US 12,449,015 B2
Damper assembly including intake valve in fluid chamber
Jose Ramon Martinez, Bilbao (ES)
Assigned to Advanced Suspension Technology LLC, Northville, MI (US)
Filed by Advanced Suspension Technology LLC, Northville, MI (US)
Filed on Sep. 15, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/932,445.
Prior Publication US 2024/0093750 A1, Mar. 21, 2024
Int. Cl. F16F 9/18 (2006.01); F16F 9/32 (2006.01)
CPC F16F 9/185 (2013.01) [F16F 9/325 (2013.01); F16F 2222/04 (2013.01); F16F 2232/08 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A damper assembly, comprising:
an inner tube enclosing a first chamber and defining a first side opening;
an outer tube enclosing a second chamber and defining a second side opening;
a housing having an open bottom and a lip extending radially inward at the open bottom, the housing supported by the outer tube, the lip having an inner surface facing axially away from the outer tube; and
a unitary connector engaged with the first side opening and axially extending away from the inner tube through the second side opening and the open bottom, the unitary connector radially spaced from the outer tube at the second side opening and including a first surface radially spaced from the housing above the inner surface, the unitary connector including a top lip having circumferentially spaced apart portions abutting the inner surface of the housing, the unitary connector defining a first passage open to the first chamber and one or more second passages open to the second chamber, the one or more second passages extending between the spaced apart portions of the top lip, and the unitary connector including a valve seat surrounding the first passage.