Patent ID: 7273137

Claim:
A bicycle suspension assembly, comprising: (a) at least first and second telescoping portions having a common longitudinal axis; (b) a damper cartridge body partially defining a variable volume first chamber and coupled to the first telescoping portion; (c) a piston coupled to a piston rod; the piston and at least a portion of the piston rod movable along the common longitudinal axis within the first telescoping portion; (d) a second chamber; (e) a third chamber; the third chamber at least partially surrounding the first and second chambers and whereby fluid flows from the first chamber ultimately to the third chamber as the piston rod moves further into the first telescoping portion; (f) a moveable inertia mass; (g) a shaft, having an interior hollow portion and an outer surface; the interior hollow portion being in fluidic communication with at least one-flow passage intermediate the ends of the shaft that is selectively at least partially obstructed by the inertia mass to selectively control the degree of fluid flow restriction from the first chamber to the second chamber depending upon the position of the inertia mass; (h) the inertia mass movable along the outer surface of the shaft between: (1) a first position at least partially restricting fluid flow through the at least one flow passage, wherein a portion of the fluid bypasses flowing through the at least one flow passage to flow from the first chamber ultimately to the third chamber as the piston rod moves further into the first telescoping portion; and (2) a second position providing less restriction to fluid flow through the at least one flow passage, wherein less fluid bypasses flowing through the at least one flow passage to flow from the first chamber ultimately to the third chamber as the piston rod moves further into the first telescoping portion; and (i) further comprising: (1) a first compression valve; (2) a blowoff valve; and (3) wherein: (a) when the inertia mass is in its first position fluid must flow through the compression and blowoff valves to travel from the first chamber to the third chamber; and (b) when the inertia mass is in its second position fluid flows through only one of the compression and blowoff valves to travel from the first chamber to the third chamber.