Shock Absorber Check Valve Positioning With a Universal Valve Disc
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shock absorbers require dedicated valve discs for petal-shaped check valves, limiting versatility and increasing costs due to the need for specialized components.
Innovation Solution
A shock absorber design that includes a valve disc with alternately arranged first and second ports, an annular check valve with radially extending valve portions, and a valve stopper with claws to regulate the check valve's position, allowing for the use of both petal-shaped and circular annular check valves without positioning portions on the valve disc.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If positioning portions are provided on the valve disc to position the petal-shaped check valve, then the check valve can be positioned in the circumferential direction, but the valve disc becomes dedicated to petal-shaped check valves and cannot be used with circular annular check valves, reducing versatility
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a valve stopper as an intermediary component between the valve disc and the check valve. The valve stopper includes positioning protrusions that engage with positioning recesses on the check valve, serving as a mediator to achieve circumferential positioning without modifying the valve disc. This allows the valve disc to remain universal while still enabling precise positioning of the check valve through the mediating valve stopper component.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention segments the positioning function into separate components: the valve disc retains its universal port arrangement, while the valve stopper is divided into a body portion and positioning protrusions. The positioning protrusions are separable features on the valve stopper that engage with corresponding recesses on the check valve, allowing the positioning function to be isolated from the valve disc structure itself. This segmentation enables the valve disc to serve multiple check valve types while maintaining positioning capability.
2Manufacturing precision
If a dedicated valve disc is manufactured for petal-shaped check valves, then positioning accuracy is improved, but manufacturing cost increases due to the need for specialized components
Solution Approach 1:
The valve stopper is designed as a universal component that can accommodate both petal-shaped check valves and circular annular check valves. The positioning protrusions on the valve stopper engage with positioning recesses that are provided on both types of check valves, allowing a single valve stopper design to serve multiple check valve configurations. This universality eliminates the need for dedicated valve discs for different check valve types, thereby reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining positioning accuracy.
3Ease of operation
If positioning portions are integrated into the valve disc, then the check valve positioning is simplified, but the device complexity increases due to the need for specialized valve disc structures
Solution Approach 1:
The valve stopper serves as an intermediary component that carries the positioning protrusions, separating the positioning function from the valve disc structure. This intermediary approach simplifies the valve disc design to a basic ported disc without complex integrated positioning features, while the valve stopper handles all positioning responsibilities through its protrusions and recesses engagement mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning function is segmented into separate modular components: the valve disc provides the basic flow paths, the valve stopper provides the positioning protrusions, and the check valve provides the positioning recesses. This segmentation allows each component to be simple in its primary function while achieving complex positioning through their interaction, thereby reducing overall device complexity compared to integrating positioning directly into the valve disc.
Data Source
AI summary
A shock absorber includes a shock absorber main body that is extendable and contractible, a valve disc that partitions two operation chambers in the shock absorber main body, a check valve that is stacked on one end side of the valve disc and opens and closes first ports, and a valve stopper that is disposed on a counter-valve disc side of the check valve. The first ports and second ports are alternately arranged in a circumferential direction of the valve disc. The check valve includes a plurality of valve portions that are continuous with an outer periphery of an inner ring facing an inner peripheral side of the valve disc and independently open and close only the first ports. The valve stopper has claws that extend from an outer periphery of an annular plate and are inserted into the second ports to regulate circumferential rotation of the check valve.