A damper assembly comprises a main tube extending along a center axis between a first end and a second end defining a fluid chamber. A main piston is disposed in the fluid chamber dividing the fluid chamber into a compression chamber and a rebound chamber. A piston rod extends along the center axis coupled to the main piston. An external tube extends about the main tube and defines a compensation chamber therebetween. The external tube includes a protrusion extending radially inwardly from an opened end to abut the main tube. An external piston is located in the compensation chamber and coupled to the main tube, dividing the compensation chamber into a first compartment and a second compartment. The first compartment extends between the protrusion and the external piston for containing a working fluid. The second compartment extends between the closed end and the external piston for containing a gas.

A method and apparatus for a shock absorber for a vehicle having a gas spring with first and second gas chambers, wherein the first chamber is utilized during a first travel portion of the shock absorber and the first and second chambers are both utilized during a second portion of travel. In one embodiment, a travel adjustment assembly is configured to selectively communicate a first gas chamber with a negative gas chamber.

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.

This shock absorber includes a first damping force generation mechanism provided in a passage of a piston, and a second damping force generation mechanism provided in a piston rod. The second damping force generation mechanism includes a valve seat member, a sub-valve provided in the valve seat member, and a cap member covering one end side of the second damping force generation mechanism and at least a part of an outer circumference of the valve seat member. A communication passage is formed on one end side of the cap member. A biasing member provided so that one end surface side is in contact with an outer circumferential side of the cap member with respect to the communication passage, and a bendable flexible disc provided so that the other end surface side of the biasing member is in contact therewith.

A voltage converter of a high voltage driver generates a high voltage applied to an electrorheological damper. The voltage converter and the electrorheological damper are electrically connected together through a connecting portion. The connecting portion comprises an electrode pin that connects the voltage converter and an electrode cylinder of the electrorheological damper; a ground pin that connects an external cylinder of the electrorheological damper and ground, and a ground detection pin disposed separately from the ground pin and connected to the ground through the external cylinder and the ground pin. When the ground detection pin and the ground are disconnected, the voltage converter discontinues the voltage generation with or without a command (control signal) of a sub-controller.

A suspension shock absorber for remote control (RC) cars includes an inner tube and an outer tube coaxial with each other. The hollow area inside the inner tube defines a hollow chamber where a piston and a piston rod slidably moves. A shock cap seals the top of the inner tube and the outer tube. The space between the coaxial inner tube and outer tube is used as an inter-tube bypass route through which bypass oil flows. The shock cap has a bypass passage connecting the inter-tube bypass route with the upper portion of the hollow chamber. A bypass valve in line with the co-axis of the inner tube and the outer tube is disposed on top of the shock cap and used to regulate the amount of oil flow through the bypass passage.

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.

Disclosed herein is a cross-linked system comprising a first shock assembly and a second shock assembly. A first line is fluidly coupled with a first rebound chamber of the first shock assembly and a second compression chamber of the second shock assembly. The first line allows fluid to flow between the first rebound chamber and the second compression chamber. A second line is fluidly coupled with a first compression chamber of the first shock assembly and a second rebound chamber of the second shock assembly. The second line allows fluid to flow between the first compression chamber and the second rebound chamber. A reservoir is fluidly coupled to the first line and the second line.

A damping force adjustable shock absorber includes a flow path (an oil passage of a piston) in which a flow of hydraulic fluid is generated due to a movement of a piston rod, and a damping force adjustment valve provided in the flow path and configured to be subjected to an adjustment of an opening/closing operation by a solenoid. A frequency adaptive mechanism is provided in the flow path in series with the damping force adjustment valve. The frequency adaptive mechanism is configured to reduce a damping force for a high-frequency vibration. The frequency adaptive mechanism includes a second valve mechanism (a compression-side damping force generation valve and an extension-side damping force generation valve) configured to apply a resistance force to a flow of the hydraulic fluid from an upstream-side chamber (an upper-portion chamber or a lower-portion chamber) to a downstream-side chamber (the lower-portion chamber or the upper-portion chamber).

Aspects of the present invention relate to a control system, a suspension system, a vehicle and a method. A control system comprising one or more controllers is configured to: receive at least one vehicle dynamics signal, wherein the at least one vehicle dynamics signal is indicative of a vehicle dynamics parameter, determine a current dynamic usage of a vehicle in dependence on the received at least one vehicle dynamics signal, determine a control parameter for an actuator of the vehicle in dependence at least in part on the current dynamic usage of the vehicle, and output a control signal to control the actuator in dependence on the control parameter.