Patent ID: 6112868
Filing Date: 2000-09-05
Classification: B60G,F16F

Abstract:
A shock absorber comprising:a) a first hollow cylinder defining an internal chamber having an open end and a closed end;b) a piston rod received in sealed relation to the cylinder at the open end of the cylinder and being movable toward and away from the closed end of the cylinder;c) a piston affixed to the piston rod within the internal chamber and separating the internal chamber into a compression compartment adjacent the closed end of the cylinder and a rebound compartment adjacent the open end of the cylinder, the volumes of the compartments varying in accordance with the position of the piston in the cylinder, the piston including valve means for permitting controlled fluid flow between the compression and rebound compartments;d) a valve body extending longitudinally along an intermediate region of the outer diameter of the hollow cylinder and defining a flow passage having first and second longitudinally spaced ports opening to the internal chamber, the space between the first longitudinally spaced port and the open end of the cylinder defining an upper region of the internal chamber, the space between the second longitudinally spaced port and the closed end of the cylinder defining a lower region of the internal chamber, and space between the first and second longitudinal spaced ports defining the intermediate region of the internal chamber which corresponds to the curb height of the shock absorber when the shock absorber is mounted on a vehicle; ande) valve means for adjustably controlling the rate of flow through the flow passage; andf) wherein the flow passage permits fluid to bypass the piston when the piston is in the intermediate region, but not when it is either of the upper and lower regions.