US 12,270,452 B2
Valve stiffness adjustment
Damon Gilbert, Aptos, CA (US); and William O. Brown, IV, Aptos, CA (US)
Assigned to Fox Factory, Inc., Duluth, GA (US)
Filed by Fox Factory, Inc., Duluth, GA (US)
Filed on Mar. 29, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/127,964.
Application 18/127,964 is a continuation of application No. 16/801,774, filed on Feb. 26, 2020, granted, now 11,629,771.
Application 16/801,774 is a continuation of application No. 15/965,642, filed on Apr. 27, 2018, granted, now 10,578,184, issued on Mar. 3, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/506,531, filed on May 15, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0235807 A1, Jul. 27, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. F16F 9/348 (2006.01); B60G 13/08 (2006.01); B60G 17/015 (2006.01); B60G 17/016 (2006.01); B60G 17/08 (2006.01); F16F 9/19 (2006.01); F16F 9/44 (2006.01); F16F 9/46 (2006.01); F16F 9/50 (2006.01); F16F 9/516 (2006.01)
CPC F16F 9/348 (2013.01) [B60G 13/08 (2013.01); B60G 17/0152 (2013.01); B60G 17/016 (2013.01); B60G 17/08 (2013.01); F16F 9/19 (2013.01); F16F 9/3485 (2013.01); F16F 9/44 (2013.01); F16F 9/462 (2013.01); F16F 9/469 (2013.01); F16F 9/50 (2013.01); F16F 9/5165 (2013.01); B60G 2202/24 (2013.01); B60G 2206/41 (2013.01); B60G 2401/00 (2013.01); B60G 2401/28 (2013.01); B60G 2500/112 (2013.01); B60G 2600/20 (2013.01); B60G 2600/21 (2013.01); B60G 2800/162 (2013.01); F16F 2222/12 (2013.01); F16F 2228/066 (2013.01); F16F 2230/18 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A damper valve with an adjustable effective stiffness of a shim, said damper valve comprising:
a fluid path formed through a piston, said shim disposed proximate said fluid path;
a stiffness adjustment feature coupled to said shim; said shim disposed between said piston and said stiffness adjustment feature, said stiffness adjustment feature configured to adjust said effective stiffness of said shim and correspondingly vary an amount of fluid pressure required to deflect said shim without requiring any alteration of an existing preload applied to the shim wherein said stiffness adjustment feature comprises:
a rotatable stiffness adjustment plate;
a spring component coupled to said stiffness adjustment plate;
an adjuster coupled to said stiffness adjustment plate, said adjuster comprising:
a first position which disposes said stiffness adjustment plate and said spring component in a first orientation with respect to each other, said first orientation of said stiffness adjustment plate and said spring component generating said effective stiffness of said shim;
a second position which disposes said stiffness adjustment plate and said spring component in a second orientation with respect to each other, said second orientation of said stiffness adjustment plate and said spring component generating a second effective stiffness of said shim wherein said effective stiffness of said shim differs from said second effective stiffness of said shim; and
at least one post configured to provide a limiting point for rotation of said spring component with respect to said stiffness adjustment plate.