Shock Absorber Valve Mechanism for Stable Damping at High Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shock absorbers for vehicles face challenges in accurately controlling damping force due to fluctuations in pressure receiving areas when fluid flows at high rates, leading to inconsistent damping performance.
Innovation Solution
A valve mechanism with a cylindrical body, multiple valve bodies, and a drive valve featuring a step portion and tip portion with specific dimensions to control the flow path area, preventing fluid from entering between valve bodies and reducing pressure receiving area fluctuations, thereby enhancing damping force control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If fluid flows at high flow rate from lower side to upper side of drive valve during extension stroke, then fluid enters between valve bodies, but pressure receiving area fluctuates from designed value
Solution Approach 1:
The drive valve is segmented into distinct functional portions: a shaft portion with a flow path for fluid passage, a step portion extending radially outward to form a flow path restriction, and a tip portion extending further axially with a smaller outer diameter. This segmentation allows each portion to perform its specific function independently, preventing fluid from entering between valve bodies while maintaining controlled flow characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The step portion acts as an intermediary structure between the shaft portion and tip portion, creating a radial extension that serves as a barrier to fluid flow. This intermediate structure prevents high-velocity fluid from directly entering the gap between valve bodies, thereby stabilizing the pressure receiving area while still allowing controlled fluid passage through the designated flow path.
2Ease of operation
If valve body is pressed and elastically deformed by drive unit to control flow path area, then damping force is adjusted, but pressure changes due to fluid jet
Solution Approach 1:
The valve body is designed with localized elastic deformation capability at specific regions where it contacts the drive valve. The inner peripheral portion of the valve body can elastically deform in response to drive valve pressure, locally adjusting the gap flow path area. This localized quality allows precise control of damping force while the overall structure maintains stability against fluid pressure fluctuations.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve body incorporates dynamic elastic deformation characteristics, allowing it to flexibly respond to varying fluid pressures and drive valve forces. This dynamic behavior enables the valve body to automatically adjust the gap flow path area in response to changing operating conditions, maintaining stable damping force control despite pressure variations from fluid jet.
3Ease of operation
If drive valve moves in direction approaching valve body to elastically deform valve body, then gap flow path area is controlled, but relative rotation between valve bodies occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The drive valve features an asymmetric design with a step portion extending radially outward and a tip portion extending axially with a smaller diameter. This asymmetric geometry creates preferential contact points and flow path restrictions that guide the deformation and movement of the valve body, preventing circumferential rotation while maintaining axial gap control. The asymmetric structure ensures that force is applied in a controlled manner that maintains 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
The solution allows for precise control of damping force, improving ride comfort and steering stability by maintaining consistent damping performance across varying fluid flow rates.
Implementation Method 1
a valve body, which forms a part of the flow path, is elastically deformed by being pressed by a drive unit, thereby controlling a flow path area
Implementation Method 2
by providing a step portion extending radially outward of a shaft portion of the drive valve, it is possible to prevent the flow of the fluid which tries to enter between the valve bodies
Implementation Method 3
When the valve body is pressed and elastically deformed by the drive unit to control the flow path area, the pressure tends to change due to the jet of the fluid
Data Source
AI summary
A valve mechanism includes: a cylindrical body; a plurality of valve bodies; and a drive valve. The drive valve includes a shaft portion having therein a flow path penetrating in the axial direction, and a step portion extending from an outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion to a radial outside of the shaft portion. The shaft portion has a tip portion which extends further on the cylindrical body side than the step portion. An outer diameter of the tip portion is smaller than an outer diameter of the step portion. A gap between the valve bodies is changed by elastically deforming an inner peripheral portion of the valve body, which comes into contact with the drive valve moved in a direction approaching the valve body, in a direction approaching the cylindrical body with respect to an outer peripheral portion of the valve body.