Shock Absorber Damping Valve With Leaf Valve Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
In damping valves used in shock absorbers, the leaf valve becomes eccentrically seated on the valve disc due to radial offset of the valve disc, leading to non-uniform deflection and gaps between the leaf valve and the valve seats, resulting in reduced damping force, especially at extremely low extension and contraction speeds.
Innovation Solution
The damping valve incorporates a partition wall body with an aligning portion that ensures the leaf valve is concentric with the outer circumferential valve seat, preventing gaps and maintaining uniform deflection, thereby enhancing damping force consistency across various speeds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the valve disc is loosely fitted to the piston rod to allow radial movement, then the valve disc can accommodate misalignment and reduce wear, but the valve disc may become radially offset causing the leaf valve to be eccentrically seated and reducing damping force
Solution Approach 1:
The aligning portion acts as an intermediary element between the valve disc and the leaf valve, ensuring proper radial alignment of the leaf valve with the valve seats while allowing the valve disc to remain loosely fitted for accommodation of misalignment and reduced wear
Solution Approach 2:
The aligning portion pre-aligns the leaf valve radially with the valve seats before the valve operates, preventing eccentric seating that would occur if the valve disc shifts radially during operation
2Reliability
If the leaf valve is allowed to deflect freely to open and close the port, then the valve can respond to pressure changes, but non-uniform deflection occurs when the leaf valve is eccentrically seated causing gaps and reduced damping force
Solution Approach 1:
The aligning portion serves as a mediator that ensures the leaf valve is radially aligned with both valve seats, enabling uniform deflection during operation and preventing gaps that would reduce damping force
Solution Approach 2:
The aligning portion pre-establishes correct radial alignment of the leaf valve with the valve seats before operation, ensuring uniform deflection and proper sealing when the valve opens and closes in response to pressure changes
3Ease of manufacture
If the valve disc is radially positioned by the piston rod, then the assembly is simpler, but the valve disc cannot accommodate misalignment and experiences increased wear
Solution Approach 1:
The valve assembly is segmented into the valve disc, aligning portion, and leaf valve as separate functional elements, allowing the valve disc to be loosely fitted for durability while the aligning portion maintains precision alignment
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
This configuration ensures a sufficient damping force is maintained even at extremely low speeds, providing effective vibration suppression and improved ride comfort by preventing hydraulic oil leakage through gaps.
Implementation Method 1
the leaf valve is interposed between the outer circumferential valve seat and the inner circumferential valve seat and is set to be open to both the inside and the outside to open and close the port
Implementation Method 2
the partition wall body includes an aligning portion that aligns the leaf valve with respect to the outer circumferential valve seat
Implementation Method 3
The damping valve exerts a damping force when the leaf valve gives resistance to the flow of the hydraulic oil passing through the port
Data Source
AI summary
A damping valve of the present invention includes: a partition wall body that is annular, and is inserted into a cylindrical body, is radially positioned only by the cylindrical body, and has an annular outer circumferential valve seat protruding axially from an axial one end and a port provided on an inner circumferential side of the outer circumferential valve seat; a valve stopper having an annular inner circumferential valve seat facing the one end of the partition wall body and having an outer diameter smaller than that of the outer circumferential valve seat; and an annular leaf valve that is interposed between the outer circumferential valve seat and the inner circumferential valve seat and is set to be open to both the inside and the outside to open and close the port, wherein the partition wall body includes an aligning portion that aligns the leaf valve with respect to the outer circumferential valve seat.