Suspension Apparatus Air Bubble Management via Communication Path
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing suspension apparatus in two-wheeled vehicles experiences air bubble entrapment around adjusting bolts, leading to delayed damping operation, pressure decrease in oil chambers, and impulse sounds due to growing air bubbles during compression.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a communication path between the cap and support member, with a non-return valve to discharge air bubbles during extension and prevent suction during compression, and using a rubber arrangement to manage air in the system, ensuring efficient fluid flow and damping force adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple adjusting portions with adjusting bolts are provided in the cap for damping force adjustment, then the adaptability and adjustability of the suspension apparatus is improved, but air bubbles gather around the adjusting bolts causing air bubble entrapment which delays damping operation and causes impulse sounds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful air bubbles from the system by providing a dedicated air discharge path through the communication hole in the inner tube. This allows air bubbles that gather around the adjusting bolts to be separated and discharged from the working oil chamber, preventing air bubble entrapment while maintaining the multiple adjusting portions for damping force adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication hole acts as an intermediary element between the working oil chamber and the external environment. It provides a dedicated pathway for air bubbles to escape without interfering with the adjusting bolts or the damping operation, thus resolving the conflict between adjustability and air bubble entrapment.
2Force
If the piston rod enters the working oil chamber during compression, then the damping force is generated, but the air bubbles grow due to pressure decrease and cause impulse sounds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by providing the air discharge path before air bubble problems occur. The communication hole is pre-established in the inner tube, allowing air bubbles to be continuously discharged during both extension and compression operations, preventing air bubble growth and impulse sounds before they can occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication hole enables continuous air discharge during the entire operation cycle including compression. This continuous action prevents air bubble accumulation and growth that would otherwise occur during compression when the piston rod enters the working oil chamber, maintaining smooth damping operation without impulse sounds.
3Reliability
If the working oil circulates between the working oil chamber and annular oil chamber, then the volume compensation is achieved, but air bubbles are trapped and cause delayed damping operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the oil chamber system into distinct regions: the working oil chamber, the annular oil chamber, and the air discharge path through the communication hole. This segmentation allows working oil to circulate between chambers for volume compensation while providing a separate dedicated pathway for air bubble removal, preventing air bubble entrapment and maintaining responsive damping operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication hole serves as an intermediary pathway that connects the working oil chamber to the external environment. It mediates between the need for working oil circulation and the need to prevent air bubble entrapment, allowing air bubbles to be discharged without interfering with the volume compensation function.
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 configuration effectively suppresses impulse sounds and maintains consistent damping performance by managing air bubbles and pressure changes, ensuring smooth operation and reduced noise.
Implementation Method 1
a non-return valve that is arranged between the abutting surface of the cap and the upper end surface of the support member. The non-return valve allows flow of air from the upper portion space to the upper space through the communication path, and suppresses flow of air from the upper space to the upper portion space
Implementation Method 2
Rubber is arranged around the support member in the upper space
Data Source
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AI summary
A suspension apparatus (21) includes: a partition wall member (130) that divides a space inside an inner tube (110) into an upper space (45) and a lower space (50, 25); a cap (240) that covers an upper opening portion of an outer tube (210); and a support member (250) of which one end portion is retained by the cap (240), and of which the other end portion supports the other end portion of a piston rod (235), in which a through-hole (114) is formed in a portion of the inner tube (110), an inner space of the piston rod (235) is a space inside the piston rod (235) and communicates with the lower space (50), the support member (250) is a cylindrical member and forms an upper portion space (53), and the upper portion space (53) communicates with the inner space of the piston rod (235), and at least one of the cap (240) and the support member (250) is provided with a communication path (41, 42).