Motorcycle Height Adjustment Oil Return Path Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle-height adjustment apparatuses for motorcycles face difficulties in piston sliding and abrasion due to the direct opening of the oil return path and suction port in the inner peripheral surface of the damper tube, leading to issues with the sliding and abrasion of the piston.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus includes an oil return path and suction port opened in the outer flow path of the damper tube, rather than the inner surface, and a damping force generation device with specific flow paths and valves to manage oil flow, reducing piston abrasion and improving sliding performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the oil return path and suction port are opened in the inner peripheral surface of the damper tube, then the structure is simple, but the piston experiences sliding and abrasion issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the damper tube into two distinct surfaces: the inner peripheral surface (for piston sliding) and the outer peripheral surface (for oil flow paths). By segmenting the functional areas, the piston sliding surface is protected from direct opening of oil return paths and suction ports, eliminating abrasion issues while maintaining structural simplicity through clear functional separation.
2Productivity
If the oil return path is opened in the inner peripheral surface of the damper tube, then the oil flow path is direct, but the piston suffers from abrasion and sliding problems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions the oil return path and suction port openings from the inner peripheral surface (one-dimensional constraint affecting piston sliding) to the outer peripheral surface (another dimension). This dimensional shift allows direct oil flow paths to be established without interfering with piston sliding, thereby maintaining oil flow efficiency while improving piston durability.
3Ease of operation
If the suction port is opened in the inner peripheral surface of the damper tube, then the hydraulic pump can directly suction oil, but the piston experiences increased abrasion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the suction port opening location from the inner peripheral surface (where it causes piston abrasion) and relocates it to the outer peripheral surface of the damper tube. This extraction removes the harmful effect on the piston while preserving the hydraulic pump's ability to directly suction oil, as the outer surface opening provides adequate access for oil intake.
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 prevents piston abrasion and sliding issues, stabilizes damping force characteristics, and reduces the influence on suspension spring settings, enhancing the overall performance and durability of the vehicle-height adjustment system.
Implementation Method 1
a hydraulic pump that is caused to perform a pumping operation by the extension and compression movements of the piston rod relative to the damper tube to supply and drain the oil of the oil chamber inside the damper tube to and from the jack chamber of the hydraulic jack
Implementation Method 2
a damping force generation device provided between the piston-side hydraulic chamber and the rod-side hydraulic chamber of the damper tube; a compression-side flow path that is provided in the damping force generation device to cause oil of the piston-side hydraulic chamber of the damper tube to flow from an outer flow path to the rod-side hydraulic chamber of the damper tube
Implementation Method 3
a compression-side damping valve provided on an upstream side of the compression-side flow path; an extension-side damping valve provided on an upstream side of the extension-side flow path
Data Source
AI summary
In a vehicle-height adjustment apparatus of a motorcycle having a hydraulic jack and a hydraulic pump attached to a hydraulic shock absorber, a structure is provided in which an oil return path of a hydraulic jack and a suction port of a hydraulic pump are not required to be opened in a sliding surface of a piston in a damper tube. In the vehicle-height adjustment apparatus of a motorcycle, an oil return path is opened in an outer flow path of the damper tube to cause the oil of a jack chamber to return to the oil chamber of the damper tube when a plunger of the hydraulic jack reaches a protruding end in the jack chamber.