Appeal No. 2006-1447 Παγε 9
Application No. 10/775,881
by decreasing the fluid pressure, the damping
characteristic of shock absorber 10 is
decreased, making the shock absorber softer.
This increase and decrease of stiffness
forshock absorber 10 occurs in both the
compression and extension of shock absorber
10.
In addition, it is further disclosed (col. 7, lines 8-26)
that:
Thus, when the vehicle load increases,
the control pressure applied to plastic air
tube 120 correspondingly increases. This
increased control pressure displaces membrane
82 in the direction of shim disc 78.
Displacement of membrane 82 increases the
fluid pressure within chambers 110 and 112
which correspondingly increases the fluid
pressure to move shim disc 78 toward annular
projection 96 to further restrict the flow
between upper working chamber 42 (via fluid
tube 62, aperture 92, aperture 98,
restriction 108, chamber 102 and aperture 94)
to working chamber 48. In a like manner, when
the vehicle load decreases, the control
pressure applied to plastic air tube 120
decreases correspondingly. The decrease in
control pressure displaces membrane 82 away
from shim disc 78, thereby decreasing the
fluid pressure within chambers 110 and 112.
This results in an decreased fluid pressure
being applied to shim disc 78 and shim disc
78 will move away from annular projection 96
to increase the size of restriction 108 to
increase fluid flow between upper working
chamber 42 and fluid reservoir 48.
From our review of Vermolen, we find no description of shim disc 78 moving to
the left to the extent that fluid flow between apertures 92 and 94 is cut off. Not
withstanding appellants’ arguments to the contrary, the reference describes increasing
and decreasing the size of the restriction 108, but does not describe fluid passage
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