Liquid-gas spring

Abstract

The invention discloses a liquid-gas spring which comprises a base connected with an unsprung mass part, a cylinder barrel, an upper oil cavity, a lower oil cavity, a piston rod and an upper cover with an oil seal, wherein the upper oil cavity and the lower oil cavity are separated by a piston with a piston ring and are filled with oil; the upper mass part is connected with the piston through the piston rod; the upper oil cavity and the lower oil cavity are respectively connected with an oil cavity of a pressure tank through an oil pipe and a flow control valve which can adjust the opening degree and is normally opened. The pressure tank is composed of a base, a barrel and an oil-gas isolation piston which separates upper high-pressure gas from lower oil and is provided with a sealing ring. The air cavity is connected with air inlet-outlet pipes, three-way valves, air inlet pipes and high-pressure air pumps. The three-way valve is operated, high-pressure gas of the high-pressure gas pump enters the gas cavity, directly pushes the oil-gas isolation piston, indirectly pushes oil liquid and finally pushes the piston and the piston rod to move upwards and downwards, and the height of the vehicle is adjusted. The opening degree of the flow control valve is adjusted, and compression or rebound damping of the liquid-gas spring can be controlled. The vehicle can be driven more comfortably, the service life is long, and the maintenance cost is low.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an automobile suspension system, in particular to a liquid-gas spring for supporting the height of a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] In the existing automobile suspension system, the vehicle height support springs mainly include leaf springs, coil springs, and air springs. Leaf springs are heavy and have poor shock absorption, resulting in poor ride comfort and no vehicle height adjustment. Coil springs are prone to fatigue and height reduction after long-term use and are also not capable of vehicle height adjustment. In daily use, the rubber bladder of the air chamber of an air spring is folded in a V shape. During vehicle driving, the air spring is repeatedly compressed and rebounded, and the V-shaped fold of the rubber bladder is prone to fatigue, cracking, and air leakage due to repeated folding, causing the air spring's support function to fail and its maintenance cost is high. Summary of the invention

[0003] Based on the various defects of the support springs in the existing vehicle suspension system, the present invention provides a gas-liquid spring filled with gas and liquid. The driver and passenger can adjust the compression and rebound speed of the gas-liquid spring according to their comfort preferences to change the shock filtering ability. The gas-liquid spring also has the function of raising and lowering the height of the vehicle. It has a long service life and low maintenance cost.

[0004] The liquid-gas spring in the present invention comprises a support body, an upper pressure tank, a lower pressure tank and a high-pressure air pump of the liquid-gas spring; the support body of the liquid-gas spring is divided into an upper oil chamber and a lower oil chamber by a piston; the upper pressure tank and the lower pressure tank are both divided into an upper air chamber and a lower oil chamber by an oil-gas isolation piston; the upper oil chamber of the support body is connected to the oil chamber of the upper pressure tank, the lower oil chamber is connected to the oil chamber of the lower pressure tank, and the air chambers of the upper and lower pressure tanks are both connected to the high-pressure air pump.

[0005] The support body of the gas spring has a base at the lower end of the cylinder, which is used to connect the mass part under the spring. The support body has an upper cover and an oil seal at the upper end of the cylinder, a piston inside, a piston ring on the piston, the lower end of the piston rod is connected to the middle of the piston, and the upper end passes through the upper cover and the oil seal to connect to the mass part on the spring.

[0006] The lower ends of the cylinders of the upper pressure tank connected to the upper oil chamber and the lower pressure tank connected to the lower oil chamber of the support body of the gas spring are provided with a base, the cylinders are provided with an oil-gas isolation piston, and the oil-gas isolation piston is provided with an oil-gas isolation piston ring.

[0007] The upper oil chamber of the support body of the gas spring is connected to the oil chamber of the upper pressure tank through an oil pipe and a normally open flow control valve; the lower oil chamber of the support body of the gas spring is connected to the oil chamber of the lower pressure tank through an oil pipe and a normally open flow control valve. The upper air chambers of the upper and lower pressure tanks are connected to high-pressure air pumps through air inlet and outlet pipes, three-way valves, and air inlet pipes.

[0008] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the parts most susceptible to wear are the piston rings that move linearly and are in contact with the cylinder barrel, or the oil-gas isolation piston rings that are in contact with the cylinder body. Unlike the rubber airbags of traditional air springs, which are repeatedly folded and easily damaged during use, the present invention has a long service life and low maintenance costs; the supporting force is mainly provided by gas, which has good shock filtering properties, and the size of the flow control valve opening can be adjusted to change the compression or rebound damping of the liquid-gas spring, thereby making the vehicle's driving experience more comfortable and having good shock filtering; and the vehicle body height can be adjusted. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and beneficial effects of the present invention clearer, the present invention provides the following drawings for illustration: Figure 1 It is a cross-sectional view of a hydro-pneumatic spring at one wheel end of the suspension system.

[0010] The markings in the accompanying drawings are as follows: (1) cylinder barrel, (2) base, (3) lower oil chamber, (4) piston, (5) piston ring, (6) upper oil chamber, (7) piston rod, (8) oil pipe, (9) oil, (10) oil seal, (11) upper cover, (12) flow control valve, (13) lower pressure tank, (14) pressure tank base, (15) cylinder, (16) oil chamber, (17) oil-gas isolation piston, (18) oil-gas isolation piston ring, (19) air chamber, (20) inlet and exhaust pipes, (21) three-way valve, (22) exhaust port, (23) inlet pipe, (24) high-pressure air pump, (25) high-pressure gas, (26) upper pressure tank, (27) other liquid-gas spring pipelines, (28) unsprung mass parts, (29) sprung mass parts. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] The technical solution of the present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0012] like Figure 1As shown, the liquid-gas spring in this embodiment includes a support body of the liquid-gas spring, an upper pressure tank 26, a lower pressure tank 13 and a high-pressure air pump 24; the lower end of the cylinder barrel 1 of the support body of the liquid-gas spring has a base 2, and the base 2 is used to connect the unsprung mass part 28. The upper end of the cylinder barrel 1 has an upper cover 11 and an oil seal 10, and a piston 4 is arranged inside. The piston 4 has a piston ring 5. The piston 4 divides the cylinder barrel 1 of the support body of the liquid-gas spring into an upper oil chamber 6 and a lower oil chamber 3. The upper oil chamber 6 and the lower oil chamber 3 are filled with oil 9. The lower end of the piston rod 7 is connected to the middle of the piston 4, and the upper end passes through the upper cover 11 and the oil seal 10 of the cylinder barrel 1 and then connects to the spring mass part 29. The upper oil chamber 6 of the support body of the gas-liquid spring is connected to the oil chamber 16 of an upper pressure tank 26 through an oil pipe 8 and a flow control valve 12, and the lower oil chamber 3 of the support body of the gas-liquid spring is connected to the oil chamber 16 of a lower pressure tank 13 through an oil pipe 8 and a flow control valve 12. The lower ends of the cylinders 15 of the upper pressure tank 26 and the lower pressure tank 13 have a pressure tank base 14, and the cylinder 15 has an oil-gas isolation piston 17, and the oil-gas isolation piston 17 has an oil-gas isolation piston ring 18. The upper pressure tank 26 and the lower pressure tank 13 are respectively divided into an upper gas chamber 19 and a lower oil chamber 16 through an oil-gas isolation piston 17, and the gas chamber 19 has a high-pressure gas 25, and the oil chamber 16 has oil 9. The gas chamber 19 at the upper part of the upper pressure tank 26 and the lower pressure tank 13 are connected to a high-pressure air pump 24 through an inlet and outlet pipe 20, a three-way valve 21, and an inlet pipe 23.

[0013] In application, the pressure of the high-pressure gas 25 in the air chamber 19 of the lower pressure tank 13 pushes the oil-gas isolation piston 17 of the lower pressure tank 13, and indirectly applies pressure to the oil 9 in the oil chamber 16 of the lower pressure tank 13. The oil 9 in the oil chamber 16 of the lower pressure tank 13 is connected to the oil 9 in the lower oil chamber 3 of the support body of the gas-liquid spring through the oil pipe 8 and the normally open flow control valve 12. Therefore, the pressure acting on the oil 9 will push the piston 4 and the piston rod 7 in the cylinder 1 of the support body of the gas-liquid spring upward. When the downward pressure of the vehicle and the upward thrust of the piston rod 7 are balanced, it finally plays the function of supporting the vehicle. When the vehicle needs to be raised, while opening the three-way valve 21, the air intake pipe 23 and the air intake and exhaust pipe 20 of the lower pressure tank 13, the three-way valve 21, the air intake and exhaust pipe 20 and the exhaust port 22 of the upper pressure tank 26 are also opened, and the high-pressure gas 25 with a higher pressure from the high-pressure air pump 24 will enter the air cavity 19 of the lower pressure tank 13 through the channel just opened by the three-way valve 21 of the lower pressure tank 13, and the high-pressure gas 25 with a higher pressure will push the oil-gas isolation piston 17 of the lower pressure tank 13, indirectly pushing the oil 9 on the other side of the oil-gas isolation piston 17, and the oil 9 enters the lower oil cavity 13 of the support body of the liquid-gas spring through the oil pipe 8 and the normally open flow control valve 12. , and finally push the gas-liquid spring piston 4 and the piston rod 7 upward to raise the vehicle. While the vehicle is being raised, the gas-liquid spring piston 4 moves upward, pushing the oil 9 in the upper oil chamber 6 of the gas-liquid spring support body. The pushed oil 9 enters the oil chamber 16 of the upper pressure tank 26 through the oil pipe 8 and the normally open flow control valve 12. The oil 9 then pushes the oil-gas isolation piston 17 of the upper pressure tank 26. The oil-gas isolation piston 17 indirectly pushes the high-pressure gas 25 on the other side. The pushed high-pressure gas 25 is discharged from the exhaust port 22 through the channel just opened by the three-way valve 21 of the upper pressure tank 26. When the vehicle is raised to the required height, all three-way valves 21 are closed to complete the increase in the height of the vehicle. The operation of opening the channel when replacing the three-way valve 21 of the upper pressure tank 26 and the three-way valve 21 of the lower pressure tank 13 to raise the vehicle is because the oil 9, high-pressure gas 25, piston 4, piston rod 7, and oil-gas isolation piston 17 in their components move in the opposite direction to when the vehicle is raised, thereby lowering the height of the vehicle until it reaches the height to be lowered, and then all three-way valves 21 are closed to complete the lowering of the vehicle height.When the vehicle is driving, the uneven road surface causes the vehicle body to rise and fall, and drives the piston rod 7 and piston 4 of the gas-liquid spring to move up and down, thereby pushing or pulling the oil 9 in the upper oil chamber 6 or the lower oil chamber 3 of the support body of the gas-liquid spring. The oil 9 flows forward or backward with the oil 9 in the corresponding pressure tank through the oil pipe 8 connected to the upper oil chamber 6 or the lower oil chamber 3 and the normally open flow control valve 12. The opening size of the normally open flow control valve 12 of the lower pressure tank 13 is adjusted to control the compression speed of the gas-liquid spring when the vehicle is driving on an undulating road; the opening size of the normally open flow control valve 12 of the upper pressure tank 26 is adjusted to control the rebound speed of the gas-liquid spring when the vehicle is on an undulating road. The adjustment of the two flow control valves 12 can also change the shock filtering ability of the gas-liquid spring.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this embodiment are as follows: the most easily worn parts are the piston ring 5 that moves linearly and is in contact with the cylinder 1, or the oil-gas isolation piston ring 18 that is in contact with the cylinder body 15. Unlike the rubber airbag of the traditional air spring, which is easily damaged by repeated folding during use, the present invention has a long service life and low maintenance cost; the supporting force is mainly provided by gas, which has good shock filtering performance, and the opening size of the flow control valve 12 can be adjusted to change the compression or rebound damping of the liquid-gas spring, thereby making the driving experience of the vehicle more comfortable and having good shock filtering; and the vehicle body height can be adjusted.

[0015] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solution of the present invention can be modified or replaced by equivalents without departing from the purpose and scope of the technical solution of the present invention, which should be included in the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A gas spring, characterized in that: It includes a support body of a liquid-gas spring, an upper pressure tank, a lower pressure tank and a high-pressure air pump; the support body of the liquid-gas spring is divided into an upper oil chamber and a lower oil chamber by a piston; the upper pressure tank and the lower pressure tank are both divided into an upper air chamber and a lower oil chamber by an oil-gas isolation piston; the upper oil chamber is connected to the oil chamber of the upper pressure tank, the lower oil chamber is connected to the oil chamber of the lower pressure tank, and the air chambers of the upper and lower pressure tanks are both connected to high-pressure air pumps.

2. The hydro-pneumatic spring according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support body of the gas spring has a base at the lower end of the cylinder, which is used to connect the mass part under the spring. The support body has an upper cover and an oil seal at the upper end of the cylinder, a piston inside, a piston ring on the piston, the lower end of the piston rod is connected to the middle of the piston, and the upper end passes through the upper cover and the oil seal to connect to the mass part on the spring.

3. The hydro-pneumatic spring according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower ends of the cylinders of the upper pressure tank connected to the upper oil chamber and the lower pressure tank connected to the lower oil chamber of the support body of the gas spring are provided with a base, the cylinders are provided with an oil-gas isolation piston, and the oil-gas isolation piston is provided with an oil-gas isolation piston ring.

4. The hydro-pneumatic spring according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper oil chamber of the support body of the gas spring is connected to the oil chamber of the upper pressure tank through an oil pipe and a normally open flow control valve; the lower oil chamber of the support body of the gas spring is connected to the oil chamber of the lower pressure tank through an oil pipe and a normally open flow control valve.

5. The hydro-pneumatic spring according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air cavities at the upper parts of the upper pressure tank and the lower pressure tank are respectively connected with high-pressure air pumps through air inlet and outlet pipes, three-way valves and air inlet pipes.

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