Patent ID: 6854574

Claim:
A shock absorber comprising a smaller-diameter tube portion and a larger-diameter tube portion integrally formed by partially reducing or partially enlarging a plastically deformable straight tube, and a step portion that joins the smaller-diameter tube portion and the larger-diameter tube portion, wherein the smaller-diameter tube portion includes a guiding member fixed on its inner surface for retaining or preventing the inclination of the smaller-diameter tube portion when the smaller-diameter tube portion sinks into the larger-diameter tube portion, the guiding member has a smaller-diameter annular guiding portion having an external diameter equal to the internal diameter of the smaller-diameter tube portion and a larger-diameter annular guiding portion having an external diameter equal to the internal diameter of the larger-diameter tube portion, the smaller-diameter annular guiding portion is fixed on the inner surface of the smaller-diameter tube portion and protruding across the step portion from the smaller-diameter tube portion into the larger-diameter tube portion, and the larger-diameter annular guiding portion contacts the inner surface of the larger-diameter tube portion at a position where the smaller-diameter annular guiding portion crosses the step portion.