Described is a gas spring (200), comprising a guide (2), having an outer surface (212), a slider (1), defining with said guide (2) at least one chamber (11) containing pressurised gas, said slider (1) being slidably connected to said guide (2) in such a way as to have a maximum stroke, of expansion, wherein said guide (2) is partially extracted from said slider (1), and a maximum stroke, of compression, characterised in that it comprises a bushing (3), positioned between said slider (1) and said guide (2), comprising sealing means for the tightness of the chamber (11), and removably coupled and so as to move integrally with said slider (1) up to said maximum stroke, in such a way that, when said slider (1) slides with respect to said guide (2) beyond said maximum stroke, said bushing (3) decouples from said slider (1) so as to eliminate the seal of the chamber (11).

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 piston cylinder device (1) comprising a cylinder (2) with a first and a second end and a guide (6), such that a pressure chamber (8) is formed in the cylinder. A piston (12) is moveable in the pressure chamber (8). The guide (6) is fixedly secured to the cylinder (2) by a lock ring (7). A sealing means (9) is arranged to seal between the guide (6) and an inner wall of a tubular wall (3) of the cylinder (2) to prevent fluid leakage from the pressure chamber (8) to the surroundings. The piston cylinder device (1) is provided with a material weakening zone (13) arranged in the inner wall of the tubular wall (3) of the cylinder (2) axially between the lock ring (7) and the second end (20) of the cylinder (2), the material weakening zone (13) being arranged to be deformed or sheared against the lock ring (7) at a predetermined level of impact of the piston (12) against the guide (6). A leakage gap (14) is arranged to interrupt the sealing means (9) upon deformation or shearing of the material weakening zone (13) such that gas from the pressure chamber (8) is allowed to leave the pressure chamber (8) through said leakage gap (14) to the surroundings.

Adjustable suspension comprising a suspension body having a bottom, a piston disposed in the suspension body and comprising a piston head, the bottom and the piston head delimiting a main chamber inside said suspension body, the piston being movable in translation in the suspension body; and a fluid distribution device comprising a main fluid inlet configured to inject a fluid into the suspension and a fluid outlet, the piston being able to assume a first position in which the fluid distribution device is configured to bring the fluid injected through the main fluid inlet into the main chamber so as to deploy the piston and a second position in which the fluid distribution device is configured to guide the fluid injected through the main fluid inlet to the fluid outlet in order to evacuate the fluid out of the suspension.

A bicycle seat suspension assembly includes a gas spring, a seat holder and a device for attachment to seat post. The gas spring is a compression gas spring with dampening, which has a working cylinder with a working cylinder bottom and a working cylinder lid, and a piston arranged in it for sliding. A piston rod sealingly goes through the working cylinder lid. A transfer hole for transfer of working gas between the working cylinder and reservoir created inside the piston rod is arranged in the piston. The transfer hole is provided with a throttle element, which is axially movably placed on a control rod, going sealingly through the lid of the reservoir. The seat holder is attached to the gas spring, not rotably in relation to the working cylinder, and it is fixedly connected with an end of the piston rod, which extends into the working cylinder with its other end bearing the piston. The device for attachment to the seat post is arranged at the closed end forming the working cylinder bottom.

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 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.

Disclosed herein is a process suitable for constructing a multiple stage air shock. The multiple stage air shock is unique among shocks in that the multiple stage design possesses qualities not available to other shock absorbers. The process includes a means for determining the compressed and extended lengths of the air shock based on the lengths of the parts for each stage. This means refers to one methodology and offers the air shock an extended length that is greater than twice its compressed length, an optimized extended length, and a construction capability based on adding stages. In particular, the extended length-compressed length relationship is a quality inherently unobtainable by current shock absorbers. The process also includes a means of determining the spring rate. This means refers to a second methodology and offers the capability to both set-up the air shock with a relatively linear spring rate and make the relatively linear spring rate more linear.

A piston cylinder device (1) comprising a cylinder (2) with a first and a second end and a guide (6), such that a pressure chamber (8) is formed in the cylinder. A piston (12) is moveable in the pressure chamber (8). The guide (6) is fixedly secured to the cylinder (2) by a lock ring (7). A sealing means (9) is arranged to seal between the guide (6) and an inner wall of a tubular wall (3) of the cylinder (2) to prevent fluid leakage from the pressure chamber (8) to the surroundings. The piston cylinder device (1) is provided with a material weakening zone (13) arranged in the inner wall of the tubular wall (3) of the cylinder (2) axially between the lock ring (7) and the second end (20) of the cylinder (2), the material weakening zone (13) being arranged to be deformed or sheared against the lock ring (7) at a predetermined level of impact of the piston (12) against the guide (6). A leakage gap (14) is arranged to interrupt the sealing means (9) upon deformation or shearing of the material weakening zone (13) such that gas from the pressure chamber (8) is allowed to leave the pressure chamber (8) through said leakage gap (14) to the surroundings.

A gas cylinder, in particular a high-pressure gas cylinder, includes a cylinder tube (1) having a piston rod (9) that is passed through a sealing arrangement (13) by which the gas pressure prevailing in the pressure chamber (23) of the cylinder tube (1) is sealed off against the ambient pressure. The sealing arrangement (13) has a compressed oil chamber (33) between a sealing element (31) adjacent to the pressure chamber (23) and another sealing element further away from the pressure chamber (23). Oil can be pressed in the oil chamber by a supply device (51) at a pressure that is equal to or higher than the respective gas pressure prevailing in the pressure chamber (23) of the cylinder tube (1).