Suspension damper having inertia valve and user adjustable pressure-relief

• US 10,359,092 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2017
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fox Factory Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Fox Factory Incorporated
• Inventors: Becker, William M., Fox, Robert C., Wootten, Dennis K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Thomas J
• Application Number:
  US15/685,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20170356521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 188275
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 25/08 for front wheel
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/06 using both gas and liquid F16F9/486 take precedence; self-pumping fluid springs B60G17/044
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/18 with a closed cylinder and a piston separating two or more working spaces therein
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/34 Special valve constructions F16F9/44, F16F9/50 take precedence; filtering details F16F9/3285 ; valves in general F16K; Shape or construction of throttling passages
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/446 Adjustment of valve bias or pre-stress F16F9/443 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/504 Inertia , i.e. acceleration,-sensitive means

Abstract

A modern suspension damper, for example, a shock absorber or a suspension fork, including an inertia valve and a pressure-relief feature is disclosed. The pressure-relief feature includes a rotatable adjustment knob that allows the pressure-relief threshold to be externally adjusted by the rider “on-the-fly” and without the use of tools.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a compression chamber having a volume reducing in response to operation of a suspension damper from an extended position to a compressed position;

an inertia valve to allow fluid flow into a first fluid path in response to an acceleration of at least a portion of the suspension damper, said inertia valve comprising;

an inertia mass moveable to an open position, in response to the acceleration of the at least a portion of the suspension damper, said inertia mass having an annular recess wherein said an annular recess provides fluid communication between an inertia inflow passage and an inertia outflow passage;

a blowoff valve to allow fluid flow into a second fluid path when a pressure in the compression chamber equals or exceeds a first pressure threshold; and

a pressure relief valve to allow fluid flow into a third fluid path when a pressure in the compression chamber equals or exceeds an adjustable second pressure threshold.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the inertial mass is a solid block of high-density material.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the inertial mass is a solid block of high-density material with no flow passages therethrough.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the pressure relief valve further comprises:

a fluid bleed passage to allow a limited fluid flow between the compression chamber and a reservoir chamber,

the limited fluid flow occurring regardless of whether the pressure relief valve is in an open position or a closed position.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein a rate of the limited fluid flow through the fluid bleed passage is manually adjustable.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the fluid bleed passage comprises:

a bleed inlet; and

a tapered bleed needle,

the rate of the limited fluid flow being manually adjustable by changing a distance between the tapered bleed needle and the bleed inlet.