IP Library Granted Patent US 12680593
Granted Patent B2
US 12680593 · App. 18/269,217 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Valve and shock absorber

Inventor: Yoshifumi Kobayashi (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: KYB Corporation
F16F9/348F16F9/185F16K15/148F16F2222/12F16F2232/08F16F2234/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12680593
App. No.
18/269,217
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A valve of the present invention includes: a valve seat member that has a port, an annular window which communicates with an outlet end of the port, an inner-circumferential valve seat provided on an inner-circumferential side of the annular window, and an outer-circumferential valve seat of the annular window; a first valve body that are stacked on a valve seat member, that can seat on or come off the outer-circumferential valve seat to open or close the annular window, and that has a hole; a second valve body that is contained in the annular window so as to be movable in an axial direction and that closes the hole when abutting on a valve seat member side surface of the first valve body; a second valve body biasing member that is contained in the annular window and that biases the second valve body toward the first valve body; a regulating portion that restricts a movement of the second valve body in a direction in which the second valve body moves away from the first valve body; and a communication passage that secures communication between the hole and the port even when the second valve body abuts on the regulating portion.

Claims (61)

1 . A valve comprising:

a valve seat member that has a port, an annular window which communicates with an outlet end of the port, an inner-circumferential valve seat provided on an inner-circumferential side of the annular window, and an outer-circumferential valve seat provided on an outer-circumferential side of the annular window;

a first valve body that has an annular plate shape, is stacked on the valve seat member with an inner circumference thereof fixed, can seat on or come off the outer-circumferential valve seat to open or close the annular window, and has a hole which faces the annular window and which forms a throttle or a passage leading to a throttle;

a second valve body that has an annular plate shape, is contained in the annular window so as to be movable in an axial direction, and closes the hole when abutting on a valve seat member side surface of the first valve body;

a second valve body biasing member that is contained in the annular window and biases the second valve body toward the first valve body;

a flow path securing regulating portion that restricts the movement of the second valve body in a direction in which the second valve body moves away from the first valve body to prevent the second valve body from closing the outlet end of the port when the second valve body moves a predetermined distance or more away from the first valve body; and

a communication passage that secures communication between the hole and the port even when the second valve body abuts on the flow path securing regulating portion.

2 . The valve according to claim 1 , further comprising

a first valve body biasing member that biases the first valve body toward the valve seat member, wherein

as the valve seat member is seen from a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the annular window, the inner-circumferential valve seat is disposed higher than the outer-circumferential valve seat.

3 . The valve according to claim 2 , wherein

the first valve body biasing member includes

an annular plate that has elasticity and is disposed on an opposite valve seat member side of the first valve body, an inner-circumferential side of the annular plate being immovably fixed to the valve seat member, and

a ring that has an annular plate shape and is disposed between the first valve body and the annular plate, an inner diameter of the ring being larger than any of inner diameters of the first valve body and the annular plate and smaller than any of outer diameters of the first valve body and the annular plate.

4 . The valve according to claim 1 , further comprising

a throttle valve body that has an annular plate shape and is provided with the throttle which leads to the hole when the throttle valve body is stacked on an opposite valve seat member side of the first valve body.

5 . The valve according to claim 1 , wherein

a fixed orifice is provided on an outer circumference of the first valve body or the outer-circumferential valve seat of the valve seat member.

6 . The valve according to claim 1 , wherein

an inner-circumferential side surface of the annular window is formed of a cylindrical surface having a center aligned with an axial center of the annular window, and

the second valve body has an inner circumference that is slidably in contact with the cylindrical surface and is guided by the cylindrical surface to move in the axial direction relative to the valve seat member.

7 . A valve comprising:

a valve seat member that has a port, an annular window which communicates with an outlet end of the port, an inner-circumferential valve seat provided on an inner-circumferential side of the annular window, and an outer-circumferential valve seat provided on an outer-circumferential side of the annular window;

a first valve body that has an annular plate shape, is stacked on the valve seat member with an inner circumference thereof fixed, can seat on or come off the outer-circumferential valve seat to open or close the annular window, and has a hole which faces the annular window and which forms a throttle or a passage leading to a throttle;

a second valve body that has an annular plate shape, is contained in the annular window so as to be movable in an axial direction, and closes the hole when abutting on a valve seat member side surface of the first valve body;

a second valve body biasing member that is contained in the annular window and biases the second valve body toward the first valve body;

a flow path securing regulating portion that restricts the movement of the second valve body in a direction in which the second valve body moves away from the first valve body to prevent the second valve body from closing the outlet end of the port when the second valve body moves a predetermined distance or more away from the first valve body; and

a communication passage that secures communication between the hole and the port even when the second valve body abuts on the flow path securing regulating portion, wherein

the second valve body has an inner circumference having one or more notches, and

a part or whole of the communication passage is formed by the notches.

8 . A shock absorber comprising:

a cylinder;

a piston that is movably inserted into the cylinder and divides an interior of the cylinder into an extension side chamber and a compression side chamber;

a piston rod that is inserted into the cylinder and coupled to the piston;

an outer tube that is disposed on an outer-circumferential side of the cylinder and has a reservoir chamber formed therein;

a valve case that is provided at an end of the cylinder and divides the compression side chamber from the reservoir chamber;

a piston side valve that is provided on an extension side chamber side of the piston and opens or closes a compression side port provided in the piston;

a case side valve that is provided on a compression side chamber side of the valve case and opens or closes a suction port provided in the valve case; and

the valve according to claim 1 , wherein

the valve seat member is formed of the piston, and the valve is disposed on a compression side chamber side of the piston,

the valve seat member is formed of the valve case, and the valve is disposed on a reservoir chamber side of the valve case, or

the valve seat member is formed of the piston, the valve is disposed on the compression side chamber side of the piston, the valve seat member is formed of the valve case, and the valve is disposed on the reservoir chamber side of the valve case.

9 . A shock absorber comprising:

a cylinder;

a piston that is movably inserted into the cylinder and divides an interior of the cylinder into an extension side chamber and a compression side chamber;

a piston rod that is inserted into the cylinder and coupled to the piston;

an outer tube that is disposed on an outer-circumferential side of the cylinder and has a reservoir chamber formed therein;

a valve case that is provided at an end of the cylinder and divides the compression side chamber from the reservoir chamber;

a piston side valve that is provided on an extension side chamber side of the piston and opens or closes a compression side port provided in the piston;

a case side valve that is provided on a compression side chamber side of the valve case and opens or closes a suction port provided in the valve case;

a damping passage via which the extension side chamber communicates with the reservoir chamber;

a variable damping valve that is provided in the damping passage and gives resistance to a flow of a liquid from the extension side chamber to the reservoir chamber; and

the valve according to claim 1 , wherein

the valve seat member is formed of the piston, and the valve is disposed on a compression side chamber side of the piston,

the valve seat member is formed of the valve case, and the valve is disposed on a reservoir chamber side of the valve case, or

the valve seat member is formed of the piston, the valve is disposed on the compression side chamber side of the piston, the valve seat member is formed of the valve case, and the valve is disposed on the reservoir chamber side of the valve case.

10 . The valve according to claim 1 , wherein

a bottom portion of the annular window in the valve seat member has a stepped shape in which its outer-circumferential side is one step higher than its inner-circumferential side, and

the flow path securing regulating portion is formed in a portion on the bottom portion of the annular window which is one step higher on its outer-circumferential side.

11 . The valve according to claim 1 , wherein

the flow path securing regulating portion is formed by a plurality of projections provided in the annular window at some intervals in a circumferential direction.