A piston bolt is formed by divided first and second members, and a first small-diameter portion and a large diameter portion of a common passage are formed in the first member and a second small-diameter portion of the common passage is formed in the second member. This configuration allows the common passage to be processed using a general-purpose method and tool and contributes to reducing the man-hours for the piston bolt.

An electronically controlled internal damper includes an outer housing reciprocated in a cylinder and partitioning the cylinder into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, an inner housing disposed inside the outer housing and forming a main flow path which makes the upper chamber and the lower chamber of the cylinder communicate with each other, a main poppet disposed in the inner housing to be movable up and down, thus opening or closing the main flow path, a pilot poppet configured such that at least a portion thereof is accommodated in an upper portion of the main poppet and adjusting an opening force of the main flow path according to a control current applied to a valve, and a soft valve coupled to a lower portion of the outer housing.

A vehicle suspension damper is described. The vehicle suspension damper includes: a pilot valve assembly; a primary valve; and an adjuster, wherein the pilot valve assembly meters fluid to the primary valve, and the adjuster moves the primary valve.

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.

A pressure regulation valve including a pilot stage valve with a ball valve body and a conical seat. A shock absorber with at least one pressure regulation valve.

Disclosed is a damping force variable valve assembly capable of improving linearity of a damping force through pressure control by being provided as a poppet type built in a shock absorber and by improving the responsiveness so that a check valve responds and opens quickly by a minimum load.

An electromagnetic and pilot-operated proportional valve with a valve slide unit (12) mounted in a valve housing (10) so as to be movable along an axial direction, which unit can be driven by an electromagnetic actuator assembly (16) provided at one axial end for the pilot-operated opening of a useful fluid inlet and/or outlet (24) of the valve housing as a response to energisation of a stationary coil (20) of the actuator assembly and interacts with mechanical force storage means (48, 50), more particularly is held in an unenergised stable axial position in the valve housing by said means, wherein the valve slide unit having a closure section (22) extending radially from one body section (30) of the valve slide unit (12) for sealing interaction with the useful fluid inlet or outlet (24) formed on a circumferential inner wall of the housing (10) interacts axially at one end, by means of the preferably cylindrical and/or coaxially extending body section (22), with a stationary guide section (40) of the valve housing to form an axial sliding bearing (62) and, at the other end, is mounted with radial play (56), wherein preferably ring-shaped sealing means (32) seal a circumferential section of the body section with radial play to the circumferential inner wall of the valve housing.

A damping-force generation mechanism includes: a first flow path forming portion forming a flow path in which a fluid flows; a first valve configured to control a flow of the fluid in the flow path; a back pressure chamber forming portion forming a back pressure chamber configured to apply a back pressure to the first valve; a second flow path forming portion including a plurality of connection flow paths connected to the back pressure chamber; and a second valve provided to face the second flow path forming portion and configured to control flows of the fluid in the plurality of connection flow paths.

A pin portion in which an introduction orifice leading to a back-pressure chamber is formed is disposed along inner peripheries of a main body, a main valve, and a pilot casing. A nut disposed on the pin portion is rotated relative to the pin portion to fasten the main body, the main valve, and the pilot casing together. This eliminates the necessity of machining a tool engagement portion in the pin portion and represses an increase in man-hours.

A valve arrangement and a method for controlling a pilot pressure in the valve arrangement for a shock absorber, wherein the valve arrangement comprises a control valve member movable in an axial direction relative a main valve member, a pilot chamber being in fluid communication with a first port and/or a second port. The arrangement and method comprise, during an active control mode, pressure relieving (AM S1) the control valve member and applying an actuating force (AM S2) for controlling the pilot pressure (Pp). Further, during a failsafe control mode, controlling (FM S1) the control valve member by means of the pilot pressure (P.sub.P). And finally, during both the active control mode and the failsafe control mode restricting (S3) the pilot fluid flow (PF.sub.C, PF.sub.R) by at least one common valve seat (R.sub.2).