Stepped Shock Absorber Valve Mechanism for Stable Damping Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shock absorbers face challenges in maintaining a consistent damping force due to fluctuations in pressure receiving areas when fluid flows at high rates, leading to inaccuracies in controlling the damping force.
Innovation Solution
A valve mechanism with a cylindrical body, valve bodies, and a drive valve featuring a step portion and tip portion to control fluid flow, along with a spacer to form radial paths, reducing pressure fluctuations and enhancing flow path area control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the valve body is pressed and elastically deformed by the drive unit to control the flow path area, then the damping force can be adjusted, but the pressure receiving area fluctuates due to fluid jet, leading to inaccurate damping force control
Solution Approach 1:
The step portion is designed to prevent fluid from entering between the valve bodies before the fluid jet can cause pressure fluctuations. By blocking the fluid path at the step portion, the pressure receiving area is protected from fluctuations, ensuring accurate damping force control while maintaining ease of adjustment through elastic deformation of the valve body.
Solution Approach 2:
The step portion acts as an intermediary structure between the fluid flow and the valve bodies. It intercepts the fluid jet and prevents direct contact with the pressure receiving area, thereby mediating the interaction to eliminate pressure fluctuations while allowing the valve body to continue its elastic deformation for damping adjustment.
2Productivity
If fluid flows at high flow rate from lower side to upper side of the drive valve during extension stroke, then the damping force generation is enhanced, but fluid enters between the valve bodies causing pressure receiving area to fluctuate
Solution Approach 1:
The step portion is positioned to block fluid entry between valve bodies before high-speed fluid flow can cause pressure receiving area fluctuations. This preliminary blocking action maintains pressure stability even when high flow rates are required for effective damping force generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The step portion creates a localized structural feature that specifically addresses the fluid entry problem at the critical interface between valve bodies. This local modification prevents fluid infiltration in the high-flow region without affecting the overall damping force generation capability of the valve mechanism.
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 mechanism enables precise control of damping force by stabilizing pressure receiving areas, ensuring consistent performance in shock absorbers.
Implementation Method 1
a valve body, which forms a part of the flow path, is elastically deformed by being pressed by a drive unit, thereby controlling a flow path area to adjust a damping force
Implementation Method 2
by providing a step portion extending radially outward of a shaft portion of the drive valve, it is possible to prevent the flow of the fluid which tries to enter between the valve bodies
Implementation Method 3
a valve mechanism for obtaining a damping force in a shock absorber
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a valve mechanism which includes an orifice collar 80 having a hollow portion 82 penetrating in an axial direction, a plurality of valve bodies 70 including a spoke valve 71C arranged to be in contact with an axial end surface of the orifice collar 80, and a drive valve 61 arranged movably in the axial direction and disposed on a side opposite to the orifice collar 80 with respect to the plurality of valve bodies 70, where the drive valve 61 includes a shaft portion 61j and a step portion 61b extending from the shaft portion 61j to a radial outside and the shaft portion 61j has a tip portion 61e which extends further on the orifice collar 80 side than the step portion 61b and of which an outer diameter is smaller than an outer diameter of the step portion 61b, and further a gap between the plurality of valve bodies 70 is changed by elastically deforming an inner peripheral portion of the valve body 70 which comes into contact with the drive valve 61 which is moved in a direction approaching the valve body 70 in a direction approaching the orifice collar 80 with respect to an outer peripheral portion of the valve body 70.