Spool valve for controlled dampers

A control valve comprising:

• a housing defining a bore having a sidewall and fluid ports extending through a sidewall of the bore;
• and
• a valve spool adapted for linear movement in the bore and for regulating fluid flow through the fluid ports;
• the valve spool including a generally tubular cylindrical body having an annular wall defining an axis of the spool, a wall thickness of the spool, and inner and outer cylindrical surfaces of the spool extending between a first and a second axial end of the spool;
• the outer cylindrical surface of the valve spool defining a cylindrical land at the second axial end of the spool adapted to slidingly mate with the sidewall of the bore and having an axial land length sufficient to block flow through the fluid ports of the bore when the spool is positioned within the bore with the land covering the fluid ports;
• the first end of the spool being adapted for receipt of spring means for urging the spool to move in a first linear direction within the bore to position the land to block the fluid ports;
• and
• the second end of the spool being generally open for the passage of fluid and having a bar extending laterally across the second end of the spool, the bar being adapted to receive a pin from an actuator extending through the bore for moving the spool linearly in the bore in a second direction to compress the spring means and move the second end of the spool to a position within the bore where the ports are at least partially open beyond the second end of the spool, with the spool wall and bar at the second end of the spool defining substantially sharp corners, whereby the spool configuration substantially reduces linear movement of the spool in the bore when fluid is flowing through the spool.