Bicycle damper

Abstract

A damper for a bicycle having a primary unit and a remote unit that, in some arrangements, is substantially entirely outside of the primary unit. The primary unit includes a damper tube, a spring chamber, and a piston rod that supports a main piston. The main piston is movable within the damper chamber of the primary unit. The main piston and the damper tube at least partially define a compression chamber. The remote unit comprises a remote fluid chamber and, in some arrangements, an inertial valve within the remote unit. The inertial valve is preferably responsive to terrain-induced forces and preferably not responsive to rider-induced forces when the shock absorber is assembled to the bicycle.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A bicycle rear shock absorber, comprising:
 a damper tube that defines a first diameter;   a piston rod that defines a second diameter, wherein said piston rod carries a piston, said piston and said piston rod capable of telescopic movement with respect to said damper tube, wherein said piston cooperates with said damper tube to at least partially define a variable volume compression chamber and at least partially define a variable volume rebound chamber;   a reservoir tube that is separate and remote from said damper tube, wherein said reservoir tube defines a reservoir chamber of said shock absorber, wherein damping fluid is displaced to said reservoir chamber from said compression chamber during compression movement of said shock absorber, and wherein the damping fluid returns to said compression chamber from said reservoir chamber during rebound movement of said shock absorber;   a compression damping circuit located in the reservoir tube, the compression damping circuit comprising a pressure-activated valve and an acceleration-activated valve;   wherein a ratio of said first diameter to said second diameter is between about 1.05:1 and about 1.75:1; and   wherein at least 30% of the damping fluid is displaced to said reservoir chamber from said compression chamber during a complete compression stroke.   
     
     
         3 . The bicycle rear shock absorber of  claim 2 , wherein said ratio is about 1.48:1. 
     
     
         4 . The bicycle rear shock absorber of  claim 2 , wherein the second diameter is between about 6 mm and about 20 mm. 
     
     
         5 . The bicycle rear shock absorber of  claim 4 , wherein the first diameter is between about 8 mm and about 35 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The bicycle rear shock absorber of  claim 5 , wherein the first diameter is about 17.7 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The bicycle rear shock absorber of  claim 6 , wherein the second diameter is about 12 mm. 
     
     
         8 . The bicycle rear shock absorber of  claim 2 , wherein a difference between the first diameter and the second diameter is between about 1.5 mm and about 9.5 mm. 
     
     
         9 . The bicycle rear shock absorber of  claim 8 , wherein said difference is about 1.5 mm. 
     
     
         10 . The bicycle rear shock absorber of  claim 2 , wherein the acceleration-activated valve comprises an inertia mass slidably supported on a shaft. 
     
     
         11 . The bicycle rear shock absorber of  claim 10 , wherein a compression fluid flow of damping fluid, generated by compression movement of said piston and said piston rod relative to said damper tube, can pass through and be regulated by said pressure-activated valve without passing through said shaft. 
     
     
         12 . The bicycle rear shock absorber of  claim 10 , further comprising an externally-accessible adjustment mechanism located on the reservoir tube that permits adjustment of a damping rate of said compression damping circuit by varying a regulation of a compression fluid flow of damping fluid, which is generated by compression movement of said piston and said piston rod relative to said damper tube. 
     
     
         13 . The bicycle rear shock absorber of  claim 12 , wherein said compression damping circuit comprises a bleed valve, and wherein said adjustment mechanism permits adjustment of said bleed valve. 
     
     
         14 . A bicycle rear shock absorber, comprising:
 a damper tube that defines a first diameter;   a piston rod that defines a second diameter, wherein said piston rod carries a piston, said piston and said piston rod capable of telescopic movement with respect to said damper tube, wherein said piston cooperates with said damper tube to at least partially define a variable volume compression chamber and at least partially define a variable volume rebound chamber;   a reservoir tube that is separate and remote from said damper tube, wherein said reservoir tube defines a reservoir chamber of said shock absorber, wherein damping fluid is displaced to said reservoir chamber from said compression chamber during compression movement of said shock absorber, and wherein the damping fluid returns to said compression chamber from said reservoir chamber during rebound movement of said shock absorber;   a compression damping circuit located in the reservoir tube, the compression damping circuit comprising a pressure-activated valve and an acceleration-activated valve;   wherein said second diameter is between about 8 mm and about 14 mm;   wherein a ratio of said first diameter to said second diameter is between about 1.05:1 and about 2.5:1; and   wherein at least 30% of the damping fluid is displaced to said reservoir chamber from said compression chamber during a complete compression stroke.   
     
     
         15 . The bicycle rear shock absorber of  claim 14 , wherein said ratio is between about 1.05:1 and about 2:1. 
     
     
         16 . The bicycle rear shock absorber of  claim 14 , wherein said first diameter is between about 8 mm and about 35 mm. 
     
     
         17 . The bicycle rear shock absorber of  claim 14 , wherein a difference between the first diameter and the second diameter is between about 1.5 mm and about 9.5 mm. 
     
     
         18 . The bicycle rear shock absorber of  claim 14 , wherein the acceleration-activated valve comprises an inertia mass slidably supported by a shaft. 
     
     
         19 . The bicycle rear shock absorber of  claim 18 , wherein the shaft comprises a free end and an end supported by the reservoir tube, wherein the inertia mass is normally biased away from the free end of the shaft. 
     
     
         20 . The bicycle rear shock absorber of  claim 18 , wherein a flow of damping fluid can pass through the pressure-activated valve without passing through the shaft. 
     
     
         21 . The bicycle rear shock absorber of  claim 20 , further comprising a bleed valve, wherein said flow of damping fluid that passes through the bleed valve also passes through the shaft.