Damper with floating piston bleed channel

A damper system for a vehicle comprising:

• a pressure tube;
• a piston assembly slidably fitted in the pressure tube that separates the pressure tube into a first working chamber and a second working chamber, the piston assembly including a first valve assembly that controls fluid flow between the first working chamber and the second working chamber;
• and
• a frequency dependent damper assembly including a damper housing coupled to the piston assembly, a plunger sleeve that is longitudinally moveable relative to the damper housing between a rest position and an engaged position, a floating piston slidable relative to the damper housing for movement along the longitudinal axis between a seated position and an unseated position, the floating piston separating a first accumulation chamber of the frequency dependent damper assembly from a second accumulation chamber of the frequency dependent damper assembly, the first accumulation chamber being fluidly connected to the first working chamber, the second accumulation chamber being fluidly connected to the first accumulation chamber by a bleed channel in the floating piston, a plunger chamber disposed between the damper housing and the plunger sleeve that is fluidly connected to the first accumulation chamber, and a second valve assembly carried on the floating piston such that the second valve assembly moves longitudinally with the floating piston and controls fluid flow between the second accumulation chamber and the second working chamber,
• wherein an increase in pressure within the plunger chamber creates an adaptive force on the plunger sleeve that moves the plunger sleeve longitudinally towards the piston assembly to the engaged position, the plunger sleeve contacting the first valve assembly in the engaged position to transmit the adaptive force to the valve assembly and increase resistance of the valve assembly to opening.

A frequency dependent damper assembly for attachment to a piston rod of a vehicle shock absorber having first and second working chambers, the frequency dependent damper assembly comprising:

• a damper housing;
• a floating piston retained on or in the damper housing, the floating piston being longitudinally moveable relative to the damper housing between a seated position and an unseated position, the floating piston separating a first accumulation chamber of the frequency dependent damper assembly from a second accumulation chamber of the frequency dependent damper assembly, the first accumulation chamber being fluidly connected to the first working chamber and the second accumulation chamber being fluidly connected to the first accumulation chamber;
• a valve assembly carried on the floating piston such that the second valve assembly moves longitudinally with the floating piston, the valve assembly positioned to control fluid flow between the second accumulation chamber and the second working chamber, and
• an end plate mounted to the damper housing, the end plate including at least one channel, disposed in fluid communication with the second accumulation chamber and the second working chamber, that is opened and closed by the valve assembly,
• wherein the distance between the end plate and the valve assembly changes when the floating piston moves longitudinally between the seated and unseated positions.