Lockable Lift Assist Assembly for Vehicle Hood Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lift assist mechanisms in vehicles often experience bouncing due to spring counter-balancing, and external dampers can be difficult to overcome, leading to ineffective load management during hood lifting and rotation.
Innovation Solution
A lockable lift assist assembly with a piston assembly and valve assembly that controls hydraulic fluid flow to dampen movement and provide variable resistance, allowing for selective restriction or enhancement of fluid flow to manage bouncing and locking positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If larger springs are used to counter-balance the load, then load counter-balancing is improved, but bouncing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lift assist mechanism is divided into separate functional components: springs for load counter-balancing and a damper for vibration control. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its performance independently - the spring provides force while the damper suppresses bouncing, resolving the contradiction between load support and stability.
Solution Approach 2:
A damper is introduced as an intermediary element between the spring and the moving components. The damper acts as a mediator that absorbs and dissipates the oscillatory energy generated by the spring, allowing the spring to maintain load counter-balancing while the damper controls the bouncing, thus resolving the contradiction.
2Stability of the object's composition
If smaller springs are used to reduce bouncing, then stability is improved, but load counter-balancing effectiveness decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the functions of vibration control and load support into separate components. A smaller spring can be used to reduce bouncing, while a dedicated damper component provides the necessary load counter-balancing force, resolving the contradiction between stability and force effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The damper serves as an intermediary that compensates for the reduced force output of smaller springs. It provides the additional damping force needed to maintain load counter-balancing effectiveness while allowing the use of smaller springs that reduce bouncing, thus resolving the contradiction.
3Stability of the object's composition
If external dampers are used to control bouncing, then stability is improved, but overcoming the damping forces becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The damper is designed with variable damping characteristics that adapt to the operational state. During normal operation, the damper provides strong damping forces to control bouncing. During deliberate opening/closing operations, the damping force is reduced or bypassed, making it easier to overcome and operate the mechanism, thus resolving the contradiction between stability and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The damping parameter is made variable rather than fixed. The damper can change its damping coefficient based on operational requirements - providing high damping for stability during normal operation and low damping for ease of operation during opening/closing actions, thus resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.
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 effectively reduces bouncing and enhances load management by providing controlled damping and locking capabilities, ensuring smooth operation and effective counter-balancing of vehicle hoods during lifting and rotation.
Implementation Method 1
A valve assembly is coupled in movement together with the piston assembly. The valve assembly is configured to selectively alter a flow of a hydraulic fluid through a fluid communication path established within the valve assembly to control movement of the piston assembly.
Implementation Method 2
The method communicates a flow of hydraulic fluid through the valve assembly to damp the moving. The method selectively restricts the flow of hydraulic fluid through the valve assembly to limit the moving.
Data Source
AI summary
A lockable lift assist assembly includes a piston assembly moveable between an extended position and a retracted position. A valve assembly is coupled in movement together with the piston assembly. The valve assembly is configured to selectively alter a flow of a hydraulic fluid through a fluid communication path established within the valve assembly to control movement of the piston assembly.