Patent ID: 7591352

Claim:
A shock absorber including a cylinder, a piston dividing the inside of the cylinder into a first pressure chamber and a second pressure chamber, and a damping valve, wherein the damping valve comprising: a first valve element; a first valve seat in which the first valve element is seated; a second valve element placed in line and in contact with the first valve element; a second valve seat that is placed between the first valve element and the second valve element, and in which the second valve element is seated; a biasing mechanism for biasing the second valve element toward the second valve seat and biasing the first valve element toward the first valve seat via the second valve element; a first liquid chamber provided on the opposite side of the first valve seat from the first valve element, the first liquid chamber including an inlet port, the first valve element being lifted from the first valve seat by a pressure in the first liquid chamber; a second liquid chamber provided between the first valve seat and the second valve seat, the second liquid chamber including an inlet/outlet port, the second valve element being lifted from the second valve seat by a pressure in the second liquid chamber; and a third liquid chamber provided closer to the second valve element with reference to the second valve seat, the third liquid chamber including an outlet port, the shock absorber comprising: a first flow path establishing communication between the first pressure chamber and the second liquid chamber; a second flow path establishing communication between the second pressure chamber and the first liquid chamber; a third flow path establishing communication between the second pressure chamber and the third liquid chamber; and a check valve provided at the midpoint of the third flow path for blocking only a flow in a direction flowing out from the second pressure chamber.