Air spring upper support, vehicle air spring assembly and vehicle

Abstract

The present invention provides an air spring upper support, a vehicle air spring assembly and a vehicle. The air spring upper support (100) is used for an air spring of a vehicle, wherein the air spring upper support (100) is configured as a split structure having an upper shell (1) and a lower shell (2), the upper shell (1) and the lower shell (2) are connected to each other and form a receiving space (3), and the air spring upper support (100) also has a bushing (4), and the bushing (4) is arranged in the receiving space (3).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of automobiles, and in particular relates to an upper support for an automobile air spring, an automobile air spring assembly and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] With the popularity of cars in life, people have higher and higher requirements for the driving comfort of cars. When a car is driving on the road, it will be bumpy when passing through uneven roads, and the impact of the road on the wheels will be transmitted to the car body. The spring can buffer the impact, convert kinetic energy into elastic potential energy, delay the load on the car body, and reduce the up and down bumps of the car body.

[0003] The cushioning effect of air springs is more obvious than that of ordinary coil springs. In addition, air springs can also adjust the height of the vehicle body, which is not available in coil springs. Based on the above two reasons, air springs are increasingly used, especially in luxury cars with high requirements for comfort. Air springs have almost become standard. As one of the key components for load transmission, the upper support of the air spring is required to have sufficient stiffness and strength to ensure the reliability and durability of the vehicle body, and also requires appropriate bushing stiffness to obtain better comfort.

[0004] At present, most air spring upper support bushings are pressed in with interference fit, and the outer tube of the bushing and the upper support shell are fitted with an interference fit. However, this form of fit will inevitably lead to deformation of the outer tube of the bushing or the upper support shell. If the outer tube of the bushing is equipped with an O-ring, the seal is likely to be damaged during interference press-in. Another disadvantage of interference press-in is that it cannot be disassembled. When the bushing is pressed out, a large pressing force will be required, which will inevitably lead to damage to the bushing or shell. This non-removable disadvantage has caused great trouble to the aftermarket parts market. When the bushing fails, since the bushing cannot be replaced, the entire air spring needs to be replaced, and sometimes the entire air spring with shock absorber assembly needs to be replaced. In this way, the cost of after-sales replacement parts will be greatly increased, and consumers complain a lot.

[0005] CN 111873737A relates to the technical field of automobile chassis air suspension, and discloses an air spring upper bracket and automobile chassis air suspension. The air spring upper bracket comprises a bottom plate, a support plate and a reinforcement plate, wherein the bottom plate is connected to the air spring; the support plate is arranged above the bottom plate, and comprises a main plate and two wing plates arranged on both sides of the main plate, the main plate is connected to the vehicle frame, and the wing plate and the main plate are arranged at an angle; the reinforcement plate is arranged between the bottom plate and the air spring, and comprises a flat plate and two vertical plates arranged on both sides of the flat plate, the flat plate abuts against the bottom wall of the concave structure, and the vertical plate is connected to the bottom plate. Summary of the invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the problem that it is difficult to remove the bushing of the support in the past, which leads to high cost of after-sales replacement parts, and at the same time to play a vibration reduction and buffering role for the matching parts.

[0007] In addition, the present invention is also intended to solve or alleviate other technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0008] The present invention solves the above problems by providing an air spring upper support, a vehicle air spring assembly and a vehicle. Specifically, according to one aspect of the present invention, there are provided:

[0009] An air spring upper support is used for an air spring of a vehicle, wherein the air spring upper support is constructed as a split structure having an upper shell and a lower shell, the upper shell and the lower shell are connected to each other and form a accommodating space, and the air spring upper support also has a bushing, which is arranged in the accommodating space.

[0010] Optionally, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the bushing comprises a bushing outer tube, a bushing rubber and a bushing inner tube from outside to inside.

[0011] Optionally, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the air spring upper support has one or more of the following features:

[0012] The outer tube of the bushing and the upper shell are in interference fit in the radial direction;

[0013] The outer tube of the bushing and the lower shell are in a radial direction with a clearance or transition fit;

[0014] The bushing rubber and the upper shell are interference fit in the axial direction;

[0015] The bushing rubber and the lower housing are interference fit in the axial direction;

[0016] The outer tube of the bushing and the upper shell are clearance-fitted in the axial direction;

[0017] The bushing outer tube and the lower shell are clearance-fitted in the axial direction.

[0018] Optionally, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the bushing inner tube has a through hole, and the through hole is used to install and fix the shock absorber piston rod of the vehicle.

[0019] Optionally, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the upper surface and the lower surface of the bushing inner tube are configured to be planes.

[0020] Optionally, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the air spring upper support has one or more of the following features:

[0021] The upper shell is made of cast aluminum, forged aluminum, cast iron or forged steel;

[0022] The lower shell is made of cast aluminum, forged aluminum, cast iron or forged steel;

[0023] The outer tube of the bushing is made by steel stamping or steel tube machining;

[0024] The inner tube of the bushing is made of steel or aluminum through stamping or cold heading.

[0025] Optionally, according to an embodiment of the present invention, an O-ring is arranged on the outer tube of the bushing, and the O-ring abuts against the inner side of the lower shell.

[0026] According to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a vehicle air spring assembly, wherein the vehicle air spring assembly has vehicle air springs connected to each other and any one of the above-mentioned air spring upper supports.

[0027] Optionally, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the bladder hoop of the vehicle air spring is arranged at the lower part of the lower shell.

[0028] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a vehicle, wherein the vehicle has any one of the above-mentioned vehicle air spring assemblies.

[0029] The benefits of the provided air spring upper support, vehicle air spring assembly and vehicle include: solving the problem that the bushing of the traditional upper support is difficult to remove, resulting in high after-sales replacement costs; achieving the upper support bushing being removable and replaceable; avoiding the problem of O-ring damage; not damaging the processing accuracy of the O-ring on the shock absorber piston rod; and effectively reducing the abnormal noise caused by the vibration of the bushing during the movement of the shock absorber. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The above and other features of the present invention will become apparent with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0031] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view showing an upper support of an air spring according to the present invention; and

[0032] Figure 2 The figure shows an axonometric view of an upper support of an air spring according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] It is easy to understand that according to the technical solution of the present invention, without changing the essential spirit of the present invention, a person skilled in the art can propose a variety of interchangeable structural modes and implementation modes. Therefore, the following specific implementation modes and drawings are only exemplary descriptions of the technical solution of the present invention, and should not be regarded as the whole of the present invention or as a limitation or restriction to the technical solution of the present invention.

[0034] The directional terms such as up, down, left, right, front, back, front, back, top, bottom, etc. mentioned or may be mentioned in this specification are defined relative to the structures shown in the drawings. They are relative concepts and may change accordingly according to their different positions and different usage states. Therefore, these or other directional terms should not be interpreted as restrictive terms. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. or similar expressions are only used for description and distinction purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the relative importance of the corresponding components.

[0035] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , which respectively show a cross-sectional view of an air spring upper support 100 according to the present invention and an axonometric view of an air spring upper support 100 according to the present invention.

[0036] The air spring upper support 100 is used for an air spring of a vehicle, wherein the air spring upper support 100 is constructed as a split structure having an upper shell 1 and a lower shell 2, the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 2 are connected to each other and form a receiving space 3, and the air spring upper support 100 also has a bushing 4, which is arranged in the receiving space 3.

[0037] By dividing the upper support shell into two parts, the problem that the bushing of the traditional upper support is difficult to remove, resulting in high after-sales replacement costs, is solved; by using the bushing, it can play a role in vibration reduction and buffering for the parts matched with the upper support of the air spring, such as wear protection and reducing abnormal noise. Specifically, through the technical solution, if the bushing needs to be replaced, it is only necessary to remove the upper shell without removing the entire upper support.

[0038] The upper shell 1 and the lower shell 2 can be connected to each other in a variety of ways, especially up and down. It should be understood that the up and down connection is relative (including the naming of the upper support, the upper shell, and the lower shell), and it does not absolutely mean that all parts of the upper shell must be located above the lower shell, but the upper shell is roughly and generally located above the lower shell. Regarding the connection method of the upper and lower shells, it is exemplary that the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 2 are fixed to each other by threaded fasteners 6, and the threaded fasteners 6 are arranged at the outer parts of the upper and lower shells and introduced into the upper and lower shells from top to bottom. Threaded fasteners are mechanical parts with internal or external threads, which are generally used as fasteners to facilitate the combination of multiple components. The most common threaded fasteners are screws, nuts and bolts. However, there are other threaded fasteners, such as cage nuts, threaded inserts, threaded rods, etc. Threaded fastening connection is a widely used detachable fixed connection with the advantages of simple structure, reliable connection, and convenient assembly and disassembly.

[0039] In the embodiment shown in the figure, the upper shell 1 is in the shape of a lid with a low and flat outer periphery and a high and flat middle part, while the lower shell 2 is in the shape of a tube with inner ribs, the inner ribs are used to support the bushing 4, and the lower part of the lower shell 2 is used to connect the vehicle air spring airbag. In order to connect with the vehicle body, for example, studs 7 can be arranged at the outer periphery of the upper shell 1, and the air spring assembly (including the entire air spring upper support 100) can be connected to the vehicle body through the studs 7. Of course, other threaded fasteners or connecting devices can also be used to replace the studs 7.

[0040] The bushing 4 has a bushing outer tube 41, a bushing rubber 42 and a bushing inner tube 43 from outside to inside. The bushing inner tube 43 can also have a protrusion, so as to be connected with the corresponding recessed part of the bushing rubber 42 in a shape-matched manner. The matching mode between the bushing 4 and the upper shell 1 and the lower shell 2 is as follows:

[0041] The bushing outer tube 41 and the upper shell 1 are in radial interference fit, so that the entire bushing 4 will not move in the accommodating space 3;

[0042] The bushing outer tube 41 and the lower housing 2 are in radial clearance or transition fit, and the upper housing 1 together with the bushing 4 can be disassembled separately without disassembling the lower housing 2 which is larger and more difficult to disassemble and needs to be connected to the air spring airbag;

[0043] The bushing rubber 42 and the upper shell 1 are in an interference fit in the axial direction, and the upper shell 1 presses the bushing rubber 42 in the axial direction, which can effectively reduce the abnormal noise caused by the vibration of the bushing inner tube 43 during the movement of the shock absorber;

[0044] The bushing rubber 42 and the lower housing 2 are in an interference fit in the axial direction, and the lower housing 2 axially presses the bushing rubber 42, which can effectively reduce the abnormal noise caused by the vibration of the bushing inner tube 43 during the movement of the shock absorber;

[0045] The bushing outer tube 41 and the upper shell 1 are clearance-matched in the axial direction to prevent over-constraint;

[0046] The bushing outer tube 41 and the lower shell 2 are clearance-fitted in the axial direction to prevent over-constraint.

[0047] It should be understood that interference fit is to use the elasticity and deformation of materials to achieve a tight fit between parts, clearance fit is a fit with a gap between parts, and transition fit means that there may be a clearance fit or an interference fit when assembling parts. The above-mentioned fit methods can be used separately or in combination according to actual conditions, as long as there is no conflict between them.

[0048] The bushing inner tube 43 has a through hole 431, and the through hole 431 is used to install and fix the shock absorber piston rod of the vehicle. When the air spring upper support 100 is used for the vehicle air spring, the piston rod of the vehicle shock absorber will pass through the through hole 431 from bottom to top. In addition, a nut can be arranged on the bushing inner tube 43, and the nut is used to fix the piston rod of the shock absorber similar to the bushing inner tube 43. The upper surface and the lower surface of the bushing inner tube 43 can also be configured as planes to facilitate the installation and fixing of the shock absorber.

[0049] Regarding the materials and manufacturing methods of the various parts of the air spring upper support 100, exemplary ones are:

[0050] The upper housing 1 is made of cast aluminum, forged aluminum, cast iron or forged steel;

[0051] The lower housing 2 is made of cast aluminum, forged aluminum, cast iron or forged steel;

[0052] The bushing outer tube 41 is made by steel stamping or steel tube machining;

[0053] The bushing inner tube 43 is made of steel, aluminum or alloy material by stamping or cold heading.

[0054] Among them, cast aluminum is cast aluminum alloy, cast iron is cast iron alloy (usually an alloy composed of iron, carbon and silicon), and so on. In addition, stamping parts are thin, uniform, light, strong, and have high workpiece precision. In particular, workpieces with reinforcing ribs, ribs, undulations or flanges can be manufactured to improve their rigidity. Cold heading parts have excellent mechanical properties, high precision, and high surface finish.

[0055] Optionally, an O-ring 5 can be arranged on the bushing outer tube 41, and the O-ring 5 abuts against the inner side of the lower shell 2. The O-ring 5 is used to seal the gas inside the air spring between the bushing outer tube 41 and the lower shell 2, thereby further supporting the setting mode that the bushing outer tube 41 and the lower shell 2 are clearance fit in the axial direction and the bushing outer tube 41 and the lower shell 2 are clearance or transition fit in the radial direction. In addition, the matching mode of the bushing 4 relative to the upper shell 1 also avoids the problem of damage to the O-ring 5 during disassembly.

[0056] In this regard, the through hole 431 of the bushing inner tube 43 should be machined to obtain a machining accuracy that does not damage the O-ring on the shock absorber piston rod.

[0057] The present invention also relates to a vehicle air spring assembly, wherein the vehicle air spring assembly has a vehicle air spring connected to each other and any one of the above-mentioned air spring upper supports 100. The vehicle air spring is arranged below the lower shell 2, the upper shell 1 is connected to the body of the vehicle, the shock absorber of the vehicle is located below the lower shell 2, and its piston rod passes through the bushing 4 and thus the entire air spring upper support 100 from bottom to top and protrudes upward.

[0058] The bladder of the vehicle air spring can be clamped to the lower part of the lower shell 2, that is, the bladder is clamped to the lower part of the lower shell 2, such as the downward extending peripheral part of the lower shell 2, by a clamp, such as a buckling ring, to complete the assembly.

[0059] It should be understood that the vehicle air spring assembly of the present invention can be installed on various vehicles, including gasoline vehicles, diesel vehicles, cars, trucks, buses, hybrid vehicles, pure electric vehicles, etc. Therefore, the subject matter of the present invention is also intended to protect various vehicles equipped with the vehicle air spring assembly of the present invention.

[0060] It should be understood that all the above preferred embodiments are exemplary rather than restrictive, and various modifications or variations made by those skilled in the art to the above described specific embodiments under the concept of the present invention should be within the legal protection scope of the present invention. For example, although the description is combined with the automobile suspension air spring, the present invention can obviously be used for air springs in various other parts, as long as the support bushing on the air spring needs to be disassembled for maintenance.

Claims

1. An air spring upper support (100), the air spring upper support (100) being used for an air spring of a vehicle, characterized in that: The air spring upper support (100) is constructed as a split structure having an upper shell (1) and a lower shell (2), wherein the upper shell (1) and the lower shell (2) are connected to each other and form a receiving space (3), and the air spring upper support (100) also has a bushing (4), wherein the bushing (4) is arranged in the receiving space (3), and wherein the bushing (4) has a bushing outer tube (41), a bushing rubber (42) and a bushing inner tube (43) from the outside to the inside, wherein the bushing outer tube (41) and the lower shell (2) are in a radial clearance fit, and wherein the bushing outer tube (41) and the upper shell (1) are in a radial interference fit.

2. The air spring upper support (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air spring upper support (100) has one or more of the following features: The bushing rubber (42) and the upper shell (1) are in interference fit in the axial direction; The bushing rubber (42) and the lower housing (2) are in interference fit in the axial direction; The bushing outer tube (41) and the upper shell (1) are clearance-matched in the axial direction; The bushing outer tube (41) and the lower shell (2) are clearance-fitted in the axial direction.

3. The air spring upper support (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bushing inner tube (43) has a through hole (431), and the through hole (431) is used to install and fix the shock absorber piston rod of the vehicle.

4. The air spring upper support (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper surface and the lower surface of the liner inner tube (43) are configured as planes.

5. The air spring upper support (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air spring upper support (100) has one or more of the following features: The upper housing (1) is made of cast aluminum, forged aluminum, cast iron or forged steel; The lower housing (2) is made of cast aluminum, forged aluminum, cast iron or forged steel; The bushing outer tube (41) is made by steel stamping or steel tube machining; The bushing inner tube (43) is made of steel or aluminum by stamping or cold heading.

6. The air spring upper support (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: An O-ring (5) is arranged on the bushing outer tube (41), and the O-ring (5) abuts against the inner side of the lower shell (2).

7. A vehicle air spring assembly, characterized in that: The vehicle air spring assembly comprises vehicle air springs connected to one another and an air spring upper mount (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The vehicle air spring assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that: The bladder hoop of the vehicle air spring is arranged at the lower part of the lower shell (2).

9. A vehicle, characterized in that: The vehicle has a vehicle air spring assembly according to claim 7 or 8 .

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