Damper Protective Tube Guide Cage Prevents Rubbing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing damper designs face issues where protective tubes can hit and damage the damper tube due to vibrations and mechanical stress, leading to corrosion and reduced service life, especially when conventional protective tubes made of thin materials are used.
Innovation Solution
A damper cap with radial guide cage spacer elements that allow the protective tube to slide or deform without hitting the damper tube, featuring a constant or increasing diameter guide cage that prevents contact and deformation, which can be made in one piece or two parts for easy assembly and compatibility with different protective tubes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If a protective tube made of thin material is used to cover the piston rod and damper tube, then weight is reduced and material consumption is decreased, but the protective tube may hit and damage the damper tube due to vibrations and mechanical stress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces guide elements as intermediary components between the protective tube and the damper tube. These guide elements prevent direct contact between the protective tube and damper tube, mediating the interaction to avoid damage while allowing the thin-walled protective tube to be used. The guide elements act as a buffer that guides the protective tube's movement and prevents harmful impacts.
2Ease of operation
If bearing elements are molded directly from the protective tube material to center the protective tube, then the protective tube is guided during operation, but the structural design becomes significantly more complex and manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the guidance function into a separate component (guide elements) rather than integrating it into the protective tube structure. The guide elements are distinct components that can be independently designed and manufactured, then assembled with the protective tube. This segmentation simplifies the protective tube's structural design while still providing the necessary guidance function.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide elements serve as intermediary components that provide the guidance function without requiring modifications to the protective tube's structural design. Instead of making the protective tube itself complex through molded bearing elements, the guide elements mediate the guidance function in a simpler, separate structure.
3Ease of operation
If the protective tube is made conical with increasing radius to improve centering, then guidance is improved, but the distance between damper and protective tube increases allowing dirt to reach the piston rod more easily
Solution Approach 1:
The guide elements act as intermediaries that provide centering and guidance functionality without requiring a conical protective tube design. By using separate guide elements, the protective tube can maintain a uniform diameter, keeping the gap between the protective tube and damper tube consistent and small, thereby preventing dirt ingress while still achieving proper centering through the guide elements.
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
This solution effectively prevents the protective tube from rubbing against the damper tube, reducing the risk of damage and corrosion, allowing the use of conventional thin protective tubes without modification, and saving weight and material while maintaining protection against contamination.
Implementation Method 1
The guide cage (44) is formed from spacer elements (60, 66), each extending in the axial direction between the damper tube (330) and the protective tube (350), along which the protective tube can slide during operation if necessary or can strike if necessary in the event of vibrations.
Implementation Method 2
When the piston moves axially relative to the cylinder, the oil must flow through narrow channels and/or valves in the piston. This flow creates a resistance through which the vibration energy to be absorbed is ultimately converted into heating of the oil.
Implementation Method 3
Dampers are usually used in combination with a spring system, for example on the chassis of motor vehicles, in order to quickly dampen vibrations from sprung masses.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device for protecting a damper (310) having a protective tube (350) against the protective tube (350) striking or rubbing on the damper tube (330) in the event of intense vibrations and simultaneous springing processes. The device comprises a damper cap (340) which terminates a damper tube (330) of the damper (310), and at least two spacer elements, which are fixed to the damper cap (340) and extend in the axial direction between the damper tube (330) and the protective tube (350). The at least two spacer elements can also be implemented as struts extending in the axial direction, which can open into an annular termination at the respective end and therefore form a guide element which extends between the damper tube (330) and the protective tube (350).