Patent ID: 8002092

Claim:
An inertia valve for a bicycle damper comprising: a reservoir shaft defining a first inside surface and an outside surface; a groove formed in said outside surface of said reservoir shaft and extending in a circumferential direction around said reservoir shaft; a plurality of openings formed in said reservoir shaft between said inside surface and said outside surface, an inertia mass defining a second inside surface that faces said outside surface of said reservoir shaft, said second inside surface being spaced apart from said outside surface of said reservoir shaft; and a spring; wherein said inertia valve defines a closed position wherein said second inside surface of said inertia mass substantially prevents a fluid from flowing through said plurality of openings, and an open position wherein said fluid is permitted to flow through any of said plurality of openings; wherein said groove is a fluid accumulator in which said fluid flowing in an outward direction through any of said plurality of openings flows into said groove and said groove is shaped such that there is a progressive pressure transition; and wherein said inertia mass is biased toward said closed position by said spring.