Shock Absorber Valve Seat with Non-Uniform Width
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shock absorbers for vehicles experience sudden changes in damping force before and after the opening of the disc valve, which is undesirable for riding comfort, and have complex structures that are difficult to manufacture and maintain.
Innovation Solution
A shock absorber design featuring a piston with annular valve seat portions of varying widths in the circumferential direction, allowing for a smooth transition in damping force generation by adjusting the contact width of the disc valve with the seat, thereby reducing the complexity of the structure and maintaining effective sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a conventional disc valve with uniform seat width is used, then the structure is simple, but the damping force changes suddenly when the valve opens, degrading riding comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The valve seat is designed with non-uniform width in the circumferential direction, creating large seat width portions and small seat width portions. This local variation in seat width allows different regions to contribute differently to damping force generation, enabling a gradual transition when the valve opens and preventing sudden damping force changes, thereby improving riding comfort
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple leaf valves are used to adjust damping force, then the damping force can be controlled, but the sealing property becomes difficult to secure and the structure becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using multiple leaf valves with different pressure receiving areas, the invention uses a single disc valve with a non-uniform valve seat that has large and small seat width portions. This local variation in seat width provides damping force control while maintaining a simple single-valve structure and ensuring reliable sealing between the disc valve and seat
3Reliability
If the seat portion and disc valve require high dimensional accuracy for close contact, then sealing is improved, but manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The non-uniform valve seat design with large and small seat width portions creates multiple contact regions between the disc valve and seat. This distributes the sealing requirement across different areas, allowing effective sealing without requiring uniformly high dimensional accuracy across the entire seat, thereby reducing manufacturing difficulty
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 design effectively suppresses sudden changes in damping force, improving riding comfort by maintaining a consistent damping force characteristic without increasing the structural complexity, and ensures reliable sealing without the need for high-dimensional accuracy.
Implementation Method 1
a disc valve that is placed to be seated on the valve seat and that generates a damping force by giving a flow resistance on the working oil liquid flowing in the passage
Data Source
AI summary
A shock absorber includes a cylinder sealed with a working oil liquid, a piston slidably fitted in the cylinder, a piston rod connected to the piston and extended to the outside of the cylinder, and a plurality of passages through which the working oil liquid flows due to the sliding of pistons therein, and a damping force generating mechanism that is provided in a part of the passages and suppresses the flow of the working oil liquid to generate a damping force. The damping force generating mechanism includes a valve body through which the passage penetrates, an annular seat that projects from the valve body and surrounds the passage, and a disc that can be seated on the seat. A contact width at which the disc and the seat come into contact with each other is different depending on a position in the circumferential direction. As a result, it is possible to obtain a shock absorber capable of suppressing a sudden change in damping force before and after the opening of the disc valve without having a complicated structure.