Suspension damper having inertia valve and user adjustable pressure-relief

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016131218-A1
Application number	US-201615001035-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 19, 2016
Priority date	Apr 2, 2006
Publication date	May 12, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A modern suspension damper, for example, a shock absorber or a suspension fork, including an inertia valve and a pressure-relief feature is disclosed. The pressure-relief feature includes a rotatable adjustment knob that allows the pressure-relief threshold to be externally adjusted by the rider “on-the-fly” and without the use of tools.

First claim

1 . A suspension damper operable between a compressed position and an extended position, comprising:
a compression chamber having a volume reducing in response to operation of the suspension damper from the extended position to the compressed position; an inertia valve having an inertia mass slideably moveable relative to a first fluid path, the inertia mass at least substantially closing the first fluid path when in a closed position and movable to an open position in response to acceleration of at least a portion of the suspension damper; a blowoff valve at least substantially closing a second fluid path when in a closed position and movable to an open position in response to pressure in the compression chamber equaling or exceeding a first pressure threshold; and a pressure relief valve at least substantially closing a third fluid path when in a closed position and movable to an open position in response to pressure in the compression chamber equaling or exceeding an adjustable second pressure threshold.

Assignees

• Fox Factory Inc

Inventors

• Becker William M
• Fox Robert C
• Wootten Dennis K

Classifications

• F16F9/504 Primary

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

• F16F9/18

  with a closed cylinder and a piston separating two or more working spaces therein · CPC title

• F16F9/06

  using both gas and liquid {(F16F9/486 take precedence; self-pumping fluid springs B60G17/044)} · CPC title

• B62K25/08

  for front wheel · CPC title

• F16F9/446

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