Shock absorber with an adjustable lock-out value and two-stage flow restriction

A damper for a shock absorber, comprising:

• a chamber containing a substantially non-compressible fluid;
• a piston in the chamber dividing the chamber into first and second portions, the piston being movable relative to the chamber and sealably engaging the first chamber, the piston having a channel therethrough sized to allow the non-compressible fluid to move through the piston between the and second portions of the first chamber when the piston moves relative to the chamber;
• a shaft connected to the piston, the shaft having a passageway therein in fluid communication with the first portion of the chamber and with the piston's channel;
• a valve connected to the shaft adjacent to the first chamber portion and being movable between closed and open positions to adjust damping characteristics of the damper, in the closed position the valve blocks the passageway in the shaft and substantially prevents the non-compressible fluid from moving through the piston's channel to provide a stiffened damping characteristic, and in the open position the valve allows the non-compressible fluid to move from the first portion of the chamber, through the piston's channel to the second portion of the chamber to provide a softened damping characteristic, the valve is a first valve, and the piston includes an axial secondary channel therethrough between the first and second portion of the chamber, and a second valve is positioned in the chamber's second portion adjacent to the piston, the second valve being movable between closed and open positions in response to pressure exerted on the second valve by the non-compressible fluid, in the closed position the second valve blocks the secondary channel and substantially prevents the noncompressible fluid from flowing through the secondary channel to the chamber's second portion, and in the open position the second valve is spaced away from the piston and allows the non-compressible fluid to flow through the secondary channel to the second portion.

A damper for a shock absorber, comprising:

• a chamber containing a substantially non-compressible fluid;
• a piston in the chamber dividing the chamber into first and second portions, the piston being movable relative to the chamber;
• a channel in fluid communication with the first and second portions to allow the non-compressible fluid to move through the piston between the first and second portions of the chamber when the piston moves relative to the chamber;
• a shaft connected to the piston, the shaft having a an axial passageway therein in fluid communication with the first and second portions of the chamber and with the channel;
• a first valve connected to the channel adjacent to the chamber's first portion and being movable between closed and open positions to adjust damping characteristics of the damper, in the closed position the valve blocks the passageway and substantially prevents the non-compressible fluid from moving through the channel to provide a first damping characteristic, and in the open position the valve allows the non-compressible fluid to move from the first portion of the chamber, through the channel to the second portion of the chamber to provide a second damping characteristic;
• and
• a second valve in the axial passageway of the shaft adjacent to the chamber's second portion, the second valve being adjustable to selectively allow the non-compressible fluid to flow between the axial passageway and the second portion of the chamber.

A damper for a shock absorber, comprising:

• a chamber containing substantially non-compressible fluid;
• a piston in the chamber dividing the chamber into first and second portions, the piston sealably engaging the chamber and being movable relative to the chamber;
• an axial channel in fluid communication with the chamber's first and second portions to allow the non-compressible fluid to move through the piston between the chamber's first and second portions;
• a first valve adjacent to the chamber's first portion and being movable between open and closed positions to control movement of a flow of the non-compressible fluid through the piston;
• and
• a second valve adjacent to the chamber's second portion and being movable relative to the channel between closed and open positions, in the closed position the second valve substantially prevents the non-compressible fluid from flowing through the channel to the chamber's first portion, and in the open position the first valve is spaced apart from the channel and allows the non-compressible fluid to flow through the channel from the first chamber's first portion to the second portion, the second valve being configured to move from the closed position to the open position during a compression stroke in response to pressure exerted from the non-compressible fluid on the second valve.

A suspension system for a vehicle, comprising:

• first and second vehicle structures movable relative to each other;
• and
• a shock absorber assembly connected to the first and second vehicle structures, the shock absorber assembly, comprising:
• a first chamber coupled to the first vehicle structure, the first chamber containing a substantially non-compressible fluid;
• a second chamber coupled to the second vehicle structure, the second chamber containing a compressible member, the first chamber being slidably disposed in the second chamber and being movable relative to the second chamber when the first vehicle structure moves relative to the second vehicle structure;
• a piston assembly in the first chamber dividing the first chamber into first and second portions, the piston assembly sealably engaging the first chamber and being movable relative to the first chamber as the first and second chambers move relative to each other;
• a channel in fluid communication with the chamber's first and second portions to allow the non-compressible fluid to move through the piston assembly between the chamber's first and second portions;
• a first valve adjacent to the chamber's first portion and being movable between open and closed positions to control movement of a flow of the non-compressible fluid through the piston assembly;
• and
• a second valve in the chamber's second portion and connected to the piston assembly and being movable between closed and open positions, in the closed position the valve blocks the channel and substantially prevents the non-compressible fluid from moving through the channel, and in the open position the valve allows the non-compressible fluid to move through the channel from the first portion of the first chamber to the second portion of the first chamber, the second valve being configured to move from the closed position to the open position during a compression stroke in response to pressure exerted from the non-compressible fluid on the second valve.

A suspension system for a vehicle, comprising:

• first and second vehicle structures movable relative to each other;
• and
• a shock absorber assembly connected to the first and second vehicle structures, the shock absorber assembly, comprising:
• a first chamber coupled to the first vehicle structure, the first chamber containing a substantially non-compressible fluid;
• a second chamber coupled to the second vehicle structure, the second chamber containing a compressible member, the first chamber being slidably disposed in the second chamber and being movable relative to the second chamber when the first vehicle structure moves relative to the second vehicle structure;
• a piston assembly in the first chamber dividing the first chamber into first and second portions, the piston assembly movable relative to the first chamber as the first and second chambers move relative to each other;
• a channel fluid communication with the first chamber's first and second portions to allow the non-compressible fluid to move between the first and second portions of the first chamber;
• a first valve in the chamber's first portion and axially aligned with the piston assembly, the first valve being positioned to control the flow of non-compressible fluid through the piston assembly;
• a second valve in the chamber's second portion and axially aligned with the piston assembly, the second valve being positioned to control the flow of non-compressible fluid through the piston assembly;
• and
• a third valve adjacent to the channel, the third valve being movable between closed and open positions, in the closed position the third valve blocks the non-compressible fluid from flowing through the channel from the first chamber's first portion to the second portion, and in the open position the third valve is spaced apart from the piston and allows the non-compressible fluid to flow through the channel from the first chamber's first portion to the second portion.