Shock absorber with improved compression valve mechanism

Claim 1

In a hydraulic shock absorber adapted to be connected between the sprung and unsprung masses of a vehicle including a tubular member defining a cylindrical chamber, a piston slidably mounted within said cylindrical chamber, a piston rod extending from one side of said piston outwardly from one end of said tubular member, closure means on said one end of said tubular member closing the one end of said tubular member and slidably sealingly engaging said piston rod, end closure means on the opposite end of said tubular member, connecting means for connecting said shock absorber operatively between said masses, hydraulic fluid filling rebound and compression spaces within said cylindrical chamber on the piston rod side of said piston and on the opposite side thereof respectively, said piston having first passage means therethough, rebound valve means disposed in cooperating relation with said first passage means to control flow of fluid from said rebound space to said compression space, second passage means disposed between the outer periphery of said piston and the interior periphery of said cylindrical chamber, a compression valve mechanism carried by said piston for controlling flow of fluid through said second passage means from said compression space to said rebound space peripherally across said piston, and means to accommodate the flow of hydraulic fluid resulting from piston rod displacement, the improvement which comprises said compression valve mechanism including: an upwardly facing annular valve seat on said piston, an annular valve seat engaging member disposed in cooperating relation with said second passage means and having an exterior periphery spaced closely apart from the interior periphery of said cylindrical chamber providing a relatively small annular gap therebetween and a downwardly facing surface adapted to engage the upwardly facing annular valve seat, an annular seal mounted above said annular engaging member in motion transmitting relation therewith, said seal being made of relatively rigid material and comprising five components: (1) said seal being split radially to provide a bleed gap and for expanding to vary the fluid flow size of the bleed gap, (2) said seal having an upwardly and inwardly facing generally frustoconical flat spring force transmitting surface, (3) said seal having an outer peripheral sealing surface, and (4) said seal having a lower seating surface; (5) said seal having a depending interior flange extending within the interior of said annular engaging member; a spring disposed above said seal having its upper end fixed with respect to said piston and having its lower end disposed in direct force transmitting relation with the force transmitting frustoconical surface of said seal, said spring biasing said seal for performing three simultaneous functions: (1) downwardly urging said lower seating surface of said seal against said annular engaging member urging the same into engagement with said annular valve seat, (2) radially outwardly urging said peripheral sealing surface of said seal into sealing engagement with the interior periphery of said cylindrical chamber, and (3) expanding said seal to provide said bleed gap at the radial split providing a bleed path communicating with said second passage means via the annular gap of said annular engaging member, for channeling the flow of hydraulic fluid between said compression and rebound space.