Shock absorber with hydraulic rebound system

A shock absorber assembly comprising;

• a housing presenting a wall disposed along a center axis and extending between a first end and a second end and defining an inner surface extending about said center axis enclosing a main chamber between said ends and said inner surface,
• a piston disposed in said main chamber and slidably engaging said inner surface,
• a piston rod attached to said piston and axially movable along said center axis,
• a hydraulic stop mechanism including a force reducing device disposed in said main chamber between one of said ends and said piston and attached to said piston rod and defining a first rebound chamber between said one of said ends and said force reducing device and a second rebound chamber between said force reducing device and said piston for providing additional damping force in response to the axial movement of said piston,
• said force reducing device including a ring guide attached to said piston rod and extending about said piston rod between a lower surface adjacent to said piston and an upper surface spaced from said lower surface,
• said ring guide defining at least one passage extending axially from said upper surface toward said lower surface and radially through said ring guide and terminating before said lower surface for allowing hydraulic fluid to flow radially through said passage,
• a ring slidably disposed about said ring guide between said upper surface and said lower surface and in sealing engagement with said inner surface of said wall and movable along said center axis between an unblocked position and a blocked position with said ring disposed in said unblocked position adjacent to said upper surface to establish fluid communication between said first rebound chamber and said passage and said second rebound chamber and with said ring disposed in said blocked position abutting said lower surface of said ring guide to close the fluid communication between said first rebound chamber and said passage and said second rebound chamber to provide additional damping force,
• said ring guide further including a catcher disposed adjacent to said upper surface of said ring guide extending radially outwardly from said ring guide toward said inner surface in a perpendicular relationship with said center axis to limit axial movement of said ring and engage said ring in said unblocked position to establish fluid communication between said first rebound chamber and said passage and said second rebound chamber, and
• said ring guide defining at least one channel spaced circumferentially from and generally parallel to said passage and extending axially from said lower surface toward said upper surface and radially through said ring guide and said catcher and terminating adjacent said catcher and before said upper surface for allowing additional hydraulic fluid to flow radially through said ring guide with said ring in said unblocked position to reduce hydraulic fluid pressure exerted on said ring guide whereby said ring disposed in said blocked position closes the fluid communication between said first rebound chamber and said passage and said at least one channel and said second rebound chamber to provide the additional damping force and said ring disposed in said unblocked position abuts said catcher to establish fluid communication between said first rebound chamber and said passage and said at least one channel and said second rebound chamber.