US20040201146A1 - Air spring strut - Google Patents
Air spring strut Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20040201146A1 US20040201146A1 US10/821,999 US82199904A US2004201146A1 US 20040201146 A1 US20040201146 A1 US 20040201146A1 US 82199904 A US82199904 A US 82199904A US 2004201146 A1 US2004201146 A1 US 2004201146A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- hollow cylinder
- air spring
- air
- spring strut
- piston
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
- 239000000725 suspension Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- 239000013013 elastic material Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000006096 absorbing agent Substances 0.000 claims description 2
- 230000035939 shock Effects 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000013016 damping Methods 0.000 description 4
- 238000005096 rolling process Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000009423 ventilation Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000002349 favourable effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000002093 peripheral effect Effects 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
- B60G15/00—Resilient suspensions characterised by arrangement, location or type of combined spring and vibration damper, e.g. telescopic type
- B60G15/08—Resilient suspensions characterised by arrangement, location or type of combined spring and vibration damper, e.g. telescopic type having fluid spring
- B60G15/12—Resilient suspensions characterised by arrangement, location or type of combined spring and vibration damper, e.g. telescopic type having fluid spring and fluid damper
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
- B60G17/00—Resilient suspensions having means for adjusting the spring or vibration-damper characteristics, for regulating the distance between a supporting surface and a sprung part of vehicle or for locking suspension during use to meet varying vehicular or surface conditions, e.g. due to speed or load
- B60G17/02—Spring characteristics, e.g. mechanical springs and mechanical adjusting means
- B60G17/04—Spring characteristics, e.g. mechanical springs and mechanical adjusting means fluid spring characteristics
- B60G17/0416—Spring characteristics, e.g. mechanical springs and mechanical adjusting means fluid spring characteristics regulated by varying the resiliency of hydropneumatic suspensions
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
- B60G17/00—Resilient suspensions having means for adjusting the spring or vibration-damper characteristics, for regulating the distance between a supporting surface and a sprung part of vehicle or for locking suspension during use to meet varying vehicular or surface conditions, e.g. due to speed or load
- B60G17/02—Spring characteristics, e.g. mechanical springs and mechanical adjusting means
- B60G17/04—Spring characteristics, e.g. mechanical springs and mechanical adjusting means fluid spring characteristics
- B60G17/048—Spring characteristics, e.g. mechanical springs and mechanical adjusting means fluid spring characteristics with the regulating means inside the fluid springs
- B60G17/0485—Spring characteristics, e.g. mechanical springs and mechanical adjusting means fluid spring characteristics with the regulating means inside the fluid springs the springs being pneumatic springs with a flexible wall, e.g. with levelling valves
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
- B60G17/00—Resilient suspensions having means for adjusting the spring or vibration-damper characteristics, for regulating the distance between a supporting surface and a sprung part of vehicle or for locking suspension during use to meet varying vehicular or surface conditions, e.g. due to speed or load
- B60G17/02—Spring characteristics, e.g. mechanical springs and mechanical adjusting means
- B60G17/04—Spring characteristics, e.g. mechanical springs and mechanical adjusting means fluid spring characteristics
- B60G17/052—Pneumatic spring characteristics
- B60G17/0521—Pneumatic spring characteristics the spring having a flexible wall
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16F—SPRINGS; SHOCK-ABSORBERS; MEANS FOR DAMPING VIBRATION
- F16F9/00—Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium
- F16F9/02—Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium using gas only or vacuum
- F16F9/04—Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium using gas only or vacuum in a chamber with a flexible wall
- F16F9/0472—Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium using gas only or vacuum in a chamber with a flexible wall characterised by comprising a damping device
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16F—SPRINGS; SHOCK-ABSORBERS; MEANS FOR DAMPING VIBRATION
- F16F9/00—Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium
- F16F9/02—Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium using gas only or vacuum
- F16F9/04—Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium using gas only or vacuum in a chamber with a flexible wall
- F16F9/049—Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium using gas only or vacuum in a chamber with a flexible wall multi-chamber units
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16F—SPRINGS; SHOCK-ABSORBERS; MEANS FOR DAMPING VIBRATION
- F16F9/00—Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium
- F16F9/02—Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium using gas only or vacuum
- F16F9/04—Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium using gas only or vacuum in a chamber with a flexible wall
- F16F9/05—Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium using gas only or vacuum in a chamber with a flexible wall the flexible wall being of the rolling diaphragm type
- F16F9/055—Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium using gas only or vacuum in a chamber with a flexible wall the flexible wall being of the rolling diaphragm type having a double diaphragm construction
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
- B60G2202/00—Indexing codes relating to the type of spring, damper or actuator
- B60G2202/40—Type of actuator
- B60G2202/41—Fluid actuator
- B60G2202/412—Pneumatic actuator
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
- B60G2206/00—Indexing codes related to the manufacturing of suspensions: constructional features, the materials used, procedures or tools
- B60G2206/01—Constructional features of suspension elements, e.g. arms, dampers, springs
- B60G2206/40—Constructional features of dampers and/or springs
- B60G2206/42—Springs
- B60G2206/424—Plunger or top retainer construction for bellows or rolling lobe type air springs
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
- B60G2500/00—Indexing codes relating to the regulated action or device
- B60G2500/20—Spring action or springs
- B60G2500/204—Pressure regulating valves for air-springs
- B60G2500/2041—Pressure regulating valves for air-springs for variable volume air springs, e.g. using accumulators as expansion chambers
Definitions
- Air spring struts for motor vehicles have been known for some time in various embodiments. These air spring struts essentially include a piston element which is articulately connected at one end to an inner wheel support of the wheel suspension of the motor vehicle and is supported at the other end on the chassis of the motor vehicle via an air spring.
- the air spring itself can be formed by a one-chamber system or a multi-chamber system. So-called rolling-lobe resilient members of the air spring are supported on the outer contour (wall) of a roll-off piston.
- One-chamber systems are, for example, disclosed in German patent publications 3,624,296 and 4,213,676.
- a roll-off piston moves within the rolling-lobe resilient member of the air spring.
- This rolling-lobe resilient member folds over upon itself and forms the rolling lobe which, in turn, rolls off over the outer contour of the roll-off piston.
- Multi-chamber systems have been proven for obtaining a highest possible spring action or damping.
- a two-chamber system is known from German patent publication 2,406,835 wherein the air space, which is available, is formed by two separate air chambers which, however, are connected via throttle elements such as valves.
- U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,145 discloses a multi-chamber system which includes an outer rolling-lobe resilient member and an inner rolling-lobe resilient member.
- the rolling-lobe resilient members are either directed in the same direction or are directed toward each other and roll off on roll-off pistons.
- wheel contact transverse forces which act on air spring struts, have been shown in practice to be especially disadvantageous for the support of the air spring strut as well as for the air springs thereof and these transverse forces are countered especially by the more compact configuration of the air spring struts.
- the air spring strut of the invention is for mounting between a chassis of a motor vehicle and a wheel support of a wheel suspension.
- the air spring strut includes: an air spring supported on the chassis and including an outer hollow cylinder and an inner hollow cylinder disposed at least partially within the outer hollow cylinder; a piston arranged within the inner hollow cylinder and connected to the outer hollow cylinder; a first rolling-lobe resilient member arranged between the outer hollow cylinder and the inner hollow cylinder so as to seal off an outer air chamber; a second rolling-lobe resilient member arranged between the inner hollow cylinder and the piston so as to seal off an inner air chamber; the inner hollow cylinder being articulately connected to the wheel support; and, the inner air chamber and the outer air chamber being arranged eccentrically to each other.
- an air spring strut which, in an especially advantageous manner, combines a good spring action and/or damping from the multi-chamber system with an effective transverse stiffness.
- a further advantage is that the air spring strut is built relatively short because of the guidance of the two hollow cylinders within each other and, accordingly, less structural space is needed than would be needed for conventional air spring struts having multi-chamber systems.
- the outer hollow cylinder has a lower section having openings through which struts of the inner hollow cylinder project so as to be axially moveable.
- the piston element is connected to the lower section of the outer hollow cylinder in a region which is located between the above-mentioned openings viewed radially. With this configuration, the air spring is configured to be especially compact.
- openings in the lower section of the outer hollow cylinder can be virtually aligned as desired, it is preferable when these openings are arranged axially parallel to the longitudinal extension of the air spring.
- the two air chambers are connected to each other via bores and/or valves to permit flow therebetween in order to realize a ventilation of the air volume between the two air chambers.
- At least one spring element is arranged on the chassis of the motor vehicle and/or on the upper end of the outer hollow cylinder and/or on the upper end of the piston element to take up impact forces or to take up the maximum force when the air spring strut bottoms. It is practical that these spring elements are made of spring-elastic material.
- FIG. 1 shows the wheel suspension of a motor vehicle having an air spring strut according to the invention
- FIG. 2 shows a section view of the air spring strut taken along line I-I of FIG. 1.
- FIG. 1 shows a wheel 15 which is supported on the chassis 5 of a motor vehicle by a wheel support 3 and an air spring strut having an air spring 1 .
- a control link 4 is articulately connected to the wheel support 3 .
- the air spring 1 is configured as a two-chamber air spring wherein two hollow cylinders ( 8 , 9 ) are arranged so as to be axially displaceable one into the other.
- the outer one of the two air spring chambers ( 6 , 7 ) is defined by the inner wall of the outer hollow cylinder 8 and the outer wall of the inner hollow cylinder 9 . These inner and outer walls are axially displaceably connected to each other and sealed via an elastic rolling-lobe resilient member 10 .
- the outer hollow cylinder 8 has a lower section 16 having openings 17 through which struts 18 of the inner hollow cylinder 9 are guided so as to be displaceable in the longitudinal direction.
- the lower section 16 is, in addition, connected to a piston element 2 which projects into the upper section of the inner hollow cylinder 9 .
- the outer wall of this piston element 2 together with the inner wall of the upper section of the inner hollow cylinder 9 define a second, inner air chamber 7 .
- the piston element 2 and the inner hollow cylinder 9 are connected to each other so as to be axially displaceable with respect to each other by a rolling-lobe resilient member 11 which seals the above-mentioned walls.
- these chambers ( 6 , 7 ) are connected to each other via bores and/or valves 12 so as to permit the flow of air therebetween.
- the inner hollow cylinder 9 is so arranged axially displaceable in the outer hollow cylinder 8 that the inner hollow cylinder 9 extends into the rolling-lobe flexible member 10 of the outer hollow cylinder 8 when the air spring 1 deflects.
- a rolling-lobe is configured with which the rolling-lobe resilient member rolls off between the wall of the outer hollow cylinder 8 and the wall of the inner hollow cylinder 9 .
- the piston element 2 extends into the rolling-lobe resilient member 11 of the inner hollow cylinder 9 whereby a rolling lobe is likewise formed with which the rolling-lobe flexible member 11 rolls off between the wall of the inner hollow cylinder 9 and the wall of the piston element 2 .
- the diameter d 2 of the inner hollow cylinder 9 is selected to be less than the diameter d 1 of the outer hollow cylinder 8 in such a manner that, on the one hand, the inner hollow cylinder 9 can be axially moveable in the outer hollow cylinder 8 and, on the other hand, an unhindered roll off of the rolling lobe is ensured with a correspondingly high support thereof between the two walls.
- the same is true between the inner hollow cylinder 9 and the piston element 2 and, for an eccentric arrangement of the two hollow cylinders ( 8 , 9 ), it is important that they can move relative to each other.
- the countering transverse force can be adjusted within defined limits by the selection of the eccentricity E shown in FIG. 2, that is, with the selection of the offset of the longitudinal axes of the two hollow cylinders ( 8 , 9 ) to each other.
- the piston element 2 is shown as a solid piston.
- a known shock absorber can be used whereby a so-called spring damping unit is formed which, in turn, exhibits an especially favorable spring and damping characteristics.
- a spring element 13 is mounted on the motor vehicle chassis 5 and a spring element 14 is mounted on the piston element 2 .
- These spring elements ( 13 , 14 ) are preferably made of a spring-elastic material. Maximal impact forces or maximal forces which occur when the air spring strut bottoms can be taken up by the spring elements ( 13 , 14 ).
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Vehicle Body Suspensions (AREA)
- Fluid-Damping Devices (AREA)
Abstract
An air spring strut is mounted between a chassis of a motor vehicle and a wheel support of a wheel suspension and takes up wheel transverse forces. The air spring strut includes: an air spring including an outer hollow cylinder (8) and an inner hollow cylinder (9). A piston is arranged within the inner hollow cylinder (9) and is connected to the outer hollow cylinder (8). A first rolling-lobe resilient member (10) is arranged between the outer hollow cylinder (8) and the inner hollow cylinder (9) so as to seal off an outer air chamber. A second rolling-lobe resilient member (11) is arranged between the inner hollow cylinder (9) and the piston (2) so as to seal off an inner air chamber (7). The inner hollow cylinder (9) is articulately connected to the wheel support (3). The inner hollow cylinder (9) and the outer hollow cylinder (8) are arranged eccentrically to each other.
Description
- This application claims priority of German patent application no. 103 16 761.7, filed Apr. 10, 2003, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
- Air spring struts for motor vehicles have been known for some time in various embodiments. These air spring struts essentially include a piston element which is articulately connected at one end to an inner wheel support of the wheel suspension of the motor vehicle and is supported at the other end on the chassis of the motor vehicle via an air spring.
- The air spring itself can be formed by a one-chamber system or a multi-chamber system. So-called rolling-lobe resilient members of the air spring are supported on the outer contour (wall) of a roll-off piston.
- One-chamber systems are, for example, disclosed in German patent publications 3,624,296 and 4,213,676. During operation, a roll-off piston moves within the rolling-lobe resilient member of the air spring. This rolling-lobe resilient member folds over upon itself and forms the rolling lobe which, in turn, rolls off over the outer contour of the roll-off piston.
- Multi-chamber systems have been proven for obtaining a highest possible spring action or damping. A two-chamber system is known from German patent publication 2,406,835 wherein the air space, which is available, is formed by two separate air chambers which, however, are connected via throttle elements such as valves.
- U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,145 discloses a multi-chamber system which includes an outer rolling-lobe resilient member and an inner rolling-lobe resilient member. The rolling-lobe resilient members are either directed in the same direction or are directed toward each other and roll off on roll-off pistons.
- The above solutions relate to multi-chamber systems of air springs and are complex in their construction and with respect to their manufacture. In addition, these multi-chamber systems are relatively large which has been shown to be disadvantageous because of the tight conditions in the region of the wheel axles.
- Furthermore, wheel contact transverse forces, which act on air spring struts, have been shown in practice to be especially disadvantageous for the support of the air spring strut as well as for the air springs thereof and these transverse forces are countered especially by the more compact configuration of the air spring struts.
- A one-chamber system is suggested in German patent publication 3,624,296 for compensating the wheel contact transverse forces. In this system, the transverse forces, which counter the above-mentioned wheel contact transverse forces, are generated in such a manner that the rolling-lobe resilient member is supported on a shield. With this measure, an expansion of the rolling-lobe resilient member is countered in the direction of the transverse forces which are disadvantageous. The shield encloses the rolling-lobe flexible member in its peripheral region up to 180°, preferably, however, 90°.
- This solution can bring satisfactory results for one-chamber systems. With respect to multi-chamber systems, these are built longer in comparison whereby considerably higher forces act on the air spring or its support. It is from this point that the invention proceeds.
- It is an object of the invention to provide an improved air spring strut having an air spring which is of the two-chamber system type and which is easy and cost effective to manufacture. It is a further object of the invention to provide such an improved air spring strut which has a lesser structural height than conventional air spring struts. In addition, the air spring strut of the invention exhibits a high transverse stiffness and effectively counters the disadvantageous wheel contact transverse forces.
- The air spring strut of the invention is for mounting between a chassis of a motor vehicle and a wheel support of a wheel suspension. The air spring strut includes: an air spring supported on the chassis and including an outer hollow cylinder and an inner hollow cylinder disposed at least partially within the outer hollow cylinder; a piston arranged within the inner hollow cylinder and connected to the outer hollow cylinder; a first rolling-lobe resilient member arranged between the outer hollow cylinder and the inner hollow cylinder so as to seal off an outer air chamber; a second rolling-lobe resilient member arranged between the inner hollow cylinder and the piston so as to seal off an inner air chamber; the inner hollow cylinder being articulately connected to the wheel support; and, the inner air chamber and the outer air chamber being arranged eccentrically to each other.
- With the above solution, an air spring strut is provided which, in an especially advantageous manner, combines a good spring action and/or damping from the multi-chamber system with an effective transverse stiffness. With the eccentric arrangement of the two air springs to each other, disturbing wheel contact transverse forces can be countered in a defined manner whereby an improved driving performance and a longer service life results for an air spring strut configured in this manner.
- A further advantage is that the air spring strut is built relatively short because of the guidance of the two hollow cylinders within each other and, accordingly, less structural space is needed than would be needed for conventional air spring struts having multi-chamber systems.
- In a preferred embodiment of the air spring, the outer hollow cylinder has a lower section having openings through which struts of the inner hollow cylinder project so as to be axially moveable. In addition, it is advantageous when the piston element is connected to the lower section of the outer hollow cylinder in a region which is located between the above-mentioned openings viewed radially. With this configuration, the air spring is configured to be especially compact.
- Although the openings in the lower section of the outer hollow cylinder can be virtually aligned as desired, it is preferable when these openings are arranged axially parallel to the longitudinal extension of the air spring.
- In one embodiment of the invention, the two air chambers are connected to each other via bores and/or valves to permit flow therebetween in order to realize a ventilation of the air volume between the two air chambers.
- Furthermore, at least one spring element is arranged on the chassis of the motor vehicle and/or on the upper end of the outer hollow cylinder and/or on the upper end of the piston element to take up impact forces or to take up the maximum force when the air spring strut bottoms. It is practical that these spring elements are made of spring-elastic material.
- The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein:
- FIG. 1 shows the wheel suspension of a motor vehicle having an air spring strut according to the invention; and,
- FIG. 2 shows a section view of the air spring strut taken along line I-I of FIG. 1.
- FIG. 1 shows a
wheel 15 which is supported on thechassis 5 of a motor vehicle by awheel support 3 and an air spring strut having anair spring 1. In addition, acontrol link 4 is articulately connected to thewheel support 3. - The
air spring 1 is configured as a two-chamber air spring wherein two hollow cylinders (8, 9) are arranged so as to be axially displaceable one into the other. The outer one of the two air spring chambers (6, 7) is defined by the inner wall of the outerhollow cylinder 8 and the outer wall of the innerhollow cylinder 9. These inner and outer walls are axially displaceably connected to each other and sealed via an elastic rolling-loberesilient member 10. - Furthermore, the outer
hollow cylinder 8 has alower section 16 havingopenings 17 through whichstruts 18 of the innerhollow cylinder 9 are guided so as to be displaceable in the longitudinal direction. Thelower section 16 is, in addition, connected to apiston element 2 which projects into the upper section of the innerhollow cylinder 9. The outer wall of thispiston element 2 together with the inner wall of the upper section of the innerhollow cylinder 9 define a second, inner air chamber 7. Thepiston element 2 and the innerhollow cylinder 9 are connected to each other so as to be axially displaceable with respect to each other by a rolling-loberesilient member 11 which seals the above-mentioned walls. - To ensure a ventilation of the air volumes between the outer and inner air chambers (6, 7), these chambers (6, 7) are connected to each other via bores and/or
valves 12 so as to permit the flow of air therebetween. - As shown in FIG. 1, the inner
hollow cylinder 9 is so arranged axially displaceable in the outerhollow cylinder 8 that the innerhollow cylinder 9 extends into the rolling-lobeflexible member 10 of the outerhollow cylinder 8 when theair spring 1 deflects. In this way, a rolling-lobe is configured with which the rolling-lobe resilient member rolls off between the wall of the outerhollow cylinder 8 and the wall of the innerhollow cylinder 9. - In the same manner, the
piston element 2 extends into the rolling-loberesilient member 11 of the innerhollow cylinder 9 whereby a rolling lobe is likewise formed with which the rolling-lobeflexible member 11 rolls off between the wall of the innerhollow cylinder 9 and the wall of thepiston element 2. - The diameter d2 of the inner
hollow cylinder 9 is selected to be less than the diameter d1 of the outerhollow cylinder 8 in such a manner that, on the one hand, the innerhollow cylinder 9 can be axially moveable in the outerhollow cylinder 8 and, on the other hand, an unhindered roll off of the rolling lobe is ensured with a correspondingly high support thereof between the two walls. The same is true between the innerhollow cylinder 9 and thepiston element 2 and, for an eccentric arrangement of the two hollow cylinders (8, 9), it is important that they can move relative to each other. - A high transverse stiffness of the entire system is ensured already because of the radial support of both rolling-lobe resilient members (10, 11) in all directions. This support is significantly improved in that the two air chambers (6, 7) or the hollow cylinders (8, 9) are not arranged coaxially but are instead arranged eccentrically to each other as shown in FIG. 2.
- With this measure, and as shown above, disturbing wheel-contact transverse forces can be advantageously countered in that a suitable transverse force, which counters the wheel-contact transverse force, is generated on the
piston element 2. - The countering transverse force can be adjusted within defined limits by the selection of the eccentricity E shown in FIG. 2, that is, with the selection of the offset of the longitudinal axes of the two hollow cylinders (8, 9) to each other.
- The
piston element 2 is shown as a solid piston. However, in lieu of a solid piston, a known shock absorber can be used whereby a so-called spring damping unit is formed which, in turn, exhibits an especially favorable spring and damping characteristics. - As shown in FIG. 1, a
spring element 13 is mounted on themotor vehicle chassis 5 and aspring element 14 is mounted on thepiston element 2. These spring elements (13, 14) are preferably made of a spring-elastic material. Maximal impact forces or maximal forces which occur when the air spring strut bottoms can be taken up by the spring elements (13, 14). - It is understood that the foregoing description is that of the preferred embodiments of the invention and that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
Claims (10)
1. An air spring strut for mounting between a chassis of a motor vehicle and a wheel support of a wheel suspension, the air spring strut comprising:
an air spring supported on said chassis and including an outer hollow cylinder and an inner hollow cylinder disposed at least partially within said outer hollow cylinder;
a piston arranged within said inner hollow cylinder and connected to said outer hollow cylinder;
a first rolling-lobe resilient member arranged between said outer hollow cylinder and said inner hollow cylinder so as to seal off an outer air chamber;
a second rolling-lobe resilient member arranged between said inner hollow cylinder and said piston so as to seal off an inner air chamber;
said inner hollow cylinder being articulately connected to said wheel support; and,
said inner air chamber and said outer air chamber being arranged eccentrically to each other.
2. The air spring strut of claim 1 , said outer hollow cylinder having a lower section and said lower section having a plurality of openings formed therein; and, said inner hollow cylinder having a plurality of struts projecting through corresponding ones of said openings so as to be axially moveable.
3. The air spring strut of claim 2 , said piston being connected to said lower section of said outer hollow cylinder in a region of said lower section disposed between said openings viewed in a radial direction.
4. The air spring strut of claim 3 , wherein said air spring has a longitudinal extension and said openings are axially parallel to the longitudinal extension of said air spring.
5. The air spring strut of claim 1 , said inner and outer air chambers conjointly defining an interface; and, passage means disposed at said interface for permitting an air flow between said air chambers.
6. The air spring strut of claim 5 , wherein said passage means comprises valve means mounted at said interface.
7. The air spring strut of claim 5 , wherein said passage means comprises at least one bore formed at said interface through which said air chambers communicate with each other to permit said air flow therebetween.
8. The air spring strut of claim 1 , wherein said piston is configured as a shock absorber.
9. The air spring strut of claim 1 , further comprising spring means for taking up impact loads including a maximum load when the air spring strut bottoms; and, said spring means being disposed at least at one of the following locations: said chassis; the upper end of said outer hollow cylinder; and, at the outer end of said piston.
10. The air spring strut of claim 9 , wherein said spring means is made of a spring elastic material.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
DE10316761A DE10316761A1 (en) | 2003-04-10 | 2003-04-10 | Air spring strut |
DE10316761.7 | 2003-04-10 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20040201146A1 true US20040201146A1 (en) | 2004-10-14 |
Family
ID=32864447
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/821,999 Abandoned US20040201146A1 (en) | 2003-04-10 | 2004-04-12 | Air spring strut |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20040201146A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1467117B1 (en) |
AT (1) | ATE313738T1 (en) |
DE (2) | DE10316761A1 (en) |
Cited By (12)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20030173723A1 (en) * | 2002-03-13 | 2003-09-18 | Christof Behmenburg | Pneumatic suspension and damping arrangement |
WO2006061098A1 (en) * | 2004-12-11 | 2006-06-15 | Continental Aktiengesellschaft | Pneumatic spring shock absorber unit |
WO2006107080A1 (en) * | 2005-03-31 | 2006-10-12 | The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. | Vehicle suspension |
JP2006281982A (en) * | 2005-03-31 | 2006-10-19 | Yokohama Rubber Co Ltd:The | Suspension device |
JP2006281981A (en) * | 2005-03-31 | 2006-10-19 | Yokohama Rubber Co Ltd:The | Suspension device |
US20090200718A1 (en) * | 2006-04-29 | 2009-08-13 | Daimier Ag | Spring Shock Absorber for a Motor Vehicle |
US20110115140A1 (en) * | 2008-07-09 | 2011-05-19 | Firestone Industrial Products Company, Llc | Gas spring and gas damper assembly and method |
US20110115139A1 (en) * | 2008-07-09 | 2011-05-19 | Moulik Pradipta N | Gas spring and gas damper assembly and method |
CN103863045A (en) * | 2012-12-18 | 2014-06-18 | F·波尔希名誉工学博士公司 | Device for the compensation of body movements of a motor vehicle |
DE102016221964A1 (en) | 2016-11-09 | 2018-05-09 | Ford Global Technologies, Llc | Rear suspension, in particular integral rear suspension with pneumatic spring for a vehicle |
US10005499B2 (en) | 2012-12-19 | 2018-06-26 | Volvo Group North America, Llc | Self-adjusting, self-damping air spring system |
WO2021156510A2 (en) | 2020-02-07 | 2021-08-12 | Timoney Dynamic Solutions Limited | Motor vehicle suspension gas spring |
Families Citing this family (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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DE102006012002B4 (en) * | 2006-03-16 | 2017-09-14 | Vibracoustic Gmbh | air spring |
WO2007124923A1 (en) * | 2006-04-29 | 2007-11-08 | Daimler Ag | Spring shock absorber for a motor vehicle |
DE102006029644B4 (en) * | 2006-06-28 | 2010-12-16 | Carl Freudenberg Kg | Device for suspension of vehicles |
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US3046003A (en) * | 1959-07-16 | 1962-07-24 | Midland Ross Corp | Fluid spring |
US4325541A (en) * | 1977-06-30 | 1982-04-20 | Autoipari Kutato Intezet | Spring leg which has a load proportionally limited damping, consisting of an air suspension and a telescopic shock absorber for motor vehicle |
US5129634A (en) * | 1986-09-02 | 1992-07-14 | The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company | Airspring with partial restraining sleeve |
US5180145A (en) * | 1991-05-30 | 1993-01-19 | Bridgestone Corporation | Vibration damping device |
US5752692A (en) * | 1997-01-06 | 1998-05-19 | The Gates Corporation | Side load compensating airspring strut |
US20030173723A1 (en) * | 2002-03-13 | 2003-09-18 | Christof Behmenburg | Pneumatic suspension and damping arrangement |
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DE2406835A1 (en) * | 1974-02-13 | 1975-08-14 | Gold Henning Dipl Ing | Vehicle pneumatic suspension element - with opposingly operating elastic elements linked by throttle valves for damping action |
DE3624296A1 (en) * | 1985-07-26 | 1987-02-12 | Gold Henning | Device to compensate for the wheel contact area lateral forces on a spring strut |
DE4213676C2 (en) * | 1992-04-25 | 1996-02-22 | Continental Ag | Air spring for vehicles with an elastomeric bellows and a rolling piston |
FR2728948B1 (en) * | 1994-12-28 | 1997-03-14 | Renault | TWO-CHAMBER PNEUMATIC SPRING WITH INDEPENDENT POWER SUPPLY, MOTOR VEHICLE WITH SUSPENSION COMPRISING SUCH A SPRING AND SPRING-SHOCK ABSORBER ASSEMBLY |
DE19642024B4 (en) * | 1996-10-11 | 2006-02-09 | Bayerische Motoren Werke Ag | Rolling bellows gas spring with an outer support part |
-
2003
- 2003-04-10 DE DE10316761A patent/DE10316761A1/en not_active Withdrawn
-
2004
- 2004-02-25 AT AT04004183T patent/ATE313738T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2004-02-25 EP EP04004183A patent/EP1467117B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2004-02-25 DE DE502004000193T patent/DE502004000193D1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2004-04-12 US US10/821,999 patent/US20040201146A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (6)
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US3046003A (en) * | 1959-07-16 | 1962-07-24 | Midland Ross Corp | Fluid spring |
US4325541A (en) * | 1977-06-30 | 1982-04-20 | Autoipari Kutato Intezet | Spring leg which has a load proportionally limited damping, consisting of an air suspension and a telescopic shock absorber for motor vehicle |
US5129634A (en) * | 1986-09-02 | 1992-07-14 | The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company | Airspring with partial restraining sleeve |
US5180145A (en) * | 1991-05-30 | 1993-01-19 | Bridgestone Corporation | Vibration damping device |
US5752692A (en) * | 1997-01-06 | 1998-05-19 | The Gates Corporation | Side load compensating airspring strut |
US20030173723A1 (en) * | 2002-03-13 | 2003-09-18 | Christof Behmenburg | Pneumatic suspension and damping arrangement |
Cited By (18)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US7213799B2 (en) * | 2002-03-13 | 2007-05-08 | Continental Aktiengesellschaft | Pneumatic suspension and damping arrangement |
US20030173723A1 (en) * | 2002-03-13 | 2003-09-18 | Christof Behmenburg | Pneumatic suspension and damping arrangement |
WO2006061098A1 (en) * | 2004-12-11 | 2006-06-15 | Continental Aktiengesellschaft | Pneumatic spring shock absorber unit |
US7802776B2 (en) | 2004-12-11 | 2010-09-28 | Continental Aktiengesellschaft, Inc. | Pneumatic spring damper unit |
US20080093782A1 (en) * | 2004-12-11 | 2008-04-24 | Continental Akiengesellschaft | Pneumatic Spring Damper Unit |
JP2006281981A (en) * | 2005-03-31 | 2006-10-19 | Yokohama Rubber Co Ltd:The | Suspension device |
JP2006281982A (en) * | 2005-03-31 | 2006-10-19 | Yokohama Rubber Co Ltd:The | Suspension device |
WO2006107080A1 (en) * | 2005-03-31 | 2006-10-12 | The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. | Vehicle suspension |
US20090200718A1 (en) * | 2006-04-29 | 2009-08-13 | Daimier Ag | Spring Shock Absorber for a Motor Vehicle |
US20110115140A1 (en) * | 2008-07-09 | 2011-05-19 | Firestone Industrial Products Company, Llc | Gas spring and gas damper assembly and method |
US20110115139A1 (en) * | 2008-07-09 | 2011-05-19 | Moulik Pradipta N | Gas spring and gas damper assembly and method |
US8511652B2 (en) | 2008-07-09 | 2013-08-20 | Firestone Industrial Products Company, Llc | Gas spring and gas damper assembly and method |
US8800975B2 (en) | 2008-07-09 | 2014-08-12 | Firestone Industrial Products Company, Llc | Gas spring and gas damper assembly and method |
CN103863045A (en) * | 2012-12-18 | 2014-06-18 | F·波尔希名誉工学博士公司 | Device for the compensation of body movements of a motor vehicle |
US10005499B2 (en) | 2012-12-19 | 2018-06-26 | Volvo Group North America, Llc | Self-adjusting, self-damping air spring system |
DE102016221964A1 (en) | 2016-11-09 | 2018-05-09 | Ford Global Technologies, Llc | Rear suspension, in particular integral rear suspension with pneumatic spring for a vehicle |
DE102016221964B4 (en) * | 2016-11-09 | 2020-12-03 | Ford Global Technologies, Llc | Rear wheel suspension, in particular integral rear wheel suspension with air spring for a vehicle |
WO2021156510A2 (en) | 2020-02-07 | 2021-08-12 | Timoney Dynamic Solutions Limited | Motor vehicle suspension gas spring |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
DE502004000193D1 (en) | 2006-01-26 |
ATE313738T1 (en) | 2006-01-15 |
EP1467117B1 (en) | 2005-12-21 |
EP1467117A3 (en) | 2004-10-20 |
EP1467117A2 (en) | 2004-10-13 |
DE10316761A1 (en) | 2004-10-28 |
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Owner name: CONTINENTAL AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, GERMANY Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:BEHMENBURG, CHRISTOF;OLDENETTEL, HOLGER;REEL/FRAME:015368/0831;SIGNING DATES FROM 20040428 TO 20040429 |
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