Air chamber, air spring, air suspension system and vehicle

Abstract

The invention discloses an air chamber, an air spring, an air suspension system and a vehicle. The air chamber is used for being communicated with a main cavity of the air spring (10). The gas chamber comprises a housing (21). The shell (21) is provided with a first cavity (211), a plurality of second cavities (212) and a plurality of first vent holes (216). And each second cavity (212) is communicated with the first cavity (211) through a first vent hole (216). The first cavity (211) is used for being communicated with the main control body (31) and is used for being matched with the movable piece (22), so that the N second cavities (212) are communicated with the main cavity (31). Wherein N is a natural number. According to the air chamber, the air spring can have more rigidity gears, so that the contradiction between operation stability and comfort can be solved, and in addition, the cost of the air spring can be reduced.

Description

Air chamber, air spring, air suspension system and vehicle Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of mechanical and electronic technology, and in particular to an air chamber, an air spring, an air suspension system and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Air springs, as key actuators in air suspension systems, provide essential handling and comfort. One of the most important air spring parameters is their stiffness. High stiffness improves handling but compromises comfort; conversely, low stiffness improves comfort but compromises handling. Resolving this conflict between handling and comfort through air springs of appropriate stiffness remains an unresolved issue.

[0003] Summary of the Invention

[0004] An embodiment of the present application provides an air chamber, an air spring, an air suspension system and a vehicle. The air chamber connects different numbers of second cavities to the main cavity through a movable part, so that the air spring can have multiple stiffness levels, thereby resolving the contradiction between handling stability and comfort. In addition, the cost of the air spring can also be reduced.

[0005] In a first aspect of an embodiment of the present application, an air chamber is provided, the air chamber being configured to communicate with a main cavity of an air spring, the air chamber comprising a housing. The housing comprises a first cavity, a plurality of second cavities, and a plurality of first vents. Each of the second cavities is connected to the first cavity via a first vent. The first cavity is configured to communicate with the main cavity and to cooperate with a movable member so that N of the plurality of second cavities are connected to the main cavity. Wherein, N is a natural number.

[0006] The air chamber provided in the embodiment of the present application has a first cavity and a second cavity connected through a first air vent, and the number of the second cavities is multiple, the number of the first air vents is multiple, and the multiple first air vents correspond one to one to the multiple second cavities. When the air chamber is in use, the movable part can be movably installed in the first cavity, and the movable part can cover different numbers of first air vents, so that different numbers of second cavities are no longer connected to the main cavity through the first cavity, thereby controlling the number of second cavities connected to the main cavity and changing the effective volume of the air spring. Therefore, by controlling the effective volume of the air spring by covering the first air vent with the movable part, the air spring has multiple stiffness gears, which can solve the contradiction between handling stability and comfort on the one hand, and reduce the cost of the air spring on the other hand.

[0007] In one possible embodiment, the plurality of second cavities are arranged along the extension direction of the first cavity. This arrangement can, on the one hand, enable the air spring to have multiple stiffness levels, and on the other hand, reduce the size in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the first cavity, thereby helping to expand the application range of the air chamber.

[0008] In one possible embodiment, the plurality of second cavities are arranged along the circumference of the first cavity. This arrangement allows the air spring to have multiple stiffness levels while also reducing the size of the air chamber in the direction of extension of the first cavity. In other words, the axial size of the air chamber can be made relatively small, which helps expand the application range of the air chamber.

[0009] In one possible embodiment, the movable member is movably mounted within the first cavity. With this arrangement, the movable member can block different numbers of the first vent holes during movement within the first cavity, thereby preventing the second cavity from communicating with the first cavity and allowing different numbers of the second cavities to communicate with the main cavity.

[0010] In a possible embodiment, the movable member is slidably mounted in the first cavity. With this arrangement, the movable member can slide along the extension direction of the first cavity, and the number of the second cavities connected to the main cavity can be changed.

[0011] In a possible embodiment, the movable member is rotatably mounted in the first cavity. In this configuration, the movable member can cover different numbers of first vents during rotation, so that different numbers of second cavities are connected to the main cavity.

[0012] In a possible embodiment, a driving member is further included, which is in transmission connection with the movable member and is used to drive the movable member to move in the first cavity, so that different numbers of second cavities can be connected to the main cavity.

[0013] In one possible embodiment, the driving member includes a screw and a motor. The screw is partially located within the first cavity, and the movable member is sleeved onto the screw and threadably engaged with the screw. The motor is configured to drive the screw to rotate about its axis, thereby moving the movable member along the extension direction of the first cavity.

[0014] With this arrangement, the motor drives the screw to rotate, and the screw drives the movable member to move in the first cavity, so that different numbers of second cavities are connected to the main cavity.

[0015] In a possible implementation manner, the movable member is cylindrical, and the screw rod and the movable member are eccentrically arranged, so that the movable member does not rotate during the movement along the extension direction of the first cavity.

[0016] Such an arrangement can prevent the movable member and the screw rod from rotating simultaneously, so that the movable member can move along the length direction of the screw rod, thereby achieving communication between different numbers of second cavities and the main cavity.

[0017] In one possible embodiment, the movable part is cylindrical, the center of the movable part is located on the rotation axis of the screw rod, a matching part is provided on the movable part, and a limiting part that cooperates with the matching part is provided on the inner wall of the first cavity, so that the movable part does not rotate during the movement along the extension direction of the first cavity.

[0018] With such arrangement, the mutual cooperation between the limiting portion and the matching portion can prevent the movable part and the screw rod from rotating simultaneously, so that the movable part can move along the length direction of the screw rod, thereby realizing the connection between different numbers of second cavities and the main cavity.

[0019] A second aspect of the present application provides an air spring comprising a first air chamber and a second air chamber, wherein the first air chamber is the air chamber as described in any one of the first aspects, and the second air chamber has a main cavity connected to the first cavity of the first air chamber.

[0020] The air spring provided in the embodiments of the present application includes a first air chamber and a second air chamber. Since the first air chamber utilizes the air chamber described in the first aspect, controlling the movement of a movable member allows for a controlled connection of different numbers of second cavities to the main cavity, thereby increasing the range of stiffness levels of the air spring. Furthermore, each additional stiffness level can be achieved simply by adding a second cavity and a first vent, eliminating the need for additional movable members and reducing the cost of the air spring.

[0021] In a possible implementation manner, the second cavity and the first cavity of the first air chamber are located in the main cavity.

[0022] In this configuration, the first air chamber is arranged in the second air chamber, which can reduce the installation space required for arranging the air spring and also improve the compactness of the air spring.

[0023] In a possible implementation manner, the first air chamber and the second air chamber are arranged separately, and the first cavity of the first air chamber is connected to the main cavity through an air pipe.

[0024] Such an arrangement can increase the effective volume of the main cavity, which helps to increase the effective volume of the air spring.

[0025] In a possible embodiment, the second air chamber includes a bladder skin, an upper base and a lower base, the opposite ends of the bladder skin are fastened to the upper base and the lower base respectively, and the bladder skin, the upper base and the lower base together define the main cavity.

[0026] A third aspect of the present application provides an air suspension system, comprising a gas supply device and a plurality of air springs as described in any one of the second aspects. The gas supply device is used to supply gas to the air springs.

[0027] In one possible embodiment, the gas supply device includes a compressor assembly, an air storage tank, a valve assembly, and a controller. The controller is electrically connected to the compressor assembly and the valve assembly, respectively. The plurality of air springs are connected to the compressor assembly via the valve assembly, and the compressor assembly is connected to the air storage tank.

[0028] A fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a vehicle, characterized in that it includes the air suspension system described in the third aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle provided by the present application;

[0030] FIG2 is a cross-sectional view of an air spring provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] FIG3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the first air chamber of the embodiment shown in FIG2 ;

[0032] FIG4 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG3 when the number of connections between the second cavity of the first air chamber and the main cavity is zero;

[0033] FIG5 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG3 when all the second cavities of the first air chamber are connected to the main cavity;

[0034] FIG6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the first air chamber of the embodiment shown in FIG3 ;

[0035] FIG7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a second first air chamber provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] FIG8 is a partial cross-sectional view of a third first air chamber provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] FIG9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fourth first air chamber provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of the expansion of the first cavity of the embodiment shown in FIG9 ;

[0039] FIG11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fifth first air chamber provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] FIG12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a sixth first air chamber provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] FIG13 is a cross-sectional view of a seventh first air chamber provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] FIG14 is a schematic diagram of the expansion of the movable member of the embodiment shown in FIG13;

[0043] FIG15 is a schematic diagram of an expanded movable member having a third vent hole provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] FIG16 is a cross-sectional view of a movable member with a gas distribution groove provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] FIG17 is a schematic diagram of the expanded embodiment shown in FIG16 ;

[0046] FIG18 is a cross-sectional view of a second air spring provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0047] Reference numerals:

[0048] 10. Air spring;

[0049] 20. First air chamber;

[0050] 21. Housing;

[0051] 211, first cavity;

[0052] 2111, limit part;

[0053] 212, second cavity;

[0054] 213, inner shell;

[0055] 214, shell;

[0056] 215, partition;

[0057] 216, first vent;

[0058] 217, stopper;

[0059] 22. Movable parts;

[0060] 221, Cooperation Department;

[0061] 222, second vent hole;

[0062] 223, third vent;

[0063] 224, vent slot;

[0064] 23. Driving parts;

[0065] 231, screw;

[0066] 232. Motor;

[0067] 233, motor wiring harness;

[0068] 30. Second air chamber;

[0069] 31. Main cavity;

[0070] 32. Cystic skin;

[0071] 33. Upper base;

[0072] 34. Lower base;

[0073] 40. trachea;

[0074] 50. Gas supply device;

[0075] 51. Compressor assembly;

[0076] 52. Gas storage tank;

[0077] 53. Valve body assembly;

[0078] 54. Controller;

[0079] 60. Vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0080] With the development and progress of society, people's demand for travel is increasing, and higher requirements are placed on the driving experience of vehicles related to safety and comfort. Therefore, in recent years, more and more vehicles 60 use intelligent electronic control components, such as air suspension systems. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle 60 provided by the present application. Referring to Figure 1, the frame (or load-bearing body) of the vehicle 60 can be connected to the axle (or wheel) of the vehicle 60 through the air suspension system, which can transmit the force and torque acting between the wheel and the frame, and cushion the impact force transmitted to the frame or body by the uneven road surface, and reduce the vibration caused thereby, so as to ensure that the vehicle 60 can form smoothly.

[0081] In the present application, with continued reference to FIG1 , the air suspension system may include a gas supply device 50 and four air springs 10. The gas supply device 50 is used to deliver gas to the air springs 10. In addition, in some embodiments, the gas supply device 50 may include a compressor assembly 51, an air tank 52, a valve body assembly 53, and a controller 54. The controller 54 is electrically connected to the compressor assembly 51 and the valve body assembly 53, respectively. The multiple air springs 10 are connected to the compressor assembly 51 through the valve body assembly 53, and the compressor assembly 51 is connected to the air tank 52. The valve body assembly 53 and the compressor assembly 51 are turned on and off by the controller 54, so that the gas in the air tank 52 can flow into each air spring 10, so that the stiffness of the air spring 10 can be changed.

[0082] It is understandable that the controller 54 can be a separately provided control element or a control element of the vehicle 60 , which is not limited here.

[0083] Since the air spring 10 is an important actuator of the air suspension system, it provides basic handling stability and comfort for the air suspension system. One of the most important parameters of the air spring 10 is the stiffness of the air spring 10. High stiffness is conducive to improving handling stability, but not to comfort; conversely, low stiffness is conducive to improving comfort, but not to handling stability. Therefore, an air spring 10 with real-time variable stiffness can well resolve the contradiction between handling stability and comfort. Under operating conditions, the stiffness of the air spring 10 can be increased in a timely manner, that is, the air spring 10 becomes harder, improving handling stability; under non-operating conditions, the stiffness of the air spring 10 can be reduced, making it softer, improving vibration isolation performance, that is, improving comfort.

[0084] In the related art, an air spring with real-time variable stiffness includes a main air chamber, two auxiliary air chambers, and two electromagnetic switch valves. The two auxiliary air chambers are connected in series through one of the electromagnetic switch valves, and one of the auxiliary air chambers is connected to the main air chamber through the other electromagnetic switch valve, that is, the main air chamber and the two auxiliary air chambers are arranged in series through the two electromagnetic switch valves. By controlling the opening and closing of the electromagnetic switch valves at different positions, different numbers of auxiliary air chambers can be controlled to be connected to the main air chamber, so that the effective volume of the air spring can be controlled, and then the stiffness of the air spring can be changed. Among them, the larger the effective volume, the smaller the stiffness, and vice versa, the greater the stiffness. Since each electromagnetic switch valve corresponds to a auxiliary air chamber, the air spring in the related art has three levels of adjustable stiffness, namely: one auxiliary air chamber is connected to the main air chamber, two auxiliary air chambers are connected to the main air chamber, and both auxiliary air chambers are not connected to the main air chamber. However, this solution has a problem: each additional level of air spring stiffness requires the addition of a secondary air chamber and a solenoid valve. Due to the high cost of the solenoid valve, considering the cost and reliability of the air spring, the maximum stiffness adjustment level is generally three. This results in a limited number of air spring stiffness levels, which cannot meet user needs. Therefore, although the air springs in the related art can solve the contradiction between handling stability and comfort, the limited stiffness levels they can provide cannot meet user needs. In addition, the cost of the air springs is relatively high.

[0085] In view of this, an embodiment of the present application provides an air chamber, which includes a shell 21 and a movable part 22. The shell 21 has a first cavity 211 and multiple second cavities 212. Each second cavity 212 is connected to the first cavity 211 through a first vent hole 216. The movable part 22 is movably installed in the first cavity 211. When the movable part 22 moves in the first cavity 211, it can cover different numbers of first vent holes 216, so that different numbers of second cavities 212 are no longer connected to the first cavity 211, thereby changing the effective volume of the air chamber. Therefore, when the air chamber serves as a secondary air chamber and the first cavity 211 is connected to the main air chamber, by controlling the movable part 22 to cover different numbers of first vent holes 216, the effective volume of the air spring 10 can be changed, and the stiffness of the air spring 10 can be changed, so that the air spring 10 can have multiple stiffness levels, which can solve the contradiction between handling stability and comfort. Furthermore, the movement of a single movable member 22 controls the communication between different numbers of second cavities 212 and the main cavity 31. Regardless of the number of second cavities 212, there is always only one movable member 22. Therefore, increasing the stiffness level of the air spring 10 does not significantly increase the cost of the air spring 10. Furthermore, the mechanical engagement of the movable member 22 with the first vent 216 improves the reliability of the air spring 10.

[0086] It should be noted that the movable member 22 shielding the first vent hole 216 can also be understood as the movable member 22 blocking the first vent hole 216, so that a portion of the second cavity 212 no longer communicates with the main air chamber through the first cavity 211. The shielding by the movable member 22 can be indirect or direct, and is not limited here, as long as a portion of the second cavity 212 no longer communicates with the main air chamber through the first cavity 211.

[0087] The following describes the implementation of the air chamber provided in the embodiments of the present application in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0088] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of an air spring 10 provided in an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 2, the air spring 10 in this embodiment of the present application may include a first air chamber 20 and a second air chamber 30. The second air chamber 30 has a main cavity 31. A portion of the first air chamber 20 is disposed within the main cavity 31 of the second air chamber 30, which can reduce the installation space required for the air spring 10 and improve the compactness of the air spring 10.

[0089] Continuing to refer to Figure 2, the second air chamber 30 may include a bladder shell 32, an upper base 33 and a lower base 34. The opposite ends of the bladder shell 32 are fastened to the upper base 33 and the lower base 34 respectively. The bladder shell 32, the upper base 33 and the lower base 34 jointly define the main cavity 31.

[0090] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, the bladder cover 32 is made of an elastically deformable material and is used to form the sac-shaped second air chamber 30. The specific structure of the bladder cover 32 is not limited herein. For example, in some embodiments, the bladder cover 32 is a rubber airbag.

[0091] The specific shapes and structures of the upper base 33 and the lower base 34 are not limited herein. For example, the upper base 33 may be in the shape of a circular plate, and the lower base 34 may be in the shape of a cylinder. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the lower base 34 may be in the shape of a truncated cone, with the smaller end surface of the truncated cone forming the main cavity 31, thereby increasing the volume of the main cavity 31.

[0092] 2 , since part of the first air chamber 20 is located in the main cavity 31 , the first air chamber 20 can be securely mounted on the lower base 34 to prevent the first air chamber 20 from shaking in the main cavity 31 .

[0093] Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the first air chamber 20 of the embodiment shown in Figure 2 . As shown in Figure 3 , the first air chamber 20 may include a housing 21, a movable member 22, and a driving member 23. The housing 21 has a first cavity 211, a plurality of second cavities 212, and a plurality of first vents 216. The first cavity 211 is connected to the main cavity 31. The plurality of second cavities 212 are arranged along the extension direction of the first cavity 211 (for example, the extension direction of the first cavity 211 is from top to bottom in Figure 3 ), and each second cavity 212 is connected to the first cavity 211 through a first vent 216. The movable member 22 is slidably mounted within the first cavity 211 and is in transmission connection with the driving member 23. The driving member 23 is configured to drive the movable member 22 to move within the first cavity 211 along the extension direction of the first cavity 211, so that N of the plurality of second cavities 212 are connected to the main cavity 31. Wherein, N is a natural number.

[0094] It can be understood that the number of stiffness levels of the air spring 10 depends on the number of the second cavities 212 . For example, when the number of the second cavities 212 is 9, the stiffness level of the air spring 10 is 10 levels.

[0095] Since the multiple second cavities 212 are arranged along the extension direction of the first cavity 211, in other words, the multiple second cavities 212 are stacked along the extension direction of the first cavity 211, such a setting helps to reduce the size of the air spring 10 in the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the first cavity 211, and can improve the application range of the air spring 10.

[0096] 3 , when the movable member 22 is located in the middle of the first cavity 211, the first vent hole 216 above the movable member 22 can communicate with the main cavity 31 through the upper half of the first cavity 211. Since the top of the first cavity 211 is in communication with the main cavity 31, the second cavity 212 above the movable member 22 can also communicate with the main cavity 31. The first vent hole 216 below the movable member 22 is in communication with the lower half of the first cavity 211. However, since the movable member 22 divides the first cavity 211 into two parts, the second cavity 212 below the movable member 22 cannot communicate with the upper half of the first cavity 211. Therefore, the second cavity 212 below the movable member 22 is not in communication with the main cavity 31.

[0097] Therefore, when the movable member 22 moves up and down along the extension direction of the first cavity 211, the stiffness of the air spring 10 can be adjusted. The specific principle is as follows: when the movable member 22 moves upward, the number of second cavities 212 connected to the lower half of the first cavity 211 and isolated from the main cavity 31 increases, thereby reducing the equivalent volume of the air spring 10 and increasing the stiffness of the air spring 10. When the movable member 22 moves downward, the number of second cavities 212 connected to the lower half of the first cavity 211 and isolated from the main cavity 31 decreases, and the equivalent volume of the air spring 10 increases, thereby reducing the stiffness of the air spring 10.

[0098] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in Figure 3 , showing the state where the number of second cavities 212 of the first air chamber 20 communicating with the main cavity 31 is zero. As shown in Figure 4 , when the movable member 22 reaches its highest position, all second cavities 212 are isolated from the main cavity 31, minimizing the equivalent volume of the air spring 10 and achieving maximum stiffness.

[0099] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in Figure 3 , showing all second cavities 212 of the first air chamber 20 communicating with the main cavity 31. As shown in Figure 5 , when the movable member 22 moves to its lowest position, all second cavities 212 communicate with the main cavity 31, maximizing the equivalent volume of the air spring 10 and achieving minimum stiffness.

[0100] It should be noted that when the movable part 22 separates the first cavity 211 into two parts, the upper and lower parts of the first cavity 211 are not completely isolated. There is still a gap between the movable part 22 and the first cavity 211 that connects the upper and lower parts of the first cavity 211, but this gap is very small, and the amount of gas passing through this gap is very small. In addition, it is less than the amount of gas passing through the first vent hole 216, and will not affect the various stiffness levels of the air spring 10. In other words, it will not affect the normal use of the air spring 10.

[0101] Continuing to refer to Figures 3 and 5, a stop portion 217 is provided in the first cavity 211. When the movable part 22 moves to the highest position, the movable part 22 abuts against the stop portion 217. On the one hand, it can prevent the stop portion 217 from detaching from the first cavity 211, and on the other hand, it can ensure that all the second cavities 212 are isolated from the main cavity 31.

[0102] The specific shape of the stopper 217 is not limited herein. For example, referring to FIG3 , the stopper 217 may be a circular ring structure. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the stopper 217 may include at least two limiting segments, with the at least two limiting segments spaced apart along the circumference of the first cavity 211.

[0103] In some embodiments, the stop portion 217 may also be a part of the inner wall of the first cavity 211 . For example, in some embodiments, the stop portion 217 is an abutting step surface defined by the inner wall of the first cavity 211 (not shown in the figure).

[0104] 2 , the shell 21 can be securely connected to the lower base 34 so that the first air chamber 20 can be securely arranged in the main cavity 31. Furthermore, the specific shape of the shell 21 is not specifically limited herein. For example, with reference to FIG2 and FIG3 , the shell 21 can include an inner shell 213, an outer shell 214, and a plurality of partitions 215. The inner wall of the inner shell 213 defines a first cavity 211 for communicating with the main cavity 31. A plurality of first vent holes 216 are spaced apart on the inner shell 213 along the extension direction of the first cavity 211. The outer shell 214 is sleeved on the outer wall of the inner shell 213 and securely connected to the inner shell 213. The partition 215 is arranged between the outer wall of the inner shell 213 and the inner wall of the outer shell 214, and multiple partitions 215 are arranged at intervals along the extension direction of the first cavity 211. The multiple partitions 215, the outer wall of the inner shell 213 and the inner wall of the outer shell 214 jointly define a plurality of second cavities 212 stacked along the extension direction of the first cavity 211.

[0105] It should be noted that the material of the partition 215 can be a metal material or a non-metal material, without limitation. The material of the inner shell 213 can also be a metal material or a non-metal material, without limitation. The material of the outer shell 214 can also be a metal material or a non-metal material, without limitation.

[0106] In some possible implementations, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the driving member 23 may include a screw 231 and a motor 232. The screw 231 is partially located within the first cavity 211, and the movable member 22 is sleeved on the screw 231 and threadedly engaged with the screw 231. The motor 232 is used to drive the screw 231 to rotate about its own axis, so that the movable member 22 slides within the first cavity 211 along the extension direction of the first cavity 211, thereby enabling different numbers of second cavities 212 to communicate with the main cavity 31.

[0107] Continuing to refer to Figure 2, since the motor 232 and the screw rod 231 are both located in the main cavity 31, in order to control the rotation of the motor 232, a through hole is provided on the lower base 34 for the power supply wiring harness 233 to pass through. The motor wiring harness 233 is used to electrically connect the motor 232 and the controller 54.

[0108] 2 , the lower base 34 is provided with a receiving groove for the power supply motor 232, thereby reducing the axial stiffness of the air spring 10. Alternatively, the motor 232 may be fixedly connected to the lower base 34 or fixed to the housing 21, without further limitation.

[0109] FIG6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the first air chamber 20 of the embodiment shown in FIG3 . In some possible implementations, as shown in FIG3 and FIG6 , the movable member 22 is cylindrical, and the screw rod 231 is eccentrically disposed with respect to the movable member 22. This prevents the movable member 22 and the screw rod 231 from rotating simultaneously. Thus, the movable member 22 does not rotate while moving along the extension direction of the first cavity 211. The movable member 22 moves up and down along the length of the screw rod 231, thereby connecting different numbers of second cavities 212 to the main cavity 31.

[0110] It can be understood that the eccentric setting means that the rotation axis of the screw rod 231 does not coincide with the center of the movable part 22. Therefore, in the radial direction of the movable part 22, the movable part 22 will conflict with the inner wall of the first cavity 211, so that the movable part 22 can slide up and down in the first cavity 211.

[0111] It should be noted that, referring to FIG. 6 , since the movable member 22 is cylindrical, the cross section of the first cavity 211 is correspondingly circular. Therefore, the shape of the cross section of the first cavity 211 matches the shape of the movable member 22 .

[0112] When the movable part 22 is cylindrical, in addition to eccentrically setting the screw rod 231 and the movable part 22 to ensure that the movable part 22 moves up and down. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the second first air chamber 20 provided in an embodiment of the present application. In some possible implementations, the difference between Figure 7 and Figure 6 is that the center of the movable part 22 is located on the rotation axis of the screw rod 231, a matching portion 221 is provided on the movable part 22, and a limiting portion 2111 that matches the matching portion 221 is provided on the inner wall of the first cavity 211. Through the mutual cooperation of the limiting portion 2111 and the matching portion 221, the movable part 22 and the screw rod 231 can be prevented from rotating at the same time, so that the movable part 22 can move up and down along the length direction of the screw rod 231, so that different numbers of second cavities 212 are connected to the main cavity 31.

[0113] 7 , the matching portion 221 may be a matching groove for the limiting portion 2111 to be inserted into. Of course, in some embodiments, the limiting portion 2111 may also be a matching groove for the matching portion 221 to be inserted into.

[0114] The number of the limiting portions 2111 is the same as that of the matching portions 221. In addition, the number of the limiting portions 2111 is at least one, which is not limited here. For example, as shown in FIG7 , the number of the limiting portions 2111 is two, and the two limiting portions 2111 are symmetrically arranged with respect to the screw rod 231.

[0115] In addition to being cylindrical, in some possible implementations, the movable member 22 may also be a polygonal plate. For example, the movable member 22 may be a polygonal plate such as a triangle, a quadrilateral, or a pentagon. Because the cross-section of the first cavity 211 is compatible with the movable member 22, when the movable member 22 moves up and down along the screw rod 231, the movable member 22 always abuts against the inner wall of the first cavity 211 in the radial direction of the screw rod 231, thereby preventing the movable member 22 and the screw rod 231 from rotating simultaneously.

[0116] In the embodiments of the present application, there is no limitation on the specific shape of the cross section of the second cavity 212. For example, as shown in FIG7 , when the cross section of the first cavity 211 is circular, the cross section of the second cavity 212 can be annular. Alternatively, in some embodiments, when the cross section of the first cavity 211 is circular, the cross section of the second cavity 212 can be elliptical. It can be seen that the cross section of the second cavity 212 can be an annular structure that is nested outside the first cavity 211. Of course, the cross section of the second cavity 212 can also be shaped not to nest outside the first cavity 211.

[0117] Figure 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of the first air chamber 20 provided in the present application. Figure 8 differs from Figure 7 in that the cross-section of the second cavity 212 does not surround the first cavity 211. Instead, the first cavity 211 and the second cavity 212 are arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the first cavity 211. Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the second cavity 212 can be a sector ring or a polygon, etc., without limitation.

[0118] Continuing to refer to Figure 8, a stopper 217 is also provided in the first cavity 211. The stopper 217 is a part of the inner wall of the first cavity 211. The stopper 217 is a stepped surface provided at the top of the first cavity 211. This ensures that the movable part 22 moves to the highest position, so that all the second cavities 212 are not connected to the main cavity 31.

[0119] In the above content, multiple second cavities 212 are stacked along the extension direction of the first cavity 211. However, multiple second cavities 212 can also be arranged along the circumferential direction of the first cavity 211. Such an arrangement can reduce the size of the first air chamber 20 in the extension direction of the first cavity 211, so that the axial size of the first air chamber 20 can be made relatively small, which helps to improve the application range of the air spring 10.

[0120] FIG9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the fourth first air chamber 20 provided in an embodiment of the present application, and FIG10 is a schematic diagram of the expansion of the first cavity 211 of the embodiment shown in FIG9 . The difference between FIG9 and FIG3 is that the plurality of second cavities 212 are arranged along the circumferential direction around the first cavity 211, the plurality of first vents 216 are spaced apart in the circumferential direction around the first cavity 211, and the plurality of first vents 216 are spaced apart along the extension direction of the first cavity 211 (for example, as shown in FIG10 ). Under the action of the driving member 23, the movable member 22 slides up and down in the first cavity 211, so that some of the first vents 216 are located above the movable member 22, and some of the first vents 216 are located below the movable member 22, so that different numbers of second cavities 212 can be connected to the main cavity 31.

[0121] 9 , since the movable member 22 is cylindrical and driven by the screw rod 231 , the screw rod 231 and the movable member 22 are eccentrically arranged so that the movable member 22 can slide up and down in the first cavity 211 .

[0122] When the movable part 22 is cylindrical, in addition to being eccentrically arranged with the screw rod 231, the movable part 22 can also adopt the limiting portion 2111 and the matching portion 221 in the above content to prevent the movable part 22 and the screw rod 231 from rotating at the same time, as shown in Figure 11. Figure 11 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the fifth first air chamber 20 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The difference between Figure 11 and Figure 9 is that the circular shape of the cylindrical movable part 22 is located on the rotation axis of the screw rod 231, the matching portion 221 is provided on the movable part 22, and the inner wall of the first cavity 211 is provided with a limiting portion 2111. Since the specific structure of the limiting portion 2111 and the matching portion 221 has been explained in the above content, they will not be repeated here.

[0123] Of course, the movable member 22 can also be polygonal. Regardless of where the screw rod 231 is located on the movable member 22, the movable member 22 will slide up and down within the first cavity 211, as shown in Figure 12. Figure 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the sixth embodiment of the first air chamber 20 provided in the present application. The difference between Figure 12 and Figure 9 is that the movable member 22 is rectangular, and correspondingly, the cross-sectional shape of the first cavity 211 is a rectangular ring structure.

[0124] In the above description, the movable member 22 moves in the first cavity 211 by sliding, so that different numbers of second cavities 212 are connected to the main cavity 31. However, the movable member 22 may also move in the first cavity 211 by rotating, so that different numbers of second cavities 212 are connected to the main cavity 31.

[0125] FIG13 is a cross-sectional view of the seventh first air chamber 20 provided in an embodiment of the present application, and FIG14 is an expanded schematic view of the movable member 22 of the embodiment shown in FIG13 . The difference between FIG13 and FIG3 is that the movable member 22 is a cylindrical structure, the open end of the movable member 22 is connected to the first cavity 211, and the movable member 22 is provided with a plurality of second vent holes 222 spaced apart along the circumferential direction of the movable member 22. Each second vent hole 222 extends along the extension direction of the movable member 22, and the lengths of the second vent holes 222 are different (as shown in FIG14 ). The movable member 22 is in transmission connection with the driving member 23, and the driving member 23 drives the movable member 22 to rotate within the first cavity 211.

[0126] 13 and 14 , after the driver 23 drives the movable member 22 to rotate a preset angle, the second vents 222 at different locations on the movable member 22 communicate with different numbers of first vents 216, allowing different numbers of second cavities 212 to communicate with the first cavity 211 through the movable member 22, and further, different numbers of second cavities 212 to communicate with the main cavity 31. When the longest second vent 222 (e.g., second vent 222A in FIG. 14 ) among the second vents 222 is connected to all first vents 216, the equivalent volume of the air spring 10 is maximized, achieving minimum stiffness. When all second vents 222 are disconnected from the first vents 216, the equivalent volume of the air spring 10 is minimized, achieving maximum stiffness.

[0127] The essence of controlling the number of second cavities 212 connected to the main cavity 31 by rotating the movable part 22 is also to cover different numbers of first air vents 216 by the movable part 22, so that different numbers of second cavities 212 are not connected to the interior of the movable part 22, and thus different numbers of second cavities 212 are not connected to the first cavity 211.

[0128] It can be understood that the difference in the number of the first ventilation holes 216 corresponding to each second ventilation hole 222 is one, so that each second cavity 212 corresponds to a stiffness level.

[0129] The driving member 23 may be a motor 232 , and the output shaft of the motor 232 is in transmission connection with the movable member 22 , so that the movable member 22 can rotate in the first cavity 211 .

[0130] It should be noted that, in addition to adopting a cylindrical structure, the movable member 22 may also adopt a tubular structure in some embodiments.

[0131] In addition to the second vent holes 222 extending along the extension direction of the movable member 22, in some embodiments, each second vent hole 222 in FIG. 14 can be replaced with a different number of third vent holes 223, so that one first vent hole 216 is connected to one third vent hole 223, so that different numbers of second cavities 212 are connected to the interior of the movable member 22 through different numbers of third vent holes 223, as shown in FIG. FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of an expanded movable member 22 with third vent holes 223 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0132] FIG16 is a cross-sectional view of a movable member 22 having a gas distribution groove according to an embodiment of the present application, and FIG17 is an expanded schematic view of the embodiment shown in FIG16 . In addition to enabling communication between the first cavity 211 and a different number of second cavities 212 through the interior of the movable member 22, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG16 and FIG17 , the movable member 22 in FIG13 can be replaced with a cylindrical movable member 22 having a plurality of gas distribution grooves 224 disposed on its sidewall. Each gas distribution groove 224 extends along the extension direction of the movable member 22, and each gas distribution groove 224 has a different length. The plurality of gas distribution grooves 224 are spaced apart along the circumference of the movable member 22. By rotating the movable member 22, gas distribution grooves 224 of different lengths are connected to different numbers of first gas vents 216, thereby connecting the second cavity 212 to the first cavity 211 through the gas distribution grooves 224, thereby connecting different numbers of second cavities 212 to the main cavity 31.

[0133] In the above description, the first cavity 211 and the second cavity 212 of the first air chamber 20 are arranged in the main cavity 31. In other words, it can be almost considered that the first air chamber 20 is arranged in the main cavity 31. However, the first air chamber 20 and the second air chamber 30 can also be arranged separately. Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view of the second air spring 10 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The difference between Figure 18 and Figure 3 is that the first cavity 211 and the second cavity 212 of the first air chamber 20 are located outside the main cavity 31, and the first cavity 211 of the first air chamber 20 can be connected to the main cavity 31 through the air pipe 40.

[0134] When the first air chamber 20 and the second air chamber 30 are arranged separately, the structure of the first air chamber 20 may be the first air chamber 20 described above (such as the first air chamber 20 in Figures 3 to 17), and thus the structure of the first air chamber 20 will not be described in detail here.

[0135] When the first air chamber 20 and the second air chamber 30 are arranged separately and the movable member 22 slides in the first cavity 211, the structure of the driving member 23 is not limited to the combination of the screw rod 231 and the motor 232. The driving member 23 can also be a linear driving element such as a linear motor, a cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder.

[0136] It should be noted that, referring to Figure 18, the opening on the upper base 33 that communicates with the air pipe 40 is set on the top wall of the upper base 33. However, in some embodiments, the opening that communicates with the air pipe 40 can also be set on the side wall of the upper base 33.

[0137] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any modifications or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. An air chamber, characterized in that: The air chamber is used to communicate with the main cavity of the air spring, and the air chamber includes a shell; The shell has a first cavity, a plurality of second cavities and a plurality of first vent holes; Each of the second cavities is connected to the first cavity through one of the first vent holes; The first cavity is used to communicate with the main cavity and to cooperate with the movable member so that N second cavities among the plurality of second cavities are connected with the main cavity; wherein N is a natural number.

2. The air chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that The plurality of second cavities are arranged along an extending direction of the first cavity.

3. The air chamber according to claim 1, wherein The plurality of second cavities are arranged along a circumferential direction of the first cavity.

4. The air chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The movable member is movably installed in the first cavity.

5. The air chamber according to claim 4, characterized in that The movable member is slidably mounted in the first cavity.

6. The air chamber according to claim 4, characterized in that The movable member is rotatably mounted in the first cavity.

7. The air chamber according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that: It also includes a driving member, which is in transmission connection with the movable member and is used to drive the movable member to move in the first cavity.

8. The air chamber according to claim 7, characterized in that The driving member includes a screw and a motor; a portion of the screw is located in the first cavity, and the movable member is sleeved on the screw and engaged with the screw thread; The motor is used to drive the screw rod to rotate around its own axis, so that the movable part moves along the extension direction of the first cavity.

9. The air chamber according to claim 8, characterized in that The movable member is cylindrical, and the screw rod and the movable member are eccentrically arranged, so that the movable member does not rotate during the process of moving along the extension direction of the first cavity.

10. The air chamber according to claim 8, wherein The movable part is cylindrical, and the center of the movable part is located on the rotation axis of the screw rod. A matching part is provided on the movable part, and a limiting part that cooperates with the matching part is provided on the inner wall of the first cavity to prevent the movable part from rotating during the movement along the extension direction of the first cavity.

11. An air spring, characterized in that: It comprises a first air chamber and a second air chamber, wherein the first air chamber is the air chamber according to any one of claims 1 to 10; and the second air chamber has a main cavity connected to the first cavity of the first air chamber.

12. The air spring according to claim 11, wherein: The second cavity and the first cavity of the first air chamber are located in the main cavity.

13. The air spring according to claim 11, wherein: The first air chamber and the second air chamber are arranged separately, and the first cavity of the first air chamber is connected with the main cavity through an air pipe.

14. The air spring according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that: The second air chamber includes a bladder shell, an upper base and a lower base. The opposite ends of the bladder shell are fastened to the upper base and the lower base respectively. The bladder shell, the upper base and the lower base together define the main cavity.

15. An air suspension system, characterized in that: The invention comprises a gas supply device and a plurality of air springs according to any one of claims 11 to 14; the gas supply device is used to deliver gas to the air springs.

16. A vehicle, characterized in that: Comprising the air suspension system of claim 15.

Images