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US 8,857,580 B2Granted
Remotely operated bypass for a suspension damper
AssigneeFox Factory, Inc.
InventorJohn Marking
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A damper assembly with a bypass for a vehicle comprises a pressure cylinder with a piston and piston rod for limiting the flow rate of damping fluid as it passes from a first to a second side of said piston. A bypass provides fluid pathway between the first and second sides of the piston separately from the flow rate limitation. In one aspect, the bypass is remotely controllable from a passenger compartment of the vehicle. In another aspect, the bypass is remotely controllable based upon one or more variable parameters associated with the vehicle.
Claims28
A vehicle suspension damper comprising:
- a cylinder and a piston assembly comprising a piston and piston rod;
- working fluid within said cylinder;
- a passageway through said piston allowing and limiting a flow rate of the working fluid through the piston in at least one direction;
- a bypass having a fluid pathway between the first and second sides of the piston;
- and
- a single, remotely controllable, valve for limiting the flow of fluid through the bypass, wherein the valve is remotely controlled in response to piston rod speed and piston rod position to selectively limit fluid flow through the bypass, the valve including a closing member and a seat, the closing member including a moveable piston, a seating member selectively positionable with respect to the moveable piston, and a biasing element interposed between the moveable piston and the seating member to bias the seating member in a direction away from the moveable piston, wherein fluid force on the moveable piston member associated with the controlling of the valve in response to the piston speed and position positions the moveable piston member relative to the seat such that in a first position, the force of the biasing element between the piston member and the seating member and fluid pressure on the piston member and seating member are the only forces defining the position of the piston member relative to the valve seat, and a second position wherein fluid pressure on the moveable piston member, in addition to the force of the biasing element and fluid pressure on the seating member, define the position of the seating member relative to the seat.
3 more elements
A vehicle suspension damper comprising:
- a cylinder and a piston assembly comprising a piston movably received in the cylinder and a piston rod extending therefrom;
- working fluid within said cylinder;
- a passageway through said piston allowing and limiting a flow rate of the working fluid through the piston in at least one direction;
- a bypass having a fluid pathway extending between first and second openings in the cylinder, and the piston is positionable in a position between the openings and in a different position wherein the openings are on the same side of the piston;
- and
- a single remotely controllable, single direction valve for controlling fluid flow through the bypass, the valve remotely controlled in response to piston rod speed and piston rod position, the single direction valve including a closing member and a seating member having a biasing element disposed therebetween, wherein fluid forces associated with the controlling of the valve in response to the piston speed and position, and the biasing force of the biasing element are the only forces causing movement of the closing member during the control.
3 more elements
An adjustable damping force damper for a vehicle suspension, comprising;
- a cylinder;
- a piston reciprocatable within the cylinder, and having an end thereof projecting outwardly of a sealed opening in an end of the cylinder, the piston defining a variable volume rebound portion between the piston and an end of piston, and a variable volume compression portion between the piston and a second end of the cylinder;
- a bypass passage extending from the rebound portion to the compression portion;
- and
- a variably biasable bypass valve interposed in a flow path of the bypass passage between the rebound portion and the compression portion, the bypass valve including;
- a valve body having a throttle valve selectively biasable against a valve seat to vary the size of the flow path therebetween, the flow path therebetween forming a part of a fluid flow path of the bypass passage between the rebound portion and the compression portion, and a control fluid portion, the valve body interposed between, and moveable with respect to, the control fluid portion and the valve seat;
- the throttle valve further including a moveable piston and a seating member slidingly received on the moveable piston, the seating member selectively positionable with respect to the moveable piston by a spring disposed between a portion of the moveable piston and the seating member;
- wherein one or more of the pressure in the control fluid portion and in the flow passage, and the force of the spring biasing the valve element with respect to the moveable piston, position the seating member within the valve body.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.