Vehicle Suspension Apparatus with Offset Spring Receiving Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing suspension apparatuses for vehicles, which combine air springs and coil springs, face challenges in reducing sliding resistance and enhancing ride comfort due to the limitations in design and pressure distribution within the gas chambers.
Innovation Solution
The proposed suspension apparatus features telescopic tubes with a cylinder and rod arrangement, where the spring receiving member is positioned on the second tube side from the piston's movable region, allowing for a larger cross-sectional area and decreased pressure in the gas chamber, along with additional features like a balance spring and rebound spring to manage reaction forces and prevent damage, and an expansion chamber to reduce load during compression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the spring receiving member is positioned within the piston movable region, then the mechanism structure is compact, but the cross-sectional area of the piston is restricted and pressure in the gas chamber increases leading to higher sliding resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The spring receiving member is repositioned from within the piston movable region to the second tube side beyond the piston movable region. This spatial reconfiguration in the axial dimension allows the piston to maintain a larger cross-sectional area without interference, thereby reducing gas chamber pressure and sliding resistance while keeping the overall structure compact.
2Ease of operation
If the cross-sectional area of the piston is increased to decrease pressure in the gas chamber, then sliding resistance decreases, but the inner diameter of the cylinder in the movable region becomes larger which complicates the mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
By moving the spring receiving member to the second tube side beyond the piston movable region, the invention enables the piston to have a larger cross-sectional area without increasing the cylinder's inner diameter in the movable region. The spatial reconfiguration allows the piston to operate in a dimension where its larger area does not conflict with cylinder constraints, thus reducing sliding resistance without complicating the cylinder structure.
3Ease of operation
If the pressure in the first gas chamber is decreased to reduce sliding resistance, then ride comfort improves, but the reaction force from the gas chamber during compression decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the gas chamber system into two separate chambers: the first gas chamber with the piston for reducing sliding resistance and improving ride comfort, and the second gas chamber that communicates with the small diameter portion to provide reaction force during compression. This segmentation allows each chamber to independently fulfill its specific function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates different local conditions in different parts of the gas chamber system. The first gas chamber operates at lower pressure to reduce sliding resistance and improve ride comfort, while the second gas chamber maintains higher pressure to provide adequate reaction force during compression. Each region has optimized pressure characteristics suited to its specific 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 design reduces sliding resistance and enhances ride comfort by decreasing pressure in the gas chamber, simplifying the mechanism, and effectively managing reaction forces, while preventing damage to the suspension components, thereby improving the overall vehicle suspension performance.
Implementation Method 1
a coil spring urging the first tube and the second tube in an extension direction is located between a spring receiving member and the second tube
Implementation Method 2
a piston arranged on the rod slidingly contacts with an inner circumferential surface of the cylinder
Data Source
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AI summary
A suspension apparatus includes a first tube and a second tube that are telescopic and that are disposed on a vehicle body side and on a wheel side, respectively; a cylinder that is provided in the first tube; a rod that is provided in the second tube; a piston that is provided on the rod, slidingly contacts with an inner circumferential surface of the cylinder, and forms a first gas chamber on a side of the first tube; a coil spring configured to urge the first tube and the second tube in an extension direction; and a spring receiving member that is disposed at a position on a second tube side from a movable region of the piston, the coil spring being disposed between the spring receiving member and the second tube.