Elastic Valve Body Gap Control for Shock Absorber Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shock absorbers face challenges in accurately adjusting damping force, particularly at slow piston speeds, due to mechanical processing inaccuracies in the assembly and opening dimensions of valve components.
Innovation Solution
A valve mechanism with a housing, a movable drive valve, a plate-shaped valve body made of elastic material, and a valve positioning member, along with a spacer, allows for precise adjustment of the gap between the valve body and seat, enabling high-accuracy damping force adjustment through elastic deformation and controlled fluid flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If mechanical processing and assembly methods are used to position the valve body and valve seat, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the positioning accuracy and damping force adjustment precision are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical processing and assembly methods with elastic deformation control. Instead of relying on mechanical machining accuracy to position the valve body and valve seat, the invention uses the elastic properties of the valve body material to achieve precise gap control through controlled deformation, thereby substituting a mechanical positioning system with an elastic positioning system that achieves higher precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and dimensional parameters of the valve body by applying elastic deformation. By controlling the degree of elastic deformation through the elastic modulus and applied forces, the gap between the valve body and valve seat can be precisely adjusted. This parameter change approach allows for continuous and accurate control of the damping characteristic without being limited by discrete mechanical machining steps.
2Measurement precision
If the gap between valve body and valve seat is fixed by mechanical assembly, then the structure is stable, but the damping force cannot be adjusted with high accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static, fixed gap structure into a dynamic, adjustable structure. The valve body is designed to undergo elastic deformation that can be controlled to adjust the gap between the valve body and valve seat. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the damping force to be precisely tuned by controlling the elastic deformation amount, converting a static assembly into a dynamically adjustable system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables continuous adjustment of the gap parameter through elastic deformation control. By varying the elastic modulus of the valve body material and controlling the deformation forces, the gap dimension can be continuously adjusted to achieve precise damping force control. This parameter change mechanism provides fine-tunability that fixed mechanical assemblies cannot achieve.
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 allows for precise control and adjustment of damping force, enhancing accuracy and effectiveness in shock absorption across varying operational conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a plate-shaped valve body made of an elastic material having an opening through which fluid passes as being arranged between the valve seat and the drive valve, and a valve positioning member that causes the valve body to face the valve seat via a predetermined gap with respect to the valve seat
Implementation Method 2
damping force is generated when fluid flows through a gap between the valve body and the valve seat
Data Source
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AI summary
A valve mechanism (60) includes a housing (64), a plate-shaped valve body (72), a valve positioning member (73), a drive valve (61) and a drive valve moving mechanism (62). The valve positioning member (73) causes the valve body (72) to face the valve seat (63) via a predetermined gap (110) with respect to the valve seat (63). The drive valve moving mechanism (62) causes the gap (110) between an inner circumference of the valve body (72) and the valve seat (63) to be variable by moving the drive valve (61) in a direction of approaching the valve seat (63) and elastically deforming the valve body (72) in a direction that the inner circumference of the valve body (72) approaches the valve seat (63).