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US 10,781,879 B2Granted
Bypass for a suspension damper
AssigneeFox Factory, Inc.
InventorJohn Marking
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle suspension damper comprises a cylinder and a piston assembly including a damping piston along with working fluid within the cylinder. A bypass permits fluid to avoid dampening resistance of the damping piston. A fluid path through the bypass is controlled by a valve that is shifted by a piston surface when the contents of at least one predetermined volume is injected against the piston surface which acts upon the valve. In one embodiment, the bypass is remotely operable.
Claims21
A vehicle suspension damper comprising:
- a cylinder containing a fluid and a damping piston operable to travel within said fluid in said cylinder, said vehicle suspension damper further including a passageway through said damping piston and limiting a flow rate of said fluid through said damping piston in at least one direction;
- a bypass pathway in fluid communication with said cylinder, said bypass pathway providing a path for said fluid to travel between a first side and a second side of said damping piston;
- a valve for controlling a flow of said fluid through said bypass pathway, said valve comprising:
- a valve body;
- a valve piston housed within said valve body, said valve piston having a valve piston surface;
- a shaft extending from said valve piston;
- a valve member coupled to said shaft, said valve member telescopically mounted to said shaft and said valve member movable with respect to said shaft wherein a gap is formed between said valve member and an end of said shaft, and wherein said valve is solenoid-operated;
- a spring member mounted on said shaft between said valve member and said valve piston, said spring member biasing said valve member away from said valve piston;
- and
- wherein said valve is remotely controllable.
7 more elements
A vehicle suspension damper comprising:
- a cylinder containing a fluid and a damping piston operable to travel within the fluid in the cylinder, said vehicle suspension damper further including a passageway through the damping piston and limiting a flow rate of the fluid through the damping piston in at least one direction;
- a bypass pathway in fluid communication with the cylinder between a first and second side of the damping piston;
- a valve for controlling a flow of the fluid through the bypass pathway, the valve including a piston surface biasing the valve towards a closed position when displaced;
- wherein said valve is remotely controllable;
- and
- at least one predetermined fluid volume in selective communication with the piston surface for causing displacement;
- wherein the valve is remotely controllable.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.