Three-Pipe Active Damper Layout for Air Spring Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicle shock absorbers face challenges in efficiently combining gas balance volumes and air springs within limited installation space, leading to installation conflicts and complicating the connection of hydraulic lines.
Innovation Solution
A three-pipe damper system with a central valve block and separate connection valve block, allowing for a package-dependent design that accommodates a gas balance volume and air spring, while ensuring efficient hydraulic line connections and function, using a gas bag to separate oil and gas and integrating shut-off screws into the connection valve block for ease of assembly and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a gas balance volume and air spring are combined in a three-pipe damper, then vibration damping comfort at high and low frequencies is improved, but installation space conflict worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The gas balance volume is nested within the annular space between the intermediate pipe and container pipe, while the air spring is positioned around the central valve block. This nested arrangement allows both components to coexist within the limited installation space of the three-pipe damper without interfering with each other, resolving the space conflict while maintaining vibration damping comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the annular space between the intermediate pipe and container pipe in the radial dimension to accommodate the gas balance volume, rather than requiring additional axial length. This dimensional optimization allows efficient space utilization without increasing the overall damper volume.
2Ease of manufacture
If a separate connection valve block is used for hydraulic connections, then ease of assembly and maintenance is improved, but device complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The valve block system is segmented into a central valve block containing the two damper valve devices and a separate connection valve block containing the hydraulic connections and shut-off screws. This segmentation allows the connection valve block to be independently assembled, filled, and tested, simplifying manufacturing and maintenance while the modular design actually reduces overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydraulic connection functions including shut-off screws are extracted from the central valve block and placed in a separate connection valve block. This extraction simplifies the central valve block design and allows the connection components to be independently accessed for maintenance without disassembling the entire damper.
3Ease of operation
If an air spring is added to the three-pipe damper, then low frequency vibration damping is improved, but installation space conflict worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The air spring is positioned around the central valve block in the radial direction, utilizing the available space in this dimension rather than requiring additional axial length. This allows the air spring to be integrated into the existing damper structure without significantly increasing the overall volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The air spring is nested around the central valve block, with the valve block positioned within the air spring chamber. This nested arrangement allows both components to occupy the same spatial envelope without interference, optimizing space utilization while providing both high and low frequency vibration damping.
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 solution provides a comfortable vehicle operation at both high and low frequencies, simplifies manufacturing, assembly, and maintenance, and optimizes installation space utilization without affecting hydraulic line connections.
Implementation Method 1
The gas bag is formed from a gas-tight flexible material. The gas bag is located between the intermediate pipe and the container pipe and is connected with a bayonet valve. During operation of the vibration damper, the gas bag provides separation between oil and gas.
Implementation Method 2
a damper piston (6), which can be moved back and forth in a main pipe (3) with hydraulic medium
Data Source
AI summary
A motor vehicle having an active damping control, which includes at least one vibration damper having a damper piston, which can be moved back and forth in a main pipe with hydraulic medium in an axial direction relative to the main pipe. The main pipe is arranged in a container pipe. An intermediate pipe is arranged between the main pipe and the container pipe. The main pipe, the intermediate pipe and the container pipe are arranged coaxially in a three-pipe damper. The damper piston is attached to an end of a piston rod.