forces come into action. In addition to those forces, various other forces are induced due to suspension design and wheel geometry which gives rise to side loads at rod-guide junction of the damper.

The damper design is said to be a better if it performs well in case of increase in side load. An increase in side load disturbs the performance of the damper. It can lead to rod bend, failure of internal parts like piston, base valve and internal components causing oil seal leakage resulting in to damper failure. Further, during prolonged usages of the suspension dampers, mud slurry enters in to the damper through the seals which will deteriorate the performance of the damper thereby leaking the damper.

Hence, the suspension dampers are tested for the durability in the test setup for determining the durability of the suspension dampers. The suspension damper test setup of this kind is described in Chinese Patent Publication number CN102072827 (herein after referred as ‘827 patent publication) filed by Beijing Huagu Shock Absorbing Apparatus Ltd. The suspension damper test setup of ‘827 patent publication comprises an upper exciting mechanism and a lower exciting mechanism, wherein the upper exciting motion is low-frequency large-amplitude (simulating the vibration of a vehicle body) motion, the lower exciting motion is high-frequency small-amplitude (simulating the vibration of wheels) motion, and the upper excitation and the lower excitation can adopt step motion or simultaneously motion. The test setup is further provided with a lateral bending mechanism and a reciprocating knob mechanism so as to perform enhanced life testing and performance degradation monitoring on the tested shock absorber. In addition, the test setup is equipped with a cooling system and can cool down the heating of the shock absorber during the high-speed testing, thereby ensuring that the tested part can be in line with actual working conditions during the whole testing process.

The existing test setup disclosed in ‘827 patent publication for validating the suspension dampers does not include means for introducing mud and slurry mixture onto the suspension dampers during testing, which leads incomplete simulation of the durability of the dampers. Further, the existing test setup uses complex mechanism for applying side load onto the suspension dampers, which increases the complexity of test setup and thereby increases the cost.

In addition to above, operating the existing setup used for testing durability of suspension dampers requires manual intervention at regular intervals, since it is required to remove the fixture every time/regularly, even in order to check the performance of a single damper.. This results in increase in the testing time of the dampers.

In light of the foregoing discussion, it is necessary to develop an improved system for conducting durability test on the suspension dampers to overcome the limitations stated above.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The shortcomings of the prior art are overcome and additional advantages are provided through the provision of system as claimed in the present disclosure.

Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed disclosure.

One embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a system for testing durability of suspension dampers. The system comprises, a base frame adapted to be rigidly mounted on ground, the base frame is configured to form a support surface for the system, at least one support pillar mounted on either sides of the base frame for supporting an upper support frame, and the upper support frame comprises at least one through hole on either sides for accommodating the support pillars, wherein the upper support frame is configured to be positioned at predetermined height using suitable mechanism. Further, at least one cross beam is mounted on the upper support frame, and at least one cross beam is mounted on a vertical actuator mechanism, one or more mounting bars mounted on each of the cross beam, wherein each of the mounting bar is configured to hold plurality suspension dampers to be tested. The vertical actuator mechanism is mounted on the base frame for applying vertical load on the plurality of suspension dampers through the cross beam, and an anti rotation mechanism is mounted on the base frame, wherein the anti rotation mechanism is configured to pass through the cross beam mounted on a vertical actuator mechanism for preventing the rotation of cross beam during testing. Further, the system comprises a side loading mechanism provided between plurality of the suspension dampers mounted on respective mounting bars for applying a side load onto the suspension dampers for testing. A container for holding a mud and slurry mixture is provided in the system, said container is mounted in a sealing area of at least one of plurality of suspension damper to apply mud slurry onto at least one of the plurality of the suspension damper during testing.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the system is provided with a cooling arrangement for cooling suspension dampers during testing. The cooling arrangement comprises: a metallic jacket having a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet is provided around each of the plurality of the suspension damper, wherein said metallic jackets are connected to the suspension dampers using rubber boots, atleast one rubber hose connectable to the coolant inlet and the coolant outlet of each of the metallic jackets for circulating the coolant around the suspension dampers. Further, at least one coolant inlet source connectable to coolant inlet rubber hoses for supplying the coolant into the rubber hoses, and atleast one coolant outlet source connectable to coolant outlet rubber hoses for discharging the coolant from the coolant outlet rubber hoses, wherein the coolant inlet source and the coolant outlet collector are connectable to the coolant inlet and outlet headers respectively.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the side loading mechanism is selected from atleast one of spring loading mechanism, hydraulic loading mechanism, and pneumatic loading mechanism.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the spring loading mechanism comprises a compression spring provided between the plurality of suspension dampers, a nut for adjusting compression of the spring, and a lock nut for locking the position of the spring during testing.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the anti rotation mechanism comprises an anti rotation member mounted on the base frame, and a rod protruding from the anti rotation member.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the cross beam mounted on a vertical actuator mechanism comprises an anti rotation bearing for receiving the rod protruding from the anti rotation member.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the upper support frame is positioned at predetermined height using the mechanism selected from atleast one of hydraulic pressure clamping, manual clamping and pneumatic clamping.

Another embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a method for conducting durability test on suspension dampers. The method comprises acts of: mounting a plurality of suspension dampers on each of mounting bars, wherein the mounting bars are provided on each of cross beam mounted on the upper support frame, and a cross beam mounted on a vertical actuator mechanism. Then, applying vertical load onto the plurality of suspension dampers using the vertical actuator mechanism through the cross beam, preventing rotation of the cross beam mounted on a vertical actuator mechanism using an anti rotation mechanism mounted on the base frame, wherein the anti rotation mechanism is configured to pass through the cross beam. Then, applying side load onto the plurality of suspension dampers using a side loading mechanism provided between plurality of the suspension dampers mounted on respective mounting bars; and applying mud and slurry mixture onto a sealing area of at least one of the suspension damper out of plurality of suspension dampers during testing through a container mounted in the sealing area of at least one of the suspension damper out of plurality of suspension dampers.

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the side load, and mud and slurry mixture are applied alternatively or simultaneously.

The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.

OBJECTIVES OF THE DISCLOSURE

One object of the present disclosure is to provide a system for conducting durability on the suspension dampers under the influence of side load and vertical load.

One object of the present disclosure is to provide a system for conducting durability on the suspension damper which has mechanism to accommodate different sizes of dampers of different vehicles and with different side loads.

One object of the present disclosure is to provide a system for conducting durability on the suspension damper which has an arrangement to introduce mud and slurry mixture onto the suspension damper during testing, which helps in evaluating the performance of the damper seals under the combined influence of side load, vertical load and mud-slurry ingress.

One object of the present disclosure is to provide a system for conducting durability on the suspension damper which reduces the manual effort, in such a way that it is not at all required to remove the fixture every time even in order to check the performance of a single damper, at a regular intervals of the damper durability tests.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING FIGURES
The novel features and characteristic of the disclosure are set forth in the appended claims. The disclosure itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying figures. One or more embodiments are now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying figures wherein like reference numerals represent like elements and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a system for conducting durability test on suspension dampers according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of a system for conducting durability test on suspension dampers of FIG.1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of a system for conducting durability test on suspension dampers of FIG.1.

FIGS. 4a and 4b illustrates a top view and front view of the cross beam mounted on vertical actuator mechanism with anti rotation mechanism of the system for conducting durability test on suspension dampers.

FIG. 5 illustrates detailed view of spring loading mechanism of the system for conducting durability test on suspension dampers.

FIG. 6 illustrates detailed view of cooling arrangement of the system for conducting durability test on suspension dampers.

The figures depict embodiments of the disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The foregoing has broadly outlined the features and technical advantages of the present disclosure in order that the detailed description of the disclosure that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the disclosure will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the disclosure. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present disclosure. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the disclosure, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present disclosure.

To overcome the drawbacks mentioned in the background the present disclosure provides a system for testing durability of suspension dampers to validate suspension dampers for high and low speed valve durability test under combined effect of side load and mud water ingress.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure illustrating a perspective view, front view and the side view of the system (100) respectively for conducting durability test on suspension dampers (101). Referring to Fig. 1, the system (100) comprises a base frame (102) of predetermined shape mounted rigidly on the ground, and the base frame (102) is configured as support surface for the system (100). At least one support pillar (103a and 103b) is mounted on either sides of the base frame (102) for supporting an upper support frame (104) at predetermined height based on the requirement. The upper support frame (104) is provided with at least one through hole (104a) on either sides for accommodating the support pillars (103a and 103b), and the upper support frame (104) can be adjusted vertically upwards and downwards depending on the length of the suspension dampers (101) also referred as shock absorbers to be tested. The upper support frame (104) is clamped at the suitable height by adopting hydraulic clamping mechanism using hydraulic pressure. The movement of this servo hydraulic clamping mechanism is controlled through an electronic controller provided with the system (100). In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the upper support frame (104) can be clamped to the suitable height on the support pillars (103a and 103b) using any other mechanism selected from a group comprising but not limited to manual clamping and pneumatic clamping.

The system (100) further comprises at least one cross beam (105) is mounted on each of the upper support frame (104) and a vertical actuator mechanism (107) for mounting one or more mounting bars (108), which is mounted on each of the cross beam (106 and 107) to hold plurality of suspension dampers (101) to be tested. The mounting bars (108) are mounted parallel to each other on the cross beams (105 and 106) [best shown in FIG. 4a] to hold a pair/couple of suspension dampers (101) out of plurality of suspension dampers (101) on each of the mounting bar (108) for testing. The mounting bars (108) are provided with mounting brackets (108a) at either ends for connecting the suspension dampers (101). The number of mounting bars (108) is provided based on the number of suspension dampers need to be accommodated on the system (100) for testing. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the number of mounting bars (108) on each cross beam (105 and 106) are 3, and each can accommodate 2 suspension dampers (101) from top and bottom side. Therefore, with the above explained arrangement of the system (100) either 6 or 4 or 2 suspension dampers (101) can be tested at the same time, which will help in reducing the testing time drastically.

The vertical actuator mechanism (107) is mounted on the base frame (102) of the system (100) for applying vertical load on the suspension dampers (101) through the cross beam (106) for simulating the vibration of a vehicle body and simulating the vibration of wheels on the suspension damper (101) in the system (100). The vertical actuator mechanism (107) comprises a vertical actuator (107a) mounted on the base frame (102) to create vertical motion, a bar (107b) protruding from the vertical actuator (107a) for transferring the vertical motion from the vertical actuator (107a) to the cross beam (106). The cross beam (106) is mounted on the bar (107b) for applying the vertical load to the suspension dampers (101). Further, a side loading mechanism (109) is provided between each pair of the suspension dampers (101) mounted on respective mounting bars (108) for applying a side load onto the suspension dampers (101) during testing so as to perform enhanced life testing on the suspension dampers (101). In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the side loading mechanism (109) is selected from the group comprising but not limited to spring loading mechanism [FIG. 4], hydraulic loading mechanism and pneumatic loading mechanism. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the hydraulic loading mechanism and pneumatic loading mechanism [not shown in figures] will be provided between a pair of the suspension dampers (101) mounted on respective mounting bars (108). The hydraulic loading mechanism or pneumatic loading mechanism comprises a cylinder in fluid communication with the hydraulic/pneumatic source, and a pair of pistons protruding out from either sides of the cylinder. The pistons make contact with the suspension dampers for applying the side load. The magnitude of load applied on the suspension dampers (101) can be varied or controlled by varying the hydraulic/pneumatic pressure inside the cylinder.

The system (100) further provided with an arrangement for applying mud and slurry mixture on to the damper seals. The arrangement consists of a container (112) for holding a mud and slurry mixture. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the container (112) is a plastic cup mounted on to the suspension damper (101) body in the sealing area (101a) through a positive clamping. The mud and slurry mixture of required proportion is filled in the container (101a) till a level such that the damper seal (101b) is completely immersed with this mixture. This helps in evaluating the performance of the suspension damper seals (101b) under the combined influence of side load, and mud and slurry ingress. If the mud and slurry enters in to the suspension damper (101) through the seals (101b) it will further deteriorate the performance of the suspension damper (101) thereby leaking the suspension damper (101). This additional attachment is integrated in to the same system (100) which helps to simulate one of the important failure modes of the suspension damper (101).

In the durability test, suspension damper (101) is required to be stroked continuously for higher number of cycles which in turn increases the temperature of the oil present in the damper. It is very necessary to maintain the temperature of the oil in the desired range otherwise the damper may fail prematurely, if not controlled. Hence, the cooling arrangement (111) (best shown in Fig. 6) provided in the system (100) which is used to cool the dampers (101) to maintain the temperature. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the cooling arrangement (111) comprises a metallic jacket (111a) having a coolant inlet (111b) and a coolant outlet (111c) is provided around each of the suspension damper (101). The metallic jackets (111a) are connected to the suspension dampers (101) using rubber boots (111d) at top and bottom of the each suspension damper (101). Now reference made to Fig. 3, where atleast one rubber hose (111e’ and 111e’’) is connectable to the coolant inlet (111b) and the coolant outlet (111b) of each of the metallic jackets (111a) for circulating the coolant around the suspension dampers (101). The cooling arrangement further provided with at least one coolant inlet source (111f) connectable to coolant inlet rubber hoses (111e) for supplying the coolant into the coolant inlet rubber hoses (111e’), and atleast one coolant outlet source (111g) connectable to coolant outlet rubber hoses (111e’’) for discharging the coolant from the coolant outlet rubber hoses (111e’’). The coolant inlet source (111f) and the coolant outlet collector (111g) are connectable to the coolant inlet and outlet headers (111h and 111i) respectively [best shown in FIG. 6]. The coolant inlets in metallic jacket (111a) feeds the cold water from the coolant inlet source (111f) which circulates over the suspension damper body (101) to extract the heat. The hot water from the suspension damper (101) is circulated back to coolant outlet collector (111g) through the coolant outlet (111c) of metallic jacket, and thereby to the coolant headers (111g and 111i) for cooling. Thus the required damper (101) body temperature is maintained by this cooling arrangement (111). Damper body (101) temperatures are recorded by pasting a thermocouple [not shown] which in turn is connected to the temperature indicators [not shown] for monitoring.

FIG. 4a and 4b are exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure illustrating a top view and front view of the cross beam (106) mounted on vertical actuator mechanism (107) with anti rotation mechanism (110) of the system (100) for conducting durability test on suspension dampers. In the system (100), the vertical actuator (107a) is free to rotate. The side load applied on suspension dampers (101) is at an eccentricity from the vertical actuator (107a) axis and in addition to that water jackets (111a) are provided to the suspension dampers (101) for cooling. Due to this arrangement the cross beam (106) may tend to rotate. In order to prevent the rotation, the system (100) is provided with anti rotation mechanism (110). The anti rotation mechanism (110) is mounted on the base frame (102), the anti rotation mechanism (110) is configured to pass through the cross beam (106) mounted on a vertical actuator mechanism (107) for preventing the rotation of cross beam (106) during testing. The anti rotation mechanism (110) comprises an anti rotation member (110a) mounted on the base frame (102), and a rod (110b) protruding from the anti rotation member (110a). The cross beam (106) mounted on a vertical actuator mechanism (107) comprises an anti rotation bearing (106a) for receiving the rod (110b) protruding from the anti rotation member (110a). This prevents the rotation of cross beam (106) during working of the system (100). The height of the rod (110b) is of the anti-rotation mechanism is selected such that, the height is equal to the maximum displacement of the vertical actuator (107a). In an embodiment of the present disclosure, all the test fixtures are made out of hardened and toughened steel so that they can withstand the fatigue during these long duration tests.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure which illustrates detailed view spring loading mechanism (109) of the system for conducting durability test on suspension dampers. The spring loading mechanism (109) for side load application comprises a calibrated compression spring (109a) is placed in between two suspension dampers (101). The spring (109a) is compressed from the both ends to develop the required force (side load) on to the suspension damper (101) rod guide. A nut (109b) is provided in the spring loading mechanism (109) to adjust the appropriate side load magnitudes as per the test requirements. After adjusting the distance corresponding to the side load, it is necessary to hold the spring (109a) in deformed position so that constant side load is applied on to the oppositely mounted dampers (101). Therefore, a lock nut (109c) is provided to lock the spring position in the deformed condition. One spring load mechanism is used for applying the side loads on two oppositely mounted dampers (101). For testing six dampers three spring loaded mechanisms are recorded. Each spring is measured for load and deflection.

Further, the following procedure is followed to conduct durability test on suspension damper (101) in the system (100): firstly mounting bars (108) on cross beams (105 and 106) along with the anti rotation mechanism (110) on the system. Then, suspension dampers (101) are mounted on the fixtures with the help of nut and bolt and correct tightening torques are ensured. Now cooling arrangement is mounted on each damper, and side load mechanism is mounted on the dampers. Depending upon the required side load, the spring length of the side load mechanism is adjusted to generate side load. Now the spring is locked in the desired position with the help of lock nut, in order to maintain the constant side load value throughout the test. In the system (100) two out of six dampers (101) are tested for mud & slurry; hence mud and slurry arrangement (112) is mounted either on right hand side or left hand side pair of the dampers (101), depending on the suitability. Then, proper alignment of the dampers with respect to the actuator axis is ensured. The vertical actuator (107a) is operated depending upon the priming cycles, and the dampers (101) are stroked at desired test velocities by means of vertical actuators (107a). During testing the damper (101) temperatures are periodically monitored. Finally, the damping performance of the test dampers (101) at regular intervals are recorded.

Advantages:

The present disclosure provides system for conducting durability test on suspension dampers, which performs two types of tests at a time, i.e. it facilitates to evaluate the damper life under the influence of vertical and side loads, along with mud and slurry ingress as well. Therefore, the durability of the suspension damper can be evaluated under all possible loading/working conditions of the suspension damper.

The present disclosure provides system for conducting durability test on suspension dampers which is compact, easy to mount and dismount on the existing servo-hydraulic damper test rig and cost effective.

The present disclosure provides system for conducting durability test on suspension dampers which helps in evaluating the durability of different damper designs, and can accommodate variety of automotive suspension dampers for design and process validation.

The present disclosure provides system for conducting durability test on suspension dampers which is simple in construction and easy to assemble, which provides good serviceability and maintainability.

Equivalents

With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.

It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as "open" terms (e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," the term "includes" should be interpreted as "includes but is not limited to," etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles "a" or "an" limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and/or "an" should typically be interpreted to mean "at least one" or "one or more"); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of "two recitations," without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, or C, etc." is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, or C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" will be understood to include the possibilities of "A" or "B" or "A and B."

While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.

Referral Numerals;

Reference Number Description
100 System for conducting durability test on suspension damper
101 Suspension dampers
101a Sealing area of the suspension damper
102 Base frame
103a and 103b Support pillars
104 Upper support frame
105 and 106 Cross beam
106a Anti rotation bearing
107 Vertical actuation mechanism
107a Vertical actuator
107b Bar
108 Mounting bars
108a Mounting brackets
109 Side loading arrangement/spring loading arrangement
109a Spring
109b Nut
109c Lock nut
110 Anti rotation arrangement
110a Anti rotation member
110b Bar
111 Cooling arrangement
111a Metallic jackets
111b Coolant jacket
111c Coolant inlet
111d Coolant outlet
111e’ Coolant inlet rubber hose
111e’’ Coolant outlet rubber hose
111f Inlet source
111g Coolant outlet source
111h and 111i Coolant inlet and outlet headers
112 Container