Shock Absorber Piston-Rod Adjustment for Gas Spring Rate Tuning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shock absorbers with air springs require complex and time-consuming adjustments, often necessitating tool use and technical skills, limiting user flexibility and consistency in suspension setups.
Innovation Solution
A shock absorber design featuring a user-adjustable feature within the piston rod that affects the damping chamber's volume, allowing indirect adjustment of the gas spring characteristics without disassembly, using a moveable piston with a threaded connection and worm drive for easy external access, and a pressure balancing port to maintain chamber balance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If volume spacers are rearranged or replaced to adjust spring rate in gas spring shock absorbers, then the spring rate can be changed, but the adjustment process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The shock absorber employs a movable piston within the piston rod that can be positioned at different locations along the rod's length. This dynamic positioning allows the effective volume of the damping chamber to be changed, thereby adjusting the spring rate of the gas spring without requiring disassembly or replacement of components. The movable piston creates a simple yet effective mechanism for rapid spring rate adjustment.
2Adaptability or versatility
If volume spacers are removed or replaced to change spring rate, then the desired spring characteristics can be obtained, but the adjustment requires technical skills and special tools
Solution Approach 1:
The shock absorber design allows the user to adjust the spring rate by simply moving the piston within the piston rod to different positions. This self-service adjustment mechanism eliminates the need for specialized tools or technical skills, as the piston can be repositioned directly by the user to achieve the desired spring characteristics.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the damping chamber volume is changed to adjust gas spring characteristics, then spring rate can be modified, but the adjustment requires disassembly of the shock absorber
Solution Approach 1:
The movable piston is nested within the piston rod, creating a compact arrangement where the adjustment mechanism is contained within the existing shock absorber structure. This nested design allows volume adjustment without requiring disassembly of the shock absorber, as the piston can be repositioned along the rod while remaining inside the assembly.
4Reliability
If oil level variations occur in the damping chamber, then consistent gas spring properties cannot be maintained, but manufacturing precision is affected
Solution Approach 1:
The shock absorber allows adjustment of the damping chamber volume by repositioning the movable piston within the piston rod. This parameter change compensates for variations in oil level, ensuring that the effective volume available to the gas spring remains consistent and that reliable gas spring properties are maintained despite manufacturing tolerances in oil filling.
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
Enables quick, tool-free adjustments of spring rate and ride height, simplifies manufacturing by compensating for oil level variations, and maintains consistent gas spring properties over time, facilitating frequent experimentation and optimization of suspension setups.
Implementation Method 1
a moveable piston with a threaded connection and worm drive for easy external access
Implementation Method 2
a moveable piston with a threaded connection and worm drive for easy external access
Implementation Method 3
a pressure balancing port to maintain chamber balance
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a shock absorber (100) including a cylinder (7), a piston rod (2) and a piston (6) attached to the piston rod (2). The piston (6) is arranged in the cylinder (7) and a damping chamber including a damping media is defined in the cylinder (7). The shock absorber (100) further includes a gas spring in functional connection with the damping chamber and at least one characteristic of the gas spring is adjustable by a user-adjustable feature arranged within the piston rod, wherein the user adjustable feature affects the enclosing area of the damping chamber, thereby indirectly affecting the gas spring through the functional connection.