Front bicycle suspension assembly with inertia valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10316924-B2
Application number	US-201715600755-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2017
Priority date	Aug 30, 2001
Publication date	Jun 11, 2019
Grant date	Jun 11, 2019

Abstract

A front bicycle suspension assembly having an inertia valve is described. The front bicycle suspension assembly may include at least upper and lower telescoping tubes and include a damping tube containing an inertia valve. The inertia valve may include an inertia mass movable along the outer surface of a valve shaft as the inertia valve moves between first and second positions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shock absorber, comprising:
a first fluid chamber;
a second fluid chamber;
a fluid circuit connecting said first fluid chamber and said second fluid chamber;
an inertia valve assembly, said inertia valve assembly comprising:
an inertia mass having an annular shape, said inertia mass surrounding a flow tube having an aperture there through wherein the inertia mass is moveable between a first position and a second position such that the inertia mass covers the aperture in the first position and uncovers the aperture in the second position, said inertia valve permitting a first rate of fluid flow through said fluid circuit in said first position of said inertia mass and said inertia valve permitting a second rate of fluid flow through said fluid circuit in said second position of said inertia mass, said second rate of fluid flow being non-equal to said first rate, said inertia mass further comprising:
a body portion which defines an annular cavity, said body portion formed of a first material; and
a second material disposed within said annular cavity, said second material having a density greater than a density of said first material; and

a base having a cavity formed therein, said cavity having a bottom surface, and said cavity defining a pocket which is shaped to receive at least a lower portion of said inertia mass, and wherein said inertia mass is in said second position when said at least a lower portion of said inertia mass is disposed within said pocket.

2. A shock absorber, comprising:
a first fluid chamber;
a second fluid chamber;
a fluid circuit connecting said first fluid chamber and said second fluid chamber;
an inertia valve assembly, said inertia valve assembly comprising:
an inertia mass having an annular shape, said inertia mass surrounding a flow tube having an aperture there through wherein the inertia mass is moveable between a first position and a second position such that the inertia mass covers the aperture in the first position and uncovers the aperture in the second position, said inertia valve permitting a first rate of fluid flow through said fluid circuit in said first position of said inertia mass and said inertia valve permitting a second rate of fluid flow through said fluid circuit in said second position of said inertia mass, said second rate of fluid flow being non-equal to said first rate, said inertia mass further comprising:
a body portion which defines an annular cavity, said body portion formed of a first material; and
a second material disposed within said annular cavity, said second material having a density greater than a density of said first material; and

a refill valve assembly configured to at least partially control a flow of fluid between said first fluid chamber and a pocket, wherein said refill valve assembly is configured to restrict fluid flow from said first fluid chamber to said pocket at a first level, and said refill valve assembly is configured to permit fluid flow from said pocket to said first fluid chamber at a second level, such that said fluid flow from said first fluid chamber to said pocket occurs at a rate which is lower than a rate at which said fluid flow from said pocket to said first fluid chamber occurs; and

a base having a cavity formed therein, said cavity having a bottom surface, and said cavity defining said pocket which is shaped to receive at least a lower portion of said inertia mass.

3. A shock absorber, comprising:
a first fluid chamber;
a second fluid chamber;
a fluid circuit connecting said first fluid chamber and said second fluid chamber;
an inertia valve assembly, said inertia valve assembly comprising:
an inertia mass having an annular shape, said inertia mass surrounding a flow tube having an aperture there through wherein the inertia mass is moveable between a first position and a second position such that the inertia mass covers the aperture in the first position and uncovers the aperture in the second position, said inertia valve permitting a first rate of fluid flow through said fluid circuit in said first position of said inertia mass and said inertia valve permitting a second rate of fluid flow through said fluid circuit in said second position of said inertia mass, said second rate of fluid flow being non-equal to said first rate, said inertia mass further comprising:
a body portion which defines an annular cavity, said body portion formed of a first material; and
a second material disposed within said annular cavity, said second material having a density greater than a density of said first material; and

a refill valve assembly configured to at least partially control a flow of fluid between said first fluid chamber and a pocket, wherein said refill valve assembly restricts a rate at which inertia mass is able to move out of said pocket; and

a base having a cavity formed therein, said cavity having a bottom surface, and said cavity defining a pocket which is shaped to receive at least a lower portion of said inertia mass.

4. A shock absorber, comprising:
a first fluid chamber;
a second fluid chamber;
a fluid circuit connecting said first fluid chamber and said second fluid chamber;
an inertia valve assembly, said inertia valve assembly comprising:
an inertia mass having an annular shape, said inertia mass surrounding a flow tube having an aperture there through wherein the inertia mass is moveable between a first position and a second position such that the inertia mass covers the aperture in the first position and uncovers the aperture in the second position, said inertia valve permitting a first rate of fluid flow through said fluid circuit in said first position of said inertia mass and said inertia valve permitting a second rate of fluid flow through said fluid circuit in said second position of said inertia mass, said second rate of fluid flow being non-equal to said first rate, said inertia mass further comprising:
a body portion which defines an annular cavity, said body portion formed of a first material; and
a second material disposed within said annular cavity, said second material having a density greater than a density of said first material; and

an end cap, said end cap closing an end of a tube which defines said first fluid chamber and said second fluid chamber, said end cap having a cavity formed therein, said cavity having a bottom surface, and said cavity defining a pocket which is shaped to receive at least a lower portion of said inertia mass.

5. The shock absorber of claim 4 wherein said first material is a non-tungsten material.

6. The shock absorber of claim 4 wherein said second material is tungsten.

7. The shock absorber of claim 4 wherein said inertia mass is in said second position when at least a lower portion of said inertia mass is disposed within said pocket.

8. The shock absorber of claim 4 wherein said inertia valve assembly further comprises:
a refill valve assembly configured to at least partially control a flow of fluid between said first fluid chamber and said pocket.

9. The shock absorber of claim 8 wherein said refill valve assembly is configured to restrict fluid flow from said first fluid chamber to said pocket at a first level, and said refill valve assembly is configured to permit fluid flow from said pocket to said first fluid chamber at a second level, such that said fluid flow from said first fluid chamber to said pocket occurs at a rate which is lower than a rate at which said fluid flow from said pocket to said first fluid chamber occurs.

10. The shock absorber of claim 8 wherein said refill valve assembly restricts a rate at which inertia mass is able to move out of said pocket.

11. Th

Assignees

• Fox Factory Inc

Inventors

• Fox Robert C

Classifications

• F16F9/504 Primary

  Inertia {, i.e. acceleration,}-sensitive means · CPC title

• B62K2025/048

  with suspension manual adjustment details · CPC title

• B62K25/286

  the shock absorber being connected to the chain-stay via a linkage mechanism · CPC title

• F16F9/064

  Units characterised by the location or shape of the expansion chamber (F16F9/068, F16F9/08 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16F9/34

  Special valve constructions ({F16F9/44, F16F9/50 take precedence; filtering details F16F9/3285} ; valves in general F16K); Shape or construction of throttling passages · CPC title