Shock absorber with positive and negative gas spring chambers

A shock absorber comprising:

• a gas cylinder unit comprising a gas cylinder with a pressurization port and first and second gas cylinder ends, said first gas cylinder end being closed;
• a damping unit comprising:
• a damping fluid cylinder having an outer surface and first and second damping cylinder ends;
• a movement damping element movably mounted within the damping fluid cylinder;
• and
• said second end of the damping fluid cylinder telescopically housed within the gas cylinder;
• a shaft connecting the movement damping element and the gas cylinder unit;
• a first sliding seal carried by the gas cylinder unit and in sliding fluid-sealing contact with the outer surface of the damping fluid cylinder and creating a sealed gas chamber within the gas cylinder;
• a second sliding seal carried by the damping unit in sliding fluid-sealing contact with the inner surface of the gas cylinder to divide the gas chamber into first and second gas chamber portions, the first gas chamber portion defined between the second sliding seal and the first end of the gas cylinder, the second gas chamber portion defined between the first and second sliding seals;
• and
• a bypass channel formed in the gas cylinder to permit fluid to bypass the second sliding seal when the second sliding seal is at a chosen position along the gas cylinder;
• whereby the second gas chamber portion acts as an air negative spring to automatically balance the force on the damping unit when the gas pressure within the gas chamber is above an ambient pressure so the shock absorber is in an equilibrium condition.