This patent application claims priority International Patent Application PCT/DE2012/100042, filed on Feb. 6, 2013 and German Patent Application 10 2012 201 963.4, filed on Feb. 9, 2012.
No federal government funds were used in researching or developing this invention.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
The present invention relates to a damper valve, in particular for shock absorbers of vehicles, with adjustable damping force
The current state of knowledge is as follows.
Such damper valves are well known and regularly show an electromagnet, by which a valve slide is moved in order to close the outlet opening located between an inlet and an outlet to a greater or lesser extent and this way ensuring a throttle effect. When the outlet opening is open to a relatively large extent we create a comfortable chassis. If the vehicle shall be provided with a “hard” chassis, the throttling is increased, i.e. the outlet opening is closed to a greater extent. This way a sporty chassis can be achieved and better stabilization of the vehicle at high speeds.
An example for such an electromagnetically controlled damper valve is described in DE 41 08 026 A1. Here, the damper valve is embodied as a one-stage and/or two-stage slide valve, with the slide position being determined depending on the hydraulic pressure difference generated over the damper valve, the flow rate flowing through the damper valve, as well as the control current of the electromagnetic actuation. In this damper valve the fact is problematic that the valve slide, embodied in a sheath-like fashion, is coupled with an inductor which is moved together with the valve slide for a sectional closing of the outlet opening and thus for achieving the throttle effect. This leads to a very complicated design and additionally is prone to malfunction, due to the axial motion of the coil.
Furthermore, damper valves are known in which the electromagnet is arranged stationary inside the housing of the damper valve. Here, the rotor present in the electromagnet is connected to an exterior valve slide. However, in order to be supported this cylindrically designed exterior valve slide must encompass a bearing part located inside the exterior valve slide. Here, depending on the axial position of the exterior valve slide a particularly shaped outlet opening is closed more or less at its front by the exterior valve slide. In such a damper valve on the one hand the large number of components is problematic, and on the other hand the fact that any tilted position of the exterior valve slide can lead to jamming and thus malfunctioning of the damper valve. Accordingly these damper valves of prior art need to be produced with large internal play. Overall it has shown that these damper valves are characterized in high leakage loss. Additionally it is problematic that, in order to achieve a hyperbolically increasing control curve, i.e. the ratio between rotor stroke and cross-section of the opening, a very complex and thus complicated geometric shape of the outlet opening must be selected, which is also very expensive and aggravates the production of such damper valves. Overall, due to the complex components here increased expenses are necessary both for the assembly as well as the adjustment of the damper valve.
The objective of the present invention therefore comprises to provide a damper valve, in particular for shock absorbers of vehicles, such that on the one hand it can be produced more easily and is characterized in low leakage loss and a small number of components.
In a preferred embodiment, a damper valve, in particular for shock absorbers of vehicles, with adjustable damping force, in which via an electromagnet an outlet opening, located between an inlet and an outlet, can be closed to a greater or lesser extent by a valve slide, wherein at least two outlet openings are provided, showing different sizes and each embodied as bores, and that these outlet openings can be radially sealed to a greater or lesser extent by the valve slide depending on the desired throttle effect.
The damper valve as described herein, wherein the outlet openings are circular bores.
The damper valve as described herein, wherein four outlet openings are provided, with these four outlet openings being arranged at an angle of 90° in reference to each other.
The damper valve as described herein, wherein two equally sized outlet openings are each located diametrically opposite each other.
The damper valve as described herein, wherein the differently sized outlet openings are arranged with the center of their openings at the same axial height in reference to the central axis of the damper valve.
The damper valve as described herein, wherein the differently sized outlet openings are arranged in reference to the valve slide such that the large outlet opening can only be opened by the valve slide when the small outlet valves have already been opened by the valve slide.
The damper valve as described herein, further comprising wherein a hydraulic return is provided from the outlet in the direction towards the rotor.
The damper valve as described herein, further comprising wherein a control pin is loosely inserted between the rotor and the valve slide.
The damper valve as described herein, wherein the control pin shows a diameter of less than 1 mm, preferably from 0.6 to 0.8 mm.
The damper valve as described herein, further comprising wherein a compensation bore is provided in the rotor, penetrating said rotor.
The damper valve as described herein, wherein the valve slide is embodied like a cup and shows at its bottom a compensation bore penetrating the bottom of the valve slide.
The damper valve as described herein, further comprising wherein a valve seat is provided, in which the differently sized outlet openings are arranged and in which the valve slide is guided.
The damper valve as described herein, further comprising wherein a compensation bore is arranged in the valve seat, arranged from the outlet in the direction towards the rotor.
The damper valve as described herein, wherein the valve seat shows a collar pointing away from the rotor, in which an adjustment disk is fixed, which pushes via the spring device against a facial end of the valve slide.
The damper valve as described herein, further comprising wherein a sheath is arranged between the valve seat and the valve slide, in which the different outlet openings are implemented.
The damper valve as described herein, wherein four circular outlet openings are arranged in the sheath, with two outlet openings of equal size each being located diametrically opposite each other.
The damper valve as described herein, wherein the valve slide is embodied as a hollow cylinder and provided with bores.
The damper valve as described herein, wherein the valve seat shows a channel from its outlet towards the outlet openings of the sheath which has a greater cross-section than the outlet openings.
The damper valve as described herein, wherein it is embodied as a normally closed damper valve.
The damper valve as described herein, wherein it is embodied as a normally open damper valve.
The idea of the present invention essentially comprises that at least two differently sized outlet openings are provided, embodied as bores, which can be closed radially by valve slides to a greater or lesser extent, depending on the desired throttle effect. In such a damper valve very complex contours of the outlet openings are no longer necessary. Rather it is sufficient to provide circular and thus easily produced bores with differently large diameters. Here, the outlet openings may be arranged axially offset from each other, in reference to a central axis of the damper valve. By selecting the diameter of the bores most different cross-sections of the throttle can be created.
It has proven beneficial to provide four outlet openings, with these outlet openings being distributed preferably each at an angle of 90° in reference to each other. Two identically sized outlet openings each are here arranged diametrically opposite each other.
In order to generate a beneficial characteristic regarding the ratio of rotor stroke/overall open cross-section of the outlet openings it has proven beneficial to arranged all or some of the outlet openings with the center of their opening axially off-set from each other in reference to a central axis X of the damper valve.
However it may also be provided that the centers of the outlet openings are offset in reference to each other. Here, it should be observed that preferably the differently sized outlet openings are arranged in reference to the valve slide such that the large outlet opening or the large outlet openings are only opened by the valve slide when the small outlet opening or the small outlet openings have already been opened by the valve slide.
Furthermore it has proven advantageous to provide a control pin between the rotor and the valve slide by which in case of a sudden pressure increase inside the damper valve a greater flow rate is permitted, reducing the pressure and thus sudden pressure peaks, as occurring e.g. when driving over a pothole, being better absorbed. A similar effect is achieved when instead of such a control pin the valve slide is provided with a circumferential difference area, i.e. an enlarged exterior diameter, in order to generate a differential area function. This is discussed in greater detail in the description of the figures.
In one exemplary embodiment of the invention it is provided that the differently sized outlet openings are provided in a housing part of the damper valve, preferably the valve seat. However, instead thereof a sheath may be arranged about the valve slide, in which these outlet openings are inserted, with here it being necessary to observe that a sufficiently large channel is provided from the outlet openings of this sheath to the outlet chamber of the damper valve.
On the exterior wall of the pole core 12 and the annular body 14 as well as a part of the valve seat 30 a bobbin 21, made from plastic, is located rotationally symmetrical. This bobbin 21 carries a coil 20, which is electrically connected to a plug-in connector 22. Electricity can be supplied via this plug-in connector 22 to the coil 20 in order to axially move the rotor 18 according to the power supplied. Together with the pole core 12 and the rotor 18 the coil 20 forms an electromagnet. The entire coil 20 and the bobbin 21 are provided with a plastic coating 28, which additionally also surrounds the plug-in connector 22 like a collar.
At the left side of the damper valve 1 a metallic back-iron 24 is provided, which also acts as a left housing lid. The coil 20 and the plastic coating 28 are surrounded by a cylindrical housing wall 26. At the right of this cylindrical housing wall 26 a plate-shaped section of the valve seat 30 follows, which acts as the right housing lid.
The valve seat 30 shows a staggered penetrating bore along the central axis X. A cup-shaped valve slide 40 is located approximately in the middle of the valve seat 30. The cup-shaped opening of the valve slide 40 is marked with the reference character 42. A compensation bore 44 is located in the bottom wall of the valve slide 40, penetrating the entire bottom parallel in reference to the central axis X. For example, two or more such compensation bores 44 are inserted in the bottom of the valve slide 40. At the left of the valve slide 40 the valve seat 30 shows a penetrating bore with a relatively small diameter, in which a control pin 60 is arranged axially guided. The control pin 60, which shows e.g. a diameter of 1 mm or less, thus for example 0.6 mm to 0.8 mm, is placed centered on the central axis X and thus with its left end contacts the rotor 18 at its face and with its right end contacts the bottom of the valve slide 40 at its face.
Shown in
The cylindrical exterior wall of the valve slide 40 serves for the radial sealing and/or partial sealing of the above-mentioned outlet openings 31, 32 and leads this way to a throttle effect, depending to what extent the valve slide 40 is moved from the left to the right in the illustration of
For reasons of completeness, it shall be mentioned that the valve seat 30 comprises a compensation bore 33, which connects the outlet A to the chamber in which the rotor is moving and ensures pressure compensation.
The arrangement of the differently sized four outlet openings 31, 32 is discernible in the context with
With such an arrangement of four circular outlet openings 31, 32, which are differently sized in pairs, for example the hyperbolic control curve shown in
Although it was mentioned in the context with
Furthermore, the scope of the invention includes that more than four outlet openings are provided or three or four differently sized outlet openings are implemented in the damper valve 1. It is essential for the invention that the outlet openings are embodied as simple, preferably circular bores.
The assembly of the damper valve 1 shown in
The operation of the damper valve 1 shown in
The adjustable damper force of the damper valve 1 is achieved by axially sealing the outlet openings 31, 32 to a greater or lesser extent using the radial exterior area of the valve slide 40. In
If the vehicle shall be provided with a “hard chassis” the throttling is increased and thus the entire cross-section of the outlet openings 31, 32 is reduced. This way a sporty chassis can be yielded or better stabilization at high speeds. For a comfortable chassis and a soft damping the throttling is reduced and a larger cross-section of the outlet openings 31, 32 is adjusted, for example by the position of the valve slide 40 as far as possible to the left as shown in
With the damper valve 1 of
The damper valve 1 differs in the following areas from the damper valve of
Here, too, preferably four outlet openings 31, 32 are inserted in this sheath 70. The outlet openings 31, 32 are located at an angle of 90° in reference to each other. In
The differential area function realized in
If for example the damper valve 1 in
The arrangement in
The references recited herein are incorporated herein in their entirety, particularly as they relate to teaching the level of ordinary skill in this art and for any disclosure necessary for the commoner understanding of the subject matter of the claimed invention. It will be clear to a person of ordinary skill in the art that the above embodiments may be altered or that insubstantial changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is determined by the scope of the following claims and their equitable equivalents.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10 2012 201 963.4 | Sep 2012 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/DE2013/100042 | 2/6/2013 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO2013/117191 | 8/15/2013 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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3794063 | Carroll | Feb 1974 | A |
4838954 | Perach | Jun 1989 | A |
5427147 | Henriksson | Jun 1995 | A |
5464079 | Lohberg | Nov 1995 | A |
5639066 | Lambert | Jun 1997 | A |
9145975 | Waterstredt | Sep 2015 | B2 |
20070017586 | Bohaychuk | Jan 2007 | A1 |
20080203341 | Feigel | Aug 2008 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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36 11 315 | Oct 1987 | DE |
37 19 113 | Aug 1988 | DE |
38 23 430 | Jan 1990 | DE |
40 41 619 | Jun 1992 | DE |
41 08 026 | Sep 1992 | DE |
41 37 403 | May 1993 | DE |
10 2006 014 463 | Aug 2007 | DE |
10 2006 0144663 | Aug 2007 | DE |
1 021 877 | Mar 1966 | GB |
S62-283233 | Nov 1986 | JP |
S63-312532 | Dec 1988 | JP |
H04-232194 | Jun 1990 | JP |
H03-012680 | Feb 1991 | JP |
2000-205435 | Jul 2000 | JP |
WO 2008148 553 | Dec 2008 | WO |
WO 2011087973 | Jul 2011 | WO |
Entry |
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International search report for related application PCT/DE2013/100042, dated Jun. 20, 2014. |
Office Action issued by Japanese Patent Office for parallel application 2014-555941 dated Nov. 22, 2016. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20150144445 A1 | May 2015 | US |