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US 12,122,205 B2Granted
Active valve for an internal bypass
AssigneeFox Factory, Inc.
InventorsJohn Marking, Everet Owen Ericksen, George O'Neal, Matt McLellan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle suspension damper includes: a cylinder and a piston assembly, wherein the piston assembly includes a piston; a working fluid within the cylinder; a bypass cylinder surrounding the cylinder and defining a cylindrical bypass channel; an adjustable bypass port fluidly coupling an interior of the cylinder and the cylindrical bypass channel; and an active bypass valve coupled with the cylindrical bypass channel, the active bypass valve configured to adjust a working size of the adjustable bypass port to modify a flow of said working fluid through the adjustable bypass port.
Claims18
A vehicle suspension damper comprising:
- a cylinder and a piston assembly, wherein said piston assembly comprises a piston, said piston separating a rebound side of said cylinder from a compression side of said cylinder;
- a working fluid within said cylinder;
- a bypass cylinder surrounding said cylinder and defining a cylindrical bypass channel, said cylindrical bypass channel fluidically coupling said rebound side of said cylinder and said compression side of said cylinder such that said working fluid is able to flow through said cylindrical bypass channel and between said rebound side of said cylinder and said compression side of said cylinder without passing through said piston;
- an active bypass valve coupled with said cylindrical bypass channel, said active bypass valve is configured to automatically adjust a meter of a fluid flow of said working fluid through said cylindrical bypass channel, said active bypass valve configured to automatically adjust itself based on characteristics selected from the group consisting of:
- vehicle characteristics, suspension characteristics, and received user input;
- and
- an adjustable bypass port fluidly coupling an interior of said cylinder and said cylindrical bypass channel, wherein said active bypass valve further comprises:
- an actuator arm;
- a threaded plug coupled with said actuator arm, wherein said threaded plug is configured for being angularly displaced within said cylindrical bypass channel about a longitudinal axis of said threaded plug relative to said piston in response to an operation of said actuator arm;
- and
- a rod disposed adjacent to said threaded plug, wherein said rod is configured for moving along said longitudinal axis within said cylindrical bypass channel in response to an angular displacement experienced by said threaded plug.
8 more elements
A vehicle suspension damper comprising:
- a cylinder and a piston assembly, wherein said piston assembly comprises a piston having a first side and a second side, said piston including a flow path formed through said piston;
- a working fluid within said cylinder;
- a bypass cylinder surrounding said cylinder and defining a cylindrical bypass channel, said cylindrical bypass channel fluidically coupling said first side of said piston and said second side of said piston, said cylindrical bypass channel providing a path for said working fluid to travel from said first side of said piston to said second side of said piston without traversing said flow path formed through said piston;
- an active bypass valve coupled with said cylindrical bypass channel,
- the active bypass valve having a flow path therethrough,
- the active bypass valve automatically adjusts a meter of a flow of said working fluid through said cylindrical bypass channel, said active bypass valve configured to automatically adjust itself based on characteristics selected from the group consisting of:
- vehicle characteristics, suspension characteristics, and received user input;
- and
- an adjustable bypass port fluidly coupling an interior of said cylinder and said cylindrical bypass channel, wherein said active bypass valve further comprises:
- an actuator arm;
- a threaded plug coupled with said actuator arm, wherein said threaded plug is configured for being angularly displaced within said cylindrical bypass channel about a longitudinal axis of said threaded plug relative to said piston in response to an operation of said actuator arm;
- and
- a rod disposed adjacent to said threaded plug, said rod configured for moving perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said threaded plug and parallel to a center axis of said vehicle suspension damper in response to an angular displacement of said threaded plug.
10 more elements
A vehicle suspension damper comprising:
- a cylinder and a piston assembly, wherein said piston assembly comprises a piston having a first side and a second side, said piston including a flow path formed through said piston;
- a working fluid within said cylinder;
- a bypass cylinder surrounding said cylinder and defining a cylindrical bypass channel, said cylindrical bypass channel fluidically coupling said first side of said piston and said second side of said piston, said cylindrical bypass channel providing a path for said working fluid to travel from said first side of said piston to said second side of said piston without traversing said flow path formed through said piston;
- an active bypass valve coupled with said cylindrical bypass channel,
- the active bypass valve having a flow path therethrough,
- the active bypass valve automatically adjusts a meter of a flow of said working fluid through said cylindrical bypass channel, said active bypass valve configured to automatically adjust itself based on characteristics selected from the group consisting of:
- vehicle characteristics, suspension characteristics, and received user input;
- a reservoir cylinder in fluid communication with a rebound portion of the cylinder via a fluid conduit,
- the reservoir cylinder to receive and supply the working fluid as the piston assembly moves in and out of the cylinder;
- an active valve coupled with said fluid conduit,
- the active valve having a flow path therethrough,
- the active valve to automatically adjust a meter of a flow of said working fluid through said fluid conduit;
- and
- an adjustable bypass port fluidly coupling an interior of said cylinder and said cylindrical bypass channel, wherein said active bypass valve further comprises:
- an actuator arm;
- a threaded plug coupled with said actuator arm, wherein said threaded plug is configured for being angularly displaced within said cylindrical bypass channel about a longitudinal axis of said threaded plug relative to said piston in response to an operation of said actuator arm;
- and
- a rod disposed adjacent to said threaded plug, said rod configured for moving perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said threaded plug and parallel to a center axis of said vehicle suspension damper in response to an angular displacement of said threaded plug.
15 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.