RU2804494C2 - Shock absorber for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: shock absorbers.

SUBSTANCE: shock absorber for the vehicle comprises the inner and outer tubes, piston, rod, valve. The inner tube at least partially defines the inner fluid cavity and defines the bypass zone. The outer pipe covers at least partially located in it the inner pipe. The pipes together at least partially define an external fluid cavity therebetween. The bypass zone comprises a set of bypass holes defined in the inner tube and provides communication between the inner cavity and the outer one. The piston is mounted for movement in the inner tube. The piston moves in compression towards the first end of the inner tube and in rebound towards the second. The piston has a first side facing the first end of the inner tube and a second side facing the second end of the tube, and defines a passage opening through the piston to allow fluid flow between the first and second sides. The rod passes through the second end of the inner tube and is connected to the piston. An electronically controlled valve is connected to the piston and controls the flow of fluid through the piston bore.

EFFECT: reduced time and increased damping calibration range.

24 cl, 17 dwg

Description

CROSS REFERENCE

[1] This application claims benefit from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/753,483, filed October 31, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[2] This technology relates to shock absorbers for vehicles.

BACKGROUND OF THE ART

[3] Land vehicles, such as, for example, off-road vehicles, are often equipped with a suspension comprising a shock absorber connecting a ground engaging member (eg, a wheel) to the vehicle frame. A shock absorber dampens the movement of the frame relative to the ground engaging member to make the vehicle more comfortable and safe to operate for its occupant(s).

[4] Shock absorbers can be equipped with various functions to calibrate the damping they provide. In particular, it is generally desirable that the range of motion of the shock absorber that is most frequently engaged during vehicle use be associated with a softer damping calibration (as opposed to a stiffer damping calibration) to provide a comfortable ride during the majority of the vehicle's use. However, conventional shock absorbers are typically limited in their damping calibration range, and furthermore, their calibration either softens or tightens the damping over most, if not all, of the shock absorber's range of motion to the same amount. Additionally, in many cases, changing the required calibration of a conventional shock absorber is inconvenient and time consuming, as the shock absorber may need to be disassembled.

[5] Thus, there is a need for a shock absorber for a vehicle that overcomes some of the above-mentioned disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[6] The purpose of the present technology is to eliminate at least some of the inconveniences existing in the prior art.

[7] In accordance with another aspect of the present technology, a shock absorber for a vehicle is provided. The shock absorber contains an inner tube and an outer tube. The inner tube has a first end and a second end. The inner tube at least partially defines an internal fluid cavity. The outer pipe at least partially encloses the inner pipe located therein. The inner pipe and the outer pipe together at least partially define an outer fluid cavity between them. The inner pipe defines a bypass zone containing a plurality of bypass openings defined in the inner pipe. The plurality of bypass openings provide fluid communication between the inner fluid cavity and the outer fluid cavity. The shock absorber also contains a piston, a piston rod and an electronically controlled valve. The piston is mounted with the possibility of movement in the inner tube. The piston moves in compression when the piston moves towards the first end of the inner tube, and in rebound when the piston moves towards the second end of the inner tube. The piston has a first side facing the first end of the inner tube and a second side facing the second end of the inner tube. The piston defines a piston passage opening through the piston to provide fluid flow between the first side and the second side. The piston rod is connected to the piston and extends through the second end of the inner tube. An electronically controlled valve is connected to the piston and controls the flow of fluid through the bore of the piston.

[8] In some embodiments of the present technology, the electronically controlled valve includes a movable member that is movable between a plurality of positions including: a fully closed position in which the movable member impedes the flow of fluid through the piston bore; and a fully open position in which the movable member allows maximum fluid flow through the piston bore.

[9] In some embodiments of the present technology, the vehicle includes a suspension position sensor configured to determine a suspension position parameter indicating the position of the piston. The electronically controlled valve controls the position of the movable element based at least in part on the position of the piston indicated by a suspension position parameter determined by the suspension position sensor.

[10] In some embodiments of the present technology, an electronically controlled valve controls the position of the moving element based at least in part on the position of the piston relative to the bypass zone.

[11] In some embodiments of the present technology, an electronically controlled valve moves the movable element to a first position when the piston is between the first end and the bypass zone. The electronically controlled valve moves the moving element to a second position, different from the first position, when the piston is aligned with the bypass area. The electronically controlled valve moves the movable element to a third position, different from the first and second positions, when the piston is between the second end and the bypass area.

[12] In some embodiments of the present technology, an electronically controlled valve moves the movable element to a first position when the piston is between the first end and the bypass zone. The electronically controlled valve moves the movable member to a second position different from the first position when either (i) the piston is aligned with the bypass area or (ii) the piston is between the second end and the bypass area.

[13] In some embodiments of the present technology, an electronically controlled valve controls the flow of fluid through a piston passage based at least in part on the speed of movement of the piston.

[14] In some embodiments of the present technology, when the piston moves towards the rebound near the second end and the speed of movement of the piston is lower than the first predetermined speed, the moving element is closer to the fully open position than to the fully closed position.

[15] In some embodiments of the present technology, when the piston moves into compression and is aligned with the bypass zone and the speed of movement of the piston is greater than a second predetermined speed, the moving element is in the fully closed position or is closer to the fully closed position than the fully open position position. Moreover, the second preset speed is greater than the first preset speed.

[16] In some embodiments of the present technology, when the piston moves in compression between the first end and the bypass zone and the speed of movement of the piston is higher than a second predetermined speed, the moving element is in a fully closed position.

[17] In some embodiments of the present technology, the piston bore is a central bore of the piston. The piston further defines two offset piston bores radially spaced from the central piston bore. The shock absorber also includes a set of shims attached to the piston to restrict the flow of fluid through two offset passage holes of the piston. The shim assembly comprises: at least one compression shim on a first side of the piston for restricting flow through the first offset piston bore of the two offset piston bores when the piston moves into compression; and at least one rebound spacer on a second side of the piston for restricting flow through the second offset piston passage of the two offset piston passages when the piston moves toward rebound.

[18] In some embodiments of the present technology, the shock absorber also includes: an additional fluid chamber in fluid communication with an internal fluid cavity, the additional fluid chamber having a first end and a second end; a separator movably mounted within the additional fluid chamber, the separator having a first side facing a first end of the additional fluid chamber and a second side facing a second end of the additional fluid chamber, the separator being offset towards the first the end of the additional fluid chamber; a channel extending from the additional fluid chamber to the inner pipe for fluid communication of the additional fluid chamber with the internal fluid cavity, the channel opening into the additional fluid chamber between the separator and the first end of the additional fluid chamber, wherein the channel opens into an internal fluid cavity adjacent the first end of the inner pipe.

[19] In some embodiments of the present technology, the center-to-center distance between adjacent bypass ports, measured in a direction parallel to the piston rod, is greater than the thickness of the piston, measured from the first side to the second side of the piston.

[20] In some embodiments of the present technology, the inner tube defines a fill zone containing a plurality of fill openings defined in the inner tube. The plurality of filling holes provides fluid communication between the inner fluid cavity and the outer fluid cavity. The filling zone is closer to the second end of the inner pipe than the bypass zone.

[21] In some embodiments of the present technology, the vehicle includes a shock absorber.

[22] In some embodiments of the present technology, the vehicle includes a frame and at least one wheel. The shock absorber is connected between the frame and at least one wheel.

[23] In some embodiments of the present technology, the vehicle comprises: a frame; rear wheel; and a rear suspension assembly that connects the rear wheel to the frame. The rear suspension unit contains: a swing arm pivotally connected to the frame; and shock absorber. The suspension position sensor is connected between the sway arm and the frame so as to determine a rear suspension position parameter representing the position of the sway arm relative to the frame.

[24] In some embodiments of the present technology, the vehicle comprises: a frame; front wheel; and a front suspension assembly that connects the front wheel to the frame. The front suspension assembly contains: an A-arm connected to the frame; and shock absorber. The suspension position sensor is connected between the A-arm and the frame so as to determine a front suspension position parameter representing the position of the A-arm relative to the frame.

[25] In accordance with another aspect of the present technology, a method for controlling a shock absorber is proposed. Moreover, the shock absorber contains: an inner pipe and an outer pipe. The inner tube has a first end and a second end. The inner tube defines an internal fluid cavity. The outer pipe at least partially encloses the inner pipe located therein. The inner pipe and the outer pipe together partially define an outer fluid cavity between them. The inner pipe defines a bypass zone containing a plurality of bypass openings defined in the inner pipe. The plurality of bypass openings provide fluid communication between the inner fluid cavity and the outer fluid cavity. The method includes: determining the position of the shock absorber piston relative to the bypass zone; and electronically controlled valve control to selectively restrict the piston passage through the piston based at least in part on the position of the piston relative to the bypass zone.

[26] In some embodiments of the present technology, controlling an electronically controlled valve to selectively restrict the bore of the piston includes: moving the electronically controlled valve movable element to a first position when the piston is between the first end and the bypass region; moving the electronically controlled valve movable element to a second position when the piston is aligned with the bypass area; moving the movable element to a third position when the piston is between the second end and the bypass zone.

[27] In some embodiments of the present technology, the method also includes: determining the speed of movement of the piston; and an electronically controlled valve control for selectively limiting the bore of the piston, including controlling an electronically controlled valve for selectively limiting the bore of the piston based at least in part on the speed of movement of the piston.

[28] In some embodiments of the present technology, the movable element is movable between a plurality of positions including: a fully closed position in which the movable element obstructs the flow of fluid through the piston passage; and a fully open position in which the movable member allows maximum fluid flow through the piston bore. Controlling an electronically controlled valve to selectively limit the bore of the piston, based at least in part on the speed of movement of the piston, includes: moving the movable element so that the movable element is closer to a fully open position than to a fully closed position when the piston moves at rebound near the second end and the speed of movement of the piston is lower than the first preset speed.

[29] In some embodiments of the present technology, controlling an electronically controlled valve to selectively limit the bore of a piston, based at least in part on the speed of movement of the piston, includes: moving the movable member such that the movable member is in a fully closed position or is closer to the fully closed position than to the fully open position when the piston moves in compression and is aligned with the bypass zone and the speed of movement of the piston is higher than a second predetermined speed greater than the first preset speed.

[30] In some embodiments of the present technology, controlling an electronically controlled valve to selectively limit the bore of a piston, based at least in part on the speed of movement of the piston, includes: moving the movable member such that the movable member is in a fully closed position when the piston moves in compression between the first end and the bypass zone and the speed of movement of the piston is higher than the second predetermined speed.

[31] For the purposes of this application, terms relating to spatial orientation when referring to a vehicle and components in relation to the vehicle, such as “forward”, “backward”, “left”, “right”, “upper” and “lower” are as they would be understood by the driver of a vehicle seated in an upright driving position when the vehicle is moving in a straight line.

[32] Each of the embodiments of the present technology has at least one of the above objectives and/or aspects, but does not necessarily have all of them. It should be understood that some aspects of the presented technology resulting from an attempt to achieve the above purpose may not satisfy this purpose and/or may satisfy other purposes not specifically stated herein.

[33] Additional and/or alternative features, aspects and advantages of embodiments of the present technology will become apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF GRAPHIC MATERIALS

[34] For a better understanding of this technology, as well as its other aspects and features, reference is made to the following description, which should be used in conjunction with the accompanying graphics, where:

[35] in FIG. 1 is a perspective view from above, in front of the left side of the vehicle with the seats arranged in a row;

[36] in FIG. 2 is a vertical view of the left side of the vehicle parts in accordance with FIG. 1;

[37] in Fig. 3 is a top view of the shock absorber of the vehicle suspension assembly in accordance with FIG. 1;

[38] in FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the shock absorber according to FIG. 3, taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 3;

[39] in FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the shock absorber according to FIG. 3, in which the shock absorber piston is aligned with the bypass area of the shock absorber;

[40] in FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the shock absorber according to FIG. 3, in which the shock absorber piston is in a position offset from the bypass zone;

[41] in FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a part of the shock absorber according to FIG. 3, in which the movable element of the electronically controlled damper valve is in a fully closed position;

[42] in FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a part of the shock absorber according to FIG. 3, in which the movable element of the electronically controlled damper valve is in a partially open position;

[43] in FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a part of the shock absorber according to FIG. 3, in which the movable element of the electronically controlled damper valve is in a fully open position;

[44] in FIG. 10 is a schematic representation of various sensors and other components of the vehicle in accordance with FIG. 1;

[45] in FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a portion of the shock absorber according to FIG. 3 showing its control connector;

[46] in FIG. 12 is a top perspective view from the front of the left side of the front suspension assembly of the vehicle in accordance with FIG. 1;

[47] in FIG. 13 is a top perspective view of the front left side of the rear suspension assembly of the vehicle in accordance with FIG. 1;

[48] in FIG. 14 is a detailed view of part of one of the rear suspension assemblies in accordance with FIG. 13;

[49] in FIG. 15 is a sectional view of a portion of a shock absorber in accordance with an alternative embodiment in which the electronically controlled valve has a normally open configuration;

[50] in FIG. 16 is a sectional view of a part of the shock absorber according to FIG. 15, in which the movable element of the electronically controlled damper valve is in a partially open position; And

[51] in FIG. 17 is a sectional view of a part of the shock absorber according to FIG. 15, in which the movable element of the electronically controlled damper valve is in the fully closed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[52] The present technology will be described in relation to four-wheeled off-road vehicles having two abreast seats and a steering wheel (ie, a side-by-side vehicle (SSV)). However, it is contemplated that at least some aspects of the present technology may be applied to other types of vehicles, such as, but not limited to, off-road vehicles having a motorcycle-type seat and control lever (i.e., all-terrain vehicle (ATV, all-terrain vehicle), off-road vehicles with one bucket seat, off-road vehicles with more than four wheels, and on-road vehicles having four or more wheels and having one or more seats, and other vehicles that use shock absorbers, such as, for example, snowmobiles.

[53] General features of the off-road vehicle 40, particularly the seat-in-a-row vehicle (SSV) 40, will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and 2. The vehicle 40 includes a frame 42. The frame 42 defines a central compartment of a cab 52, within which a driver's seat 54 and a passenger seat 56 are located. In the present embodiment, the driver's seat 54 is located on the left side of the vehicle 40, and the passenger seat 56 is located on the right side of the vehicle 40. However, it is contemplated that the driver's seat 54 may be located on the right side of the vehicle 40, and the passenger seat 56 may be located on the left side of the vehicle 40. It is also contemplated that the vehicle 40 may include one seat for driver or more seats, or a seat that can accommodate a driver and at least one passenger. The vehicle 40 also includes a roll cage 43 connected to the frame 42 and extending at least partially over the seats 54, 56.

[54] The vehicle 40 includes left and right front wheels 44 connected to the frame 42 by a pair of front suspension assemblies 46 . The left and right rear wheels 48 are connected to the frame 42 by a pair of rear suspension assemblies 50. The front and rear suspension assemblies 46, 50 will be described in more detail below. Each of the front and rear wheels 44, 48 has a disk 45 and a tire 47. The disks 45 and tires 47 of the front wheels 44 may be different in size from the disks and tires of the rear wheels 48.

[55] The vehicle 40 includes a steering wheel 58 operatively coupled to the front wheels 44 to control the angle of the front wheels 44. The driver controls the steering wheel 58 from the driver's seat 54. The steering wheel 58 is located in front of the driver's seat 54. A steering position sensor (not shown) ) is operatively coupled to the steering wheel 58 via a steering control assembly to determine the steering angle of the front wheels 44. The vehicle 40 also includes an instrument panel 55 located in front of the seats 54, 56. A throttle control means in the form of a throttle pedal 91 is located above the floor of the cabin compartment 52 under the steering wheel 58 and in front of the driver's seat 54. A pedal position sensor (not shown) is operatively coupled to the throttle pedal 91 to detect movement of the pedal 91 caused by the driver during operation.

[56] As can be seen in FIG. 2, the motor 62 is connected to the frame 42 at the rear of the vehicle 40. In the present embodiment, the motor 62 is an internal combustion engine, but the present technology is not limited to this. It is contemplated that in some embodiments, said motor 62 may be replaced by a hybrid or electric motor. Vehicle 40 includes an engine control module (ECM) for monitoring and controlling various operations of engine 62. Said ECM is communicatively coupled to a pedal position sensor for receiving signals to control a throttle valve (not shown) of engine 62. Engine 62 further includes a sensor. a throttle position sensor (not shown), operatively coupled to the throttle valve and communicatively coupled to the ECM for monitoring the throttle position.

[57] The vehicle 40 includes four brake assemblies 30, one of which is shown in FIG. 2. One brake assembly 30 is operatively coupled to each of the wheels 44, 48. Each brake assembly 30 includes a brake disc 32 and a caliper 34 disposed around its corresponding brake disc 32. Each caliper 34 is connected to a corresponding brake line (not shown). The brake lines are connected to the anti-lock braking system (ABS, anti-lock braking system) module. Each caliper 34 includes a pair of brake pads located on opposite sides of their respective brake disc 32. The brake assemblies 30 are actuated by actuating the calipers 34 by applying fluid pressure to the brake lines, thereby causing the brake pads to exert pressure on their respective brake pads. wheels 32.

[58] The motor 62 is coupled to a transmission 64, particularly a continuously variable transmission (CVT) 64 located on the left side of the motor 62. The CVT 64 is operatively coupled to a drive axle 66 in block with the gearbox for transmitting torque. from motor 62 to drive axle 66 in a block with gearbox. The drive axle 66 in the transmission assembly is operatively coupled to the front and rear wheels 44, 48 to propel the vehicle 40. The motor 62 and transmission 64 are supported by the frame 42. Versions of the vehicle 40 having other types of transmission are also contemplated.

[59] The drive axle 66 is mechanically coupled to a switch 60 located laterally between the two seats 54, 56. The switch 60 allows the driver to select from a variety of gear meshing combinations of the drive axle 66, collectively referred to as gears. . In the present embodiment, switch 60 allows the driver to select between a reverse gear, two forward gears (high and low), and a neutral position, in which the drive axle 66 does not transmit torque to the wheels 44, 48. It is assumed that other types of connections may be used between the switch 60 and the drive axle 66 to the transmission.

[60] The drive axle 66 in assembly transmits torque applied thereto to drive the left and right rear wheels 48. Although the vehicle 40 is described with the rear wheels 48 driving the vehicle 40 in a 2x4 driving mode, it is assumed that in some embodiments the front wheels 44 may be driven when the vehicle 40 is in a 2x4 drive mode. In particular, the drive axle 66 in the transmission unit includes left and right axle shafts and a differential connected thereto for applying torque to the rear drive wheels 48. The differential is operatively connected between the gearbox 64 and the left and right drive wheels 48. In addition, In 4x4 driving mode, the front wheels 44 and the rear wheels 48 are driven.

[61] As shown in FIG. 1, 2, and 12, each front suspension assembly 46 includes an upper A-arm 24, a lower A-arm 26, a front shock absorber 100a, and a front coil spring 28. The front coil spring 28 is mounted above and coupled to the front shock absorber 100a through a fixed spring seat 51 and adjustable spring seat 53. The front coil spring 28 and the front shock absorber 100a are pivotally connected at their lower ends to the upper A-arm 24 and at their upper ends to the frame 42. Each of the upper and lower A-arms 24, 26 have one end pivotally connected to frame 42. A kingpin 29 (FIG. 12) is mounted on each of the opposite ends of the upper and lower A-arms 24, 26. Each front wheel 44 is partially supported by its respective kingpin 29.

[62] As shown in FIG. 2 and 13, each rear suspension assembly 50 includes a swing arm 36, a rear shock absorber 100b, and a rear coil spring 38. The rear coil spring 38 is mounted above the rear shock absorber 100b and connected thereto through a fixed spring seat 57 and an adjustable spring seat 59. Each rocker arm 36 has one end pivotally connected to the frame 42 about a pivot axis located in front of the rear wheels 48 and extending generally transversely within the frame 42, and the opposite end supports a wheel shaft of its corresponding rear wheel 48. Each rocker arm 36 on in the middle is connected to the torsion bar by 35 links. The torsion bar 35 is attached to the frame 42 by support bearings 222. For each rear suspension assembly 50, the rear shock absorber 100b and the rear coil spring 38 have one end pivotally connected to the frame 42 and the other end pivotally connected to its corresponding sway arm 36 adjacent with its rear end.

[63] The shock absorbers 100a, 100b absorb and dampen shock impulses generated by the movement of the vehicle 40 and dampen vibrations of the corresponding coil springs 28, 38. The shock absorbers 100a, 100b provide compression damping, causing the shock absorbers 100a, 100b to compress to absorb shocks or road irregularities when the wheels 44, 48 move up. The shock absorbers 100a, 100b also provide rebound damping, causing the shock absorbers 100a, 100b to return to their normal position after an impact or other compression disturbance, or upon impact with a pothole.

[64] The shock absorbers 100a, 100b of the front and rear suspension assemblies 46, 50 will now be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 3-9. Since the shock absorbers 100a, 100b of the front and rear suspension assemblies 46, 50 are similar, only the shock absorber 100a of one of the front suspension assemblies 46 will be described herein. It will be understood that, unless otherwise noted, the same description applies to the shock absorber 100a of the other front suspension assembly 46 and the shock absorbers 100b of the rear suspension assemblies 50.

[65] As mentioned above, the shock absorber 100a is operatively connected between the frame 42 and the corresponding wheel 44. To this end, as shown in FIG. 3, the shock absorber 100a has opposing coupling supports 106, 108 for connection, respectively, to the frame 42 and the upper A-arm 24 of the front suspension assembly 46. Thus, the connecting supports 106, 108 may be referred to as "frame support" 106 and "suspension support" 108, respectively. It is contemplated that the shock absorber 100a may be coupled to any other suitable support member of the front suspension assembly 46. In the case of rear suspension assemblies 50, each shock absorber 100b is connected between the frame 42 and a corresponding swing arm 36.

[66] The shock absorber 100a is a two-tube type shock absorber and thus, as shown in FIG. 4, includes an inner pipe 102 and an outer pipe 104 partially enclosing the inner pipe 102 located therein. End caps 110, 112 are attached to one end or the other of the outer pipe 104 (for example, by means of a threaded connection) to enclose volumes partially limited by each inner and outer tubes 102, 104. More specifically, the inner tube 102 together with the end caps 110, 112 defines an internal fluid cavity 114. An outer fluid cavity 116, located radially outside the inner fluid cavity 114, is defined between the inner pipe 102 and the outer pipe 104, as well as the end caps 110, 112.

[67] As best seen in FIG. 4, the inner pipe 102 defines a bypass zone BZ containing a plurality of bypass openings 121 defined in the inner pipe 102. The bypass openings 121 provide fluid communication of the inner fluid cavity 114 with the outer fluid cavity 116. The bypass openings 121 are arranged to form rows 123 of circumferentially aligned openings 121 (ie, openings aligned with the circumference of the inner tube 102). The bypass zone BZ is located closer to the end 128 of the inner pipe 102 than to the opposite end 130 of the inner pipe 102.

[68] The inner tube 102 also defines a fill zone RZ containing a plurality of fill holes 122 defined in the inner tube 102. The fill holes 122 provide fluid communication of the inner fluid cavity 114 with the outer fluid cavity 116. Thus, fluid can flow from the internal fluid cavity 114 through the bypass holes 121 into the outer fluid cavity 116 and through the fill holes 122 into the internal fluid cavity 114 and vice versa. In this embodiment, the filling holes 122 are aligned axially with respect to each other (that is, aligned in the axial direction of the inner pipe 102).

[69] As will be explained below, a bypass zone BZ and a fill zone RZ are provided to soften the damping calibration of the shock absorber 100a within a certain range of movement of its piston 124.

[70] As shown in FIG. 4, the piston 124 is movably mounted in the inner tube 102 such that the piston 124 divides the inner fluid cavity 114 into two variable volume chambers C1, C2 on opposite sides of the piston 124. It should be noted that the chamber C1 is formed between the piston side 132 124 (facing the end 128 of the inner tube 102) and the end cap 110, while chamber C2 is defined between the opposite side 134 of the piston 124 (facing the end 130 of the inner tube 102) and the end cap 112. The outer periphery of the piston 124 is sealed by the piston ring 145 (FIG. 7) mounted thereon to prevent leakage of fluid from chamber C1 to chamber C2 between the outer periphery of the piston 124 and the inner wall of the inner pipe 102. As shown in FIG. 7, piston 124 has a thickness TP measured from side 132 to opposite side 134 of piston 124. The center-to-center distance DA (FIG. 4) between adjacent bypass holes 121, measured in a direction parallel to piston rod 126 (which will be further described below), is greater than the thickness TP of the piston 124. Thus, at certain positions of the piston 124, the piston 124 may be surrounded on both sides thereof by some of the bypass holes 121.

[71] Piston 124 is said to move in compression when piston 124 moves toward end 128 of inner tube 102 (so chamber C1 becomes smaller) and in rebound when piston 124 moves in the opposite direction toward end 130 of inner tube 102. 102 pipes (so chamber C2 becomes smaller).

[72] A hollow piston rod 126 connects the piston 124 to the suspension support 108 and moves with the piston 124. The piston rod 126 extends through the end 130 of the inner tube 102 to connect with the suspension support 108. A stopper 125 (also commonly referred to as a bump stop) is coupled to the piston rod 126 adjacent the suspension mount 108 so as to limit the compression stroke of the shock absorber 100a and thereby prevent contact between the suspension mount 108 and the end cap 112.

[73] The bypass ports 121 of the bypass zone BZ and the fill ports 122 of the fill zone RZ allow the piston 124 to move more freely (i.e., with a softer damping calibration) in the middle range of movement of the piston 124 (i.e., the range of movement of the piston 124, which is frequently activated during the use of the vehicle 40 - for example, 50% or more of the time) defined between the bypass zone BZ and the filling zone RZ. This softens the damping calibration of the shock absorber 100a to provide a comfortable ride for the occupants of the vehicle 40 during the most active range of motion of the piston 124. It should be noted that due to the position of the bypass holes 121, when the piston 124 is located between the bypass zone BZ and the fill zone RZ, and As the piston 124 moves in compression toward the bypass holes 121, the fluid in chamber C1 of the internal fluid cavity 114 bypasses the piston 124, flowing through the bypass holes 121 into the outer fluid cavity 116 (thus providing less resistance to the movement of the piston 124 ), and then through the filling holes 122 into the inner fluid cavity 114 chamber C2. Likewise, when the piston 124 is located between the bypass zone BZ and the filling zone RZ, and the piston 124 moves towards the filling holes 122, the fluid in the chamber C2 of the internal fluid cavity 114 bypasses the piston 124, flowing through the holes 122 to fill into the outer fluid cavity 116 (thus providing less resistance to the movement of the piston 124), and then through the bypass holes 121 into the chamber C1 of the inner fluid cavity 114.

[74] As will be described in more detail below, the piston 124 itself also has elements for calibrating the damping of the shock absorber 100a.

[75] The shock absorber 100a has an additional fluid chamber 300 in fluid communication with the internal fluid cavity 114 through a channel 302 formed by a fluid connector 304. A divider 306 is movably mounted within the additional fluid chamber 300 and divides the additional fluid chamber 300 into two separate variable-volume subchambers 308, 310. A subchamber 308 is defined between one side of the separator 306 and the end 312 of the additional fluid chamber 300, while a subchamber 310 is defined between the opposite side of the separator 306 and the end 314 of the additional fluid chamber 300. The end 312 is defined by the fluid connector 304, and end 314 is defined by an end cap 316. The subchamber 308 contains the same fluid that is contained in the internal fluid cavity 114, and thus the subchamber 308 may generally be referred to as the fluid subchamber 308. The subchamber 310 contains a compressible gas and thus may generally be referred to as a gas subchamber 310. The separator 306 is displaced toward the end 312 of the subfluid chamber 300 by the gas in the gas subchamber 310.

[76] A passage 302 extends from the additional fluid chamber 300 to the inner fluid communication pipe 102 of the additional fluid chamber 300 with the internal fluid cavity 114. More specifically, channel 302 opens into additional fluid chamber 300 between separator 306 and end 312 of additional fluid chamber 300 (ie, sub-fluid chamber 308). In the inner tube 102, a passage 302 opens into an inner fluid cavity 114 adjacent the end 128 of the inner tube 102 (ie, chamber C1).

[77] Fluid from the internal fluid cavity 114 is pushed into the sub-fluid chamber 308 to compensate for the volume occupied by the piston rod 126 in chamber C1 as the piston rod 126 is pushed further into the internal fluid cavity 114. Thus, the fluid is pushed through the channel 302 into the liquid subchamber 308, which expands the volume of the liquid subchamber 308, pushing the separator 306 to compress the gas in the gas subchamber 310 and reduce the volume of the gas subchamber 310. Similarly, when the piston rod 126 exits the internal fluid cavity 114, the reduction in volume occupied by the piston rod 126 in chamber C1 must be compensated by reintroducing an equivalent volume of hydraulic fluid from the subchamber 308 into the internal fluid cavity 114. environment. The inclusion of an external additional fluid chamber 300 reduces the overall length of the shock absorber 100a and can help configure the shock absorber 100a for placement in difficult to reach locations on the vehicle.

[78] The piston 124 defines various passage holes that extend through the piston 124 to allow fluid to flow therethrough from chamber C1 to chamber C2 and vice versa. It should be noted that the piston 124 defines a central bore 136 and offset bores 138, 140 that are radially spaced from the central bore 136. Fluid flow through the bores 136, 138, 140 is controlled to calibrate the damping of the shock absorber 100a. In particular, as shown in FIG. 7, packs of compression shims 142 and rebound shims 144 are provided to restrict fluid flow through the offset passage openings 138, 140 as the piston 124 moves into compression and rebound, respectively. The compression and rebound gaskets 142, 144 are attached to the piston 124. The rebound gaskets 144 are pressed against the piston 124 by a nut 127 and the spacer ring 131. The compression gaskets 142 are pressed to the piston 124 by the spacer ring 129.

[79] The compression shims 142 impede (i.e., block) fluid flow through the offset bore 138 when the piston 124 moves toward rebound (i.e., there is no fluid flow through the offset bore 138 when the piston 124 moves toward to the end 130 of the inner pipe 102). However, when the piston 124 moves into compression, the fluid in the offset passageway 138 exerts a force on the compression spacers 142 to elastically deform the compression spacers 142, thereby allowing fluid to flow from chamber C1 to chamber C2 through the offset passageway 138. Similarly, , the rebound shims 144 impede flow through the offset bore 140 when the piston 124 moves into compression (i.e., there is no fluid flow through the offset bore 140 when the piston 124 moves toward the end 128 of the inner tube 102). However, as the piston 124 moves toward rebound, the fluid in the offset passageway 140 exerts a force on the rebound spacers 144 to elastically deform the rebound spacers 144, thereby allowing fluid to flow from chamber C2 to chamber C1 through the offset passageway 140.

[80] The compression and rebound shims 142, 144 thus provide a predetermined amount of resistance to the movement of the piston 124 in the inner tube 102. By selecting the thickness and number of the compression and rebound shims 142, 144, the force required to elastically deform the shims 142, 144 can be increased or decreased. Thus, the compression and rebound damping of the shock absorber 100a is calibrated by selecting the configuration of the compression and rebound shims 142, 144. However, adjusting the configuration of the shims 142, 144 after the shock absorber 100a has already been assembled can be tedious because it requires disassembly of the shock absorber 100a. Alternatively or additionally, the dimensions of the offset bores 138, 140 may be changed to calibrate the damping of the shock absorber 100a. However, again, this will require disassembly of the shock absorber 100a to replace the piston 124 or modify it to adjust the dimensions of the offset bores 138, 140.

[81] The shock absorber 100a also includes an electronically controlled valve 160 for controlling the flow of fluid through the central passage opening 136. More specifically, the valve 160 is operable to gradually close and open the flow of fluid through the central passage opening 136 of the piston 124, for example, to calibrate the damping provided by the 100a shock absorber. In this embodiment, valve 160 connects piston 124 to piston rod 126. Valve 160 can be configured in various ways. For example, in this embodiment, valve 160 is of the type described in US Pat. No. 9,168,808, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[82] More specifically, with reference to FIG. 7, in this embodiment, valve 160 includes a valve base 162 connected to a piston rod 126, and a valve body 164 connected to the outer periphery of the valve base 162 (eg, through a threaded connection). Sliding guide 166 is partially located within valve body 164 and is configured to guide sliding member 168, as will be described in more detail below. The valve base 162 has a cylindrical spring receiving portion 170 defining a central hollow space. An end portion 172 of the sliding guide 166 is located within said hollow space defined by the spring receiving portion 170, and a spring 174 surrounds an end portion 172 of the sliding guide 166 such that the spring 174 is located between the spring receiving portion 170 and the end portion 172 of the sliding guide 166. At one end, the spring 174 is held on the valve base 162 by a spring holder 176, which is connected to the wave spring 178. At the other end, the spring 174 is held by a non-magnetic spacer ring 196, which in turn holds the edge of the movable element 168.

[83] The movable member 168 is typically cylindrical in shape and defines a central opening. The inner peripheral surface of the sliding member 168, defined by its central hole, slidably engages with the outer peripheral surface of the sliding guide 166 so that the sliding member 168 can slide along the axis of the sliding guide 166. The sliding member 168 defines a plurality of holes 183 aligned with each other. along the length of the movable element 168 and uniformly distributed around the circumference of the movable element 168. The lower portion 185 of the movable element 168, adjacent to the holes 183 in the direction of the axis of the movable element 168, does not contain any holes and, as will be described in more detail below, is used to restrict the flow of fluid medium through valve 160.

[84] The piston 124 is mounted on the sliding guide 166 through the central passage opening 136 such that the sliding guide 166 extends through the piston 124 (ie, from side 132 to the other side 134 of the piston 124). The sliding guide 166 has a main passage opening 180 extending in the axis direction of the inner tube 102 and a plurality of side passage openings 181 in fluid communication with the main passage opening 180 and drilled in a radial direction at an end portion of the main passage opening 180.

[85] The movable member 168 is controlled by the valve 160 to selectively restrict the flow of fluid through the central passage opening 136. More specifically, the movable member 168 of the valve 160 is movable between a plurality of positions, including a fully open position (shown in FIG. 9) and a fully open position. closed position (shown in FIG. 7) to selectively restrict fluid flow through the central passage opening 136 of the piston 124 by partially or completely blocking fluid communication between the side passage openings 181 and the openings 183. In the fully open position of the opening 183 of the movable element 168 are aligned with the side passage openings 181 of the sliding guide 166 such that the sliding member 168 allows maximum fluid flow through the central passage opening 136. In the fully closed position, the openings 183 of the sliding member 168 are not aligned with the side passage openings 181, but instead the bottom portion 185 aligned with the side passage openings 181 so as to impede the flow of fluid between the side passage openings 181 and the inner chamber 187 formed within the valve body 164 (i.e. e. fluid flow through the central passage opening 136 is prevented by the movable element 168).

[86] When the movable element 168 is in the fully open or partially open position and the piston 124 moves into compression, a portion of the fluid flowing from chamber C1 to chamber C2 flows from chamber C1 through the main passage opening 180, through the side passage openings 181, through openings 183 into inner chamber 187 and through passage openings 260, 262 formed by valve body 164 into chamber C2. It will be appreciated that, under some circumstances, as piston 124 moves into compression, portions of the fluid will also flow from chamber C1 into chamber C2 through offset bore 138 (depending on the calibration of compression shims 142), as well as bypass zone BZ and fill zone RZ . For example, even when the movable member 168 is in the fully open position, if the compression force is strong enough, the passage holes 180, 181, 183 may become "choked" due to the amount of fluid circulating through them, and the compression force may thus cause deflection of compression shims 142 and thus allow fluid flow from chamber C1 to chamber C2 through offset passage 138 (in addition to fluid flow through passages 180, 181, 183, as well as bypass zone BZ and fill zone RZ) .

[87] Conversely, when the movable element 168 is in the fully open or partially open position and the piston 124 moves to the rebound, a portion of the fluid flowing from chamber C2 to chamber C1 flows from chamber C2 through passages 260, 262 into the inner chamber 187 through openings 183, through side passage openings 181, and through main passage opening 180 into chamber C1. It is understood that under some circumstances, when the piston 124 moves into rebound, portions of the fluid will also flow from chamber C2 into chamber C1 through the offset passage opening 140 (depending on the calibration of the rebound shims 144), as well as the bypass zone BZ and the fill zone RZ .

[88] To actuate the movable member 168, the valve 160 includes a solenoid 190 housed within the valve body 164. Solenoid 190 includes an annular coil 192 wound on a non-magnetic bobbin 194 and is housed in a housing of magnetic material that is formed by a valve base 162, a valve body 164, a disc-like spacer ring 195, and a slider. 168. When the solenoid 190 is energized, the solenoid 190 creates a magnetic field that moves the movable element 168 towards the valve base 162, thereby compressing the springs 174, 178. The movable element 168 is stopped in its movement towards the valve base 162 by a non-magnetic remote ring 196 that prevents direct contact between the corner edge of the cylindrical spring receiving portion 170 and the V-groove end of the moving member 168. At the position of the moving member 168 closest to the valve base 162, which is obtained when the magnetic field generated by the solenoid 190 , is sufficiently strong that the movable element 168 is in its fully open position, as shown in FIG. 9. Conversely, when the solenoid 190 is completely de-energized, the movable element 168 is pushed away from the valve base 162 (towards the piston 124) by the springs 174, 178 to return the movable element 168 to its normal position, which is the fully closed position, as shown in Fig. 7. Thus, in this embodiment, valve 160 is a normally closed valve. When the solenoid 190 is energized but the magnetic field it generates is not strong enough to move the slider 168 to the fully open position, the slider 168 moves to a partially open position (ie, a position intermediate between the fully closed and fully open positions). Thus, depending on the strength of the magnetic field, the movable element 168 can be moved to various partially open positions.

[89] In other embodiments, valve 160 may be normally open. In such embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 15-17, when the solenoid 190 is completely de-energized, the slider 168 is in its fully open position such that the holes 183 are aligned with the side passage holes 181. As shown in FIG. 15, in this embodiment, the openings 183 of the movable member 168 are positioned differently, namely further away from the piston 124, so that the portion of the movable member 168 that blocks the passage openings 181 in the fully closed position is the top portion 185'. Thus, when the movable element 168 is closest to the valve base 162, the movable element 168 is in its fully closed position. Conversely, as shown in FIG. 17, when the movable member 168 is furthest from the valve base 162, the movable member 168 is in its fully open position. In fig. 16 shows the partially open position of valve 160, with the top portion 185' partially blocking the passage openings 181.

[90] It is contemplated that valve 160 may be configured differently in other embodiments. That is, instead of valve 160, different types of valves can be used. For example, in some embodiments, valve 160 may be an on/off valve that can only be in the fully closed and fully open positions.

[91] A control unit 200 (shown schematically in FIG. 10) is connected to the valve 160 to control its operation by selectively energizing and de-energizing the solenoid 190. More specifically, wires 198 are connected to the solenoid 190 and extend through the valve base 162 and within piston rod 126 to shock absorber control connector 193 (FIG. 11) adjacent to suspension mount 108. A connecting link 197 (FIG. 11) connects the control unit 200 to the shock absorber 100a. As can be seen in FIG. 11, the connecting link 197 has a connector 199 that is inserted into the shock absorber control connector 193 and thus provides communication between the control unit 200 with the solenoid 190, for example, to control the position of the movable element 168 and thus selectively limit the flow of fluid through central passage hole 136.

[92] Therefore, as will be understood, valve 160 is controlled by control unit 200 to selectively calibrate the damping provided by shock absorber 100a. Thus, unlike the compression and rebound shims 142, 144, the damping calibration provided by the valve 160 can be adjusted without disassembling the shock absorber 100a.

[93] As shown in FIG. 11, connectors 193, 199 include corresponding orientation members 205, 207 to direct the correct orientation of connector 199 relative to shock absorber control connector 193. In this embodiment, the alignment member 205 of the connector 199 is a protrusion extending from the flange 203 of the connector 199 toward the shock absorber control connector 193 when the connector 199 engages the shock absorber control connector 193, and the alignment member 207 of the shock absorber control connector 193 is a recess , configured to receive a projection 205. This makes it easier to connect the connectors 193, 199 to each other since it is more obvious whether the connector 199 is in the wrong orientation to engage the shock absorber control connector 193. It is contemplated that in alternative embodiments, the orientation element 205 may be a recess, while the orientation element 207 may be a protrusion. The shock absorber control connector 193 is provided with fastener receiving holes 209 to receive fasteners that engage corresponding holes 211 in the connector 199.

[94] As shown in FIG. 10, the control unit 200 includes a processor module 202 for executing executable code and a non-volatile memory module 204 that stores the executable code on a non-volatile medium (not shown) included in the storage module 204. The processor module 202 includes one or more processors for performing processing operations that implement the functionality of the control module 200. Processor module 202 may be a general purpose processor or may be a special purpose processor comprising one or more preprogrammed hardware or embedded elements (eg, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs) , electrically erasable programmable read-only memorie), etc.) or other related items. The non-volatile storage medium of the storage module 204 may be a semiconductor storage device (for example, a read-only memory (ROM) and/or a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic storage medium, an optical storage medium, and/or or any other suitable type of storage device. Although in this embodiment the control unit 200 is presented as a single unit, it is understood that the control unit 200 may include separate objects for separately controlling the components.

[95] As schematically shown in FIG. 10, the control unit 200 is coupled to the front suspension position sensors 206 and the rear suspension position sensors 208 to control the operation of the valves 160 of the front and rear shock absorbers 100a, 100b. As will be explained in more detail below, the front and rear suspension position sensors 206, 214 are connected to the control unit 200 and send signals to the control unit 200 that indicate the position of the piston 124 of the corresponding shock absorber 100a, 100b.

[96] As shown in FIG. 12, each of the front suspension position sensors 206 is mounted on a sensor mounting bracket 215 and is interconnected between the frame 42 of the vehicle 40 and a component of the corresponding front suspension assembly 46. The sensor mounting bracket 215 is also configured to protect the associated front suspension position sensor 206 from physical damage. In this embodiment, the connecting portion 208 of the sensor mounting bracket 215 is connected to the frame 42, while the front suspension position sensor 206 is connected through the link assembly 210 to the upper A-arm 24 of the front suspension assembly 46. Thus, the front suspension position sensor 206 determines a front suspension position parameter representing the position of the upper A-arm 24 relative to the frame 42. A wire 212 connects the front suspension position sensor 206 to the control unit 200.

[97] More specifically, linkage assembly 210, which contains two linkage elements pivotally connected to each other (not shown - see similar linkage assembly 218 for rear suspension position sensors 214 in FIG. 14), is connected via bracket 216 to the frontmost connecting member 234 of two connecting members 234, 236 of the upper A-arm 24. The bracket 216 is located on the upper side of the upper A-arm 24 such that the front suspension position sensor 206 is located vertically higher than the upper A-arm 24. Sensor 206 position of the front suspension is thus vertically above the pivot axis 229 of the pivot 230 mounted between the suspension support 108 of the shock absorber 100a and the upper A-arm 24 when the vehicle 40 is unloaded (i.e., no cargo or passengers) and is located at rest. This higher vertical position of the front suspension position sensor 206 may help prevent damage to the front suspension position sensor 206 because the front suspension position sensor 206 is less susceptible to impacts from foreign bodies thrown from below when the vehicle 40 is driven. In addition, the front suspension position sensor 206 is positioned longitudinally. between the connecting members 234, 236 of the upper A-arm 24. In addition, the front suspension position sensor 206 is located laterally between the support 232 at the end of the connecting element 234 and the hinge 230. In addition, the front suspension position sensor 206 is located in front of the corresponding shock absorber 100a.

[98] As shown in FIG. 13, each of the rear suspension position sensors 214 is mounted on a sensor mounting bracket 225 and is interconnected between the frame 42 and a component of the corresponding rear suspension assembly 50. The sensor mounting bracket 225 is also configured to protect the associated rear suspension position sensor 214 from physical damage. More specifically, in this embodiment, the connecting portion 216 of the sensor mounting bracket 225 is connected to the frame 42 through fasteners 223, while the rear suspension position sensor 214 is connected through the link assembly 218 to the oscillating arm 36 of the rear suspension assembly 50. In this embodiment, fasteners 223 are also used to secure the support bearing 222 to the frame 42. Thus, the rear suspension position sensor 214 determines a rear suspension position parameter representing the position of the sway arm 36 relative to the frame 42. Wire 220 connects the rear suspension position sensor 214 to control unit 200.

[99] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, the link assembly 218 is connected to the swing arm 36 through a swing arm bracket 247 located on the upper side of the swing arm 36. More specifically, the link assembly 218 includes a link member 219 pivotally connected to the swing arm bracket 247, and a link member 221 that is pivotally connected to the upper end of the link element 219 at one end and to the rear suspension position sensor 214 at the other end. Thus, the rear suspension position sensor 214 is located vertically above the pivot axis PA1 of the hinge 245 (FIG. 2), about which the swing arm 36 rotates relative to the frame 42, and behind the pivot axis PA1. This higher vertical position of the rear suspension position sensor 214 may help prevent damage to the rear suspension position sensor 214 because the rear suspension position sensor 214 is less susceptible to impacts from foreign bodies thrown from below when the vehicle 40 is driven. In addition, the rear suspension position sensor 214 is located forward the pivot axis PA2 of the hinge 255 mounted between the suspension support 108 of the shock absorber 100b and the swing arm 36. Thus, the rear suspension position sensor 214 is located longitudinally between the pivot axes PA1, PA2. In addition, the rear suspension position sensor 214 is located in front of the rotation axis PA3 of the hinge 259, around which the torsion bar 35 is connected to the swing arm 36 by means of a rod 257. Thus, the rear suspension position sensor 214 is also located longitudinally between the rotation axes PA1, PA3. The turning axis PA3 is located in front of the turning axis PA2. Each of the rotation axes PA1, PA2, PA3 runs, as a rule, in the lateral direction. The rear suspension position sensor 214 is also located in front of the corresponding shock absorber 100b and behind the driver and passenger seat cushions 54, 56 (ie, the substantially horizontal portions of the seats 54, 56).

[100] It is contemplated that in other embodiments, one front suspension position sensor 206 and/or one rear suspension position sensor 214 may be provided. Moreover, in other embodiments, the rear suspension position sensors 214 may be mounted on the torsion bar 35.

[101] Returning now to the shock absorber 100a, in this embodiment, the position of the movable element 168 is controlled by the valve 160 based in part on the position of the piston 124 indicated by the front suspension position parameters determined by the left and right front suspension position sensors 206. More specifically, the front suspension position sensors 206 are connected to the control unit 200 and send front suspension position parameters that indicate the position of the piston 124 to the control unit 200. That is, the position of the piston 124 can be accurately determined based on the front suspension position parameters transmitted by the position sensors 206 front suspension. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the left and right front suspension position parameters detected by the left and right front suspension position sensors 206 will be approximately the same, and thus the position of the moving members 168 of the valves 160 of the left and right front shock absorbers 100a will be controlled by the valves 160 the same way. However, if there is a difference between the left and right front suspension position parameters that exceeds a predetermined allowable difference, one of the left and right front suspension position parameters that indicates that the position of the corresponding piston 124 was closest to the bottom touching or touching position upper point (i.e., closest to any of the end caps 110, 112) will be considered an indicator of the position of the piston 124. The moving elements 168 of the valves 160 of the rear shock absorbers 100b are similarly controlled based on the position of the corresponding piston 124 indicated by the rear suspension position parameters determined by the left and right sensors 214 rear suspension position.

[102] The control unit 200 determines, based on signals sent to it by the front suspension position sensors 206, the position of the piston 124 relative to the bypass zone BZ and uses this information to control the valve 160. As will be described in detail below, the position of the movable element 168 is controlled by the valve 160 in part by based on the position of the piston 124 relative to the bypass zone BZ. That is, in this embodiment, the valve 160 moves the movable member 168 to different positions depending on the position of the piston 124 relative to the bypass zone BZ.

[103] For example, the valve 160 moves the movable element 168 to various positions when: (i) the piston 124 is located between the end 128 of the inner pipe 102 and the bypass zone BZ; (ii) piston 124 is aligned with bypass zone BZ (i.e., piston 124 is between bypass hole 121 closest to end 128 and bypass hole 121 closest to end 130); and (iii) the piston 124 is located between the end 130 of the inner tube 102 and the bypass zone BZ.

[104] In addition, in this embodiment, valve 160 controls the flow of fluid through the central passage opening 136, also based on the speed of movement of the piston 124 in the inner tube 102. That is, the position of the moving element 168 depends in part on the speed of movement of the piston 124, regardless of whether it moves in compression or rebound. The speed of movement of the piston 124 is determined by the control unit 200 based on a signal indicating the position of the piston 124 received from the front suspension position sensor 206 . Control unit 200 uses this information to control valve 160.

[105] Specifically, in this embodiment, the control unit 200 compares the moving speed of the piston 124 with the low preset speed PS1 and the high preset speed PS2 (greater than the low preset speed PS1) to drive the movable member 168. Low and high predetermined speeds to which the speed of movement of the piston 124 is compared depend on the direction of movement of the piston 124. Thus, in this embodiment, the valve 160 controls the flow of fluid through the central passage opening 136 based also on the direction of movement of the piston 124 such that the position of the movable member 168 is controlled based on whether the piston 124 moves in compression or rebound (the direction of movement of the piston 124 is also indicated by the front suspension position parameter detected by the front suspension position sensor 206). More specifically, in this embodiment, the low preset rebound speed PS1 is from 0 m/s to 0.8 m/s inclusive, and the high preset rebound speed PS2 is from 0.8 m/s to 1.2 m /s inclusive. Moreover, in this embodiment, the low preset compression speed PS1 is from 0 m/s to 2 m/s inclusive, and the high preset compression speed PS2 is from 2 m/s to 4 m/s inclusive. In other embodiments, the low and high preset speeds PS1, PS2 may have any other suitable values.

[106] In this embodiment, when the piston 124 moves to rebound between the end 128 of the inner tube 102 and the bypass zone BZ, and the moving speed of the piston 124 is lower than the low predetermined speed PS1, the valve 160 moves the movable member 168 so that it is completely in open position. This softens the damping calibration of the 100a shock. Conversely, when the piston 124 moves to rebound between the end 128 of the inner pipe 102 and the bypass zone BZ, and the moving speed of the piston 124 is higher than the high preset speed PS2, the valve 160 moves the movable member 168 to be in a partially open position. Although this softens the damping calibration of the shock absorber 100a, the softening of the damping calibration is limited (relative to the fully open position) to prevent shock from the suspension 46, causing the piston 124 to very suddenly move toward the end 130 of the inner tube 102, causing the suspension 46 to suddenly move upward.

[107] When the piston 124 moves toward rebound and is aligned with the bypass zone BZ, and the speed of movement of the piston 124 is below the low preset speed PS1, the valve 160 moves the movable member 168 to be near the fully open position. Likewise, when the piston 124 moves toward rebound and is aligned with the bypass zone BZ, and the speed of movement of the piston 124 is higher than the high preset speed PS2, the valve 160 moves the movable member 168 to be near the fully open position.

[108] When the piston 124 moves to rebound between the bypass zone BZ and the fill zone RZ, and the moving speed of the piston 124 is lower than the low preset speed PS1, the valve 160 moves the movable member 168 to be near the fully open position. Conversely, when the piston 124 moves to rebound between the bypass zone BZ and the fill zone RZ, and the speed of movement of the piston 124 is higher than the high preset speed PS2, the valve 160 moves the movable element 168 towards the fully closed position so as to begin to close the valve 160.

[109] When the piston 124 moves toward the rebound end 130 of the inner pipe 102 (that is, between the fill zone RZ and the end 130) and the speed of movement of the piston 124 is below the low preset speed PS1, the valve 160 moves the movable element 168 to be closer to a fully open position than to a fully closed position (eg, as shown in FIG. 9). More specifically, in this embodiment, in such a scenario, the movable element 168 moves to a fully open position to allow maximum fluid flow through the central passage opening 136. It should be noted that when the piston 124 is almost fully extended (i.e., the distance between the frame and suspension supports 106, 108 close to its maximum) and moves at low speed, hard damping is not required, and thus softer damping is achieved by allowing significant fluid flow through the central passage opening 136. However, as As piston 124 moves toward end 130 (e.g., less than halfway between fill zone RZ and end 130), valve 160 moves movable member 168 to be in a fully closed position, e.g., to prevent contact with the top of shock absorber 100a (i.e., e. valve body 164 contacts end cap 112). Conversely, when the piston 124 moves toward the rebound end 130 of the inner tube 102 and the speed of movement of the piston 124 is higher than the high preset speed PS2, the valve 160 moves the movable element 168 to be closer to the fully closed position than to the fully open position. or was in the fully closed position. This enhances the damping calibration of shock absorber 100a to prevent valve body 164 from contacting end cap 112 and/or to prevent metal-to-metal contact between suspension components.

[110] When the piston 124 moves into compression near the end 130 of the inner pipe 102 (that is, between the filling zone RZ and the end 130) and the speed of movement of the piston 124 is lower than the low preset speed PS1, the valve 160 moves the movable element 168 to be closer to fully open position than the fully closed position. Likewise, when the piston 124 moves into compression near the end 130 of the inner tube 102 and the speed of movement of the piston 124 is higher than the high predetermined speed PS2, the valve 160 moves the movable element 168 to be closer to the fully open position than to the fully closed position. In some embodiments, when the piston 124 moves into compression near the end 130 of the inner tube 102 and the speed of movement of the piston 124 is greater than the high predetermined speed PS2, the valve 160 moves the movable member 168 toward the fully closed position so as to begin to close the valve 160 .

[111] When the piston 124 moves into compression between the bypass zone BZ and the fill zone RZ, and the moving speed of the piston 124 is lower than the low preset speed PS1, the valve 160 moves the movable element 168 to be closer to the fully open position than the fully closed position. position. Likewise, when the piston 124 moves in compression between the bypass zone BZ and the fill zone RZ and the speed of movement of the piston 124 is higher than the high preset speed PS2, the valve 160 moves the movable element 168 to be closer to the fully open position than to the fully closed position. position. In some embodiments, when the piston 124 moves into compression between the bypass zone BZ and the fill zone RZ, and the speed of movement of the piston 124 is higher than the high predetermined speed PS2, the valve 160 moves the movable element 168 towards the fully closed position so as to start close valve 160.

[112] As another example, when the piston 124 moves into compression and is aligned with the bypass zone BZ (as shown in FIG. 5) and the speed of movement of the piston 124 is higher than the high predetermined speed PS2, the valve 160 moves the movable element 168 so that it was closer to the fully closed position than the fully open position, or was in the fully closed position. More specifically, in this embodiment, in such a scenario, the movable element 168 moves to a fully closed position as shown in FIG. 7. It should be noted that when the piston 124 is aligned with the bypass zone BZ and moves at high speed during compression, a tight damping calibration is preferred to prevent the shock absorber 100a from fully compressing (i.e., bottoming out), which could potentially cause damage to the shock absorber 100a or some suspension components. Conversely, when piston 124 moves into compression and is aligned with bypass zone BZ, and the speed of movement of piston 124 is below the low preset speed PS1, valve 160 moves movable member 168 to be closer to the fully open position than the fully closed position, or was in a fully open position, for example, to soften the damping calibration of shock absorber 100a.

[113] In yet another example, when the piston 124 moves into compression from the end of the bypass zone BZ closest to the end 128, and the speed of movement of the piston 124 is higher than the high predetermined speed PS2, the valve 160 moves the movable element 168 to a position other than completely a closed position (ie, a partially open position in which there is at least some fluid flow through the central passage opening 136, or a fully open position). It should be noted that when the piston 124 is located between the end 128 and the bypass zone BZ and moves at a high compression speed, a gradual reduction in the speed of movement of the piston 124 can be achieved by allowing some fluid flow through the central passage opening 136 through the valve 160. This may prevent a sudden decrease in the speed of movement of the piston 124, which would cause a shock to be transmitted to the occupants of the vehicle 40. Shortly thereafter, as the piston 124 continues to move toward the end 128, the valve 160 moves the movable element 128 to a fully closed position to prevent the shock absorber 100a from touching the bottom point, potentially causing damage and transmitting the resulting impact to the occupants of the vehicle 40.

[114] When the piston 124 moves into compression between the end 128 and the bypass zone BZ (as shown in FIG. 6), and the speed of movement of the piston 124 is higher than the high preset speed PS2, the valve 160 moves the movable element 168 so that it is completely closed position to prevent the shock absorber 100 from bottoming out, potentially causing damage thereto and transmitting the resulting shock to the occupants of the vehicle 40. When the piston 124 moves into compression between the end 128 and the bypass zone BZ and the speed of movement of the piston 124 is below the low predetermined speed PS1, valve 160 moves movable member 168 to be closer to a fully closed position than to a fully open position, or to be in a fully closed position.

[115] The position of the movable member 168 may be controlled differently in other embodiments. For example, in another embodiment, the valve 160 moves the movable element 168 to a different position only when: (i) the piston 124 is located between the end 128 of the inner tube 102 and the bypass zone BZ; (ii) piston 124 is aligned with bypass zone BZ (i.e., piston 124 is between bypass hole 121 closest to end 128 and bypass hole 121 closest to end 130); and (iii) the piston 124 is located between the end 130 of the inner tube 102 and the bypass zone BZ. For example, in this alternative embodiment, the movable element 168 moves to a general position when the piston 124 is located between any of the ends 128, 130 and the bypass zone BZ, such that the flow of fluid through the central passage opening 136 is substantially the same while the movable member 168 moves to a different position (eg, to a more open position, such as a fully open position) when piston 124 is aligned with bypass zone BZ to increase fluid flow through central passage opening 136.

[116] As will be clear from the foregoing description, the combination of valve 160 with bypass ports 121 and fill ports 122 provides a greater damping calibration range than either option alone. It should be noted that the size of the holes 121, 122 limits the softening of the damping calibration provided by the bypass zone BZ and the fill zone RZ (when the piston 124 is located between the bypass zone BZ and the fill zone RZ). In addition, bypass ports 121 and fill ports 122 do not affect damping calibration when piston 124 passes through bypass zone BZ and fill zone RZ (i.e., between end 128 and bypass zone BZ, and between end 130 and fill zone RZ). For its part, valve 160 itself (without bypass ports 121 and fill ports 122) is also limited in its damping calibration range by the size of its flow ports 180, 181, 183.

[117] However, when bypass ports 121 and fill ports 122 and valve 160 are used simultaneously as described above, valve 160 can be controlled to further soften the damping calibration for the range of motion of piston 124 between bypass zone BZ and fill zone RZ, allowing fluid flow medium through the central bore 136. In addition, the valve 160 can be controlled to soften the damping calibration when the piston 124 is located between the end 128 and the bypass zone BZ, and between the end 130 and the fill zone RZ (where the bypass holes 121 and the fill holes 122 do not affect damping calibration).

[118] Modifications and changes to the above-described embodiments of the present technology may be apparent to those skilled in the art. The above description is intended as an example and not as a limitation. Therefore, the scope of the present technology should not be limited strictly by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (87)

1. A shock absorber for a vehicle, comprising: an inner pipe having a first end and a second end, the inner pipe at least partially defining an internal fluid cavity; an outer pipe enclosing an inner pipe at least partially disposed therein, the inner pipe and the outer pipe together at least partially defining an outer fluid cavity therebetween, wherein the inner pipe defines a bypass zone, wherein the bypass zone includes a plurality of bypass openings defined in the inner pipe, wherein the plurality of bypass openings provides fluid communication of the inner fluid cavity with the outer fluid cavity; a piston movably mounted in an inner tube, the piston being movable in compression as the piston moves toward a first end of the inner tube, and in rebound as the piston moves toward a second end of the inner tube, the piston having a first side facing a first end of the inner tube, and a second side facing the second end of the inner tube, the piston defining a piston passage opening extending through the piston to allow fluid flow between the first side and the second side; a piston rod connected to the piston, the piston rod extending through a second end of the inner tube; And an electronically controlled valve coupled to the piston, wherein the electronically controlled valve controls the flow of fluid through the bore of the piston. 2. The shock absorber according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronically controlled valve contains a movable element that is movable between a set of positions, wherein the set of positions includes: a fully closed position in which the movable element prevents the flow of fluid through the passage of the piston; And a fully open position in which the movable element allows maximum fluid flow through the piston passage. 3. Shock absorber according to claim 2, characterized in that: it is communicatively connected to a suspension position sensor configured to determine a suspension position parameter indicating the position of the piston; And the electronically controlled valve controls the position of the movable member based at least in part on the position of the piston indicated by a suspension position parameter determined by the suspension position sensor. 4. The shock absorber of claim 3, wherein the electronically controlled valve controls the position of the movable element based at least in part on the position of the piston relative to the bypass zone. 5. Shock absorber according to claim 4, characterized in that: an electronically controlled valve moves the movable element to a first position when the piston is between the first end and the bypass zone; an electronically controlled valve moves the movable element to a second position different from the first position when the piston is aligned with the bypass zone; And the electronically controlled valve moves the movable element to a third position, different from the first and second positions, when the piston is between the second end and the bypass zone. 6. Shock absorber according to claim 4, characterized in that: an electronically controlled valve moves the movable element to a first position when the piston is between the first end and the bypass zone; the electronically controlled valve moves the movable member to a second position different from the first position when either (i) the piston is aligned with the bypass area or (ii) the piston is between the second end and the bypass area. 7. The shock absorber of claim 3, wherein the electronically controlled valve controls the flow of fluid through the piston bore based at least in part on the speed of movement of the piston. 8. Shock absorber according to claim 7, characterized in that, when the piston moves towards the rebound near the second end and the speed of movement of the piston is lower than the first predetermined speed, the movable element is closer to the fully open position than to the fully closed position. 9. Shock absorber according to claim 7, characterized in that, when the piston moves in compression and is aligned with the bypass zone and the speed of movement of the piston is higher than the second predetermined speed, the movable element is in a fully closed position or is closer to a fully closed position than a fully open position; And wherein the second preset speed is greater than the first preset speed. 10. Shock absorber according to claim 9, characterized in that, when the piston moves in compression between the first end and the bypass zone and the moving speed of the piston is higher than the second predetermined speed, the movable element is in a fully closed position. 11. Shock absorber according to any one of paragraphs. 1-10, characterized in that: the piston passage is a central passage of the piston; the piston further defines two offset piston bores, the offset piston bores being radially spaced from the central piston bore, wherein the shock absorber further comprises a set of shims attached to the piston to restrict the flow of fluid through two offset passage holes of the piston, wherein the set of shims comprises: at least one compression spacer on a first side of the piston for restricting flow through the first offset piston passage of the two offset piston passages when the piston moves into compression; And at least one rebound shim on a second side of the piston for restricting flow through the second offset piston passage from the two offset piston passages when the piston moves toward rebound. 12. Shock absorber according to any one of paragraphs. 1-10, additionally containing: an additional fluid chamber having fluid communication with the internal fluid cavity, the additional fluid chamber having a first end and a second end; a separator movably mounted within the additional fluid chamber, the separator having a first side facing a first end of the additional fluid chamber and a second side facing a second end of the additional fluid chamber, the separator being offset towards the first the end of the additional fluid chamber; a channel extending from the additional fluid chamber to the inner pipe for fluid communication of the additional fluid chamber with the internal fluid cavity, the channel opening into the additional fluid chamber between the separator and the first end of the additional fluid chamber, wherein the channel opens into an internal fluid cavity adjacent the first end of the inner pipe. 13. Shock absorber according to any one of paragraphs. 1-10, characterized in that the center-to-center distance between adjacent bypass holes, measured in a direction parallel to the piston rod, is greater than the thickness of the piston, measured from the first side to the second side of the piston. 14. Shock absorber according to any one of paragraphs. 1-10, wherein the inner tube defines a fill zone, wherein the fill zone includes a plurality of fill openings defined in the inner pipe, wherein the plurality of fill openings provides fluid communication of the inner fluid cavity with the outer fluid cavity, wherein the filling zone is closer to the second end of the inner pipe than the bypass zone. 15. A vehicle containing a shock absorber according to any one of paragraphs. 1-10. 16. The vehicle according to claim 15, additionally containing frame and at least one wheel, wherein the shock absorber is connected between the frame and at least one wheel. 17. A vehicle containing: frame; rear wheel; a rear suspension assembly connecting the rear wheel to the frame, the rear suspension assembly comprising a swing arm pivotally connected to the frame, and shock absorber according to item 3, wherein the suspension position sensor is coupled between the sway arm and the frame so as to determine a rear suspension position parameter representing the position of the sway arm relative to the frame. 18. A vehicle containing: frame; front wheel; a front suspension assembly connecting the front wheel to the frame, the front suspension assembly comprising A-arm connected to the frame, and shock absorber according to item 3, wherein the suspension position sensor is coupled between the A-arm and the frame so as to determine a front suspension position parameter representing the position of the A-arm relative to the frame. 19. A method for controlling a shock absorber, wherein the shock absorber contains: an inner tube having a first end and a second end, the inner tube defining an inner fluid cavity; an outer pipe enclosing an inner pipe at least partially disposed therein, the inner pipe and the outer pipe together partially defining an outer fluid cavity therebetween, wherein the inner pipe defines a bypass zone, wherein the bypass zone includes a plurality of bypass openings defined in the inner pipe, wherein the plurality of bypass openings provides fluid communication between the inner fluid cavity and the outer fluid cavity; wherein the method includes: determining the position of the shock absorber piston relative to the bypass zone; And controlling an electronically controlled valve to selectively restrict the passage of the piston through the piston based at least in part on the position of the piston relative to the bypass zone. 20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that Electronically controlled valve control to selectively limit the piston bore includes: moving the electronically controlled valve movable member to a first position when the piston is between the first end and the bypass region; moving the electronically controlled valve slide to a second position when the piston is aligned with the bypass area; moving the movable element to a third position when the piston is between the second end and the bypass zone. 21. The method according to claim 20, additionally including: determining the speed of piston movement; And an electronically controlled valve control for selectively limiting the bore of the piston, including controlling an electronically controlled valve for selectively limiting the bore of the piston based at least in part on the speed of movement of the piston. 22. The method according to claim 21, characterized in that: the movable element is configured to move between a set of positions, including: a fully closed position in which the movable element prevents the flow of fluid through the passage of the piston; And a fully open position in which the movable element allows maximum fluid flow through the piston passage; controlling an electronically controlled valve to selectively limit the bore of the piston, based at least in part on the speed of movement of the piston, includes moving the movable member such that the movable member is closer to a fully open position than to a fully closed position when the piston is driven toward the second end and the speed of movement of the piston is lower than the first predetermined speed. 23. The method according to claim 22, characterized in that controlling an electronically controlled valve to selectively limit the bore of the piston, based at least in part on the speed of movement of the piston, includes moving the movable element so that the movable element is in the fully closed position or is closer to the fully closed position than the fully open position when the piston moves in compression and is aligned with the bypass zone and the speed of movement of the piston is greater than a second predetermined speed greater than than the first preset speed. 24. The method according to claim 23, characterized in that controlling an electronically controlled valve to selectively limit the bore of the piston, based at least in part on the speed of movement of the piston, includes moving the movable element such that the movable element is in a fully closed position when the piston moves in compression between the first end and the bypass zone and the speed of movement of the piston is higher than the second predetermined speed.