Spring Aid Assembly for Vehicle Suspension Load Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle suspension systems face challenges in reducing size and weight while maintaining clearance and preventing excessive wear on top mounts due to concentrated load distribution during compression, and they require complex alignment procedures for assembly.
Innovation Solution
A spring aid assembly with a housing, cap, and rod that includes a circumferential groove with a ring providing a travel stop to prevent direct contact between the cap and top mount, and an assembly mount with retention walls to secure the stud during assembly, ensuring proper alignment and retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the height and width of the bumper are reduced to meet packaging constraints, then the size and weight of the suspension system are reduced, but the clearance between the damper and top mount during extreme compression may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The spring aid assembly acts as an intermediary component positioned between the damper cap and top mount. It includes a compressible spring element that absorbs compression forces and maintains proper clearance, preventing direct metal-to-metal contact while allowing compact overall dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring aid assembly is nested within the existing damper structure, fitting inside the space between the cap and top mount. This nested configuration allows the clearance-maintaining function to be integrated without significantly increasing the overall size of the suspension system.
2Volume of moving object
If the height and width of the damper are reduced, then the size of the suspension system is reduced, but the surface area of the damper interfacing with the top mount decreases, concentrating the load and causing excessive wear
Solution Approach 1:
The spring aid assembly serves as a load-distributing intermediary between the damper and top mount. The compressible spring element contacts a broader area of the top mount surface, dispersing the concentrated load that would otherwise be applied by the reduced-size damper cap, thereby reducing wear on the top mount.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring aid assembly changes the physical parameters of the interface between damper and top mount. By introducing a compressible elastic element, it transforms the load transmission from direct rigid contact to distributed elastic contact, increasing the effective contact area and reducing contact pressure on the top mount.
3Ease of operation
If the stud is manually fastened before final fastening, then the assembly process can proceed, but the joint may come apart and the mount may lose its place relative to the stud
Solution Approach 1:
The spring aid assembly is pre-installed in the damper structure before the final fastening operation. This preliminary action ensures that the clearance-maintaining and load-distributing functions are in place before the damper is permanently mounted to the vehicle, allowing for proper positioning and alignment during assembly.
4Manufacturing precision
If the stud must be aligned with a closed hole for insertion, then proper joint formation is achieved, but an alignment step is required in the decking procedure
Solution Approach 1:
The spring aid assembly is pre-positioned and secured within the damper housing before the final installation step. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the damper is brought to the vehicle for final mounting, the stud alignment with the mounting hole is already established by the pre-assembled damper unit, reducing the need for field alignment adjustments.
Data Source
AI summary
A spring aid assembly for a vehicle suspension system. The spring aid assembly includes: a housing having a generally cylindrical cavity formed therein, a damper including a rod extending through a cap, and a spring aid having a proximal end retained within the cavity of the housing, a distal end extending in an axial direction away from the housing, and an outer circumferential groove formed therein. The cavity in the housing is bounded by a generally cylindrical inner peripheral wall that has a plurality of axially and radially extending projections extending therefrom. A ring is positioned in the outer circumferential groove of the spring aid. The ring provides a positive stop to the spring aid assembly and prevents the cap of the damper from coming into direct contact with the housing during full compression of the damper.