Shock Absorber Floating Piston Seal Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gas spring shock absorbers for bicycles experience high friction during compression due to seal adhesion, leading to reduced responsiveness and potential cavitation in the damping portion, which results in a less desirable ride.
Innovation Solution
A shock absorber design featuring a dynamic gas seal with a lip that extends both radially and axially, minimizing seal adhesion by reducing contact area and pressure-driven friction, and incorporating a floating piston to maintain pressure equilibrium between the gas spring and damping chambers, thereby minimizing cavitation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional gas spring shock absorber uses a seal that engages the cylinder wall during compression, then gas pressure containment is improved, but friction and seal adhesion increase, reducing responsiveness
Solution Approach 1:
A floating piston is introduced as an intermediary element between the gas spring chamber and the damping chamber. This piston transmits gas pressure to the damping fluid without requiring direct seal engagement with the cylinder wall during compression, thereby mediating the force transmission while reducing friction and improving responsiveness.
2Force
If gas pressure is increased to improve suspension support, then vehicle weight support is improved, but seal adhesion and friction increase, offsetting the advantage
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a floating piston to transmit gas pressure hydraulically to the damping fluid. This pneumatic-hydraulic conversion allows high gas pressure to be maintained for strong suspension support while the damping fluid handles the compression dynamics with reduced seal friction, improving compression smoothness.
3Ease of operation
If a dynamic seal with radial and axial lip extension is used, then seal adhesion is reduced, but gas pressure containment may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The floating piston acts as a mediator that allows the use of a dynamic seal with reduced adhesion characteristics. By transmitting pressure through the damping fluid rather than relying solely on seal friction, the system can use a seal design that prioritizes low adhesion while maintaining gas pressure containment through the combined action of the seal and fluid pressure.
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
The solution reduces friction during compression, enhances responsiveness, and prevents cavitation, resulting in a smoother ride and improved suspension performance for off-road cycling.
Implementation Method 1
Gas pressure in the interior gas spring chamber may bias the first end and the second end away from one another
Implementation Method 2
Friction between the at least one lip and the second end may be lower when the plunger moves into the interior gas spring chamber than when the plunger moves out from the interior gas spring chamber
Implementation Method 3
Movement of the plunger into the interior gas spring chamber may reduce the size of the interior gas spring chamber by compressing gas in the chamber. This decrease in the interior volume of the interior gas spring chamber may cause the gas pressure in the interior gas spring chamber to rise in proportion to the decreased volume
Implementation Method 4
incorporating a floating piston to maintain pressure equilibrium between the gas spring and damping chambers, thereby minimizing cavitation
Data Source
AI summary
A shock absorber includes a first end and a second end that reciprocate relative to one another. The shock absorber includes a gas spring chamber, a damping chamber, and a floating piston. The first side of the floating piston is in fluid communication with the gas spring chamber. The second side of the floating piston is in fluid communication with the damping chamber. The gas in the gas spring chamber applies pressure against the floating piston, which applies pressure to the substantially incompressible fluid in the damping chamber. This pressure transfer may be adequate to minimize or prevent cavitation.