Position-selectable damper

Abstract

A vehicle damper having a piston reciprocating within a damper body during compression and rebound strokes, the vehicle damper having variable hydraulic fluid compression and rebound volumes on opposite sides of the piston. A series of parallel connected compression valves and a series of parallel connected rebound valves impede hydraulic flow during compression strokes in compression valve active mode and during rebound strokes in rebound valve active mode, and provide minimal resistance to hydraulic flow during rebound strokes in compression valve passive mode and during compression strokes in rebound valve passive mode, respectively. Hydraulic fluid passages direct hydraulic fluid through the valves and return tubes. A sensor array senses piston position. A controller progressively opens and closes selected valves in the compression valve and rebound valve arrays to adjust resistance to hydraulic flow based on sensed piston position during compression and rebound strokes.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 513,471, filed July 13, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of dampers, particularly vehicle dampers. Background Technology

[0004] A typical vehicle damper consists of a piston mounted on a piston rod that reciprocates within a damper body filled with hydraulic fluid. Each wheel of a vehicle is typically equipped with a damper, which works in conjunction with a spring to provide the vehicle's suspension system. The spring responds to the wheel's movement on the road surface, and the damper prevents the vehicle from bouncing by absorbing energy and returning the spring to its neutral loading or ride height position. When speed is input to the damper through the piston rod (often referred to as the compression, bump, or bounce stroke), the piston is pushed further into the damper body against the resistance of the hydraulic fluid, creating speed-dependent drag. The terms compression, bump, and bounce are often used interchangeably. The piston is then pulled back to its original position against the resistance of the hydraulic fluid in the opposite direction by the vehicle's spring; this is often referred to as the rebound stroke.

[0005] During the bump and rebound strokes, hydraulic fluid flows through one or more orifices in the piston, generating resistance determined by the orifice characteristics. The hydraulic fluid generates heat as it passes through the orifices, which is dissipated, thus releasing the energy of the piston's movement.

[0006] Off-road vehicles traverse challenging terrain and require a more robust suspension system than conventional on-road vehicles. Position-sensitive dampers provide graded damping, generating less resistance during partial compression and maximum resistance during full compression. This controls vehicle movement while preventing damage to the dampers and other suspension components. During rebound, damping force is typically increased in stages. The extremely bumpy conditions of off-road driving generate significant heat in the dampers, which must be dissipated rapidly.

[0007] A conventional position-sensitive damper consists of a cylindrical damper body that surrounds the piston and the attached piston rod. In almost all similar damper systems, hydraulic fluid flows under pressure from a volume on one side of the piston to a volume on the other. A reservoir for the hydraulic fluid is typically placed between these volumes to account for the fluid volume shifted by the piston rod and the volume changes of the hydraulic fluid during heating and cooling.

[0008] likeFigure 1A-1E As shown, a standard prior art position-sensitive damper 100 includes a robust cylindrical damper body 102, a piston 104, and a piston rod 106. In addition to being similar to most automotive dampers, during compression (… Figure 1C , 1D ) and rebound ( Figure 1A , 1B During the stroke, hydraulic fluid flows through piston 104 from the higher pressure volume to the lower pressure volume. The position-sensitive damper 100 also provides additional discharge of hydraulic fluid from the damper body 102 through orifices 108, 110, 112, 114, and 116, which are longitudinally spaced along the wall of the damper body 102. These spaced orifices are arranged along the length of the damper body 102 between the neutral piston position and the closed end of the damper body 102. The number of orifices determines the number of possible pressure zones. Each orifice connects to a return conduit 119, which returns hydraulic fluid to the lower pressure volume. The hydraulic fluid flow rate can be controlled by valve 128. Figure 1A-1E In the diagram, the dark disc 120 next to valve 128 indicates that valve 128 is closed, while the white disc 122 indicates that valve 128 is open. The dark and white discs 120 and 122 represent valve status, not physical components. A hydraulic fluid reservoir 118 is provided. In low-pressure areas (typically the intermediate stroke area or the vehicle's travel height area), hydraulic fluid can flow through the piston orifice and several of the orifices 108, 110, 112, 114, and 116 spaced apart along the damper body 102 (see [link to diagram]). Figure 1A , 1D). When piston 104 fully compresses the damper (stroke) Figure 1B As it travels, it passes through each of the spaced-out orifices in sequence, reducing the number of fluid flow paths. This increases the pressure at the leading edge of piston 104 and consequently increases the damping force. Ultimately, at a certain distance from the fully compressed or fully extended position, hydraulic fluid can only flow through piston 104, thus generating the maximum damping force (see [link to relevant documentation]). Figure 1B , 1C ).

[0009] Position-sensitive dampers offer multiple pressure zones. This can be three, five, or another number of zones. For example, a position-sensitive damper with three zones has two spaced-apart orifices arranged along the length of the damper body. When the piston is in the neutral position, both the piston orifice and the two spaced-apart orifices are open to allow maximum hydraulic fluid flow and present minimal resistance to that flow. During short bump strokes, all three orifices remain open during the bump and rebound strokes. In the case of longer bump strokes, the first spaced-apart orifice can be blocked by the piston. Since the hydraulic fluid flow is now confined to the two orifices, the pressure of the hydraulic fluid in the high-pressure volume increases. The damper has transitioned from a first lowest pressure zone to a second higher pressure zone.

[0010] If the piston is pushed further during the compression stroke, the second spaced-apart orifice is then blocked by the piston, leaving only a single piston orifice open. This creates a third pressure zone, which provides greater resistance to piston movement because only one orifice is open to allow hydraulic fluid to exit from the higher pressure volume of the damper body.

[0011] In the rebound direction, a similar arrangement can be achieved using a second set of spaced-apart orifices, or the hydraulic fluid can flow only through the piston orifice. In the case of multiple spaced-apart rebound orifices, a check valve is typically used for all flow paths, allowing fluid to pass only through dedicated spaced-apart bump or rebound orifices.

[0012] With each additional zone, the number of orifices and return pipes also increases. Once the damper is constructed, the zones are fixed because their physical location determines their response. Once the zones are selected during damper construction, they cannot be changed. Furthermore, each zone and its associated fluid passages add weight and may increase the size of the damper due to the increased external dimensions.

[0013] EP2746616A2 describes a vibration damper having a series of check valves and flow control valves arranged in parallel. A set of fluid passages connects the check valves, flow control valves, and fluid chambers, forming a bypass for the extension / compression damping valves in the piston section and the base valve section (located within the internal space of the piston cylinder). As with known systems as described above, once the vibration damper is constructed, its pressure zones remain fixed because their physical location determines their response.

[0014] JP6632923B2 describes a hydraulic damper comprising a compression-side damping valve that generates damping force during the compression stroke, a compression-side check valve disposed downstream of the damping valve, an expansion-side damping valve that generates damping force during the expansion stroke, and an expansion-side valve disposed downstream of the expansion-side damping valve during the expansion stroke. The flow path through a series of valves and the resulting damping ratio are altered according to oil pressure. For example, when the oil pressure upstream of the compression-side damping valve reaches a predetermined value, a compression-side damping force regulating device increases the amount of oil flowing through a bypass passage and increases the oil flow rate upstream of the expansion-side damping valve during the expansion stroke.

[0015] EP1628039A2 describes a vibration damper having a damping force control valve for controlling the magnitude of the damping force generated by piston motion to a target value, wherein a damping force setting device is configured to change the target value according to changes in piston motion speed. The target damping force value obtained by a damping force calculation device is set to be generally proportional to the piston motion speed. The described vibration damper relies on a complex control loop to determine the target value, such as... Figure 3 As shown.

[0016] JP2007078062A describes a vibration energy absorption device that absorbs vibration energy to rapidly attenuate vibrations generated in structures such as apartment buildings, office buildings, detached houses, bridges, or seismic isolation structures due to earthquakes, and a structure equipped with such a device. The control device causes a damping force generation mechanism to generate a damping force when the reciprocating element moves from its maximum positive or negative displacement position to its origin position, but generates virtually no damping force during subsequent movement of the reciprocating element from its origin position back to its maximum positive or negative displacement position. The described system is unrelated to shock absorbers commonly used in vehicles.

[0017] US2004 / 0090020A1 describes a suspension system including a body defining a shock absorber, a piston disposed within the shock absorber, a remote reservoir, a control valve housing, a control valve, a giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensor, and a microprocessor. The GMR sensor senses the position and velocity of the piston, and this information is input into a control algorithm to control the opening and closing of individual control valves and adjust the damping force. Summary of the Invention

[0018] Therefore, it would be advantageous to create a damper that allows for changes in pressure zones using a single construction. It would also be advantageous to reduce complexity by minimizing the number of channels required for the hydraulic fluid to circulate from a high-pressure volume to a low-pressure volume within the damper body. Furthermore, it would be useful to provide effective cooling of the damper's hydraulic fluid as close as possible to the flow-limiting orifice where heat is generated.

[0019] Advances have been made in position-sensitive damping, which can be termed position-selective or position-selectable damping. Instead of using multiple rebound and compression tubes located at various points along the length of the damper, a single channel is used to allow fluid to exit the damper during compression. Hydraulic fluid passes through a series of specially designed spool valves, such as those described in US 8,235,186, US 8,800,732, and US 11,733,940, via this single channel. This causes the hydraulic fluid to move from a high-pressure region to a low-pressure region. This spool valve damper technology provides excellent precision in force-velocity (“FV”) characteristics and offers cavitation-resistant operation under extreme conditions.

[0020] The spool valves are arranged within the top and bottom housings of the damper, located outside the damper body. Low-pressure fluid is preferably cooled immediately through finned radiant heat exchanger tubes to maximize the radiation and dissipation of converted kinetic energy. This arrangement allows the hydraulic fluid to be cooled more effectively in thermally critical areas, such as the solid piston and rod seal areas, than in conventional position-sensitive dampers. These innovative position-selective dampers can operate under the most extreme temperature and terrain conditions without overheating. The use of a large-capacity low-pressure-side reservoir ensures insensitivity to temperature and minimal impact on the vehicle spring stiffness of each wheel.

[0021] By actively controlling the spool valve, a series of force-velocity curves with customizable transition positions are created. This approach, linking spool valve control to the piston's detection position rather than relying on a physically pre-defined pressure zone, offers numerous advantages. For example, factory-set settings are loaded as defaults, but are adjustable. A range of different configurations can be defined for terrain, environmental conditions, vehicle weight, vehicle settings (including load, suspension spring stiffness, tire selection, etc.), or user preferences. When the damper system is configured this way, users can even adjust the pressure zone transition point within the vehicle using the in-vehicle human-machine interface module, or wirelessly, for example, using a mobile application loaded on a handheld smartphone.

[0022] A vehicle damper may include: a cylindrical damper body; a piston rod connected at a first end outside the damper body to the unsprung or sprung mass of the vehicle; a piston connected at a second end inside the damper body to a piston adapted to reciprocate within the damper body during a compression stroke and a rebound stroke; a variable hydraulic fluid compression volume within the damper body, limited by the position of the piston's compression face; a variable hydraulic fluid rebound volume within the damper body, limited by the position of the piston's rebound face; a series of compression valves connected in parallel, adapted to provide resistance to the passage of hydraulic fluid in a compression valve active mode during the compression stroke and to provide minimal resistance to the passage of hydraulic fluid in a compression valve passive mode during the rebound stroke; and a series of rebound valves connected in parallel, adapted to provide resistance to the passage of hydraulic fluid in a rebound valve active mode during the rebound stroke. The passage of hydraulic fluid provides resistance, and provides minimal resistance to the passage of hydraulic fluid during the compression stroke in the passive mode of the spring valve; a hydraulic fluid passage that guides hydraulic fluid from the compression volume through a compression valve in the active mode of the compression valve to a low-pressure return line during the compression stroke, and through a spring valve in the passive mode of the spring valve to the spring volume, and during the spring stroke, guides hydraulic fluid from the spring volume through a spring valve in the active mode of the spring valve to a low-pressure return line, and through a compression valve in the passive mode of the compression valve to the compression volume; a series of sensors longitudinally spaced along the outer surface of the damper body, adapted to sense the position of the piston; and a controller adapted to progressively close selected valves from a series of compression valves and spring valves according to the sensed piston position during the compression and spring strokes, respectively, to increase the resistance to the flow of hydraulic fluid.

[0023] On the other hand, the sensor is a Hall effect sensor, which is suitable for sensing magnets mounted on the piston.

[0024] On the other hand, a series of compression valves and spring valves include spool valves.

[0025] On the other hand, a series of compression valves includes three spool valves.

[0026] On the other hand, a series of spring valves includes two spool valves.

[0027] On the other hand, the low-pressure return pipe is provided with a series of fins on its exterior to cool the hydraulic fluid with air.

[0028] On the other hand, each of the compression valve and the spring valve is adapted to close electronically under the control of the solenoid valve.

[0029] On the other hand, each of the compression valve and the springback valve can close within 3 milliseconds.

[0030] On the other hand, each compression valve and rebound valve is a spool valve with a pressure pin, which is adapted to block the flow of hydraulic fluid when electronically closed.

[0031] On the other hand, the controller is programmed to select the piston position, at which point the selective closure of any of the compression valves occurs to alter the pressure response zone.

[0032] On the other hand, the pressure response zone can be changed to adapt to the conditions of the vehicle and the road surface.

[0033] On the other hand, the pressure response zone can be remotely altered via either the in-vehicle human-machine interface module or a mobile computer software application loaded on a handheld smartphone.

[0034] On the other hand, each of the compression valve and the spring valve is identical.

[0035] On the other hand, either the compression valve or the spring valve may be different from the other.

[0036] On the other hand, one compression valve remains passive during the springback stroke, and one springback valve remains passive during the compression stroke.

[0037] Typically, one valve remains passive during both the springback and compression strokes, as closing all valves simultaneously would lock the hydraulic system. However, since each valve in the buffer and springback valve array may have different characteristics than the others, it's also possible to always keep one valve open. Maintaining different selected valves open under different conditions improves adjustability.

[0038] These and other characteristics are best understood through the following specifications and drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0039] Figures 1A to 1D These are elevation, schematic, and sectional views of existing position-sensitive dampers.

[0040] Figure 1E This is an external perspective view of a position-sensitive damper in the prior art.

[0041] Figure 2 These are representative views of the damper, including partial, perspective, and external views.

[0042] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 The location can be selected from partial, elevation, and sectional views of the damper.

[0043] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 The perspective view includes the location of the storage device and the selectable damper.

[0044] Figure 5 It is a partial, elevation, schematic, and sectional view of a position-selectable damper with a controller and sensor array.

[0045] Figure 6 This is a schematic representation of the pressure zones in a position-selectable damper, and also shows handheld and vehicle-mounted controller input devices.

[0046] Figure 7A The external view of the solenoid valve is shown in the diagram.

[0047] Figure 7B This is a graph illustrating the typical solenoid valve response time for a specific solenoid valve configuration.

[0048] Figure 7C This is a vertical sectional view of a solenoid valve, showing the flow of hydraulic fluid in the valve's open and closed positions.

[0049] Figure 8A These are cross-sectional views of a compression or rebound spool valve and an elevation view of a solenoid valve, both in the open position, showing the flow of hydraulic fluid.

[0050] Figure 8B These are cross-sectional views of a compression or rebound spool valve and an elevation view of a solenoid valve, both in the closed position, showing the flow of hydraulic fluid.

[0051] Figure 9A The diagram illustrates the soccer ball curve of a conventional position-sensitive damper and a conventional position-sensitive damper.

[0052] Figure 9B The diagram shows the position of the selectable damper soccer ball curve and the position of the selectable damper. Detailed Implementation

[0053] Figures 2 to 8B The diagram illustrates a representative location for selectable dampers. See also... Figures 2 to 5 The vehicle damper 1 includes a cylindrical damper body 3. A piston rod 5 is typically connected at a first end 7 located outside the damper body 3 to either the unsprung mass 6 or the sprung mass 8 of the vehicle (illustrated). The piston rod 5 is connected to a piston 11 at a second end 9 located inside the damper body 3. The piston 11 is adapted to reciprocate within the damper body 3 during the compression and rebound strokes of the damper 1. A variable hydraulic fluid compression volume 13 within the damper body 3 is limited by the position of the compression surface 15 of the piston 11. A variable hydraulic fluid rebound volume 17 within the damper body 3 is limited by the rebound surface 19 of the piston 11.

[0054] As the volume of hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic fluid compression volume 13 increases, the volume of hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic fluid rebound volume decreases proportionally. Therefore, it can be concluded that as the volume of hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic fluid compression volume decreases, the volume of hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic fluid rebound volume increases proportionally.

[0055] A series of compression valves 21 are connected in parallel. During the compression stroke, the compression valves 21 are adapted to provide resistance to the passage of hydraulic fluid in compression valve active mode. During the rebound stroke, the compression valves 21 provide minimal resistance to the passage of hydraulic fluid in compression valve passive mode. The series of compression valves 21 may include two, three, or more valves.

[0056] A series of spring-loaded valves 23 are connected in parallel. During the spring-loaded stroke, the spring-loaded valves 23 are adapted to provide resistance to the flow of hydraulic fluid in the active spring-loaded mode. During the compression stroke, the spring-loaded valves 23 provide minimal resistance to the passage of hydraulic fluid in the passive spring-loaded mode. Although any suitable number of spring-loaded valves 23 can be used, it has been found that combining two spring-loaded valves 23 with three compression valves 21 yields particularly good results.

[0057] While a variety of conventional valve types can be used in position-selective dampers, the spool valves taught in US 8,235,186, US 8,800,732, and US 11,733,940 are particularly advantageous, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference. In these spool valves, a helical spring is loaded and unloaded to move a slide rod within a cylinder, thereby exposing and covering orifices of different shapes to control the flow of hydraulic fluid. In the embodiment of the position-selective damper shown, three spool valves (such as those shown in US 11,733,940) serve as compression valves 21 and two such spool valves serve as spring valves 23. The structure of such spool valves in… Figure 3 , 8A As best shown in 8B. Ideally, each compression valve 21 and rebound valve 23 is a spool valve 22 with a pressure pin 24, which, when electronically closed or opened under the control of the solenoid valve 39, is adapted to block or allow the flow of hydraulic fluid. Figure 7A , 7C Solenoid valve 39 is shown separately in 8A and 8B. (As...) Figure 2 , 3 As shown in Figure 4, solenoid valve 39 is used for active spool valves but not for passive spool valves. Accordingly, two solenoid valves 39 are used for three compression valves 21, and one solenoid valve 39 is used for two spring valves 23.

[0058] Figure 8A and 8BThe diagram illustrates the control of solenoid valve 39 over spool valve 22. When solenoid valve 39 allows hydraulic fluid to flow into low-pressure return line 27, thus reducing the hydraulic pressure acting on pressure pin 24 within spool valve 22, pressure pin 24 can move outward within spool valve 22 to expose the flow port within spool valve 22. This is the open (O) spool valve position, as shown. Figure 8A As shown and as Figure 7C The solid arrow in the diagram indicates the hydraulic fluid flow in solenoid valve 39. Conversely, when solenoid valve 39 allows hydraulic fluid to flow out from the higher pressure region within spool valve 22 to increase the fluid pressure acting on pressure pin 24, pressure pin 24 can travel inwards within spool valve 22, thereby closing the flow port in spool valve 22 again. This is the closed (C) spool valve position, as shown. Figure 8B As shown and as Figure 7C As shown by the dashed arrow, the dashed arrow indicates the hydraulic fluid flow in solenoid valve 39.

[0059] The solenoid valve 39 is preferably a three-way high-speed valve. Figure 7B The graph shows the typical response time of this solenoid valve 39 moving to the open (O) and closed (C) states. Response time (RT) is expressed in milliseconds (MS). The response time (RT) of the continuously operating coil (CDC) in a three normally closed (3WNC) configuration is also shown. Figure 7C In the sectional view, solid arrows indicate the hydraulic fluid flow through solenoid valve 39 in the open (O) spool valve position, and dashed arrows indicate the hydraulic fluid flow through solenoid valve 39 in the closed (C) spool valve position, corresponding to the previously discussed... Figure 8A and 8B The diagram shows the content. To achieve a high level of damping performance, a three-way high-speed solenoid valve is used to close each compression valve 21 and the spring valve 23 within 3 milliseconds.

[0060] Various possible valve configurations can be employed. For example, each compression valve 21 and spring valve 23 can be identical. Alternatively, either compression valve 21 or spring valve 23 can be different from the other. In a preferred embodiment, one compression valve 21 remains passive during the springback stroke, and one spring valve 23 remains passive during the compression stroke.

[0061] During the compression stroke, hydraulic fluid passage 25 guides hydraulic fluid from compression volume 13 through compression valve 21 (in compression valve active mode) to low-pressure return line 27, and through springback valve 23 (in springback valve passive mode) to springback volume 17. During the springback stroke, hydraulic fluid passage 25 guides hydraulic fluid from springback volume 17 through springback valve 23 (in springback valve active mode) to low-pressure return line 27, and through compression valve 21 (in compression valve passive mode) to compression volume 13. Hydraulic fluid passage 25 may include multiple sections. Additionally, a hydraulic fluid reservoir 38 may be provided to receive excess hydraulic fluid when the rest of the damper 1 does not require hydraulic fluid, and conversely, to supply additional hydraulic fluid to the rest of the damper when needed. The high-capacity, low-pressure side reservoir 38 ensures insensitivity to temperature and minimal impact on the vehicle spring stiffness of each wheel.

[0062] While at least one low-pressure return pipe 27 is required, in the illustrated embodiment, two low-pressure return pipes 27 are used to double their volume. Increasing the number of low-pressure return pipes 27 helps ensure that the pressure within these pipes remains sufficiently low for optimal damper performance. Furthermore, since the hydraulic fluid in the damper generates heat when compressed and forced through the orifice, the low-pressure return pipes 27 are provided with a series of external fins 37 to increase the surface area of ​​the low-pressure return pipes 27 in contact with ambient air, thereby aiding in the cooling of the hydraulic fluid. Similarly, this cooling method improves the damper's performance.

[0063] like Figure 5 As shown, a series of sensors 29 are longitudinally spaced on a sensor strip 30, which is positioned longitudinally along the outer surface of the damper body 3. Typically, the sensors 29 are evenly spaced along the sensor strip 30, although any desired spacing can be used. The sensors are adapted to sense the position of the piston 11 as it moves longitudinally within the damper body 3. While the position of the piston 11 can be sensed in different ways, magnets 33 located on or inside the piston 11 provide a useful sensing object for the sensors 29. Multiple magnets 33 can be used as needed. The more sensors used, the higher the sensitivity or accuracy of positioning the piston 11. However, maintaining sufficient spacing between the sensors may be beneficial for optimal function. Hall effect sensors are particularly useful in this regard.

[0064] A controller 31, which may include multiple components, receives signals from sensors 29. In response to these signals, the controller is adapted to progressively close selected valves in the array of compression valves 21 and rebound valves 23, respectively, based on the sensed position of piston 11 during the compression and rebound strokes, to increase the resistance to the hydraulic fluid flow. The controller 31 is preferably programmed to select the position of piston 11 at which either compression valve 21 or rebound valve 23 is selectively closed to alter the pressure response zone. As a further improvement, the pressure response zone is altered to adapt to vehicle conditions and road surface conditions. The pressure response zone can be remotely altered via an onboard human-machine interface module 40 (such as a dedicated tablet device), wirelessly altered using a mobile computer software application loaded on a handheld smartphone 41, or altered by other suitable means, such as... Figure 6 As shown. Figure 5 As shown, the controller 31 may include a circuit board connected to the sensor strip 30.

[0065] Figure 6 The diagram illustrates a display for remotely setting the pressure response zone. The display can be located on a handheld smartphone 41 or an in-vehicle human-machine interface module 40 (such as a tablet computer mounted on the dashboard), both of which can communicate with the controller 31. The setting zero line 0 is shown along the center of the damper body 3. The compression stroke (CS) zone is shown extending substantially the entire length of the damper body 3 in either direction, while the rebound stroke (RS) zone is shown also extending substantially the entire length of the damper body 3 in either direction. Markers 30, 50, and 80 indicate the percentage of the stroke boundary position of the selected pressure response zone in the compression stroke (CS) zone. Markers -30, -60, and -80 indicate the percentage of the stroke boundary position of the selected pressure response zone in the rebound stroke (RS) zone. Compression zone adjustment is indicated by CZA, while rebound zone adjustment is indicated by RZA. BR indicates the soft range in the compression zone, BM indicates the intermediate range in the compression zone, and BS indicates the hard or stiff range in the compression zone. RN indicates the normal range in the rebound zone, while RS indicates the hard or stiff range in the rebound zone. Unlike existing dampers, each of these ranges is fully adjustable. Even the zero line can be shifted. Each vehicle damper 1 located on the four wheels of the vehicle can be controlled individually, or all vehicle dampers 1 can be set with the same pressure response zone parameters.

[0066] Compared to conventional existing position-sensitive dampers (such as...) Figures 1A to 1E The improved performance of the damper (as shown) can be illustrated graphically by specifying the location of the damper. Figures 1A to 1D The diagram illustrates a position-sensitive damper where the force intensity changes only once during compression and rebound strokes. Figure 1EAs shown, through additional ports and conduits, existing position-sensitive dampers can exhibit three jumps in either direction. When the force (F) and displacement (D) at the piston of a conventional position-selective damper are measured on a test setup and plotted on a screen, a result is generated as follows: Figure 9A The so-called "soccer ball curve" is shown. The soccer ball curve is an irregularly shaped closed loop that illustrates the sharp increase and decrease in pressure when an orifice allowing hydraulic fluid flow is blocked and reopened, respectively. As discussed earlier, since the structural parameters of a conventional damper are fixed during manufacturing, the shape of the soccer ball curve is also fixed.

[0067] In contrast, the parameters of a position-selectable damper can be changed as desired. The location of force jumps can be electronically adjusted in an essentially infinite manner. The location of each jump can be adjusted individually, and there can be a large number of jumps. Therefore, multiple force-velocity curves can be generated. Figure 9B The diagram illustrates multiple force-velocity soccer curves for a position-selectable damper. The solid-line closed-loop curve represents the baseline parameter setting. The dashed-line closed-loop curves, deviating from the solid line, represent different parameter settings. Although only a single dashed line is shown, multiple such different parameter settings can exist. By using a position-selectable damper illustrated below the corresponding soccer curve, jumps between three compressive force intensities and two rebound intensities can be achieved. Jumps back and forth between high and low rebound intensities can be made according to the desired frequency. In practice, it is preferable to generate... Figure 9B The football curve is shown. If desired, the force transition can also be omitted by not switching between different force intensities. In a position-selectable damper, a series of force-velocity curves with customizable transition positions are generated by actively controlling the compression valve 21 and the rebound valve 23, particularly when these valves are spool valves 22. A range of different configurations can be defined for various terrains, environmental conditions, vehicle weight, vehicle settings, or user preferences. As discussed earlier, when the damper system is configured in this way, the user can adjust the pressure zone transition point inside the vehicle using an onboard human-machine interface module 40, such as a dedicated tablet device, or remotely using a mobile software application, such as one loaded on a handheld smartphone 41.

[0068] While different examples are illustrated to have specific components, the examples in this disclosure are not limited to these specific combinations. Some components or features in any embodiment may be used in combination with features or components in any other embodiment.

[0069] The above description should be interpreted as illustrative and without any limiting meaning. Those skilled in the art will understand that certain modifications may fall within the scope of this disclosure. For these reasons, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A vehicle damper (1), comprising: Cylindrical damper body (3); The piston rod (5) can be connected to the unsprung mass (6) or sprung mass (8) of the vehicle at a first end (7) located outside the damper body (3). The piston rod (5) is connected to the piston (11) at a second end (9) located inside the damper body (3), the piston (11) being adapted to reciprocate within the damper body (3) during the compression stroke and the rebound stroke; The variable hydraulic fluid compression volume (13) within the damper body (3) is limited by the position of the compression surface (15) of the piston (11); The rebound volume (17) of the variable hydraulic fluid within the damper body (3) is limited by the position of the rebound surface (19) of the piston (11); A series of compression valves (21) connected in parallel, adapted to provide resistance to the passage of hydraulic fluid in compression valve active mode during the compression stroke and to provide minimal resistance to the passage of hydraulic fluid in compression valve passive mode during the rebound stroke; A series of rebound valves (23) connected in parallel, which are adapted to provide resistance to the passage of hydraulic fluid in rebound valve active mode during the rebound stroke and to provide minimal resistance to the passage of hydraulic fluid in rebound valve passive mode during the compression stroke; A hydraulic fluid passage (25) guides hydraulic fluid from the compression volume (13) to the low-pressure return pipe (27) through the compression valve (21) in the compression valve active mode during the compression stroke, and to the spring volume (17) through the spring valve (23) in the spring valve passive mode during the spring stroke; and guides hydraulic fluid from the spring volume (17) to the low-pressure return pipe (27) through the spring valve (23) in the spring valve active mode during the spring stroke, and to the compression volume (13) through the compression valve (21) in the compression valve passive mode. A series of sensors (29), which are longitudinally spaced along the outer surface of the damper body (3), are adapted to sense the position of the piston (11); as well as A controller (31) is adapted to progressively open and close selected valves of the series of compression valves (21) and the series of rebound valves (23) according to the sensed piston position during the compression stroke and the rebound stroke, respectively, to increase or decrease the resistance to the hydraulic fluid flow.

2. The vehicle damper as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The sensor (29) is a Hall effect sensor, which is suitable for sensing a magnet (33) mounted on a piston.

3. The vehicle damper as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The series of compression valves (21) and the series of rebound valves (23) include slide valves.

4. The vehicle damper as described in claim 3, wherein, The series of compression valves (21) includes three slide valves.

5. The vehicle damper as described in claim 3, wherein, The series of spring-loaded valves (23) includes two slide valves.

6. The vehicle damper as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The low-pressure return pipe (27) is provided with a series of fins (37) on the outside to cool the hydraulic fluid with air.

7. The vehicle damper as claimed in claim 1, wherein, Each of the compression valve (21) and the rebound valve (23) is adapted to close electronically under the control of a solenoid valve.

8. The vehicle damper as claimed in claim 7, wherein, The solenoid valve is a three-way high-speed solenoid valve configured to close each of the compression valve (21) and the spring valve (23) within 3 milliseconds, wherein each compression valve (21) and spring valve (23) is a spool valve with a pressure pin (24) adapted to block the flow of hydraulic fluid when electronically closed.

9. The vehicle damper as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The controller (31) is programmed to select the position of the piston (11) at which selective closure of either the compression valve (21) or the springback valve (23) occurs to change the pressure response zone.

10. The vehicle damper as claimed in claim 9, wherein, The pressure response zone can be changed to adapt to the conditions of the vehicle and the road surface.

11. The vehicle damper as claimed in claim 10, wherein, The pressure response zone can be remotely changed via either the in-vehicle human-machine interface module (40) or a mobile computer software application loaded on a handheld smartphone (41).

12. The vehicle damper as claimed in claim 1, wherein, Each of the compression valve (21) and the rebound valve (23) is identical.

13. The vehicle damper as claimed in claim 1, wherein, Either of the compression valve (21) and the spring valve (23) can be different from the other of the compression valve (21) and the spring valve (23).

14. The vehicle damper as claimed in claim 1, wherein, A compression valve (21) remains passive during the springback stroke, and a springback valve (23) remains passive during the compression stroke.

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