Damping Valve Throttle Chamber Layout for Stable Vibration Damping

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing damping valve designs suffer from reduced damping effect due to gas enclosed in the damping medium outgassing on the low-pressure side, which is exacerbated by frictional forces on the tie rod, affecting the valve body's movement.

Innovation Solution

The preload spring is positioned on the pressure side, and the valve body is spatially separated from the displacer, allowing for precise manufacturing and optimization. The design includes a disk arrangement for the displacer, which can form a pressure relief valve, and flow channels that run outside or at an angle to the step opening, separating the throttle chamber from the valve function, minimizing manufacturing effort and allowing for a smaller outlet opening cross-section.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the bias spring is arranged on the low-pressure side, then the valve body can be biased into closed position, but gas trapped in the damping medium escapes on the low-pressure side reducing the damping effect

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedamping effectVSAvoidgas escape
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional arrangement by placing the bias spring on the high-pressure side instead of the low-pressure side. This reversal prevents gas from escaping during valve operation, as the spring now acts on the high-pressure side where gas accumulation is suppressed, thereby maintaining damping effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the potential harm of gas accumulation into a benefit by arranging the spring on the high-pressure side. The high-pressure environment, which would normally promote gas bubble formation, is now used to suppress gas escape, transforming a harmful condition into a protective mechanism for maintaining damping performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Stability of the object's composition

If a guide channel with large diameter is used, then the pull rod can assume certain angle to prevent oscillation, but frictional force acts on the pull rod

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevalve disc stabilityVSAvoidfrictional force
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the guiding function from the main valve body structure by implementing a separate guide channel. This allows the pull rod to be guided independently with precise geometry that minimizes friction while maintaining the necessary angular movement for oscillation prevention, separating the guiding function from the valve sealing function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Device complexity

If the valve body and displacer are integrated, then the structure is simpler, but neither component can be optimized for its intended function

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructure simplicityVSAvoidfunctional optimization
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the integrated valve body-displacer structure into two separate components: the valve body and the displacer. This segmentation allows each component to be independently optimized - the valve body for sealing and flow control, and the displacer for precise positioning and damping force generation - thereby improving overall functional performance despite increased structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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 configuration eliminates frictional forces on the tie rod, reduces the impact of gas inclusions on damping force, and allows for precise control of damping force by limiting it during valve opening movements, enhancing the overall damping function.

Implementation Method 1

A valve body (3) has a stepped opening (5) for receiving a preload spring (7), which acts on a tie rod (9) on which a valve disc (11) is arranged

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSpring force: Spring

Implementation Method 2

a damping function of the valve body movement while eliminating the frictional force on the pull rod

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectViscous damping: Viscous Damping

Data Source

PatentEP3317558B1Damping valve
Publication Date: 2021.05.26 ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
  • EP3317558B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3317558B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3317558B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A damping valve, comprising a valve body with a stepped opening for receiving a preload spring which acts on a tension rod, on which tension rod there is arranged a valve disk, which valve disk at least partially closes off an outflow opening of a flow duct which connects two opposite valve body sides to one another, wherein the tension rod is acted on not only by the preload spring force but also by a damping force which counteracts a vibration movement of the valve disk, characterized in that the additional damping force is generated by a displacement body on the tension rod, which displacement body, together with a section of the stepped opening, forms a throttle chamber.