Adjustable blow-off suspension

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9517675-B2
Application number	US-201514804512-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2015
Priority date	Jan 9, 2009
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

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 damper for providing a variable damping rate comprising:
a valve mechanism having a threshold pressure that is selectively variable via an adjustment member that is exposed through a high pressure side of said vehicle suspension damper, wherein exceeding said threshold pressure causes said valve mechanism to open and allow damping fluid to flow there through to a reservoir chamber;
a compressible chamber in communication with said reservoir chamber, wherein a portion of a stroke of said vehicle suspension damper compresses a volume of compressible fluid within said compressible chamber and a pressure of said damping fluid increases in proportion to compression of said volume;
an adjuster that is rotationally coupled with said adjustment member; and
a spring interfacing with said adjuster and an actuator, said actuator positioned to be in contact with said valve mechanism.

2. The vehicle suspension damper of claim 1 , wherein said actuator is configured to be in contact with a blow-off valve of said valve mechanism.

Assignees

• Fox Factory Inc

Inventors

• Laird Andrew
• Fox Robert C

Classifications

• B60G15/12

  and fluid damper · 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

• B60G17/08 Primary

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

• B62K25/06

  with telescopic fork, e.g. including auxiliary rocking arms · CPC title

• B60G2300/12

  Cycles; Motorcycles · CPC title