Patent ID: 7438164

Claim:
An adjustable shock absorber comprising: a pressure tube defining a working chamber; a piston rod extending through said pressure tube and into said working chamber; a piston slidably disposed within said pressure tube and connected to said piston rod, said piston defining a plurality of compression fluid passages and a plurality of rebound fluid passages, said piston dividing said working chamber into an upper working chamber and a lower working chamber; a compression valve attached to said piston, said compression valve allowing fluid flow from said lower working chamber to said upper working chamber when a first fluid pressure is exerted on said compression valve; a rebound valve attached to said piston, said rebound valve allowing fluid flow from said upper working chamber to said lower working chamber when a second fluid pressure is exerted on said rebound valve, the second fluid pressure being greater than the first fluid pressure; a reserve tube surrounding said pressure tube, said reserve tube defining a reserve chamber; a single valve assembly separate from said piston in direct communication with said upper and lower working chambers and said reserve chamber, said single valve assembly defining a first flow path which includes a first variable orifice for controlling flow from said upper working chamber into said reserve chamber and a second flow path which includes a second variable orifice for controlling flow from said lower working chamber to said reserve chamber; said first flow path being the only flow path from said upper working chamber into said reserve chamber.