Method and apparatus for an adjustable damper

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9663181-B2
Application number	US-201514690267-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2015
Priority date	Jan 7, 2009
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle suspension damper is described. The vehicle suspension damper includes: a pilot valve assembly; a primary valve; and an adjuster, wherein the pilot valve assembly meters fluid to the primary valve, and the adjuster moves the primary valve.

First claim

What we claim is:

1. A vehicle suspension damper comprising:
a pilot valve assembly, said pilot valve assembly comprising:
an adjustable pilot spool configured for controlling a pressure inside said primary valve;

a primary valve;
an adjuster, wherein said pilot valve assembly meters fluid to said primary valve, and said adjuster moves said primary valve; and
a set of shims coupled to said primary valve, wherein a position of said adjustable pilot spool corresponds to an increase of pressure inside said primary valve and an increase of an axial force on said set of shims by said primary valve.

2. The vehicle suspension damper of claim 1 , wherein said adjuster moves said primary valve in response to a current delivered from a power source.

3. The vehicle suspension damper of claim 1 , further comprising:
an armature coupled with said adjuster and said pilot valve assembly; and
a coil, wherein said coil electromagnetically interacts with said armature in response to a current delivered from a power source, wherein when said armature moves, an adjustable pilot spool of said pilot valve assembly moves in corresponding axial positions relative to said coil.

4. The vehicle suspension damper of claim 3 , wherein an amount of said current to be delivered by said power source is predetermined.

5. The vehicle suspension damper of claim 3 , wherein said power source comprises:
a solenoid.

6. The vehicle suspension damper of claim 1 , further comprising:
a damper cylinder;
a base valve assembly;
a pilot valve assembly;
an elastic bladder;
a first fluid flow path configured for providing a first fluid pathway for a movement of a first portion of said fluid through and between said damper cylinder, said base valve assembly, and said elastic bladder, wherein during at least one of a compression and a rebound of said vehicle suspension damper, said first portion of said fluid flows through said first fluid flow path, and during a damping of said compression and said rebound, said pilot valve assembly at least partially obstructs said first fluid flow path; and
a set of shims coupled to said base valve assembly, wherein a position of said pilot valve assembly corresponds to an increase of pressure inside said base valve assembly and an increase of an axial force on said set of shims by said base valve assembly.

7. The vehicle suspension damper of claim 6 , wherein said pilot valve assembly comprises:
a pilot spool configured for obstructing a flow port within said first fluid flow path between said damper cylinder and said elastic bladder.

8. The vehicle suspension damper of claim 7 , further comprising:
a second damping fluid flow path configured for providing a second fluid pathway for a movement of a second portion of said fluid through and between said damper cylinder, said base valve assembly, and said elastic bladder, when said pilot valve assembly at least partially obstructs said first fluid flow path.

Assignees

• Fox Factory Inc

Inventors

• Ericksen Everet
• Fox Robert C
• Batterbee David
• Marking John

Classifications

• B62K2025/044

  Suspensions with automatic adjustment · CPC title

• B62K25/08 Primary

  for front wheel · CPC title

• B60G17/08

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

• F16F9/5126

  Piston, or piston-like valve elements (F16F9/504 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16F9/465

  using servo control, the servo pressure being created by the flow of damping fluid, e.g. controlling pressure in a chamber downstream of a pilot passage (self-adjustment of damping F16F9/50) · CPC title