Hydraulic Shock Absorber Piston Ring for Progressive Damping
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydraulic shock absorbers require significant design and manufacturing effort due to the need for coordinated conicity of piston and ring surfaces for effective shock absorption, leading to suboptimal damping behavior and potential bottom-out issues.
Innovation Solution
A hydraulic shock absorber design featuring a piston with multiple flow channels and a multi-part piston ring with pressure plates, where the piston ring is resiliently biased by spring force, allowing for axial play and improved fluid flow between working spaces, enhancing damping behavior and adaptability to temperature changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the piston and ring element have coordinated conicity for good shock absorption, then the shock absorption performance is improved, but the design and manufacturing effort increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The piston ring is divided into multiple independent axial segments (first piston ring segment, second piston ring segment, etc.) that can move independently relative to each other. This segmentation eliminates the need for precise conicity coordination between the piston surface and ring inner surface, as each segment can adapt independently to pressure variations, thereby maintaining shock absorption performance while significantly simplifying manufacturing requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The piston ring segments are designed to be dynamically movable along the axial direction rather than being fixed. The segments can shift position in response to pressure changes during compression and rebound phases, creating a dynamic sealing and damping system that achieves good shock absorption without requiring precise static geometric coordination between components.
2Reliability
If the piston ring is tightly fitted to ensure sealing, then sealing performance is improved, but the response behavior for shock absorption deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the piston ring into multiple independent axial sections, the system achieves both tight sealing and rapid response. Each segment can maintain contact with the piston surface for sealing while independently moving to open flow channels quickly during shock events, resolving the contradiction between sealing tightness and response speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The piston ring segments can change their axial position parameter in response to pressure variations. During normal operation, they maintain a position that ensures sealing; during shock absorption events, they rapidly shift to open flow paths. This dynamic parameter change allows the system to optimize both sealing and response characteristics under different operating conditions.
3Measurement precision
If the damping fluid flow is restricted for better damping control, then damping precision is improved, but the risk of bottoming out increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flow restriction is made dynamic through the movable piston ring segments. During controlled damping phases, the segments maintain positions that restrict flow for precise damping control. During high-velocity impact phases, the segments shift rapidly to open additional flow paths, preventing bottoming out. This dynamic flow control resolves the contradiction between damping precision and bottoming out prevention.
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 design achieves improved shock absorption response, prevents bottom-out due to increased progression, and maintains consistent damping performance across varying temperatures, with adjustable damping via electromagnetic adjustment units.
Implementation Method 1
a spring element (37) exerting a spring force onto the piston ring (18)
Implementation Method 2
Hydraulic shock absorber comprising a housing (2) and a damper unit (3)... divides the housing (2) into a first and a second working chamber (6, 7) both of which are filled with a damping fluid
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
The invention relates to a hydraulic shock absorber (1) comprising a housing (2) and a damper unit (3), wherein the damper unit (3) is movable in the axial direction of a damper unit central axis AA relative to the housing (2) and has a piston (5) arranged on a piston rod (4), which divides the housing (2) into a first and a second working chamber (6, 7) filled with a damping fluid, characterized in that the piston (5) comprises a piston member (8) having a plurality of piston member flow channels (11) suitable for connecting the first and the second working chamber (6, 7) and being fixed with respect to the piston rod (4), and a piston unit (33) comprising a piston ring (18) having an inner surface (19) and arranged coaxially on the piston member (8) in the axial direction of the damper unit central axis AA.wherein a pressure plate (36) having pressure plate flow channels (35) is arranged axially on both sides of the piston unit (33) comprising a piston member (8) having an outer surface (15) of the piston member, and which is resiliently preloaded against the piston unit (33) by a spring force, so that the piston ring (18) having an outer surface (31) of the piston ring is arranged between the pressure plates (36), and wherein the pressure plates (36) are dimensioned radially such that a piston ring end face (38) facing the pressure plates (36) projects radially beyond the associated pressure plate (36), such that in the operating state the piston ring (18) of the piston unit (33) is displaceable by the damping fluid pressing on the piston ring end face (38) and the pressure plate (36) on the other side is deflected by the displacement of the piston ring (18) against the spring force,whereby a flow path (53) can be opened through the piston element flow channels (11) and the pressure plate flow channels (35) of the opposite pressure plate (36) for the throttled overflow of the damping fluid between the two working chambers (6, 7),