Semitrailer composite suspension system

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of semi-trailer composite suspension systems, it includes frame and the suspension system being arranged in the lower end of frame, the lower end of frame is provided with multiple groups of wheels by axle side by side, the suspension system includes multiple groups of air suspension systems and a group of leaf spring suspension systems, the group of leaf spring suspension systems is located at the position of both ends of any axle of the lower end of frame, the multiple groups of air suspension systems are located at the position of both ends of remaining axle of the lower end of frame, by detecting different load control air suspension system to lift the number of axle to realize single axle or multi-axle respectively carrying.The application reduces tire wear and reduces vehicle cost by the design of the composite suspension system composed of multiple groups of air suspension systems and a group of leaf spring suspension systems, reduces rolling resistance and reduces fuel consumption, reduces the running damage of load air bag, and simultaneously expands intelligent control and safety performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automotive parts technology, and more specifically, to a semi-trailer composite suspension system. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional semi-trailers range from one to six axles, with three-axle semi-trailers being the most widely used and common. Typically, each axle uses leaf spring suspension, leading to resource waste due to multiple bearing loads. To address this issue, existing technology includes an air suspension structure for three-axle semi-trailers (publication number CN201021092Y). While this solves the resource waste problem of three-bearing loads, air suspension is expensive, and the airbags are prone to overheating and damage during operation, resulting in high vehicle manufacturing and replacement costs. Therefore, existing technology discloses a multi-axle semi-trailer suspension system combining air suspension and leaf spring suspension (publication number CN 215435892 U). This system reduces overall system cost through the combined use of air suspension and leaf spring suspension. The air suspension system is located on the innermost axle at the bottom of the frame, while the remaining axles at the bottom of the frame use leaf spring systems. Although this reduces costs by decreasing the amount of air suspension used, it still fails to solve the resource waste problem of multiple bearing loads.

[0003] Therefore, it is urgent to improve the suspension system, which needs to solve the problems of resource waste caused by multi-bearing loads, damage to the load-bearing airbags, and driving and loading safety. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One object of the present invention is to solve at least the above-mentioned problems and to provide at least the advantages that will be described later.

[0005] This invention provides a composite suspension system for semi-trailers, which is designed as a composite suspension system consisting of multiple air suspension systems and a leaf spring suspension system. This reduces tire wear and lowers operating costs, reduces rolling resistance and lowers fuel consumption, reduces damage to the load-bearing airbags, and also expands intelligent control and safety performance.

[0006] This invention relates to a semi-trailer composite suspension system, comprising a frame and a suspension system disposed at the lower end of the frame. Multiple sets of wheels are arranged side-by-side at the lower end of the frame via axles. The suspension system comprises multiple air suspension systems and one leaf spring suspension system. The leaf spring suspension system is located at both ends of any one axle at the lower end of the frame, while the multiple air suspension systems are located at both ends of the remaining axles at the lower end of the frame. By detecting different load amounts, the number of axles raised and lowered by the air suspension system is controlled to achieve single-axle or multi-axle load-bearing.

[0007] Preferably, the semi-trailer is a three-axle semi-trailer, the multiple air suspension systems are two sets of air suspension systems, and the composite suspension system can achieve three-axle, two-axle, and one-axle load respectively according to the detected different load amounts.

[0008] Preferably, the load detection method is a frame displacement sensing, and the specific structure includes a displacement detection probe and a sensing element that matches the displacement detection probe. The displacement detection probe is fixed to the frame, and the sensing element is fixed to the axle of the leaf spring suspension system.

[0009] The air suspension system's air path switching valve is located on the air passage connecting the lifting air chamber and the load-bearing airbag, and is used to control the lifting and lowering of the air suspension axle. The displacement detection probe and the air path switching valve of the air suspension system are electrically connected to the controller. The controller is electrically connected to the vehicle's dashboard, and the vehicle's dashboard is equipped with an automatic or manual switching key for controlling the lifting and lowering of the air suspension axle.

[0010] Preferably, the controller also includes locking and unlocking control for the air circuit switching valves of the air suspension system. When the vehicle is detected to be traveling at a specified speed, the air circuit switching valves of all air suspension systems are locked. When the vehicle is detected to have stopped for a specified time, the air circuit switching valves of all air suspension systems are unlocked, and the system enters an automatic control state for raising and lowering the air suspension axles.

[0011] Preferably, the controller automatically detects the lock-up and unlock-up control of the air circuit switching valve every time the vehicle is started, and displays a fault code on the vehicle's dashboard when a fault is detected in the lock-up and unlock-up control.

[0012] Preferably, a temperature sensor is installed at the gas interface of each airbag in the air suspension system to monitor the gas temperature inside the airbag. The temperature sensors are all electrically connected to the controller, which is electrically connected to the vehicle's dashboard to display the temperature of each airbag on the dashboard and to display a corresponding alarm when the detected airbag temperature reaches 60-70°C.

[0013] Preferably, a pressure sensor is installed at the gas interface of each airbag in the air suspension system. Each pressure sensor is electrically connected to the controller and is used to monitor the signal indicating that the corresponding air suspension axle has been lowered or raised to its designated position.

[0014] The present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0015] I. This invention, based on a set of leaf spring suspension systems supporting a semi-trailer, facilitates the control of any number of axles in multiple air suspension systems, reduces tire wear and lowers operating costs, reduces rolling resistance and lowers fuel consumption, reduces damage to the load-bearing airbags, and at the same time expands intelligent control and safety performance.

[0016] Second, the present invention provides locking and unlocking control for the air circuit switching valve of the air suspension system, which can solve the problem of driving safety and the problem of operators missing operation, thereby improving safety performance.

[0017] Third, this invention optimizes the protection against damage to the load-bearing airbags of the air suspension system by setting up an optimized protection scheme. When the temperature of the load-bearing airbag reaches 60-70℃, an alarm is triggered. When the system is half-loaded, the system can be stopped and a new set of air suspension systems can be used in rotation. This solves both the problem of resource waste caused by multi-bearing loads and the problem of damage to the load-bearing airbags during operation.

[0018] Other advantages, objectives and features of the present invention will become apparent in part from the following description, and in part from those skilled in the art through study and practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of one implementation of the semi-trailer composite suspension system of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a top view schematic diagram of the semi-trailer composite suspension system of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the frame displacement sensing structure of the semi-trailer composite suspension system of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the air circuit switching valve locking and unlocking control process of the semi-trailer composite suspension system of the present invention.

[0023] The components include: 1. Frame; 2. Lifting air chamber; 3. First air suspension system; 4. Second air suspension system; 5. Wheel; 6. Leaf spring suspension system; 7. Axle; 8. Load-bearing airbag; 9. Sensor mounting bracket; 10. Sensor; 11. Probe mounting bracket; 12. Probe adjustment bracket; 13. Controller; 14. Displacement detection probe. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can implement it based on the description.

[0025] It should be noted that in the description of this invention, the indicated orientation or positional relationship is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description. It does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

[0026] Figure 1 and 2 An implementation of a semi-trailer composite suspension system is shown, comprising a frame 1 and a suspension system disposed at the lower end of the frame 1. Multiple sets of wheels 5 are arranged side-by-side at the lower end of the frame 1 via axles 7. The suspension system comprises multiple sets of air suspension systems and a set of leaf spring suspension systems 6. The leaf spring suspension system 6 is located at both ends of any axle 7 at the lower end of the frame 1. The multiple sets of air suspension systems are located at both ends of the remaining axles 7 at the lower end of the frame 1. The number of axles 7 raised and lowered by the air suspension system is controlled by detecting different load amounts to achieve single-axle or multi-axle load bearing.

[0027] This invention determines the load-bearing weight of a semi-trailer through manual or intelligent means. By controlling the airflow direction of the air path switching valve on the air passage connecting the lifting chamber 2 and the load-bearing airbag 8 of the air suspension system, it controls the number of axles 7 lifted by the air suspension system, enabling single or multiple axles to bear loads independently. The advantage of this invention over existing technologies lies in the fact that the composite suspension system, consisting of multiple air suspension systems and one leaf spring suspension system 6, allows for easy control of the lifting number of any number of axles 7 from multiple air suspension systems, while the leaf spring suspension system 6 supports the semi-trailer. Furthermore, combined with subsequent optimization schemes to prevent damage to the load-bearing airbag 8 of the air suspension system, it better solves both the resource waste problem of multi-bearing loads and the problem of operational damage to the load-bearing airbag 8.

[0028] Based on the above implementation, the semi-trailer is a three-axle semi-trailer, and the multiple air suspension systems consist of two sets of air suspension systems, as shown in the figure, including a first air suspension system 3 and a second air suspension system 4. The composite suspension system enables three axles, two axles, and one axle to bear loads respectively according to the detected load. That is, when fully loaded, all three axles bear load; when half-loaded, one axle is raised to achieve two-axle load; when unloaded, two axles are raised to achieve one-axle load or one axle is raised to achieve two-axle load.

[0029] Based on the above implementation, such as Figure 3As shown, the load detection method is displacement sensing of the frame 1. The specific structure includes a displacement detection probe 14 and a sensing element 10 that matches the displacement detection probe 14. The displacement detection probe 14 is fixed to the frame 1, and the sensing element 10 is fixed to the axle 7 of the leaf spring suspension system 6. As shown in the figure, the displacement detection probe 14 is fixed below the frame 1 through the probe adjustment bracket 12 and the probe mounting bracket 11, and the sensing element 10 is vertically fixed above the axle 7 of the leaf spring suspension system 6 through the sensing element mounting bracket 9.

[0030] The air suspension system's air path switching valve is located on the air passage connecting the lifting air chamber 2 and the load-bearing airbag 8, and is used to control the lifting and lowering of the air suspension axle 7. The displacement detection probe 14 and the air path switching valve of the air suspension system are electrically connected to the controller 13, which is electrically connected to the vehicle's dashboard. The dashboard has an automatic or manual switching button for controlling the lifting and lowering of the air suspension axle 7. In automatic control mode, the displacement detection probe 14 moves up and down according to the weight change of the cargo carried on the frame 1. The displacement detection probe 14 receives signals from different positions on the sensing element 10 and transmits them to the controller 13 to perform different control operations. For example, when unloading a fully loaded cargo, the reduced cargo load on the chassis 1 causes the displacement detection probe 14 to move upwards. Upon receiving a signal indicating half-load, the controller 13 controls the air circuit switching valve to deflate the load-bearing airbag 8 while simultaneously inflating the corresponding lifting air chamber 2, thereby lifting the wheel 5 of that axle 7, achieving two-axle load. If unloading continues and the cargo load on the chassis 1 further decreases or becomes empty, the displacement detection probe 14 continues to move upwards. Upon receiving a signal indicating no load, the controller 13 controls the air circuit switching valve of another air suspension system to deflate its load-bearing airbag 8 while simultaneously inflating the corresponding lifting air chamber 2, thereby lifting the wheel 5 of that axle 7, achieving one-axle load. The same principle applies during loading, and will not be elaborated further here.

[0031] The structure of the air suspension system and the structure of the leaf spring suspension system 6 of the present invention can be existing structures, such as existing air suspension and leaf spring suspension (publication number CN 215435892 U), or existing air suspension structure (publication number CN208452728U).

[0032] Based on the above implementation, the controller 13 also includes lock-up and unlock control for the air path switching valve of the air suspension system, such as... Figure 4As shown in the control flow diagram, when the vehicle is detected traveling at the specified speed, the air circuit switching valves of all air suspension systems are locked. When the vehicle stops for the specified time, the air circuit switching valves of all air suspension systems are unlocked, and the system enters the automatic control state for raising and lowering the air suspension axle 7. This solution, with its lock-up and unlock control of the air circuit switching valves, can solve driving safety issues and address operator oversights, thus improving safety performance. For example, if an operator locks the air circuit switching valves of the air suspension system while driving and arrives at the loading point to load goods, but forgets to unlock them, the axle 7 cannot be lowered according to the vehicle's load, leading to a safety hazard. Similarly, when driving on bumpy roads, if the operator forgets to lock the air circuit switching valves, the displacement detection probe 14 may move excessively, leading to misjudgments of lowering or raising the axle 7, also resulting in a safety hazard.

[0033] Based on the above implementation, the controller 13 automatically detects the lock-up and unlock-up control of the air circuit switching valve every time the vehicle is started. When a fault is detected in the lock-up and unlock-up control, a fault code is displayed on the vehicle's instrument panel to facilitate timely repair and improve safety performance. Figure 4 As shown in the control flow diagram, each time the vehicle starts the engine, the system simulates the vehicle stopping and driving to automatically detect the lock-up and unlock-up control function of the air circuit switching valve. When the lock-up and unlock-up control function is detected to be abnormal, a fault code is displayed on the vehicle's instrument panel. When the lock-up and unlock-up control function is detected to be normal, the system further monitors whether the vehicle speed is greater than 10 kilometers per hour. If the vehicle speed is greater than 10 kilometers per hour, the air circuit switching valve is locked. If the vehicle speed is less than or equal to 10 kilometers per hour or stops, and the vehicle speed is maintained for more than 5 minutes, the air circuit switching valve is unlocked, the air suspension axle 7 is in automatic control state, and the above-mentioned cycle monitoring is performed.

[0034] Based on the above implementation, a temperature sensor is installed at the gas interface of each airbag 8 in the air suspension system to monitor the gas temperature inside the airbag 8. Each temperature sensor is electrically connected to the controller 13, which is electrically connected to the vehicle's dashboard to display the temperature of each airbag 8 on the dashboard. An alarm is triggered when the detected temperature of an airbag 8 reaches 60-70℃. When an alarm signal is triggered, the driver is prompted to pull over or stop at the nearest service area. For half-loaded conditions, the function of controlling the lifting and lowering of the air suspension axle 7 is switched to manual, allowing for rotation of one set of air suspension systems. Alternatively, for fully loaded conditions, the driver is advised to stop at the nearest service area to rest or perform cooling operations, avoiding the risk of damage caused by overheating of the airbags 8. This simultaneously solves the problems of resource waste from multi-bearing loads and the susceptibility of airbag 8 to damage during operation.

[0035] Based on the above implementation, a pressure sensor is provided at the gas interface of each load-bearing airbag 8 in the air suspension system. The pressure sensor is electrically connected to the controller 13 and is used to monitor the signal of the corresponding air suspension axle 7 being lowered or raised into position.

[0036] Although embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed above, they are not limited to the applications listed in the specification and embodiments. They can be applied to various fields suitable for the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other modifications can be easily made. Therefore, without departing from the general concept defined by the claims and their equivalents, the present invention is not limited to the specific details and illustrations shown and described herein.

Claims

1. A semi-trailer compound suspension system comprising a frame and a suspension system provided at a lower end of the frame, the lower end of the frame being provided with a plurality of sets of wheels side by side via axles, characterized in that, The suspension system comprises a plurality of air suspension systems and a set of leaf spring suspension systems, the set of leaf spring suspension systems is located at the positions of the two ends of any axle at the lower end of the frame, and the plurality of air suspension systems is located at the positions of the two ends of the remaining axles at the lower end of the frame, the number of axles lifted and lowered by the air suspension system is controlled to realize single-axle or multi-axle load bearing respectively by detecting different load amounts; The load amount detection is achieved by sensing the displacement of the frame, and the specific structure comprises a displacement detection probe and a sensing sheet matched with the displacement detection probe, the displacement detection probe is fixedly arranged on the frame, and the sensing sheet is fixedly arranged on the axle of the leaf spring suspension system; wherein the air path switching valve of the air suspension system is arranged on the air passage connecting the lifting air chamber and the load bearing air bag, and is used for controlling the lifting and lowering of the axle of the air suspension system, the displacement detection probe and the air path switching valve of the air suspension system are respectively electrically connected with the controller, the controller is electrically connected with the automobile instrument panel, and an automatic or manual switching key for controlling the lifting and lowering of the axle of the air suspension system is arranged on the automobile instrument panel; The controller further comprises lock and unlock control of the air path switching valve of the air suspension system, when it is detected that the vehicle is running at a specified speed, the lock of the air path switching valve of all air suspension systems is started, when it is detected that the vehicle is parked for a specified time, the unlock of the air path switching valve of all air suspension systems is started, and the automatic control state of the lifting and lowering of the axle of the air suspension system is entered; a gas pressure sensor is arranged at the gas interface of each load bearing air bag of the air suspension system, and the gas pressure sensor is electrically connected with the controller, for monitoring the signal that the axle of the corresponding air suspension is lowered to the position or lifted to the position; A temperature sensor is arranged at the gas interface of each load bearing air bag of the air suspension system, for monitoring the gas temperature in the load bearing air bag, the temperature sensor is electrically connected with the controller, and the controller is electrically connected with the automobile instrument panel, so as to display the temperature of each load bearing air bag on the instrument panel, and perform corresponding alarm display when the temperature of the load bearing air bag reaches 60-70℃.

2. The semi-trailer composite suspension system of claim 1, wherein, The semi-trailer is a three-axle semi-trailer, the plurality of air suspension systems is two air suspension systems, and the composite suspension system realizes three-axle, two-axle and single-axle load bearing respectively according to the detection of different load amounts.

3. The semi-trailer composite suspension system of claim 1, wherein, The lock and unlock control of the air path switching valve by the controller is automatically detected each time the vehicle starts, and a fault code is displayed on the automobile instrument panel when it is detected that the lock and unlock control fails.

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