Patent ID: 6464053
Filing Date: 2002-10-15
Classification: F16F

Abstract:
A damper comprising:a pressure tube forming a working chamber, and defining a tube axis; a piston disposed within said working chamber, said piston dividing said working chamber into an upper working chamber and a lower working chamber, said piston comprising: a piston body defining a piston axis generally parallel to said tube axis, said piston body being movable along said tube axis; a plurality of compression passages extending through said piston body, each of said compression passages defining a compression inlet and a compression outlet, said compression inlet being disposed radially outward from said compression outlet, each of said compression passages including a first portion adjacent said compression inlet parallel with said piston axis and a second portion adjacent said compression outlet parallel with said piston axis said first portion of said compression passage having a first dimension at a first surface of said piston body and a second dimension at a position spaced from said first surface of said piston body, said second dimension being greater than said first dimension, said second portion of said compression passage having a third dimension at a second surface of said piston body and a fourth dimension at a position spaced from said second surface of said piston body, said fourth dimension being greater than said third dimension; a plurality of extension passages extending through said piston body, each of said extension passages defining an extension inlet and an extension outlet, said extension inlet being disposed radially outward from said extension outlet, each of said compression passages including a first portion adjacent said extension inlet parallel with said piston axis and a second portion adjacent said extension outlet parallel to said piston axis; a compression sealing land disposed on one end of said piston body, said compression sealing land encircling said compression outlets; and an extension sealing land disposed on an opposite end of said piston body, said extension sealing land encircling said extension outlets; a compression check valve disposed adjacent to said compression sealing land; and an extension check valve disposed adjacent to said extension sealing land.