Mechanical bypass of electronic valve body
AssigneeFox Factory, Inc.
InventorsRick STRICKLAND, Jeff HALPER, Mike LABBE
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mechanical bypass for a shock assembly is disclosed herein. The assembly has a damper chamber having a compression portion and a rebound portion. There is further an external reservoir in fluid communication with the rebound portion of the damper chamber via a flow path. A valve is coupled with the flow path, the valve to meter a flow of the working fluid through the flow path. A bypass port to the external reservoir is provided in the flow path and bypasses the valve. A mechanical relief valve is provided in the bypass port to block a fluid flow though the bypass port until a blow-off pressure that is higher than a normal operating pressure and less than a burst pressure of the damping chamber is provided thereon.
Claims20
An assembly comprising:
- a damper chamber having a compression portion and a rebound portion;
- a damping piston coupled to a piston shaft, said damping piston disposed in said damper chamber and axially movable relative to said damper chamber, said damping piston separating said compression portion from said rebound portion;
- an external reservoir in fluid communication with the rebound portion of the damper chamber via a flow path, the external reservoir to receive and supply a working fluid as the damping piston moves in and out of the damper chamber;
- a valve coupled with said flow path, said valve to meter a flow of said working fluid through said flow path;
- a bypass port to the external reservoir formed in the flow path and bypassing the valve;
- and
- a mechanical relief valve provided in said bypass port to block a fluid flow though said bypass port until a blow-off pressure that is higher than a normal operating pressure and less than a burst pressure of said damper chamber is provided thereon.
A damper for a shock absorber comprising:
- a damper chamber having a compression portion and a rebound portion;
- a damping piston coupled to a piston shaft, said damping piston disposed in said damper chamber and axially movable relative to said damper chamber, said damping piston separating said compression portion from said rebound portion;
- an external reservoir in fluid communication with the rebound portion of the damper chamber via a flow path, the external reservoir to receive and supply a working fluid as the damping piston moves in and out of the damper chamber;
- an active valve coupled with said flow path, the active valve to meter a flow of said working fluid through said flow path;
- a bypass port to the external reservoir formed in the flow path and bypassing the active valve;
- and
- a mechanical relief valve provided in said bypass port to block a fluid flow though said bypass port until a blow-off pressure that is higher than a normal operating pressure and less than a burst pressure of said damping chamber is provided thereon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.