Shock Absorber Valve Case Crimping With a Weakened End Portion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shock absorbers require strong crimping forces to integrate the valve case and solenoid case, leading to potential deformation of the outer tube and increased weight due to thicker plates.
Innovation Solution
A shock absorber design with a tubular member featuring a groove on its outer peripheral surface and a weakened portion on the second tubular body, allowing crimping with improved flexibility and reduced load on the outer tube.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If strong crimping force is applied to integrate the valve case and solenoid case, then joining strength is improved, but the outer tube may deform and weight increases due to thicker plates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by providing a reinforced portion on the outer tube at the crimping position. This localized reinforcement allows the tube to withstand strong crimping forces without requiring increased wall thickness throughout the entire tube, thus maintaining joining strength while avoiding overall weight increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention segments the outer tube structure by creating a distinct reinforced portion separate from the main tube body. This segmentation allows differential design where only the critical crimping area has enhanced strength, enabling strong joining without proportionally increasing the weight of the entire outer tube assembly.
2Strength
If strong crimping force is applied to integrate the valve case and solenoid case, then joining strength is improved, but the outer tube may deform
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforced portion is locally positioned at the crimping location to provide structural support exactly where needed. This localized reinforcement prevents deformation at the critical joining area during crimping while leaving the rest of the outer tube shape unchanged and free from unnecessary material addition.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforced portion is pre-formed on the outer tube before the crimping operation. This preliminary structural preparation ensures that when strong crimping force is later applied, the outer tube already has the necessary local strength to resist deformation, maintaining its shape integrity during the joining process.
3Strength
If the plate thickness of the outer tube is increased to prevent deformation, then strength is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly increasing the plate thickness of the entire outer tube, the invention applies thickness reinforcement only at the specific location where crimping occurs. This localized approach provides the necessary strength at the critical area while minimizing the overall weight increase of the outer tube assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer tube is segmented into a reinforced portion and a normal portion. The reinforced portion has increased plate thickness to withstand crimping forces, while the rest of the tube maintains its original thinner profile, achieving optimal strength-to-weight ratio by distributing material only where structurally necessary.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a shock absorber and a method for attaching a damping force adjustment apparatus that allow a tubular body to be crimped with improved flexibility. The present invention lowers the rigidity of an end portion of a valve case by forming a slit (a weakened portion) on the end portion of the valve case (the second tubular body), thereby allowing the end portion of the valve case to be crimped with a further weak crimping force, i.e., bent with a further weak pressing force, thus allowing the valve case (the tubular body) to be crimped with improved flexibility.