Back to results
US 2019/0054973 A1Published application
Suspension Including Coil Spring and Ambient Air Cushion
AssigneeEko Sport, Inc.
InventorDarek C. Barefoot
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A front fork of a bicycle may include a suspension system that includes a damper. The damper may include a hollow tube with orifices that may be partially blocked by an adjustable blocker. A free end of the adjuster that adjusts the blocker may maintain its axial position in any rotational position. Ambient air may be introduced through a valve and retained in the suspension system. The suspension may include a mechanical spring in a chamber away from the valve that introduces the ambient air.
Claims20
A suspension system, comprising:
- a first tube at least partially defining a first chamber substantially filled with a gas;
- a second tube having a free end interfitted with the first tube and at least partially defining a second chamber substantially filled with the gas;
- a barrier adjacent the free end of the second tube, the barrier including a first substantially one-way valve allowing the gas to flow from the second chamber to the first chamber;
- a hollow rod attached to the first tube and extending through the barrier and into the second tube, the hollow rod having an interior cavity and an open end and defining at least one orifice allowing the gas to flow between the first chamber and the interior cavity;
- an adjustable blocker capable of controlling the rate at which the gas flows through the at least one orifice during movement of the barrier towards the closed end of the first tube;
- and
- a second substantially one-way valve permitting the introduction of additional gas from outside the first and second tubes into one of the first and second chambers while substantially preventing the venting of gas from the first and second chambers outside the first and second tubes;
- wherein, upon a compression stroke, movement of the barrier within the first tube moves at least some of the gas from the first chamber through the orifice at a rate depending on the position of the adjustable blocker, into the interior cavity, and into the second chamber;
- wherein, upon an expansion stroke, at least some of the gas flows through the first substantially one-way valve;
- and
- wherein the gas is substantially retained within the first and second tubes during the compression and expansion strokes.
8 more elements
A suspension system, comprising:
- a first tube at least partially defining a first chamber substantially filled with a gas;
- a second tube having a free end interfitted with the first tube and at least partially defining a second chamber substantially filled with the gas;
- a barrier adjacent the free end of the second tube, the barrier including a first substantially one-way valve allowing the gas to flow from the second chamber to the first chamber;
- a hollow rod attached to the first tube and extending through the barrier and into the second tube, the hollow rod having an interior cavity and an open end and defining at least one orifice allowing the gas to flow between the first chamber and the interior cavity;
- a mechanical spring in the second tube;
- an adjustable blocker capable of controlling the rate at which the gas flows through the at least one orifice during movement of the barrier towards the closed end of the first tube;
- and
- a second substantially one-way valve permitting the introduction of additional gas from outside the first and second tubes directly into the first chamber while substantially preventing the venting of gas from the first and second chambers outside the first and second tubes.
5 more elements
A suspension system, comprising:
- a first tube at least partially defining a first chamber substantially filled with a gas;
- a second tube having a free end interfitted with the first tube and at least partially defining a second chamber substantially filled with the gas;
- a barrier adjacent the free end of the second tube, the barrier including a substantially one-way valve allowing the gas to flow from the second chamber to the first chamber;
- a hollow rod attached to the first tube and extending through the piston and into the second tube, the hollow rod having an interior cavity and an open end and defining at least one orifice allowing the gas to flow between the first chamber and the interior cavity;
- a valve within the hollow rod capable of controlling the rate at which the gas flows through the at least one orifice during movement of the barrier towards the closed end of the first tube, wherein the valve includes at least one resilient portion and wherein at least one portion of the valve has an adjustable position;
- and
- wherein, upon a compression stroke, movement of the barrier within the first tube moves at least some of the gas from the first chamber through the orifice at a rate depending on the position of the adjustable blocker, into the interior cavity, and into the second chamber;
- wherein, upon an expansion stroke, at least some of the gas flows through the first substantially one-way valve.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.