Shock Absorber Assembly with Hydraulic Height Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current height-adjustable shock absorbers for two-wheeled vehicles face limitations in quickly lowering the vehicle due to limited electrical power and complex, inefficient designs, resulting in slow displacement times and high power requirements.
Innovation Solution
A shock absorber assembly with an annular hydraulic cylinder and a single-acting hydraulic pump, connected directly to a pressurized accumulator tank via a large-section solenoid valve, allows for quick hydraulic fluid discharge to rapidly lower the vehicle, utilizing a lightweight and cost-effective design with reduced electrical power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a double-acting hydraulic pump is used to enable quick vehicle lowering, then the lowering speed is improved, but the electrical power requirement increases beyond available limits
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a double-acting pump to force oil out during lowering (conventional approach), the invention inverts the approach by using a single-acting pump to fill the accumulator during compression, and then using gravity to naturally drain the accumulator during rebound, achieving quick lowering without high power consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the vehicle's own suspension motion (compression and rebound) to automatically charge and discharge the accumulator, eliminating the need for external high-power actuators. The gravity-fed accumulator system provides self-service during the rebound phase
2Use of energy by moving object
If a single-acting hydraulic pump with two-way solenoid valve is used, then the electrical power consumption is reduced, but the oil flow rate is limited by small valve ports creating a bottleneck
Solution Approach 1:
The accumulator is pre-filled with oil under pressure during the compression phase before rebound occurs. This preliminary action ensures that when lowering is needed, the oil is already ready to flow rapidly through the valve without being constrained by small port sizes
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a gravity-fed hydraulic accumulator system where oil flows under gravity assistance rather than relying solely on valve port size. The hydraulic system leverages pressure differential and gravity to achieve high flow rates through appropriately sized connections
3Productivity
If the pump motor power is increased to achieve faster suspension adjustment, then the adjustment speed is improved, but it exceeds the electric power limit available on two-wheeled vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts to the available electrical power by using a low-power single-acting pump that operates during compression to charge the accumulator, then uses passive gravity-based discharge during rebound, achieving fast adjustment without exceeding power limits
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the operating parameters from active high-power pump-driven discharge to passive gravity-driven discharge, fundamentally altering how the system achieves fast lowering without requiring high power input
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 enables rapid vehicle lowering in tenths of a second, improving upon existing technologies by simplifying the system, reducing weight and cost, and minimizing electrical power usage while maintaining precise height adjustment.
Implementation Method 1
at least one hydraulic fluid type pusher (6) also coaxial with the shock absorber (2) and installed in series with the spring (3), the pusher (6) acting on either one of the two ends (4, 5) of the spring (3)
Implementation Method 2
a source (7) of pressurised hydraulic fluid to actuate the pusher (6)
Implementation Method 3
connected directly to a pressurized accumulator tank via a large-section solenoid valve
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A shock absorber assembly with adjustable height (1) for two-wheeled motor vehicles and the like, comprising a shock absorber (2, 102) with a spring (3), e.g. a helical spring coaxial to the shock absorber (2, 102), the shock absorber (2, 102) having a nominal length (L) and at least two couplings (8, 9) operatively connected to the suspension of the vehicle, the spring (3) having a first end (4) and a second end (5); the shock absorber assembly (1) comprises at least one hydraulic fluid pusher (6) installed in series with the spring (3), the pusher (6) acts on either end (4, 5) of the spring (3) or the pusher (6) acts on either coupling (8, 9), a source (7) of pressurise hydraulic fluid in fluid connection with the pusher (6) and to actuate said pusher (6), the shock absorber assembly (1) comprises an accumulator tank assembly (27) in fluid connection with the pusher (6), the accumulator tank assembly (27) in turn comprises one tank (28) and a solenoid valve (31) which controls the opening or closing of the inlet/outlet opening of the hydraulic fluid of the tank (28), so as to allow a quick discharge of the hydraulic fluid present in the pusher (6) towards the tank (28) and thus causing an immediate release of the preload of the spring (3) of the shock absorber (2) or an immediate reduction of the loaded length of the shock absorber (102) and therefore an immediate lowering of the vehicle.