Shock Absorber Movement Stage With Progressive Valve Disk Bias
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hydraulic shock absorbers for bicycles fail to provide consistent and adequate damping forces across various riding conditions, leading to discomfort and safety risks, especially during abrupt braking and pedaling-induced movements, as the damping force is not effectively attenuated before the wheel can retract significantly.
Innovation Solution
A movement stage for hydraulic shock absorbers featuring a damping volume with an incompressible fluid, a disk valve, and an elastic biasing mechanism that increases the bias force of the valve disk as the shock absorber moves, ensuring a consistent and high damping force is generated, particularly during obstacle encounters and undesired movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the damping force increases fast and very strong during undesired shock absorber movements, then the stroke excitations are attenuated before the damping strut can retract far, but the damping force may become too large at the beginning of obstacle encounters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the damping force variable rather than constant. The valve disk area exposed to pressure difference changes dynamically during shock absorber movement, allowing the damping force to increase progressively from low to high as the shock absorber retracts, adapting to different riding conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of valve disk area exposed to pressure difference during operation. As the shock absorber moves, the position of the valve disk relative to the valve seat changes, altering the effective area and thus the damping force, enabling different damping characteristics for different movement stages
2Ease of operation
If the damping force is low at the beginning of obstacle encounters, then the wheel can dodge the obstacle well, but the damping force must increase smoothly to reach maximum before the maximum of the obstacle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses dynamics to create a time-varying damping force during obstacle encounters. The valve disk position changes dynamically as the shock absorber compresses, causing the damping force to evolve from low to high, enabling smooth transition from wheel dodging to contact loss prevention
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by allowing the shock absorber to move freely with low damping force at the initial stage of obstacle encounter, preparing the system for the subsequent increase in damping force that will prevent contact loss before the maximum of the obstacle is reached
3Force
If the damping force increases smoothly with slight increase in stroke course, then the highest damping force is reached during reaching maximum of the obstacle, but the damping force must be low initially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of valve disk exposed area progressively during compression. The relationship between shock absorber compression distance and valve disk position creates a smooth parameter change, resulting in gradual damping force increase from low to high as the obstacle maximum is approached
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 ensures a safe and comfortable ride by providing consistent and high damping forces across different riding conditions, effectively attenuating unwanted movements and preventing wheel retraction and contact loss, while maintaining independence from retraction velocity and stroke amplitude.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic biasing means configured for biasing the valve disk in a closing direction of the disk valve
Implementation Method 2
an elastic biasing means configured for biasing the valve disk in a closing direction of the disk valve
Implementation Method 3
a damping volume filled with an incompressible damping fluid
Data Source
AI summary
A movement stage for a hydraulic shock absorber has a damping volume and a stage throttle with a valve disk, an analogue piston, and an elastic biasing means supported on the analogue piston and on the valve disk. The valve disk has a pressure surface defining a portion of the surface of a disk valve arranged upstream of an entry edge of a disk valve seat. The analogue piston has a pressure surface facing away from the biasing means. The valve disk pressure surface and the analogue piston pressure surface are impinged by damping fluid flowing out of the damping volume as the shock absorber moves in a movement direction. The analogue piston pressure surface is larger than the valve disk pressure surface when projected in the closing direction of the disk valve so that the analogue piston is displaced and the bias of the valve disk increases.