Electronic compression and rebound control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11472252-B2
Application number	US-202016986582-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2020
Priority date	Apr 8, 2016
Publication date	Oct 18, 2022
Grant date	Oct 18, 2022

Abstract

An electronic valve assembly for a vehicle suspension damper is described in which a first electronic valve is disposed along a fluid flow path extending between a compression region of a damping cylinder and a fluid reservoir chamber. The first electronic valve controls flow of fluid from the compression region into the fluid reservoir chamber. A second electronic valve is disposed along a fluid flow path extending between a rebound region of the damping cylinder and the compression region. The second electronic valve controls flow of fluid from the rebound region into the compression. The first electronic valve does not reside in the fluid flow path extending from the rebound region into the compression region, and the second electronic valve does not reside in the fluid flow path extending from the compression region into the fluid reservoir chamber.

First claim

I claim:

1. An electronic valve assembly for a vehicle suspension damper, said electronic valve assembly comprising:
a first electronic valve disposed along a fluid flow path extending between a compression region of a damping cylinder and a fluid reservoir chamber, said first electronic valve configured to control flow of fluid from said compression region of said damping cylinder into said fluid reservoir chamber;
a second electronic valve disposed along a fluid flow path extending between a rebound region of said damping cylinder and said compression region of said damping cylinder, said second electronic valve configured to control flow of fluid from said rebound region of said damping cylinder into said compression region of said damping cylinder; and
wherein a first distance between said first electronic valve and said damping cylinder is greater than a second distance between said second electronic valve and said damping cylinder.

2. The electronic valve assembly of claim 1 wherein, said first electronic valve and said second electronic valve are disposed such that said first electronic valve does not reside in said fluid flow path extending from said rebound region of said damping cylinder into said compression region of said damping cylinder, and said second electronic valve does not reside in said fluid flow path extending from said compression region of said damping cylinder into said fluid reservoir chamber.

3. The electronic valve assembly of claim 1 wherein said first electronic valve controls flow of fluid displaced by a piston shaft as said fluid displaced by said piston shaft flows from said compression region of said damping cylinder into said fluid reservoir chamber.

4. The electronic valve assembly of claim 1 wherein said first electronic valve is configured to control flow of fluid from said fluid reservoir chamber to said compression region of said damping cylinder.

5. The electronic valve assembly of claim 4 wherein said second electronic valve does not reside in a fluid flow path extending from said fluid reservoir chamber to said compression region of said damping cylinder.

6. The electronic valve assembly of claim 1 wherein said first electronic valve and said second electronic valve can be operated independently of each other.

7. A system for controlling vehicle motion, said system comprising:
a sensor coupled with a vehicle, said sensor sensing said vehicle motion; and
a vehicle suspension damper coupled with said sensor, said vehicle suspension damper adjusting a damping force therein, said vehicle suspension damper comprising:
a damping cylinder;
a damping piston movable within said damping cylinder;
a compression region at least partially defined by said damping piston;
a rebound region at least partially defined by said damping piston;
a fluid reservoir chamber fluidically coupled to said damping cylinder; and
electronic valve assembly coupled with said sensor, said electronic valve assembly comprising:
a first electronic valve disposed along a fluid flow path extending between said compression region and said fluid reservoir chamber, said first electronic valve configured to control flow of fluid from said compression region into said fluid reservoir chamber;
a second electronic valve disposed along a fluid flow path extending between said rebound region and said compression region, said second electronic valve configured to control flow of fluid from said rebound region into said compression region; and
wherein a first distance between said first electronic valve and said damping cylinder is greater than a second distance between said second electronic valve and said damping cylinder.

8. The electronic valve assembly of claim 7 wherein, said first electronic valve and said second electronic valve are disposed such that said first electronic valve does not reside in said fluid flow path extending from said rebound region into said compression region, and said second electronic valve does not reside in said fluid flow path extending from said compression region into said fluid reservoir chamber.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein said first electronic valve controls flow of fluid displaced by a piston shaft as said fluid displaced by said piston shaft flows from said compression region into said fluid reservoir chamber.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein said first electronic valve is configured to control flow of fluid from said fluid reservoir chamber to said compression region.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said second electronic valve does not reside in a fluid flow path extending from said fluid reservoir chamber to said compression region.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein said first electronic valve and said second electronic valve can be operated independently of each other.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein independent operation of said first electronic valve and said second electronic provides independent control of compression and rebound damping of said vehicle suspension damper.

14. A system for providing independent control of compression and rebound damping of a vehicle suspension damper, said system comprising:
a sensor coupled with a vehicle, said sensor sensing motion of said vehicle; and
a vehicle suspension damper, said vehicle suspension damper configured to adjust a damping force therein, said vehicle suspension damper comprising:
a damping cylinder;
a damping piston movable within said damping cylinder;
a compression region at least partially defined by said damping piston;
a rebound region at least partially defined by said damping piston;
a fluid reservoir chamber fluidically coupled to said damping cylinder; and
electronic valve assembly coupled with said sensor, said electronic valve assembly comprising:
a first electronic valve disposed along a fluid flow path extending between said compression region and said fluid reservoir chamber, said first electronic valve configured to control flow of fluid from said compression region into said fluid reservoir chamber;
a second electronic valve disposed along a fluid flow path extending between said rebound region and said compression region, said second electronic valve configured to control flow of fluid from said rebound region into said compression region, said first electronic valve and said second electronic valve operable independently of each other; and
wherein a first distance between said first electronic valve and said damping cylinder is greater than a second distance between said second electronic valve and said damping cylinder such that independent control of said compression and rebound damping of said vehicle suspension damper is possible.

15. The electronic valve assembly of claim 14 wherein, said first electronic valve and said second electronic valve are disposed such that said first electronic valve does not reside in said fluid flow path extending from said rebound region into said compression region, and said second electronic valve does not reside in said fluid flow path extending from said compression region into said fluid reservoir chamber.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein said first electronic valve controls flow of fluid displaced by a piston shaft as said fluid displaced by said piston shaft flows from said compression region into said fluid reservoir chamber.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein said first electronic valve is configured to control flow of fluid from said fluid reservoir chamber to said compression region.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said second electronic val

Assignees

• Fox Factory Inc

Inventors

• Tong Ivan

Classifications

• F16F9/46

  allowing control from a distance {, i.e. location of means for control input being remote from site of valves, e.g. on damper external wall (attachment of valve units to cylinders F16F9/325)} · CPC title

• F16F9/325

  for attachment of valve units · CPC title

• B60G17/08 Primary

  Characteristics of fluid dampers (adjusting fluid dampers in general F16F9/44 - F16F9/53) · CPC title

• B60G13/08

  hydraulic · CPC title

• F16F9/065

  Expansion chamber provided on the upper or lower end of a damper, separately there from or laterally on the damper · CPC title