A vehicle suspension damper includes: a cylinder and a piston assembly, wherein the piston assembly includes a piston; a working fluid within the cylinder; a bypass cylinder surrounding the cylinder and defining a cylindrical bypass channel; an adjustable bypass port fluidly coupling an interior of the cylinder and the cylindrical bypass channel; and a remotely operable bypass valve slidably disposed within the cylindrical bypass channel, the remotely operable bypass valve configured for, upon actuation of an actuator coupled with the remotely operable bypass valve, adjusting a flow of the working fluid through the adjustable bypass port.

Altering the damping rate of a vehicle suspension damper. A pressure of a damping fluid is exerted against a second valve mechanism connected to the vehicle suspension damper. The pressure of the damping fluid is increased beyond a threshold of the second valve mechanism that is adjustable by an adjustment member. The adjustment member is exposed through a high pressure side of the vehicle suspension damper. The second valve mechanism is then opened.

A pressure damping device includes a cylinder, a partitioning section, a flow channel formation section, a valve section a bypass channel and a throttle section. The flow channel formation section forms a flow channel, through which the fluid flows, in conjunction with a movement of the partitioning section. The valve section controls a flow of the fluid in the flow channel of the flow channel formation section. The bypass channel forms a flow of the fluid that bypasses the flow of the fluid flowing through the flow channel while opening the valve section. The throttle section that throttles the flow of the fluid through the bypass channel further on an outer side than the valve section with respect to the flow channel formation section.

The invention relates to a shock absorber (1), in particular for a motor vehicle, which comprises: a cylinder (2) containing a hydraulic fluid; a main piston (4) actuated by a rod (3), defining in the cylinder a first main chamber (5) and a second main chamber (6), the second main chamber containing the rod; a hydraulic fluid vessel (24); and a valve (11) placed in the flow of the hydraulic fluid between the first main chamber and the second main chamber or between the first main chamber and the vessel. The valve comprises a mobile gate (14) engaging with a seat (13), a spring (20) tending to urge the gate against the seat thereof, and a mobile valve piston (17, 78), defining a first valve chamber (18, 82) and a second valve chamber (19, 83) in the valve, said mobile valve piston being capable of compressing the spring and closing the gate. The shock absorber also includes a control restriction (15) mounted in the flow of the hydraulic fluid from the first main chamber (5) during a compression movement, the control restriction being capable of generating a pressure difference acting on the respective surfaces of the mobile valve piston in a direction that tends to compress the spring during a compression movement and a means (51) for slowing the movement of the mobile valve piston (17, 78).

A damper includes an inner tube. The damper includes a piston slidably disposed within the inner tube. The piston defines a first working chamber and a second working chamber within the inner tube. The damper also includes an outer tube disposed around the inner tube. The outer tube defines an outer chamber between the inner tube and the outer tube. The damper further includes a cover member mounted on an outer surface of the outer tube. The cover member defines a collector chamber between the outer tube and the cover member. The damper includes a first control valve mounted on the cover member. The damper also includes a second control valve mounted on the cover member and spaced apart from the first control valve.

A regenerative shock absorber that include a housing and a piston that moves at least partially through the housing when the shock is compressed or extended from a rest position. When the piston moves, hydraulic fluid is pressurized and drives a hydraulic motor. The hydraulic motor, in turn, drives an electric generator that produced electric energy. The electric energy may be provided to a vehicle, among other things. The regenerative shock absorber may also provide ride performance that comparable to or exceeds that of conventional shock absorbers.

A mechanism and method for externally adjusting the mid-valve stiffness is described and enables adjustment of a mid-valve functionality without disassembly of a suspension system incorporating the invention. The effect of this adjustment on the damping curve is far greater than either low-speed compression adjusters or conventional high-speed compression adjusters. The apparatus combines the valve-stiffening system of a high speed compression adjuster with the sensitivity of the mid-valve. Externally accessible adjustment members are operatively coupled to the mid-valve components located internally in a fork so that manipulation of the adjustment members causes adjustment of the mid-valve and the damping force created by the mid-valve. The apparatus may be utilized in closed cartridge suspension forks (CCSF) and open cartridge suspension forks (OCSF) and other shocks or suspension dampers.

A hydraulic damper including a piston assembly having a piston body including at least two first channels and at least two second channels. The first and second channels are sloped. A compression side of each of the first channels is positioned radially outward relative to a rebound side. A rebound side of each of the second channels is positioned radially outward relative to a compression side. At least one main disc at least partially covers the rebound side of each of the first channels, and at least one main disc at least partially covers the compression side of each of the second channels. At least one supplementary channel is positioned radially inward with respect to the first and second channels. At least one supplementary disc at least partially covers at least one of a rebound side and a compression side of the at least one supplementary channel.

An actuator system for a vehicle suspension system including: an actuator having a piston and a first fluid chamber separated from a second fluid chamber by the piston; a hydraulic pump having a first port, a first hydraulic circuit operable to connect the first port to the first chamber, the first hydraulic circuit including a first valve, the first valve being a damper valve operable to variably restrict flow of hydraulic fluid out of the first chamber; a first hydraulic accumulator connected to a first gallery of the first hydraulic circuit between the first port and the first valve; a second hydraulic accumulator connected to a second port of the pump via a second gallery; and a second valve, the second valve being a variable pressure relief valve operable to variably restrict flow of hydraulic fluid from the first gallery to the second gallery.

An actuator system for a vehicle suspension system includes: an actuator having a piston and a first fluid chamber separated from a second fluid chamber by the piston; a hydraulic pump having a first port connected by a first hydraulic circuit to the first chamber via a first valve, the first valve being a damper valve operable to variably restrict flow of hydraulic fluid out of the first chamber; a first hydraulic accumulator connected to the first hydraulic circuit between the first port and the first valve; and a second hydraulic accumulator connected to the first port by a second valve, the second valve being a variable pressure relief valve operable to variably restrict flow of hydraulic fluid from the first port to the second hydraulic accumulator.