An anti-creep air spring

Abstract

This invention discloses an anti-creep air spring, comprising an upper rubber air bladder and a lower auxiliary spring. The rubber air bladder includes an upper cover plate and a rubber bladder skin. The auxiliary spring includes a spindle, a rubber stack, and a metal outer sleeve. The rubber stack is vulcanized and bonded to the outer periphery of the spindle, and the metal outer sleeve is vulcanized and bonded to the outer periphery of the rubber stack. The rubber bladder skin wraps around the lower outer periphery of the upper cover plate and the metal outer sleeve. A helical spring made of metal, vulcanized together with the rubber stack, is disposed within the rubber stack, and the rubber stack and the helical spring are coaxial. A lower magnet is disposed at the top of the spindle, and an upper magnet is disposed on the upper cover plate above the lower magnet. The adjacent ends of the upper and lower magnets have the same polarity, generating a magnetic repulsion force between them. This invention can share static and impact loads with the rubber air bladder and the auxiliary spring, significantly reducing the pressure on the auxiliary spring and the expansion pressure on the rubber air bladder, and slowing down the creep process of the rubber bodies of the auxiliary spring and the rubber air bladder.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an air spring for a train bogie, specifically an anti-creep air spring, belonging to the field of train vibration reduction technology. Background Technology

[0002] An air spring mainly consists of a lower auxiliary spring and an upper rubber air bladder.

[0003] The existing auxiliary spring has a rigid spindle, and the outer periphery of the spindle is a rubber body that is stacked outward and upward and is vulcanized as a whole with the spindle. The rubber body has multiple layers of metal spacers that are vulcanized as a whole with the rubber body from the inside to the outside. On the outer periphery of the rubber body is a metal outer jacket that is vulcanized as a whole with the rubber body. The top of the metal outer jacket is a support plate.

[0004] The top of the rubber airbag is a cover plate, and the outer periphery of the bottom surface of the cover plate and the outer periphery of the metal jacket are sealed by an annular rubber bladder to form a rubber airbag.

[0005] The bottom of the spindle is the mounting base for the air spring.

[0006] Typically, to save materials and reduce weight, the mandrel is a hollow body that runs through the top and bottom.

[0007] Air springs are installed on the bogies to support the train carriages and to provide multi-directional vibration damping during operation.

[0008] Because the auxiliary spring is located at the bottom of the rubber airbag, it bears the entire load above the rubber airbag.

[0009] Originally, rubber materials can recover from deformation when subjected to load impacts, a property utilized for vibration damping in various components. However, when applied to train auxiliary springs, the rubber material undergoes irreversible creep due to the long-term pressure of the carriage and the inherent properties of rubber. This creep is accelerated, especially under repeated overload impacts, causing the auxiliary spring height to gradually decrease, resulting in a lower overall height. To compensate for this height reduction, a differential pressure valve is activated, using a dedicated pneumatic system to inflate the rubber air bladder. This increases the height of the air spring by compensating for the creep. However, this method of compensating for height by inflating the rubber air bladder increases the expansion pressure on the rubber bladder, making it and its connection to the top cover and metal jacket more prone to bursting, leading to operational malfunctions and shortening the lifespan of the air spring. More importantly, as the creep of the auxiliary spring rubber body becomes more and more severe, the elasticity of the auxiliary spring becomes worse and worse. This is one of the important reasons why the vibration reduction effect of high-speed trains is not as good as it was at the beginning after a certain number of years of use.

[0010] The aforementioned long-term repeated loads and load impacts not only make the auxiliary spring rubber body prone to aging, but also reduce the elasticity of the rubber airbag.

[0011] In response to the above problems, our company has conducted a series of studies and searched for relevant research trends in this field. However, no research has been found that specifically addresses the above problems. Our company believes that effectively solving the problem of air spring height reduction caused by creep of auxiliary spring rubber body is of great significance for maintaining good vibration reduction effect and extending service life of trains in the long term, and has therefore carried out a series of related studies. Summary of the Invention

[0012] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is: how to share the load, especially the impact load, of the auxiliary spring in order to slow down the creep rate of the auxiliary spring rubber body.

[0013] To address the above problems, the technical solution proposed by this invention is as follows:

[0014] An anti-creep air spring includes an upper rubber air bladder and a lower auxiliary spring. The rubber air bladder includes an upper cover plate and a rubber bladder skin. The auxiliary spring includes a spindle, a rubber stack, and a metal outer sleeve. The rubber stack is vulcanized and bonded to the outer periphery of the spindle, and the metal outer sleeve is vulcanized and bonded to the outer periphery of the rubber stack. The rubber bladder skin is wrapped around the lower outer periphery of the upper cover plate and the metal outer sleeve. A metal helical spring is provided inside the rubber stack and vulcanized together with the rubber stack. The rubber stack and the helical spring are coaxial.

[0015] Furthermore, the metal jacket is disposed on the outer periphery of the upper end of the rubber stack.

[0016] Furthermore, a lower magnet is provided at the top of the mandrel, and an upper magnet is provided on the upper cover plate above the lower magnet. The adjacent ends of the upper magnet and the lower magnet have the same polarity, so that magnetic repulsion is generated between the upper magnet and the lower magnet.

[0017] Furthermore, a gap is always maintained between the upper cover plate and the lower magnet.

[0018] Furthermore, an annular wear plate and an annular support plate are stacked on top of each other at the upper end of the mandrel. The center of the wear plate and the support plate is a hole-like space that allows the lower magnet to pass through vertically. There is a lower magnet space between the support plate and the top surface of the mandrel that can accommodate the lower magnet. When the rubber airbag is deflated, the upper cover plate can sink onto the wear plate.

[0019] Furthermore, the lower magnet is located within the lower magnet space, and the height of the upper end face of the lower magnet is lower than the upper surface of the wear plate.

[0020] Furthermore, a vertically arranged compression spring is provided between the lower magnet and the spindle, with the lower end of the compression spring pressing on the spindle and the lower magnet pressing on the upper end of the compression spring; the lower magnet is located above the perforated space. When the rubber airbag is deflated, the upper magnet sinks with the upper cover plate, causing the lower magnet to encounter the maximum magnetic repulsion force, and the lower magnet will overcome the elastic force of the compression spring and descend into the lower magnet space.

[0021] Furthermore, the mandrel is provided with a cylindrical bottom-closed vibration damping cavity, and a guide hole is provided between the vibration damping cavity and the space of the lower magnet. The compression spring is installed in the vibration damping cavity, and a pressure plate is provided on the upper end of the compression spring. A lifting rod is provided between the pressure plate and the lower magnet, passing through the guide hole to fix the pressure plate and the lower magnet in place.

[0022] Furthermore, the pressure plate has a damping hole that runs vertically through it, and the vibration damping cavity is filled with damping fluid, which immerses the compression spring and the pressure plate.

[0023] Furthermore, a buffer space communicating with the vibration damping cavity is provided on the mandrel above the center of the top wall of the vibration damping cavity, and the liquid level of the damping fluid is located in the buffer space; the annular top wall of the vibration damping cavity around the opening of the buffer space is set as a limiting surface to restrict the upward height of the pressure plate.

[0024] Beneficial effects:

[0025] 1. It can share the static load and impact load with the rubber airbag and auxiliary spring, significantly reduce the pressure on the auxiliary spring and the expansion pressure on the rubber airbag, and slow down the creep process of the rubber body of the auxiliary spring and rubber airbag.

[0026] 2. When encountering impact loads, it can reduce the expansion and deformation of the rubber body of the rubber airbag and auxiliary spring, and can also slow down the creep rate of the rubber body of the rubber airbag and auxiliary spring.

[0027] 3. It can significantly reduce the risk of rubber bladder rupture, extend the service life of air springs, and help maintain the normal operation of trains.

[0028] 4. It can absorb impact kinetic energy as needed, without the need to set up a separate damping mechanism outside the air spring, so that the damping of the train's secondary suspension mechanism is completely integrated into the air spring. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the anti-creep air spring described in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the anti-creep air spring described in Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the anti-creep air spring described in Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the anti-creep air spring after removing the lower magnet, lifting rod, pressure plate, compression spring, and other components.

[0033] In the diagram: 1. Rubber airbag; 101. Upper cover plate; 102. Rubber bladder skin; 2. Auxiliary spring; 201. Mandrel; 2011. Lower magnet space; 2012. Vibration damping cavity; 2013. Guide hole; 2014. Buffer space; 2015. Limiting surface; 202. Rubber stack; 203. Metal jacket; 3. Helical spring; 4. Lower magnet; 5. Upper magnet; 6. Wear plate; 7. Support plate; 8. Hole-shaped space; 9. Pressure plate; 901. Damping hole; 10. Mounting plate; 11. Compression spring; 12. Lifting rod; 13. Damping fluid; 14. Sealing plate; 15. Sealing gasket. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The present invention will be further described below with reference to embodiments and accompanying drawings:

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown in Figure 3, for ease of understanding this application, we define the pressure borne by the air spring cover plate 101 of the train as two types: static load and impact load. Static load is the pressure exerted on the cover plate 101 by the carriage when the train is running on a smooth road, which is constant and does not fluctuate much; impact load is the pressure that the cover plate 101 is subjected to by the carriage during the train's operation on an uneven road, which is a sudden increase in pressure followed by a decrease.

[0036] Example 1

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, an anti-creep air spring includes an upper rubber air bladder 1 and a lower auxiliary spring 2. The rubber air bladder 1 includes an upper cover plate 101 and a rubber bladder skin 102. The auxiliary spring 2 includes a spindle 201, a rubber stack 202, and a metal outer sleeve 203. The rubber stack 202 is vulcanized and bonded to the outer periphery of the spindle 201, and the metal outer sleeve 203 is vulcanized and bonded to the outer periphery of the rubber stack 202. The rubber bladder skin 102 is wrapped around the lower outer periphery of the upper cover plate 101 and the metal outer sleeve 203. The upper cover plate 101, the rubber bladder skin 102, the metal outer sleeve 203, the rubber stack 202, and the upper end face of the spindle 201 form a closed rubber air bladder 1. A metal helical spring 3, vulcanized together with the rubber stack 202, is disposed inside the rubber stack 202, and the rubber stack 202 and the helical spring 3 are coaxial. In this way, the static load and impact load from the carriage, which are applied to the rubber stack 202 by the rubber airbag 1, can be partially shared by the helical spring 3, effectively slowing down the creep process of the rubber stack 202, so that the auxiliary spring can maintain good elasticity for a long time and its stiffness can be maintained within the ideal range for a long time.

[0038] The metal jacket 203 is only set on the outer periphery of the upper end of the rubber stack 202 to avoid interference from the metal jacket 203 on the outer periphery of the rubber stack 202, so that the stiffness of the middle and lower parts of the rubber stack 202 is completely adjusted by the combination of the helical spring 3 and the rubber stack 202.

[0039] A lower magnet 4 is provided at the top of the mandrel 201, and an upper magnet 5 is provided on the upper cover plate 101 above the lower magnet 4. The adjacent ends of the upper magnet 5 and the lower magnet 4 have the same polarity, both being N poles or S poles, which generates a magnetic repulsion force between the upper magnet 5 and the lower magnet 4. In this way, a portion of the static load and impact load applied to the upper cover plate 101 can act directly on the mandrel 201 through the magnetic repulsion force between the upper magnet 5 and the lower magnet 4. This not only further shares part of the static load and impact load for the rubber stack 202, but also shares part of the static load and impact load for the rubber airbag 1, thereby delaying the aging of the rubber airbag 102.

[0040] When the road surface is uneven and the train carriages exert a downward impact load on the upper cover plate 101, the upper magnet 5 moves closer to the lower magnet 4 as the upper cover plate 101 sinks. The magnetic repulsion between the upper magnet 5 and the lower magnet 4 will increase rapidly, thus sharing more of the impact load with the rubber airbag 1 and the rubber stack 202. This avoids the ultimate load from causing extreme expansion pressure on the rubber bodies of the rubber airbag 1 and the rubber stack 202, thereby achieving the most effective protection.

[0041] The upper cover plate 101 and the lower magnet 4 are always kept at a distance to avoid interference when the upper cover plate 101 sinks and comes into contact with the lower magnet. The upper cover plate 101 can move horizontally relative to the lower magnet 4 without being hindered by the lower magnet 4. In this way, the vertical static load and impact load can be shared between the rubber airbag 1 and the rubber stack 202 without affecting the horizontal stiffness of the rubber airbag 1.

[0042] The wear plate 6 and support plate 7 stacked together at the upper end of the spindle 201 are annular. The center of the wear plate 6 and support plate 7 is a hole-shaped space 8 that allows the lower magnet 4 to pass vertically. There is a lower magnet space 2011 between the support plate 7 and the top surface of the spindle 201 that can accommodate the lower magnet 4. When the rubber airbag 1 is deflated, it ensures that the upper cover plate 101 can sink onto the wear plate 6.

[0043] In this embodiment, the lower magnet 4 is located within the lower magnet space 2011, and the lower magnet 4 is rigidly mounted on the top of the spindle 201 by the mounting plate 10. The height of the upper end surface of the lower magnet 4 is lower than the upper surface of the wear plate 6.

[0044] Preferably, the upper magnet 5 and the lower magnet 4 of the present invention are permanent magnets made of permanent magnet material. Of course, the upper magnet 5 and the lower magnet 4 can also be electromagnets.

[0045] Example 2

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, the difference from Embodiment 1 is that the lower magnet 4 is mounted on the spindle 201 via a flexible component. Specifically, a vertically arranged compression spring 11 is located between the lower magnet 4 and the spindle 201. The lower end of the compression spring 11 presses against the spindle 201, and the lower magnet 4 is pressed against the upper end of the compression spring 11 via the mounting plate 10. The lower magnet 4 is located above the perforated space 8. When the rubber airbag 1 is deflated, the upper magnet 5, which sinks with the upper cover plate 101, causes the lower magnet 4 to encounter the maximum magnetic repulsion force. At this point, the lower magnet 4 will overcome the elastic force of the compression spring 11 and descend into the lower magnet space 2011. The advantages of this embodiment are: the lower magnet 4 can be closer to the upper magnet 5, and a greater magnetic repulsion force can be formed between the lower magnet 4 and the upper magnet 5. Furthermore, since the lower magnet 4 and the spindle are elastically connected by the compression spring 11, it is more convenient to adjust the stiffness of the entire air spring by adjusting the strength of the compression spring 11, keeping it within an ideal variable stiffness range.

[0047] Example 3

[0048] like Figure 3 , 4 As shown, the difference from Embodiment 2 is that, utilizing the compression spring 11 in Embodiment 2, an energy-absorbing damping device is further added. Specifically, a cylindrical, bottom-closed vibration-damping cavity 2012 is provided inside the spindle 201. A guide hole 2013 is provided between the vibration-damping cavity 2012 and the lower magnet space 2011. The compression spring 11 is installed inside the vibration-damping cavity 2012. A pressure plate 9 is located at the upper end of the compression spring 11, pressing against it. A lifting rod 12 passes through the guide hole 2013 and fixes the pressure plate 9 and the lower magnet 4 together. The pressure plate 9 has a vertically penetrating damping hole 901. The vibration-damping cavity 2012 is filled with damping fluid 13, which submerges the compression spring 11 and the pressure plate 9. Thus, when encountering an impact load, under the combined action of the changing magnetic repulsive force (caused by the change in distance between the upper and lower magnets) and the restoring force of the compression spring 11, the pressure plate 9, connected to the lower magnet 4 via the lifting rod 12, performs piston-like motion within the damping cavity 2012. The damping fluid 13 reciprocates through the damping hole 901, thus absorbing the impact kinetic energy. Currently, to enhance the energy absorption and vibration damping effect of the secondary suspension and compensate for the insufficient energy absorption and vibration damping capacity of traditional air springs, vertical shock absorbers are often added between the car body and the bogie in addition to the air springs. The energy-absorbing damping device in this embodiment completely eliminates the need for external shock absorbers.

[0049] Furthermore, to ensure that the pressure plate 9 is completely submerged below the surface of the damping fluid 13 and maintains a good damping effect over a long period, a buffer space 2014 communicating with the damping cavity 2012 is provided on the mandrel 201 above the center of the top wall of the damping cavity 2012. The surface of the damping fluid 13 is located within the buffer space 2014. The annular top wall of the damping cavity 2012 around the opening of the buffer space 2014 is set as a limiting surface 2015 to restrict the upward movement of the pressure plate 9. Since the buffer space 2014 is connected to the rubber airbag 1 through the guide hole 2013, the surface of the damping fluid 13 in the buffer space 2014 is subjected to a strong air pressure equal to the pressure inside the rubber airbag 1. Therefore, during the up-and-down movement of the pressure plate 9 within the damping fluid 13, the damping fluid 13 will not overflow from the guide hole 2013.

[0050] In order to enable the assembly of various components in the vibration damping cavity 2012, the vibration damping cavity 2012 opens at the bottom of the mandrel 201, and a detachable sealing plate 14 is fixed at the bottom of the mandrel 201. A sealing gasket 15 is provided between the sealing plate 14 and the mandrel 201.

[0051] The above embodiments are only used to describe the present invention more clearly, and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of protection covered by the present invention. Any equivalent modifications should be regarded as falling within the scope of protection covered by the present invention.

Claims

1. An anti-creep air spring, comprising an upper rubber air bladder (1) and a lower auxiliary spring (2), wherein the rubber air bladder (1) comprises an upper cover plate (101) and a rubber bladder skin (102), and the auxiliary spring (2) comprises a spindle (201), a rubber stack (202) and a metal outer sleeve (203), wherein the rubber stack (202) is vulcanized and bonded to the outer periphery of the spindle (201), and the metal outer sleeve (203) is vulcanized and bonded to the outer periphery of the rubber stack (202), and the rubber bladder skin (102) is wrapped between the lower outer periphery of the upper cover plate (101) and the metal outer sleeve (203), characterized in that: The rubber stack (202) contains a metal helical spring (3) vulcanized together with the rubber stack (202), and the rubber stack (202) and the helical spring (3) are coaxial. A lower magnet (4) is provided at the top of the mandrel (201), and an upper magnet (5) is provided on the upper cover plate (101) above the lower magnet (4). The upper magnet (5) and the lower magnet (4) have the same polarity at their adjacent ends, so that a magnetic repulsion force is generated between the upper magnet (5) and the lower magnet (4). The upper cover plate (101) and the lower magnet (4) always maintain a distance. An annular wear plate (6) and an annular support plate (7) are provided at the upper end of the mandrel (201), which are stacked on top of each other. The center of the wear plate (6) and the support plate (7) is a hole that allows the lower magnet (4) to pass through vertically. Between the support plate (7) and the top surface of the spindle (201), there is a lower magnet space (2011) that can accommodate the lower magnet (4); when the rubber airbag (1) is deflated, the upper cover plate (101) can sink onto the wear plate (6); there is a vertically arranged compression spring (11) between the lower magnet (4) and the spindle (201), the lower end of the compression spring (11) presses on the spindle (201), and the lower magnet (4) presses on the upper end of the compression spring (11); the lower magnet (4) is located above the perforated space (8). When the rubber airbag (1) is deflated, the upper magnet (5) sinks with the upper cover plate (101) and causes the lower magnet (4) to encounter the maximum magnetic repulsion force. The lower magnet (4) will overcome the elastic force of the compression spring (11) and descend into the lower magnet space (2011).

2. The anti-creep air spring according to claim 1, characterized in that: The metal jacket (203) is disposed on the outer periphery of the upper end of the rubber stack (202).

3. The anti-creep air spring according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower magnet (4) is located in the lower magnet space (2011), and the height of the upper end face of the lower magnet (4) is lower than the upper surface of the wear plate (6).

4. The anti-creep air spring according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spindle (201) has a cylindrical bottom-closed damping cavity (2012) inside. A guide hole (2013) is provided between the damping cavity (2012) and the lower magnet space (2011). The compression spring (11) is installed in the damping cavity (2012). The upper end of the compression spring (11) has a pressure plate (9) pressing on the compression spring (11). There is a lifting rod (12) between the pressure plate (9) and the lower magnet (4) through the guide hole (2013) to fix the pressure plate (9) and the lower magnet (4).

5. The anti-creep air spring according to claim 4, characterized in that: The pressure plate (9) has a damping hole (901) that runs vertically through it. The damping cavity (2012) is filled with damping fluid (13), and the damping fluid (13) immerses the compression spring (11) and the pressure plate (9).

6. The anti-creep air spring according to claim 5, characterized in that: A buffer space (2014) communicating with the vibration damping cavity (2012) is provided on the mandrel (201) above the center of the top wall of the vibration damping cavity (2012), and the liquid level of the damping fluid (13) is located in the buffer space (2014); the annular top wall of the vibration damping cavity (2012) around the opening of the buffer space (2014) is set as a limiting surface (2015) to limit the upward height of the pressure plate (9).

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