A vehicle includes a support arm and a suspension element. The suspension element is rotatably connected to a support arm of a vehicle via a mounting pin that extends through an opening on the suspension element, a thrust washer, and a seal. The combination of elements prevent debris from migrating into the connection. The suspension element is configured to connect to a structural element of the vehicle via an upper mount. The suspension element may include a recoil damper having a piston with a plurality of grooves arranged to balance the forces on the piston during and after a recoil event or jounce.

An air spring for a heavy-duty vehicle axle/suspension system comprising a piston, a bellows, and an intermediate chamber integrally formed with the bellows. The bellows has an upper portion, a top plate, and a bellows chamber and is connected to the piston by a band, a bead-in-groove connection, and/or a bayonet connection. The upper portion is reinforced to prevent the bellows chamber from increasing in volume. The intermediate chamber has an optimally sized top plate and a support structure and extends from the piston into the bellows chamber. The intermediate top plate is formed with means for restricted fluid communication between the bellows chamber and the intermediate chamber. The means for restricted fluid communication is not obstructed when it contacts the bellows top plate during jounce events. The support structure is optimized in relation to the top plate.

A suspension element includes a main body having an end cap defining an internal volume and a tubular element slidably engaged with the main body. The suspension element further includes a first piston and a flow control element. The flow control element is configured to prevent movement of the tubular element relative the main body in a direction. The suspension element may further include a locking member and a piston. The locking member may be configured to engage a barrier of the main body when the first piston traverses at least a predetermined distance towards the end cap. The locking member may be affixed to the tubular element and may fully surround the tubular element. Together the flow control element and the locking member are configured to prevent movement of the suspension element.

A control apparatus of a damping force variable damper that controls the damping force variable damper includes: a controller configured to control a damping force variation rate at a time of variation in a damping force of the damping force variable damper to be a predetermined damping force variation rate which is smaller than a predetermined oil hammer occurrence damping force variation rate at which an oil hammer occurs.

A suspension includes a jounce bumper, and a striker. A spring biases the knuckle toward a first position. One of the spring and the jounce bumper is disposed forward of a kingpin axis of the knuckle and the other of the spring and the jounce bumper is disposed rearward of the kingpin axis. When in a first position, the spring is a first spring length. When in a second position, the spring is shorter than in the first position and the jounce bumper contacts the striker. When in a third position, the spring is shorter than in the second position and the jounce bumper is compressed against the striker to be shorter than in the second position. When moving between the second and third positions, the spring and jounce bumper impart moments on the knuckle that approximately balance each other to maintain a desired caster angle.

An object of the present invention is to obtain an electromagnetic suspension apparatus capable of meeting a request to improve ride comfort irrespective of a magnitude of a spring constant preset in a spring member. The electromagnetic suspension apparatus includes an electromagnetic actuator that generates a driving force related to vibration damping of the vehicle body, an information acquisition unit that acquires information on a stroke position of the electromagnetic actuator, and an ECU that calculates a target driving force of the electromagnetic actuator and controls a driving force of the electromagnetic actuator using the calculated target driving force. When the stroke position acquired by the information acquisition unit is in a neutral range including a neutral position, the ECU corrects the target driving force so as to reduce a spring force related to the spring member as compared with when the stroke position is in a non-neutral range.

A shock-absorbing front fork assembly of a motorcycle includes a front fork, a pressure buffering cylinder and a control valve disposed between the front fork and the pressure buffering cylinder and electrically connected with a brake system to control the communication between the front fork and the pressure buffering cylinder according to the operation of the brake system. When the brake system is not actuated, the control valve is open to make the front fork communicate with the pressure buffering cylinder, thereby making the spring supporting force relatively smaller. When the brake system is actuated, the control valve is close to make the front fork not communicate with the pressure buffering cylinder, thereby making the spring supporting force relatively larger. Therefore, the spring supporting force is adjusted by the brake operation, that raises the riding comfort and safety.

A vehicle includes a support arm and a suspension element. The suspension element is rotatably connected to a support arm of a vehicle via a mounting pin that extends through an opening on the suspension element, a thrust washer, and a seal. The combination of elements prevent debris from migrating into the connection. The suspension element is configured to connect to a structural element of the vehicle via an upper mount. The suspension element may include a recoil damper having a piston with a plurality of grooves arranged to balance the forces on the piston during and after a recoil event or jounce.

A system/assembly for a suspension fork for a bicycle is disclosed. The fork may comprise a compression system and an adjustment mechanism configured for adjustment of compression damping and adjustment of travel. Adjustment of travel reduces compression stroke distance within the full length of travel. The adjustment mechanism may be configured for at least two settings for compression damping and at least two settings for adjustment of travel. Settings for compression damping may comprise a setting with adjustment of compression damping but no adjustment of travel and a setting with adjustment of compression damping and adjustment of travel. Settings for adjustment of travel may comprise a travel-adjust setting where the stroke distance is reduced and a setting where the stroke distance may be the full length of travel. The adjustment mechanism may provide for performance adjustment at an adjuster. The fork may comprise a rebound system with an adjuster.

A suspension element includes a main body having an end cap defining an internal volume and a tubular element slidably engaged with the main body. The suspension element further includes a first piston and a flow control element. The flow control element is configured to prevent movement of the tubular element relative the main body in a direction. The suspension element may further include a locking member and a piston. The locking member may be configured to engage a barrier of the main body when the first piston traverses at least a predetermined distance towards the end cap. The locking member may be affixed to the tubular element and may fully surround the tubular element. Together the flow control element and the locking member are configured to prevent movement of the suspension element.