A baffle plate (41, partition member) is manufactured by being integrally formed of a single material including flexible or pliable NBR (nitrile rubber), and a projection (51) formed on an abutment surface (42B) of the baffle plate (41) is fitted into a recess (52) in a reduced-diameter portion (36) of an intermediate tube (20). Thus, when the intermediate tube (20) fitted with the baffle plate (41) is assembled into an outer tube, the sheet-shaped baffle plate (41) can be prevented from rotating about a connecting pipe (23), and it is possible to improve the productivity and assembleability of the shock absorber.

A baffle plate (41, partition member) is manufactured by being integrally formed of a single material including flexible or pliable NBR (nitrile rubber), and a projection (51) formed on an abutment surface (42B) of the baffle plate (41) is fitted into a recess (52) in a reduced-diameter portion (36) of an intermediate tube (20). Thus, when the intermediate tube (20) fitted with the baffle plate (41) is assembled into an outer tube, the sheet-shaped baffle plate (41) can be prevented from rotating about a connecting pipe (23), and it is possible to improve the productivity and assembleability of the shock absorber.

A gas cup for a damper assembly comprises a body including an upper surface, a lower surface, an exterior surface and an interior surface. The body defines an aperture extending through the upper surface and the lower surface. A decoupler is located in the aperture and secured to the body. A bridging member is located between the decoupler and the body and coupled to the decoupler and the body. The decoupler and the bridging member is made from materials having different elasticity to allow the decoupler to move in the aperture in response to a volumetric change in the damper assembly and to provide variable tuning of the damper assembly. A damper assembly including the gas cup is also disclosed herein.

A method and apparatus for a damper. The damper comprises a fluid chamber having a piston dividing the chamber into a compression and rebound sides, a reservoir in fluid communication with the compression side of the chamber, and an isolator disposed between the compression side and the reservoir, whereby the isolator obstructs fluid flow between the compression side and the reservoir. In one embodiment, a bypass provides a fluid path between the compression side and the isolator.

A damper assembly includes a damper, an accumulator, and a tube mount. The damper includes a tube having an outer surface. The tube defines a central axis and a first cavity in the outer surface. The accumulator has an end defining a second cavity. The accumulator defines a longitudinal axis. The tube mount is attached to the outer surface of the tube around the first cavity. The tube includes a damper fluid. The end of the accumulator is supported by the tube mount to allow the damper fluid to flow from the tube through the first cavity and into the accumulator through the second cavity. The longitudinal axis of the accumulator is transverse to the central axis of the tube.

A modern suspension damper, for example, a shock absorber or a suspension fork, including an inertia valve and a pressure-relief feature is disclosed. The pressure-relief feature includes a rotatable adjustment knob that allows the pressure-relief threshold to be externally adjusted by the rider “on-the-fly” and without the use of tools.

A modern suspension damper, for example, a shock absorber or a suspension fork, including an inertia valve and a pressure-relief feature is disclosed. The pressure-relief feature includes a rotatable adjustment knob that allows the pressure-relief threshold to be externally adjusted by the rider “on-the-fly” and without the use of tools.

A damper assembly includes an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder positioned at least partially within the outer cylinder, a cap coupled to the inner cylinder, and a plunger positioned radially inward from the inner cylinder and coupled to a rod. The plunger, the cap, and an interior of the inner cylinder at least partially define a first chamber. The suspension system further includes a passage extending through the rod and fluidly coupled with the first chamber, a piston coupled to the inner cylinder and extending radially outward toward the outer cylinder, a first port in fluid communication with the plunger, the cap, and the inner cylinder through the passage, and a second port in fluid communication with the piston, the inner cylinder, and the outer cylinder. The piston, an exterior surface of the inner cylinder, and the outer cylinder at least partially define a second chamber.

A suspension device includes a damper having an extension-side chamber and a contraction-side chamber, an air spring that exerts a resilient force in a direction in which the damper is extended, and a control part that independently adjusts the pressures of the extension-side chamber and the contraction-side chamber to control a force exerted by the damper. The control part makes the damper exert a balancing force against the resilient force of the air spring in a predetermined stroke range of the air spring.

The present invention is an air shock absorber having a multiple stage design. The design includes a first algorithm for determining the compressed and extended lengths of the air shock based on the lengths of the parts for each stage. The first algorithm offers the air shock an extended length that is greater than twice its compressed length, an optimized extended length, and a construction capability based on adding stages. In particular, the extended length-compressed length relationship is a quality inherently unobtainable by current shock absorbers. The design also includes a second algorithm for determining the spring rate. The second algorithm offers the capability to both set-up the air shock with a relatively linear spring rate and make the relatively linear spring rate more linear.