A hydraulic damper includes: a cylinder having a cylinder tube; a piston slidingly movable within the cylinder tube; a piston rod integrally movable with the piston; a first chamber and a second chamber into or from which fluid flows by sliding movement of the piston relative to the cylinder tube; a piston port portion connecting the first chamber and the second chamber; a damping force generating device disposed downstream of the piston port portion through which the fluid flows; and a sub-valve disposed upstream and/or downstream of the damping force generating device. The sub-valve is provided with a sub-valve port portion that is connected to a flow path of the piston port portion. A total cross-sectional area of a flow path of the sub-valve port portion is smaller than a total cross-sectional area of the flow path of the piston port portion.

A damping valve for a hydraulic damper (D) comprises a valve housing comprising an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber. A housing valve seat is arranged between the inlet chamber and the outlet chamber. A valve element having a cylindrical first portion is slidably received in a cylindrical bore of the valve housing and a second portion has a valve surface for selectively engaging and disengaging the housing valve seat to allow passage of hydraulic fluid between the inlet chamber and the outlet chamber. A spring element is mounted within the valve housing for biasing the valve element into engagement with the housing valve seat. The bore of the valve housing has a closed end defining a bore chamber between an end of the first portion of the valve element and the closed end of the bore. A first passage provides fluid communication between the bore chamber and the inlet chamber.

A damper including inner and outer tubes and a control valve. A piston is slidably disposed within the inner tube to define first and second working chambers. An intermediate member assembly is disposed annularly about the inner tube. An intermediate channel is positioned radially between the intermediate member assembly and the inner tube and a reservoir channel is positioned radially between the intermediate member assembly and the outer tube. A first unidirectional blocking valve forms a first partition between first and second intermediate channel portions of the intermediate channel. A second unidirectional blocking valve forms a second partition between the second intermediate channel portion and a third intermediate channel portion. An external control valve has a control valve inlet that is arranged in fluid communication with the second intermediate channel portion.

A damper including inner and outer tubes and a control valve. A piston is slidably disposed within the inner tube to define first and second working chambers. An intermediate member assembly is disposed annularly about the inner tube. An intermediate channel is positioned radially between the intermediate member assembly and the inner tube and a reservoir channel is positioned radially between the intermediate member assembly and the outer tube. A first unidirectional blocking valve forms a first partition between first and second intermediate channel portions of the intermediate channel. A second unidirectional blocking valve forms a second partition between the second intermediate channel portion and a third intermediate channel portion. An external control valve has a control valve inlet that is arranged in fluid communication with the second intermediate channel portion.

A damping force generating mechanism includes: a flow passage formation part that forms a flow passage through which a liquid flows; and a valve that is configured to control a flow of the liquid in the flow passage. The flow passage formation part includes a first seat part that is provided radially outward of a flow passage port of the flow passage, protrudes from the flow passage port and contacts the valve, a second seat part that is provided radially outward of the first seat part, protrudes from the flow passage port and contacts the valve, and a circulation part having an orifice that allows the liquid to flow from the flow passage port toward the second seat part in a state in which the valve is in contact with the first seat part.

A damping force generating mechanism includes: a flow passage formation part that forms a flow passage through which a liquid flows; and a valve that is configured to control a flow of the liquid in the flow passage. The flow passage formation part includes a first seat part that is provided radially outward of a flow passage port of the flow passage, protrudes from the flow passage port and contacts the valve, a second seat part that is provided radially outward of the first seat part, protrudes from the flow passage port and contacts the valve, and a circulation part having an orifice that allows the liquid to flow from the flow passage port toward the second seat part in a state in which the valve is in contact with the first seat part.

A shock absorber is provided with a cylinder, a piston inserted into the cylinder and demarcating an interior of the cylinder into an extension side chamber and a compression side chamber, a piston rod joined to the piston, a damping passage, provided in the piston rod, that communicates with the extension side chamber and the compression side chamber, and a damping force adjustment valve provided in the damping passage. The damping force adjustment valve includes a damping force adjustment unit and a solenoid that drives the damping force adjustment unit to adjust a flow channel resistance. The piston rod includes a yoke into which the damping force adjustment valve is inserted, and a piston holding member mounted on the yoke. The yoke includes a through-hole opening from a side of the yoke and leading to the interior, and a groove provided on a perimeter of the yoke, extending from an anti-piston end, and leading to the through-hole.

A shock absorber is provided with a cylinder, a piston inserted into the cylinder and demarcating an interior of the cylinder into an extension side chamber and a compression side chamber, a piston rod joined to the piston, a damping passage, provided in the piston rod, that communicates with the extension side chamber and the compression side chamber, and a damping force adjustment valve provided in the damping passage. The damping force adjustment valve includes a damping force adjustment unit and a solenoid that drives the damping force adjustment unit to adjust a flow channel resistance. The piston rod includes a yoke into which the damping force adjustment valve is inserted, and a piston holding member mounted on the yoke. The yoke includes a through-hole opening from a side of the yoke and leading to the interior, and a groove provided on a perimeter of the yoke, extending from an anti-piston end, and leading to the through-hole.

A shock absorber includes a hard-side damping element for applying resistance to a flow of liquid from a compression side chamber to an extension side chamber, a solenoid valve capable of changing an opening area of a compression side bypass passage for communicating the compression side chamber and the extension side chamber by bypassing the hard-side damping element, and a soft-side damping element provided in the compression side bypass passage in series with the solenoid valve. The hard-side damping element has an orifice and a leaf valve provided in parallel with the orifice. The soft-side damping element has an orifice having an opening area larger than that of the orifice.

A shock absorber includes a hard-side damping element for applying resistance to a flow of liquid from a compression side chamber to an extension side chamber, a solenoid valve capable of changing an opening area of a compression side bypass passage for communicating the compression side chamber and the extension side chamber by bypassing the hard-side damping element, and a soft-side damping element provided in the compression side bypass passage in series with the solenoid valve. The hard-side damping element has an orifice and a leaf valve provided in parallel with the orifice. The soft-side damping element has an orifice having an opening area larger than that of the orifice.