Patent Application
20110079475
The present disclosure relates generally to hydraulic dampers or shock absorbers for use in a suspension system such as a suspension system used for automotive vehicles. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a digital damper valve which is combined with the conventional passive valve systems to determine the damping characteristics of the hydraulic damper.
This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Shock absorbers are used in conjunction with automotive suspension systems to absorb unwanted vibrations which occur during driving. To absorb the unwanted vibrations, shock absorbers are generally connected between the sprung portion (body) and the unsprung portion (suspension) of the automobile. A piston is located within a pressure tube of the shock absorber and the pressure tube is connected to the unsprung portion of the vehicle. The piston is connected to the sprung portion of the automobile through a piston rod which extends through the pressure tube. The piston divides the pressure tube into an upper working chamber and a lower working chamber both of which are filled with hydraulic fluid. Because the piston is able, through valving, to limit the flow of the hydraulic fluid between the upper and the lower working chambers when the shock absorber is compressed or extended, the shock absorber is able to produce a damping force which counteracts the vibration which would otherwise be transmitted from the unsprung portion to the sprung portion of the vehicle. In a dual-tube shock absorber, a fluid reservoir or reserve chamber is defined between the pressure tube and a reserve tube. A base valve is located between the lower working chamber and the reserve chamber to also produce a damping force which counteracts the vibrations which would otherwise be transmitted from the unsprung portion of the vehicle to the sprung portion of the automobile.
As described above, for a dual-tube shock absorber, the valving on the piston limits the flow of damping fluid between the upper and lower working chambers when the shock absorber is extended to produce a damping load. The valving on the base valve limits the flow of damping fluid between the lower working chamber and the reserve chamber when the shock absorber is compressed to produce a damping load. For a mono-tube shock absorber, the valving on the piston limits the flow of damping fluid between the upper and lower working chambers when the shock absorber is extended or compressed to produce a damping load. During driving, the suspension system moves in jounce (compression) and rebound (extension). During jounce movements, the shock absorber is compressed causing damping fluid to move through the base valve in a dual-tube shock absorber or through the piston valve in a mono-tube shock absorber. A damping valve located on the base valve or the piston controls the flow of damping fluid and thus the damping force created. During rebound movements, the shock absorber is extended causing damping fluid to move through the piston in both the dual-tube shock absorber and the mono-tube shock absorber. A damping valve located on the piston controls the flow of damping fluid and thus the damping force created.
In a dual-tube shock absorber, the piston and the base valve normally include a plurality of compression passages and a plurality of extension passages. During jounce or compression movements in a dual-tube shock absorber, the damping valve or the base valve opens the compression passages in the base valve to control fluid flow and produce a damping load. A check valve on the piston opens the compression passages in the piston to replace damping fluid in the upper working chamber but this check valve does not contribute to the damping load. The damping valve on the piston closes the extension passages of the piston and a check valve on the base valve closes the extension passages of the base valve during a compression movement. During rebound or extension movements in a dual-tube shock absorber, the damping valve on the piston opens the extension passages in the piston to control fluid flow and produce a damping load. A check valve on the base valve opens the extension passages in the base valve to replace damping fluid in the lower working chamber but this check valve does not contribute to the damping load.
In a mono-tube shock absorber, the piston normally includes a plurality of compression passages and a plurality of extension passages. The shock absorber will also include means for compensating for the rod volume flow of fluid as is well known in the art. During jounce or compression movements in a mono-tube shock absorber, the compression damping valve on the piston opens the compression passages in the piston to control fluid flow and produce a damping load. The extension damping valve on the piston closes the extension passages of the piston during a jounce movement. During rebound or extension movements in a mono-tube shock absorber, the extension damping valve on the piston opens the extension passages in the piston to control fluid flow and produce a damping load. The compression damping valve on the piston closes the compression passages of the piston during a rebound movement.
For most dampers, the damping valves are designed as a normal close/open valve even though some valves may include a bleed flow of damping fluid. Because of this close/open design, these passive valve systems are limited in their ability to adjust the generated damping load in response to various operating conditions of the vehicle.
This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.
A valve assembly for a shock absorber includes a digital valve assembly which is used in conjunction with the typical passive valve assembly. When the digital valve assembly is closed, a firm or high damping load is generated. Softer or lower damping loads are achieved through various combinations of the digital valve assembly working in conjunction with the passive valve assembly.
Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. There is shown in
Referring now to
Pressure tube 30 defines a working chamber 42. Piston assembly 32 is slidably disposed within pressure tube 30 and divides working chamber 42 into an upper working chamber 44 and a lower working chamber 46. A seal 48 is disposed between piston assembly 32 and pressure tube 30 to permit sliding movement of piston assembly 32 with respect to pressure tube 30 without generating undue frictional forces as well as sealing upper working chamber 44 from lower working chamber 46. Piston rod 34 is attached to piston assembly 32 and extends through upper working chamber 44 and through a rod guide assembly 50 which closes the upper end of pressure tube 30. The end of piston rod 34 opposite to piston assembly 32 is adapted to be secured to the sprung mass of vehicle 10. Valving within piston assembly 32 controls the movement of fluid between upper working chamber 44 and lower working chamber 46 during movement of piston assembly 32 within pressure tube 30. Because piston rod 34 extends only through upper working chamber 44 and not lower working chamber 46, movement of piston assembly 32 with respect to pressure tube 30 causes a difference in the amount of fluid displaced in upper working chamber 44 and the amount of fluid displaced in lower working chamber 46. The difference in the amount of fluid displaced is known as the “rod volume” and it flows through base valve assembly 38.
Reserve tube 36 surrounds pressure tube 30 to define a fluid reservoir chamber 52 located between tubes 30 and 36. The bottom end of reserve tube 36 is closed by a base cup 54 which is adapted to be connected to the unsprung mass of vehicle 10. The upper end of reserve tube 36 is attached to rod guide assembly 50. Base valve assembly 38 is disposed between lower working chamber 46 and reservoir chamber 52 to control the flow of fluid between chambers 46 and 52. When shock absorber 20 extends in length, an additional volume of fluid is needed in lower working chamber 46 due to the “rod volume” concept. Thus, fluid will flow from reservoir chamber 52 to lower working chamber 46 through base valve assembly 38 as detailed below. When shock absorber 20 compresses in length, an excess of fluid must be removed from lower working chamber 46 due to the “rod volume” concept. Thus, fluid will flow from lower working chamber 46 to reservoir chamber 52 through base valve assembly 38 as detailed below.
Referring now to
Piston body 60 defines a plurality of compression passages 70 and a plurality of rebound passages 72. Seal 48 includes a plurality of ribs 74 which mate with a plurality of annular grooves 76 to retain seal 48 during sliding movement of piston assembly 32.
Compression valve assembly 62 comprises a retainer 78, a valve disc 80 and a spring 82. Retainer 78 abuts shoulder 66 on one end and piston body 60 on the other end. Valve disc 80 abuts piston body 60 and closes compression passages 70 while leaving rebound passages 72 open. Spring 82 is disposed between retainer 78 and valve disc 80 to bias valve disc 80 against piston body 60. During a compression stroke, fluid in lower working chamber 46 is pressurized causing fluid pressure to react against valve disc 80. When the fluid pressure against valve disc 80 overcomes the biasing load of spring 82, valve disc 80 separates from piston body 60 to open compression passages 70 and allow fluid flow from lower working chamber 46 to upper working chamber 44. Typically spring 82 only exerts a light load on valve disc 80 and compression valve assembly 62 acts as a check valve between chambers 46 and 44. The damping characteristics for shock absorber 20 during a compression stroke are controlled in part by base valve assembly 38 which accommodates the flow of fluid from lower working chamber 46 to reservoir chamber 52 due to the “rod volume” concept. During a rebound stroke, compression passages 70 are closed by valve disc 80.
Rebound valve assembly 64 is termed a passive valve assembly which comprises a spacer 84, a plurality of valve discs 86, a retainer 88 and a spring 90. Spacer 84 is threadingly received on piston rod 34 and is disposed between piston body 60 and nut 68. Spacer 84 retains piston body 60 and compression valve assembly 62 while permitting the tightening of nut 68 without compressing either valve disc 80 or valve discs 86. Retainer 78, piston body 60 and spacer 84 provide a continuous solid connection between shoulder 66 and nut 68 to facilitate the tightening and securing of nut 68 to spacer 84 and thus to piston rod 34. Valve discs 86 are slidingly received on spacer 84 and abut piston body 60 to close rebound passages 72 while leaving compression passages 70 open. Retainer 88 is also slidingly received on spacer 84 and it abuts valve discs 86. Spring 90 is assembled over spacer 84 and is disposed between retainer 88 and nut 68 which is threadingly received on spacer 84. Spring 90 biases retainer 88 against valve discs 86 and valve discs 86 against piston body 60. When fluid pressure is applied to valve discs 86, they will elastically deflect at the outer peripheral edge to open rebound valve assembly 64. A shim is located between nut 68 and spring 90 to control the preload for spring 90 and thus the blow off pressure as described below. Thus, the calibration for the blow off feature of rebound valve assembly 64 is separate from the calibration for compression valve assembly 62.
During a rebound stroke, fluid in upper working chamber 44 is pressurized causing fluid pressure to react against valve discs 86. Prior to the deflecting of valve discs 86, a bleed flow of fluid flows through a bleed passage defined between valve discs 86 and piston body 60. When the fluid pressure reacting against valve discs 86 overcomes the bending load for valve discs 86, valve discs 86 elastically deflect opening rebound passages 72 allowing fluid flow from upper working chamber 44 to lower working chamber 46. The strength of valve discs 86 and the size of rebound passages will determine the damping characteristics for shock absorber 20 in rebound. When the fluid pressure within upper working chamber 44 reaches a predetermined level, the fluid pressure will overcome the biasing load of spring 90 causing axial movement of retainer 88 and the plurality of valve discs 86. The axial movement of retainer 88 and valve discs 86 fully opens rebound passages 72 thus allowing the passage of a significant amount of damping fluid creating a blowing off of the fluid pressure which is required to prevent damage to shock absorber 20 and/or vehicle 10.
Referring to
Compression valve assembly 94 is termed a passive valve assembly which comprises a plurality of valve discs 106 that are biased against valve body 92 by bolt 98 and nut 100. During a compression stroke, fluid in lower working chamber 46 is pressurized and the fluid pressure within compression passages 102 reacts against valve discs 106. Prior to the deflection of valve discs 106, a bleed flow of fluid will flow through a bleed passage defined between valve discs 106 and valve body 92. The fluid pressure reacting against valve discs 106 will eventually open compression valve assembly 94 by deflecting valve discs 106 in a manner similar to that described above for rebound valve assembly 64. Compression valve assembly 62 will allow fluid flow from lower working chamber 46 to upper working chamber 44 and only the “rod volume” will flow through compression valve assembly 94. The damping characteristics for shock absorber 20 are determined in part by the design of compression valve assembly 94 of base valve assembly 38.
Rebound valve assembly 96 comprises a valve disc 108 and a valve spring 110. Valve disc 108 abuts valve body 92 and closes rebound passages 104. Valve spring 110 is disposed between nut 100 and valve disc 80 to bias valve disc 108 against valve body 92. During a rebound stroke, fluid in lower working chamber 46 is reduced in pressure causing fluid pressure in reservoir chamber 52 to react against valve disc 108. When the fluid pressure against valve disc 108 overcomes the biasing load of valve spring 110, valve disc 108 separates from valve body 92 to open rebound passages 104 and allow fluid flow from reservoir chamber 52 to lower working chamber 46. Typically valve spring 110 exerts only a light load on valve disc 108 and compression valve assembly 94 acts as a check valve between reservoir chamber 52 and lower working chamber 46. The damping characteristics for a rebound stroke are controlled in part by rebound valve assembly 64 as detailed above.
Referring now to
Rod guide housing 120 is assembled into pressure tube 30 and into reserve tube 36. Seal assembly 122 and retainer 124 are assembled to rod guide housing 120 and reserve tube 36 is rolled or formed over as illustrated at 128 to retain rod guide assembly 50. A bushing 130 assembled into rod guide housing 120 accommodates for the sliding motion of piston rod 34 while also providing for a seal for piston rod 34. A fluid passage 132 extends through rod guide housing 120 to allow fluid communication between upper working chamber 44 and digital valve assembly 126 as discussed below.
Digital valve assembly 126 is a two position valve assembly which has a different flow area in each of the two positions. Digital valve assembly 126 comprises a valve housing 140, a sleeve 142, a spool 144, a spring 146 and a coil assembly 148. Valve housing 140 defines a valve inlet 150 which is in communication with upper working chamber 44 through fluid passage 132 and a valve outlet 152 which is in fluid communication with reservoir chamber 52. While this embodiment and other embodiments described later include spring 146 in the digital valve assemblies, it is within the scope of the present disclosure to use digital valve assemblies that do not include spring 146. Digital valve assemblies that do not include spring 146 are moved between their two positions by reversing the current or reversing the polarity of the power provided to the digital valve assembly.
Sleeve 142 is disposed within valve housing 140. Sleeve 142 defines an annular inlet chamber 154 which is in communication with valve inlet 150 and a pair of annular outlet chambers 156 and 158 which are in communication with valve outlet 152.
Spool 144 is slidingly received within sleeve 142 and axially travels within sleeve 142 between coil assembly 148 and a stop puck 160 disposed within sleeve 142. Spring 146 biases spool 144 away from coil assembly 148 and towards stop puck 160. A shim 162 is disposed between coil assembly 148 and sleeve 142 to control the amount of axial motion for spool 144. A first O-ring seals the interface between stop puck 160, sleeve 142 and valve housing 140. A second O-ring seals the interface between coil assembly 148, sleeve 142 and rod guide housing 120.
Spool 144 defines a first flange 164 which controls fluid flow between annular inlet chamber 154 and annular outlet chamber 156 and a second flange 166 that controls fluid flow between annular inlet chamber 154 and annular outlet chamber 158. Flanges 164 and 166 thus control fluid flow from upper working chamber 44 to reservoir chamber 52.
Coil assembly 148 is disposed within sleeve 142 to control the axial movement of spool 144. The wiring connections for coil assembly 148 can extend through rod guide housing 120, through sleeve 142, through valve housing 140 and/or through reserve tube 36. When there is no power provided to coil assembly 148, the damping characteristics will be defined by the flow area of digital valve assembly 126 in its first position, piston assembly 32 and base valve assembly 38. The movement of spool 144 is controlled by supplying power to coil assembly 148 to move digital valve assembly to its second position. Digital valve assembly 126 can be kept in its second position by continuing to supply power to coil assembly 148 or by providing means for retaining digital valve assembly 126 in its second position and discontinuing the supply of power to coil assembly 148. The means for retaining digital valve assembly 126 in its second position can include mechanical means, magnetic means or other means known in the art. Once in its second position, movement to the first position can be accomplished by terminating power to coil assembly 148 or by reversing the current or reversing the polarity of the power supplied to coil assembly 148 to overcome the retaining means. The amount of flow through digital valve assembly 126 has discrete settings for flow control in both the first position and the second position. While the present disclosure is described using only one digital valve assembly 126, it is within the scope of the disclosure to use a plurality of digital valve assemblies 126. When multiple digital valve assemblies 126 are used, the total flow area through the plurality of digital valve assemblies 126 can be set at a specific number of total flow areas depending on the position of each individual digital valve assemblies 126. The specific number of total flow areas can be defined as being 2n flow areas where n is the number of digital valve assemblies 126. For example, if four digital valve assemblies 126, the number of total flow areas available would be 24 or sixteen flow areas.
Fluid will flow through digital valve assembly 126 will occur both during a rebound or extension stroke and during a compression stroke. During a rebound or extension stroke, fluid in upper working chamber 44 is pressurized which then forces fluid flow through digital valve assembly 126 when it is opened. During a compression stroke, fluid flows from lower working chamber 46 to upper working chamber 44 through piston assembly 32 due to the “rod volume” concept. When digital valve assembly 126 is opened, an open flow path between upper working chamber 44 and reservoir chamber 52 is created. Additional fluid flow will flow through piston assembly 32 and through digital valve assembly 126 because this open flow path creates the path of least resistance to reservoir chamber 52 in comparison to flow through base valve assembly 38.
Referring now to
Pressure tube 230 defines a working chamber 242. Piston assembly 232 is slidably disposed within pressure tube 230 and divides working chamber 242 into an upper working chamber 244 and a lower working chamber 246. A seal 248 is disposed between piston assembly 232 and pressure tube 230 to permit sliding movement of piston assembly 232 with respect to pressure tube 230 without generating undue frictional forces as well as sealing upper working chamber 244 from lower working chamber 246. Piston rod assembly 234 is attached to piston assembly 232 and it extends through upper working chamber 244 and through an upper end cap or rod guide 250 which closes the upper end of pressure tube 230. A sealing system seals the interface between rod guide 250, pressure tube 230 and piston rod assembly 234. The end of piston rod assembly 234 opposite to piston assembly 232 is adapted to be secured to the sprung mass of vehicle 10. The end of pressure tube 230 opposite to rod guide 250 is closed by a base cup 254 which is adapted to be connected to the unsprung mass of vehicle 10.
A compression valve assembly 256 associated with piston assembly 232 is termed a passive valve assembly which controls movement of fluid between lower working chamber 246 and upper working chamber 244 during compression movement of piston assembly 232 within pressure tube 230. The design for compression valve assembly 256 controls in part the damping characteristics for shock absorber 220 during a compression stroke. An extension valve assembly 258 associated with piston assembly 232 is termed a pressure valve assembly which controls movement of fluid between upper working chamber 244 and lower working chamber 246 during extension or rebound movement of piston assembly 232 within pressure tube 230. The design for extension valve assembly 258 controls in part the damping characteristics for shock absorber 220 during an extension or rebound stroke.
Because piston rod assembly 234 extends only through upper working chamber 244 and not lower working chamber 246, movement of piston assembly 232 with respect to pressure tube 230 causes a difference in the amount of fluid displaced in upper working chamber 244 and the amount of fluid displaced in lower working chamber 246. The difference in the amount of fluid displaced is known as the “rod volume” and compensation for this fluid is accommodated by a piston slidably disposed within pressure tube 230 and located between lower working chamber 246 and a compensation chamber 260. Typically compensation chamber 260 is filled with a pressurized gas and the piston moves within pressure tube 230 to compensate for the “rod volume” concept.
Referring now to
Piston body 262 defines a plurality of compression passages 270 and a plurality of rebound passages 272. Seal 248 includes a plurality of ribs 274 which mate with a plurality of annular grooves 276 to retain seal 248 during sliding movement of piston assembly 232.
Compression valve assembly 256 is termed a passive valve assembly which comprises a retainer 278, a valve disc 280 and a spring 282. Retainer 278 abuts shoulder 266 on one end and piston body 262 on the other end. Valve disc 280 abuts piston body 262 and closes compression passages 270 while leaving rebound passages 272 open. Spring 282 is disposed between retainer 278 and valve disc 280 to bias valve disc 280 against piston body 262. During a compression stroke, fluid in lower working chamber 246 is pressurized causing fluid pressure to react against valve disc 280. Prior to the opening of valve disc 280, a bleed flow of fluid will flow through a bleed passage defined by valve disc 280 and piston body 262. When the fluid pressure against valve disc 280 overcomes the biasing load of spring 282, valve disc 280 separates from piston body 262 to open compression passages 270 and allow fluid flow from lower working chamber 246 to upper working chamber 244. The damping characteristics for shock absorber 220 during a compression stroke are controlled by compression valve assembly 256. During a rebound stroke, compression passages 270 are closed by valve disc 280.
Extension valve assembly 258 is termed a passive valve assembly which comprises a spacer 284, a plurality of valve discs 286, a retainer 288 and a spring 290. Spacer 284 is threadingly received on piston rod assembly 234 and is disposed between piston body 262 and nut 268. Spacer 284 retains piston body 262 and compression valve assembly 256 while permitting the tightening of nut 268 without compressing either valve disc 280 or valve discs 286. Retainer 278, piston body 262 and spacer 284 provide a continuous solid connection between shoulder 266 and nut 268 to facilitate the tightening and securing of nut 268 to spacer 284 and thus to piston rod assembly 234. Valve discs 286 are slidingly received on spacer 284 and abut piston body 262 to close rebound passages 272 while leaving compression passages 270 open. Retainer 288 is also slidingly received on spacer 284 and it abuts valve discs 286. Spring 290 is assembled over spacer 284 and is disposed between retainer 288 and nut 268 which is threadingly received on spacer 284. Spring 290 biases retainer 288 against valve discs 286 and valve discs 286 against piston body 262. When fluid pressure is applied to valve discs 286, they will elastically deflect at the outer peripheral edge to open extension valve assembly 258. A shim 296 is located between nut 268 and spring 290 to control the preload for spring 290 and thus the blow off pressure as described below. Thus, the calibration for the blow off feature of extension valve assembly 258 is separate from the calibration for compression valve assembly 256.
During a rebound stroke, fluid in upper working chamber 244 is pressurized causing fluid pressure to react against valve discs 286. Prior to the deflection of valve discs 286, a bleed flow of fluid will flow through a bleed passage defined by valve discs 286 and piston body 262. When the fluid pressure reacting against valve discs 286 overcomes the bending load for valve discs 286, valve discs 286 elastically deflect opening rebound passages 272 allowing fluid flow from upper working chamber 244 to lower working chamber 246. The strength of valve discs 286 and the size of rebound passages will determine the damping characteristics for shock absorber 220 in rebound. When the fluid pressure within upper working chamber 244 reaches a predetermined level, the fluid pressure will overcome the biasing load of spring 290 causing axial movement of retainer 288 and the plurality of valve discs 286. The axial movement of retainer 288 and valve discs 286 fully opens rebound passages 272 thus allowing the passage of a significant amount of damping fluid creating a blowing off of the fluid pressure which is required to prevent damage to shock absorber 220 and/or vehicle 10.
Referring now to
Digital valve assembly 300 is a two position valve assembly which has a different flow area in each of the two positions. Digital valve assembly 300 comprises a sleeve 312, a plurality of spools 144, a plurality of springs 146, a plurality of coil assemblies 148 and a circuit board 314. Sleeve 312 defines a valve inlet 320 which is in communication with lower working chamber 246 through inlet passage 304; a valve outlet 322 which is in communication with upper working chamber 244 through outlet passages 306; a plurality of annular inlet chambers 324 each of which is in communication valve inlet 320; and a pair of annular outlet chamber 326, 328 associated with each inlet chamber 324 and each of which is in communication with valve outlet 322.
Each spool 144 is slidingly received within sleeve 312 and axially travels within sleeve 312 between a respective coil assembly 148 and a respective stop puck 160 disposed within sleeve 312. Each spring 146 biases a respective spool 144 away from coil assembly 148 and towards stop puck 160. A respective shim 162 is disposed between each coil assembly 148 and each spool 144 to control the amount of axial motion for spool 144. A first O-ring seals the interface between stop puck 160, sleeve 142 and piston rod 298. A second O-ring seals the interface between coil assembly 148, sleeve 142 and circuit board 314.
Spool 144 defines first flange 164 which controls fluid flow between a respective annular inlet chamber 324 and a respective annular outlet chamber 326 and second flange 166 that controls fluid flow between the respective annular inlet chamber 324 and a respective annular outlet chamber 328. Flanges 164 and 166 thus control fluid flow between upper working chamber 244 and lower working chamber 246.
Each coil assembly 148 is disposed within sleeve 312 to control the axial movement of a respective spool 144. The wiring connections for coil assemblies 148 extend to circuit board 314 and then through internal bore 302 of piston rod 298. Circuit board 314 is disposed in internal bore 302 immediately above sleeve 312. An O-ring seals the interface between circuit board 314 and piston rod 298. While circuit board 314 is illustrated as being in internal bore 302, it is within the scope of the present disclosure to locate circuit board 314 external to shock absorber 220. When there is no power provided to coil assemblies 148, the damping characteristics will be defined by the flow area of each digital valve assembly 300 in its first position and piston assembly 232. The movement of each spool 144 is controlled by supplying power provided to each coil assembly 148 to move the respective digital valve assembly to its second position. Digital valve assemblies 300 can be kept in the second position by continuing to supply power to each coil assembly 148 or by providing means for retaining digital valve assemblies 300 in the second position and discontinuing the supply of power to each coil assembly 148. The means for retaining each digital valve assembly 300 in its second position can include mechanical means, magnetic means or other means known in the art. Once in its second position, movement to the first position can be accomplished by terminating power to each coil assembly 148 or by reversing the current or reversing the polarity of the power supplied to each coil assembly 148 to overcome the retaining means. The amount of flow through each digital valve assembly 300 has discrete settings for flow control in both the first position and the second position. While the present disclosure is described using multiple digital valve assemblies 300, it is within the scope of the disclosure to use one digital valve assembly 300. When multiple digital valve assemblies 300 are used, the total flow area through the plurality of digital valve assemblies 300 can be set at a specific number of total flow areas depending on the position of each individual digital valve assemblies 300. The specific number of total flow areas can be defined as being 2n flow areas where n is the number of digital valve assemblies 300. For example, if four digital valve assemblies 300, the number of total flow areas available would be 24 or sixteen flow areas.
The force vs. velocity curve for shock absorber 20 illustrated in
Referring now to
Rod guide housing 420 is assembled into pressure tube 30 and into reserve tube 36. Seal assembly 422 is assembled to rod guide housing 420 and reserve tube 36 is rolled or formed over as illustrated at 428 to retain rod guide assembly 400. One or more bushings 430 assembled into rod guide housing 420 accommodates for the sliding motion of piston rod 34 while also providing for a seal for piston rod 34. A fluid passage 432 extends through rod guide housing 420 to allow fluid communication between upper working chamber 44 and digital valve assembly 426 as discussed below. A fluid passage 434 extends through rod guide housing 420 to allow fluid communication between digital valve assembly 426 and reservoir chamber 52. A plurality of seal ports 436 extend through rod guide housing 420 to accommodate the flow of fluid between piston rod 34 and bushings 430.
Each digital valve assembly 426 is identical and thus only one digital valve assembly 426 will be described. It is to be understood that the description below applies to all digital valve assemblies used in rod guide assembly 400. Digital valve assembly 426 is a two position valve assembly which has a different flow area in each of the two positions. Digital valve assembly 426 comprises a sleeve 442, spool 144, spring 146 and coil assembly 148. Sleeve 442 is disposed within a valve port 450 defined by rod guide housing 420. Sleeve 442 defines an annular inlet chamber 454 which is in communication with fluid passage 432 and a pair of annular outlet chambers 456 and 458 which are in communication with fluid passage 434.
Spool 144 is slidingly received within sleeve 442 and axially travels within sleeve 442 between coil assembly 148 and stop puck 160 disposed within sleeve 442. Spring 146 biases spool 144 away from coil assembly 148 and towards stop puck 160. Shim 162 is disposed between coil assembly 148 and spool 144 to control the amount of axial motion for spool 144. A first O-ring seals the interface between stop puck 160 and a retainer 460 secured to sleeve 442. A second O-ring seals the interface between coil assembly 148 and a retainer 462 secured to sleeve 442.
Spool 144 defines first flange 164 which controls fluid flow between annular inlet chamber 454 and annular outlet chamber 456 and second flange 166 that controls fluid flow between annular inlet chamber 454 and annular outlet chamber 458. Flanges 164 and 166 thus control fluid flow from upper working chamber 44 to reservoir chamber 52.
Coil assembly 148 is disposed within sleeve 442 to control the axial movement of spool 144. The wiring connections for coil assembly 148 can extend through rod guide housing 420, through sleeve 442 and/or through reserve tube 36. When there is no power provided to coil assembly 148, the damping characteristics will be defined by the flow area of digital valve assembly 426 in its first position, piston assembly 32 and base valve assembly 38. The movement of spool 144 is controlled by supplying power to coil assembly 148 to move digital valve assembly to its second position. Digital valve assembly 426 can be kept in its second position by continuing to supply power to coil assembly 148 or by providing means for retaining digital valve assembly 426 in its second position and discontinuing the supply of power to coil assembly 148. The means for retaining digital valve assembly 426 in its second position can include mechanical means, magnetic means or other means known in the art. Once in its second position, movement to the first position can be accomplished by terminating power to coil assembly 148 or by reversing the current or reversing the polarity of the power supplied to coil assembly 148 to overcome the retaining means. The amount of flow through digital valve assembly 426 has discrete settings for flow control in both the first position and the second position. While the present disclosure is described using a plurality of digital valve assemblies 426, it is within the scope of the disclosure to use a single digital valve assembly 426. Similar to rod guide assembly 50, digital valve assemblies 426 control damping loads in both extension and compression strokes for shock absorber 20. When multiple digital valve assemblies 426 are used, the total flow area through the plurality of digital valve assemblies 426 can be set at a specific number of total flow areas depending on the position of each individual digital valve assemblies 426. The specific number of total flow areas can be defined as being 2n flow areas where n is the number of digital valve assemblies 426. For example, if four digital valve assemblies 426, the number of total flow areas available would be 24 or sixteen flow areas.
The force vs. velocity curve for shock absorber 20 illustrated in
Seal assembly 422 includes a check seal 470 which allows fluid to flow from the interface between piston rod 34 and bushings 430 to reservoir chamber 52 through seal ports 436 and fluid passage 434 but prohibit fluid flow from reservoir chamber 52 or fluid passage 434 through seal ports 436 to the interface between piston rod 34 and bushings 430. The upper portion of sleeve 442, above retainer 462 defines a flow passage 472 to allow fluid flow from seal ports 436 to reach fluid passage 434 and thus reservoir chamber 52.
Referring now to
As illustrated in
Digital valve assembly 510 is a two position valve assembly which has a different flow area in each of the two positions. Digital valve assembly 510 comprises a sleeve 522, spool 144, spring 146 and coil assembly 148. A single circuit board 524 is utilized for the plurality of digital valve assemblies 510. Sleeve 522 defines a valve inlet 530 which is in communication with lower working chamber 246 through inlet passage 514; a valve outlet 532 which is in communication with upper working chamber 244 through outlet passages 516; an annular inlet chamber 534 each of which is in communication valve inlet 530; and a pair of annular outlet chamber 536, 538 associated with inlet chamber 534 and each of which is in communication with valve outlet 532.
Each spool 144 is slidingly received within sleeve 522 and axially travels within sleeve 522 between coil assembly 148 and stop puck 160 disposed within sleeve 522. Spring 146 biases spool 144 away from coil assembly 148 and towards stop puck 160. Shim 162 is disposed between coil assembly 148 and sleeve 522 to control the amount of axial motion for spool 144. A first O-ring seals the interface between stop puck 160 and a washer 540 attached to sleeve 522. A second O-ring seals the interface between coil assembly 148 and a washer 542 attached to sleeve 522.
Spool 144 defines first flange 164 which controls fluid flow between annular inlet chamber 534 and annular outlet chamber 536 and second flange 166 that controls fluid flow between annular inlet chamber 534 and annular outlet chamber 538. Flanges 164 and 166 thus control fluid flow between upper working chamber 244 and lower working chamber 246.
Coil assembly 148 is disposed within sleeve 522 to control the axial movement of spool 144. The wiring connections for coil assembly 148 extend to circuit board 524 and then through internal bore 512 of piston rod 508. Circuit board 524 is disposed in internal bore 302 immediately above the plurality of digital valve assemblies 510. An O-ring seals the interface between circuit board 524 and piston rod 508. While circuit board 524 is illustrated as being in internal bore 512, it is within the scope of the present disclosure to locate circuit board 524 external to shock absorber 220.
When there is no power provided to coil assemblies 148, the damping characteristics will be defined by the flow area of digital valve assemblies 510 in the first position and piston assembly 232. The movement of each spool 144 is controlled by supplying power to each coil assembly 148 to move digital valve assemblies 510 to the second position. Digital valve assemblies 510 can be kept in the second position by continuing to supply power to each coil assembly 148 or by providing means for retaining digital valve assemblies 510 in the second position and discontinuing the supply of power to coil assemblies 148. The means for retaining digital valve assemblies 510 in the second position can include mechanical means, magnetic means or other means known in the art. Once in the second position, movement to the first position can be accomplished by terminating power to each coil assembly 148 or by reversing the current or reversing the polarity of the power supplied to each coil assembly 148 to overcome the retaining means. The amount of flow through each digital valve assembly 510 has discrete settings for flow control in both the first position and the second position. While the present disclosure is described using multiple digital valve assemblies 510, it is within the scope of the disclosure to use one digital valve assembly 510. When multiple digital valve assemblies 510 are used, the total flow area through the plurality of digital valve assemblies 510 can be set at a specific number of total flow areas depending on the position of each individual digital valve assemblies 510. The specific number of total flow areas can be defined as being 2n flow areas where n is the number of digital valve assemblies 510. For example, if four digital valve assemblies 510, the number of total flow areas available would be 24 or sixteen flow areas.
The force vs. velocity curve for shock absorber 20 illustrated in
Referring now to
Pressure tube 630 defines a working chamber 644. Piston assembly 32 is slidably disposed within pressure tube 630 and divides working chamber 644 into an upper working chamber 646 and a lower working chamber 648. A seal is disposed between piston assembly 32 and pressure tube 630 to permit sliding movement of piston assembly 32 with respect to pressure tube 630 without generating undue frictional forces as well as sealing upper working chamber 646 from lower working chamber 648. Piston rod 34 is attached to piston assembly 32 and extends through upper working chamber 646 and through an upper rod guide assembly 650 which closes the upper end of pressure tube 630. A sealing system seals the interface between upper rod guide assembly 650, reserve tube 636 and piston rod 34. The end of piston rod 34 opposite to piston assembly 32 is adapted to be secured to the sprung mass of vehicle 10. Because piston rod 34 extends only through upper working chamber 646 and not lower working chamber 648, extension and compression movements of piston assembly 32 with respect to pressure tube 630 causes a difference in the amount of fluid displaced in upper working chamber 646 and the amount of fluid displaced in lower working chamber 648. The difference in the amount of fluid displaced is known as the “rod volume” and during extension movements it flows through base valve assembly 638. During a compression movement of piston assembly 32 with respect to pressure tube 630, valving within piston assembly 32 allow fluid flow from lower working chamber 648 to upper working chamber 646 and the “rod volume” of fluid flow flows through digital valve assemblies 642 and/or fluid flow will flow through base valve assembly 638 as described below.
Reserve tube 636 surrounds pressure tube 630 to define a fluid reservoir chamber 652 located between tubes 640 and 636. The bottom end of reserve tube 636 is closed by a base cup 654 which, with the lower portion of shock absorber 620, is adapted to be connected to the unsprung mass of vehicle 10. The upper end of reserve tube 636 is attached to intermediate tube 640 but it could extend up to upper rod guide assembly 650. Base valve assembly 638 is disposed between lower working chamber 648 and reservoir chamber 652 to control the flow of fluid from reservoir chamber 652 to lower working chamber 648. When shock absorber 620 extends in length, an additional volume of fluid is needed in lower working chamber 648 due to the “rod volume” concept. Thus, fluid will flow from reservoir chamber 652 to lower working chamber 648 through base valve assembly 638 as detailed below. When shock absorber 620 compresses in length, an excess of fluid must be removed from lower working chamber 648 due to the “rod volume” concept. Thus, fluid will flow from lower working chamber 648 to reservoir chamber 652 through digital valve assemblies 642 and/or through base valve assembly 438 as detailed below.
Piston assembly 32 is described above for shock absorber 20 and the description of that embodiment applies here also.
Base valve assembly 638 is the same as base valve assembly 38 described above except that valve body 92 in base valve assembly 38 is replaced by valve body 692 for base valve assembly 638. Valve body 692 is the same as valve body 92 in relation to compression valve assembly 94 and rebound valve assembly 96. Valve body 692 is different from valve body 92 in that valve body 692 defines a plurality of cylinder end ports 694 each of which accepts a respective digital valve assembly 642 as described below.
Intermediate tube 640 engages upper rod guide assembly 650 on an upper end and it engages valve body 692 at its opposite end. An intermediate chamber 696 is defined between intermediate tube 640 and pressure tube 630. A passage 698 is formed in upper rod guide assembly 650 for fluidly connecting upper working chamber 646 and intermediate chamber 696.
Referring to
During a compression stroke, compression valve assembly 62 will open to allow fluid flow from lower working chamber 648 to upper working chamber 646. Due to the “rod volume” concept, fluid in upper working chamber 646 will flow from upper working chamber 646, through passage 698, into intermediate chamber 696 to reach digital valve assemblies 642.
The plurality of digital valve assemblies 642 are the same and only one digital valve assembly 642 will be described. It is to be understood that the description below applies to all of digital valve assemblies 642. Digital valve assembly 642 is a two position valve assembly which has a different flow area in each of the two positions. Digital valve assembly 642 comprises a sleeve 742, spool 144, a spring 146 and coil assembly 148. Sleeve 742 defines a valve inlet 750 which is in communication with intermediate chamber 696 and a valve outlet 752 which is in fluid communication with reservoir chamber 652.
Sleeve 742 is disposed within cylinder end port 694 of valve body 692. Sleeve 742 defines an annular inlet chamber 754 which is in communication with valve inlet 750 and a pair of annular outlet chambers 756 and 758 which are in communication with valve outlet 752.
Spool 144 is slidingly received within sleeve 742 and axially travels within sleeve 742 between coil assembly 148 and a stop puck 760 disposed within sleeve 742. Spring 146 biases spool 144 away from coil assembly 148 and towards stop puck 760. A shim 762 is disposed between coil assembly 148 and sleeve 742 to control the amount of axial motion for spool 144. A first O-ring seals the interface between stop puck 760, sleeve 742 and a first retainer 764 attached to sleeve 742. A second O-ring seals the interface between coil assembly 148, sleeve 742 and a second retainer 766 attached to sleeve 742.
Spool 144 defines first flange 164 which controls fluid flow between annular inlet chamber 754 and annular outlet chamber 756 and second flange 166 that controls fluid flow between annular inlet chamber 754 and annular outlet chamber 758. Flanges 164 and 166 thus control fluid flow from intermediate chamber 696 to reservoir chamber 652.
Coil assembly 148 is disposed within sleeve 742 to control the axial movement of spool 144. The wiring connections for coil assembly 148 can extend through valve body 692, through sleeve 742, through base cup 654 and/or through reserve tube 636. When there is no power provided to coil assembly 148, the damping characteristics will be defined by the flow area of digital valve assembly 642 in its first position, piston assembly 32 and base valve assembly 638. The movement of spool 144 is controlled by supplying power to coil assembly 148 to move digital valve assembly 642 to its second position. Digital valve assembly 642 can be kept in its second position by continuing to supply power to coil assembly 148 or by providing means for retaining digital valve assembly 642 in its second position and discontinuing the supply of power to coil assembly 148. The means for retaining digital valve assembly 642 in its second position can include mechanical means, magnetic means or other means known in the art. Once in its second position, movement to the first position can be accomplished by terminating power to coil assembly 148 or by reversing the current or reversing the polarity of the power supplied to coil assembly 148 to overcome the retaining means. The amount of flow through digital valve assembly 642 has discrete settings for flow control in both the first position and the second position. While the present disclosure is described using multiple digital valve assemblies 642, it is within the scope of the disclosure to use one digital valve assembly 642. When multiple digital valve assemblies 642 are used, the total flow area through the plurality of digital valve assemblies 642 can be set at a specific number of total flow areas depending on the position of each individual digital valve assemblies 642. The specific number of total flow areas can be defined as being 2n flow areas where n is the number of digital valve assemblies 642. For example, if four digital valve assemblies 642, the number of total flow areas available would be 24 or sixteen flow areas.
The force vs. velocity curve for shock absorber 20 illustrated in
Referring now to
Referring now to
Digital valve assembly 948 is disposed within intermediate chamber 696 as illustrated in
The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the invention, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention.
