Shock absorber

A base valve assembly able to be used in conjunction with a shock absorber of a type having an outer tube, an inner tube, and a piston reciprocally mounted in an interior of the inner tube, the base valve assembly regulating fluid flow between an annular outer replenishment chamber formed between the outer tube and the inner tube and an inner working chamber formed by the interior of the inner tube, the base valve assembly comprising:

• a base plate,
• a base cage positioned on the base plate, the base cage having a first set of fluid passageways which fluidly connect the inner working chamber to the annular outer replenishment chamber upon a compression stroke of the piston, and a second set of fluid passageways which fluidly connect the annular outer replenishment chamber to the inner working chamber upon an extension stroke of the piston,
• a first base valve mounted to the base cage, which first base valve opens the first set of fluid passageways during the compression stroke of the piston, and
• a second base valve mounted to the base cage, which second base valve opens the second set of fluid passageways during the extension stroke of the piston,
• wherein the second set of fluid passageways comprises a plurality of arcuate elongated slots formed through the base cage so that ends of the arcuate elongated slots are closely adjacent each other,
• wherein the base cage has an upper end and a lower end, and forming a replenishment fluid passageway formed between the lower end of the base cage and the base plate to fluidly connect the second set of fluid passageways to the outer replenishment chamber,
• wherein the second set of fluid passageways each include an outer wall and an inner wall extending downward from the upper end toward the lower end,
• wherein the inner wall of the second set of fluid passageways extends downward farther than the outer wall, and is positioned to direct fluid flowing past a bottom of the outer wall upward through the second set of fluid passageways,
• wherein the base plate comprises a frustoconical deflector wall aligned with the second set of fluid passageways,
• wherein the frustoconical deflector wall slopes radially inwardly and upwardly toward a lower end of the inner wall and away from the annular outer replenishment chamber, and
• wherein the frustoconical deflector wall is positioned proximately with respect to the lower end of the inner wall to direct fluid flowing from the annular outer replenishment chamber upward along the inner wall and toward the second set of fluid passageways.