Modular double tube magnetorheological damper

Abstract

This invention discloses a modular dual-cylinder magnetorheological damper, comprising a main cylinder assembly and an outer cylinder assembly. The main cylinder assembly includes a main cylinder body and a first-stage piston, which is controllably slidably disposed within the main cylinder body, which is filled with magnetorheological fluid. The outer cylinder assembly includes an outer cylinder body and a second-stage piston installed within the outer cylinder body. Both axial ends of the outer cylinder body are connected to the main cylinder body and are respectively located on both sides of the sliding direction of the first-stage piston. The magnetorheological fluid can reciprocate between the main cylinder body and the outer cylinder body as the first-stage piston slides. This invention, through its modular design and innovative asymmetric damping force output, significantly reduces manufacturing costs, improves production efficiency and operational stability, and greatly enhances the flexibility and adaptability of the damper, providing strong support for the widespread application and further development of magnetorheological vibration reduction technology.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of vibration suppression technology and relates to a modular dual-cylinder magnetorheological damper. Background Technology

[0002] Magnetorheological technology, as an emerging smart material application technology, has gained widespread attention and application in the field of vibration suppression in recent years. Magnetorheological fluids (MR fluids) can rapidly and reversibly transform from low-viscosity fluids to high-viscosity solid-like substances under the influence of a magnetic field. This characteristic enables magnetorheological dampers (MRDs) to achieve rapid response and adjustable damping effects, making them suitable for various applications requiring dynamic vibration reduction and control, such as vehicle suspension systems, structural vibration control, and precision mechanical positioning.

[0003] In traditional magnetorheological damper designs, the coil is typically integrated with the piston, and the wires need to be led out through the piston rod to the outside of the damper for energization control. This structural form presents two main problems:

[0004] 1. Dynamic Sealing Challenges: Since the wire passes through the moving part of the piston rod, the dynamic sealing of the wire must be addressed to prevent magnetorheological fluid leakage and the ingress of external impurities. Achieving dynamic seals is typically complex, requiring precision sealing components and stringent assembly processes. This not only increases manufacturing costs but may also affect the long-term reliability and maintenance costs of the damper.

[0005] 2. Lack of flexibility and modularity: Due to the tight integration of the coil and piston, when application scenarios change, such as working stroke or damping force requirements, key structures of the damper, such as the piston rod and piston, need to be redesigned and manufactured, making rapid adjustment and modular production impossible. This limits the company's ability to respond quickly to different market demands and increases the cycle and cost of new product development.

[0006] Therefore, the structural design of traditional magnetorheological dampers has hindered their application in a wider range of fields, especially in scenarios that require low cost, rapid customization, and high reliability.

[0007] To address the above issues and overcome the limitations of traditional magnetorheological dampers, an innovative vibration damper structure is needed to overcome existing technical challenges and achieve a more flexible, efficient, and economical magnetorheological damper solution. This solution would enable the magnetorheological damper to achieve low cost, modularity, and asymmetric damping force output characteristics. Utility Model Content

[0008] In view of this, this utility model provides a modular twin-cylinder magnetorheological damper. Through the innovation of modularization and asymmetric damping force output, it significantly reduces manufacturing costs, improves production efficiency and working stability, and also greatly enhances the flexibility and adaptability of the damper, providing strong support for the widespread application and further development of magnetorheological vibration reduction technology.

[0009] This utility model discloses a modular dual-cylinder magnetorheological damper, including a main cylinder assembly and an outer cylinder assembly. The main cylinder assembly includes a main cylinder body and a first-stage piston. The first-stage piston is slidably disposed within the main cylinder body, which is filled with magnetorheological fluid. The first-stage piston is provided with a radially penetrating flow channel, and multiple flow channels are provided along the circumference of the first-stage piston. Each flow channel is provided with a one-way valve. The outer cylinder assembly includes an outer cylinder body and a second-stage piston installed within the outer cylinder body. Both ends of the outer cylinder body are connected to the main cylinder body and are respectively located on both sides of the sliding direction of the first-stage piston. The magnetorheological fluid can reciprocate between the main cylinder body and the outer cylinder body as the first-stage piston slides.

[0010] Furthermore, the main cylinder assembly also includes a floating piston. The main cylinder body includes a first chamber and a second chamber arranged sequentially along the axial direction. The first-stage piston is slidably disposed in the first chamber, and the floating piston is slidably disposed in the second chamber along with the sliding of the first-stage piston.

[0011] Furthermore, the main cylinder assembly also includes a left end cap and a right end cap. The left end cap is installed at the end corresponding to the first chamber of the main cylinder body, and the right end cap is installed at the end corresponding to the second chamber of the main cylinder body.

[0012] Furthermore, the flow direction of the one-way valve is from the left end cover to the right end cover.

[0013] Furthermore, the first chamber and the second chamber are interconnected, and the diameter of the first chamber is smaller than that of the second chamber so that the inner surface of the main cylinder forms a stepped structure.

[0014] Furthermore, the external cylinder assembly also includes piston supports. Piston supports are installed at both ends of the axial direction of the secondary piston. The secondary piston is installed in the external cylinder body through the piston supports, and the radial clearance between the secondary piston and the external cylinder body forms a damping channel.

[0015] Furthermore, the external cylinder assembly also includes a guide pipe. Guide pipes are installed at both ends of the external cylinder body along the axial direction, and the external cylinder body is connected to the first chamber of the main cylinder body through the guide pipes.

[0016] Furthermore, the first-stage piston includes a piston body and a piston end plate, the one-way valve includes a ball and an elastic element, the flow channel is provided in the piston body, the ball is rolled in the flow channel, the piston end plate is attached to the piston body, the piston end plate is provided with an outlet corresponding to the position of the flow channel, the elastic element is installed in the flow channel, and the two ends of the elastic element respectively abut against the ball and the piston end plate.

[0017] Furthermore, it also includes a piston rod, which passes through the left end cap and connects to the piston body to control the sliding of the first-stage piston.

[0018] Furthermore, the surface of the secondary piston is provided with a winding groove along the circumference. There are multiple winding grooves, which are arranged along the axial direction of the secondary piston. A coil is wound in any of the winding grooves.

[0019] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0020] This utility model discloses a modular dual-cylinder magnetorheological damper. It employs two separate cylinders: a primary piston in the main cylinder drives the magnetorheological fluid flow, while a secondary piston in the outer cylinder generates a magnetic field to provide electromagnetic damping force. The simple structure and independent design of the primary piston increase the damper's working stroke and expand the working area of ​​the magnetorheological fluid, thereby improving the overall force output of the damper. This is particularly important for applications requiring large damping forces and long strokes. Furthermore, the modular design significantly reduces manufacturing costs and improves production efficiency. An innovative one-way valve is incorporated into the primary piston, causing different flow paths and throttling effects of the magnetorheological fluid during the stretching and compression strokes, resulting in asymmetrical damping force output. This characteristic better adapts to vibration control requirements under specific operating conditions.

[0021] Meanwhile, in this invention, since the secondary piston is stationary relative to the cylinder and does not participate in any movement, only the static sealing problem needs to be solved, greatly simplifying the sealing structure and improving the overall stability and reliability of the device. Static sealing is easier to achieve than dynamic sealing, reducing maintenance costs and failure rates. Through its innovative modular and asymmetric damping force output, this invention significantly reduces manufacturing costs, improves production efficiency and operational stability, and also greatly enhances the flexibility and adaptability of the damper, providing strong support for the widespread application and further development of magnetorheological vibration reduction technology. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first-stage piston of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of the main cylinder body of this utility model;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the medium flow direction during the stretching of the first-stage piston of this utility model.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the medium flow direction during the first-stage piston compression of this utility model.

[0027] Figure 6 The magnetic circuit distribution of the coil for the two-stage piston.

[0028] Reference numerals: 1-Left lifting lug, 2-Piston rod, 3-Left end cap, 4-Guide belt, 5-Sealing ring, 6-Main cylinder body, 7-Magnetorheological fluid, 8-Piston body, 9-Ball bearing, 10-Helical spring, 11-Screw, 12-Piston end plate, 13-Floating piston, 14-Right end cap, 15-Inflation valve, 16-Right lifting lug, 17-Connector, 18-Plug, 19-Guide tube, 20-External cylinder end cap, 21-Right bracket, 22-Secondary piston, 23-Coil, 24-External cylinder body, 25-Left bracket, 26-Wire connector. Detailed Implementation

[0029] It should be noted that in the description of this specification, the terms "upper," "lower," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this utility model and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model. Unless otherwise specified, the left and right correspondences in this embodiment are shown in the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 The left and right sides are connected by conventional connection methods such as threaded connection, bonding, and welding, which is understandable to those skilled in the art and will not be elaborated here.

[0030] As shown in the figure, this utility model discloses a modular dual-cylinder magnetorheological damper, comprising:

[0031] The main cylinder assembly includes a main cylinder body 6 and a first-stage piston. The first-stage piston is controllably slidably disposed within the main cylinder body 6, which is filled with magnetorheological fluid 7. The simple structure and independent design of the first-stage piston increase the working stroke of the damper and expand the working area of ​​the magnetorheological fluid 7, thereby improving the overall force output of the damper.

[0032] The external cylinder assembly includes an external cylinder body 24 and a secondary piston 22 installed within the external cylinder body 24. Both axial ends of the external cylinder body 24 are connected to the main cylinder body 6 and are respectively located on both sides of the sliding direction of the primary piston. The secondary piston 22 has multiple circumferentially arranged winding grooves on its surface, arranged axially along the secondary piston 22. A coil 23 is wound in each winding groove. The secondary piston 22 is stationary relative to the cylinder and does not participate in any movement; therefore, only the static sealing problem needs to be solved, greatly simplifying the sealing structure and improving the overall stability and reliability of the device. Static sealing is easier to achieve than dynamic sealing, reducing maintenance costs and failure rates.

[0033] The magnetorheological fluid 7 flows reciprocally between the main cylinder body 6 and the outer cylinder body 24 as the first-stage piston slides. In this embodiment, the sliding of the first-stage piston generates fluid damping force. Simultaneously, the first-stage piston drives the magnetorheological fluid 7 to flow orderly between the main cylinder body 6 and the outer cylinder body 24, so that the magnetorheological fluid 7 generates not only fluid damping force but also electromagnetic damping force when flowing over the surface of the second-stage piston 22. Furthermore, the modular structural design significantly reduces processing costs and substantially improves production efficiency.

[0034] In this embodiment, the main cylinder assembly further includes a floating piston 13. The main cylinder body 6 includes a first chamber and a second chamber arranged sequentially along the axial direction. The first-stage piston is slidably disposed in the first chamber, and the floating piston 13 is slidably disposed in the second chamber as the first-stage piston slides. In this embodiment, the first chamber and the second chamber are interconnected, and the diameter of the first chamber is smaller than that of the second chamber, so that the internal surface of the main cylinder forms a stepped structure. In this embodiment, the external cylinder assembly further includes a guide pipe 19. Guide pipes 19 are installed at both ends of the external cylinder body 24 along the axial direction, and the external cylinder body 24 is connected to the first chamber of the main cylinder body 6 through the guide pipes 19. In this embodiment, the main cylinder assembly further includes a left end cap 3 and a right end cap 14. The left end cap 3 is installed at the end corresponding to the first chamber of the main cylinder body 6, and the right end cap 14 is installed at the end corresponding to the second chamber of the main cylinder body 6. The two end caps are respectively installed at both ends of the main cylinder along the axial direction to completely enclose the main cylinder. The stepped structure restricts the movement stroke of the floating piston 13, preventing it from affecting the flow of the magnetorheological fluid 7 at the interface of the guide tube 19. In this embodiment, two guide tubes 19 are provided, respectively positioned at opposite ends of the axial direction of the external cylinder body 24. Connectors 17, as shown in the figure, are respectively provided on the left end cap 3 and the main cylinder body near the floating piston 13 to connect the guide tubes 19. Each guide tube 19 is equipped with a plug 18 to cooperate with the aforementioned connectors 17 for installation and connection. The first-stage piston slides between the two connectors 17. As the first-stage piston slides, the magnetorheological fluid 7 flows through one connector 17, through the guide tube 19, from the main cylinder body 6 into the external cylinder body 24, then through the other connector 17, out of the external cylinder body 24 and back into the main cylinder body 6. This process repeats continuously, achieving vibration damping and buffering.

[0035] In this embodiment, the primary piston is provided with a radially penetrating flow channel. Multiple flow channels are arranged circumferentially around the primary piston. A one-way valve is installed in each flow channel, with the flow direction of the one-way valve pointing from the left end cap 3 to the right end cap 14. In this embodiment, the primary piston includes a piston body 8 and a piston end plate 12. The one-way valve includes a ball bearing 9 and an elastic element 10. The flow channel is located on the piston body 8, and the ball bearing 9 is rolled within the flow channel. The piston end plate 12 is fitted to the piston body 8, and an outlet is provided on the piston end plate 12 corresponding to the position of the flow channel. The elastic element 10 is installed in the flow channel, with its two ends respectively abutting against the ball bearing 9 and the piston end plate 12. As shown in the figure, the first-stage piston is a split structure, and the elastic element 10 is a spring. It includes a piston body 8 and a piston end plate 12. The piston end plate 12 is installed on the piston body 8 by screws 11. The flow channel is a stepped variable diameter channel with a smaller diameter on the side near the left end cover 3. The ball bearing 9 and the elastic element 10 are installed in the larger diameter part of the flow channel. The ball bearing 9 is located on the side near the left end cover 3. After the piston end plate 12 is installed, it limits the ball bearing 9 and the elastic element 10 in the flow channel. At the same time, the piston end plate 12 is provided with an outlet corresponding to the position of the flow channel so that the magnetorheological fluid 7 can flow out in one direction as shown in the figure. As shown in the figure, when the piston is extended, the one-way valve is opened by the magnetorheological fluid 7. The magnetorheological fluid 7 flows from left to right in the main cylinder body 6, then enters the outer cylinder body 24 from the right side, flows out of the outer cylinder body 24 from the left side, and flows back into the main cylinder. When the piston is compressed, the magnetorheological fluid 7 can only flow out of the main cylinder body 6 from the left side, then enters the outer cylinder body 24 from the left side, and flows out of the main cylinder body 6 from the right side. Inside the main cylinder body 6, the one-way valve is closed, and the magnetorheological fluid 7 cannot flow from right to left through the first-stage piston. This embodiment innovatively sets a one-way valve on the first-stage piston, so that the flow path and throttling effect of the magnetorheological fluid 7 are different during the extension and compression strokes of the first-stage piston, thereby generating an asymmetric damping force output. This characteristic can better adapt to the vibration control requirements under certain specific working conditions.

[0036] In this embodiment, the external cylinder assembly also includes piston supports. Piston supports are installed at both ends of the secondary piston 22 along its axial direction. The secondary piston 22 is installed inside the external cylinder body 24 via the piston supports, and the radial clearance between the secondary piston 22 and the external cylinder body 24 forms a damping channel. In this embodiment, the external cylinder is a cylinder with an opening on the right side. Two piston supports are provided: a left support 24 and a right support 21 located at both ends of the secondary piston 22 along its axial direction. The piston supports are connected to the secondary piston 22 via a tenon and mortise structure. The external cylinder body 24 is closed by an external cylinder end cap 20. The two ends of the secondary piston 22 abut against the bottom (i.e., the left end) of the external cylinder body 24 and the external cylinder end cap 20, respectively, and are positioned by a keyway to limit and position the secondary piston 22 within the external cylinder body 24, as shown in the figure. In this embodiment, the external cylinder body 24 also has a wire connector 26 as shown in the figure to facilitate the lead-out of the coil 23 wire.

[0037] In this embodiment, a piston rod 2 is also included. As shown in the figure, the piston rod 2 passes through the left end cover 3 and is threaded to the piston body 8 to control the sliding of the first-stage piston. In this embodiment, an inflation valve 15 is provided on the right end cover 14 to fill the second chamber with compensating gas. In this embodiment, a guide band 4 and a sealing ring 5 are also provided at the contact position between the piston rod 2 and the left end cover 3, and a guide band 4 is provided at the contact position between the piston end plate 12 and the main cylinder body 6 to separate the spaces on both sides of the first-stage piston and to provide sliding guidance, preventing the failure to generate asymmetric damping during reciprocating sliding. A seal is also provided at the contact position between the floating piston 13 and the main cylinder body 6 to prevent the magnetorheological fluid 7 from entering the second chamber. In this embodiment, the piston rod 2 is equipped with a left lifting lug 1, and the right end cover 14 is equipped with a right lifting lug 16.

[0038] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model and are not intended to limit it. Although this utility model has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of this utility model without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of this utility model, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A modular twin-cylinder magnetorheological damper, characterized in that: The system includes a main cylinder assembly and an external cylinder assembly. The main cylinder assembly includes a main cylinder body and a first-stage piston. The first-stage piston is slidably disposed within the main cylinder body, which is filled with magnetorheological fluid. The first-stage piston has multiple radially penetrating flow channels arranged circumferentially along the first-stage piston, and each flow channel is equipped with a one-way valve. The external cylinder assembly includes an external cylinder body and a second-stage piston installed within the external cylinder body. Both axial ends of the external cylinder body are connected to the main cylinder body and are respectively located on both sides of the sliding direction of the first-stage piston. The magnetorheological fluid can reciprocate between the main cylinder body and the external cylinder body as the first-stage piston slides.

2. The modular twin-cylinder magnetorheological damper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main cylinder assembly also includes a floating piston. The main cylinder body includes a first chamber and a second chamber arranged sequentially along the axial direction. The first-stage piston is slidably disposed in the first chamber, and the floating piston is slidably disposed in the second chamber as the first-stage piston slides.

3. The modular twin-cylinder magnetorheological damper according to claim 2, characterized in that: The main cylinder assembly also includes a left end cap and a right end cap. The left end cap is installed at the end corresponding to the first chamber of the main cylinder body, and the right end cap is installed at the end corresponding to the second chamber of the main cylinder body.

4. The modular twin-cylinder magnetorheological damper according to claim 3, characterized in that: The flow direction of the one-way valve is from the left end cap to the right end cap.

5. The modular twin-cylinder magnetorheological damper according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first chamber and the second chamber are connected to each other, and the diameter of the first chamber is smaller than that of the second chamber so that the inner surface of the main cylinder forms a stepped structure.

6. The modular twin-cylinder magnetorheological damper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The external cylinder assembly also includes piston supports. The piston supports are installed at both ends of the axial direction of the secondary piston. The secondary piston is installed in the external cylinder body through the piston supports. The radial clearance between the secondary piston and the external cylinder body forms a damping channel.

7. The modular twin-cylinder magnetorheological damper according to claim 2, characterized in that: The external cylinder assembly also includes a guide pipe. Guide pipes are installed at both ends of the external cylinder body along the axial direction. The external cylinder body is connected to the first chamber of the main cylinder body through the guide pipes.

8. The modular twin-cylinder magnetorheological damper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first-stage piston includes a piston body and a piston end plate. The one-way valve includes a ball and an elastic element. The flow channel is disposed in the piston body. The ball is rotatably disposed in the flow channel. The piston end plate is attached to the piston body. The piston end plate has an outlet corresponding to the position of the flow channel. The elastic element is installed in the flow channel. The two ends of the elastic element respectively abut against the ball and the piston end plate.

9. The modular twin-cylinder magnetorheological damper according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a piston rod that passes through the left end cap and is connected to the piston body to control the sliding of the first-stage piston.

10. The modular twin-cylinder magnetorheological damper according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface of the secondary piston is provided with a winding groove along the circumference. There are multiple winding grooves, which are arranged along the axial direction of the secondary piston. A coil is wound in each of the winding grooves.

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