Internal Bypass Grooves for Adaptive Shock Absorber Damping

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional shock absorbers fail to provide optimal ride quality and vehicle handling across varying terrain types, as they either bottom out on extreme bumps or become too compliant on smaller bumps, requiring adjustments that are not feasible in real-time.

Innovation Solution

The design of a shock absorber with multiple operational zones, featuring grooves in the interior surface that allow dampening fluid to bypass valving, providing different operational characteristics for compression and rebound strokes, ensuring a compliant ride on smaller bumps while maintaining protection against extreme terrain.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the shock absorber is designed to prevent bottoming out on extreme terrain, then bottom-out protection is improved, but ride quality on smaller bumps deteriorates due to excessive stiffness causing chatter

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebottom-out protectionVSAvoidride quality on smaller bumps

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The shock absorber is divided into multiple operational zones along the piston travel path. Each zone has distinct characteristics: zones with grooves provide compliance for smaller bumps, while zones without grooves provide stiffness for bottom-out protection. This segmentation allows the shock to deliver appropriate response for different terrain conditions without requiring operator adjustments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different sections of the shock absorber's operational range are assigned different dampening characteristics. Specifically, certain zones feature grooves in the interior surface that allow fluid bypass for compliance, while other zones lack grooves to provide resistance. This local differentiation of properties enables the shock to be compliant where needed and stiff where needed along its travel path.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of operation

If the shock absorber is designed to be compliant for smaller bumps, then ride quality on chatter-type terrain is improved, but bottom-out protection deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveride quality on chatter-type terrainVSAvoidbottom-out protection

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The shock absorber is divided into multiple operational zones along the piston travel path. Each zone has distinct characteristics: zones with grooves provide compliance for smaller bumps, while zones without grooves provide stiffness for bottom-out protection. This segmentation allows the shock to deliver appropriate response for different terrain conditions without requiring operator adjustments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different sections of the shock absorber's operational range are assigned different dampening characteristics. Specifically, certain zones feature grooves in the interior surface that allow fluid bypass for compliance, while other zones lack grooves to provide resistance. This local differentiation of properties enables the shock to be compliant where needed and stiff where needed along its travel path.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If conventional valving is used to dampen spring oscillations, then bottom-out protection is achieved, but the shock absorber becomes too stiff for smaller bumps causing chatter

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebottom-out protectionVSAvoidoperational adaptability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Different sections of the shock absorber's operational range are assigned different dampening characteristics. Specifically, certain zones feature grooves in the interior surface that allow fluid bypass for compliance, while other zones lack grooves to provide resistance. This local differentiation of properties enables the shock to be compliant where needed and stiff where needed along its travel path.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The shock absorber's operational characteristics change dynamically based on piston position within the inner chamber. As the piston moves through different zones, the presence or absence of grooves automatically adjusts the fluid flow path and dampening level. This dynamic adaptation occurs without external control, allowing the shock to respond appropriately to different terrain conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Ease of manufacture

If the shock absorber uses fixed dampening characteristics, then manufacturing is simplified, but adaptability to different terrain conditions deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidterrain adaptability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The shock absorber is divided into multiple operational zones along the piston travel path. Each zone has distinct characteristics: zones with grooves provide compliance for smaller bumps, while zones without grooves provide stiffness for bottom-out protection. This segmentation allows the shock to deliver appropriate response for different terrain conditions without requiring operator adjustments.

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 solution allows for consistent ride quality across different terrain conditions without operator adjustments, providing both compliance on smaller bumps and effective bottom-out protection on large bumps by varying fluid resistance through distinct operational zones.

Implementation Method 1

The at least one groove that is formed within the interior surface is configured to allow at least some of the dampening matter to bypass the valving of the piston to move the piston through the at least one select length of the main shock body including the at least one groove with less resistance

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFluid bypass:

Implementation Method 2

The piston includes valving to allow dampening matter that is received within the inner chamber to pass through the piston to allow the piston to move within the inner chamber of the main shock body

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectValving: Valve

Implementation Method 3

A typical method used to dampen spring oscillations is with the use of valves to selectively pass oil and/or gasses in a chamber to absorb excess energy of the springs

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDampening: Damping

Data Source

PatentUS11703100B2Internal bypass shock absorber

Publication Date: 2023.07.18 RAPTOR PERFORMANCE SHOCKS

AI summary

A shock absorber is provided that includes a shock body and a shaft assembly. The shock body has an inner chamber. The inner chamber is defined by a cylindrical interior surface. At least one groove is formed in the interior surface within at least one select length of the shock body. A piston of the shaft assembly is received within the inner chamber of the shock body. The piston includes valving to allow dampening matter that is received within the inner chamber to pass through the piston to allow the piston to move within the inner chamber. The at least one groove that is formed within the interior surface is configured to allow at least some of the dampening matter to bypass the valving of the piston to allow the piston to move through the at least one select length with less resistance.