[미국특허]
Remotely operated bypass for a suspension damper
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
F16F-009/34
F16F-009/18
B60G-013/06
B60G-017/08
F16F-009/46
F16F-009/19
출원번호
US-0010697
(2011-01-20)
등록번호
US-8857580
(2014-10-14)
발명자
/ 주소
Marking, John
출원인 / 주소
Fox Factory, Inc.
대리인 / 주소
Patterson & Sheridan, LLP
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
17인용 특허 :
8
초록▼
A damper assembly with a bypass for a vehicle comprises a pressure cylinder with a piston and piston rod for limiting the flow rate of damping fluid as it passes from a first to a second side of said piston. A bypass provides fluid pathway between the first and second sides of the piston separately
A damper assembly with a bypass for a vehicle comprises a pressure cylinder with a piston and piston rod for limiting the flow rate of damping fluid as it passes from a first to a second side of said piston. A bypass provides fluid pathway between the first and second sides of the piston separately from the flow rate limitation. In one aspect, the bypass is remotely controllable from a passenger compartment of the vehicle. In another aspect, the bypass is remotely controllable based upon one or more variable parameters associated with the vehicle.
대표청구항▼
1. A vehicle suspension damper comprising: a cylinder and a piston assembly comprising a piston and piston rod;working fluid within said cylinder;a passageway through said piston allowing and limiting a flow rate of the working fluid through the piston in at least one direction;a bypass having a flu
1. A vehicle suspension damper comprising: a cylinder and a piston assembly comprising a piston and piston rod;working fluid within said cylinder;a passageway through said piston allowing and limiting a flow rate of the working fluid through the piston in at least one direction;a bypass having a fluid pathway between the first and second sides of the piston; anda single, remotely controllable, valve for limiting the flow of fluid through the bypass, wherein the valve is remotely controlled in response to piston rod speed and piston rod position to selectively limit fluid flow through the bypass, the valve including a closing member and a seat, the closing member including a moveable piston, a seating member selectively positionable with respect to the moveable piston, and a biasing element interposed between the moveable piston and the seating member to bias the seating member in a direction away from the moveable piston, wherein fluid force on the moveable piston member associated with the controlling of the valve in response to the piston speed and position positions the moveable piston member relative to the seat such that in a first position, the force of the biasing element between the piston member and the seating member and fluid pressure on the piston member and seating member are the only forces defining the position of the piston member relative to the valve seat, and a second position wherein fluid pressure on the moveable piston member, in addition to the force of the biasing element and fluid pressure on the seating member, define the position of the seating member relative to the seat. 2. The damper of claim 1, wherein, in the first position, the fluid pressure on the piston member does not affect the opening pressure at which the seating member will move away from the seat and open communication between the cylinder and bypass and in the second position the fluid pressure on the piston member and the spring force biasing the seating member away from the piston member determine the fluid pressure on the seating member at which the seating member moves from a seated position against the seat and thus allows fluid flow between the cylinder and bypass. 3. The damper of claim 2, wherein the valve is biased towards the first position and is shiftable to the second position by increasing the fluid pressure on the moveable piston fluid. 4. The damper of claim 3, wherein the valve further includes a third, locked-out, position, wherein the fluid pressure on the moveable member is the sole fluid pressure maintaining the seating member against the seat. 5. The damper of claim 4, wherein the piston member includes a shaft extending thereon in the direction of the seat, and the seating member includes a bore extending therein and terminating within the seating member within which the shaft is slidingly received. 6. The damper of claim 4, wherein the valve is shiftable to the locked-out position due solely to fluid pressure acting on the moveable member. 7. The damper of claim 6, wherein the fluid pressure acting on the piston member is variable. 8. The damper of claim 7, wherein the switch comprises a transducer arranged to measure an angle associated with the steering wheel of the vehicle. 9. The damper of claim 6, wherein the biasing element is interposed between the seating member and the piston member about the shaft, and in the third position, the shaft is grounded against the terminus of the bore within the shaft. 10. The damper of claim 4, further including a control system for moving the valve to the locked-out position, the control system comprising: a switch for operating the valve; anda conduit providing communication between the switch and the valve. 11. The damper of claim 10, wherein the switch is a manually operable switch having at least two positions. 12. The damper of claim 10, wherein the switch is located in a passenger compartment of a vehicle. 13. The damper of claim 10, wherein the conduit is a fluid conduit for carrying control fluid and the moveable piston includes a surface positioned to receive the control fluid thereagainst. 14. The damper of claim 13, further including a source of control fluid. 15. The damper of claim 10, wherein the conduit is an electrical conduit for carrying an electrical control signal. 16. The damper of claim 10, wherein the valve is solenoid actuated, the solenoid electrically connected to the conduit. 17. A vehicle suspension damper comprising: a cylinder and a piston assembly comprising a piston movably received in the cylinder and a piston rod extending therefrom;working fluid within said cylinder;a passageway through said piston allowing and limiting a flow rate of the working fluid through the piston in at least one direction;a bypass having a fluid pathway extending between first and second openings in the cylinder, and the piston is positionable in a position between the openings and in a different position wherein the openings are on the same side of the piston; anda single remotely controllable, single direction valve for controlling fluid flow through the bypass, the valve remotely controlled in response to piston rod speed and piston rod position, the single direction valve including a closing member and a seating member having a biasing element disposed therebetween, wherein fluid forces associated with the controlling of the valve in response to the piston speed and position, and the biasing force of the biasing element are the only forces causing movement of the closing member during the control. 18. The damper of claim 17, wherein the valve includes a valve housing having at least an inlet for working fluid, an outlet for working fluid, and an inlet for a source of control fluid. 19. The damper of claim 18, wherein the closing member includes: a first moveable member disposed in the housing, the moveable member biased in the direction of sealing contact with the inlet for working fluid; anda second moveable member, moveable in conjunction with the first moveable member, the second member having a piston surface in contact with the control fluid; whereby at a predetermined pressure of the control fluid, the second moveable member positions the first member into sealing contact with the inlet. 20. The damper of claim 19, wherein pressure of the control fluid is variable. 21. The damper of claim 20, wherein valve is further remotely controlled based upon an angle associated with the steering wheel of the vehicle. 22. An adjustable damping force damper for a vehicle suspension, comprising; a cylinder;a piston reciprocatable within the cylinder, and having an end thereof projecting outwardly of a sealed opening in an end of the cylinder, the piston defining a variable volume rebound portion between the piston and an end of piston, and a variable volume compression portion between the piston and a second end of the cylinder;a bypass passage extending from the rebound portion to the compression portion; anda variably biasable bypass valve interposed in a flow path of the bypass passage between the rebound portion and the compression portion, the bypass valve including; a valve body having a throttle valve selectively biasable against a valve seat to vary the size of the flow path therebetween, the flow path therebetween forming a part of a fluid flow path of the bypass passage between the rebound portion and the compression portion, and a control fluid portion, the valve body interposed between, and moveable with respect to, the control fluid portion and the valve seat;the throttle valve further including a moveable piston and a seating member slidingly received on the moveable piston, the seating member selectively positionable with respect to the moveable piston by a spring disposed between a portion of the moveable piston and the seating member; wherein one or more of the pressure in the control fluid portion and in the flow passage, and the force of the spring biasing the valve element with respect to the moveable piston, position the seating member within the valve body. 23. The adjustable damping force damper of claim 22, wherein the pressure in the control fluid portion is remotely adjustable. 24. The adjustable damping force damper of claim 22, wherein the valve element is seatable against the valve seat to seal the bypass passage and thereby prevent passage of fluid therethrough from the compression portion to the rebound portion. 25. The adjustable damping force damper of claim 22, wherein a bias force maintaining the valve element against the valve seat is supplied solely by the spring. 26. The adjustable damping force damper of claim 22, wherein a bias force maintaining the valve element against the valve seat is supplied solely by pressure in the control portion. 27. The adjustable damping force damper of claim 22, wherein a bias force maintaining the valve element against the valve seat is supplied by the spring and pressure in the control portion. 28. The adjustable damping force damper of claim 22, wherein the valve element has a conical profile.
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