Abstract: A damper assembly is disposed between a washing machine frame and a washing container suspended in the frame and housing a rotatable drum as a source of vibration. The damper assembly includes a damper having a cylinder filled with working oil, a piston slidably disposed in the cylinder and having a damping force generating mechanism, and a piston rod having an end coupled to the piston and an opposite end extending out of the cylinder, a vibration transmission cutoff mechanism activatable for disabling the damping force generating mechanism to substantially cut off the transmission of vibration between the washing container and the frame, and a selective actuator for selectively activating and inactivating the vibration transmission cutoff mechanism depending on the magnitude of vibration of the washing container.

Abstract: A telescopic hydraulic damper includes an outer tube filled with working oil, a pipe member mounted on the bottom of the outer tube, and an inner tube slidably disposed in the outer tube. A valve structure disposed in an inner end of the inner tube comprises a valve body lossely fitted over the pipe member, and a plurality of valve seats mounted in the inner end of the inner tube and spaced from each other across the valve body. The valve seats include an oil locking seat for shutting off working oil between the oil locking seat and the valve body upon engagement with each other, and a rebound seat for allowing working oil to flow between the rebound seat and the valve body upon engagement with each other. The oil locking seat having a surface for engaging the valve body, the surface being inclined at an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the damper.