Valve in an air shock absorber

Abstract

A two-way valve for introducing pressurized air into the air chamber of an air shock absorber, and for maintaining a preselected minimum pressure within the air chamber. The valve includes a valve body and a valve cover mounted thereon. The valve body has an orifice in communication with the air chamber, and the valve cover has a fluid port in communication with a source of pressurized air. The valve cover includes a downwardly extending exhaust seat which surrounds the fluid port. Disposed within a recessed chamber in the valve body are an armature, an elastomeric diaphragm mounted on and supported by the armature, and a spring arrangement operatively positioned between the armature and the floor of the recessed chamber. The diaphragm is adapted to engage the exhaust seat when the pressure outside the air chamber is greater than the pressure inside the air chamber to permit the free flow of pressurized air into the air chamber, is adapted to unseat from the exhaust seat when the pressure inside the air chamber is greater than the pressure outside the air chamber and exceeds a preselected minimum pressure, to permit the controlled flow of air out of the air chamber, and is adapted to engage the exhaust seat when the pressure inside the air chamber reaches the preselected minimum pressure.