PURPOSE: To provide damping force switching mechanism for a shock absorber enabling the improvement of controllability and allowing the changeable width of damping force to be set large while being of simple constitution.
CONSTITUTION: Two flexible plates 45 are inserted between a second piston 40 and a collar part 44 provided at the lower part of a base 43 in such a state that the center parts are previously bent slightly inward and the initial flexure is mutually opposed. A valve outer 75 and a valve inner 85 are energized mutually outward by the reaction of a return spring, and the movement thereof is regulated in the state of being pressed to the parts near the apexes of the flexible plates 45. The displacement of a laminated type piezoelectric body 27 is enlarged to the extent of 10-25 times by the flexible plates 45, and the valve outer 75 and the valve inner 85 are moved by the enlarged displacement part to switch passage area.
ODA SHINRO
WATARAI TAKEHIRO
MORIWAKI JUNJI
MUKAI HIROKATSU
MIWA NAOTO
