Position-Relative Damper Assembly for Distinct Jounce and Rebound Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional position-sensitive dampers lack the ability to adjust externally and remotely the static position of the damping mechanism to compensate for weight variations, resulting in minimal deviation between jounce and rebound damping curves, and are often complex and costly to manufacture and maintain due to their design.
Innovation Solution
A position-relative damper assist system with a piston assembly and adjustment assembly that varies the effective cross-sectional profile of fluid passages within the piston head, allowing for independent control of jounce and rebound damping through a biasing assembly that adjusts the configuration based on displacement profiles, eliminating the need for double-wall or external bypass tubes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional position-sensitive dampers are used, then the damping mechanism is simple in structure, but the ability to adjust externally and remotely the static position of the damping mechanism is lacking, resulting in minimal deviation between jounce and rebound damping curves
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustment assembly is nested within the piston head, with the biasing assembly contained within the adjustment assembly. This nested configuration allows multiple functional components to be integrated into a compact unit that can be externally adjusted while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The biasing assembly dynamically adjusts the configuration of the adjustment assembly based on piston position within the stroke distance. This dynamic adjustment enables the system to provide distinct damping curves for jounce and rebound without requiring complex external control mechanisms.
2Manufacturing precision
If conventional position-sensitive dampers with double-wall or external bypass tubes are used, then the damping control is precise, but the manufacturing and maintenance cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the adjustment assembly and biasing assembly within the piston head, eliminating the need for separate double-wall structures or external bypass tubes. This integration maintains precise damping control while significantly simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing assembly complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the adjustment and biasing functions from complex external structures (double-wall or bypass tubes) and relocates them into the piston head. This extraction simplifies the overall device architecture while preserving the essential damping control functionality.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional shock absorbers with combined spring and fluid compression are used, then the shock damping capability is adequate, but the ability to provide distinct damping curves for jounce and rebound is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The biasing assembly provides dynamic, position-dependent biasing forces that enable distinct damping curves for jounce and rebound. As the piston moves through its stroke distance, the biasing assembly automatically adjusts the fluid passage configuration to provide optimized damping characteristics for each direction of motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustment assembly creates local variations in fluid passage cross-sectional area at different positions within the piston head. This local quality variation allows the system to provide differentiated damping characteristics for jounce and rebound without requiring entirely separate damping mechanisms.
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 design enables distinct damping curves for jounce and rebound, enhancing ride quality and handling while simplifying manufacturing, assembly, and maintenance, and providing a more versatile and effective damping system.
Implementation Method 1
a piston assembly being operatively disposed between the top and bottom mounting components, the piston assembly having a piston head being displaceable within a chamber defined about a portion of one of the top and bottom mounting components, the piston head being provided with at least one fluid passage for allowing fluid of the chamber to travel from one side of the chamber to another side of the chamber via the piston head of the piston assembly, in order to provide a corresponding damping effect
Implementation Method 2
an adjustment assembly cooperating with the piston head of the piston assembly for adjustably varying an effective cross-sectional profile of the at least one fluid passage in order to in turn vary a corresponding flow rate of fluid passing through said at least one fluid passage, and in turn vary the resulting damping effect
Implementation Method 3
a biasing assembly cooperating with the adjustment assembly for selectively varying a configuration of the adjustment assembly in response to a given input indicative of the positioning of the piston assembly within the stroke distance
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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AI summary
A position-relative damper assist system (1) for use with a vehicle, the position-relative damper assist system (1) comprising top and bottom mounting components (5, 3), a piston assembly (9), an adjustment assembly (19), and a biasing assembly (21). The piston assembly (9) is operatively disposed between the top and bottom mounting components (5, 3), and has a piston head (11) being displaceable within a chamber (13), and being provided with at least one fluid passage (15) for allowing fluid (17) of the chamber (13) to travel therethrough, in order to provide a corresponding damping effect. The adjustment assembly (19) cooperates with the piston head (11) of the piston assembly (9) for adjustably varying an effective cross-sectional profile of the at least one fluid passage (15) in order to in turn vary a corresponding flow rate of fluid (17) passing through said at least one fluid passage (15), and in turn vary the resulting damping effect. The biasing assembly (21) cooperates with the adjustment assembly (19) for selectively varying a configuration of the adjustment assembly (19) in response to a given input indicative of the positioning of the piston assembly (9) within a stroke distance (7), in order in vary the resulting damping effect in response to a corresponding displacement-profile (23) provided by the biasing assembly (21).