Progressive Damping Shock Absorber for Ride Comfort and Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shock absorbers face challenges in balancing ride comfort and steering stability, as adjusting damping force characteristics affects either ride comfort or steering stability negatively, and struggle to provide stable damping for heavy vehicle bodies while maintaining a compact design.
Innovation Solution
The shock absorber incorporates a damping tube with a damping chamber and piston, featuring adjustable extension rods and strategically placed damping holes that increase damping force as the compression stroke lengthens, along with a rod joint for adjustable angle support, to provide additional damping force and maintain stability across varying loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the damping force of the shock absorber is set low, then the vibrations and impacts generated by irregularities of the road surface may be smoothly absorbed, improving the ride comfort, whereas a behavior of the vehicle body may become dull, degrading the steering stability
Solution Approach 1:
The shock absorber employs a progressive damping characteristic where the damping force changes dynamically with compression stroke length. The spring rate increases as compression progresses, allowing the system to adapt its damping behavior - providing softer initial response for comfort while delivering stiffer resistance for stability control.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the damping parameter (spring rate) as a function of compression stroke length. By designing the spring system to exhibit variable stiffness - softer at initial compression and stiffer at maximum compression - the system achieves both ride comfort and steering stability through parameter variation rather than fixed damping characteristics.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the damping force of the shock absorber is set high, then changes in the attitude of the vehicle body may be suppressed, improving the steering stability, whereas vibrations and impacts generated by the irregularities of the road surface may be transmitted to the vehicle body, reducing the ride comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The progressive spring design creates dynamic damping behavior where the system automatically adjusts its stiffness based on compression stroke length. This eliminates the need to choose between high or low fixed damping, as the system provides appropriate resistance at each stage of compression - soft for comfort, stiff for stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention varies the damping parameter (spring rate) with compression stroke length, creating a progressive damping characteristic. This parameter change allows the system to provide low damping for comfort during initial compression while delivering high damping for stability control at maximum compression.
3Reliability
If a conventional shock absorber structure is used, then the device maintains a compact design, whereas it struggles to provide stable damping for heavy vehicle bodies across a wide stroke range
Solution Approach 1:
The progressive spring system creates dynamic damping characteristics that adapt to different compression stages. This dynamic behavior allows the shock absorber to maintain stable damping forces throughout a wide stroke range, accommodating heavy vehicle bodies while preserving compact dimensions through efficient space utilization.
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 enhances ride comfort and steering stability by gradually increasing damping force during compression strokes, preventing impact and maintaining stability for heavy vehicles without increasing device length or weight, while allowing for adjustable damping characteristics based on vehicle type and environment.
Implementation Method 1
a damping piston provided to slidably move along an inner side of the damping tube and configured to pressurize the working fluid accommodated in the damping chamber
Implementation Method 2
at least one damping hole formed through the damping tube to allow the damping chamber and the compression chamber to communicate with each other
Implementation Method 3
the damping force is changed according to an operating speed of the shock absorber
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a shock absorber. The shock absorber is provided to include a damping tube provided in a compression chamber and formed in a hollow shape to have a damping chamber therein, a damping piston provided to slidably move along an inner side of the damping tube and configured to pressurize a working fluid accommodated in the damping chamber, an extension rod configured to connect the damping piston and a piston rod, and at least one damping hole formed through the damping tube to allow the damping chamber and the compression chamber to communicate with each other.