Bicycle shock assemblies with plunger operated valve arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9815517-B2
Application number	US-201514740622-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2015
Priority date	Jun 15, 2009
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A shock absorber, which is particularly applicable to bicycles, includes a secondary chamber whose volume selectively contributes to a volume associated with a primary chamber of the shock. A piston is supported by a compression rod and cooperates with a shock tube to define the primary chamber. The secondary chamber is fluidly isolated from the primary chamber by a valve arrangement positioned proximate the piston. A plunger extends along a longitudinal length of the shock and forms or interacts with the valve arrangement such that the secondary chamber is selectively fluidly connected to the primary chamber so the primary and secondary chambers of the shock assembly contribute to the performance of the shock for a selected portion of shock travel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A shock assembly for a bicycle comprising:
a first sleeve;
a second sleeve engaged with the first sleeve such that the first sleeve and the second sleeve are connected in a telescopic manner and are configured to translate through a stroke;
a piston coupled to the second sleeve and enclosed by the first and second sleeves and defining a first positive gas volume on one side of the piston and a second positive gas volume on an opposite side of the piston, wherein the first positive gas volume and the second positive gas volume are configured to increase pressure in a same one direction of the translation and decrease pressure in the same other direction of the translation;
a hollow tube coupled to the first sleeve and configured to cooperate with the piston to selectively fluidly connect the second positive gas volume to the first positive gas volume;
wherein the hollow tube and the piston are configured to:
isolate the first positive gas volume and the second positive gas volume during a first translation range of the stroke of the first sleeve and the second sleeve;
fluidly couple the first positive gas volume and the second positive gas volume during a second translation range of the stroke of the first sleeve and the second sleeve;
wherein the stroke traverses a distance from a state where the second sleeve is fully compressed into the first sleeve to a state where the second sleeve is fully extended from the first sleeve;
the stroke includes the first translation range and the second translation range; and
the first translation range and the second translation range do not overlap in a single direction of the stroke.

2. The shock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the hollow tube and the piston are further configured to the isolate the first positive gas volume and the second positive gas volume during a third translation range of the stroke of the first sleeve and the second sleeve, and the first translation range, the second translation range, and the third translation range do not overlap in a single direction of the stroke.

3. The shock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first translation range, the second translation range, and the third translation range are arranged consecutively in the stroke.

4. The shock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the hollow tube includes a bypass section.

5. The shock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bypass section comprises grooves.

6. The shock assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bypass section comprises a swaged section.

7. The shock assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a fill valve assembly supported by one of the first and second sleeves for pressurizing the first positive gas volume.

8. The shock assembly of claim 7 , wherein the fill valve assembly can be selectively fluidly disposed between the second positive gas volume and atmosphere.

9. The shock assembly of claim 8 , wherein the fill valve assembly is movable to selectively fill the first positive gas volume, the second positive gas volume, or the first positive gas volume and the second positive gas volume.

10. The shock assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a first shock assembly and a second shock assembly that support generally opposite lateral sides of a wheel axle.

Assignees

• Trek Bicycle Corp

Inventors

• Gonzalez Jose
• Buhl Gregory

Classifications

• F16F9/48

  Arrangements for providing different damping effects at different parts of the stroke ({F16F9/346, F16F9/516} , F16F9/53 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16F9/0218

  Mono-tubular units (F16F9/0227, F16F9/0236, F16F9/0245 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16F9/0236

  characterised by having a hollow piston rod · CPC title

• B60G2300/12

  Cycles; Motorcycles · CPC title

• B62K25/08 Primary

  for front wheel · CPC title