Vibration Absorber Spring Plate Radial Support Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vibration dampers for motor vehicle wheel suspensions face issues with plastic deformation of tension buffer springs under high forces, leading to functional failure, and cannot utilize lightweight materials due to high load requirements, which complicates manufacturing and increases weight.
Innovation Solution
The integration of support sleeves on spring plates that provide radial inward support to the tension buffer spring when blocked, preventing buckling and deformation, allowing the use of lightweight materials for the spring plates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the tension buffer spring is designed to handle large forces, then the spring can withstand high loads, but the spring coils can slide into one another and undergo plastic deformation
Solution Approach 1:
A buffer element is introduced between the spring coils to prevent them from sliding into one another. This intermediary component acts as a spacer that maintains the structural integrity of the spring under high loads, preventing plastic deformation while allowing the spring to maintain its load-bearing capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer element is pre-positioned within the spring structure to provide preventive support. Before the spring is subjected to extreme forces that would cause coil collapse, the buffer element is already in place to cushion and distribute the stresses, preventing the harmful sliding of coils into one another.
2Weight of moving object
If the spring plate is made from lightweight materials, then the overall weight is reduced, but the spring plate cannot withstand the high loads and surface pressures
Solution Approach 1:
The spring plate is designed as a composite structure combining lightweight material with strategically placed reinforcement elements. These reinforcements, positioned at high-stress areas, provide the necessary strength to withstand surface pressures and loads while maintaining the overall lightweight characteristic of the spring plate.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making the entire spring plate from heavy high-strength material, the design applies local reinforcements only where needed - specifically at the contact areas with the tension buffer spring and support tube. This localized strengthening maintains lightweight properties in non-critical areas while providing adequate strength where loads are applied.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the inside diameter of the helical spring coils is reduced in a central spring section, then the spring buckles towards the piston rod, but a special spring shape is required and the piston rod surface can be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The function of guiding the spring and preventing buckling is extracted from the piston rod and transferred to a dedicated support tube with a flange. This separation allows the spring to maintain a simple cylindrical shape for easy manufacturing, while the support structure provides the necessary guidance and buckling prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
A support tube with a flange is introduced as an intermediary element between the spring and the piston rod assembly. This mediator provides the guiding function and buckling control without requiring modification of the spring geometry or direct contact with the piston rod surface, thus simplifying spring manufacturing and preventing surface damage.
4Strength
If the support tube is made longer to prevent spring over-compression, then the spring cannot be loaded beyond block size, but all forces are dissipated via the support tube and stopper
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is designed with a specific geometry where the flange position and support tube length are optimized to allow the spring to reach its block size under normal operation. The dynamic interaction between the spring, flange, and support tube ensures that forces are properly transmitted to the piston rod while preventing excessive compression that would cause damage.
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 solution effectively absorbs and dissipates high axial forces through the blocked rebound buffer spring, preventing plastic deformation and enabling the use of lightweight materials for the spring plates, thus enhancing durability and reducing weight.
Implementation Method 1
the rebound buffer spring can buckle in the direction of the inner wall of the damper tube, particularly when large spring deflections have to be provided for structural reasons
Implementation Method 2
This solution effectively absorbs and dissipates high axial forces through the blocked rebound buffer spring
Implementation Method 3
the spring plates, on which the ends of the tension buffer spring are supported on support surfaces, with a further functional surface in addition to these support surfaces, namely with support sleeves extending in the axial direction
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The damper has spring plates (8) comprising support sleeves (11, 12) extending in a longitudinal direction of the damper. Outer mantel surfaces (11a) of the sleeves internally support a buffer spring (9) in a radial direction when the buffer spring is driven to a block, where the sleeves do not contact each other in a condition of the buffer spring driven to the block. Ends of the buffer spring are supported on support surfaces of the plates. The buffer spring is designed as a helical spring and arranged between the plates. The plates are made of materials with small specific weight.