Radial-Assembly Damper Cap for Smaller Cylinder Diameter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dampers for automobile glove boxes face challenges in downsizing while maintaining assembly integrity, as the cap's diameter and cylinder's outer diameter cannot be reduced due to design constraints.
Innovation Solution
A damper design featuring a cap that can be assembled from the outside in a radial direction, eliminating the need for a through-hole in the cap and allowing for a smaller cap and cylinder diameter, with a cap structure that includes half-split members and a locking unit for secure attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the rod is made thinner and the cylinder outer diameter is reduced to achieve downsizing, then the damper size is reduced, but the cap diameter cannot be reduced because the mounting portion size is constrained by the mating side shape
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of inserting the rod through a hole in the cap from the axial direction, the invention inverts the assembly approach by having the cap surround the rod from the radial direction. The cap is divided into two half-caps that are assembled by radially compressing them onto the rod, then locked together circumferentially. This inversion allows the cap diameter to be reduced while maintaining secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap is segmented into two half-caps that can be assembled separately and then joined together. This segmentation allows the cap to be compressed radially onto the rod in a compact state, then locked into a complete circular form, achieving both reduced diameter and secure attachment without requiring a large through-hole.
2Force
If the piston having an enlarged diameter is provided on the tip side of the rod, then the damping force is improved, but the piston cannot be inserted into the through-hole of the cap from the tip side or the other end side of the rod
Solution Approach 1:
The invention inverts the traditional assembly sequence by first assembling the cap around the rod from the radial direction, then inserting the piston onto the rod from the tip side. Since the cap is already assembled with a reduced effective opening during the radial compression process, and the piston is assembled after the cap is in place, the enlarged-diameter piston can be accommodated without requiring it to pass through a large axial hole in the cap.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap is preliminarily assembled around the rod before the piston is installed. This preliminary assembly creates a structure where the piston can be inserted from the tip side without needing to pass through the cap, as the cap is already positioned and can be deformed or opened to accommodate the piston's enlarged diameter.
3Ease of manufacture
If a through-hole is provided in the cap for inserting the rod, then the assembly is simplified, but the cap diameter increases which prevents further downsizing
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of providing a through-hole in the cap for axial insertion, the invention inverts the approach by having the cap assembled from the radial direction around the rod. The half-caps are compressed radially onto the rod and then locked together, eliminating the need for a large axial through-hole while maintaining assembly simplicity through the locking mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The cap is divided into two half-caps that can be assembled separately and then joined together with a locking structure. This segmentation allows the cap to be assembled in a compact radial manner without requiring a large through-hole, as each half-cap can be positioned and locked to the other, creating a complete circular structure with reduced diameter.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a damper capable of securely assembling a cap on an outer circumference of a rod while reducing a diameter of the cap and reducing an outer diameter of a cylinder. A damper has a cylinder, a rod, and a cap attached to an opening of the cylinder. The rod has a piston on its tip side and a mounting portion mounted on the other of a pair of members on its base end side, the cap has a main body that extends in an axial direction of the rod, and the main body is formed with a receiving opening that can receive the rod from an outside in a radial direction thereof.