A vibration damper having a damper piston, which can be moved back and forth in a main pipe in an axial direction. The main pipe is arranged in a container pipe. An intermediate pipe is arranged between the main pipe and the container pipe. The pipes are arranged coaxially in a three-pipe damper. The damper piston is attached to an end of a piston rod. The three-pipe damper is equipped with a hydraulic end position damper and, at its end facing away from the piston rod, has a central valve block with two damper valve devices. The central valve block is partially surrounded by an air spring including an air spring housing that surrounds the central valve block. The three-pipe damper has a gas balance volume at its piston rod end and is arranged in an annular space between the intermediate pipe and the container pipe.

A resilient expandable pressure vessel configured to function like a spring. The resilient expandable pressure vessel includes a body portion, a cavity defined within the body portion, and at least one port in communication with the cavity defined in the body portion. The at least one port is configured to receive a fluid into the cavity and discharge the fluid from the cavity. The resilient expandable pressure vessel has a predetermined expansibility across a range of operating pressures of the fluid in the cavity. The range is at least 200 psi.

A front bicycle suspension assembly having an inertia valve is described. The front bicycle suspension assembly may include at least upper and lower telescoping tubes and include a damping tube containing an inertia valve. The inertia valve may include an inertia mass movable along the outer surface of a valve shaft as the inertia valve moves between first and second positions.

A damper includes a pressure-sensitive damping control circuit that selectively permits fluid flow from a first chamber to a second chamber. A piston varies a volume of the first chamber. A blow-off piston is movable between a closed position, wherein fluid flow through the control circuit is substantially prevented, and an open position, wherein fluid flow through the control circuit is permitted. The damper also includes a first source of pressure. A fluid pressure created by compression of the damper applies an opening force to the blow-off piston moving the blow-off piston in a direction toward the open position against a resistance force provided by the first source of pressure. The resistance force exceeds the opening force until the pressure created by forces tending to insert the piston rod into the first fluid chamber exceeds the pressure in the first source of pressure by a predetermined amount.

A method of on-demand energy delivery to an active suspension system is disclosed. The suspension system includes an actuator body, a hydraulic pump, an electric motor, a plurality of sensors, an energy storage facility, and a controller. The method includes disposing an active suspension system in a vehicle between a wheel mount and a vehicle body, detecting a wheel event requiring control of the active suspension; and sourcing energy from the energy storage facility and delivering it to the electric motor in response to the wheel event.

The invention relates to a valve to ensure pressure compensation between subchambers of a hydraulic damper, wherein the valve comprises a first side for connection to a first subchamber and a second side for connection to a second subchamber, the valve is designed to shut off in its rest position a flow of fluid between the two sides and comprises, when deflected from its rest position, a passage channel with a passage cross-section for admitting the flow of fluid, the valve comprises two valve elements guided towards each other and movable towards each other along a path of movement in a movement direction x, one of the two valve elements is designed as a moving element and the other valve element as a seat element, a pressure can be applied to the moving element, on the load side thereof, by a fluid coming from the first side, generating an effective force for moving the moving element in the moving direction x, and the moving element is connected to a spring system which applies to the moving element a spring force, generating a restoring force opposite to the effective moving force. At least one of the valve elements comprises a cylinder section comprising a plurality of passages, the passage channel runs through at least some of the passages and the passage cross-section is limited by a cross-section of these passages, while the other valve element comprises a closed cylindrical surface which lies on the one valve element in the rest position, shutting off the flow of fluid, and the passage cross-section can be adjusted by the deflection of the valve as a result of the movement of the moving element towards the seat element in the direction of movement x, the passage cross-section increasing with the deflection.

A bicycle fork includes a pair of fork leg assemblies, each of the leg assemblies having an upper leg telescopingly engaged with a lower leg. A damping assembly is provided in at least one of the legs. The damping assembly includes lock-out and blow-off compression circuits. These compression circuits are externally adjustable without tools. Furthermore, these two compression circuits may be adjusted independently of each other.

The present disclosure relates to a rear shock absorber for a vehicle. The shock absorber may include a first end and a second end that slide telescopically relative to one another. A piston may be placed in fixed position relative to one of the ends. The first side of the piston may partially define a first chamber filled with a compressible fluid. The second side of the piston may partially define a second chamber filled with a substantially incompressible fluid. The substantially incompressible fluid may be under pressure and may lubricate a seal substantially surrounding a periphery of the piston.

A resilient expandable pressure vessel configured to function like a spring. The resilient expandable pressure vessel includes a body portion, a cavity defined within the body portion, and at least one port in communication with the cavity defined in the body portion. The at least one port is configured to receive a fluid into the cavity and discharge the fluid from the cavity. The resilient expandable pressure vessel has a predetermined expansibility across a range of operating pressures of the fluid in the cavity. The range is at least 200 psi.

A method for protecting the suspension and frame of a vehicle is provided. The method may include providing a first working mode where the strut is at a fully expanded state, providing a second working mode where the strut is at a partially collapsed state, and providing a fail-safe working mode where the strut is at a fully collapsed state. The method may further comprise alerting the user that the strut is operating in the fail-safe working mode and servicing the strut by placing a fail-safe member into the strut.