Patent ID: 8807299

Claim:
A position-sensitive shock absorber comprising: a cylinder having an interior, a first end and a second end, together defining a housing; a working piston movably mounted within the housing for movement between the first end and the second end defining the stroke of the working piston, the working piston having a first side facing the first end of the cylinder and a second side facing the second end of the cylinder, at least two fluid passageways extending through the working piston and permitting fluid flow between the first side and the second side; at least one compression-mode valve disposed on the second side of the working piston and at least one rebound-mode valve disposed on the first side of the working piston, the at least one compression-mode valve and the at least one rebound mode valve covering at least partially the fluid passageways of the working piston and restricting the flow of fluid through the working piston, the fluid passageways, the at least one compression-mode valve and the at least one rebound-mode valve together defining at least in part a first damping characteristic of the shock absorber; and a choking member moveably positioned within the housing, the choking member defining an aperture, the aperture of the choking member being a passage disposed in the middle of the choking member, the choking member has a rim portion defined by the passage of the choking member, when the working piston reaches a specific point along the stroke of the working piston, the choking member cooperates with the working piston to further restrict the flow of fluid by having the rim portion of the choking member abutting the working piston to cover a portion of at least one of the at least two fluid passageways thereby defining a second damping characteristic of the shock absorber from the specific point of the stroke of the working piston to the first end of the cylinder, the shock absorber having the first damping characteristic from the second end of the cylinder to the specific point of the stroke of the working piston, the second damping characteristic being different from the first damping characteristic, an entrance of the at least one of the at least two fluid passageways being defined at least in part by the rim portion and a portion of the of the at least one rebound-mode valve radially between the rim portion and the portion of the at least one rebound-mode valve when the choking member abuts the working piston, from the specific point of the stroke of the working piston to the first end of the cylinder the fluid flows through the aperture of the choking member, through the entrance of the at least one of the at least two fluid passageways, and then through the at least one of the at least two fluid passageways.