US 12,270,451 B2
Pressure relief poppet valves for suspension dampers
Dries Heines, Maasmechelen (BE); and Stefan Deferme, Heusden-Zolder (BE)
Assigned to DRIV Automotive Inc., Northville, MI (US)
Filed by DRiV Automotive Inc., Southfield, MI (US)
Filed on Jun. 30, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/854,102.
Prior Publication US 2024/0003399 A1, Jan. 4, 2024
Int. Cl. F16F 9/34 (2006.01); B60G 13/08 (2006.01); F16F 9/512 (2006.01)
CPC F16F 9/34 (2013.01) [B60G 13/08 (2013.01); F16F 9/5126 (2013.01); B60G 2206/41 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A damper, comprising:
a pressure tube extending co-axially about a longitudinal axis and longitudinally between a first pressure tube end and a second pressure tube end;
a piston slidably disposed within the pressure tube defining a rebound chamber and a compression chamber, the piston extending longitudinally between a first piston end that faces the rebound chamber and a second piston end that faces the compression chamber;
a piston rod extending co-axially about the longitudinal axis and longitudinally between a first piston rod end and a second piston rod end, the second piston rod end being fixedly coupled to the piston; and
a rebound chamber pressure relief valve comprising at least one rebound chamber pressure relief passageway that extends through the piston from the first piston end to the second piston end, a valve cavity that extends longitudinally within the second piston rod end between an open end and a closed end, a valve seat surface that is longitudinally spaced from the open end of the valve cavity, a poppet extending longitudinally between a first poppet end that is slidably received in the valve cavity and a second poppet end that has a valve face positioned to move into and out of contact with the valve seat surface to open and close the at least one rebound chamber pressure relief passageway, and a spring positioned in the valve cavity that biases the poppet towards the compression chamber.