Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.

Darrell G Breese

Matthew L Roessle

Karl C Kazmirski

Daniel T Keil

Gary W Groves

Ben Schaller

Thomas Mallin

Matthew R Schelosky

Timothy Bombrys

Jim Szymusiak

Jeffrey T Gardner

Jeroen K Paenhuysen

John McGahey

Michael S Weaver

Andrew M Jacobson

A shock absorber with a pressure tube, a reserve tube, and a piston slidably disposed within the pressure tube to define first and second working chambers. A reservoir chamber is positioned between the pressure tube and the reserve tube. A damper baffle tube, positioned in the reservoir chamber, defines a baffle tube chamber between the pressure tube and the damper baffle tube. One or more electromechanical valves are positioned in fluid communication with the first working chamber and the baffle tube chamber. The damper baffle tube includes a compliant portion that has a sealing surface configured to move into and out of contact with the pressure tube in response to fluctuations in fluid pressure in the baffle tube chamber so as to form a check valve that holds a constrained volume of hydraulic fluid in the baffle tube chamber.

Damper baffle tube with elastomeric skirt

A shock absorber is disclosed having a pressure tube forming a working chamber, and a piston assembly slidably disposed within the pressure tube. The piston assembly may divide the working chamber into upper and lower working chambers. The piston assembly may have a piston body defining a first fluid passage extending therethrough and a first valve assembly controlling fluid flow through the first fluid passage. A second fluid passage, separate from the first fluid passage, extends from one of the upper and lower working chambers to a fluid chamber defined at least in part by the pressure tube. A plurality of digital valve assemblies are included and configured to exclusively control all fluid flow through the second fluid passage, and thus all fluid flow between the one of the upper and lower working chambers to the fluid chamber.

Damper with digital valve

A shock absorber is disclosed which has a base valve assembly for controlling a flow of a working fluid between a reservoir chamber and a working chamber of the shock absorber. The base valve makes use of at least one digital valve assembly. The digital valve assembly communicates with an intermediate chamber formed between an intermediate tube and a pressure tube of the shock absorber. The digital valve assembly controls flow of the working fluid between the intermediate chamber and the reservoir chamber, to help control a damping action provided by the shock absorber.

A shock absorber includes a pressure sensitive valve assembly that controls fluid flow through the pressure sensitive valve assembly based upon the velocity of the piston assembly in the shock absorber. The pressure sensitive valve assembly restricts fluid flow as the velocity of the piston in a compression stroke increases to increase the damping loads provided by the shock absorber. A secondary valve assembly controls fluid flow through the pressure sensitive valve assembly when the pressure sensitive valve assembly is in a closed position.

High velocity compression damping valve

A shock absorber includes a valve assembly which includes a valve disc engaging an inner and outer valve land defined by a valve body. The inner valve land is a non-circular valve land such that a radial dimension between the inner and outer valve land varies based upon a circumferential position of the radial dimension. The varying radial dimension provides a progressive valve opening for the valve assembly.

Low noise valve assembly

A shock absorber has a compression valve assembly that provides a high damping load during a compression stroke and an extension valve assembly that provides a high damping load during an extension stroke. One or more digital valve assemblies is positioned to work in parallel with the compression valve assembly and the extension valve assembly to provide a lower damping load. The lowering of the damping load is based upon the cross sectional area of flow passages provided by the one or more digital valve assemblies.

A shock absorber includes a pressure sensitive valve assembly that controls fluid flow through the pressure sensitive valve assembly based upon the velocity of the piston assembly in the shock absorber. The pressure sensitive valve assembly restricts fluid flow as the velocity of the piston in a compression stroke increases to increase the damping loads provided by the shock absorber.

A shock absorber has a compression valve assembly which functions during a compression stroke, a rebound valve assembly which functions during a rebound stroke and a velocity sensitive valve which is in series with one or both of the compression valve assembly and the rebound valve assembly. The compression valve assembly, the rebound valve assembly and the velocity sensitive valve can be incorporated into a piston assembly, a base valve assembly or both.

Nested check high speed valve

A dual tube shock absorber includes a spool valve located between the upper working chamber and the reserve chamber. The spool valve moves with the piston rod to open and close a flow path between the upper working chamber and the reserve chamber. This provides a low damping characteristic for small movements of the piston rod which changes to a high damping characteristic for larger movement of the piston rod.

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Ypsilanti, MI, United States of America

Darrell G Breese