A hydraulic damper with one end connected to the body of a vehicle and a second end connected to a suspension system of a vehicle. The mechanism allows for multiple hydraulic-fluid metering valve positions to control piston resistance based on a variable pressure input using pressurized gas. The use of compressed gas to mechanically control a valve position allows changes to the piston resistance to be made quickly and to be increased or decreased as desired. The hydraulic damper features a control piston which in turn mechanically controls a valve needle within a hydraulic suspension piston. The position of the valve needle controls the damping characteristics of the suspension piston. When the control piston moves, the position of the valve needle is proportionally adjusted.

A damper for use with an automotive coil over shock absorber. An outer damping sleeve is retained over the exterior surface of an inner body and includes a plurality of bypass ports to alternately align and unalign with bypass ports of the inner body to regulate a bypass flow of damping oil between an interior volume and an outer passage, thereby allowing variable damping control of the damper. The outer damping sleeve is connected to an internal floating piston (IFP) which rides inside the inner body. A control spring is retained for applying a force to the IFP to limit the free movement of the IFP and thereby control a damping force of the damper during the damping event. Increased pressure in the hydraulic damping oil causes the IFP to move, causing the bypass ports to open and close depending on the forces subject to the damper.

A shock absorber for a vehicle suspension system may include a damper tube having an axis defining an axial direction extending between a first end and a second end, a bumper cap, and a dust gaiter operably coupled to the bumper cap. The bumper cap may have a cover portion and a retention portion. The cover portion may be operably coupled to the second end of the damper tube, and the retention portion may extend along a lateral periphery of the damper tube to an opposite end of the bumper cap relative to the cover portion. The retention portion may include a continuous ring at a distal end of the bumper cap relative to the cover portion to define a limit for movement of the dust gaiter along the bumper cap in the axial direction. The continuous ring may be retained by a plurality of fixed fingers that extend from the cover portion to the continuous ring. A movable finger is disposed between each of the fixed fingers, each instance of the movable finger having a radially extending locking tab to engage the dust gaiter. Each instance of the moveable finger has a radial deflection rate of less than about 8 N/mm.

A damper assembly includes an outer cylinder, an inner cylinder positioned at least partially within the outer cylinder, a plunger positioned at least partially within the inner cylinder and coupled to a rod, an aperture extending through the rod, an annular piston coupled to the inner cylinder, and a valve assembly. The rod is positioned at least partially within the inner cylinder and has an outer dimension that is smaller than an inner dimension of the inner cylinder. The plunger and an interior of the inner cylinder at least partially define a first chamber. The valve assembly is in fluid communication with the first chamber and a second chamber. The annular piston extends between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder, and the annular piston, an exterior surface of the inner cylinder, and the outer cylinder at least partially define the second chamber.

The shock-absorber comprises: a cylinder containing a hydraulic working fluid; a piston slidably arranged in the cylinder so as to split the cylinder into two variable-volume working chambers, namely a first working chamber, or extension chamber, and a second working chamber, or compression chamber; an auxiliary conduit in fluid communication on one side with the first working chamber and on the other with the second working chamber; a train of permanent magnets slidably arranged in the auxiliary conduit so as to reciprocally move along the auxiliary conduit, dragged by the working fluid flowing between the first and second working chambers through the auxiliary conduit as a result of the reciprocating motion of the piston in the cylinder; and electric energy generating device for generating electric energy by exploiting the movement of the train of permanent magnets along the auxiliary conduit.

A shock absorber includes a cylinder sealed with a working oil liquid, a piston slidably fitted in the cylinder, a piston rod connected to the piston and extended to the outside of the cylinder, and a plurality of passages through which the working oil liquid flows due to the sliding of pistons therein, and a damping force generating mechanism that is provided in a part of the passages and suppresses the flow of the working oil liquid to generate a damping force. The damping force generating mechanism includes a valve body through which the passage penetrates, an annular seat that projects from the valve body and surrounds the passage, and a disc that can be seated on the seat. A contact width at which the disc and the seat come into contact with each other is different depending on a position in the circumferential direction. As a result, it is possible to obtain a shock absorber capable of suppressing a sudden change in damping force before and after the opening of the disc valve without having a complicated structure.

A damper valve with an adjustable effective stiffness of a shim. The damper valve includes a piston. The piston has a fluid path formed therethrough. A shim is disposed proximate the fluid path formed through the piston. A stiffness adjustment feature is coupled to the shim, and the shim is disposed between the piston and the stiffness adjustment feature. The stiffness adjustment feature is configured to adjust the effective stiffness of the shim without affecting a preload applied to the shim.

A shock absorber is provided having a cylinder, a piston rod, a piston body, and a valve. The cylinder is configured to receive fluid. The piston body is connected to the piston rod and is configured to reciprocate within the cylinder between a compression chamber and a rebound chamber. The valve is provided by the piston body having a fluid flow port, a valve seat, a circumferential valving element, and a spring configured to urge the valve body into the valve seat. A primary damping valve and an auxiliary damping valve are also provided.

A vehicle damper assembly is disclosed. The damper includes a cylinder having an inner diameter (ID). A rod and a piston, the piston coupled to the rod and configured to divide the cylinder into a compression side and a rebound side. An electronic valve assembly including an electronic valve body coupled with the rod on the compression side of the piston. The electronic valve body having an electronic valve body outer diameter (OD). A boost valve having a boost valve body, a boost valve area located between the electronic valve body and the boost valve body, the boost valve having a boost valve OD. The boost valve OD is larger than the electronic valve body OD, such that the boost valve is configured to allow the electronic valve assembly to operate within said cylinder ID that is too large for the electronic valve body OD.

Provided is a valve device and a shock absorber that can prevent them from being in a failure state at the normal time and can freely set a passive valve even when both pressure control and passage opening/closing are performed by a solenoid valve. For this reason, the valve device includes a first passage and a second passage connected downstream of the pressure introducing passage, a solenoid valve that opens the first passage to control the upstream pressure and closes the second passage when energized, and that closes the first passage and opens the second passage when not energized, and a passive valve provided downstream of the solenoid valve in the second passage.