Patent ID: 8651252
Filing Date: 2014-02-18
Classification: F16F

Abstract:
1. A shock absorber comprising: a cylinder having a hydraulic fluid sealed therein; a piston movably fitted in the cylinder to define two chambers in the cylinder; a piston rod secured at one end thereof to the piston, the other end of the piston rod projecting out of the cylinder; a main passage through which the hydraulic fluid flows between the two chambers in the cylinder in response to movement of the piston; a first passage and a second passage, which are provided in parallel to the main passage, and through which the hydraulic fluid flows from either one of the two chambers in the cylinder toward the other of the two chambers in response to movement of the piston; a main damping valve provided in the main passage to regulate a flow of the hydraulic fluid induced by movement of the piston to generate a damping force; a damping force generating mechanism provided in the first passage to regulate a flow of the hydraulic fluid induced by movement of the piston to generate a damping force; a free piston provided in the second passage to divide the second passage into an upstream section and a downstream section; and a passage area varying mechanism provided halfway in the first passage and the second passage, the passage area varying mechanism being capable of adjusting respective passage areas of the first passage and the second passage, and the passage area varying mechanism being operable with a single control rod.