Fox Factory, Incorporated

University of California

Connor Randall

Paul K Hansma

Rick Strickland

Ivan Tong

Nick D'Orazio

Regan Woelfel

Michael R Labbe

Nobuhiko Negishi

Andrew Peterson

Mike Labbe

Robert Stanford

Phillip A Kendrick

James Alens

Asimm Hirani

Karl Jensen

Philip Anthony Kendrick

Daniel Bridges

A modular hydraulically-adjustable preload and/or cross-over system. The system includes a housing configured to couple with a main damper cylinder, the housing including a slave cylinder within a portion of a slave cylinder chamber, the slave cylinder telescopically movable with respect to the housing; a fluid chamber; and a fluid port configured to provide a fluid flow for the fluid chamber, wherein an increase in a fluid volume within the fluid chamber causes a portion of the slave cylinder to telescopically extend from the slave cylinder chamber. A preload flange coupled with the slave cylinder at an end of the housing such that a change in a location of the slave cylinder causes a change in a location of the preload flange.

Hydraulically-adjustable preload and/or cross-over

A spring preload system comprising a cylinder with an outer diameter, a body to house at least the cylinder, a piston shaft, and a main damping piston. The main damping piston is coupled to the piston shaft and configured for operation within the cylinder. The main damping piston is further configured to divide the cylinder into a compression side and a rebound side. The spring preload system further comprises a preload cylinder and a valve that is fluidly disposed between the compression side and the preload cylinder.

Self-pumping spring preload system

Disclosed herein is a cooling device comprising a cooler body, wherein the cooler body has a first chamber and a second chamber, a cooler body cap disposed to fluidly couple the first chamber and the second chamber, wherein the cooler body cap has a recess that is suitable to receive a base valve, a first hose that is fluidly coupled to the first chamber, a second hose that is fluidly coupled to the second chamber, and an adapter, wherein the adapter is connected to the first hose and the second hose, wherein the adapter has channels to direct fluid flow.

Race cooler with integrated base valve

A powered bleed adjuster is disclosed. The powered bleed adjust includes a barrel valve located at least partially within a bleed fluid pathway of a shaft. The barrel valve includes an internal fluid path formed along a longitudinal axis of the barrel valve, an opening of the internal fluid path at a first end of the barrel valve, and at least one bleed port through a wall of the barrel valve to provide a second opening for the internal fluid path. The powered bleed adjust also includes a motor coupled with the barrel valve, the motor configured to rotate the barrel valve to control a fluid flow through the bleed fluid pathway.

Motorized adjustment of a damper bleed

An integrated ride height system is provided wherein the system is configured couple to a vehicle. The system includes a coilover shock absorber and a hydraulic preload cylinder coupled to a shock body of the coilover shock absorber. The hydraulic preload cylinder engages an end of a coil spring of the coilover shock absorber. The system includes a reservoir coupled to the shock absorber allowing hydraulic fluid to flow between the reservoir and the coilover shock absorber. The system includes a reversible pump coupled between the hydraulic preload cylinder and the reservoir, wherein the pump operates to pump hydraulic fluid from the reservoir to the hydraulic preload cylinder to extend the hydraulic preload cylinder to increase ride height of the vehicle and operates to pump hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic preload cylinder to the reservoir to retract the hydraulic preload cylinder to decrease ride height of the vehicle.

Integrated damper ride height system

An electronic modal base valve is disclosed. The electronic modal base valve includes a motive component, a controller communicatively coupled with the motive component, and a control valve coupled with the motive component. The controller is configured to control an operation of the motive component, wherein a movement of the motive component is configured to cause the control valve to adjust a flow rate for a flow path through the electronic modal base valve.

Electronic modal base valve

A plug and play suspension system is disclosed. The plug and play suspension system includes at least one electronically adjustable shock assembly, a controller, and a communications network to communicatively couple said controller with said at least one electronically adjustable shock assembly.

Plug and play suspension

A shock assembly with automatically adjustable ride height. The shock assembly includes a main chamber with a working fluid therein. A damping piston coupled to a piston shaft, the damping piston disposed in the main chamber to divide the main chamber into a compression side fluid chamber and a rebound side fluid chamber. An automatic ride height adjustment assembly including an internal floating piston (IFP) pump assembly and a spring preload piston assembly.

IFP shock with automatically adjustable ride height

Disclosed herein is a cross-linked system comprising a first shock assembly and a second shock assembly. A first line is fluidly coupled with a first rebound chamber of the first shock assembly and a second compression chamber of the second shock assembly. The first line allows fluid to flow between the first rebound chamber and the second compression chamber. A second line is fluidly coupled with a first compression chamber of the first shock assembly and a second rebound chamber of the second shock assembly. The second line allows fluid to flow between the first compression chamber and the second rebound chamber. A reservoir is fluidly coupled to the first line and the second line.

Hydraulic cross-linked suspension

A shock assembly with automatically adjustable ride height is disclosed. The assembly includes a main chamber including a fluid therein. A pump tube within the main chamber, the pump tube having a fluid flow path internal thereto, the pump tube disposed axially along a center of the main chamber. A damping piston coupled to a shaft, the damping piston and a portion of the shaft disposed axially about the pump tube, the damping piston disposed in the main chamber to divide the main chamber into a compression side fluid chamber and a rebound side fluid chamber. An automatic ride height adjustment assembly including a tube-in-shaft pump assembly and a spring preload piston assembly.

Shock assembly with automatically adjustable ride height

A modular active valve system having a reduced footprint for use in a smaller shock platform is disclosed. The modular active valve system includes a multi-stage valve having a first stage and at least a second stage, wherein at least the first stage includes a semi-active valve for electronic damping control.

Modular active valve system having a reduced footprint for use in a smaller shock platform

Disclosed herein is a sway bar system comprising a damping link that couples a first end of a sway bar to a first location on a vehicle. The damping link is comprised of a body comprising a damping chamber and a reservoir. There is also a through shaft coupled to a piston, where the piston divides the chamber into a first chamber and a second chamber. A high-pressure line is fluidly coupled with the chamber and the reservoir and allows fluid to flow from the first chamber and the second chamber to the reservoir. A low-pressure line is fluidly coupled with the chamber and the reservoir and allows fluid to flow from the reservoir to the first chamber and the second chamber. The high-pressure line and the low-pressure line assist in self-centering the sway bar.

Electronically controlled sway bar damping link

An internal stroke sensor for an IFP shock assembly is disclosed herein. The shock assembly includes a damper chamber and a damping piston coupled to a piston shaft. The damping piston disposed in the damper chamber and axially movable relative to the damper chamber, the damping piston separating a compression portion from a rebound portion within the damper chamber. The shock assembly also includes an internal floating piston (IFP) and an IFP location sensor. The IFP location sensor to determine a position information for the IFP. A processor is configured to receive the position information for the IFP from the IFP location sensor and utilize the position information for the IFP to determine a shock stroke position of the shock assembly.

Growing community of inventors

Salida, CO, United States of America

Connor Randall