Shock Absorber Valve Structure for Adjustable Spring and Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shock absorbers lack the ability to easily control spring constant and damping force, which limits their performance customization and efficiency in attenuating vibrations.
Innovation Solution
A shock absorber design that includes a cylinder filled with fluid, a piston valve with a valve seat and passage, and a performance controller to adjust the spring constant and damping force through an interference controller, volume changer, and filling valve, allowing for user-controlled fluid flow and performance optimization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a fixed piston valve structure is used, then the shock absorber structure is simple, but the spring constant and damping force cannot be controlled or adjusted
Solution Approach 1:
The piston valve is designed with a movable valve body that can be adjusted to different positions, transforming the fixed structure into a dynamic one. The valve body can be moved along the valve stem to change the opening degree of the flow passage, enabling continuous adjustment of damping force and spring constant without requiring multiple fixed valves or complex control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the flow passage by moving the valve body to different positions. By adjusting the valve opening degree, the cross-sectional area of the flow passage changes, which directly controls the fluid flow resistance and thereby adjusts the damping force and spring constant parameters of the shock absorber.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple fixed valves are used to control different passages, then passage control is possible, but the device complexity increases and user control becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The single movable valve body performs multiple functions by being positioned at different locations. It can control different flow passages (bypass passage, radial passage, central passage) sequentially or simultaneously depending on its position, replacing what would traditionally require multiple separate fixed valves. This multi-functional design simplifies the overall structure while maintaining versatile flow control capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve body is designed with segmented functional zones that can be selectively positioned. Different portions of the valve body can block or open different passages depending on its axial position, allowing independent control of various flow paths through a single movable component rather than requiring multiple valves.
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
Enables precise control over spring constant and damping force, allowing users to tailor the shock absorber's performance for specific applications, enhancing vibration attenuation and ride comfort.
Implementation Method 1
The piston valve generates a flow resistance of a liquid in strokes of a compression phase (bump) and an expansion phase (rebound) of the shock absorber, and generates a damping force by using this flow resistance.
Implementation Method 2
Since the liquid is incompressible, the compressible fluid (that is, gas) increases and decreases by this volume. In other words, the gas chamber performs a function of compensating for a volume change of the liquid chamber according to the volume of the rod flowing into the liquid chamber.
Implementation Method 3
the gas chamber is filled with the gas having a pressure pressurized to some extent to suppress the cavitation of the liquid chamber. That is, the gas chamber plays a role of compensating the volume according to the compression phase and the expansion phase and suppressing the cavitation of the liquid.
Data Source
AI summary
A shock absorber includes: a cylinder which is filled with a fluid; a piston valve which includes a valve seat dividing an inner space of the cylinder, a passage which is formed in the valve seat and through which the fluid passes, and a valve disposed to cover the passage and interfering with a flow of the fluid; a performance controller which is disposed in the cylinder to control at least one of a spring constant, a damping force, or a combination thereof; and a piston support which is connected to the piston valve and exposed to an outside.