Annular Damping Adjuster Shaft for Precise Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle suspension damper adjusters require multiple components and complex mechanisms, leading to increased manufacturing costs, potential for component failure, and difficulty in adjusting damping settings during use, especially in varying terrain conditions.
Innovation Solution
An annularly varying damping adjuster that uses a single, machined or 3D printed adjuster shaft with a variable flow area feature, allowing for damping adjustments and lockout through a reduced range of rotation (less than 360 degrees), enabling easy identification and adjustment of damping settings using markings on the knob and housing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple components and complex mechanisms are used in the adjuster, then the damping adjustment functionality is achieved, but the manufacturing cost increases and the risk of component failure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple adjuster components into a single integrated adjuster shaft that performs both damping adjustment and lockout functions. The adjuster shaft includes a variable flow area feature that is machined or 3D printed directly into the shaft itself, eliminating the need for separate needles, threads, or cam mechanisms. This merging of functions into one component directly reduces component count and eliminates interfaces between parts, thereby improving reliability while reducing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjuster shaft is designed as a universal component that performs multiple functions: it adjusts damping by varying the flow area and simultaneously provides lockout capability when positioned in specific orientations. The variable flow area feature and circumferential groove work together to enable both adjustment and locking functions within a single component, reducing the need for separate specialized components and improving overall system reliability.
2Ease of manufacture
If a single adjuster shaft with variable flow area feature is used, then the manufacturing process is simplified and component failure risk is reduced, but the precision of damping adjustment may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves precise damping adjustment by varying the flow area parameters of the adjuster shaft. The variable flow area feature is designed with specific geometric parameters that can be machined or 3D printed to precise tolerances. By changing the flow area parameter as the shaft rotates, precise control over damping characteristics is achieved while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through conventional machining or additive manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjuster shaft incorporates a variable flow area feature with locally varying cross-sectional dimensions along its length. This local variation in geometry creates different flow restrictions at different rotational positions, enabling precise damping adjustment. The local quality of the flow area is optimized through careful design of the shaft's cross-sectional profile, which can be manufactured with high precision using CNC machining or 3D printing techniques.
3Ease of operation
If the adjuster shaft rotates less than 360 degrees, then the adjustment range is sufficient and component wear is reduced, but the adjustability range may be limited
Solution Approach 1:
The adjuster shaft is designed to rotate dynamically within a limited angular range (less than 360 degrees) to provide continuous damping adjustment. The variable flow area feature is positioned such that rotation within this limited range sufficiently varies the flow area from minimum to maximum, achieving the full spectrum of damping adjustments needed for most driving conditions. This dynamic rotation within a constrained angle reduces wear while maintaining adequate adjustability.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjuster shaft incorporates an asymmetric variable flow area feature that is positioned to provide optimal damping adjustment within a limited rotation range. The asymmetric geometry of the flow area feature, combined with the circumferential groove positioning, ensures that the full adjustment range is achieved within less than 360 degrees of rotation. This asymmetric design maximizes the utility of the limited rotation range while maintaining versatility for different terrain conditions.
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
Simplifies the manufacturing process, reduces the risk of component failure, and allows for quick and precise adjustment of damping characteristics, enhancing vehicle performance and comfort across different terrain conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a variable flow area feature that restricts or allows flow between the piston and the reservoir
Data Source
AI summary
A damping adjuster is disclosed herein. The damping adjuster includes an adjuster housing and an adjuster shaft. The adjuster shaft rotatable within the adjuster housing, the adjuster shaft comprising a variable flow area feature, the variable flow area feature formed annularly about a portion of the adjuster shaft, the variable flow area feature comprising a plurality of different flow area values therealong. The damping adjuster also includes a fluid flow path through the adjuster housing, wherein the fluid flow path includes the variable flow area feature of the adjuster shaft.