Patent ID: 8167101

Claim:
A damping force generating mechanism for a shock absorber, the shock absorber comprising a first fluid chamber, a second fluid chamber, and a first passage which allows a fluid to flow between the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber, the damping force generating mechanism comprising: a damping valve which generates a damping force against a fluid flow through the first passage; a throttle for regulating an inflow cross-sectional area to the first passage according to an applied displacement pressure, the displacement pressure including a pressure in one of the fluid chambers which biases the throttle to decrease the inflow cross-sectional area and a pressure that acts on the throttle to increase the inflow cross-sectional area to the first passage depending on a velocity of the fluid flow through the throttle; a biasing member which biases the throttle to increase the inflow cross-sectional area; a second passage which connects the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber via a pair of orifices; and a pressure chamber which exerts a pressure in the second passage between the pair of orifices on the throttle to increase the inflow cross-sectional area.