Shock Absorber Valve Stopper Structure for Uniform Bending Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional valves for shock absorbers require extremely thin spacers to prevent undulation and deformation, which are difficult to handle and expensive, leading to increased manufacturing costs and assembly burdens.
Innovation Solution
The valve design includes an annular valve body that can bend, supported by a spacer with a smaller outer diameter and a valve stopper with a ring and stacked annular plates, allowing for regulation of bending without undulation, eliminating the need for a special thin spacer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an extremely thin spacer is used to prevent undulation and deformation of the valve body, then the valve body can be supported properly, but the spacer becomes difficult to handle during assembly and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The valve stopper is divided into two stopper members with different outer diameters. The first stopper member has a smaller outer diameter and contacts the outer edge of the spacer, while the second stopper member has a larger outer diameter and contacts the valve body at a position farther from the spacer. This segmentation allows each member to perform a specific support function, eliminating the need for an extremely thin spacer while maintaining support stability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the valve body are supported by stopper members with different outer diameters. The first stopper member supports the region near the spacer, while the second stopper member supports the region farther from the spacer. This local differentiation in support structure allows proper support without requiring an extremely thin spacer that would be difficult to handle.
2Reliability
If an extremely thin spacer is used to prevent undulation and deformation, then the valve body support is improved, but the spacer becomes expensive and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the expensive extremely thin spacer with a valve stopper structure made of more readily available materials. The two stopper members can be manufactured using conventional processes and materials, significantly reducing the cost while maintaining the support function. The stopper members are designed to be replaceable and can be manufactured economically in large quantities.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a spacer with extreme dimensional parameters (extremely thin thickness), the invention changes the support approach by using stopper members with varying outer diameters. This parameter change from thickness-based support to diameter-based support eliminates the need for costly precision-manufactured thin spacers while achieving the same support stability.
3Ease of manufacture
If a thick spacer is used to support the valve body, then assembly is easier, but the valve body cannot be supported uniformly and undulation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The valve stopper is segmented into two stopper members with different outer diameters positioned at different locations. The first stopper member with smaller diameter provides support near the spacer, while the second stopper member with larger diameter provides support farther from the spacer. This segmentation achieves uniform support across the valve body without causing undulation, while maintaining assembly ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The two stopper members act as intermediary support elements between the thick spacer and the valve body. They distribute the support force uniformly across different regions of the valve body, preventing undulation while allowing the use of a thicker, easier-to-handle spacer for assembly.
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
This design reduces assembly burdens, lowers costs, and improves durability by uniformly supporting the valve body, enabling efficient damping force generation across varying speeds.
Implementation Method 1
an annular valve body (14) that has elasticity and is allowed to bend on an outer circumference serving as a free end
Implementation Method 2
a valve stopper (13, 15) that regulates the bending of the annular valve body (14) when the annular valve body (14) bends and comes into contact therewith
Implementation Method 3
a spacer (16, 17) that is annular, has an outer diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the annular valve body (14), is stacked on the annular valve body (14), and serves as a fulcrum of the bending of the free end of the annular valve body (14)
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a valve and a shock absorber that are inexpensive and excellent in assemblability. A valve of the present embodiment includes: an annular valve body; a spacer that is stacked on the annular valve body and serves as a fulcrum of the bending of a free end of the annular valve body; and a valve stopper that faces the annular valve body in an axial direction on the spacer side of the annular valve body and regulates the bending of the annular valve body when the annular valve body bends and comes into contact therewith, wherein the valve stopper includes: a ring that has a thickness in the axial direction smaller than the thickness of the spacer, and is arranged on an inner circumference or an outer circumference of the spacer; and a stacked annular plate that is stacked on the spacer.