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US 11,708,878 B2Granted
Remotely operated bypass for a suspension damper
AssigneeFox Factory, Inc.
InventorJohn Marking
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A damper assembly with a bypass for a vehicle comprises a pressure cylinder with a piston and piston rod for limiting the flow rate of damping fluid as it passes from a first to a second side of said piston. A bypass provides a fluid pathway between the first and second sides of the piston separately from the flow rare limitation. In one aspect, the bypass is remotely controllable from a passenger compartment of the vehicle. In another aspect, the bypass is remotely controllable based upon one or more variable parameters associated with the vehicle.
Claims20
A vehicle suspension damper comprising:
- a damper cylinder;
- a damping fluid disposed within said damper cylinder;
- a piston assembly disposed within said damper cylinder;
- said piston assembly comprising:
- a piston having a flow path formed through said piston;
- a shim disposed to meter a flow of said damping fluid through said flow path;
- and
- a piston rod coupled to said piston;
- and
- a bypass assembly providing a fluid pathway between a first side of said piston and a second side of said piston, wherein said fluid pathway of said bypass assembly does not pass through said piston, said bypass assembly comprising:
- a remotely controllable valve for permitting the flow if said damping fluid through said bypass assembly, said remotely controllable valve comprising:
- a movable piston;
- a seating member placed at a first end of said movable piston, said seating member positionable with respect to said movable piston;
- and
- a seating member spring disposed between said movable piston and said seating member such that said seating member is biased away from said movable piston;
- and
- a coil spring preload blow off assembly comprising:
- a coil spring;
- a coil spring piston placed at a second end of said movable piston, said coil spring piston disposed between said coil spring and said movable piston;
- and
- a gas pressure supplement providing a variable level of pressure to said coil spring piston to vary a force required to open the remotely controllable valve.
18 more elements
A vehicle suspension damper comprising:
- a damper cylinder;
- a damping fluid disposed within said damper cylinder;
- a piston assembly disposed within said damper cylinder;
- said piston assembly comprising:
- a piston having a flow path formed through said piston;
- a shim disposed to meter a flow of said damping fluid through said flow path;
- and
- a piston rod coupled to said piston;
- and
- a bypass assembly providing a fluid pathway between a first side of said piston and a second side of said piston, wherein said fluid pathway of said bypass assembly does not pass through said piston, said bypass assembly comprising:
- a remotely controllable valve for permitting the flow if said damping fluid through said bypass assembly, said remotely controllable valve is controlled based upon a variable parameter associated with a vehicle to which said vehicle suspension damper is coupled, said remotely controllable valve comprising:
- a movable piston;
- a seating member placed at a first end of said movable piston, said seating member positionable with respect to said movable piston;
- and
- a seating member spring disposed between said movable piston and said seating member such that said seating member is biased away from said movable piston;
- and
- a coil spring preload blow off assembly comprising:
- a coil spring;
- a coil spring piston placed at a second end of said movable piston, said coil spring piston disposed between said coil spring and said movable piston;
- and
- a gas pressure supplement providing a variable level of pressure to said coil spring piston to vary a force required to open the remotely controllable valve.
18 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.