Damper Floating Plunger Height Control via Coil Spring
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing dampers for continuously variably adjusting damping force experience a rise in temperature and expansion of the buffer gas, leading to an increase in vehicle height and a shift in the center of mass, which degrades running stability and ride comfort due to continuous damping operations.
Innovation Solution
A damper design incorporating a coil spring to support the floating plunger, maintaining its reference height by preventing upward movement due to temperature variations, and using a support cup and holders to reduce friction and prevent wear, ensuring stable damping operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a floating plunger with buffer gas is used for volume compensation in continuous damping operations, then the damping function is maintained, but the buffer gas temperature rises and volume expands, causing the floating plunger to move upward and increasing vehicle height
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful thermal expansion effect by introducing a thermal expansion compensation mechanism. The compensation mechanism includes a compensation spring and a compensation chamber that actively counteract the upward movement of the floating plunger caused by buffer gas expansion, thereby maintaining stable vehicle height while preserving the damping function.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical parameters of the compensation system by using a compensation spring with specific elastic properties and a compensation chamber with controlled volume. These parameter changes enable the system to counteract thermal expansion effects and maintain stable floating plunger position during continuous damping operations.
2Duration of action of moving object
If the floating plunger moves upward due to buffer gas expansion, then the damping operation continues, but the vehicle height increases and the center of mass shifts, degrading running stability and ride comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a compensation mechanism as an intermediary system between the floating plunger and the external environment. This mechanism includes a compensation spring and compensation chamber that mediate the effects of buffer gas expansion, preventing direct transmission of height changes to the vehicle body while allowing continuous damping operation.
3Device complexity
If the floating plunger is supported without additional structures, then the device complexity is low, but friction and wear occur during continuous up-and-down movement
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a pneumatic compensation chamber to support the floating plunger, replacing direct mechanical contact with gas pressure support. This reduces friction and wear while maintaining the necessary support function, and the compensation spring provides additional mechanical support with minimal contact points.
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 maintains the reference height of the floating plunger, preventing vehicle height increase and reducing concerns about vehicle overturn and ride comfort degradation, while minimizing the impact of temperature changes and friction-related damage.
Implementation Method 1
a coil spring that is coupled to a bottom surface of the floating plunger and supports the floating plunger
Implementation Method 2
The MR fluid F has a property that, when a magnetic field is produced around the MR fluid F, apparent viscosity of the MR fluid F changes due to the magnetic field
Implementation Method 3
a solenoid core 161 inducing an electromagnetic field is equipped in the piston value 16... by applying a magnetic field to the MR fluid F that passes through the piston valve 16 and flows into the compression space 12a and the tension space 12b thus changing the apparent viscosity
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a damper for continuously variably adjusting a damping force that includes: a cylinder; a piston rod that is inserted into the cylinder and moves back and forth; a piston valve that is coupled to a bottom portion of the piston rod and moves back and forth in the cylinder according to the movement of the piston rod; a MR fluid that fills the cylinder and moves between a tension space over the piston valve and a compression space below the piston valve; and a volume compensation means that is located in the cylinder and compensates for a volume change of an inner space of the cylinder due to the movement of the piston rod, the volume compensation means including: a floating plunger that is configured to be below the piston valve and capable of moving up and down; a coil spring that is coupled to a bottom surface of the floating plunger and supports the floating plunger; and a support cup that is fixed onto the cylinder, coupled to a bottom portion of the coil spring to support the coil spring, and forms a buffer space, along with the floating plunger, between the support cup and the floating plunger.