Adjustable blow-off suspension

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9108485-B2
Application number	US-68492110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2010
Priority date	Jan 9, 2009
Publication date	Aug 18, 2015
Grant date	Aug 18, 2015

Abstract

Altering the damping rate of a vehicle suspension damper. A pressure of a damping fluid is exerted against a second valve mechanism connected to the vehicle suspension damper. The pressure of the damping fluid is increased beyond a threshold of the second valve mechanism that is adjustable by an adjustment member. The adjustment member is exposed through a high pressure side of the vehicle suspension damper. The second valve mechanism is then opened.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle suspension comprising:
a damper comprising:
a main chamber for holding fluid; and

a vehicle suspension damper reservoir housing coupled with said damper and comprising an upper end and a lower end, wherein upon a compression stroke of said vehicle suspension, said fluid flows from said main chamber to said vehicle suspension damper reservoir housing through a fluid inlet located at said upper end, wherein said vehicle suspension damper reservoir housing comprises:
a reservoir chamber in fluid communication with said damper;
a primary valve mechanism controlling a flow of said fluid from said damper to said reservoir chamber in response to a first input, wherein said first input comprises an axially applied impulse force and said primary valve mechanism comprises an impulse force threshold, wherein when said axially applied impulse force overcomes said impulse force threshold and a force of a second spring coaxially positioned under said primary valve mechanism, said primary valve mechanism opens and allows said fluid to flow there through;
a second valve mechanism controlling said flow of said fluid from said damper to said reservoir chamber in response to a second input, wherein said second valve mechanism comprises a first threshold pressure that is selectively variable via an adjustment member and wherein upon an application of said second input overcomes said first threshold pressure, said second valve mechanism opens and allows said fluid to flow there through, wherein said primary valve mechanism is located in parallel with said second valve mechanism and closer to said upper end than said second valve mechanism; and
an adjuster assembly, wherein at least a portion of said adjuster assembly is manually accessible through a high pressure region of said vehicle suspension damper reservoir housing, wherein said adjuster assembly comprises:
an adjustment member disposed at said upper end and operable for, upon adjustment, increasing a threshold pressure needed to open said second valve mechanism by increasing a spring pre-load on a first valve spring abutting said second valve mechanism; and
an actuator having a first end fixed to said adjustment member and a second end that is cross sectionally hex-shaped, wherein said cross sectionally hex-shaped second end is operable to transmit rotational movement to a nut, moving said nut axially relative to a valve seat of said second valve mechanism, thereby changing a fluid pressure required to open said second valve mechanism, wherein said actuator traverses through said primary valve mechanism.

2. The vehicle suspension of claim 1 , wherein said second valve mechanism comprises:
a blow-off valve; and
said valve seat.

3. The vehicle suspension of claim 1 , wherein said blow-off valve comprises:
a small end upon which a fluid flow pressure only acts; and
a big end upon which a pressure from a spring acts, wherein when said fluid flow pressure is greater than said pressure from said spring, a fluid flow through said second valve mechanism is permitted.

4. The vehicle suspension of claim 1 , wherein said primary valve mechanism comprises:
a first end upon which a fluid flow pressure only acts; and
a second end upon which a pressure from a spring acts, wherein when said fluid flow pressure is greater than said pressure from said spring, a fluid flow through said primary valve mechanism is permitted.

5. The vehicle suspension of claim 1 , wherein said nut axially abuts said first valve spring, wherein said nut presses against said first valve spring when said nut is rotated and biases said second valve mechanism closed.

6. The vehicle suspension of claim 1 , wherein said vehicle suspension damper reservoir housing further comprises:
a center shaft surrounding said actuator and having a first center shaft end and a second center shaft end opposite said first center shaft end, said first center shaft end being coupled to said fluid inlet and said second center shaft end being coupled to an upper end of said second valve mechanism, wherein said center shaft is configured for channeling said fluid from said fluid inlet to an upper end of said second valve mechanism.

7. The vehicle suspension of claim 1 , wherein said vehicle suspension damper reservoir housing is remote from and in fluid communication with said damper.

Assignees

• Laird Andrew
• Fox Robert C
• Fox Factory Inc

Inventors

• Laird Andrew
• Fox Robert C

Classifications

• F16F9/065

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

• B60G2202/314

  The spring being a pneumatic spring · CPC title

• F16F9/466

  Throttling control, i.e. regulation of flow passage geometry (F16F9/464, F16F9/465 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60G17/08 Primary

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

• B60G2300/12

  Cycles; Motorcycles · CPC title