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 telescopic suspension fork leg, such as may be using in conjunction with a motorcycle. The fork leg has an inner tube and an outer tube, a damping arrangement, and a spring arrangement which is arranged inside a first chamber formed in the outer tube and resting opposite a second chamber formed by the damping arrangement and arranged beneath the first chamber. The telescopic suspension fork leg features a compressible equalizing volume for a damping fluid volume displaced by a piston rod. The equalizing volume is provided generally concentrically between a damping tube and a separating piston. The separating piston fluidically separates the equalizing volume from an annular space chamber.

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.

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 invention relates to a damping apparatus (10) comprising a hollow housing (19) containing a damping fluid, wherein the housing (19) comprises an opening (21), a rod (13) partially inserted through the opening (21) into the hollow housing (19), wherein the rod (13) is guided slidably along a stroke axis (A) relative to the hollow housing (19), and a piston package (16) fixed to an end of the rod (13) residing within the hollow housing (19), wherein the piston package (16) separates an upper chamber (191) of the hollow housing (19) adjacent to the opening (21) from a lower chamber (192) of the hollow housing (19). The rod (13) comprises an inner volume (131) containing a compensation fluid, wherein the inner volume (131) is connected to the lower chamber (192) in a manner conducting the damping fluid. The invention further relates to a solar panel array comprising multiple solar panels and a damping apparatus (10) according to the invention.

A single axle suspension system including right and left dampers, first and second hydraulic circuits, and a first pressurizing mechanism connected in fluid communication with the first and second hydraulic circuits. The first pressurizing mechanism includes a dual chamber ball/screw mechanism to adjust the volumetric capacity of a pair of first and second variable volume chambers that are arranged in fluid communication with the first and second hydraulic circuits. Thus, the first pressurizing mechanism provides roll control by generating a pressure differential between the first and second hydraulic circuits, which causes an increase in the fluid pressure inside either the first working chamber of the right damper and the second working chamber of the left damper or inside the first working chamber of the left damper and the second working chambers of the right damper to provide roll stiffness that counters vehicle roll during cornering.

A magnetorheological (MR) damper includes: a main tube defining an MR chamber containing an MR fluid having a viscosity that varies in response to application of a magnetic field. A piston rod is disposed at least partially within the main tube. An MR piston is connected to the piston rod and divides the MR chamber into an MR rebound chamber and an MR compression chamber. The MR piston includes an MR rebound valve that regulates a flow of the MR fluid from the MR rebound chamber into the MR compression chamber during a rebound stroke, thereby generating a rebound damping force. A base valve assembly regulates flow of a standard fluid. The rebound damping force is generated substantially entirely by the MR rebound valve of the MR piston. A compression damping force is generated by an MR compression valve of the MR piston together with the base valve assembly.

A damper assembly includes a damper tube having a tubular shape defining an inner surface and extending for an axial length. The damper assembly also includes a rod disposed at least partially within the damper tube, and a piston connected to the rod and slidably disposed within the damper tube and configured to contact the inner surface of the damper tube along a stroke region less than the axial length. The inner surface of the damper tube includes a hardened surface including martensite and extending along the stroke region and less than the axial length of the damper tube. A method of treating a damper tube includes directing a laser beam onto an inner surface of the damper tube along a stroke region and less than an axial length of the damper tube and to cause steel of the inner surface of the damper tube to form a hardened surface.

A damper assembly includes a housing. A method of forming a damper assembly includes extruding the housing formed of aluminum. The housing defines a first chamber and a first passage spaced from each other, with a first inlet fluidly connecting the first chamber and the first passage. A piston is disposed in the first chamber and is movable in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction. A first restrictor valve is disposed in the first passage. The first restrictor valve is configured to restrict a flow of liquid into the first passage from the first chamber and the first inlet as the piston moves in one of the first and second directions which causes the liquid in the first chamber to increase a pressure applied to a first side of the piston to dampen movement of the piston.