Description:FORM 2
The Patent Act 1970
(39 of 1970)
and
The Patent Rules, 2005

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See Section 10 and Rule 13)

TITLE OF THE INVENTION
“SHOCK ABSORBER FOR A MOTORBIKE”

Endurance Technologies Limited
E-92, M.I.D.C. Industrial Area, Waluj,
Chh. Sambhajinagar – 431136 (formerly Aurangabad)
Maharashtra, India
--and--
KTM AG
Stallhofnerstrasse 3, A-5230 Mattighofen,
Austria (AT)

The following specification describes the nature of the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

Field of Invention

[001] The present invention relates to a shock absorber for a two wheeled vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a shock absorber of a vehicle having a uniquely profiled damping cap assembly configured to house compression damping adjuster assembly therein to facilitate the user friendly adjustment of the compression damping independent of rebound damping adjustment means of the shock absorber.

Background of the Invention

[002] In India, two wheelers particularly the motorbikes are important means of commuting, personal freedom and adventure as they offer a cost-effective and efficient way to navigate traffic. In order to have a safe and comfortable ride, shock absorbers are generally employed in motorbikes to absorb the energy of the impact caused by the irregularity on the road surface and soften the subsequent oscillations. A shock absorber typically comprises of an outer tube filled with a damping fluid and a piston rod assembly wherein the piston rod assembly is telescopically positioned within the outer tube and is slideable in both a compression stroke and an extension stroke. The telescopic motion of the piston rod assembly causes the damping fluid to pass through the damping orifices of the piston of the piston rod assembly and imparts the required damping thereby. However, the mentioned arrangements of the shock absorber do not offer the variable damping which is required for a smooth ride depending on the varied road conditions. Thus, the conventional shock absorbers with fixed damping characteristics fail to adapt to varying terrains, loads, and riding conditions, leading to rider fatigue, reduced control, and increased wear and tear of the components.
[003] Conventional damping adjustment type shock absorbers includes, a hollow piston rod configured to accommodate a needle, where one end of the needle has a conical profile and the other end of the needle has a cylindrical profile. The conical-profiled needle end is oriented towards the piston side, and the cylindrical-profiled end is provided at the eyelet side of the shock absorber. The said cylindrically profiled end of the needle is connected to the damping adjustment knob in the eyelet assembly of the shock absorber. The damping adjustment knob is accessible to the user for adjusting the damping orifice by up-down movement of the needle. Thereby, the user can rotate the damping adjustment knob as per the damping requirement. But this adjustment however suffers from a limitation as it works only during the rebound condition/stroke of the shock absorber and completely fails to provide the damping adjustment during the compression stroke of the shock absorber.

[004] During the compression stroke, riders face significant challenges in terms of comfort, control, and overall vehicle performance. The inability to regulate compression damping results in excessive shock absorber travel over rough roads, causing instability and discomfort. On smooth roads, a lack of adjustment leads to a stiff and jarring ride, increasing rider fatigue. During sudden braking, insufficient compression damping contributes to diving of the vehicle thereby reducing the stopping efficiency and compromising safety. Some of the conventional shock absorbers, employs a set of valve stacks positioned in the vicinity of the cap assembly. However, this arrangement provides the damping adjustment in compression stroke up to certain extent only.

[005] Hence, to address the above mentioned technical challenges and provide a safer and comfortable ride for the bike rider, there is a pressing need to have a shock absorber having a compression damping force adjusting mechanism adapted to adjust the compression damping completely independent of the rebound damping adjustment mechanism of the shock absorber.

Objectives of the Invention

[006] The main objective of the present invention is to provide a shock absorber with a compression damping adjustment mechanism for a motor bike particularly for two and three wheeled vehicles / bikes.

[007] Another objective of the present invention is to provide shock absorber having a uniquely profiled and unitary structured damper cap unit for two and three wheeled vehicles.

[008] Yet, the objective of the present invention is to provide shock absorber having a uniquely profiled damping adjuster assembly to provide a varied compression damping force for two and three wheeled vehicles.

[009] Still, another objective present invention is to provide shock absorber having a compression damping adjuster assembly which is user friendly and easy to adjust for providing varied compression damping force in two and three wheeled vehicles.

[0010] Further, the objective of the present invention to provide shock absorber having a damping adjuster assembly for enabling adjustment of compression damping characteristics and rebound damping characteristics independent of each other.
[0011] Yet, the objective of the present invention is to provide shock absorber having a damping adjuster assembly for adjusting compression damping which functionally connected to a canister and damper body of the said shock absorber.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0012] This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, throughout which like reference numerals / letters indicate corresponding parts in the various figures. The embodiment/s herein and advantages thereof will be better understood from the following description when read with reference to the following drawings, wherein

[0013] Figure 1 discloses an isometric view of the shock absorber in accordance with the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 presents a cut sectional view of the shock absorber of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 3a describes an isometric view of the first embodiment of the damper cap unit of the shock absorber of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 3b shows isometric view of the damper cap unit highlighting the internal hydraulic passages of the said damper cap unit of shock absorber of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 3c shows magnified cut sectional view of the internal hydraulic passage connecting the compression damping chamber with the mounting cap of the of the damper cap unit in accordance with the present invention.
[0018] Figure 4a shows a cut sectional view of the damper cap unit of the shock absorber as per the present invention.

[0019] Figures 4b and 4c illustrate a cut sectional views of the canister and compression damping chamber, respectively of the damper cap unit of the shock absorber of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 shows a cut sectional view of a compression damping adjustment assembly intelligently housed inside the compression damping chamber of the damper cap unit of the shock absorber of the present invention.

[0021] Figures 6a and 6b illustrate an isometric view and cut sectional view, respectively of the compression damping adjustment assembly of the shock absorber as per the present invention.

[0022] Figures 7a and 7b illustrate an isometric view and front view, respectively of the damper cap unit of the shock absorber as per the second embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Present Invention

[0023] The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which must not be viewed as restricting the scope and ambit of the invention. Referring to Fig. 1, the shock absorber (1000) for a two wheeled vehicle comprises of a damper tube (40), a main spring (50), a rod link (70L), a damper cap unit (250, 250’), spring locators (95U, 95L), a piston rod assembly (PA), a pre-load adjuster assembly (300) and a compression damping adjustment assembly (500). The damper cap unit (250, 250’) is a single piece unitary unit casted in aluminium casting and is configured to comprise a mounting cap (100, 100’), a compression damping chamber (200, 200’) and a gas canister (400, 400’). The damper cap unit (250, 250’) is generally formed by casting method in a manner such that the compression damping chamber (200, 200’) is positioned in between the mounting cap (100, 100’) and the gas canister (400, 400’) and the said compression damping chamber (200, 200’), the mounting cap (100, 100’) and the gas canister (400, 400’) are in fluidic communication with each other through the passages. The damper cap unit (250, 250’) is made of the material selected from a group of aluminum, steel or any other suitable alloys by any of the known manufacturing methods such as casting, additive or subtractive manufacturing methods. The damper cap (250) of the first embodiment of present invention is configured to have the positioning of compression damping chamber (200) in a manner such that the horizontal geometric axes (x-x, y-y) of the compression damping chamber (200) and the gas canister (400) are parallel to each other and said axes (x-x, y-y) are orthogonal to the vertical geometric axis (z-z) of the mounting cap (100) (refer Fig. 1). The damper cap (250’) of the second embodiment is similar to the damper cap (250) except for the fact that the compression damping chamber (200’) is positioned in a manner such that the horizontal geometric axis (x’-x’) of the compression damping chamber (200’) maintains an angle (α) with the horizontal geometric axis (y’-y’) of the gas canister (400’). Further, the horizontal geometric axis (y’-y’) of the gas canister (400’) maintains an angle (β) with the to the vertical geometric axis (z’-z’) of the mounting cap (100’) (refer Figs. 7a and 7b). The angle (α) is preferably within the range of 0° to 30° and the angle (β) is preferably within the range of 90° to 150°.

[0024] The mounting cap (100, 100’) is configured to have a cylindrical cup portion (100CP) and a stem portion (100SP) seamlessly integrated with each other and demarcated by a tapered transitional portion (100TP). The cylindrical cup portion (100CP) is configured to have an inverted frustum shape cavity (110) wherein the said frustum shaped cavity (110) is configured to store the damping fluid therein. The inverted frustum shape cavity (110) has an orifice (115) positioned at its inner peripheral surface and said orifice makes the hydraulic communication between the mounting cap (100, 100’) and the compression damping chamber (200, 200’). The cylindrical cup portion (100CP) has a thorough plug opening (110P) positioned in a diametrically opposite manner to the orifice (115) of the inverted frustum shape cavity (110). This plug opening (110P) houses a screw plug (not shown) and facilitates the charging of working fluid, preferably the oil, within the shock absorber (1000). Also, the cylindrical cup portion (100CP) of the mounting cap (100, 100’) has threads formed over its inner peripheral surface for facilitating the joining of the mounting cap (100) with the damper tube (40). Thus, the unitary single piece damper cap unit (250, 250’) gets connected with the damper tube (40) of the shock absorber (1000). The stem portion (100SP) of the mounting cap (100, 100’) is configured to have an eyelet (125) formed there through. The said eyelet (125) is configured to house a rubber bush (125B) for connecting the stem portion (100SP) of the mounting cap (100, 100’) with either of the body of the vehicle or the axle of the wheel of the vehicle depending on the vehicle architecture.

[0025] The compression damping chamber (200, 200’) has a cylindrical body with an annular multi-stepped cavity (210) bored therein and said stepped cavity (210) is configured to house the compression damping adjustment assembly (500) therein. The stepped cavity (210) of the compression damping chamber (200, 200’) has a plurality of stepped cavities viz. a first stepped cavity (210S1), a second stepped cavity (210S2) and a third stepped cavity (210S3) formed in a manner to have a gradually increasing internal diameter in the order of  210S1 <  210S2 <  210S3. The first stepped cavity (210S1) of the compression damping chamber (200) has an orifice (215) formed at its inner peripheral surface and said orifice (215) is in hydraulic communication with the orifice (115) of the mounting cap (100, 100’) thereby forming a hydraulic passage between said compression damping chamber (200, 200’) and the mounting cap (100, 100’).

[0026] The gas canister (400, 400’) has a hollow cylindrical profile having an annular cavity (400C) therein and said cavity (400C) is configured to house a flexible membrane or sack (410) which contains the compressed gas or nitrogen therein. The said flexible membrane or sack (410) is positioned in the annular cavity (400C) and the said cavity (400C) is closed at its top end with the help of a cap (425) which is press fitted therein. The positioning of the flexible membrane / sack (410) within the canister (400, 400’) is configured to form a hydraulic chamber (410CH) with the inner peripheral surface of the annular cavity (400C) of the gas canister (400, 400’). The said flexible membrane (410) is configured to keep the damping fluid under sufficient pressure at all times thereby avoiding foaming of damping fluid/cavitation in the shock absorber (1000) unit during its operation. The annular cavity (400C) of the gas canister (400, 400’) is configured to have a rectangular slot (415) formed at its inner peripheral surface and said slot (415) makes the hydraulic communication between the gas canister (400, 400’) and compression damping chamber (200, 200’).

[0027] The mounting cap (100, 100’), compression damping chamber (200, 200’) and the gas canister (400, 400’) are in fluidic communication with each other by the virtue of a fluid path formed by the connectivity of the orifice (115) of the mounting cap (100, 100’), orifice (215) of the compression damping chamber (200, 200’) and the rectangular slot (415) of the gas canister (400, 400’) as shown in Fig. 3b. The orifice (115) of the inverted frustum shaped cavity (110) of the mounting cap (100, 100) is directly connected with the orifice (215) of the first stepped cavity (210S1) of the compression damping chamber (200, 200) by an internal passage (FP) formed in between the mounting cap (100, 100’) and the compression damping chamber (200, 200’) (refer Fig. 3c). The rectangular slot (415) of the gas canister (400, 400’) opens in the third stepped cavity (210S3) of the compression damping chamber (200, 200’) thereby hydraulically connecting the gas canister (400, 400’) with the compression damping chamber (200, 200’).

[0028] Referring to Figs. 6a and 6b, the compression damping adjustment assembly (500) comprises of an adjuster screw (510), a needle screw (520), a plurality of detent balls (525), a detent spring (530), a piston (535), an upper shim stack (540), a lower shim (545), a circlip (500C) and an O-Ring (500R). The adjuster screw (510) is configured to have an annular skirt portion (510S), an annular disk portion (510D) and a stem portion (510T). The annular skirt portion (510S) projects away in a longitudinal downward direction from an annular disk portion (510D) and the hex profiled boss (510H) projects away in a longitudinal upward direction from the annular disk portion (510D). The annular skirt portion (510S) of the adjuster screw (510) is configured to have an O-ring groove (510G) and threads (520T) formed over its outer peripheral surface. The stem portion (510T) projects orthogonally in a longitudinal downward direction from an annular skirt portion (510S) so as to form a single unitary structure of the adjuster screw (510). The stem portion (510T) is configured to have a step profile (ST) formed at its outer peripheral surface thus forming a first stem portion (510T1) and a second stem portion (510T2). The first stem portion (510T1) of the adjuster screw (510) has a thorough lateral opening (550) extending across it in lateral direction and the second stem portion (510T2) has a longitudinal opening (560) extending across its length so as to hydraulically connect with the lateral opening (550) of the first stem portion (510T1).

[0029] The adjuster screw (510) has a stepped profiled cavity (570) and said cavity (570) is configured to house the needle screw (520). The cavity (570) has a first stepped cavity (570C1), a second stepped cavity (570C2) and a third stepped cavity (570C3). The needle screw (520) is a stepped shaft of circular cross-sectional profile having a body portion (520B) and a stem portion (520S) and said stem portion (520S) orthogonally projects from the body portion (520B) of the needle screw (520). The body portion (520B) of the needle screw (520) has an O-Ring groove (520G) at its outer peripheral surface and a rectangular slit (520L) at its top surface and said slit (520L) facilitates the rotation of the needle screw (520) with the help of an external torqueing tool. The stem portion (520S) is configured to have a conical protrusion (520N) projecting down from a flat bottom surface (520FS) of the distal end of the stem portion (520S) of the needle screw (520). The said conical protrusion (520N) is configured to travel in axial direction in the longitudinal opening (560) of the stem portion (510T) of the adjuster screw (510) in response to rotation of the rectangular slit (520L) in clockwise or anti-clockwise direction.

[0030] The piston (535) is sleeved over the second stem portion (510T2) of the adjuster screw (510) in a manner that the upper shim stack (540) is positioned over the piston (535). The upper shim stack (540) completely covers the damping orifices (535FS) of the piston (535) and abuts with the step profile (ST) of the stem portion (510T) of the adjuster screw (510). The lower shim (545) is positioned below the piston (535) in a manner to partially cover a set of damping orifices (535FS) by the virtue of its delta shaped profile. This delta shape of the lower shim (545) facilitates the continuous passage of the damping fluid across the piston (535) during the rebound stroke of the shock absorber. The said piston (535) is locked in its place with the help of the locking nut (500N).

[0031] The needle screw (520) is positioned in the stepped cavity (570) of the adjuster screw (510) in a manner such that the body portion (520B) of the needle screw (520) is jointly housed by the first stepped cavity (570C1) and the second stepped cavity (570C2) of the adjuster screw (510). The stem portion (520S) is jointly housed by the second stepped cavity (570C2) and the third stepped cavity (570C3) of the adjuster screw (510) and the conical protrusion (520N) is partially positioned in the third stepped cavity (570C3) and the longitudinal opening (560) of the adjuster screw (510). The body portion (520B) of the needle screw (520) is locked in the first stepped cavity (570C1) of the adjuster screw (510) with the help of a circlip (CP) and an O-Ring (520R) is positioned in the groove (520G) of the adjuster screw (510) to avoid the leakage of the fluid therefrom to form the compression damping adjustment assembly (500).

[0032] The compression damping adjustment assembly (500) is positioned in the compression damping chamber (200, 200’) in a manner such that the piston (535) is housed by the second stepped cavity (210S2) of the compression damping chamber (200, 200’) and the annular skirt portion (510S) is threadedly fixed within the third stepped cavity (210S3) of the compression damping chamber (200, 200’). The O-Ring (500R) is positioned in the groove of the annular skirt portion (510S) of the adjuster screw (510) to prevent the leakage of the damping fluid from the compression damping chamber (200, 200’). The compression damping adjustment assembly (500) is positioned within the compression damping chamber (200, 200’) of the damper cap unit (250, 250’) in such a way that an adjuster screw (510) of the compression damping adjustment assembly (500) is configured to abut with the outer surface (S) of the bore of the compression damping chamber (200, 200’) thereby concealing the damping adjustment mechanism of the compression damping adjustment assembly (500) and making a needle screw (520) easily accessible to the user for adjusting the compression damping of the shock absorber (1000).

[0033] The damper tube (40) is a hollow cylindrical tube having a top open end (40T) and a bottom open end (40B) and the mounting cap (100, 100’) of the damper cap unit (250, 250’) is threadedly fixed to the bottom end (40B) of the damper tube (40). The piston rod assembly (PA) passes through the top open end (40T) of the damper tube (40) and the said top open end (40T) is closed by the top cap (60). The piston rod assembly (PA) further comprises of a piston rod (70), a bump stop (160), a bump stop washer (160W), an oil seal (OS), a dust seal (115), a rod guide (90), a rebound bumper (120), a piston (140), a piston nut (150). The said top cap (60) having an opening at its center is press fitted to the top end (40T) and said opening of the top cap allows the telescopic movement of the piston rod (70) of the piston rod assembly (PA). The piston (140) of the piston rod assembly (PA) is fixed to the lower end (70L) of the piston rod (70) with the help of a nut (150). The upper end of the piston rod (70) passes through the bump stop (160). The said bump stop (160) is snuggly fitted with the outer peripheral surface of the piston rod (70) and rests over the split washer (160W) positioned below the rod link (70L). The rod link is configured to house a bushing so as to connect it with the axle of the vehicle. Depending on the vehicle architecture, the shock absorber of the present invention is configured to get mounted in the inverted position wherein the said rod link (70L) will then get connected with the body of the vehicle. The piston rod (70) is configured to accommodate a needle (98) therein and the said needle (98) is connected to a rebound damping adjustment unit (93) to adjust the rebound damping. The spring locator (95U) is fixedly connected with the split washer (160W) and the spring locator (95L) is welded over the outer peripheral surface of the damper tube (40) in proximity of its bottom end (40B). The main spring (50) is coaxially positioned in between the spring locator (95U) and the spring locator (95L). The pre-load adjuster assembly (300) is positioned over the damper tube (40) in between the lower spring locator (95L) and the mounting cap (100, 100’) to form the shock absorber (1000) of the present invention. The preload adjusting assembly (300) is configured to alter the compression of the main spring (50) in accordance with the varied requirement of the rider.

[0034] During the working, the piston rod assembly (PA) slides within the damper tube (40) in downward direction due to the compression of the main spring (50) during the compression stroke of the shock absorber (1000). In this condition, the damping fluid from the damper tube (40) travels to the inverted frustum cavity (110) of the mounting cap (100, 100’) of the damper cap unit (250, 250’). The damping fluid further passes to the first stepped cavity (210S1) of the compression damping chamber (200, 200’) via the internal passage (FP) connected by the damping orifice (115) of the mounting cap (100, 100’) and the damping orifice (215) of the compression damping chamber (200, 200’). The damping fluid further travels from the first stepped cavity (210S1) of the compression damping chamber (200, 200’) to the third stepped cavity (210S3) of the compression damping chamber (200, 200’) via the damping orifices (535FS) of the piston (535) of the compression damping adjustment assembly (500). The said damping fluid finally traverse to the hydraulic chamber (410CH) of the canister (400, 400’) by passing through the slot (415) of the canister (400, 400’). The damping orifices (535FS) along with the stack of the shims facilitates the required damping.
[0035] When the rider wants to change the compression damping characteristics as per his requirement so as to navigate with a variety of road surface, the rider / user may rotate the needle screw (520) of the compression adjustment assembly (500) in an anti-clockwise direction to adjust the desired compression damping. The rotation of the needle screw (520) causes to uncover the longitudinal opening (560) of the stem portion (510T) of the adjuster screw (510) due to axial movement of the conical protrusion (520N) in upward direction. This uncovering of the longitudinal opening (560) by the conical protrusion (520N) leads to alter the flow path by enhancing the flow passage between the first stepped cavity (210S1) of the compression damping chamber (200, 200’) to the third stepped cavity (210S3) of the compression damping chamber (200, 200’) leading to an altered compression damping adjustment for the shock absorber (1000).

[0036] Thus, the shock absorber of the present invention having a uniquely profiled and unitary structured damper cap unit and an intelligently positioned damping adjuster assembly in the compression damping chamber of said damper cap unit so as to have a varied compression damping force during the compression stroke of the shock absorber imparts following technical advantages that contributes to the advancement of technology leading to establishment of the inventive step.
- The unique feature of the shock absorber to adjust compression damping ensures a smoother ride by optimizing damping characteristics based on the road conditions thereby reducing the rider fatigue and improving long-distance comfort.
- The shock absorber of the invention enhances vehicle stability by providing a solution that helps the rider to easily set or adjust the desired damping characteristics during the compression stroke of the shock absorber.
- Compression damping adjustment accommodates solo or dual riding, as well as additional luggage, ensuring optimal damping performance and preventing excessive sag or stiffness.
- The shock absorber of the invention drastically reduces the diving / skidding of the vehicle in response to sudden braking thereby enhancing the overall safety of the rider.
- The compression damping adjustment solution of the shock absorber reduces the stresses getting generated in the components and thereby eliminate the excessive wear and tear of the components and extends the lifespan of the shock absorber.
- The compression damping adjustment system of the shock absorber of the invention makes the rider to easily fine-tune the shock absorber’s damping settings during the compression stroke according to their riding style, terrain preferences, and load conditions, enhancing the overall riding experience and adaptability to different environments.

[0028] While an attempt has been made to describe the construction and working of the invention to the fullest possible extent, minor changes that do not detract from the outline established in this document are still possible. Such changes can be considered as obvious to a person skilled in the art and must hence not be viewed to be taking any shock absorber with all the other features as covered by this description outside the scope of the claims of this specification. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein. , Claims:We Claim:

1. A shock absorber (1000) for a motorbike comprising of a damper tube (40), a main spring (50), a rod link (70L), a damper cap unit (250, 250’), a compression damping adjustment assembly (500), spring locators (95U, 95L), a piston rod assembly (PA), and a pre-load adjuster assembly (300)
wherein,
- the damper cap unit (250, 250’) is a single piece unitary unit casted in aluminium casting and is configured to comprise a mounting cap (100, 100’), a compression damping chamber (200, 200’) and a gas canister (400, 400’) in such a way that the compression damping chamber (200, 200’) is positioned in between the mounting cap (100, 100’) and the gas canister (400, 400’);
- the horizontal geometric axis (x-x) of the compression damping chamber (200, 200’) and the horizontal geometric axis (y-y) of the gas canister (400, 400’) are parallel to each other and said axes (x-x, y-y) are orthogonal to the vertical geometric axis (z-z) of the mounting cap (100, 100’);
- said compression damping chamber (200, 200’), the mounting cap (100, 100’) and the gas canister (400, 400’) are in fluidic communication with each other through the passages;
- the compression damping adjustment assembly (500) is positioned within the compression damping chamber (200, 200’) of the damper cap unit (250, 250’) in such a way that an adjuster screw (510) of the compression damping adjustment assembly (500) is configured to abut with the outer surface (S) of the bore of the compression damping chamber (200, 200’) thereby concealing the damping adjustment mechanism of the compression damping adjustment assembly (500) and making a needle screw (520) easily accessible to the user for adjusting the compression damping of the shock absorber (1000);
- said unitary single piece damper cap unit (250, 250’) is threadedly connected with the damper tube (40) of the shock absorber (1000);
- the spring locator (95U) is fixedly connected with a split washer (160W) and a spring locator (95L) is welded over the outer peripheral surface of the damper tube (40) in proximity of its bottom end (40B); and
- the main spring (50) is concentrically positioned over the damper tube (40) in between the spring locators (95U and 95L).

2. The shock absorber (1000) for a motorbike as claimed in claim 1, wherein
- the damper cap (250’) has a compression damping chamber (200’) positioned in a manner such that the horizontal geometric axis (x’-x’) of the compression damping chamber (200’) maintains an angle (α) with the horizontal geometric axis (y’-y’) of the gas canister (400’);
- the horizontal geometric axis (y’-y’) of the gas canister (400’) maintains an angle (β) with the to the vertical geometric axis (z’-z’) of the mounting cap (100’); and
- said angle (α) is preferably within the range of 0° to 30° and the angle (β) is preferably within the range of 90° to 150°.

3. The shock absorber (1000) for a motorbike as claimed in any of the claims 1 and 2, wherein
- the mounting cap (100, 100’) is configured to have a cylindrical cup portion (100CP) and a stem portion (100SP) seamlessly integrated with each other and demarcated by a tapered transitional portion (100TP);
- the cylindrical cup portion (100CP) is configured to have an inverted frustum shape cavity (110), said inverted frustum shape cavity (110) has an orifice (115) positioned at its inner peripheral surface and said orifice (115) makes the hydraulic communication between the mounting cap (100, 100’) and the compression damping chamber (200, 200’);
- the cylindrical cup portion (100CP) has a thorough plug opening (110P) positioned in a diametrically opposite to the orifice (115) of the inverted frustum shape cavity (110); and said cylindrical cup portion (100CP) of the bottom cap (100, 100’) has threads formed over its inner peripheral surface for facilitating the joining of the mounting cap (100, 100’) with the damper tube (40); and
- the stem portion (100SP) of the mounting cap (100, 100’) is configured to have an eyelet (125) formed there through and said eyelet (125) is configured to house a rubber bush (125B) for connecting the stem portion (100SP) of the mounting cap (100, 100’) with either of the body of the vehicle or the axle of the wheel of the vehicle depending on the vehicle architecture.

4. The shock absorber (1000) for a motorbike as claimed in claim 3, wherein
- the compression damping chamber (200, 200’) has a cylindrical body with an annular multi-stepped cavity (210) bored therein and said stepped cavity (210) is configured to house the compression damping adjustment assembly (500) therein;
- said multi-stepped cavity (210) has a first stepped cavity (210S1), a second stepped cavity (210S2) and a third stepped cavity (210S3) formed in a manner to have a gradually increasing internal diameter in the order of  210S1 <  210S2 <  210S3;
- the first stepped cavity (210S1) of the compression damping chamber (200, 200’) has an orifice (215) formed at its inner peripheral surface and said orifice (215) is in hydraulic communication with the orifice (115) of the mounting cap (100, 100’) thereby forming a hydraulic passage between said compression damping chamber (200, 200’) and the mounting cap (100, 100’); and
- the third stepped cavity (210S3) of the compression damping chamber (200, 200’) hydraulically communicates with the gas canister (400, 400’) through the rectangular slot (415) of the gas canister (400, 400’).

5. The shock absorber (1000) for a motorbike as claimed in claim 4, wherein
- the gas canister (400, 400’) has a hollow cylindrical profile having an annular cavity (400C) therein and said cavity (400C) is configured to house a flexible membrane / sack (410) which contains the compressed gas or nitrogen therein;
- the cavity (400C) is closed at its top end with the help of a cap (425) which is press fitted therein and the flexible membrane / sack (410) within the canister (400, 400’) is configured to form a hydraulic chamber (410CH) with the inner peripheral surface of the annular cavity (400C) of the gas canister (400, 400’);
- said flexible membrane (410) is configured to keep the damping fluid under pressure at all times thereby avoiding foaming of damping fluid/cavitation in the shock absorber (1000) unit during its operation;
- and the annular cavity (400C) of the gas canister (400, 400’) is configured to have a rectangular slot (415) formed at its inner peripheral surface and said slot (415) makes the hydraulic communication between the gas canister (400, 400’) and compression damping chamber (200, 200’).

6. The shock absorber (1000) for a motorbike as claimed in claim 5, wherein
- the compression damping chamber (200, 200’), the mounting cap (100, 100’) and the gas canister (400, 400’) are in fluidic communication with each other by the virtue of a fluid path formed by the connectivity of the orifice (115) of the mounting cap (100, 100’), orifice (215) of the compression damping chamber (200, 200’) and the rectangular slot (415) of the gas canister (400, 400’);
- the orifice (115) of the inverted frustum shaped cavity (110) of the mounting cap (100, 100’) is in communication with the orifice (215) of the first stepped cavity (210S1) of the compression damping chamber (200, 200’) forming an internal passage (FP) in between the mounting cap (100, 100’) and the compression damping chamber (200, 200’); and
- the rectangular slot (415) of the gas canister (400, 400’) opens in the third stepped cavity (210S3) of the compression damping chamber (200, 200’) that houses the compression damping adjustment assembly (500).

7. The shock absorber (1000) for a motorbike as claimed in claim 6, wherein
- the compression damping adjustment assembly (500) is configured to comprise of an adjuster screw (510), a needle screw (520), a plurality of detent balls (525), a detent spring (530), a piston (535), an upper shim stack (540) and a lower shim (545);
- said adjuster screw (510) is configured to have an annular skirt portion (510S), an annular disc portion (510D) and a stem portion (510T);
- the annular skirt portion (510S) projects away in a longitudinal downward direction from an annular disc portion (510D) and the hex profiled boss (510H) projects away in a longitudinal upward direction from said annular disc portion (510D); and
- the stem portion (510T) projects orthogonally in a longitudinal downward direction from an annular skirt portion (510S) forming a single unitary structure of the adjuster screw (510).

8. The shock absorber (1000) for a motorbike as claimed in claim 7, wherein
- the stem portion (510T) of the adjuster screw (510) is configured to have a step profile (ST) formed at its outer peripheral surface forming a first stem portion (510T1) and a second stem portion (510T2);
- said first stem portion (510T1) has a thorough lateral opening (550) extending across it in lateral direction and the second stem portion (510T2) has a longitudinal opening (560) extending across its length so as to hydraulically connect with the lateral opening (550) of the first stem portion (510T1); and
- said adjuster screw (510) has a stepped profiled cavity (570) forming a first stepped cavity (570C1), a second stepped cavity (570C2) and a third stepped cavity (570C3) and said cavity (570) is configured to house the needle screw (520).

9. The shock absorber (1000) for a motorbike as claimed in claim 8, wherein
- the needle screw (520) is a stepped shaft of circular cross-sectional profile having a body portion (520B) and a stem portion (520S) and said stem portion (520S) orthogonally projects from the body portion (520B) of the needle screw (520);
- the body portion (520B) of the needle screw (520) has an O-Ring groove (520G) at its outer peripheral surface and a rectangular slit (520L) at its top surface and said slit (520L) is configured to rotate the needle screw (520) with the help of an external torqueing tool;
- said stem portion (520S) is configured to have a conical protrusion (520N) projecting down from a flat bottom surface (520FS) of the distal end of the stem portion (520S) of the needle screw (520); and
- said conical protrusion (520N) is configured to travel in axial direction in the longitudinal opening (560) of the stem portion (510T) of the adjuster screw (510) in response to rotation of the rectangular slit (520L) in clockwise or anti-clockwise direction.

10. The shock absorber (1000) for a motorbike as claimed in claim 9, wherein
- the needle screw (520) is positioned in the stepped cavity (570) of the adjuster screw (510) in a manner such that the body portion (520B) of the needle screw (520) is jointly housed by the first stepped cavity (570C1) and the second stepped cavity (570C2) of the adjuster screw (510);
- the stem portion (520S) is jointly housed by the second stepped cavity (570C2) and the third stepped cavity (570C3) of the adjuster screw (510);
- the conical protrusion (520N) is partially positioned in the third stepped cavity (570C3) and the longitudinal opening (560) of the adjuster screw (510); and
- said body portion (520B) of the needle screw (520) is locked in the first stepped cavity (570C1) of the adjuster screw (510) with the help of a circlip (CP) and an O-ring (520R) positioned in the groove (520G) of the adjuster screw (510) to avoid the leakage of the fluid therefrom to form the compression damping adjustment assembly (500).

11. The shock absorber (1000) for a motorbike as claimed in claim 10, wherein
- the adjuster screw (510) has the piston (535) sleeved over the second stem portion (510T2) making the upper shim stack (540) positioned over the piston (535); and said upper shim stack (540) completely covers the damping orifices (535FS) of the piston (535) and abuts with the step profile (ST) of the stem portion (510T) of the adjuster screw (510);
- the lower shim (545) is positioned below the piston (535) and is configured to partially cover a set of damping orifices (535FS) by the virtue of its delta shaped profile and said delta shaped profile of the lower shim (545) is configured to maintain a continuous passage of the damping fluid across the piston (535) during the rebound stroke of the shock absorber; and
- said piston (535) is locked in its place with the help of the locking nut (500N).

12. The shock absorber (1000) for a motorbike as claimed in claim 11, wherein
- the piston (535) of the compression damping adjustment assembly (500) is housed by the second stepped cavity (210S2) of the compression damping chamber (200, 200’);
- the annular skirt portion (510S) is threadedly fixed within the third stepped cavity (210S3) of the compression damping chamber (200, 200’); and
- the O-ring (500R) is positioned in the groove of the annular skirt portion (510S) of the adjuster screw (510) to prevent the leakage of the damping fluid from the compression damping chamber (200, 200’).

13. The shock absorber (1000) for a motorbike as claimed in claim 3, wherein
- the mounting cap (100, 100’) of the damper cap unit (250, 250’) is threadedly fixed to the bottom end (40B) of the damper tube (40) and the piston rod assembly (PA) is configured to pass through the top open end (40T) of the damper tube (40) and said top open end (40T) is closed by the top cap (60);
- said piston rod assembly (PA) is configured to comprise of a piston rod (70), a bump stop (160), a bump stop washer (160W), an oil seal (OS), a dust seal (115), a rod guide (90), a rebound bumper (120), a piston (140), a piston nut (150);
- said top cap (60) having an opening at its center is press fitted to the top end (40T) and said opening of the top cap (60) allows the telescopic movement of the piston rod (70) of the piston rod assembly (PA) within the damper tube (40);
- the upper end of the piston rod (70) passes through the bump stop (160) and said bump stop (160) is snuggly fitted with the outer peripheral surface of the piston rod (70) and rests over the split washer (160W) positioned below the rod link (70L);
- said rod link (70L) is configured to house a bushing so as to connect it with either with the wheel axle of the vehicle or the body of the vehicle depending on the vehicle architecture;
- said piston rod (70) is configured to accommodate a needle (98) therein and the said needle (98) is connected to a rebound damping adjustment unit (93) to adjust the rebound damping;
- the spring locator (95U) is positioned over the split washer (160W) whereas the spring locator (95L) is welded over the outer peripheral surface of the damper tube (40) in proximity of its bottom end (40B); and
- the main spring (50) is coaxially positioned in between the spring locator (95U) and the spring locator (95L).

Dated this 27th day of June 2025

Sahastrarashmi Pund
Head - IPR
Endurance Technologies Ltd.

To,
The Controller of Patents,
The Patent Office, at Mumbai