Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.

Driv Automotive Inc.

Ronny Vanbrabant

Franky Montagna

Kristoff Six

Rahul Popatrao Ekatpure

Jean-Marie Tuts

M'Hand Nait Oukhedou

Frederik Baldoni

Frank Gommans

Vincent Bailly

Werner Bosmans

Ruben Evens

Patrick Massonet

Simon Anne De Molina

Bert Diels

A damper assembly includes a rod elongated along an axis. The damper assembly includes a body supported by the rod, the body having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The body and the rod define a passage between the body and the rod, the passage extending from the first surface of the body to the second surface of the body.

Damper assembly

A damper assembly includes a cylinder defining a chamber. The damper assembly includes a body supported by the cylinder and having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The body defines a passage extending from the first surface to the second surface. One of the first surface or the second surface define a slope at the passage. The damper assembly includes a check disc at the slope, the check disc selectively restricting fluid flow through the passage.

A shock absorber includes a piston which has at least one compression fluid passage, at least one rebound fluid passage and at least one bleed fluid passage. A compression valve assembly closes the at least one compression passage and a rebound valve assembly closes the at least one rebound passage. A bleed valve assembly with the bleed fluid passage defines a first, always open flow path through the piston and a second flow path, separate from the first flow path, through the piston. A bleed disc is movable between a first position where the second flow path is open and a second position where the second flow path is closed.

Piston assembly with open bleed

A shock absorber has a valve assembly having a valve that is biased away from a valve body. A controlled restriction is defined between the valve and the valve body. During stroking of the piston of the shock absorber, the valve moves toward the valve body to close the restriction. The valve assembly can be used in the piston assembly, the base valve assembly or both.

Velocity progressive valving

A shock absorber includes a two stage valve assembly that has two valve discs. The second valve disc defines the first stage at lower valve pressures and the first valve disc defines the second stage at higher valve pressures. The two valve discs can be defined by a single piece component or they can be separate components. The second valve disc can permit fluid flow by deflection of the second valve disc or by movement of the entire second valve disc. The two stage valve assembly can be incorporated into the piston assembly of the shock absorber and/or the two stage valve assembly can be incorporated into a base valve assembly.

Two stage valve and hydraulic damped valve

A disc valve assembly for a shock absorber opens due to axial movement of a valve disc. The valve disc is biased against a valve body by a valve spring. The valve spring is designed to provide a circumferentially asymmetrical load biasing the valve disc against the valve body. The disc valve assembly can be used as a piston rebound valve assembly, a piston compression valve assembly, a base valve compression valve assembly or a base valve rebound valve assembly.

Disc spring intake

A two-stage shock absorber has a pressure tube within which a piston assembly is slidably disposed. A piston rod is attached to the piston assembly and extends out of the pressure tube. A sleeve is slidably disposed within the pressure tube and engages the piston rod. After a specified amount of movement of the piston assembly with respect to the pressure tube in an extension movement of the shock absorber, the sleeve engages a plurality of spirally positioned bores on the piston rod and reduces the fluid flow through the valve assembly to progressively switch the shock absorber from soft damping to firm damping. In another embodiment the sleeve engages a spiral groove of variable depth on the piston rod to reduce the fluid flow through the valve assembly to progressively switch the shock absorber from soft damping to firm damping. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the sleeve engages a tapered slot of variable cross-section to reduce the fluid flow through the valve assembly to progressively switch the shock absorber from soft damping to firm damping.

Growing community of inventors

Heusden-Zolder, Belgium

Ronny Vanbrabant