Adjustable internal bypass

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11999208-B2
Application number	US-201816044380-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2018
Priority date	Sep 16, 2014
Publication date	Jun 4, 2024
Grant date	Jun 4, 2024

Abstract

A vehicle suspension damper includes: a cylinder and a piston assembly, wherein the piston assembly includes a piston; a working fluid within the cylinder; a bypass cylinder surrounding the cylinder and defining a cylindrical bypass channel; an adjustable bypass port fluidly coupling an interior of the cylinder and the cylindrical bypass channel; and a remotely operable bypass valve slidably disposed within the cylindrical bypass channel, the remotely operable bypass valve configured for, upon actuation of an actuator coupled with the remotely operable bypass valve, adjusting a flow of the working fluid through the adjustable bypass port.

First claim

I claim:

1. A vehicle suspension damper comprising:
a cylinder and a piston assembly, wherein said piston assembly comprises a piston having a first side and a second side, said piston including a compression flow path formed through said piston, said piston including a rebound flow path formed through said piston;
a working fluid within said cylinder;
a bypass cylinder surrounding said cylinder and defining a cylindrical bypass channel having a central axis which is approximately colinear with a central axis of said cylinder, said cylindrical bypass channel providing a path for said working fluid to travel from said first side of said piston to said second side of said piston without traversing said compression flow path formed through said piston during a compression stroke of said piston and without traversing said rebound flow path formed through said piston during a rebound stroke of said piston;
an adjustable bypass port fluidly coupling an interior of said cylinder and said cylindrical bypass channel; and
a bypass valve slidably disposed within said cylindrical bypass channel, said bypass valve configured for, upon actuation of an actuator coupled with said bypass valve, adjusting a flow of said working fluid through said adjustable bypass port;
said bypass valve further comprises:
a threaded plug coupled with said actuator, wherein said threaded plug is configured for being angularly displaced within said cylindrical bypass channel about a longitudinal axis of said threaded plug in response to an operation of said actuator;
a rod disposed adjacent to said threaded plug, wherein said rod is configured for moving perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said threaded plug and for moving along said longitudinal axis within said cylindrical bypass channel in response to an angular displacement experienced by said threaded plug; and
a sleeve coupled to said rod and extending from said rod along the same longitudinal axis as said rod, wherein said sleeve is configured for moving along said longitudinal axis within said cylindrical bypass channel in response to said moving by said rod, wherein said sleeve provides an adjustment to said flow of said working fluid through said adjustable bypass port.

2. The vehicle suspension damper of claim 1 , wherein said actuator comprises:
a thumb wheel secured onto said threaded plug.

3. The vehicle suspension damper of claim 1 , wherein said adjusting said flow of said working fluid through said adjustable bypass port comprises:
a closure of said adjustable bypass port, thereby stopping said flow of said working fluid.

4. The vehicle suspension damper of claim 1 , wherein said adjusting said flow of said working fluid through said adjustable bypass port comprises:
fully opening of said adjustable bypass port, thereby allowing said flow of said working fluid.

5. The vehicle suspension damper of claim 1 , wherein said adjusting said flow of said working fluid through said adjustable bypass port comprises:
partially opening of said adjustable bypass port, thereby enabling a partial flow of said working fluid.

6. The vehicle suspension damper of claim 1 wherein said actuator further comprises:
a remotely operable actuator which extends to a position outside of said vehicle suspension damper, such that said remotely operable actuator is enabled to be turned from said outside of said vehicle suspension damper.

Assignees

• Fox Factory Inc

Inventors

• Marking John

Classifications

• B60G13/06 Primary

  of fluid type · CPC title

• F16F9/185

  Bitubular units (where compression of gas leads to a clear spring action F16F9/062) · CPC title

• 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

• F16F9/462

  Rotary actuation means · CPC title

• F16F9/468 Primary

  controlling at least one bypass to main flow path · CPC title