Patent ID: 8469162

Claim:
A shock absorber configured to be mounted between two relatively movable members, the shock absorber comprising: a cylinder sealingly containing hydraulic fluid; a piston inserted in the cylinder; a piston rod coupled to the piston and extending to the outside of the cylinder; an outer cylinder disposed around the cylinder; a separator tube disposed around the cylinder, and including a cylindrical sidewall defining an annular passage between the cylinder and the separator tube, the annular passage being in communication with the interior of the cylinder; a reservoir formed outside the separator tube within a space between the cylinder and the outer tube, the reservoir sealingly containing the hydraulic fluid and gas; a branch tube integrally formed on the cylindrical sidewall of the separator tube, the branch tube substantially cylindrically protruding toward the radially outer side to define a passage in communication with the annular passage; a damping force generation mechanism disposed outside the outer cylinder; and a connection tube extending from the damping force generation mechanism to be fitted in the branch tube with an annular seal disposed around the connection tube, wherein the branch tube is formed on the cylindrical sidewall of the separator tube by drawing processing, wherein the branch tube includes a curved portion and a cylindrical portion, the curved portion being formed on a proximal end of the branch tube so as to have curved inner and outer circumferences, the cylindrical portion being formed continuously from the curved portion toward a distal end of the branch tube so as to have a constant inner diameter, and wherein the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion is gradually reduced from the proximal end side toward the distal end side.