Valve assembly for a vibration damper, and vibration damper having said valve assembly

Abstract

A valve assembly (100) for a vibration damper (200) is provided, the vibration damper having a tube (201), which is provided with an interior (202), for receiving the valve assembly (100). The valve assembly (100) has a main piston (6), which is secured to a piston rod (1) and divides the interior (202) of the tube (201) into a compression stage chamber (39) and a rebound stage chamber (40), and the valve assembly (100) has a first pressure control unit (16) for the rebound stage in order to adjust the pressure in a pilot chamber (38) for the rebound stage and a second pressure control unit (15) for the compression stage in order to adjust the pressure in a pilot chamber (39) for the compression stage. Each pressure control unit (15, 16) is designed such that a damping fluid flows through the pressure control unit, and each pressure control unit (15, 16) is designed to influence the pressure drop in the respective pilot chamber (38, 39). The valve assembly (100) has a disc-shaped element (12) which has at least one flow channel (43, 44) for the damping fluid. The valve assembly is characterized in that the first (16) and second (15) pressure control unit are designed to independently adjust the rebound damping function and the compression damping function of the vibration damper (200) by separately influencing the pressure drop in the respective pilot chamber by means of a respective valve disc (26), and the first (16) and second (15) pressure control unit are designed to be provided within the interior (202) of the tube (201) of the vibration damper (200).

Description

[0001] Valve arrangement of a vibration damper and vibration damper therewith

[0002] The present invention relates to a valve arrangement of a vibration damper according to the preamble of claim 1. The invention further relates to a vibration damper having the features of claim 11 and a motorcycle with such a vibration damper having the features of claim 12.

[0003] The vibration damper can be, for example, a telescopic spring fork leg of a motorcycle or a shock absorber for a vehicle with more than one track, such as a passenger car; the vibration damper can also be intended for use in the industrial sector.

[0004] To influence the damping behavior of such a vibration damper, the valve assembly can include a pilot valve that acts as a pressure regulator. The damping device or vibration damper typically has two fluid chambers between which damping fluid is exchanged. These fluid chambers are a first chamber, or compression chamber, and a second chamber, or rebound chamber. During compression, damping fluid flows from the compression chamber toward the second chamber, or rebound chamber. During rebound, damping fluid flows from the rebound chamber toward the compression chamber, with the damping fluid passing through the valve assembly, which performs damping work and dampens the vibration amplitudes acting on the damping device.

[0005] The pilot valve can be used to influence the opening behavior of the valve arrangement or the pilot-operated valve by building up a control pressure in a pilot chamber, which acts on the valve piston of the main valve or a valve arrangement arranged on the valve piston.

[0006] Based on the applicant's publication EP 4 019 802 B1, a valve arrangement for a vibration damper is already known, which has proven itself very well in practice but still has potential for improvement. This known vibration damper provides a valve arrangement which includes an electromagnet arranged axially to the piston rod for actuating a valve arrangement. This electromagnet actuates the valve arrangement in both the rebound and compression stages.

[0007] Based on European patent EP 3 569 890 B1, a shock absorber and a method for controlling the damping flow in the shock absorber are known. This known shock absorber has two pressure control units which are arranged outside a damping tube with a working piston and therefore require considerable installation space. However, a motorcycle does not have a large installation space available for a shock absorber or strut, so this known shock absorber is not suitable for use on a motorcycle.

[0008] Based on this, the present invention aims to create a valve arrangement for a vibration damper that requires little installation space and is therefore suitable for use on a motorcycle. Furthermore, a vibration damper with the valve arrangement to be created, as well as a motorcycle equipped with such a vibration damper, are to be provided.

[0009] The invention, with regard to the valve arrangement, has the features specified in claim 1 to solve this problem. Advantageous embodiments thereof are described in the further claims. Furthermore, the invention has the features specified in claim 11 with regard to the vibration damper. Finally, the invention has the features specified in claim 12 with regard to the motorcycle.

[0010] The invention provides a valve arrangement of a vibration damper, which has a tube with an interior space for receiving the valve arrangement, wherein the valve arrangement has a main piston which is fixed to a piston rod and divides the interior space of the tube into a compression chamber and a rebound chamber, and the valve arrangement has a first pressure control unit for the rebound stage for changing the pressure in a pilot chamber for the rebound stage and a second pressure control unit for the compression stage for changing the pressure in a pilot chamber for the compression stage, wherein the pressure control units are each configured for a flow of damping fluid and the respective pressure control unit is configured to influence the pressure drop in the respective pilot chamber, and the valve arrangement has a disk-shaped body which has at least one flow channel for the damping fluid.wherein the first and second pressure control units are designed to independently change the rebound damping and compression damping of the vibration damper by separately influencing the pressure drop in the respective pilot chamber by means of a respective valve disc, and the first and second pressure control units are designed to be arranged inside the interior of the tube of the vibration damper.

[0011] The vibration damper can, for example, be a shock absorber located on the rear wheel of a motorcycle between a swingarm that guides the rear wheel and a frame component of the motorcycle. The application of the vibration damper equipped with the valve arrangement according to the invention to a motorcycle is an exemplary application.

[0012] The main piston, located on the piston rod of the vibration damper, enables the vibration damper to perform damping work in both the tensile and compressive directions.

[0013] During the compression stroke of the vibration damper, damping fluid is moved from the compression chamber to the rebound chamber, and during the extension stroke of the vibration damper, damping fluid is moved from the rebound chamber to the compression chamber. Damping work is performed in each of these phases, and the valve arrangement according to the invention serves to enable rapid changes to the damping behavior of the vibration damper in both the compression and rebound stages.

[0014] In the aforementioned known vibration damper, which originates from the applicant, the damping behavior can already be changed very sensitively by means of the electromagnet arranged in a concentric arrangement to the piston rod of the main piston; however, the mounting location of the electromagnet, which is responsible for changing the damping behavior in both the rebound and compression stages, results in a long design for the tube of the vibration damper that accommodates the main piston.

[0015] The valve arrangement according to the invention comprises a first pressure control unit, which is provided for the rebound stage of the vibration damper and is configured to change the pressure in a pilot chamber for the rebound stage. The valve arrangement also comprises a second pressure control unit, which is provided for the compression stage of the vibration damper and is configured to change the pressure in a pilot chamber for the compression stage, wherein the pressure control units are each configured for a flow of damping fluid and the respective pressure control unit is configured to influence the pressure drop in the respective pilot chamber.

[0016] The valve arrangement according to the invention also has a disc-shaped body which has at least one flow channel for the damping fluid. This flow channel is provided, for example, to allow the flow of damping fluid between the respective pilot chamber and the respective pressure control unit.

[0017] The invention provides that the first and second pressure control units are designed to independently change the rebound damping and compression damping of the vibration damper by separately influencing the pressure drop in the respective pilot chamber by means of a respective valve disk, and that the first and second pressure control units are designed to be arranged inside the interior of the tube of the vibration damper.

[0018] This configuration makes it possible to arrange the two pressure control units radially adjacent to the piston rod within the interior of the tube, thereby reducing the installation space required in the axial direction of the vibration damper tube for accommodating the pressure control units. In the applicant's configuration of the known valve arrangement, the adjustment unit for the electromagnet provided in the pilot chamber for the compression stage and the pilot chamber for the rebound stage is arranged coaxially, i.e., in the longitudinal direction of the main piston rod. This increases the axial length of the adjustment unit, thus increasing the installation space required in the axial longitudinal direction of the tube for the vibration damper and consequently allowing the vibration damper to be built longer overall.

[0019] The configuration according to the invention makes it possible to provide the respective pressure control unit adjacent to the piston rod of the main piston and thus reduce the axial installation length of the adjusting unit of the valve arrangement according to the invention and thus save installation space in the axial length of the vibration damper.

[0020] If a common adjustment unit is used to change the pressure drop in the pilot chamber for both the rebound and compression stages, very rapid changes in the direction of the adjustment unit's electromagnet can lead to a problem: A movement of the actuator in one direction—which moves a valve disc to change the flow gap of a control element within the unit—must first be slowed down by applying a force opposite to the current direction of movement before it can be actuated in the opposite direction. Due to the actuator's own mass, this can lead to hysteresis-like overshoot movements, which must be detected by sophisticated sensors and compensated for using a complex control strategy.

[0021] This problem is solved by the valve arrangement according to the invention in that the first and second pressure control units are configured to independently change the rebound and compression damping of the vibration damper by separately influencing the pressure drop in the respective pilot chamber by means of a separate valve disc. The rebound and compression damping can therefore be adjusted independently with the valve arrangement according to the invention, which also leads to a better tuning of the passive valve characteristic. The passive valve characteristic corresponds to the valve characteristic without the respective active damping component of the damping work, which can be actively changed by the two pressure control units by adjusting them and thus changing the pressure level in the respective pilot chamber.

[0022] The configuration according to the invention also leads to a reduction in the overall axial length of the vibration damper, which can also be used to eliminate a deflection or lever kinematics that would otherwise be required on the vibration damper, thereby achieving further cost savings and also saving the installation space required for the integration of the deflection or lever kinematics on the motorcycle.

[0023] By eliminating a central electromagnet between the valve and the piston rod, significant savings in space and costs are possible.

[0024] Furthermore, the integration of the two pressure control units into the interior of the vibration damper tube ensures that they do not have to be arranged externally, i.e., outside the vibration damper tube, as is the case with the aforementioned known vibration dampers.

[0025] According to a further development of the invention, the first and second pressure control units each comprise an electrically actuated magnetooperative actuator and the valve disc actuated therein, which is designed to change a flow gap between the valve disc and a sealing seat arranged on a disc-shaped body, wherein the respective actuator has a permanent magnet and the first and second pressure control units have a common, electrically actuated coil unit for actuating the actuators and the coil unit is arranged in the interior of the pipe.

[0026] Because the actuator has a permanent magnet, a change in the current flow direction in the coil unit can generate both a tensile and a compressive force on the respective valve disc, thus enabling a very rapid change in the direction of force applied to the valve disc. The valve arrangement according to the invention has a common coil unit, which can also be arranged within the interior of the vibration damper tube and, depending on the configuration of the valve arrangement according to the invention, can be arranged radially adjacent to an extension of the piston rod of the main piston or radially adjacent to the piston rod. This, in turn, makes it possible to save axial length in the valve arrangement and thus also in the axial length of the vibration damper equipped with the valve arrangement according to the invention.

[0027] According to a further development of the invention, the main piston has a first and a second disc-shaped piston body, which are connected in the area of ​​the radial outer circumference to a hollow cylindrical guide body, which is designed to support the main piston on an inner circumferential surface of the interior of the tube.

[0028] This allows functional surfaces of the main piston to be integrated into the respective disc-shaped piston bodies, such as passages for the damping fluid flow paths, and enables the main piston to be easily mounted and assembled by means of the two disc-shaped piston bodies. The hollow cylindrical guide body serves to support the two disc-shaped piston bodies on their respective radial outer circumferences and simultaneously supports the resulting main piston on the inner circumferential surface of the vibration damper tube. The hollow cylindrical guide body can be provided with a sliding coating on its radial outer surface to reduce the breakaway torque of the main piston during its axial movement against the inner circumferential surface of the tube's interior. The sliding coating can, for example, include polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) components.

[0029] According to a further development of the invention, each pressure control unit is provided with a corresponding pre-throttle and check valve. By means of the pressure control units according to the invention, an active damping component, dependent on the respective pressure drop in the respective pilot chamber, can be added to the passive damping work, thus allowing the overall damping work performed by the vibration damper with the valve arrangement according to the invention to be influenced sensitively and quickly. According to a further development of the invention, the disc-shaped body has a flow channel configured for the flow of damping fluid from the pilot chamber for the compression stage to the pressure control unit for the compression stage, and a flow channel configured for the flow of damping fluid into the pilot chamber for the rebound stage.

[0030] This allows for functional integration by means of the disc-shaped body designed as an intermediate disk, since the respective flow channels can be integrated into only one component, namely the intermediate disk. However, space is again saved in the axial direction of the valve arrangement according to the invention, since a second intermediate disk can be avoided.

[0031] According to a further development of the invention, the valve arrangement is designed to allow the flow of damping fluid between the compression chamber and the rebound chamber in both directions and has a first partial flow path which is influenced by the respective pressure control unit and a second partial flow path without influence from the pressure control unit.

[0032] The second partial flow path is a flow path for fluid flow during the respective compression or rebound movement, which provides a passive component of the damping work of the vibration damper equipped with the valve arrangement according to the invention. This passive component arises because the damping fluid, displaced by the main piston during the compression or rebound movement, passes through the respective valve discs, and damping work is performed by the pressure drop. The active damping work, superimposed on the passive damping work for fine control, is provided by the first partial flow path, along which damping fluid can flow. An active component of the damping work can be set by means of a sensitive adjustment of the pressure drop in the pilot chamber, achieved by means of the respective pressure control unit.

[0033] According to a further development of the invention, the respective pressure control unit has a hollow cylindrical housing with a guide bushing which axially moves an armature which receives a guide pin on which the valve disc is arranged.

[0034] This design creates a space-saving configuration and, with the guide bushing, ensures that the armature can move within the guide bushing without significant resistance to its axial movement. This prevents any resistance from interfering with the sensitive actuation of the valve disc in the respective pressure control unit, which rests against a sealing surface of a mating component. This allows for exceptionally rapid movement of the valve disc and thus a change in the pressure level within the respective pilot chamber. The active force component of the damping force can therefore be influenced very quickly and precisely. Furthermore, the gap between the guide bushing and the magnetic armature acts as a dynamic seal.

[0035] According to a further development of the invention, it is also provided that the pressure control unit has a magnetic core which is provided with a bore through which it receives the guide pin and the guide pin has a spring disc whose preload is adjustable by means of an adjusting spring which can be preloaded variably by means of an adjusting screw.

[0036] The spring washer provided on the guide pin provides a restoring force that counteracts any deflection of the guide pin on which the valve disc is mounted. Furthermore, the restoring force of the spring washer can be adjusted by changing the preload force that the adjusting spring exerts axially on the guide pin using the adjusting screw, in order to compensate for manufacturing tolerances in the production of the pressure control unit. According to a further embodiment of the invention, the valve disc of the respective pressure control unit is also arranged with a counterforce against a mating surface of the disc-shaped body, so that a fail-safe function is implemented in a de-energized state of the respective pressure control unit, and the valve disc opens when the respective pressure level rises in the rebound and / or compression stage.

[0037] The aforementioned counter-surface can, for example, be formed on the aforementioned disc-shaped body, which is designed as an intermediate disc. In the de-energized state of the pressure control unit, this ensures that, in the event of a pressure increase in the system, which occurs during a compression or rebound movement, the respective valve disc of the respective pressure control unit can lift off the sealing surface on the intermediate disc, thus preventing an excessive increase in the control pressure in the respective pilot chamber.

[0038] According to a further development of the invention, the actuator exerts a tensile or compressive force on the valve disc depending on the direction of the electric current flowing to actuate the actuator. Thus, by changing the direction of the current flow in the common coil unit, both a compressive and a tensile force can be exerted on the valve disc by means of the actuator. The design of the armature of the respective actuator as a permanent magnet also ensures that any fading problems of the vibration damper can be counteracted with the valve arrangement according to the invention.

[0039] During operation of the vibration damper with the valve arrangement according to the invention, the vibration damper heats up, among other things, due to the damping work performed. This also heats up the respective permanent magnet of each actuator. As a result, the magnetic force of the actuator decreases. When the respective pressure control units heat up during operation of the vibration damper, an increasing opening pressure occurs because the increased magnetic force caused by the heating of the permanent magnet acts to open the valve disc, thus counteracting the temperature-related reduction in the magnetic force of the actuator.

[0040] The invention also provides a vibration damper for a vehicle, wherein the vibration damper has a spring device, which may be a main spring, and wherein the vibration damper also has a valve arrangement as explained above.

[0041] Finally, the invention also creates a motorcycle with a front wheel and a rear wheel and a rider's saddle as well as a vibration damper, as described above.

[0042] The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. This shows:

[0043] Fig. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a valve arrangement according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Fig. 2 is a sectional view according to section HH from Fig. 1;

[0045] Fig. 3 shows a sectional view according to section CC in Fig. 4;

[0046] Fig. 4 shows a sectional view according to section II of Fig. 1;

[0047] Fig. 5 shows an exploded view of the valve assembly;

[0048] Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view to illustrate the flow of the damping fluid during a rebound process; Fig. 7 is a view similar to that of Fig. 3 to illustrate the flow of the damping fluid during a rebound process;

[0049] Fig. 8 shows a cross-sectional view to illustrate the flow of the damping fluid during a compression process;

[0050] Fig. 9 shows a representation similar to that of Fig. 2 to illustrate the flow of the damping fluid during a compression process;

[0051] Fig. 10 shows a sectional view similar to that shown in Fig. 4 to illustrate the flow of the damping fluid during a compression process.

[0052] Fig. 11 shows a sectional view of a pressure control unit;

[0053] Fig. 12 shows an exploded view of the pressure control unit;

[0054] Fig. 13 shows a partially cutaway view of a vibration damper with a valve arrangement according to the invention;

[0055] Fig. 14 shows a pressure stage characteristic curve; and

[0056] Fig. 15 shows a motorcycle with a vibration damper according to the invention.

[0057] Fig. 1 and also Fig. 5 of the drawing show a valve arrangement 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention in a cross-sectional view. The valve arrangement 100 can, for example, be installed in the vibration damper 200 shown in Fig. 13 of the drawing, specifically in the interior 202 of the tube 201 visible in Fig. 13 of the drawing.

[0058] The valve assembly 100 has a piston rod 1 on which a main piston 6 is arranged such that the main piston can be axially supported at various points on the inner circumferential wall 203 of the tube 201 of the vibration damper 200 via the guide band 7. The main piston 6 separates the compression chamber 39 from the rebound chamber 40. The interior 202 of the vibration damper 200 is designed to receive a damping fluid, not shown in detail in the drawing, in the form of, for example, fork oil or hydraulic oil.

[0059] As can be seen in Fig. 1, a disc 2, the rebound disc, is supported on the piston rod 1. The valve discs 3 for the compression stage, together with the O-ring 4, form the pilot chamber 37 for the compression stage. The valve discs 3, together with the main piston 6, form the compression stage valve 35.

[0060] The guide band 7 serves to support the main piston 6 against the inner circumferential wall 203, as mentioned above. The channel 42 represents the rebound channel.

[0061] On the opposite side of the main piston 6 are the valve discs 9 for the rebound stage. The valve discs 9, together with the main piston 6, form a rebound stage valve 36. The valve disc 14 located above it serves as a piston rod nut, and adjacent to it are the two pressure control units 15, 16, with the pressure control unit 15 being for influencing the pressure in the pilot chamber 37 for the compression stage and the pressure control unit 16 for influencing the pressure in the pilot chamber 38 for the rebound stage.

[0062] The intermediate disc 12 is arranged between the valve disc 14 and the valve discs 9 for the rebound stage, and it has fluid channels or flow channels 43, as shown in more detail in Fig. 9 of the drawing.

[0063] The aforementioned valve discs allow a basic characteristic of the unenergized damping curve 0A to be defined, which is shown in Fig. 14 of the drawing. A further damping curve Std, also shown in Fig. 14, denotes a damping curve of a known vibration damper, recorded for comparison.

[0064] The sealed pilot chambers 37 and 38 are formed by the O-rings 4 and 10, with pilot chamber 38 being designated for the rebound stage. The pilot chambers are in a flow connection with the respective pressure control units 15 and 16. A pre-throttle 18 for the compression stage, a pre-throttle 20 for the rebound stage, a check valve 19 for the compression stage, and a check valve 21 for the rebound stage establish a fluid connection from the working chamber 40 to the pilot chamber 38 and from the working chamber 39 to the pilot chamber 37.

[0065] A central coil element 17 serves to actuate the two pressure control units 15, 16, wherein the supply of the electrical connection line from the on-board voltage network of the motorcycle 205 shown, for example, in Fig. 15 of the drawing, to the coil unit 17 can take place via connecting lines or electrical connection lines 204, which run in a connecting channel 206 of the piston rod 1. The vibration damper 200 according to the invention is thus used in the motorcycle shown in Fig. 15 of the drawing, which has the aforementioned rear wheel 207 and a front wheel 208 as well as a rider's seat 209.

[0066] A support 11 serves to support the valve disc 9 for the rebound stage and a centering ring 13 to center the intermediate disc 12.

[0067] When the vibration damper 200 is excited into a compression movement, which occurs, for example, when the rear wheel 207 of the motorcycle 205 travels over a road surface irregularity, the piston rod 1 is pushed in the direction of arrow 300 in Fig. 13 against the force of the helical compression spring 210, causing a flow of damping fluid. This situation is illustrated in Figures 8, 9, and 10 of the drawing. Damping fluid is displaced from the compression chamber 39 via the compression channel 41 and through the compression valve 35 towards the rebound chamber 40. During this process, the valve discs 3 for the compression stage are elastically deformed, and oil can flow from the compression chamber 39 into the rebound chamber 40. This is a first partial flow, which generates a passive component of the damping force.

[0068] A portion of the total volume flow is directed via the pre-throttle 18 for the pressure stage and a check valve 19 for the pressure stage into the pilot chamber 37 for the pressure stage. A connection from the pilot chamber 37 to the pressure control unit 15 for the pressure stage is established via a connecting channel 44, which is formed in the intermediate disk 12 and can be seen in Fig. 10 of the drawing.

[0069] The flow of damping fluid from the pilot chamber 37 for the compression stage is controlled via the pressure control unit 15 for the compression stage and then, as can be seen from Fig. 10 of the drawing, damping fluid can be discharged via connecting channels 43, which are formed in the intermediate disk 12, through the rebound channel 42 in the main piston 6 into the rebound chamber 40.

[0070] This allows the pressure level in the pilot chamber 37 to be adjusted and the total pressure drop across the entire valve to be influenced, thus affecting, i.e., controlling, the damping work performed by the vibration damper 200. The pressure drop in the pilot chamber 37, controlled by the pressure control unit 15 for the pressure stage, is therefore controlled by a second partial volume flow. Since the pressure control unit 15 for the pressure stage is controlled by an electrically actuated actuator, this active part of the electrically actuated valve arrangement 100 can actively influence the damping work performed by the vibration damper 200 during the compression movement. Figures 8, 9, and 10 show the flow path of the damping fluid during the compression movement just described.

[0071] The following explains the rebound movement of the vibration damper 200 in the opposite direction to arrow 300 according to Fig. 13, based on the function of the valve arrangement 100 during the rebound movement, specifically with reference to Figs. 6 and 7. During the rebound movement, damping fluid is transferred from the rebound chamber 40 to the compression chamber 39.

[0072] When the vibration damper 200 is subjected to a rebound movement, oil flows through the rebound channel 42 and the rebound valve 36. This causes the valve disc 9 for the rebound stage to deform elastically, allowing the oil to flow from the rebound chamber 40 into the compression chamber 39. The passive part of the damping work during the rebound movement can thus be influenced by the design of the valve disc 9 for the rebound stage. The damping fluid flow described above represents a first component or partial flow of damping fluid from the rebound chamber 40 towards the compression chamber 39.

[0073] As can be seen from Fig. 6 of the drawing, a second portion or partial flow of damping fluid, and thus a second part of the total volume flow, flows during the rebound movement via connecting channels 43, which can be seen from Fig. 10 of the drawing, to the pre-throttle 20 of the rebound stage and a check valve 21 into the pilot chamber 38 for the rebound stage.

[0074] The flow of damping fluid from the pilot chamber 38 is controlled by the pressure control unit 16, and the damping fluid can flow into the compression chamber 39 through an opening in the valve disc 14. By influencing the pressure level in the pilot chamber 38 for the rebound stage, the pressure control unit 16 for the rebound stage can control the total pressure drop across the valve 100 during the rebound movement. The second partial volume flow of damping fluid, controlled by the pressure control unit 16 for the rebound stage, thus represents an active part of the control strategy that can be achieved with the valve arrangement 100 according to the invention. The damping work performed by the vibration damper 200 during rebound can therefore be influenced by the pressure control unit 16 for the rebound stage, and thus the total damping work performed by the vibration damper 200 during rebound can be controlled or regulated.

[0075] The construction of the pressure control units 15, 16 will be explained below with reference to Figures 11 and 12 of the drawing.

[0076] The two pressure control units 15, 16 are identical in design, so the following explanation applies to both pressure control units.

[0077] The pressure control unit 15, 16 has a magnetic housing 22 in which a flux separator 28 and a guide bushing 23 are arranged, in the interior of which an armature or magnetooperative actuator 24 is arranged to be axially displaceable.

[0078] The armature 24 is designed as a permanent magnet, which offers the advantage of a high force level for the electrically actuated pressure control unit 15, 16, even in a compact design. A guide pin 25 is mounted in the armature 24, and a valve disc 26 and a spring disc 27 are arranged at the axial end of this guide pin.

[0079] The valve disc 26 can be brought into contact with the valve seat 34 shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing or lifted away from it, whereby the oil flow through the pilot valve thus formed can be regulated by a corresponding actuation of the armature 24.

[0080] Figures 11 and 12 of the drawing further show that the magnetic core 29 is arranged opposite the armature 24. The magnetic core 29 has an inner recess in which an adjusting screw 30 and a spring assembly 31 are arranged, by means of which the axial force exerted by the adjusting spring 31 on the guide pin 25 can be adjusted, for example for adjusting the guide pin and for compensating for manufacturing tolerances.

[0081] The respective pressure control unit also has a winding 33 and an iron return 32, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. When the vibration damper 200 performs a spring movement, damping fluid is displaced between the two working chambers 39 and 40 by the working piston or main piston 6.

[0082] This creates the partial volume flow already explained above in the direction of the valve disc 36 of the respective pressure control unit 15, 16, which can then be energized according to the selected control strategy to change the pressure drop in the respective partial volume flow path.

[0083] The partial flow of water strikes the valve disc 36, which rests on the valve seat 34, as explained above. The pressure from the respective pilot chamber acting on the valve disc 36 causes it to lift away from the valve seat 34. To enable the small pressure control units and their magnetic forces to generate a large pressure drop, the valve disc 26 is hydraulically relieved of pressure.

[0084] Through the bore of the guide pin 25, visible in Fig. 11 of the drawing, the pressure can also be transmitted to the rear side of the armature 24, so that its rear surface is subjected to pressure. This pressure generates a counterforce. As a result, only the difference in area between the surface of the pilot valve seat 34 and the end face of the armature 24 acts as the opening force when the pilot valve is pressurized with fluid pressure from the pilot chamber.

[0085] A gap between the magnetic armature 24 and the guide bushing 23 acts as a dynamic seal, similar to a gap seal. The armature 24 is guided radially by the guide bushing 23 on one side and by the spring washer 27 on the other. The previously mentioned adjusting screw 30 and the adjusting spring 31 serve to set an externally adjustable force offset on the magnetic armature 24; they can also be used to compensate for manufacturing tolerances.

[0086] The magnetic armature 24 is a permanent magnet 45, so that the armature 24 can generate a tensile or a compressive force depending on the direction of current flow through the coil 33. In the de-energized, neutral position of the magnetic armature, the spring disc 27 exerts a force component on the valve disc 26, which simultaneously establishes the fail-safe position of the valve disc 26. If a positive current flows through the coil, the force on the valve disc 26, which presses against the valve seat 34, is increased, and the pressure drop on the aforementioned partial flow path is increased. Conversely, if a negative current flows through the coil 33, the force on the valve disc 26 is reduced, and the pressure drop decreases.

[0087] Fig. 14 of the drawing shows an example of a pressure stage characteristic map with damper characteristics of force plotted against velocity.

[0088] The curve labeled 0A shows the damping behavior without current flowing through the respective pressure control unit. When a positive current flows through coil 33, the damping force increases, resulting in firmer damping, as illustrated by curves 1A and 2A. Conversely, when a negative current flows through coil 33, the damping force decreases, resulting in softer damping, as illustrated by curves -1A and -2A.

[0089] The use of a permanent magnet as an armature results in a simple design for the respective pressure control unit of the valve arrangement according to the invention. Because the two pressure control units require little installation space, they can be arranged laterally to the piston rod and actuated by means of a common coil unit. By changing the direction of current flow through the coil, the damping behavior of a vibration damper equipped with the valve arrangement according to the invention can be easily adapted to be softer or harder.

[0090] The permanent magnet as armature enables a high force level of the electromagnet, even with the small design chosen according to the valve arrangement according to the invention. The unenergized central position of the valve disc at the valve seat of the intermediate disc allows a fail-safe function to be implemented without any additional design effort, as no additional assembly is required for this fail-safe function. The use of a permanent magnet as armature also counteracts any potential fading behavior of a vibration damper equipped with the valve arrangement according to the invention. The magnetic force generated by the magnetic armature decreases reversibly as the magnet heats up. When the vibration damper performs damping work, the damping fluid heats up, and consequently, so does the entire pressure control unit assembly.The static magnetic force of the magnetic armature acts in the opening direction of the valve disc, meaning that the damping force does not decrease with an increase in the temperature of the permanent magnet, as the valve disc presses against the valve seat. If a central electromagnet is used for both directions of movement, independently controlling the rebound and compression stages becomes difficult and can also lead to delays in the control strategy. The invention provides for the use of two independent electromagnets in the two independently controlled pressure control units, which also makes it possible to design the timing used in the control strategy to be less demanding.

[0091] With regard to features of the invention not explained in detail above, explicit reference is made to the patent claims and the drawing. List of reference numerals

[0092] 1. Piston rod

[0093] 2. Rebound damping disc

[0094] 3. Valve disc

[0095] 4. O-ring

[0096] 5. Support ring

[0097] 6. Main piston

[0098] 7. Guide band

[0099] 8. O-ring

[0100] 9. Rebound valve disc

[0101] 10. O-ring

[0102] 11. Support ring

[0103] 12. Intermediate disc

[0104] 13. Centering ring

[0105] 14. Valve disc

[0106] 15. Pressure control unit of the pressure stage

[0107] 16. Rebound pressure control unit

[0108] 17. Coil element

[0109] 18. Pre-throttle of the pressure stage

[0110] 19. Pressure stage check valve

[0111] 20. Pre-throttle of the rebound stage

[0112] 21. Check valve of the rebound stage

[0113] 22. Magnetic housing

[0114] 23. Guide bushing

[0115] 24. Anchor, actuator

[0116] 25. Guide pen

[0117] 26. Valve disc

[0118] 27. Spring washer

[0119] 28. River Separation

[0120] 29. Magnetic core

[0121] 30. Adjusting screw 31. Spring assembly

[0122] 32. Iron conclusion

[0123] 33. Winding

[0124] 34. Valve seat

[0125] 35. Pressure stage valve

[0126] 36. Rebound valve

[0127] 37. Pre-control chamber pressure stage

[0128] 38. Pre-control chamber, traction stage

[0129] 39. Pressure chamber

[0130] 40. Rebound chamber

[0131] 41. Pressure stage channel

[0132] 42. Rebound channel

[0133] 43. Fluid channels

[0134] 44. Connection channel

[0135] 45. Permanent magnet

[0136] 100. Valve arrangement

[0137] 200. Vibration damper

[0138] 201. Pipe

[0139] 202. Interior

[0140] 203. Inner perimeter wall, inner perimeter surface

[0141] 204. Electrical connecting cable

[0142] 205. Motorcycle

[0143] 206. Connection channel

[0144] 207. Rear wheel

[0145] 208. Front wheel

[0146] 209. Driver's saddle

Claims

Patent claims 1. Valve arrangement (100) of a vibration damper (200), comprising a tube (201) with an interior space (202) for receiving the valve arrangement (100), wherein the valve arrangement (100) has a main piston (6) which is fixed to a piston rod (1) and divides the interior space (202) of the tube (201) into a compression chamber (39) and a rebound chamber (40), and the valve arrangement (100) comprises a first pressure control unit (16) for the rebound stage for changing the pressure in a pilot chamber (38) for the rebound stage and a second pressure control unit (15) for the compression stage for changing the pressure in a pilot chamber (39) for the compression stage, wherein the pressure control units (15, 16) are each configured for a flow of a damping fluid and the respective pressure control unit (15, 16) is used to influence the pressure drop in the respective pilot chamber. (38,39) is arranged and the valve arrangement (100) has a disk-shaped body (12) which has at least one flow channel (43, 44) for the damping fluid, characterized in that the first (16) and second (15) pressure control unit is arranged for independent change of rebound damping and compression damping of the vibration damper (200) by separately influencing the pressure drop in the respective pilot chamber by means of a respective valve disk (26) and the first (16) and second (15) pressure control unit is arranged for arrangement within the interior (202) of the tube (201) of the vibration damper (200).

2. Valve arrangement (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first (16) and second (15) pressure control unit each comprise an electrically actuated magnetooperative actuator (24) and the valve disc (26) actuated therein, which is configured to change a flow gap between the valve disc (26) and a sealing seat (34) arranged on a disc-shaped body, wherein the respective actuator (24) has a permanent magnet (45), and the first (16) and second (15) pressure control unit have a common, electrically actuated coil unit (17) for actuating the actuators (24), and the coil unit (17) is arranged in the interior (202) of the tube (201).

3. Valve arrangement (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the main piston (6) has a first and a second disk-shaped piston body which are connected in the region of the radial outer circumference to a hollow cylindrical guide band (7) which is provided to support the main piston (6) on an inner circumferential surface (203) of the interior (202) of the tube (201 ).

4. Valve arrangement (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a pre-throttle (18, 20) assigned to the respective pressure control unit (15, 16) and a check valve (19, 21) assigned to the respective pressure control unit (15, 16).

5. Valve arrangement (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the disk-shaped body (12) has a flow channel (44) which is configured for the flow of damping fluid from the pilot chamber (37) for the pressure stage to the pressure control unit (15) for the pressure stage and has a flow channel (43) which is configured for the flow of damping fluid into the pilot chamber (38) for the rebound stage.

6. Valve arrangement (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the valve arrangement (100) is configured for the flow of damping fluid between the compression chamber (39) and the rebound chamber (40) in both directions and has a first partial flow path which is influenced by the respective pressure control unit and a second partial flow path without influence by the pressure control unit.

7. Valve arrangement (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pressure control unit (15, 16) has a hollow cylindrical housing (22) with a guide bushing (23) which axially moves an armature (24) which receives a guide pin (25) on which the valve disc (26) is arranged.

8. Valve arrangement (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pressure regulating unit (15, 16) has a magnetic core (29) which is provided with a bore through it which receives the guide pin (25), and the guide pin (25) has a spring washer (27) whose preload is adjustable by means of an adjusting spring (31) which can be preloaded variably by means of an adjusting screw (30).

9. Valve arrangement (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the valve disc (26) of the respective pressure control unit (15, 16) is arranged with a counterforce on a counter surface of the disc-shaped bodies (12), that in an unenergized state of the respective pressure control unit (15, 16) a fail-safe function is realized and the valve disc (26) performs an opening movement when the respective pressure level in the rebound stage and / or the compression stage increases.

10. Valve arrangement (100) according to one of the preceding claims 2 to 9, characterized in that the actuator (24) exerts a tensile force or a compressive force on the valve disc (26) depending on the direction of an electric current flow actuating the actuator (24).

11. Vibration damper (200) for a vehicle and with a spring device, characterized by a valve arrangement (100) according to one of the preceding claims.

12. Motorcycle (205) with a front wheel (208) and a rear wheel (207) and a rider's saddle (209), characterized by a vibration damper (200) according to claim 11.

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