Damper with internal hydraulic stop

A damper system for a vehicle, comprising:

• a pressure tube;
• a first piston assembly slidably fitted in the pressure tube for movement along a longitudinal axis, the first piston assembly separating the pressure tube into a first working chamber and a second working chamber, the first piston assembly including a first valve assembly that controls fluid flow between the first working chamber and the second working chamber;
• and
• a stroke dependent damper assembly including a proximal end coupled to the first piston assembly, a distal end opposite the proximal end, an internal cavity between the proximal and distal ends, and a floating piston slidably received in the internal cavity for movement between a retracted position, an intermediate position, and an extended position, the distal end having an end wall with a through-bore, the floating piston contacting a first stop when at the retracted position and contacting a second stop that is spaced apart from the first stop when at the extended position, the floating piston and the through-bore defining an orifice that changes in size when the floating piston moves between the retracted and extended positions to reduce the velocity of the floating piston as the floating piston approaches the retracted and extended positions.

A stroke dependent damper assembly for attachment to a piston rod of a vehicle shock absorber having first and second working chambers, the stoke dependent damper assembly comprising:

• a damper housing having a proximal end configured to be coupled to the piston rod and a distal end opposite the proximal end;
• an end cap coupled to the damper housing, the end cap having an end wall with a through-bore, the end cap and the damper housing cooperating to define an internal cavity;
• a floating piston slidably received in the internal cavity for movement along a longitudinal axis between a retracted position, an intermediate position, and an extended position, the floating piston being unbiased and free floating in the internal cavity;
• and
• a metering pin extending longitudinally from the floating piston along the longitudinal axis to a metering pin end, the metering pin received in the through-bore to define an orifice between an inner surface of the through-bore and an outer surface of the metering pin that changes in size when the floating piston moves between the retracted, intermediate, and extended positions, the orifice having a first size when the metering pin is at the intermediate position, the orifice having sizes less than the first size as the floating piston moves away from the intermediate position, the metering pin end projecting longitudinally outwardly from the end wall when the floating piston is in the retracted, intermediate, and extended positions.

A stroke dependent damper assembly for attachment to a piston rod of a vehicle shock absorber having first and second working chambers, the stoke dependent damper assembly comprising:

• a damper housing having a proximal end configured to be coupled to the piston rod and a distal end opposite the proximal end;
• an end cap coupled to the damper housing, the end cap having an end wall with a through-bore, the end cap and the damper housing cooperating to define an internal cavity;
• a floating piston slidably received in the internal cavity for movement along a longitudinal axis between a retracted position, an intermediate position, and an extended position, the floating piston being unbiased and free floating in the internal cavity;
• and
• a metering pin extending longitudinally from the floating piston along the longitudinal axis to a metering pin end, the metering pin received in the through-bore to define an orifice between an inner surface of the through-bore and an outer surface of the metering pin that changes in size when the floating piston moves between the retracted, middle, and extended positions, the metering pin end projecting longitudinally outwardly from the end wall when the floating piston is in the retracted, middle, and extended positions, wherein the metering pin has an hour-glass shape and a cross-sectional width that narrows at a waist portion of the metering pin such that the metering pin progressively reduces an opening area of the orifice when the floating piston moves away from the intermediate position.