HYDRAULISCHER STOSSDAEMPFER MIT DRUCKVENTIL

An improved compression valve mechanism for a shock absorber comprising an upwardly facing annular valve seat on the shock absorber piston, an annular valve seat engaging member having an exterior periphery spaced closely from the interior periphery of the cylindrical shock absorber chamber providing a relatively small annular gap therebetween and a downwardly facing surface adapted to engage the upwardly facing annular valve seat, an annular seal mounted above the annular member in motion transmitting relation therewith, the seal being made of relatively rigid material and being split radially so as to be expandable radially outwardly and having an upwardly and inwardly facing generally frustoconical spring force transmitting surface and a peripheral sealing surface, and a coil spring above the seal having its upper end fixed with respect to the piston and having its lower end disposed in force transmitting relation with the force transmitting frustoconical surface of the seal so that the seal is biased thereby (1) downwardly against the annular member to urge the same into engagement with the piston valve seat and (2) radially outwardly to urge the peripheral sealing surface thereof into sealing engagement with the interior periphery of the cylindrical chamber. The seal when in spring biased relation has a bleed gap at the radial split thereof providing a bleed path in series with the annular gap for the flow of hydraulic fluid between the compression and rebound spaces within the cylindrical chamber.