US 6,131,709 A · Adjustable valve and vibration damper utilizing same

Abstract

An adjustable valve including a passageway, a field responsive fluid within the passageway, and flow adjustment of the fluid through the passageway. In another aspect, the valve is in a vibration damper. In yet another aspect, the damper includes a body, a piston, first and second chambers, a damping valve, a piston rod, an auxiliary chamber, a passageway interconnecting to the auxiliary chamber, a field responsive fluid, a field responsive fluid valve for controlling flow to the auxiliary chamber, and pressurization means. Preferably included is a cavity partition having field responsive fluid disposed on one side and non-field responsive fluid disposed on the other. This allows a reduction of MR fluid allowing use of lighter-weight, less-expensive, hydraulic fluids for flow through the piston's damping valve. In another aspect, the damper includes mechanical adjustment device for manually adjusting a damping level. Adjustment is accomplished by a moveable permanent magnet, moveable pole piece, moveable pole-and-magnet assembly, or magnetic shunt. Manual adjustment may include a knob, lever, or cable actuation. Alternately, magnetic flux is provided by an electromagnet. The valve and damper finds utility in any suspension system where a damper body is attached to a frame component, such as a bicycle frame, and the piston rod is attached to a suspension component, such as a bicycle's swingarm.

Claims44

Dependent claims

An adjustable valve, comprising:

(a) a passageway;
(b) a field responsive fluid within said passageway, said field responsive having rheological properties that substantially change in response to an applied field;
and
(c) mechanical adjustment means for adjusting a flow of said field responsive fluid through said passageway by changing the rheological properties of the field responsive fluid, said mechanical adjustment means including at least one magnet.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Adjustable valve and vibration damper utilizing same

Life of this patent

Adjustable valve and vibration damper utilizing same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims44