Square Cross-Section Seal Element for Shock Absorber Leakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing seal elements in hydraulic telescoping shock absorbers, with their small round cross-section and single contact surface, lead to inadequate sealing, premature wear, and pressure leakage, negatively impacting the performance and longevity of the shock absorber.
Innovation Solution
A seal element with a square or polygonal cross-section is used, providing a larger contact surface area that engages fully with the cylinder wall, reducing deformation and wear, and is made of materials like Nitrile Butadiene Rubber with specific hardness to enhance sealing effectiveness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a round cross-section seal element is used, then the seal element can be easily manufactured and installed, but the sealing surface area is small leading to insufficient sealing and premature wear
Solution Approach 1:
The seal element transitions from a traditional round cross-section to a square cross-section. This asymmetric shape change increases the sealing surface area from a single point contact to a multi-surface contact with the cylinder wall, thereby improving sealing ability while maintaining manufacturability through standard molding processes
2Device complexity
If a round cross-section seal element is used, then the structure is simple, but the seal deforms into oblong cross-section during compression causing single contact point wear
Solution Approach 1:
The square cross-section prevents the seal from deforming into an oblong shape during compression, as the geometric symmetry of the square allows uniform distribution of compressive forces across all four surfaces, eliminating single-point contact and extending service life
Solution Approach 2:
The seal element engages the cylinder wall in multiple dimensions through its square cross-section, creating contact along multiple surfaces rather than a single point or line, which distributes wear across the entire perimeter and significantly extends the moving object's duration of action
3Device complexity
If a round cross-section seal element is used, then the seal design is conventional and simple, but pressure leakage occurs due to insufficient contact area
Solution Approach 1:
The square cross-section creates four contact surfaces with the circular cylinder wall, maximizing the sealing interface area. This geometric change transforms the sealing mechanism from point-contact to surface-contact, effectively preventing pressure leakage without requiring complex multi-component seal designs
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 significantly reduces low-speed oil leakage, increases the seal's lifespan by approximately seven times, and maintains consistent shock absorption performance over time by distributing pressure evenly across the surface.
Implementation Method 1
made of materials like Nitrile Butadiene Rubber with specific hardness to enhance sealing effectiveness
Implementation Method 2
providing a larger contact surface area that engages fully with the cylinder wall, reducing deformation and wear
Data Source
AI summary
A shock absorber including a cylinder having a first chamber and a second chamber where at least one of the first chamber and the second chamber includes a fluid. A piston is configured for reciprocal movement within the cylinder and defines at least one through-hole for enabling the fluid to move between the first and second chambers. A floating disc and a floating retainer are each movably connected to the piston, the floating disc and the floating retainer defining a space between the floating disc and the floating retainer, the space having a cross-sectional area. A seal element is seated in the space and has a cross-sectional area equal to the cross-sectional area of the space where an entire surface of the seal element engages and forms a seal with an inner wall of the cylinder during the reciprocal movement of the piston.