Shock absorber

A shock absorber comprising:

• a cylinder sealingly containing fluid;
• a piston slidably disposed in the cylinder, the piston dividing the inside of the cylinder into a first cylinder chamber and a second cylinder chamber;
• and
• a piston rod coupled to the piston, the piston rod extending from the cylinder to the outside of the cylinder;
• wherein the piston comprises a passage through which a fluid flow is generated by a sliding movement of the piston in the cylinder, and the first cylinder chamber and the second cylinder chamber are in communication with each other through the passage;
• the shock absorber further comprises a damping force generating mechanism for generating a damping force by applying a resistance to the fluid flowing through the passage;
• the damping force generating mechanism comprises a valve seat portion formed at the piston;
• an opening of the passage is formed at the valve seat portion;
• the valve seat portion comprises a clamp seat portion, the opening, a non-annular first seat portion, and an annular second seat portion, which are formed in this order from the inner circumferential side of the valve seat portion;
• the first seat portion has an axial height equal to or higher than the axial height of the clamp seat portion and lower than the axial height of the second seat portion;
• the damping force generating mechanism comprises
• at least one of an annular first disk valve having a smaller diameter than the diameter of the second seat portion and capable of being seated on the entire first seat portion, and
• an annular second disk valve having a larger diameter than the diameter of the first disk valve 41 and capable of being seated on the entire second seat portion 32;
• and
• the clamp seat portion 30 can clamp at least one of the first disk valve 41 and the second disk valve 42 so that the opening can be closed by at least one of the first disk valve 41 and the second disk valve 42.