Shock Absorber Bracket Bridge Structure for Attachment Rigidity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional brackets face challenges in achieving high accuracy and attachment rigidity due to the difficulty in shaping sheet material into a tube with a hole for avoiding interference with protruding portions, affecting the shock absorber's attachment to a knuckle.
Innovation Solution
The shock absorber incorporates a cylindrical portion with a C-shaped cross-section, extending portions, and a bridge portion between holes, along with reinforcing portions, to enhance the formability and accuracy of the bracket, improving attachment rigidity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a hole is formed in sheet material before curving into a tube, then the bracket can avoid interference with the protruding portion, but the manufacturing precision (cylindricity) of the tube-like portion deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is segmented into multiple functional parts: the tube-like portion for enclosing the shock absorber, the extending portions for attachment, and the bridge portion connecting them. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently - the tube-like portion can maintain high cylindricity while the bridge portion provides the necessary structural support and interference avoidance
Solution Approach 2:
The design transitions from a simple 2D sheet with a hole to a 3D structure where the bridge portion extends between the tube-like portion and the extending portions. This dimensional addition allows the bracket to avoid interference with the protruding portion while maintaining the cylindrical integrity of the tube-like portion
2Adaptability or versatility
If the sheet material is widely open at the center to form a hole, then the bracket can accommodate the protruding portion, but the formability into a tube with high accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket structure is divided into the tube-like portion and the bridge portion with extending portions. This segmentation allows the tube-like portion to be formed with high accuracy from sheet material, while the bridge portion is added to provide the necessary opening for protruding portion accommodation
Solution Approach 2:
The tube-like portion is first formed with high accuracy from sheet material before adding the bridge portion and extending portions. This preliminary formation ensures high formability and manufacturing accuracy, while subsequent additions provide the required adaptability
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a shock absorber and a bracket which are improved in attachment rigidity. A cylindrical portion is shaped by press-forming first and second holes in sheet material (flat plate) and then curving the sheet material into a tube, in which a bridge portion is formed between the first and second holes. The bracket is thus improved to have higher formability as compared to conventional brackets which are not provided with a bridge portion. This improves the accuracy (cylindricity, in particular) of the cylindrical portion. It is then possible to improve the shock absorber in attachment rigidity against a lateral force to the anteroposterior direction of a vehicle in a situation where the bracket is used to attach the shock absorber to the knuckle.