Integrated Shock Absorber Valves for Frequency-Sensitive Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a demand for reducing costs in shock absorbers while maintaining functionality, particularly in mechanisms that utilize back pressure to control damping valves and manage piston speed-dependent damping forces.
Innovation Solution
A shock absorber design that includes a back pressure chamber acting on a first damping valve to control fluid flow, a second damping valve opening due to back pressure, and a third damping valve with a larger diameter opening at low piston speeds, all integrated within a bottomed cylindrical case member to reduce parts and axial length, and utilizing a partition member to vary chamber volumes for frequency-sensitive damping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple damping valves and back pressure chambers are used to achieve frequency-sensitive damping, then damping performance is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple damping valves (first, second, and third damping valves) and back pressure chambers into a single integrated valve assembly. The first damping valve controls high-speed damping, the second damping valve controls medium-speed damping, and the third damping valve controls low-speed damping, all within one unified structure. This merging reduces the number of separate parts while maintaining frequency-sensitive damping performance across different piston speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides high-speed damping control, medium-speed damping control, and low-speed damping control through different valve mechanisms. The back pressure chamber serves both as a pressure source for the first damping valve and as a controlled chamber for the second damping valve. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components for each damping regime.
2Reliability
If multiple damping valves and back pressure chambers are used to achieve frequency-sensitive damping, then damping performance is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple damping valves (first, second, and third damping valves) and back pressure chambers into a single integrated valve assembly. The first damping valve controls high-speed damping, the second damping valve controls medium-speed damping, and the third damping valve controls low-speed damping, all within one unified structure. This merging reduces the number of separate parts while maintaining frequency-sensitive damping performance across different piston speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides high-speed damping control, medium-speed damping control, and low-speed damping control through different valve mechanisms. The back pressure chamber serves both as a pressure source for the first damping valve and as a controlled chamber for the second damping valve. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components for each damping regime.
3Reliability
If multiple damping valves and back pressure chambers are used to achieve frequency-sensitive damping, then damping performance is improved, but axial length increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a nested arrangement where the first damping valve, second damping valve, and third damping valve are positioned concentrically or in overlapping configurations within the valve assembly. The back pressure chamber is integrated within the same axial space as the damping valves, with partitions creating separate regions without requiring additional axial length. This nesting allows multiple functional elements to occupy the same axial envelope.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a linear axial arrangement to a multi-dimensional configuration by positioning damping valves at different radial positions and using partitions to create three-dimensional chamber structures. The first, second, and third damping valves are arranged to utilize radial and circumferential space rather than solely axial space, reducing the overall axial length requirement while maintaining all necessary damping functions.
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 effectively reduces costs by minimizing parts and axial length, while maintaining adjustable damping forces based on piston frequency, thus improving productivity and stability without increasing costs or axial length.
Implementation Method 1
a back pressure chamber causing an internal pressure to act on the first damping valve in a valve closing direction
Implementation Method 2
a second damping valve seated on a first seat part formed on a bottom portion of the case member and configured to open due to a pressure of the back pressure chamber to provide resistance to a flow of the working fluid toward the chamber on the downstream side
Data Source
AI summary
The shock absorber includes a cylinder, a piston, a first passage through which a flow of the working fluid occurs due to movement of the piston in one direction, a first damping valve providing resistance to a flow of the working fluid from a chamber on an upstream side to a chamber on a downstream side of the first passage, a back pressure chamber causing an internal pressure to act on the first damping valve in a valve closing direction, a bottomed cylindrical case member having an opening at one end, the first damping valve disposed in the opening, and the back pressure chamber formed therein, a second passage introducing the working fluid into the back pressure chamber from the chamber on the upstream side, a second damping valve seated on a first seat part formed on a bottom portion of the case member.