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JP-7856238-B1 - Electronically controlled shock absorber with direct-drive flow path structure and variable valve therefor

JP7856238B1JP 7856238 B1JP7856238 B1JP 7856238B1JP-7856238-B1

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an electronically controlled shock absorber and a variable valve therefor that can maintain a small volume and weight while varying the damping force by an external input. [Solution] The device may include an outer cylinder that extends vertically, has a hollow columnar shape, houses an operating cylinder inside, has a mounting opening formed on its outer circumferential surface at a position corresponding to the chamber opening, and forms a reservoir chamber between its inner circumferential surface and the outer circumferential surface of the operating cylinder, and a variable valve that is mounted on the outer surface of the outer cylinder at a position corresponding to the mounting opening, configured such that a fluid flowing from the inlet to the outlet passes through its interior, and is configured to change the damping force by changing the flow path via an external input. When the variable valve is coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the outer cylinder, the sealing member is compressed, connecting the chamber opening to the inlet through the through hole, and sealing the chamber opening to the reservoir chamber. [Selection Diagram] Figure 3

Inventors

  • シム ド シク

Assignees

  • インゲージ カンパニー リミテッド

Dates

Publication Date
20260511
Application Date
20260114
Priority Date
20241114

Claims (13)

  1. An operating cylinder having a vertically extending, hollow cylindrical shape, forming a chamber space inside, with a chamber opening formed on its outer surface at at least one of the upper first height and lower second height; A piston rod extends vertically, its lower part is located in the chamber space, and a main valve is attached to its lower end, wherein the main valve is configured to move between the first height and the second height within the chamber space; An outer cylinder that extends vertically, has a hollow columnar shape, houses the operating cylinder inside, has a mounting opening formed on its outer surface at a position corresponding to the chamber opening, and forms a reservoir chamber between its inner surface and the outer surface of the operating cylinder; A variable valve is mounted on the outer surface of the outer cylinder at a position corresponding to the mounting opening, configured such that a fluid flowing from the inlet to the outlet passes through its interior, and configured to change the damping force by changing the flow path via an external input, The aforementioned variable valve is The valve portion is configured to change the flow path by changing the internal structure in response to the external input, and is coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the outer cylinder at a position corresponding to the mounting opening; A channel portion extending in one direction from the valve portion, with the inlet open at its end and the outlet open on its outer circumferential surface, passing through the mounting opening and its end contacting the outer circumferential surface of the operating cylinder around the chamber opening; The device includes a sealing member having an annular shape, with a through hole formed in the center, which is attached to the end of the channel portion so as to be aligned with the inlet, and which is in close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the operating cylinder around the chamber opening, When the valve portion is coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the outer cylinder, the sealing member is compressed, connecting the chamber opening to the inlet through the through hole, and sealing the chamber opening to the reservoir chamber. The sealing member is The outer edge formed on one side of the channel portion is configured to be coupled to the end of the channel portion, and the outer edge formed on one side has a circular shape when viewed from the direction of that one side; A deformable portion that protrudes to one side from the fixed portion, but protrudes further in the direction of the one side as it approaches the through hole from the outer edge of the fixed portion, and the inner edge formed around the through hole has a circular shape when viewed from the direction of the one side, and when the valve portion is coupled to the outer surface of the outer cylinder, it deforms elastically and comes into close contact with the outer surface of the operating cylinder, The sealing member has a clearance groove formed therein, which separates the inner edge of the deformable portion from the inner edge of the fixed portion, and the clearance groove narrows when the valve portion is coupled to the outer surface of the outer cylinder and the deformable portion is elastically deformed.
  2. An operating cylinder having a vertically extending, hollow cylindrical shape, forming a chamber space inside, with a chamber opening formed on its outer surface at at least one of the upper first height and lower second height; A piston rod extends vertically, its lower part is located in the chamber space, and a main valve is attached to its lower end, wherein the main valve is configured to move between the first height and the second height within the chamber space; An outer cylinder that extends vertically, has a hollow columnar shape, houses the operating cylinder inside, has a mounting opening formed on its outer surface at a position corresponding to the chamber opening, and forms a reservoir chamber between its inner surface and the outer surface of the operating cylinder; A variable valve is mounted on the outer surface of the outer cylinder at a position corresponding to the mounting opening, configured such that a fluid flowing from the inlet to the outlet passes through its interior, and configured to change the damping force by changing the flow path via an external input, The aforementioned variable valve is The valve portion is configured to change the flow path by changing the internal structure in response to the external input, and is coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the outer cylinder at a position corresponding to the mounting opening; A channel portion extending in one direction from the valve portion, with the inlet open at its end and the outlet open on its outer circumferential surface, passing through the mounting opening and its end contacting the outer circumferential surface of the operating cylinder around the chamber opening; The device includes a sealing member having an annular shape, with a through hole formed in the center, which is attached to the end of the channel portion so as to be aligned with the inlet, and which is in close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the operating cylinder around the chamber opening, When the valve portion is coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the outer cylinder, the sealing member is compressed, connecting the chamber opening to the inlet through the through hole, and sealing the chamber opening to the reservoir chamber. The sealing member is The outer edge formed on one side of the channel portion is configured to be coupled to the end of the channel portion, and the outer edge formed on one side has a circular shape when viewed from the direction of that one side; A deformable portion that protrudes to one side from the fixed portion, but protrudes further in the direction of the one side as it approaches the through hole from the outer edge of the fixed portion, and the inner edge formed around the through hole has a circular shape when viewed from the direction of the one side, and when the valve portion is coupled to the outer surface of the outer cylinder, it deforms elastically and comes into close contact with the outer surface of the operating cylinder, An electronically controlled shock absorber in which the diameter on one side of the through hole decreases when the valve portion is bonded to the outer surface of the outer cylinder and the deformable portion is elastically deformed.
  3. The electronically controlled shock absorber according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the outer edge of the fixed portion has a curvature equal to that of the cylindrical shape of the operating cylinder.
  4. The electronically controlled shock absorber according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inner edge of the deformed portion has a curvature equal to that of the cylindrical shape of the operating cylinder.
  5. The end of the channel portion has a curvature equal to the cylindrical shape of the operating cylinder, and when the valve portion is coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the outer cylinder, the end of the channel portion prevents the sealing member from being pushed in the outer diameter direction of the operating cylinder, as described in claim 1 or 2 of the electronically controlled shock absorber.
  6. The aforementioned variable valve is The electronically controlled shock absorber according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a check valve mounted on the outer circumferential surface of the channel portion to restrict the movement of the fluid through the outlet.
  7. The electronically controlled shock absorber according to claim 6, wherein the check valve has an annular shape, is made of an elastically deformable material, and is in close contact with the entire outer surface of the channel portion, and when the pressure inside the variable valve exceeds a predetermined threshold, the fluid pushes the check valve out of the outlet and is discharged into the reservoir chamber.
  8. The electronically controlled shock absorber according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ends of the channel portion are welded to the outer circumferential surface of the operating cylinder at a plurality of non-continuous individual locations.
  9. The electronically controlled shock absorber according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the channel portion includes an annular fixing band surrounding the outer circumferential surface of the operating cylinder.
  10. The electronically controlled shock absorber according to claim 9, wherein the fixing band is welded to the outer circumferential surface of the operating cylinder at multiple non-contiguous locations.
  11. A variable valve provided in an electronically controlled shock absorber, comprising a hollow cylindrical operating cylinder with a chamber opening formed on its outer circumference, and a hollow columnar outer cylinder housing the operating cylinder and having a mounting opening formed on its outer circumference at a position corresponding to the chamber opening, The device is configured to change the flow path of the fluid from the inlet to the outlet by changing its internal structure through an external input, and includes a valve portion coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the outer cylinder around the mounting opening; Extending in a lateral direction from the valve portion, with the inlet open at its end and the outlet open on its outer circumferential surface, passing through the mounting opening and its end contacting the outer circumferential surface of the operating cylinder surrounding the chamber opening, the end having the same curvature as the cylindrical shape of the operating cylinder, and when the valve portion is coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the outer cylinder, the end of the channel portion making surface contact with the channel portion in the region surrounding the chamber opening; The device includes a sealing member having an annular shape, with a through hole formed in the center, which is attached to the end of the channel portion so as to be aligned with the inlet, and which is in close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the operating cylinder around the chamber opening, The sealing member is The outer edge formed on one side of the channel portion is configured to be coupled to the end of the channel portion, and the outer edge formed on one side has a circular shape when viewed from the direction of that one side; The fixed portion includes a deformable portion that protrudes to one side from the outer edge of the fixed portion, protruding further in the direction of the one side as it approaches the through hole, the inner edge formed around the through hole having a circular shape when viewed from the direction of the one side, and which elastically deforms to make close contact with the outer surface of the operating cylinder when the valve portion is coupled to the outer surface of the outer cylinder, The sealing member has a clearance groove formed therein, which separates the inner edge of the deformable portion from the inner edge of the fixed portion, and when the valve portion is coupled to the outer surface of the outer cylinder and the deformable portion is elastically deformed, the clearance groove narrows. This is a variable valve for an electronically controlled shock absorber.
  12. A variable valve provided in an electronically controlled shock absorber, comprising a hollow cylindrical operating cylinder with a chamber opening formed on its outer circumference, and a hollow columnar outer cylinder housing the operating cylinder and having a mounting opening formed on its outer circumference at a position corresponding to the chamber opening, The device is configured to change the flow path of the fluid from the inlet to the outlet by changing its internal structure through an external input, and includes a valve portion coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the outer cylinder around the mounting opening; Extending in a lateral direction from the valve portion, with the inlet open at its end and the outlet open on its outer circumferential surface, passing through the mounting opening and its end contacting the outer circumferential surface of the operating cylinder surrounding the chamber opening, the end having the same curvature as the cylindrical shape of the operating cylinder, and when the valve portion is coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the outer cylinder, the end of the channel portion making surface contact with the channel portion in the region surrounding the chamber opening; The device includes a sealing member having an annular shape, with a through hole formed in the center, which is attached to the end of the channel portion so as to be aligned with the inlet, and which is in close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the operating cylinder around the chamber opening, The sealing member is The outer edge formed on one side of the channel portion is configured to be coupled to the end of the channel portion, and the outer edge formed on one side has a circular shape when viewed from the direction of that one side; The fixed portion includes a deformable portion that protrudes to one side from the outer edge of the fixed portion, protruding further in the direction of the one side as it approaches the through hole, the inner edge formed around the through hole having a circular shape when viewed from the direction of the one side, and which elastically deforms to make close contact with the outer surface of the operating cylinder when the valve portion is coupled to the outer surface of the outer cylinder, A variable valve for an electronically controlled shock absorber, wherein when the valve portion is bonded to the outer surface of the outer cylinder and the deformable portion is elastically deformed, the diameter on one side of the through hole decreases.
  13. A variable valve for an electronically controlled shock absorber according to claim 11 or 12, further comprising a check valve mounted on the outer circumferential surface of the channel portion and restricting the movement of the fluid through the outlet.

Description

This invention relates to a shock absorber, and more specifically, to an electronically controlled shock absorber having a direct-drive flow path structure in which an operating cylinder and a variable valve are directly connected, and to a variable valve therefor. A shock absorber is a part of a vehicle's suspension system, generally installed between the vehicle body and the axle, and refers to a device that dampens the impacts applied in response to the vehicle's movement. Shock absorbers not only improve the ride comfort of a vehicle, but also improve braking force and steering force by maintaining safe contact between the road and the tires while the vehicle is in motion, and further reduce tire wear. Figure 1 shows a commonly used twin-tube shock absorber 10. The shock absorber 10 shown in Figure 1 includes an operating cylinder 5 and a base shell 13, the operating cylinder 5 having a piston rod 4 that is movable in the longitudinal direction. A body valve 8 is provided at the lower end of the operating cylinder 5 and the base shell 13, a seal guide 16 is provided at the upper end of the base shell 13, and a piston valve 6 is provided at the lower end of the piston rod 4. The inside of the operating cylinder 5 is filled with fluid, and when the piston rod 4 moves along the longitudinal direction, the fluid provides resistance, causing the shock absorber 10 to absorb the shock. The body valve 8 and seal guide 16 allow the fluid to move restrictively between the inside and outside of the operating cylinder 5, and the space outside the operating cylinder 5 inside the base shell 13, that is, the space between the inner circumferential surface of the base shell 13 and the outer circumferential surface of the operating cylinder 5, is called the reservoir chamber 3. For safety reasons, reservoir chamber 3 is designed to maintain a maximum internal pressure of 10 bar or less. Shock absorbers take on greater significance in the context of autonomous vehicles. In recent years, various levels of autonomous driving have been developed, and the passenger compartment is gradually shifting from a space for controlling the vehicle's operation to a space for resting during autonomous driving. Because passengers in autonomous vehicles are not directly operating the vehicle and are likely unaware of road conditions during driving, even a slight jolt can cause significant inconvenience. On the other hand, careful consideration is needed when designing the damping force provided by shock absorbers. Generally, to ensure driving safety and shorten braking distances, shock absorbers are required to provide high damping force, while to ensure a comfortable ride, shock absorbers are required to provide low damping force. To solve this problem, a variable damping valve was developed. This valve is configured to change the damping force provided by the shock absorber. Figure 2 shows a conventional variable damping shock absorber 20. Compared to the general shock absorber 10 shown in Figure 1, the variable damping shock absorber 20 shown in Figure 2 is further equipped with a tension-compression variable valve 9. As the piston rod 4 moves, fluid enters the tension-compression variable valve 9, adjusting the path of the tension-compression flow path and allowing the shock absorber 20 to adjust the damping force. Furthermore, the variable damping shock absorber 20 shown in Figure 2 further includes a separator tube 7. The separator tube 7 is used to connect the inside of the operating cylinder 5 to the tension-compression variable valve 9 and is positioned between the operating cylinder 5 and the base shell 13. Generally, the operating cylinder within a shock absorber requires very high precision manufacturing, with small tolerances for its dimensions and roundness. Therefore, continuous welding or firing is not permitted for the operating cylinder 5. While the separator tube 7 can be considered to communicate with and extend the inside of the operating cylinder 5, connecting the tension-compression variable valve 9 to the separator tube 7 allows for connection of the operating cylinder 5's interior to the tension-compression variable valve 9 without welding or firing the operating cylinder 5. However, because the separator tube 7 is positioned between the operating cylinder 5 and the base shell 13, the separator tube 7 occupies space within the reservoir chamber 3. A decrease in the volume of the reservoir chamber 3 increases the internal pressure, and as mentioned above, the internal pressure of the reservoir chamber 3 must be limited to a preset maximum value (e.g., 10 bar). As a result, the size of the base shell 13 itself needs to be increased to ensure sufficient volume in the reservoir chamber 3. This increases the manufacturing cost of the shock absorber 20 and also increases the volume and weight of the finished shock absorber 20. This is a cross-sectional view illustrating a conventional shock absorber.This is a cross-sec