Method and apparatus for an adjustable damper

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11629774-B2
Application number	US-202017114259-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2020
Priority date	May 10, 2012
Publication date	Apr 18, 2023
Grant date	Apr 18, 2023

Abstract

A vehicle suspension damper including: a cylinder; a piston assembly; and an adjuster, wherein the piston assembly compresses fluid as it moves within the cylinder and the adjuster obstructs fluid flow from a first side of a damping piston of the piston assembly to a second side of the damping piston.

First claim

What we claim is:

1. A vehicle suspension damper comprising:
a cylinder coupled to an eyelet assembly;
a piston assembly disposed within said cylinder;
an adjuster coupled with said piston assembly, wherein said piston assembly compresses fluid as it moves within said cylinder and said adjuster obstructs a fluid flow from a first side of a piston of said piston assembly to a second side of said piston, wherein said adjuster comprises:
a shaft having an opening formed therethrough;
a flow distributor disposed within said piston;
a rotatable valve disposed within said opening of said shaft, said rotatable valve comprising:
a second cylinder, said second cylinder having an aperture formed through a surface of said second cylinder, said second cylinder defining a path for flow of said fluid therethrough;
a control rod having a first end and a second end, said second end of said control rod coupled to said second cylinder;
a motive source coupled with said rotatable valve, said motive source configured for providing input, wherein in response to said input, said rotatable valve rotates from said first position to said second position; and
a damping adjustment lever coupled with said first end of said control rod, said damping adjustment lever configured to move said second cylinder from said first position to said second position, said first position orienting said aperture with said flow distributor such that a fluid flow path is created, said second position orienting said aperture with said flow distributor such that said fluid flow path is more restrictive when in said second position;

a rebound port disposed within said piston assembly, said rebound port configured to allow fluid to bypass said rotatable valve during a rebound stroke of said piston assembly; a needle extending inwardly of said cylinder and having an end thereof positioned for receipt within a bore during at least a portion of movement of said piston during said compression stroke of said piston, said bore disposed within said shaft;
a valve disposed at an opening of said bore, said valve comprising:
a seat;
a retainer clip;
a check valve disposed between said seat and said retainer clip, said check valve having an inner diameter for receiving said needle therethrough, said inner diameter of said check valve having a size such that an annular clearance exists between said inner diameter of said check valve and an outer diameter of said needle, an amount of said annular clearance determining a damping rate of said valve; wherein the retainer clip is located between the check valve and the shaft; and

a fluid reservoir fluidically coupled to said cylinder, said fluid reservoir enclosing:
a fluid chamber configured to receive said fluid from said cylinder;
a volume of compressible fluid; and
a floating piston disposed between said fluid chamber and said volume of compressible fluid, said floating piston movably separating said fluid chamber and said volume of compressible fluid.

2. The vehicle suspension damper of claim 1 , wherein said control rod is rotationally fixed to said damping adjustment lever and said rotatable valve, wherein said control rod rotationally responds to said movement of said damping adjustment lever by rotating said rotatable valve in proportion to said movement.

3. The vehicle suspension damper of claim 1 , wherein said input comprises:
an electric input.

4. The vehicle suspension damper of claim 1 , wherein said input comprises:
a hydraulic input.

5. The vehicle suspension damper of claim 1 , wherein said control rod is coupled with said motive source and said rotatable valve, wherein said control rod rotationally responds to said input from said motive source by rotating said rotatable valve according to said input.

6. An adjustment system for adjusting a flow of fluid through a vehicle suspension damper, said adjustment system comprising:
a shaft having an opening formed therethrough;
a flow distributor disposed within a piston;
a rotatable valve disposed within said opening of said shaft, said rotatable valve comprising:
a cylinder, said cylinder having an aperture formed through a surface of said cylinder, said cylinder defining a path for flow of said fluid therethrough;
a control rod having a first end and a second end, said second end of said control rod coupled to said cylinder;
a motive source coupled with said rotatable valve, said motive source configured for providing input, wherein in response to said input, said rotatable valve rotates from said first position to said second position; and
a damping adjustment lever coupled with said first end of said control rod, said damping adjustment lever configured to move said cylinder from a first position to a second position, said first position orienting said aperture with said flow distributor such that a fluid flow path is created wherein said flow path, said second position orienting said aperture with said flow distributor such that said fluid flow path is more restrictive when in said second position;

a rebound port disposed within said piston, said rebound port configured to allow fluid to bypass said rotatable valve during a rebound stroke of said piston;
a needle extending inwardly of said vehicle suspension damper and having an end thereof positioned for receipt within a bore during at least a portion of movement of said piston during said compression stroke of said piston, said bore disposed within said shaft; and
a valve disposed at an opening of said bore, said valve comprising:
a seat;
a retainer clip; and
a check valve disposed between said seat and said retainer clip, said check valve having an inner diameter for receiving said needle therethrough, said inner diameter of said check valve having a size such that an annular clearance exists between said inner diameter of said check valve and an outer diameter of said needle, an amount of said annular clearance determining a damping rate of said valve; and

a fluid reservoir fluidically coupled to said cylinder, said fluid reservoir enclosing:
a fluid chamber configured to receive said fluid from said cylinder;
a volume of compressible fluid; and
a floating piston disposed between said fluid chamber and said volume of compressible fluid, said floating piston movably separating said fluid chamber and said volume of compressible fluid.

7. The adjustment system of claim 6 , wherein said adjustment system is coupled to said piston positioned within a vehicle suspension damper cylinder, wherein said piston compresses said fluid as said piston moves within said vehicle suspension damper cylinder.

8. The adjustment system of claim 6 , further comprising:
said motive source configured for providing input, wherein in response to said input, said control rod rotationally responds to said input from said motive source by rotating said rotatable valve according to said input.

9. The adjustment system of claim 6 , wherein said input comprises:
an electric input.

10. The adjustment system of claim 6 , wherein said input comprises:
a hydraulic input.

11. A vehicle suspension damper comprising:
a cylinder coupled to an eyelet assembly;
a piston assembly disposed within said cylinder;
an adjuster coupled with said piston assembly, wherein said piston assembly compresses fluid as it moves within said cylinder and said adjuster obstructs a fluid flow from an opening on a first side of a piston of said piston assembly to an opposite opening on a second side of said piston, wherein said adjuster comprises:
a shaft having an opening formed therethrough;
a flow distributor disposed within said piston;
a rotatable valve disposed within said open

Assignees

• Fox Factory Inc

Inventors

• Cox Paul
• Haugen David M

Classifications

• F16F9/446

  Adjustment of valve bias or pre-stress (F16F9/443 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62K25/08

  for front wheel · CPC title

• F16F9/462

  Rotary actuation means · CPC title

• F16F9/486

  comprising a pin or stem co-operating with an aperture, e.g. a cylinder-mounted stem co-operating with a hollow piston rod · CPC title

• F16F9/3481 Primary

  characterised by shape or construction of throttling passages in piston (F16F9/344 takes precedence) · CPC title