Electronic external bypass
AssigneeFox Factory, Inc.
InventorsBobby Smith, John Marking
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electronic external bypass for a shock assembly is disclosed herein. The electronic external bypass has a compression side fluid connection, a rebound side fluid connection, and an external bypass fluid flow path physically separate from the shock assembly, the external bypass fluid flow path fluidly coupling the compression side fluid connection with the rebound side fluid connection. The electronic external bypass includes a solenoid circuit, the solenoid circuit to control a flow of a working fluid through the external bypass fluid flow path, the solenoid circuit includes a poppet valve and an active valve configured to control a pop pressure of the poppet valve, such that the solenoid circuit provides an infinitely adjustable bypass pressure for the shock assembly.
Claims14
An electronic external bypass for a shock assembly comprising:
- a compression side fluid connection;
- a rebound side fluid connection;
- an external bypass fluid flow path from said shock assembly, said external bypass fluid flow path fluidly coupling said compression side fluid connection with said rebound side fluid connection;
- a solenoid circuit located at a remote location, said solenoid circuit to control a flow of a working fluid through said external bypass fluid flow path;
- a sensor coupled with a vehicle coupled to said shock assembly, said sensor configured to determine a value of at least one vehicle operation variable;
- a control system communicatively coupled with said solenoid circuit, said control system configured to automatically control operation of said solenoid circuit based upon said value of said at least one vehicle operation variable, wherein said solenoid circuit includes an active valve configured to control said flow of said working fluid through said external bypass fluid flow path such that said solenoid circuit provides an infinitely adjustable bypass pressure for said shock assembly;
- and
- said solenoid circuit comprising:
- a poppet valve;
- and
- said active valve configured to control a pop pressure of said poppet valve, such that said solenoid circuit provides said infinitely adjustable bypass pressure for said shock assembly.
A method for controlling an electronic external bypass for a shock assembly, said method comprising:
- determining a value for at least one vehicle operation variable for a vehicle coupled with said shock assembly;
- receiving said value for said at least vehicle operation variable at a control system of said shock assembly, said control system communicatively coupled with a solenoid circuit of said shock assembly, said solenoid circuit controlling flow of a working fluid through an external bypass fluid flow path of said shock assembly, wherein said external bypass fluid flow path fluidly couples a compression side fluid connection of a damper of said shock assembly with a rebound side fluid connection of said damper of said shock assembly;
- and
- automatically controlling operation of said solenoid circuit based upon said value of said at least one vehicle operation variable, wherein said solenoid circuit includes an active valve configured to control said flow of said working fluid through said external bypass fluid flow path such that said solenoid circuit provides an infinitely adjustable bypass pressure for said shock assembly;
- wherein said automatically controlling operation of said solenoid circuit based upon said value of said at least one vehicle operation variable further comprises:
- utilizing said solenoid circuit to control a pop pressure of a poppet valve disposed along said external bypass fluid flow path controlled by said active valve of said solenoid circuit of said shock assembly, such that a damping characteristic for said damper is adjusted.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.