Gel Damper Housing and Cap Homogeneity for Temperature Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing dampers face significant challenges in maintaining stable damping force against temperature changes due to variations in viscosity of viscous fluids and material expansion coefficients, leading to increased design and manufacturing complexity.

Innovation Solution

A damper design where the housing, cap, and rotor are formed from the same material with a gel-like attenuating medium, minimizing viscosity changes and maintaining consistent clearance, thereby stabilizing the damping force across temperature variations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a viscous fluid such as silicone oil is used as the attenuating medium, then the damping force can be generated, but the viscosity changes significantly with temperature, causing instability in damping force

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestability of damping forceVSAvoidviscosity change due to temperature
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical state parameter of the attenuating medium from liquid (viscous fluid) to semi-solid (gel), fundamentally altering its viscosity-temperature characteristics. This parameter change enables the medium to maintain stable damping properties across temperature variations while still providing effective attenuation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses a gel-like attenuating medium that combines properties of both solids and liquids, creating a composite material state. This gel structure integrates the flow characteristics of liquids with the structural stability of solids, achieving temperature-independent viscosity and stable damping force.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Manufacturing precision

If the housing is made of metal with small linear expansion coefficient, then the clearance change is suppressed, but the inner pressure of the housing rises due to expansion of the viscous fluid

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveclearance stabilityVSAvoidinner pressure of housing
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical state of the attenuating medium from liquid to gel, which has significantly different thermal expansion characteristics. This parameter change eliminates the pressure buildup issue while maintaining clearance stability, as the gel medium does not expand significantly with temperature increases.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If the housing is made of resin with large linear expansion coefficient, then the manufacturing is easier, but the clearance changes largely with temperature, causing damping force instability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehousing manufacturingVSAvoiddamping force stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the physical state of the attenuating medium to gel form, which compensates for the thermal expansion of resin housing. The gel medium's stable dimensions counterbalance the housing expansion, maintaining consistent clearance and damping force while preserving the manufacturing advantages of resin materials.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Manufacturing precision

If different materials are used for housing and rotor to compensate thermal expansion, then the clearance stability is improved, but the design and manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveclearance stabilityVSAvoiddesign and manufacturing steps
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses the same material for both the housing and rotor, eliminating the need for complex multi-material design and assembly. The gel-like attenuating medium compensates for thermal expansion effects, allowing homogeneous material construction while maintaining clearance stability and reducing manufacturing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #33Homogeneity

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 enhances the stability of the damping force relative to temperature changes, simplifies material selection, and reduces design complexity by using a gel-like attenuating medium with reduced viscosity changes, ensuring consistent performance.

Implementation Method 1

a gel-like attenuating medium (90), and the housing (11) and the cap (12) are formed by the same principal material... in a damping force generated by shearing the attenuating medium, stability is enhanced relative to the temperature change

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectViscous damping: Viscous Damping

Implementation Method 2

the housing (11) and the cap (12) are formed by the same principal material, so that the change due to the temperature change is small regarding the size of a gap between the movable member and the physical objects

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal expansion: Thermal Expansion

Data Source

PatentEP3236103B1Damper and method for manufacturing damper
Publication Date: 2021.06.02 NIFCO INC
  • EP3236103B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3236103B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3236103B1 patent drawingFigure 3~5

AI summary

A damper includes a housing (11) in which an opening is formed, a cap (12) closing the opening of the housing (11), a movable member movably housed between the housing (11) and the cap (12), and a gel-like attenuating medium filled in a movable area of the movable member inside the housing (11). The housing (11) and the cap (12) are physical objects, the attenuating medium is filled between the physical objects and the movable member, and the housing (11) and the cap (12) are formed by the same principal material.