Shock Absorber Piston Assembly Seating Unit Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
The assembly of sandwich type piston assemblies in shock absorbers is complicated due to intricate fluid passages, leading to increased production costs and decreased productivity.
Innovation Solution
A piston assembly design featuring a piston body with alternating compression and tension fluid passages, a seating unit with protrusions and grooves, and stepped surfaces on retainers to ensure correct positioning and easy assembly of components, facilitating automated assembly and improved productivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a sandwich type piston structure is used to increase tuning freedom, then the versatility of the shock absorber is improved, but the device complexity increases due to complicated fluid passages
Solution Approach 1:
The piston body is divided into multiple sections with alternating compression and tension fluid passages. Each passage is independently configured with specific inlet and outlet positions, allowing separate optimization of compression and tension characteristics. This segmentation enables versatile tuning while maintaining manageable complexity through modular passage design.
2Adaptability or versatility
If complicated fluid passages are implemented in the sandwich type piston, then the tuning freedom is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The compression and tension fluid passages are configured with asymmetric characteristics - compression passages have inlets at lower ends and outlets at upper ends, while tension passages have inlets at upper ends and outlets at lower ends. This asymmetric design provides tuning freedom while the clear directional differentiation simplifies manufacturing by establishing distinct orientation rules for each passage type.
3Device complexity
If conventional assembly methods are used for the piston assembly, then the device simplicity is maintained, but the productivity decreases due to assembly difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
The piston passages are pre-configured with alternating compression and tension patterns during manufacturing, and the retainers are pre-positioned with corresponding fluid passages aligned to match. This preliminary configuration eliminates complex alignment operations during assembly, enabling rapid assembly while maintaining the simplicity of the overall device structure.
4Ease of operation
If the piston assembly components are designed for easy connection, then the ease of operation is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase to ensure correct positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The compression retainer and tension retainer are designed with asymmetric features including raised steps at different positions and protrusions that correspond to asymmetric grooves in the piston body. These asymmetric features provide easy visual and tactile identification for correct orientation during assembly, while the precise positioning is achieved through the complementary asymmetric geometry of matching components.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a piston assembly of a shock absorber which ensures easy and prompt connection of components in the correct positions in assembling the piston assembly of a shock absorber by forming a seating unit between a piston body and a compression retainer and between the piston body and a tension retainer.