Vehicle Shock Absorber Bypass Layout for Independent Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vibration dampers struggle to adjust damping behavior separately for both flow directions, particularly at low piston speeds, requiring complex designs with multiple valve discs and pistons.
Innovation Solution
The damper features a piston with separate valve assemblies for each flow direction, incorporating bypass channels with different flow cross-sections adjusted by non-return discs, allowing independent control of damping behavior without specialized valve discs or seats.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If bypass channels are formed by notches in the valve disc or valve seat to provide progressive damping at low piston speeds, then the progressive damping component is achieved, but the bypass cross-section cannot be adjusted separately for both flow directions and requires multiple specialized valve discs and pistons
Solution Approach 1:
The bypass channel is segmented into multiple sections with different flow cross-sections arranged in parallel. Each section has a different flow resistance characteristic, allowing the system to provide progressive damping at low piston speeds while maintaining the ability to adjust damping behavior separately for both flow directions through a single piston design.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the bypass channel are given different local qualities (flow cross-sections and flow resistances). This allows each section to contribute differently to the overall damping behavior, enabling independent adjustment of damping characteristics for compression and rebound strokes without requiring multiple specialized valve discs.
2Speed
If valve discs are designed with degressive damping behavior where opening cross-section increases with speed, then high-speed damping is improved, but low-speed damping adjustment becomes limited and requires complex bypass channel designs
Solution Approach 1:
The bypass channel is divided into multiple parallel sections with different flow cross-sections. This segmentation allows the system to provide appropriate flow resistance at different piston speeds within a single piston design, covering both low-speed progressive damping and high-speed degressive damping without complex mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The bypass channel system with multiple sections serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides progressive damping at low piston speeds through restricted sections, and degressive damping at high piston speeds through more open sections. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate valve discs or pistons for different speed ranges.
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 design enables independent adjustment of damping characteristics for both flow directions, simplifying manufacturing and ensuring consistent pressure regulation by minimizing backpressure effects on pilot chambers.
Implementation Method 1
a non-return disc for limiting the flow cross-section is arranged coaxially and axially offset from a valve disc... wherein the flow cross-section is reduced at least in one flow direction by a non-return disc
Implementation Method 2
each valve assembly has at least one valve disc, which, in a closed valve position, rests on a valve seat and thus at least partially covers the associated fluid passage
Implementation Method 3
Fluid is guided from the working chambers into the pilot chambers through a bypass channel system, thus increasing the pressure there
Implementation Method 4
a piston which is axially movable within the cylinder tube along a cylinder tube axis and which divides the cylinder tube into two working chambers
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The invention relates to a controllable shock absorber, in particular for a vehicle suspension. The shock absorber comprises a cylinder pipe with a hydraulic fluid sealed therein, a piston (2), which can be moved axially inside the cylinder pipe along a cylinder pipe axis and which sub-divides the cylinder pipe into two working chambers, and a piston rod running parallel to the cylinder pipe axis and connected to the piston (2). The piston (2) has at least two fluid passages (12, 22), by means of which one working chamber is connected to the other working chamber, and a first valve arrangement is located at a first fluid passage (12) in order to damp the movement of the piston in a first actuation direction and a second valve arrangement is located at a second fluid passage (22) in order to damp the movement of the piston in a second actuation direction. In the piston (2), in addition to the fluid passages (12, 22) a bypass channel (7) having flow cross-sections of differing sizes for the two flow directions is provided, or multiple bypass channels (7) are provided, the sum of the flow cross-sections of said multiple channels differing in size for the two flow directions. By means of the single bypass channel (7) one fluid connection is formed between the two working chambers, bypassing the pre-chambers, or by means of the multiple bypass channels (7) multiple fluid connections are formed between the two working chambers, bypassing the pre-chambers.