Damping force variable valve assembly and damping force variable shock absorber including the same

A damping force variable valve assembly, comprising:

• an integral soft valve port having a front end coupled to a shock absorber body, the integral soft valve port having a connection passage formed to penetrate in a front-rear direction such that working fluid flows therein from the shock absorber body, and having a rear portion to which a valve disk is brought into close contact;
• a valve housing formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, a front-end inner circumferential surface of the valve housing being coupled to an outer circumferential surface of the integral soft valve port;
• and
• a main valve disposed inside the valve housing at a rear portion of the integral soft valve port,
• wherein the integral soft valve port comprises:
• a main body portion having a fitting hole formed to penetrate a central portion of the main body portion such that a valve mount fixing the valve disk is fitted into the fitting hole, and having the connection passage formed outside the fitting hole;
• and
• a sub-body portion formed to extend laterally from a rear circumference of the main body portion, a protrusion being formed on a rear surface of the sub-body portion to come into close contact with a front surface of the valve disk,
• wherein the connection passage is located between the fitting hole and the protrusion, and
• wherein the connection passage comprises a first region having a relatively small transverse cross-sectional area and a second region having a relatively larger transverse cross-sectional area than the first region and located rearward of the first region.