A vehicle and damper therefor

Abstract

The application provides a vehicle and a damper thereof; the damper comprises a sleeve, a piston rod, a damper inner ring, a damper outer ring and an elastic piece; the sleeve is formed with a containing cavity, one end of the piston rod is inserted into the containing cavity, the damper inner ring is sleeved on the piston rod and is fixedly connected with the piston rod, the damper outer ring holds the elastic piece and can slide along the inner wall of the sleeve; part of the structure of the damper inner ring can be inserted into the gap between the damper outer ring and the piston rod, and is clamped with the damper outer ring and the piston rod to realize the damping effect along the axial direction of the piston rod. The damper has the characteristics of simple structure and high reliability, and solves the problems that the conventional axial damper is greatly affected by temperature, environment and other factors, the extension and retraction stroke of the balance rod is not linear, the damping effect is unstable, the damping attenuation is large, and the damping strength is difficult to preset.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of damper structures, specifically to a vehicle and its damper. Background Technology

[0002] Most of the mechanical struts used in automobiles currently employ compressed gas as damping or have no damping structure. Due to factors such as temperature and environment, the extension and retraction of the mechanical struts are not linear, the damping effect is unstable, the damping attenuation is large, and the damping force is difficult to preset. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The first aspect of this application provides a damper, which includes: a sleeve, a piston rod, an inner ring of the damper, an outer ring of the damper, and an elastic element; the sleeve forms a receiving cavity, one end of the piston rod is inserted into the receiving cavity, the inner ring of the damper is sleeved on the piston rod and fixedly connected to the piston rod, the outer ring of the damper abuts the elastic element and can slide along the inner wall of the sleeve; a portion of the structure of the inner ring of the damper can be inserted into the gap between the outer ring of the damper and the piston rod, and clamps with the outer ring of the damper and the piston rod to achieve a damping effect along the axial direction of the piston rod.

[0004] On the other hand, embodiments of this application provide a vehicle that includes the damper described in the above embodiments.

[0005] The damper provided in this application has the characteristics of simple structure and high reliability. It also solves the problems of conventional axial dampers, such as being greatly affected by temperature and environmental factors, and easily leading to non-linear extension and contraction of the balance bar, unstable damping effect, large damping attenuation, and difficulty in preset the damping force. Attached Figure Description

[0006] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0007] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of the damper of this application;

[0008] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the disassembled structure of the damper in the embodiment;

[0009] Figure 3 yes Figure 1A cross-sectional view of the damper at point AA in the embodiment;

[0010] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first inner ring and the first outer ring in an embodiment of this application;

[0011] Figure 5 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the vehicle of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0012] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be particularly noted that the following embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the invention. Similarly, the following embodiments are only some, not all, embodiments of the present invention, and all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0013] The terms "first," "second," and "third" used in the embodiments of this application are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first," "second," or "third" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified. All directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of this application are only used to explain the relative positional relationships and movement of components in a specific posture (as shown in the figures). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly. The terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, in the embodiments of this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may optionally include steps or units not listed, or may optionally include other steps or components inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices.

[0014] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0015] This application provides a damper, mainly used as an axial damper in the mechanical rod of an electric tailgate.

[0016] Please refer to the following: Figure 1 and Figure 3 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of the damper of this application; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the disassembled structure of the damper in the embodiment; Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The embodiment shows a cross-sectional view of the damper at point AA. The damper 10 includes, but is not limited to, the following structures: sleeve 100, piston rod 200, inner ring of damper 300, outer ring of damper 400, and elastic element 500.

[0017] Specifically, the sleeve 100 can be made of metal, such as stainless steel. The sleeve 100 has a receiving cavity, into which one end of the piston rod 200 is inserted. The inner ring 300 of the damper is fitted onto the piston rod 200 and fixedly connected to it. The outer ring 400 of the damper abuts against the elastic element 500 and can slide along the inner wall of the sleeve 100. A portion of the structure of the inner ring 300 can be inserted into the gap between the outer ring 400 and the piston rod 200, and clamps with both to achieve a damping effect along the axial direction of the piston rod 200 (arrow X in the figure). The piston rod 200 can be a cylindrical rod made of 45# steel, and its surface can be coated with a high-wear-resistant coating.

[0018] The inner ring 300 of the damper can be made of metal or non-metal, such as stainless steel, carbon fiber, copper alloy or plastic. The inner ring 300 of the damper includes a first inner ring 310 and a second inner ring 320. The first inner ring 310 and the second inner ring 320 are respectively sleeved on the piston rod 200 and spaced apart from each other. The first inner ring 310 and the second inner ring 320 are respectively fixedly connected to the piston rod 200.

[0019] Optionally, the outer ring 400 of the damper can be made of metal, such as stainless steel or 45# steel. In this embodiment, the outer ring 400 of the damper includes a first outer ring 410 and a second outer ring 420. The elastic member 500 is disposed between the first outer ring 410 and the second outer ring 420, and the two ends of the elastic member 500 respectively support the first outer ring 410 and the second outer ring 420. Optionally, the elastic member 500 is a compression spring made of spring steel with a flocked surface.

[0020] Optionally, the first inner ring 310 and the first outer ring 410 cooperate to form a damping unit, and the second inner ring 320 and the second outer ring 420 cooperate to form another damping unit. The damping force of the two damping units is in the same direction and opposite to the movement direction of the piston rod 200. The elastic element 500 is installed between the two damping units to provide preload to the damping units.

[0021] Please refer to the following: Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first inner ring and the first outer ring in an embodiment of this application. The first inner ring 310 includes a first connecting portion 311 and a first mating portion 312. The first mating portion 312 can be inserted into a first gap between the first outer ring 410 and the piston rod 200. The outer surface of the first mating portion 312, which mates with the first gap, is provided with a first outer conical surface 3120. The inner sidewall of the first outer ring 410 is provided with a first inner conical surface 4100. The first outer conical surface 3120 mates with the first inner conical surface 4100. The first mating portion 312 is provided with multiple first deformation grooves 3121 extending in the axial direction. The first deformation grooves 3121 allow the first mating portion 312 to retract and deform when it mates with the first gap.

[0022] Optionally, the structures of the second inner ring and the second outer ring are similar to those of the first inner ring and the first outer ring, respectively. The second inner ring includes a second connecting portion and a second mating portion (not shown in the figure). The second mating portion can be inserted into the second gap between the second outer ring and the piston rod. The outer surface of the second mating portion that mates with the second gap has a second outer conical surface, and the inner sidewall of the second outer ring has a second inner conical surface. The second outer conical surface mates with the second inner conical surface. The second mating portion has multiple second deformation grooves extending axially. These grooves allow the second mating portion to contract and deform when it mates with the second gap. Optionally, the first mating portion 312 of the first inner ring and the second mating portion of the second inner ring are arranged opposite each other. The conical portion of the damping inner ring mating portion can be a six-lobed wedge structure that mates with the conical surface inside the damper outer ring. Under the pre-compression of the compression spring, the six-lobed hinge of the damper inner ring deforms inward, causing radial pressure to clamp the piston rod and generate friction to form damping.

[0023] Alternatively, please continue reading Figure 2 and Figure 3In this embodiment, the damper 10 further includes a bushing 600, which is disposed within the receiving cavity of the sleeve 100 and fitted around the outer periphery of the piston rod 200. The bushing 600 includes a first bushing 610 and a second bushing 620, with a sealing ring 700 sandwiched between the first bushing 610 and the second bushing 620. The sealing ring 700 is fitted onto the piston rod 200. The function of the bushing 600 is to increase the radial support stability between the piston rod 200 and the sleeve 100, and the sealing ring 700 is used for waterproofing and dustproofing. The bushing 600 can be made of engineering plastic, and the sealing ring 700 can be made of rubber, etc.

[0024] Optionally, a rolling groove 110 is provided at the middle position of the sleeve 100, which divides the receiving cavity into a part receiving cavity 101 and a sliding support cavity 102. The inner ring 300 of the damper, the outer ring 400 of the damper, the elastic element 500, and the bushing 600 are all disposed in the part receiving cavity 101. The piston rod 200 passes through the part receiving cavity 101 and extends to the sliding support cavity 102 at one end. A locking member 800 is fixedly provided at the end of the piston rod 200 extending to the sliding support cavity 102. The locking member 800 can slide within the sliding support cavity 102. The locking member 800 is used to limit the sliding limit position of the piston rod 200 along the axial direction. A tapering structure 120 is provided at the end of the part receiving cavity 101 away from the sliding support cavity 102. The sleeve 100, through the design of the rolling groove 110, restricts the inner ring of the damper, the outer ring of the damper, the spring, the bushing, and the sealing ring to a preset position within the cylinder liner. By pre-compressing the compression spring (elastic element 500) from the end face and rolling it at the port, the positions of the inner ring of the damper, the outer ring of the damper, the spring, the bushing, and the sealing ring are restricted, and the compression spring generates preload.

[0025] The damper structure in this embodiment of the application, which forms a wedge-shaped damping unit in conjunction with a compression spring through the cooperation of inner and outer rings, has the following characteristics:

[0026] 1. Convenient adjustment of preset damping: The preset damping can be adjusted by changing the number of damping units (damper inner ring + damper outer ring) or by changing the preload of the compression spring;

[0027] 2. Damping stability: The inner ring, outer ring, and compression spring of the damper are less affected by the working environment, resulting in stable damping effect;

[0028] 3. Automatic wear compensation: The relative movement between the inner ring of the damper and the piston rod causes wear on both. The preload of the compression spring continuously provides pressure, and the internal conical surface of the outer ring of the damper allows the six-lobed wedge of the inner ring of the damper to continuously deform and contract towards the center. The radial pressure clamps the piston rod, resulting in automatic wear compensation.

[0029] The damper in this embodiment has the characteristics of simple structure and high reliability. It also solves the problems of conventional axial dampers, such as being greatly affected by temperature and environmental factors, and easily leading to non-linear extension and retraction of the balance bar, unstable damping effect, large damping attenuation, and difficulty in preset the damping force.

[0030] Additionally, this application also provides a vehicle; please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the vehicle described in this application. The vehicle in this embodiment may include a tailgate 20, a vehicle body 30, and the damper 10 described in the foregoing embodiments. The damper 10 is used for damping support between the tailgate 20 and the vehicle body 30. In addition, in some other embodiments, the damper 10 may also be used in other locations or other equipment of the vehicle. The detailed features of these parts are within the understanding of those skilled in the art and will not be listed and described in detail here.

[0031] A typical automotive power tailgate strut system includes both electric and mechanical struts. The electric strut contains a motor, gearbox, and damping device to provide resistance and create a damping effect. The mechanical strut, on the other hand, typically lacks a motor and gearbox. In practical applications, the damping of the mechanical strut needs to be matched to that of the electric strut to ensure synchronized movement between the two. This prevents tailgate deformation caused by asynchronous movement speeds and inconsistent stroke changes during opening and closing.

[0032] The mechanical levers in conventional technical solutions generally use:

[0033] 1. A high-pressure cylinder is built into the mechanical rod to generate damping;

[0034] 2. Damping grease is injected into the mechanical rod to generate damping;

[0035] 3. No damping structure in the mechanical rod.

[0036] All three methods are susceptible to the effects of different working conditions such as sealing effect, temperature, humidity, and air pressure, which may result in damping failure, damping instability, damping attenuation, short lifespan, and difficulty in adjusting preset damping.

[0037] Against this backdrop, this application presents a novel axial damper. The inner and outer rings of this damper are made of metal or non-metal, and in conjunction with a preloaded spring, automatically press the piston rod inward to generate friction and thus damping. Its advantages and specific structure are described in the foregoing embodiments and will not be repeated here. The damper in this application can be installed in the mechanical rod of an electric tailgate strut system. Installing the axial damper in this application into the mechanical rod allows for linear extension and retraction of the mechanical rod, stable damping effect, minimal damping attenuation, and preset damping values.

[0038] The above description is only a part of the embodiments of the present invention and does not limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any equivalent device or equivalent process transformation made based on the content of the present invention specification and drawings, or direct or indirect application in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A damper, characterized in that, The damper includes: a sleeve, a piston rod, an inner ring of the damper, an outer ring of the damper, a bushing, and an elastic element; the sleeve forms a receiving cavity, one end of the piston rod is inserted into the receiving cavity, the inner ring of the damper is sleeved on the piston rod and fixedly connected to the piston rod, the outer ring of the damper supports the elastic element and can slide along the inner wall of the sleeve; a portion of the structure of the inner ring of the damper can be inserted into the gap between the outer ring of the damper and the piston rod, and clamps with the outer ring of the damper and the piston rod to achieve a damping effect along the axial direction of the piston rod; The inner ring of the damper includes a first inner ring and a second inner ring, which are respectively sleeved on the piston rod and spaced apart from each other. The first inner ring and the second inner ring are respectively fixedly connected to the piston rod. The outer ring of the damper includes a first outer ring and a second outer ring. The elastic element is disposed between the first outer ring and the second outer ring, and the two ends of the elastic element respectively support the first outer ring and the second outer ring. The first inner ring mates with the first outer ring, and the second inner ring mates with the second outer ring. The first inner ring includes a first connecting portion and a first mating portion, the first mating portion being insertable into a first gap between the first outer ring and the piston rod; the second inner ring includes a second connecting portion and a second mating portion, the second mating portion being insertable into a second gap between the second outer ring and the piston rod; The first mating part has a first outer conical surface on its outer surface for mating with the first gap, and a first inner conical surface on its inner sidewall of the first outer ring, with the first outer conical surface mating with the first inner conical surface; the second mating part has a second outer conical surface on its outer surface for mating with the second gap, and a second inner conical surface on its inner sidewall of the second outer ring, with the second outer conical surface mating with the second inner conical surface. The first mating part is provided with multiple first deformation grooves extending in the axial direction. The first deformation grooves allow the first mating part to close and deform when it mates with the first gap. The second mating part is provided with multiple second deformation grooves extending in the axial direction. The second deformation grooves allow the second mating part to close and deform when it mates with the second gap. The bushing is disposed within the receiving cavity of the sleeve and sleeved on the outer periphery of the piston rod; the bushing includes a first bushing and a second bushing, a sealing ring is sandwiched between the first bushing and the second bushing, and the sealing ring is sleeved on the piston rod; A rolling groove is provided in the middle of the sleeve, which divides the receiving cavity into a part receiving cavity and a sliding support cavity. The inner ring of the damper, the outer ring of the damper, the elastic element, and the bushing are all located in the part receiving cavity. The piston rod passes through the part receiving cavity and extends to the sliding support cavity at one end. A locking member is fixed at the end of the piston rod extending to the sliding support cavity, and the locking member can slide in the sliding support cavity. The end of the part receiving cavity away from the sliding support cavity is provided with a tapering structure.

2. The damper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first mating portion of the first inner ring and the second mating portion of the second inner ring are arranged opposite to each other.

3. The damper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic element is a compression spring.

4. A vehicle, characterized in that, The vehicle includes the damper as described in any one of claims 1-3.

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