Damper valve and shock absorber with adjustable damping force

Abstract

The utility model relates to a damping valve and shock absorber with adjustable damping force, and the damping valve comprises: a check valve part, which comprises: a valve body having at least one flow channel; a valve disc, which blocks the flow channel when the check valve part is in a closed state; a spring member, which abuts to the valve disc on the side of the valve disc away from the flow channel; a comfort valve part, which is detachably arranged on the valve body of the check valve part and abuts to the spring member on the side of the spring member away from the valve disc to provide reverse support for the spring member, thereby providing adjustable damping force. The damping valve according to the utility model adopts a split modular design, so maintenance and component replacement are facilitated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of vibration dampers, and in particular to a damping valve and a vibration damper including the damping valve and having adjustable damping force. Background Technology

[0002] In a shock absorber with adjustable damping force, there is an inner tube and an outer tube coaxially arranged around the inner tube. The inner tube is provided with a piston that can move axially to divide the piston into multiple working chambers. The damping valve is usually placed on the outside of the outer tube to achieve fluid communication between the multiple working chambers during the compression and rebound phases of the shock absorber.

[0003] However, traditional damping valves typically employ a one-piece structure, which makes maintenance relatively difficult. Furthermore, if any of the components of the damping valve are damaged, the entire damping valve needs to be replaced, increasing costs. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the problems existing in the prior art, this utility model provides an improved damping valve, which adopts a split modular design, thus facilitating maintenance and component replacement.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, a damping valve is provided, the damping valve comprising: a check valve portion including: a valve body having at least one flow passage; a valve disc blocking the flow passage when the check valve portion is in a closed state; a spring member abutting against the valve disc; and a comfort valve portion detachably disposed on the valve body of the check valve portion and abutting against the spring member on the side of the spring member away from the valve disc to provide reverse support to the spring member, thereby providing an adjustable damping force.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, one of the valve body of the check valve portion and the body of the comfort valve portion has a protrusion raised from its top surface, and the other of the valve body of the check valve portion and the body of the comfort valve portion has a groove recessed from its bottom surface. The protrusion extends into the groove by press fitting, so that the spring abuts against the bottom of the groove.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment of this utility model, the outer diameter of the protrusion is equal to or greater than the outer diameter of the groove.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment of this utility model, a sealing element is provided at the contact surface between the valve body of the check valve portion and the main body of the comfort valve portion.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the valve body of the check valve portion has a recess, the valve disc and the spring are arranged in the recess, and the flow channel leads to the recess.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the recess has a bottom surface, on which a first rib ring and a second rib ring are coaxially disposed, rising from the bottom surface. The flow channel is radially formed between the first rib ring and the second rib ring and passes through the valve body of the check valve portion in the axial direction. The valve disc abuts against the first rib ring and the second rib ring under the preload generated by the spring.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the valve body of the check valve portion has a central through hole, and the first rib ring and the second rib ring respectively surround the central through hole in an annular shape, the central through hole leading to the recess.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the body of the comfort valve portion has at least one bypass channel, which is in fluid communication with the central through hole and recess of the check valve portion.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the comfort valve portion further includes a plurality of damping discs, which are stacked on the side of the body of the comfort valve portion away from the check valve portion, and openings leading to the bypass channel are formed in the plurality of damping discs.

[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, a vibration damper with adjustable damping force is provided, which includes the damping valve described above.

[0015] The shock absorber with adjustable damping force of this invention has other features and advantages that will be apparent from or will be set forth in detail in the accompanying drawings and subsequent embodiments incorporated herein, which together serve to explain the particular principles of this invention. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the vibration damper according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is an exploded cross-sectional view of the damping valve according to the present invention. Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the damping valve according to the present invention installed in a vibration damper. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to various embodiments, examples of which are presented in the accompanying drawings and described below. Although the present invention will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that this specification is not intended to limit the present invention to these exemplary embodiments. Rather, the present invention is intended to cover not only these exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments that may be included within the spirit of the present invention and the scope defined by the appended claims.

[0018] In the following description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise stated, the term "multiple" refers to two or more; the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "top," "bottom," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on this utility model. The directional terms appearing in the following description refer to the directions shown in the figures and are not intended to limit the specific structure of this utility model.

[0019] In the description of this utility model, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0020] Figure 1 A cross-sectional schematic diagram and a schematic diagram of a vibration damper 10 with adjustable damping force are shown below. Figure 1 A vibration damper according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0021] The shock absorber 10 includes an inner tube 11 at least partially filled with a damping fluid, which can be a liquid, particularly hydraulic oil, or a gas, particularly a gas mixture. An axially reciprocating piston rod 12 and a piston 13 connected to and moving with the piston rod 12 are disposed within the inner tube 11. The interior of the inner tube 11 is divided by the piston 13 into a working chamber C1 on the piston rod side and a working chamber C2 away from the piston rod. The direction of movement of the piston 13 can be defined as the longitudinal direction of the shock absorber 10, i.e., the axial direction. The upper end of the inner tube 11 is closed by means of a piston rod guide 14, and the lower end of the inner tube 11 is closed by means of a cap 15.

[0022] The intermediate tube 16 is coaxially arranged around the inner tube 11, so that a first annular cavity C3 is formed between the inner tube 11 and the intermediate tube 16. An opening 110 is formed in the wall of the inner tube 11, through which the damping fluid can overflow from the inner tube 11 into the first annular cavity C3.

[0023] The inner tube 11 and the intermediate tube 16 are together surrounded and wrapped by the outer tube 17, so that a second annular cavity C4 is formed between the outer tube 17 and the inner tube 11 or the intermediate tube 16.

[0024] The damper 10 may also have two separately adjustable damping valves, a first damping valve 18 and a second damping valve 19. For each of the piston 13's extension and retraction movements, the first damping valve 18 and the second damping valve 19 are effectively fluidly connected to the working chamber C1 on the piston rod 12 side and the working chamber C2 away from the piston rod 12. The first damping valve 18 and the second damping valve 19 are located radially outward from the outer tube 17. The first damping valve 18 is fluidly connected to the working chamber C1 on the piston rod 12 side, and the second damping valve 19 is fluidly connected to the working chamber C2 away from the piston rod 12.

[0025] When the damper 10 is in the rebound stage, the piston rod 12 and piston 13 move out. The damping fluid is transported from the working chamber C1 on the piston rod 12 side through the opening 110 and the first annular chamber C3 to the corresponding first damping valve 18, and then transported to the external second annular chamber C4 through the outflow side of the first damping valve 18. Then the damping fluid flows from the second annular chamber C4 through the inflow side of the second damping valve 19 and enters the working chamber C2 away from the piston rod 12. During the compression phase of the damper 10, the piston rod 12 or piston 13 retracts, and the damping fluid is directly delivered from the working chamber C2 away from the piston rod 12 to the corresponding second damping valve 19. From there, it is delivered to the external second annular chamber C4 via the outlet side of the second damping valve 19. Then, the damping fluid flows from the second annular chamber C4 through the inlet side of the first damping valve 18 into the first annular chamber C3, and subsequently enters the working chamber C1 on the piston rod 12 side through the opening 110. Additionally, the piston 13 is provided with an overflow hole, allowing the damping fluid to flow between the working chambers C1 and C2, thereby achieving the effect of damping the reciprocating motion of the piston rod 12 and piston 13 during the compression and rebound phases of the damper 10.

[0026] Therefore, the multi-tube design of the first damping valve 18, the second damping valve 19, and the shock absorber 10 can provide an additional channel for fluid communication between the working chamber C1 on the piston rod 12 side and the working chamber C2 away from the piston rod 12, so as to adjust the damping force of the shock absorber 10 during the compression or rebound phase of the shock absorber 10.

[0027] Figure 2and Figure 3 The specific structure of the damping valve is shown. It should be understood that the damping valve can be either the first damping valve 18 or the second damping valve 19.

[0028] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the damping valve includes a check valve section 20 (see...) Figure 2 (The lower dashed box portion) and the comfort valve portion 30 connected to the check valve portion 20 (see the .... Figure 2 (The upper dashed box portion). The check valve portion 20 has a valve body 21, which has multiple flow channels 22, a central through-hole 23, and a recess 24. From Figure 2 and Figure 3 As can be clearly seen, both the flow channel 22 and the central through hole 23 lead to the recess 24. The flow channel 22 forms a passage for entry from the outside of the valve body 21 into the recess 24. Figure 1 and Figure 3 It can be seen that the flow channel 22 enables the damping fluid to flow between the second annular cavity C4 and the recess 24 of the valve body 21.

[0029] The valve body 21 also has a central axis M. The flow passage 22 and the central through-hole 23 extend substantially parallel to the central axis M. Alternatively, the flow passage 22 may extend at an angle to the central axis M. Optionally, a plurality of flow passages 22 may be evenly distributed around the central axis M. However, the number of flow passages 22 in the check valve portion 20 is not limited, as long as it has at least one flow passage 22.

[0030] The recess 24 can be cylindrical. The recess 24 makes the valve body 21 partially cup-shaped. The central through hole 23 can also be cylindrical. Of course, it should be understood that it is also possible for the recess 24 and the central through hole 23 to be non-cylindrical.

[0031] In addition to the valve body 21, the check valve portion 20 also includes a valve disc 25 and a spring member 26. The valve disc 25 is disposed between the spring member 26 and the valve body 21, so that the valve disc 25 abuts against the valve body 21 under the preload of the spring member 26. The valve disc 25 and the spring member 26 are integrated into the valve body 21. Specifically, the valve disc 25 and the spring member 26 are completely arranged in a recess 24 in the valve body 21. By accommodating the valve disc 25 and the spring member 26 in the recess 24, a compact structure can be achieved. Figure 3 The state of the check valve section 20 shown corresponds to the non-activated state, that is, the check valve section 20 is in the closed state. In the closed state, the flow passage 22 is completely blocked by the valve disc 25.

[0032] The valve disc 25 is preferably annular, and particularly circular. In the closed state of the check valve portion 20, the valve disc 25 is in an undeformed state and is flat. When the check valve portion 20 is in the open state, the valve disc 25 is in a deformed state and is approximately truncated conical in shape; however, it should be understood that other shapes are also possible.

[0033] Spring 26 abuts against the side of valve disc 25 opposite to flow passage 22. Specifically, spring 26 is axially sandwiched between comfort valve portion 30 and valve disc 25 to introduce preload into valve disc 25 by abutting one end of the spring against valve disc 25. Figure 3 As shown, when the check valve section 20 is in the closed state, the valve disc 25 is sealed against the circumferential edge of the flow channel 22 by the preload generated by the spring element 26, thereby preventing fluid from passing through the flow channel 22. The spring element 26 is preferably a helical spring, which may include a truncated conical spring, a cylindrical spring, a cylindrical spring, and / or a leaf spring.

[0034] like Figure 2 As shown, the recess 24 has a bottom surface on which two rib-shaped rings 24a and 24b rise. These two rib-shaped rings 24a and 24b extend from the bottom surface of the valve body 21 into the space of the recess 24. A flow channel 22 is formed radially between the two rib-shaped rings 24a and 24b and extends through the valve body 21 in the axial direction. The first rib-shaped ring 24a is formed on the radially outer side of the flow channel 22, and the second rib-shaped ring 24b is formed on the radially inner side of the flow channel 22. Specifically, the first rib-shaped ring 24a abuts the inner wall of the recess 24 on the radially outer side, and the second rib-shaped ring 24b abuts the central through hole 23 on the radially inner side.

[0035] The valve disc 25, under the preload of the spring 26, rests against the two ribbed rings 24a and 24b, thereby closing the check valve section 20 and blocking the flow passage 22. When the check valve section 20 is in the open operation, the valve disc 25 gradually moves away from the ribbed rings 24a and 24b against the preload of the spring 26, opening the flow passage 22 for damping fluid and creating a free passage into the recess 24. Therefore, the two ribbed rings 24a and 24b serve as the two control edges of the valve disc 25. By resting the valve disc 25 against the control edges of the ribbed rings 24a and 24b, which are raised from the bottom surface of the recess 24, the contact surface between the valve disc 25 and the bottom surface of the recess 24 is reduced, thereby reducing the switching noise when the check valve section 20 opens or closes.

[0036] The comfort valve section 30 is detachably mounted on the valve body 21 of the check valve section 20 and abuts against the spring member 26 on the side of the spring member 26 away from the valve disc 25 to provide reverse support for the spring member 26. Therefore, the preload of the spring can be adjusted through the comfort valve section 30, thereby achieving flexible control of the damping force.

[0037] Because the damping valve according to this utility model adopts a split modular design, consisting of two independent components: a check valve part 20 and a comfort valve part 30, it is easy to maintain and replace parts. Moreover, since the check valve part 20 and the comfort valve part 30 are detachably connected to each other, the damping characteristics of the damping valve can be adjusted by replacing different comfort valve parts 30.

[0038] In some embodiments, the valve body 21 of the check valve portion 20 has a protrusion 27 raised from its top surface, the protrusion 27 surrounding a recess 24 in the valve body of the check valve portion 20, i.e., the protrusion 27 is a rib-shaped ring surrounding the recess 24. The body 31 of the comfort valve portion 30 has a recess 32 recessed from its bottom surface, the recess 32 being cylindrical, the recess 32 causing the body 31 of the comfort valve portion 30 to be partially cup-shaped. The rib-shaped ring protrusion 27 extends into the recess 32 by press fitting, causing the spring member 26 to abut against the bottom of the recess 32. Thus, the comfort valve portion 30 can support the spring member 26 through the bottom of the recess 32, thereby adjusting the preload of the spring member 26. Assembling the check valve portion 20 and the comfort valve portion 30 by press fitting allows for quick installation of both without additional fasteners, thus reducing the number of components in the damping valve and simplifying the assembly process.

[0039] To ensure the reliability of the press-fit between the check valve section 20 and the comfort valve section 30, the outer diameter of the protrusion 27 is equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the groove 32.

[0040] The above description indicates that the protrusion 27 is provided on the top surface of the valve body 21 of the check valve portion 20, and the groove 32 for receiving the protrusion 27 is formed on the bottom surface of the body 31 of the comfort valve portion 30. However, it should be understood that the protrusion 27 can be provided on the bottom surface of the body of the comfort valve portion, and the groove 32 is formed on the top surface of the valve body of the check valve portion accordingly. In this case, more preferably, the above-mentioned groove 27 can also be used as a groove to receive the protrusion, as long as the check valve portion 20 and the comfort valve portion 30 are fixedly connected to each other.

[0041] Since the check valve section 20 and the comfort valve section 30 are designed separately, a seal is preferably provided at the contact surface between the valve body 21 of the check valve section 20 and the body 31 of the comfort valve section 30 to prevent fluid leakage.

[0042] In addition, such as Figure 2and Figure 3 As shown, the comfort valve section 30 includes a plurality of damping discs 33 stacked on the side of the body 31 away from the check valve section 20, thereby providing an adjustable reverse support force to the spring member 26, thus changing the damping force of the damping valve. Figure 2 As shown, the outer diameters of the multiple damping discs 33 can be different from each other. However, it should be understood that the outer diameters of the multiple damping discs 33 can be the same as each other. Moreover, the thicknesses of the multiple damping discs 33 can also be different from each other.

[0043] The body 31 of the comfort valve section 30 has at least one bypass channel 34 leading to a recess 32 and also in fluid communication with the central through-hole 23 and the notch 24 of the check valve section 20. Correspondingly, openings (not shown) corresponding to the bypass channel 34 are formed in a plurality of damping discs 33. Therefore, fluid flowing through the central through-hole 23 can flow out through the opening in the bypass channel 34, which can reduce switching noise of the check valve section 20 during opening and closing.

[0044] Figure 2 and Figure 3 Two bypass channels 34 are shown. Alternatively, the body 31 of the comfort valve section 30 may have only a single bypass channel 34, or it may have more than two bypass channels 34. In any case, the comfort valve section 30 is not limited to two bypass channels 34.

[0045] The description of the exemplary embodiments presented above is only for illustrating the technical solutions of this utility model and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the utility model to the precise forms described. Obviously, those skilled in the art can make many changes and variations based on the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described to explain the specific principles of this utility model and its practical applications, thereby enabling other those skilled in the art to understand, implement, and utilize the various exemplary embodiments of this utility model and their various alternatives and modifications. The scope of protection of this utility model is intended to be defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0046] List of reference numerals 10 shock absorbers 11 Inner Tube 12 piston rods 13 Pistons 14 Piston Rod Guide 15 caps 16 intermediate tube 17 outer tube 18 First damping valve 19 Second damping valve 20 Check Valve Section 21 Valve body 22 flow channels 23 Center Through Hole 24 recesses 24a, 24b rib rings 25 valve disc 26 spring parts 27 convex part 30 Comfort Valve Section 31 body 32 grooves 33 damping disc 34. Bypass lane.

Claims

1. A damping valve, characterized in that, The damping valve includes: The check valve section (20) includes: Valve body (21) having at least one flow passage (22); Valve disc (25) which blocks the flow passage (22) when the check valve section (20) is in the closed state; A spring member (26) abuts against the valve disc (25) on the side of the valve disc (25) away from the flow channel (22). The comfort valve section (30) is detachably mounted on the valve body (21) of the check valve section (20) and abuts against the spring (26) on the side of the spring (26) away from the valve disc (25) to provide reverse support to the spring (26) and thus provide adjustable damping force.

2. The damping valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, One of the valve body (21) of the check valve portion (20) and the body (31) of the comfort valve portion (30) has a protrusion (27) raised from its top surface, and the other of the valve body (21) of the check valve portion (20) and the body (31) of the comfort valve portion (30) has a groove (32) recessed from its bottom surface. The protrusion (27) extends into the groove (32) by press fitting, so that the spring (26) abuts against the bottom of the groove (32).

3. The damping valve according to claim 2, characterized in that, The outer diameter of the protrusion (27) is equal to or greater than the outer diameter of the groove (32).

4. The damping valve according to claim 2, characterized in that, A seal is provided at the contact surface between the valve body (21) of the check valve section (20) and the body (31) of the comfort valve section (30).

5. The damping valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The valve body (21) of the check valve portion (20) has a recess (24), the valve disc (25) and the spring (26) are arranged in the recess (24), and the flow passage (22) leads to the recess (24).

6. The damping valve according to claim 5, characterized in that, The recess (24) has a bottom surface on which a first rib ring (24a) and a second rib ring (24b) are coaxially disposed. The flow channel (22) is formed radially between the first rib ring (24a) and the second rib ring (24b) and extends axially through the valve body (21) of the check valve portion (20). The valve disc (25) abuts against the first rib ring (24a) and the second rib ring (24b) under the preload generated by the spring (26).

7. The damping valve according to claim 6, characterized in that, The valve body (21) of the check valve portion (20) has a central through hole (23), and the first rib ring (24a) and the second rib ring (24b) are respectively circumferentially surrounding the central through hole (23), and the central through hole (23) leads to the recess (24).

8. The damping valve according to claim 7, characterized in that, The body (31) of the comfort valve section (30) has at least one bypass channel (34) which is in fluid communication with the central through hole (23) and recess (24) of the check valve section (20).

9. The damping valve according to claim 8, characterized in that, The comfort valve section (30) also includes a plurality of damping discs (33) stacked on the side of the body (31) of the comfort valve section (30) away from the check valve section (20), and the plurality of damping discs (33) have openings leading to the bypass channel (34).

10. A vibration damper (10) with adjustable damping force, characterized in that, Includes at least one damping valve according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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