Shock absorber with adjustable preload

Abstract

The preload-adjustable shock absorber belongs to the technical field of shock absorbers and comprises a first fixing ring, the bottom of the first fixing ring is connected with a first connecting column, the bottom of the first connecting column is connected with an inner shock absorption module, and the bottom of the inner shock absorption module is connected with a piston cylinder. A piston rod penetrating through the interior of the piston barrel is arranged below the piston barrel, the outer sides of the piston barrel and the piston rod are sleeved with an outer damping spring, a damping adjusting assembly is arranged at the bottom of the outer damping spring, and the radius of the outer damping spring is smaller than the radius of the inner damping module and the radius of the damping adjusting assembly; the bottom of the piston rod is connected with a second connecting column, and the bottom of the second connecting column is connected with a second fixing ring. The shock absorber with the adjustable preload is simple in structure and low in manufacturing cost, the hardness of the spring can be flexibly adjusted according to needs, and the use requirements of different users are met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of shock absorber technology, and in particular to a preload-adjustable shock absorber. Background Technology

[0002] Shock absorbers, as core components used to suppress vibrations and mitigate impacts, are widely used in numerous fields such as automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, construction machinery, home appliances, and precision equipment. Their performance directly determines the stability of equipment operation, ride comfort, and the service life of core components. For example, in the automotive industry, shock absorbers need to balance the damping requirements of vehicles under no-load and full-load conditions, avoiding excessively soft damping under no-load conditions that leads to decreased handling, or excessively stiff damping under full load conditions that causes a bumpy ride. In the construction machinery industry, shock absorbers need to withstand high-frequency impacts under complex working conditions, protecting the precision components inside the equipment from damage.

[0003] However, existing shock absorber technology still has many shortcomings that are difficult to overcome, and it cannot fully meet the usage needs of different users in diverse scenarios. The main problems are concentrated in the following aspects: (1) Lack or limitation of preload adjustment capability: Most traditional shock absorbers adopt a fixed preload design, and their spring stiffness is fixed at the factory and cannot be adjusted according to actual operating conditions (such as load changes, road condition differences, and user preferences). For example, the support force required by the shock absorber differs significantly when a passenger car is driven by a single person (empty) and when it is fully loaded with multiple people. However, a fixed preload shock absorber can only adapt to a single operating condition, resulting in either too soft shock absorption and obvious body shaking when empty, or too stiff shock absorption and strong bumpy feeling when fully loaded, making it difficult to balance comfort and handling.

[0004] (2) Adjustable structure is complex and costly: Some shock absorbers with preload adjustment function rely on hydraulic control modules, electronic sensors or precision gear transmission mechanisms to achieve adjustment. Not only is the structure complex and the number of parts large, but it also requires a professional control unit, which leads to a significant increase in manufacturing costs. At the same time, precision components have high requirements for the usage environment and are prone to failure due to dust, oil or vibration impact. The difficulty of repair and maintenance costs also increase significantly, making it difficult to popularize in low-end equipment, home use or small machinery.

[0005] (3) The adjustment operation is cumbersome and the stability is poor: Although a few mechanically adjustable shock absorbers have low cost, the adjustment method has obvious limitations. Some require disassembling the shock absorber shell to replace the spring or adjusting shims, which is cumbersome and requires professional tools, and ordinary users cannot complete it on their own. Although some support external adjustment, the adjustment structure is not reasonably designed. For example, it adopts single-point adjustment, which has a narrow adjustment range. After adjustment, the fixed structure is prone to loosening due to long-term vibration, resulting in preload offset, which in turn causes the damping effect to decrease, abnormal noise and other problems, making it difficult to guarantee stability.

[0006] (4) Limited damping effect and insufficient adaptability: Some existing shock absorbers only use a single spring or single damping structure, which cannot meet the buffering needs under different impact intensities. For example, when dealing with small-amplitude high-frequency vibrations (such as minor road bumps), excessively stiff damping can easily transmit vibrations; when dealing with large-amplitude low-frequency impacts (such as speed bumps or steps), excessively soft damping can easily lead to insufficient support and a "bottoming out" phenomenon, failing to achieve a balanced damping effect in all scenarios.

[0007] In summary, existing shock absorber technology presents significant contradictions in meeting the four core requirements of "flexible adjustment," "low cost," "simple structure," and "stable reliability." It is difficult to satisfy the needs of ordinary users for self-adjustment and convenient operation, and it is also unable to adapt to the requirements of low- and mid-range equipment for low cost and high reliability. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide a preload-adjustable shock absorber with a simple structure and low cost. The stiffness of the shock absorber can be flexibly adjusted as needed to meet the usage requirements of different users.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a preload-adjustable shock absorber, comprising a first fixed ring, a first connecting post connected to the bottom of the first fixed ring, an inner shock-absorbing module connected to the bottom of the first connecting post, a piston cylinder connected to the bottom of the inner shock-absorbing module, a piston rod disposed below the piston cylinder and passing through the piston cylinder, an outer shock-absorbing spring sleeved on the outside of the piston cylinder and the piston rod, a damping adjustment component disposed at the bottom of the outer shock-absorbing spring, the radius of the outer shock-absorbing spring being smaller than the radius of the inner shock-absorbing module and the damping adjustment component; a second connecting post connected to the bottom of the piston rod, and a second fixed ring connected to the bottom of the second connecting post.

[0010] Preferably, the internal shock absorption module includes a housing assembly, the bottom of which is fixed to the top of the piston cylinder. A vertically placed internal shock absorption spring is disposed inside the housing assembly, and a sliding plate inserted into the housing assembly is disposed above the internal shock absorption spring. The top of the sliding plate is fixedly connected to the bottom of the first connecting column.

[0011] Preferably, the housing assembly includes a housing body, the top of which has an open structure and a vertical threaded hole at its edge, and an annular baffle located above the housing body is fixed to the vertical threaded hole by a vertical fixing bolt; the inner area of ​​the annular baffle is smaller than the top area of ​​the slide plate.

[0012] Preferably, a limiting groove is provided on the side wall of the outer shell, and a limiting protrusion matching the limiting groove is provided on the side wall of the sliding plate.

[0013] Preferably, the damping adjustment assembly includes an adjustment slider sleeved on the piston rod, the piston rod having horizontally arranged threaded holes distributed longitudinally, and the adjustment slider having a horizontal fixing bolt that matches the horizontal threaded holes.

[0014] Preferably, a limiting plate fixed to the bottom of the piston rod is provided below the adjusting slider, and the second connecting post is connected to the bottom of the limiting plate.

[0015] Therefore, the present invention adopts the above-mentioned preload adjustable shock absorber, which has a simple structure and low cost. The stiffness of the shock absorber can be flexibly adjusted as needed to meet the usage needs of different users.

[0016] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of a preload adjustable shock absorber according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of a preload adjustable shock absorber according to the present invention; Figure 3 This is a top view schematic diagram of an embodiment of a preload adjustable shock absorber according to the present invention; Figure 4 This is a top view schematic diagram of the outer casing of an embodiment of a preload-adjustable shock absorber according to the present invention.

[0018] Figure Labels 1. First fixing ring; 2. First connecting post; 3. Inner shock absorption module; 31. Outer shell; 311. Limiting slide groove; 32. Inner shock absorption spring; 33. Slide plate; 331. Limiting protrusion; 34. Annular baffle; 35. Vertical threaded hole; 36. Vertical fixing bolt; 4. Piston cylinder; 5. Piston rod; 6. Outer shock absorption spring; 7. Horizontal threaded hole; 8. Adjusting slider; 9. Horizontal fixing bolt; 10. Limiting plate; 11. Second connecting post; 12. Second fixing ring. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0020] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this invention shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this invention do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Terms such as "comprising" or "including" mean that the element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are used only to indicate relative positional relationships; when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0021] Example 1: like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a preload-adjustable shock absorber, including a first fixing ring 1 for connection to the upper connecting structure. A first connecting post 2 is connected to the bottom of the first fixing ring 1, and an inner shock-absorbing module 3 is connected to the bottom of the first connecting post 1 to assist in providing shock absorption and cushioning. A piston cylinder 4 is connected to the bottom of the inner shock-absorbing module 3, and a piston rod 5 is disposed below the piston cylinder 4 and passes through the inside of the piston cylinder 4. An outer shock-absorbing spring 6 is sleeved on the outside of the piston cylinder 4 and the piston rod 5, mainly providing shock absorption and cushioning.

[0022] A damping adjustment assembly is provided at the bottom of the outer damping spring 6. The radius of the outer damping spring 6 is smaller than the radius of the inner damping module 3 and the damping adjustment assembly, which can ensure that the outer damping spring 6 is stably fixed between the inner damping module 3 and the damping adjustment assembly. The bottom of the piston rod 5 is connected to a second connecting post 11, and the bottom of the second connecting post 11 is connected to a second fixing ring 12 for connecting with the connecting structure below.

[0023] like Figure 2 As shown, the internal damping module 3 includes an outer shell assembly. The bottom of the outer shell assembly is fixed to the top of the piston cylinder 4. The outer shell assembly includes an outer shell 31 made of high-strength steel and an annular baffle 34, which can ensure that the entire internal damping module 3 has sufficient support rigidity.

[0024] Among them, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the top of the outer shell 31 is an open structure and a vertical threaded hole 35 is provided at the edge. The annular baffle 34 is fixed to the top of the outer shell 31 by a vertical fixing bolt 36 that matches the vertical threaded hole 35.

[0025] The outer casing 31 houses a vertically placed inner damping spring 32 for shock absorption and cushioning. The inner damping spring 32 uses a spring with a different elastic coefficient than the outer damping spring 6, allowing for targeted shock absorption optimization for different levels of road bumps to meet more complex usage scenarios.

[0026] Above the inner damping spring 32 is a sliding plate 33 that is inserted into the outer casing assembly. The top of the sliding plate 33 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the first connecting post 2. Since the outer casing assembly adopts a detachable design, the model of the inner damping spring 32 can be replaced as needed during later use to meet the usage requirements.

[0027] The inner area of ​​the annular baffle 34 is smaller than the top area of ​​the slide plate 33, which prevents the slide plate 33 from detaching from the outer casing 31. Furthermore, to further improve the stability of the slide plate 33 within the outer casing 31, such as... Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, a limiting groove 311 is provided on the side wall of the outer shell 31, and a limiting protrusion 331 matching the limiting groove 311 is provided on the side wall of the slide plate 33. Through the snap-fit ​​cooperation of the limiting groove 311 and the limiting protrusion 331, the stability of the slide plate 33 can be effectively improved.

[0028] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the damping adjustment component includes an adjustment slider 8 sleeved on the piston rod 5. The radius of the adjustment slider 8 is larger than the radius of the outer shock absorber spring 6, which can effectively adjust the bottom height of the outer shock absorber spring 6, thereby achieving the adjustment of the damping effect of the outer shock absorber spring 6.

[0029] The piston rod 5 has horizontally threaded holes 7 arranged in the longitudinal direction. The adjusting slider 8 is provided with horizontal fixing bolts 9 that match the horizontal threaded holes 7. The fixing of the horizontal fixing bolts 9 can limit the adjustment slider 8, thereby preventing the adjustment slider 8 from easily displacing during later use and causing the damping setting to be unstable.

[0030] In addition, a limiting plate 10 fixed to the bottom of the piston rod 5 is provided below the adjusting slider 8, and the second connecting post 11 is connected to the bottom of the limiting plate 10. The limiting plate 10 is used to further limit the adjusting slider 8, preventing the horizontal fixing bolt 9 from falling off due to frequent vibration and thus preventing the adjusting slider 8 from being unable to be limited, thereby further ensuring safety in use.

[0031] Therefore, the present invention adopts the above-mentioned preload adjustable shock absorber, which has a simple structure and low cost. The stiffness of the shock absorber can be flexibly adjusted as needed to meet the usage needs of different users.

[0032] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and not to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can still be made to the technical solutions of the present invention, and these modifications or equivalent substitutions cannot cause the modified technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. A preload-adjustable shock absorber, characterized in that: The device includes a first fixed ring, a first connecting post connected to the bottom of the first fixed ring, an inner damping module connected to the bottom of the first connecting post, a piston cylinder connected to the bottom of the inner damping module, a piston rod passing through the piston cylinder below the piston cylinder, an outer damping spring sleeved on the outside of the piston cylinder and piston rod, a damping adjustment component at the bottom of the outer damping spring, and the radius of the outer damping spring being smaller than the radius of the inner damping module and the damping adjustment component; a second connecting post connected to the bottom of the piston rod, and a second fixed ring connected to the bottom of the second connecting post.

2. The preload-adjustable shock absorber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The internal shock absorption module includes a housing assembly, the bottom of which is fixed to the top of the piston cylinder. A vertically placed internal shock absorption spring is provided inside the housing assembly, and a sliding plate inserted into the housing assembly is provided above the internal shock absorption spring. The top of the sliding plate is fixedly connected to the bottom of the first connecting column.

3. A preload-adjustable shock absorber according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outer casing assembly includes an outer casing body, the top of which has an open structure and a vertical threaded hole at the edge. An annular baffle located above the outer casing body is fixed to the vertical threaded hole by a vertical fixing bolt. The inner area of ​​the annular baffle is smaller than the top area of ​​the slide plate.

4. A preload-adjustable shock absorber according to claim 3, characterized in that: The outer casing has a limiting groove on its side wall, and the sliding plate has a limiting protrusion that matches the limiting groove on its side wall.

5. A preload-adjustable shock absorber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The damping adjustment assembly includes an adjustment slider sleeved on the piston rod. The piston rod has horizontally threaded holes arranged laterally in a longitudinal direction, and the adjustment slider is provided with a horizontal fixing bolt that matches the horizontal threaded holes.

6. A preload-adjustable shock absorber according to claim 5, characterized in that: A limiting plate fixed to the bottom of the piston rod is provided below the adjusting slider, and the second connecting post is connected to the bottom of the limiting plate.

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