Concentric Suspension Strut Height Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing suspension struts for vehicles require high installation space for height adjustment, limiting their compactness and practicality for dynamic driving scenarios where low ground clearance is necessary.
Innovation Solution
A compact suspension strut design featuring a vibration damper with a supporting spring surrounded by a spring collar, a hollow piston, and a concentrically arranged cylinder for height adjustment, allowing the spring collar's base point to be adjusted axially, thereby changing the vehicle's ground clearance without increasing installation space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a pneumatic height-adjusting device with auxiliary spring and lifting piston is used, then the vehicle ground clearance can be adjusted, but the installation space required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hollow piston is nested within the cylinder, which itself is arranged within the vibration damper assembly. This nested configuration allows the height-adjusting device to be integrated into the existing suspension strut structure without requiring additional installation space, while still providing the full functionality of pneumatic height adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The lifting device is merged with the vibration damper by integrating the hollow piston and cylinder into the existing damper structure. The cylinder is arranged concentrically within the vibration damper, and the hollow piston operates within this integrated structure, combining the height adjustment function with the existing suspension components to eliminate the need for separate adjustment mechanisms.
2Volume of moving object
If the hollow piston is guided axially between the outer tube and cylinder, then the device becomes more compact, but the sealing requirements increase to prevent dirt ingress
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible sealing element is used to seal the hollow piston within the cylinder. This flexible membrane or shell conformally seals the moving piston, preventing dirt ingress while accommodating the axial movement of the piston. The flexible sealing approach maintains reliability by adapting to the dynamic motion while keeping the device compact.
Solution Approach 2:
A sealing element acts as an intermediary between the hollow piston and the cylinder wall, preventing direct contact that would cause wear and dirt ingress. This intermediary sealing component maintains the reliability of the compact arrangement by isolating the internal pneumatic system from external contaminants while allowing the necessary axial movement.
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 solution enables compact, efficient height adjustment with reduced installation space, allowing for increased lifting forces and improved ground clearance, suitable for both upside-down and conventional installations, while minimizing additional components and ensuring sealing to prevent dirt ingress.
Implementation Method 1
The pressure space can be placed pneumatically under pressure via a pressure medium connection on the cylinder element. As a result, the lifting piston is extended downwards out of the cylinder element over a defined distance
Implementation Method 2
If the vibration damper is extended, a force directed in the direction of the supporting spring can be applied by the auxiliary spring to the lifting piston and the latter can be pushed out of the cylinder element as far as a stroke-limiting means
Data Source
AI summary
A suspension strut for a wheel suspension of a vehicle may have a vibration damper, a supporting spring that partially surrounds an outer tube of the vibration damper and is supported by a spring collar, and a lifting device for height adjustment of the vehicle. The lifting device may comprise a hollow piston and a cylinder that are arranged concentrically around the outer tube. The hollow piston may be guided axially between the outer tube and the cylinder and is connected to the spring collar to adjust a base point of the supporting spring. The hollow piston may comprise a stripping and sealing element that lies against the vibration damper.