A multi-stage air spring

Abstract

The present invention discloses a multi-stage air spring, comprising a cylinder body, a plurality of supporting rubber springs, a plurality of sealing rubber springs, and a piston: the present invention connects the piston and the cylinder body with supporting rubber springs and sealing rubber springs, the low shear stiffness of the rubber springs allows the piston to move freely axially relative to the cylinder body, playing the role of a flexible spring connection; the high radial pressure-bearing stiffness of the rubber springs can provide effective radial support for the piston, allowing the piston rod to withstand a large radial load, playing the role of a radial support bearing; the supporting rubber springs and the sealing rubber springs are connected together with the piston and the cylinder body to form a gapless sealing interface, which can effectively avoid leakage problems, greatly increase the compressed air pressure in the cylinder, and significantly improve the load-bearing capacity of the air spring; by connecting multiple air springs through the piston rod to form a parallel connection in terms of stiffness, the load-bearing capacity per unit cross-section is greatly improved in a smaller space.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of elastic supporting elements, and in particular to a multi-stage air spring. Background Art

[0002] Air springs confine compressed air within a relatively closed space, leveraging the compressibility of air to achieve the device's spring function. These springs offer advantages such as low natural frequency and zero static deformation, making them widely used in vibration tables to balance the static load of moving masses. As infrastructure construction expands, the load scale of vibration simulation tests is also increasing, placing increasingly high demands on the load-bearing capacity of air springs.

[0003] Traditional air springs primarily include capsule air springs, membrane air springs, and cylinder air springs. In capsule and membrane air springs, the moving connector and fixed support are connected as a single unit via a rubber capsule or diaphragm. The compressed air is confined within a sealed space by the rubber capsule or diaphragm. The elasticity of the rubber capsule or diaphragm allows the moving connector to move within a certain range relative to the fixed support. However, due to the strength of the rubber, the compressed air pressure is limited, making it difficult to increase the axial load capacity of capsule and membrane air springs. Furthermore, due to the inherently weak deformation resistance of the rubber capsule or diaphragm, the radial load capacity of capsule and membrane air springs is very low.

[0004] Cylinder-type air springs rely on a piston and cylinder body to confine compressed air within the cylinder. Due to the relative motion between the piston and cylinder, a gap inevitably exists between the piston and the inner wall of the cylinder, creating a leak path for the compressed air, causing continuous gas leakage and noise. Consequently, the compressed air pressure in cylinder-type air springs is difficult to increase, and their axial load capacity is limited. Due to the gap between the piston and the cylinder body, radial loads can cause contact between the piston and the cylinder body, resulting in wear. Consequently, the radial loads that cylinder-type air springs can withstand are also very low.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to develop a multi-stage air spring to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to design a multi-stage air spring in order to solve the above problems.

[0007] The present invention achieves the above-mentioned purpose through the following technical solutions:

[0008] A multi-stage air spring comprising:

[0009] Cylinder body; the cylinder body includes a bottom cylinder, at least one middle cylinder, and a top cylinder; the bottom cylinder, the middle cylinder, and the top cylinder are all formed into a barrel-shaped structure, and the bottom cylinder, the at least one middle cylinder, and the top cylinder are axially connected in sequence from one end to the other; a first air supply hole is provided at the bottom of the bottom cylinder, and a first exhaust hole is provided above the side wall of the bottom cylinder; a second exhaust hole is provided above the side wall of the middle cylinder; a first mounting hole is provided at the bottom center of the middle cylinder, and a second mounting hole is provided at the bottom center of the top cylinder;

[0010] Multiple supporting rubber springs;

[0011] A plurality of sealing rubber springs; the supporting rubber spring and the sealing rubber spring are both formed in an annular shape;

[0012] The piston comprises a piston rod, a plurality of first piston discs, a plurality of positioning sleeves, and a nut. The piston rod comprises a second piston disc, a lower column section, and an upper column section. The first piston disc and the second piston disc are both formed in an annular shape. The plurality of first piston discs and the second piston discs are arranged parallel to each other. The positioning sleeve is formed into an annular column structure. The lower end of the upper column section is connected to the upper end of the lower column section. The upper end of the upper column section is used to connect an external load. An external thread is provided on the outer wall of the upper column section. The nut is threaded with the external thread. The outer wall of the lower end of the lower column section is connected to the middle of the second piston disc. A plurality of positioning sleeves and a plurality of first piston discs are sleeved on the lower column section. The lower end of the positioning sleeve at the bottom is connected to the top of the second piston disc. The first piston disc at the top is installed between a positioning sleeve and the nut, and the remaining first piston discs are placed between two adjacent positioning sleeves. A second air supply hole is axially provided in the lower column section. The lower column section A third air supply hole with the same number as the positioning sleeve is provided on the side wall, a fourth air supply hole is provided on the side wall of the positioning sleeve, and the second air supply hole is respectively connected to the multiple third air supply holes; and a third air supply hole and a fourth air supply hole connected to the third air supply hole are provided between the bottom of each middle cylinder and the first piston disc near the top thereof, and between the bottom of the top cylinder and the first piston disc near the top thereof; supporting rubber springs are mounted on the outer walls of the first piston disc and the second piston disc, the second piston disc is arranged in the bottom cylinder, and a first piston disc is arranged in the top cylinder and each middle cylinder, and the middle part of the inner side wall of the bottom cylinder, the middle cylinder and the top cylinder is connected to the outer wall of the supporting rubber spring; a sealing rubber spring is mounted on the outer wall of each positioning sleeve, and the outer wall of the sealing rubber spring is connected to the side wall of the first mounting hole or the side wall of the second mounting hole.

[0013] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0014] The present invention connects the piston and cylinder body with a supporting rubber spring and a sealing rubber spring. The low shear stiffness of the rubber spring allows the piston to move freely axially relative to the cylinder body, acting as a flexible spring connection. The high radial bearing stiffness of the rubber spring can provide effective radial support for the piston, allowing the piston rod to withstand large radial loads, acting as a radial support bearing.

[0015] The supporting rubber spring and the sealing rubber spring are connected with the piston and the cylinder body to form a gapless sealing interface, which can effectively avoid leakage problems. The compressed air pressure in the cylinder can be greatly increased, and the load-bearing capacity of the air spring can also be greatly improved;

[0016] By connecting multiple air springs through piston rods to form a parallel connection in terms of stiffness, the load-bearing capacity per unit cross section is greatly improved in a smaller space;

[0017] The present invention can effectively solve the problems of low load-bearing capacity, weak radial stiffness, large gas leakage, etc. of existing air springs, and the axial load-bearing capacity and radial load-bearing capacity of the air spring can be greatly improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this application (cross-sectional view);

[0019] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the structure of the cylinder block in this application (cross-section view);

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the supporting rubber spring in this application;

[0021] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the piston in this application (cross-section view).

[0022] Legend: 1- cylinder body; 1-1- bottom cylinder; 1-2- middle cylinder; 1-3- top cylinder; 1-4- first exhaust hole; 1-5- first air supply hole; 1-6- second exhaust hole; 1-7- first mounting hole; 1-8- second mounting hole; 2- supporting rubber spring; 2-1- thin rubber column shell; 2-2- thin metal column shell; 3- piston; 3-1- piston rod; 3-2- first piston disc; 3-3- positioning sleeve; 3-4- sealing ring; 3-5- nut; 3-6- second piston disc; 3-7- lower column section; 3-8- upper column section; 3-9- second air supply hole; 3-10- third air supply hole; 3-11- fourth air supply hole; 4- sealing rubber spring. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more apparent, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that the described embodiments are only a portion of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present invention described and illustrated in the drawings herein may be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations.

[0024] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as claimed, but rather merely represents selected embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments derived by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are intended to fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0025] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined or explained in subsequent drawings.

[0026] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "inside", "outside", "left", "right", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, or are the orientations or positional relationships in which the inventive product is conventionally placed when in use, or are the orientations or positional relationships conventionally understood by those skilled in the art. These are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0027] Furthermore, the terms “first”, “second”, etc. are merely used for distinguishing descriptions and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0028] In the description of the present invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, terms such as "disposed" and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connected" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can also mean internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will be able to understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0029] The specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] like Figure 1-4 As shown, a multi-stage air spring comprises:

[0031] Cylinder body 1; Cylinder body 1 includes a bottom cylinder 1-1, two middle cylinders 1-2, and a top cylinder 1-3; the bottom cylinder 1-1, the middle cylinder 1-2, and the top cylinder 1-3 are all formed into a barrel-shaped structure, and the bottom cylinder 1-1, the two middle cylinders 1-2, and the top cylinder 1-3 are axially connected in sequence from one end to the other; a first air supply hole 1-5 is provided below the bottom cylinder 1-1, and a first exhaust hole 1-4 is provided above the side wall of the bottom cylinder 1-1; a second exhaust hole 1-6 is provided above the side wall of the middle cylinder 1-2; a first mounting hole 1-7 is provided at the center of the bottom of the middle cylinder 1-2, and a second mounting hole 1-8 is provided at the center of the bottom of the top cylinder 1-3;

[0032] Four supporting rubber springs 2;

[0033] Three sealing rubber springs 4; the supporting rubber spring 2 and the sealing rubber spring 4 are both formed in a ring shape;

[0034] Piston 3; The piston 3 includes a piston rod 3-1, three first piston discs 3-2, three positioning sleeves 3-3, and a nut 3-5. The piston rod 3-1 includes a second piston disc 3-6, a lower column section 3-7, and an upper column section 3-8. The first piston disc 3-2 and the second piston disc 3-6 are both formed in an annular shape. The three first piston discs 3-2 and the second piston disc 3-6 are arranged parallel to each other. The positioning sleeve 3-3 is formed into a ring-shaped structure. The lower end of the upper column section 3-8 is connected to the upper end of the lower column section 3-7. The upper end of the upper column section 3-8 is used to connect an external load. An external screw is provided on the outer wall of the upper column section 3-8. The nut 3-5 is matched with the external thread. The outer wall of the lower end of the lower column section 3-7 is connected to the middle of the second piston disc 3-6. Three first piston discs 3-2 and three positioning sleeves 3-3 are installed on the lower column section 3-7. The lower end of the positioning sleeve 3-3 at the bottom is connected to the top of the second piston disc 3-6. The first piston disc 3-2 at the top is installed between a positioning sleeve 3-3 and the nut 3-5. The remaining first piston discs 3-2 are placed between two adjacent positioning sleeves 3-3. A second air supply hole 3-9 is axially provided in the lower column section 3-7, and a The same number of third air supply holes 3-10 as the number of positioning sleeves 3-3 is provided. A fourth air supply hole 3-11 is provided on the side wall of the positioning sleeve 3-3. The second air supply hole 3-9 is respectively connected to the three third air supply holes 3-10. In addition, a third air supply hole 3-10 and a fourth air supply hole 3-11 connected thereto are provided between the bottom of each middle cylinder 1-2 and the first piston disk 3-2 near the top thereof, and between the bottom of the top cylinder 1-3 and the first piston disk 3-2 near the top thereof. The three third air supply holes 3-10 are respectively radially aligned with the three fourth air supply holes 3-11. A supporting rubber spring 2 is mounted on the outer walls of the first piston disc 3-2 and the second piston disc 3-6. The second piston disc 3-6 is arranged in the bottom cylinder 1-1. A first piston disc 3-2 is arranged in the top cylinder 1-3 and each middle cylinder 1-2. The middle parts of the inner walls of the bottom cylinder 1-1, the middle cylinder 1-2 and the top cylinder 1-3 are connected to the outer walls of the supporting rubber spring 2; a sealing rubber spring 4 is mounted on the outer wall of each positioning sleeve 3-3, and the outer wall of the sealing rubber spring 4 is connected to the side wall of the first mounting hole 1-7 or the side wall of the second mounting hole 1-8.

[0035] In this embodiment, the nut 3-5 is used to press the first piston disc 3-2 and the positioning sleeve 3-3 against the piston rod 3-1, forming the piston rod 3-1, the first piston disc 3-2, the positioning sleeve 3-3, and the nut 3-5 into a single unit. The bottom positioning sleeve 3-3 is mounted on the lower column section 3-7. The bottom of the lowest positioning sleeve 3-3 presses against the second piston disc 3-6, while the top supports the first piston disc 3-2. The other positioning sleeves 3-3 press against the lower first piston disc 3-2 at their bottoms, while their tops support the upper first piston disc 3-2.

[0036] In some embodiments, an annular sealing groove is provided on the inner side wall of the first piston disc 3 - 2 , and a sealing ring 3 - 4 is provided in the sealing groove.

[0037] In some embodiments, the supporting rubber spring 2 and the sealing rubber spring 4 are both composed of a plurality of annular thin-skin rubber cylindrical shells 2 - 1 and a plurality of thin-skin metal cylindrical shells 2 - 2 cross-stacked in the radial direction.

[0038] In some embodiments, the supporting rubber spring 2 is bonded to the bottom cylinder 1-1, the middle cylinder 1-2, the top cylinder 1-3, the first piston disc 3-2, and the second piston disc 3-6, and the sealing rubber spring 4 is bonded to the first mounting hole 1-7, the second mounting hole 1-8, and the positioning sleeve 3-3.

[0039] In some embodiments, flanges are provided at the top of the bottom cylinder 1-1, the top and bottom of the middle cylinder 1-2, and the bottom of the top cylinder 1-3. The bottom cylinder 1-1 and the middle cylinder 1-2, the middle cylinder 1-2 and the middle cylinder 1-2, and the middle cylinder 1-2 and the top cylinder 1-3 are all connected by flanges, and the contacting flanges are axially connected by screws.

[0040] In some embodiments, the supporting rubber spring 2 and the sealing rubber spring 4 are in a pre-compressed state during installation.

[0041] In some embodiments, the supporting rubber spring 2 and the sealing rubber spring 4 are both formed in annular shapes; the thin-skinned rubber column shell 2-1 and the thin-skinned metal column shell 2-2 are both formed in annular structures; the bottom cylinder 1-1, the middle cylinder 1-2, and the top cylinder 1-3 are all formed in barrel-shaped structures; the first piston disc 3-2 and the second piston disc 3-6 are both formed in annular shapes; the lower column section 3-7 is formed in a cylindrical structure, and the positioning sleeve 3-3 is formed in an annular columnar structure.

[0042] In some embodiments, the first exhaust holes 1-4 and the second exhaust holes 1-6 above the side walls of the bottom cylinder 1-1 and the middle cylinder 1-2 are arranged in groups, each group includes a plurality of evenly distributed first exhaust holes 1-4 at the same axial distance, and each group includes a plurality of evenly distributed second exhaust holes 1-6 at the same axial distance.

[0043] In this application:

[0044] The bottom cylinder 1-1, the supporting rubber spring 2 and the piston 3 constitute a closed air chamber 1.

[0045] The middle cylinder 1-2, the supporting rubber spring 2, the piston 3 and the positioning sleeve 3-3 constitute a closed air chamber 2.

[0046] The top cylinder 1-3, the supporting rubber spring 2, the piston 3 and the positioning sleeve 3-3 constitute a closed air chamber three.

[0047] The air chamber 1, the air chamber 2 and the air chamber 3 are connected together through the second air supply hole 3-9, the third air supply hole 3-10 on the lower column section 3-7 and the fourth air supply hole 3-11 on the side of the positioning sleeve 3-3.

[0048] The supporting rubber spring 2 and sealing rubber spring 4 consist of a thin rubber cylindrical shell 2-1 and a thin metal cylindrical shell 2-2, stacked crosswise. The circumferentially enclosed structure and the bonding effect of the thin metal cylindrical shell 2-2 limit the deformation of the thin rubber within the circumferential surface. Due to the Poisson effect, radial compression deformation of the thin rubber is limited, but axial shear deformation is not. As a result, the supporting rubber spring 2 and sealing rubber spring 4 have high radial compression stiffness and low axial shear stiffness.

[0049] During operation, the top of the upper column section 3-8 is connected to the external load. High-pressure gas enters the bottom cylinder 1-1 through the first air supply hole 1-5 at the bottom of the bottom cylinder 1-1. It then flows through the second and third air supply holes 3-9 and 3-10 in the lower column section 3-7, and then through the fourth air supply hole 3-11 in the positioning sleeve 3-3 to the lower portions of the middle cylinder 1-2 and the top cylinder 1-3. The high-pressure gas acts on the lower surface of the second piston disc 3-6 and the lower surface of the first piston disc 3-2, supporting the piston 3. Adjusting the pressure of the high-pressure gas can balance the gas force acting on the piston 3 with the external load. Because the supporting rubber spring 2 and the sealing rubber spring 4 have low axial shear stiffness, the piston 3 can move axially relatively freely within the cylinder. Because the supporting rubber spring 2 and the sealing rubber spring 4 have high radial compression stiffness, the piston 3 can withstand large radial loads. When the external load increases, the piston 3 moves downward under the action of the load and compresses the gas sealed in the lower air chambers 1, 2, and 3 of the bottom cylinder 1-1, the middle cylinder 1-2, and the top cylinder 1-3. The volume of air chambers 1, 2, and 3 gradually decreases, the internal pressure gradually increases, and the supporting force of the gas on the first piston disk 3-2 and the second piston disk 3-6 gradually increases until it is balanced with the load. When the external load decreases, the piston 3 moves upward under the action of the compressed gas. The volume of air chambers 1, 2, and 3 gradually increases, the internal pressure gradually decreases, and the supporting force of the gas on the first piston disk 3-2 and the second piston disk 3-6 gradually decreases until it is balanced with the load. The bottom cylinder 1-1 is connected to the outside through the first exhaust hole 1-4, and the middle cylinder 1-2 is connected to the outside through the second exhaust hole 1-6.

[0050] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present invention. These improvements and modifications should also be regarded as within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-stage air spring, characterized in that: include: Cylinder body; the cylinder body includes a bottom cylinder, at least one middle cylinder, and a top cylinder; the bottom cylinder, the middle cylinder, and the top cylinder are all formed into a barrel-shaped structure, and the bottom cylinder, the at least one middle cylinder, and the top cylinder are axially connected in sequence from one end to the other; a first air supply hole is provided at the bottom of the bottom cylinder, and a first exhaust hole is provided above the side wall of the bottom cylinder; a second exhaust hole is provided above the side wall of the middle cylinder; a first mounting hole is provided at the bottom center of the middle cylinder, and a second mounting hole is provided at the bottom center of the top cylinder; multiple supporting rubber springs; A plurality of sealing rubber springs; the supporting rubber spring and the sealing rubber spring are both formed in an annular shape; The piston comprises a piston rod, a plurality of first piston discs, a plurality of positioning sleeves, and a nut. The piston rod comprises a second piston disc, a lower column section, and an upper column section. The first piston disc and the second piston disc are both formed in an annular shape. The plurality of first piston discs and the second piston discs are arranged parallel to each other. The positioning sleeve is formed into an annular column structure. The lower end of the upper column section is connected to the upper end of the lower column section. The upper end of the upper column section is used to connect an external load. An external thread is provided on the outer wall of the upper column section. The nut is threaded with the external thread. The outer wall of the lower end of the lower column section is connected to the middle of the second piston disc. A plurality of positioning sleeves and a plurality of first piston discs are sleeved on the lower column section. The lower end of the positioning sleeve at the bottom is connected to the top of the second piston disc. The first piston disc at the top is installed between a positioning sleeve and the nut, and the remaining first piston discs are placed between two adjacent positioning sleeves. A second air supply hole is axially provided in the lower column section. The lower column section A third air supply hole with the same number as the positioning sleeve is provided on the side wall, a fourth air supply hole is provided on the side wall of the positioning sleeve, and the second air supply hole is respectively connected to the multiple third air supply holes; and a third air supply hole and a fourth air supply hole connected to the third air supply hole are provided between the bottom of each middle cylinder and the first piston disc near the top thereof, and between the bottom of the top cylinder and the first piston disc near the top thereof; supporting rubber springs are mounted on the outer walls of the first piston disc and the second piston disc, the second piston disc is arranged in the bottom cylinder, and a first piston disc is arranged in the top cylinder and each middle cylinder, and the middle part of the inner side wall of the bottom cylinder, the middle cylinder and the top cylinder is connected to the outer wall of the supporting rubber spring; a sealing rubber spring is mounted on the outer wall of each positioning sleeve, and the outer wall of the sealing rubber spring is connected to the side wall of the first mounting hole or the side wall of the second mounting hole.

2. A multi-stage air spring according to claim 1, characterized in that: An annular sealing groove is provided on the inner side wall of the first piston disc, and a sealing ring is provided in the sealing groove.

3. The multi-stage air spring according to claim 1, characterized in that: The supporting rubber spring and the sealing rubber spring are both composed of a plurality of annular thin-skin rubber column shells and a plurality of thin-skin metal column shells which are cross-stacked in the radial direction.

4. The multi-stage air spring according to claim 3, characterized in that: The supporting rubber spring is bonded to the bottom cylinder, the middle cylinder, the top cylinder, the first piston disc and the second piston disc; the sealing rubber spring is bonded to the first mounting hole, the second mounting hole and the positioning sleeve.

5. The multi-stage air spring according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top of the bottom cylinder, the top and bottom of the middle cylinder, and the bottom of the top cylinder are all provided with flanges, and the bottom cylinder and the middle cylinder, the middle cylinder and the middle cylinder, and the middle cylinder and the top cylinder are all connected through flanges.

6. The multi-stage air spring according to claim 1, characterized in that: The supporting rubber spring and the sealing rubber spring are in a pre-compressed state during installation.

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