Air Spring Piston Assembly With Compliance for Low-Friction Fork Motion
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing air spring assemblies in suspension systems experience high friction forces due to the rigid attachment of components, leading to reduced suspension performance when the fork deflects under load, causing high normal forces on dynamic bearing surfaces.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating compliant members in the negative plate and piston assemblies to provide axial play and reduce normal forces, allowing for reduced friction and improved telescopic motion by enabling radial and rotational movement within the bearing housing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the shaft is rigidly attached at three points (piston, seal head, base lug), then structural stability is improved, but friction forces increase significantly during fork deflection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the rigid, fixed attachment system into a dynamic one by introducing a compliant member (elastomeric material) between the shaft and piston. This compliant member allows the shaft to dynamically adjust its position and orientation during fork deflection, reducing the normal forces that generate friction at the bearing surfaces while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameter of the connection between shaft and piston from rigid (zero compliance) to compliant (elastic deformation allowed). The elastomeric compliant member enables small positional adjustments and rotational movements, changing the mechanical parameters of the system to reduce friction forces during dynamic operation.
2Ease of operation
If the shaft follows fork deflection under load, then suspension responsiveness is improved, but normal forces on bearing surfaces increase
Solution Approach 1:
The compliant member acts as an intermediary element between the shaft and the rigid piston. It mediates the force transmission during fork deflection by allowing controlled deformation, which reduces the normal forces transmitted to the bearing surfaces while still enabling the shaft to follow the fork's motion for responsive suspension behavior.
3Strength
If high normal forces act on dynamic bearing surfaces, then load-bearing capacity is improved, but friction forces increase and reduce suspension performance
Solution Approach 1:
The compliant member changes the mechanical parameters of the system by introducing elasticity, which reduces the normal forces at the bearing surfaces during dynamic operation. This parameter change allows the system to maintain load-bearing capacity through the air spring mechanism while reducing friction-induced wear and performance degradation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The compliant members significantly reduce friction forces, enhancing the suspension performance by allowing the shaft to move with less resistance during fork deflection, thereby improving the overall telescopic motion of the air spring assembly.
Implementation Method 1
Incorporating compliant members in the negative plate and piston assemblies to provide axial play and reduce normal forces, allowing for reduced friction and improved telescopic motion by enabling radial and rotational movement within the bearing housing
Data Source
AI summary
An air spring assembly is disclosed. The air spring assembly includes a piston assembly including a piston, at least one compliant member, a seal configured to provide an air tight seal between the piston and a wall of an air chamber, and a fastener configured to couple the piston with a shaft.