Hydraulic Suspension Dampers with Control Valve Assembly and Regulating Controls

A suspension damper comprising:

• a housing bounding a primary chamber and a secondary chamber, the housing including:
• an inner sidewall that encircles the primary chamber;
• an outer sidewall that encircles the inner sidewall so that a bypass channel is disposed between the inner sidewall and the outer sidewall;
• a plurality of ports being longitudinally spaced apart along the inner sidewall and extending through the inner sidewall so as to provide fluid communication between the primary chamber and the bypass channel;
• a boundary at least partially bounding the primary chamber and the secondary chamber,
• a main piston disposed within the primary chamber of the housing, the main piston having a first side and an opposing second side with a compression port extending therebetween;
• hydraulic fluid disposed within the primary chamber;
• and
• a control valve assembly disposed within the primary chamber adjacent to the main piston, the control valve assembly comprising:
• a valve guide;
• and
• a control valve with at least one of the valve guide or the control valve at least partially encircling the other so that a valve compartment is at least partially formed between the valve guide and the control valve, the valve compartment being sealed from the hydraulic fluid with a gas being disposed within the valve compartment, the control valve assembly being movable between a first position wherein the valve compartment is compressed to a first volume and the control valve positioned toward the main piston so as to restrict the passage of the hydraulic fluid through the compression port and a second position wherein the valve compartment is expanded to a second volume larger than the first volume and the control valve is moved away from the main piston so that the hydraulic fluid can more freely flow through the compression port.

A suspension damper comprising:

• a housing bounding a primary chamber and a spaced apart secondary chamber;
• a main piston disposed within the primary chamber of the housing, the main piston having a first side and an opposing second side with a compression port extending therebetween;
• hydraulic fluid disposed within the primary chamber;
• a boundary at least partially bounding the primary chamber and the secondary chamber, the boundary bounding a pressure control passage passing through the boundary and providing fluid communication between the primary chamber and the secondary chamber, the pressure control passage being free of any check vales that would restrict flow of the hydraulic fluid between the primary chamber and the secondary chamber;
• a regulating needle projecting into the pressure control passage, a position of the regulating needle being adjustable to selectively control fluid flow through the pressure control passage;
• and
• a control valve assembly disposed within the primary chamber adjacent to the main piston, the control valve assembly comprising:
• a valve guide;
• and
• a control valve with at least one of the valve guide or the control valve at least partially encircling the other so that a valve compartment is at least partially formed between the valve guide and the control valve, the valve compartment being sealed from the hydraulic fluid with a gas being disposed within the valve compartment, the control valve assembly being movable between a first position wherein the valve compartment is compressed to a first volume and the control valve positioned toward the main piston so as to restrict the passage of the hydraulic fluid through the compression port and a second position wherein the valve compartment is expanded to a second volume larger than the first volume and the control valve is moved away from the main piston so that the hydraulic fluid can more freely flow through the compression port.

A suspension damper comprising:

• a housing bounding a primary chamber disposed at a proximal end and a spaced apart secondary chamber disposed at a distal end;
• a main piston disposed within the primary chamber of the housing, the main piston having a first side and an opposing second side with a compression port extending therebetween;
• hydraulic fluid disposed within the primary chamber;
• a boundary at least partially bounding the primary chamber and the secondary chamber, the boundary bounding a fluid passage extending through the boundary and providing fluid communication between the primary chamber and the secondary chamber;
• a control plate disposed within the secondary chamber so as to laterally extend across the secondary chamber distal of the boundary or disposed within the boundary so as to laterally extend across the fluid passage, a control passage extending through the control plate;
• and
• an orifice plate having a plurality of different sized orifices extending therethrough, the orifice plate being rotatably mounted adjacent to the control plate such that rotation of the orifice plate relative to the control plate causes each of the different sized orifices to consecutively align with the control passage.

A suspension damper comprising:

• a housing bounding a primary chamber disposed at a proximal end and a spaced apart secondary chamber disposed at a distal end;
• a main piston disposed within the primary chamber of the housing, the main piston having a first side and an opposing second side with a compression port extending therebetween;
• hydraulic fluid disposed within the primary chamber;
• a boundary at least partially bounding the primary chamber and the secondary chamber, the boundary bounding a passage extending through the boundary and providing fluid communication between the primary chamber and the secondary chamber;
• a regulating plate fixed within the secondary chamber and having a proximal side face and an opposing distal side face, the regulating plate laterally extending across the secondary chamber with a fluid passage and a spaced apart first regulating passage each extending through regulating plate between the proximal side face and the distal side face;
• a blocking plate mounted on the proximal side face of the regulating plate and being rotatable between a first position wherein the blocking plate is spaced apart from the fluid passage so that fluid can freely flow therethrough and a second position wherein the blocking plate covers the fluid passage so as to restrict the flow of fluid therethrough;
• and
• a flexible shim mounted on the distal side face of the regulating plate, the flexible shim covering the first regulating passage and being spaced apart from the fluid passage.

A suspension damper comprising:

• a housing bounding a primary chamber disposed at a proximal end and a spaced apart secondary chamber disposed at a distal end, the housing including an end wall disposed at the distal end;
• a main piston disposed within the primary chamber of the housing, the main piston having a first side and an opposing second side with a compression port extending therebetween;
• hydraulic fluid disposed within the primary chamber;
• a boundary at least partially bounding the primary chamber and the secondary chamber, the boundary bounding a passage extending through the boundary and providing fluid communication between the primary chamber and the secondary chamber;
• and
• a floating piston movably disposed within the secondary chamber;
• wherein the end wall of the housing comprises:
• an interior face facing the secondary chamber, an opposing exterior face, and an outer side face extending therebetween;
• a first inlet recessed into the exterior face;
• an annular tapered notch recessed into the outer side face of the end wall so as to encircle the end wall, the tapered notch being in fluid communication with the secondary chamber;
• a first gas passage extending from the first inlet to the tapered notch;
• and
• an elastomeric ring received within and urging against the tapered notch so as to seal the first gas passage closed thereat.