Valve assembly for a damper
A valve assembly for a damper is provided. The valve assembly includes a housing defining a fluid cavity. The valve assembly includes a spool valve movably disposed within the housing. Further, the valve assembly includes a bumper disposed between the housing and the spool valve. At least the bumper, the spool valve and the housing together define an enclosed volume. The valve assembly further includes one or more bleed paths defined on at least one of the bumper, the spool valve and the housing, the one or more bleed paths fluidly communicating the fluid cavity with the enclosed volume.
1. A valve assembly for a damper comprising:
a housing defining a fluid cavity;
a spool valve movably disposed within the housing;
a bumper disposed between the housing and the spool valve and having an upper surface abutting the housing and a lower surface abutting the spool valve, wherein a sealing member, the bumper, the spool valve and the housing together define an enclosed volume; and
one or more bleed paths defined on at least one of the bumper, the spool valve and the housing and the one or more bleed paths are disposed in at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface of the bumper, the one or more bleed paths fluidly communicating the fluid cavity with the enclosed volume.
2. The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the spool valve defines an annular groove on an outer surface of the spool valve.
3. The valve assembly of claim 2 , further comprising a sealing member is disposed within the groove, and wherein the sealing member, the spool valve, the bumper and the housing together define the enclosed volume.
4. The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing defines an annular shoulder, and wherein the bumper is at least partly received within the annular shoulder.
5. The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more bleed paths are defined on an inner surface of the housing.
6. The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more bleed paths are defined on an upper surface of the spool valve.
7. The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more bleed paths comprises eight bleed paths disposed about at least one of the bumper, the spool valve and the housing.
8. The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more bleed paths is square, rectangular, round, or V-shaped.
9. The valve assembly of claim 1 further comprising a bypass valve including:
a valve seat plate disposed adjacent to the spool valve;
an interface disposed adjacent to the valve seat plate; and
a spring biasing the interface against the valve seat plate.
10. A damper comprising:
a pressure tube;
a piston assembly disposed within the pressure tube;
a piston rod projecting out of the pressure tube, the piston assembly being attached to the piston rod and the piston rod including an axial passageway that forms an internal bore extending through a portion of a length of the piston rod and acting as a portion of a fluid bypass flow path; and
a valve assembly attached to the piston rod, the valve assembly comprising:
a housing defining a fluid cavity;
a spool valve movably disposed within the housing, wherein the spool valve includes a hole extending through a full length of the spool valve and being in fluid communication with the axial passageway of the piston rod;
a bumper disposed between the housing and the spool valve and having an upper surface abutting the housing and a lower surface abutting the spool valve, wherein a sealing member, the bumper, the spool valve and the housing together define an enclosed volume; and
one or more bleed paths defined on at least one of the bumper and the one or more bleed paths are disposed in at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface of the bumper, the spool valve and the housing, the one or more bleed paths fluidly communicating the fluid cavity with the enclosed volume.
11. The damper of claim 10 , wherein the one or more bleed paths are defined on an inner surface of the housing.
12. The damper of claim 10 , wherein the one or more bleed paths are defined on an upper surface of the spool valve.
13. A damper comprising:
a pressure tube;
a piston assembly disposed within the pressure tube;
a piston rod projecting out of the pressure tube, the piston assembly being attached to the piston rod and the piston rod including an axial passageway that forms an internal bore extending through a portion of a length of the piston rod and acting as a portion of a fluid bypass flow path; and
a valve assembly attached to the piston rod, the valve assembly comprising:
a housing defining a fluid cavity;
a spool valve movably disposed within the housing, the spool valve defining an annular groove on an outer surface of the spool valve, wherein the spool valve includes a hole extending through a full length of the spool valve and being in fluid communication with the axial passageway of the piston rod;
a sealing member disposed within the groove;
a bumper disposed between the housing and the spool valve and having an upper surface abutting the housing and a lower surface abutting the spool valve, wherein the sealing member, the spool valve, the bumper and the housing together define an enclosed volume;
one or more bleed paths defined on at least one of the bumper and the one or more bleed paths are disposed in at least one of the upper surface and the lower surface of the bumper, the spool valve and the housing, the one or more bleed paths fluidly communicating the fluid cavity with the enclosed volume; and
a bypass valve including:
a valve seat plate disposed adjacent to the spool valve;
an interface disposed adjacent to the valve seat plate; and
a spring biasing the interface against the valve seat plate.
14. The damper assembly of claim 13 , wherein the one or more bleed paths are defined on an inner surface of the housing.
15. The valve assembly of claim 13 , wherein the one or more bleed paths are defined on an upper surface of the spool valve.
16. The valve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more bleed paths are disposed in the upper surface of the bumper defining a fluid flow path between the bumper and the housing.
17. The valve assembly of claim 16 , wherein the bleed path is defined between the upper surface of the bumper and an annular shoulder of the housing.