An adjustable stiffness and damping independent double air path air spring

Abstract

The application discloses an independent double-gas-path air spring with adjustable rigidity and damping, relates to the technical field of air springs, and comprises a base for supporting the bottom of the spring, an elastic component installed on the top of the base for elastically supporting, a top plate installed on the top of the elastic component for being connected with equipment, and four damping mechanisms arranged at the four ends of the base and connected with the bottom of the top plate for buffering the downward pressure of the top plate. The air spring realizes two-way rigidity adjustment through independent double-gas-path formed by a main air bag and a secondary cavity. When the load is light, an electronic valve is opened, compressed air of the main air bag enters the secondary cavity through a first gas path, the total volume of the system is increased, and the rigidity is reduced. When the load is heavy, a worm-gear drive piston plate is reversely compressed along a second gas path, gas returns to the main air bag through a one-way valve, the closed volume is reduced, and the rigidity is improved. The rigidity drift and the decrease of machining precision caused by the fixed volume of the single gas path are avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of air spring technology, specifically to an independent dual-air-path air spring with adjustable stiffness and damping. Background Technology

[0002] Air springs, with their advantages of low vertical stiffness, low natural frequency, and compact structure, are gradually replacing metal coil springs and rubber pads, becoming the preferred vibration isolation element for precision machine tools, measuring instruments, lasers, and semiconductor equipment. Their basic principle is that compressed air within a sealed air chamber bears the load; the change in gas volume generates elastic force, thereby isolating ground vibrations and supporting the weight of the equipment.

[0003] However, once an air spring is inflated, its stiffness is determined by both the effective area of ​​the air bladder and the total volume of the air chambers. Without a dedicated inflation device on site, it is difficult to make precise adjustments in subsequent years. Users generally adopt the approach of "one-time inflation, long-term fixation" to maintain the same stiffness characteristics of the air spring throughout its service life. When the initial load of the equipment is too light or the load increases due to later process changes, the fixed stiffness cannot match the new weight, the vibration isolation performance deviates from the design point, the geometric accuracy of the machine tool decreases, and the machined surface develops vibration marks or dimensional drift.

[0004] Therefore, developing an air spring capable of flexibly adjusting stiffness and damping is of paramount importance. The independent dual-air-path air spring with adjustable stiffness and damping proposed in this invention, through the introduction of a dual-air-path design and the synergistic effect of elastic components, damping mechanisms, and adjustment mechanisms, not only achieves dynamic adjustment of the air spring stiffness but also endows it with variable damping characteristics. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides an independent dual-path air spring with adjustable stiffness and damping, which solves the problem mentioned in the background art that the stiffness of existing air springs is fixed and requires external equipment such as compressors to adjust the stiffness.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an independent dual-path air spring with adjustable stiffness and damping, comprising:

[0007] The base is used to support the bottom of the spring;

[0008] An elastic component is installed on top of the base for elastic support;

[0009] A top plate, installed on top of the elastic component, is used for connection to the device;

[0010] The damping mechanism consists of four parts, located at the four ends of the base, with its top connected to the bottom of the top plate, for cushioning the downward pressure of the top plate.

[0011] An adjustment mechanism, installed at the bottom of the elastic component, is used to adjust the rigidity of the elastic component.

[0012] Preferably, the elastic component includes a lifting seat, one end of which is fixedly connected to a top rod. An airbag is disposed inside the lifting seat, and an isolation chamber is disposed at the bottom of the airbag. An electronic valve is disposed inside the isolation chamber, one end of which communicates with the interior of the airbag, and the other end of which communicates with a secondary chamber. The secondary chamber is installed at the bottom of the isolation chamber, and the bottom of the isolation chamber is fixedly connected to a base. A one-way valve is disposed inside the isolation chamber. This elastic component connects the main airbag and the secondary chamber in series through the isolation chamber to form a dual air path. The complementary opening and closing of the electronic valve and the one-way valve enables unidirectional gas migration and return, allowing the volume of the main airbag to increase or decrease instantly with load changes. This allows for stiffness reduction and recovery without an external air source, solving the problem that traditional air springs, due to their fixed volume in a single air path, cannot adjust stiffness according to changes in equipment weight.

[0013] Preferably, the airbag is made of flexible rubber, and one end of the airbag is connected to the top plate. A protective cavity is provided between the outer wall of the secondary cavity and the inner wall of the base. The protective cavity is annular, and one end of the bottom of the lifting seat slides and fits tightly against the inner wall of the base and the outer wall of the secondary cavity. One end of the bottom of the protective cavity is connected to one end of the connecting groove, and the other end of the connecting groove is connected to the damping mechanism. The airbag can be equipped with a pressure sensor through a reserved pressure sensor interface to connect to external equipment, further improving the accuracy of pressure control. This structure uses the flexible rubber airbag to directly couple with the top plate to ensure smooth vertical elastic deformation. The annular protective cavity is sandwiched between the secondary cavity and the base to form a continuous sealed sliding surface, which not only isolates dust and extends service life, but also introduces damping oil into the protective cavity through the connecting groove to provide bottoming buffer for the lifting seat. With the reserved pressure sensor interface, the airbag pressure can be read in real time and the opening of the electronic valve can be controlled in a closed loop, upgrading the stiffness adjustment from experience-based operation to quantitative setting, avoiding vibration isolation performance deviation caused by over-adjustment or under-adjustment.

[0014] Preferably, the damping mechanism includes a telescopic rod, one top end of which is fixedly connected to the bottom of the top plate, and one bottom end of which is inserted into the support column. The bottom of the support column is fixedly connected to the base, and the bottom of the support column communicates with a connecting groove. A rubber block is embedded inside the connecting groove, and the rubber block has a hole groove inside. Both the support column and the telescopic rod have hollow structures inside, and the support column is filled with damping oil. The internal cavity of the telescopic rod is smaller than that of the support column. This damping mechanism, by setting the telescopic rod and the support column to be hollow inside with different cavity cross-sectional areas, forces the damping oil to be squeezed and flows through the rubber hole groove in the connecting groove when the telescopic rod moves up and down, forming a controllable throttling resistance, thereby achieving effective dissipation of vibration energy. At the same time, the damping oil can communicate with the protective cavity through the connecting groove, providing additional liquid cushioning when the lifting seat moves down rapidly, avoiding rigid impact, extending the life of the airbag and mechanism, and ensuring that the damping performance remains stable throughout the stiffness adjustment range.

[0015] Preferably, the adjusting bolt is threadedly connected to the inside of the top plate, and an adjusting rod is fixedly connected to one bottom end of the adjusting bolt. An adjusting block is provided at one bottom end of the adjusting rod, and a telescopic rod is provided outside the adjusting rod, with a flow groove at one bottom end of the telescopic rod. The adjusting bolt, adjusting rod, and adjusting block are coaxially built into the telescopic rod. Rotating the bolt can steplessly change the gap between the adjusting block and the flow groove, directly controlling the damping oil flow area, and achieving continuous adjustment of the damping coefficient without changing the stiffness. This solves the problem that traditional fixed throttling dampers cannot adapt to the vibration spectrum of different processing conditions.

[0016] Preferably, the adjustment mechanism includes a sealing component and a lifting component, which are connected to each other. The lifting component is installed inside the base. The sealing component seals the lifting component, and the lifting component adjusts the airbag rigidity through lifting. This adjustment mechanism completely encloses the lifting component inside the base through the sealing component, preventing gas leakage and ensuring stable changes in the secondary chamber pressure during adjustment. The lifting component directly drives the change in the secondary chamber volume, achieving precise adjustment of the airbag pressure. This allows for reliable adjustment of the air spring stiffness without an external air source, solving the problems of stiffness drift and adjustment failure caused by poor sealing in traditional structures.

[0017] Preferably, the lifting assembly includes a piston plate, the outer wall of which slides in close contact with the inner wall of the secondary cavity, a sealing ring is provided on the contact surface between the piston plate and the secondary cavity, the piston plate is slidably connected to two limiting rods, the piston plate is threadedly connected to a threaded column inside, a connecting column is provided at one end of the bottom of the threaded column, the connecting column is keyed to the worm gear, the worm gear meshes with the worm, the other end of the worm is keyed to the connecting rod, and one end of the connecting rod is provided with a hexagonal groove; this lifting assembly uses a sealed piston plate and double limiting rods to form an anti-rotation guide, converting the rotational motion of the worm gear-worm into precise axial displacement of the threaded column, so that the piston plate rises and falls smoothly in the secondary cavity, the volume of the secondary cavity changes linearly accordingly, and the gas flows back or is discharged through a one-way valve, realizing the stepwise increase or decrease of the airbag pressure; the hexagonal groove interface is compatible with standard manual tools, and the stiffness can be finely adjusted on-site without external power, solving the problems of adjustment jamming and sealing failure caused by insufficient thread clearance or guidance in traditional structures.

[0018] Preferably, the sealing assembly includes two sealing tubes, both of which are metal bellows. The sealing tubes are fitted over the threaded column, and flange rings are provided at both ends of the sealing tubes. The sealing tubes are connected to the piston plate through the flange rings. This sealing assembly uses bimetallic bellows to cover the threaded column, and the flange rings and piston plate move synchronously to form a retractable and airtight barrier, avoiding leakage caused by wear or aging of traditional dynamic seals, ensuring long-term stable pressure in the secondary cavity, and simultaneously improving the repeatability and service life of the air spring stiffness adjustment.

[0019] This invention provides an independent dual-path air spring with adjustable stiffness and damping. It offers the following advantages:

[0020] This air spring achieves bidirectional stiffness adjustment through independent dual air paths consisting of a main air chamber and a secondary chamber: under light load, the electronic valve opens, and compressed air from the main air chamber enters the secondary chamber through the first air path, increasing the total system volume and reducing stiffness; under heavy load, the worm gear-worm drives the piston plate to compress the secondary chamber in the opposite direction along the second air path, and the gas flows back to the main air chamber through the one-way valve, reducing the enclosed volume and increasing stiffness; the two air paths do not interfere with each other and do not require an external air source to complete the redistribution of gas between the main and secondary chambers. By adjusting the stiffness of the air spring, the natural frequency of the vibration isolation system is adapted to the changes in machine tool load, avoiding stiffness drift and decreased machining accuracy caused by a fixed volume in a single air path. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a front view structural diagram of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 For the present invention Figure 3 Enlarged structural diagram at point A in the middle;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the sealing tube structure of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the threaded column structure of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the secondary cavity structure of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the airbag structure of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the worm gear structure of the present invention.

[0030] In the diagram, 1. Base; 2. Elastic component; 201. Lifting seat; 202. Airbag; 203. Electronic valve; 204. Isolation chamber; 205. One-way valve; 206. Secondary chamber; 207. Protective chamber; 208. Connecting groove; 3. Top plate; 4. Damping mechanism; 401. Adjusting bolt; 402. Telescopic rod; 403. Support column; 404. Adjusting rod; 405. Adjusting block; 406. Flow groove; 5. Adjusting mechanism; 501. Piston plate; 502. Sealing pipe; 503. Flange ring; 504. Threaded column; 505. Connecting column; 506. Limiting rod; 507. Worm gear; 508. Worm; 509. Connecting rod. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0032] Example 1: Please refer to Figure 1-9 This invention provides a technical solution: an independent dual-path air spring with adjustable stiffness and damping, comprising:

[0033] Base 1, used for supporting the bottom of the spring;

[0034] Elastic component 2 is installed on top of base 1 for elastic support;

[0035] Top plate 3, installed on top of elastic component 2, is used for connection with the equipment;

[0036] The damping mechanism 4 is provided in four parts, located at the four ends of the base 1, with its top connected to the bottom of the top plate 3, and is used to cushion the downward pressure of the top plate 3.

[0037] Adjustment mechanism 5, installed at the bottom of elastic component 2, is used to adjust the rigidity of elastic component 2;

[0038] This solution integrates the elastic component 2, damping mechanism 4, and adjustment mechanism 5 into the same base 1, allowing the air spring to continuously change its overall stiffness and damping without the need for external inflation equipment during its service life. When the equipment load increases or decreases due to process changes, the new weight can be matched in real time simply by operating the adjustment mechanism 5 on-site. This avoids the deviation of vibration isolation performance from the design point caused by the traditional "one-time inflation, long-term fixation" method, thereby preventing the decrease in machine tool geometric accuracy, the appearance of vibration marks or dimensional drift on the machined surface, and achieving dynamic and accurate correspondence between vibration isolation parameters and load changes throughout the entire life cycle.

[0039] Example 2: Please refer to Figure 1-9This invention provides a technical solution: the elastic component 2 includes a lifting seat 201, one end of which is fixedly connected to a top rod. An airbag 202 is disposed inside the lifting seat 201, and an isolation chamber 204 is disposed at the bottom of the airbag 202. An electronic valve 203 is disposed inside the isolation chamber 204, one end of which communicates with the interior of the airbag 202, and the other end of which communicates with a secondary chamber 206. The secondary chamber 206 is installed at the bottom of the isolation chamber 204, and the bottom of the isolation chamber 204 is fixedly connected to a base 1. A one-way valve 2 is disposed inside the isolation chamber 204. 05; The damping mechanism 4 includes a telescopic rod 402. One top end of the telescopic rod 402 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the top plate 3, and the bottom end of the telescopic rod 402 is inserted into the support column 403. The bottom of the support column 403 is fixedly connected to the base 1. The bottom of the support column 403 communicates with the connecting groove 208. A rubber block is embedded inside the connecting groove 208, and the rubber block has a hole groove inside. Both the support column 403 and the telescopic rod 402 have hollow structures inside. The support column 403 is filled with damping oil, and the internal cavity of the telescopic rod 402 is smaller than the internal cavity of the support column 403; Adjustment Mechanism 5 includes a sealing assembly and a lifting assembly, which are connected to each other. The lifting assembly is installed inside the base 1. The sealing assembly is used to seal the lifting assembly, and the lifting assembly is used to adjust the rigidity of the airbag 202 through lifting. The lifting assembly includes a piston plate 501, the outer wall of which slides in contact with and is tightly fitted to the inner wall of the secondary cavity 206. A sealing ring is provided on the contact surface between the piston plate 501 and the secondary cavity 206. The piston plate 501 is slidably connected to two limit rods 506. The piston plate 501 is threadedly connected to a threaded post 504. A connecting post 505 is provided at one end of the bottom of the threaded post 504. The connecting post 505 is keyed to the worm gear 507. The worm gear 507 meshes with the worm 508. The other end of the worm 508 is keyed to the connecting rod 509. One end of the connecting rod 509 is provided with a hexagonal groove. The sealing assembly includes a sealing tube 502. There are two sealing tubes 502. The two sealing tubes 502 are metal bellows. The sealing tubes 502 are fitted outside the threaded post 504. Flange rings 503 are provided at both ends of the sealing tubes 502. The sealing tubes 502 are connected to the piston plate 501 through the flange rings 503.

[0040] In this embodiment, when the spring is used, it is installed at the bottom of the machine tool. When the spring vibrates, it presses down on the top plate 3, which in turn causes the top plate 3 to move the lifting seat 201 downward. Simultaneously, the downward movement of the lifting seat 201 compresses the airbag 202. At the same time, the downward movement of the lifting seat 201 also causes the telescopic rod 402 to move downward, allowing the damping oil inside the support column 403 to slowly enter the telescopic rod 402. Through the combined action of the damping oil and the airbag 202, the air spring can effectively dampen the vibration of the machine tool. A secondary cavity 206 is provided below the airbag 202. By controlling the opening of the electronic valve 203, air inside the airbag 202 can be discharged into the secondary cavity 206, thereby reducing the vibration of the airbag 202. The pressure of air spring 202 can reduce the stiffness of the air spring. The air discharged from the air bladder 202 can be stored in the secondary cavity 206. When the machine tool is under heavy load, the connecting rod 509 is rotated by inserting a hex wrench into one end of the connecting rod 509. The connecting rod 509 can then drive the worm gear 508 and worm wheel 507 to rotate. The worm wheel 507 can drive the threaded column 504 to rotate at the same time. The piston disc will then move upward through the thread of the threaded column 504, so that the air in the secondary cavity 206 can be compressed and returned to the air bladder 202 through the one-way valve 205. This increases the pressure inside the air bladder 202 and increases the stiffness of the air spring. The air spring can be adjusted to suit various situations.

[0041] Example 3: Please refer to Figure 1-9 This invention provides a technical solution: an adjusting bolt 401 is threadedly connected to the top plate 3, an adjusting rod 404 is fixedly connected to one bottom end of the adjusting bolt 401, an adjusting block 405 is provided at one bottom end of the adjusting rod 404, a telescopic rod 402 is provided outside the adjusting rod 404, and a flow groove 406 is provided at one bottom end of the telescopic rod 402; the airbag 202 is made of flexible rubber, and one top end of the airbag 202 is connected to the top plate 3; a protective cavity 207 is provided between the outer wall of the secondary cavity 206 and the inner wall of the base 1, the protective cavity 207 is an annular cavity, and one bottom end of the lifting seat 201 slides and fits tightly with the inner wall of the base 1 and the outer wall of the secondary cavity 206 respectively; one bottom end of the protective cavity 207 is connected to one end of the connecting groove 208, and the other end of the connecting groove 208 is connected to the damping mechanism 4.

[0042] In this embodiment, by rotating the adjusting bolt 401, the adjusting rod 404 can move up and down. The up and down movement of the adjusting rod 404 can drive the adjusting block 405 to move up and down. The up and down movement of the adjusting block 405 can adjust the gap between the adjusting block 405 and the flow groove 406, thereby adjusting the size of the damping oil flow channel and thus adjusting the stiffness of the damping mechanism 4. When the telescopic rod 402 moves downward, some of the damping oil inside will open the holes in the rubber inside the connecting groove and enter the protective cavity 207. Due to the presence of damping oil at the bottom of the protective cavity 207, it can provide protection when the lifting seat 201 quickly touches the bottom. When the telescopic rod 402 returns to its original position, the damping oil will be sucked back into the support column 403.

[0043] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered illustrative and non-limiting in all respects, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the scope of the invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0044] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. An independent dual-circuit air spring with adjustable stiffness and damping, comprising: Base (1), used for supporting the bottom of the spring; Its characteristic is that it further includes: An elastic component (2) is installed on top of the base (1) for elastic support; Top plate (3), installed on top of the elastic component (2), for connection with the equipment; The damping mechanism (4) has four parts, which are located at the four ends of the base (1) respectively. The top of the damping mechanism is connected to the bottom of the top plate (3) and is used to press down on the top plate (3) for buffering. An adjustment mechanism (5) is installed at the bottom of the elastic component (2) and is used to adjust the rigidity of the elastic component (2); The elastic component (2) includes a lifting seat (201), one end of the top of the lifting seat (201) is fixedly connected to the top rod, an airbag (202) is provided inside the lifting seat (201), an isolation chamber (204) is provided at the bottom of the airbag (202), an electronic valve (203) is provided inside the isolation chamber (204), one end of the electronic valve (203) is connected to the inside of the airbag (202), and the other end of the electronic valve (203) is connected to the secondary chamber (206). The secondary chamber (206) is installed at the bottom of the isolation chamber (204), the bottom of the isolation chamber (204) is fixedly connected to the base (1), and a one-way valve (205) is provided inside the isolation chamber (204). The airbag (202) is made of flexible rubber, and one end of the top of the airbag (202) is connected to the top plate (3). A protective cavity (207) is provided between the outer wall of the sub-cavity (206) and the inner wall of the base (1). The protective cavity (207) is a ring-shaped cavity, and one end of the bottom of the lifting seat (201) slides and fits tightly with the inner wall of the base (1) and the outer wall of the sub-cavity (206). One end of the bottom of the protective cavity (207) is connected to one end of the connecting groove (208), and the other end of the connecting groove (208) is connected to the damping mechanism (4). The damping mechanism (4) includes a telescopic rod (402). The top end of the telescopic rod (402) is fixedly connected to the bottom of the top plate (3). The bottom end of the telescopic rod (402) is inserted into the support column (403). The bottom of the support column (403) is fixedly connected to the base (1). The bottom of the support column (403) is connected to the connecting groove (208). A rubber block is embedded in the connecting groove (208), and the rubber block has a hole. The support column (403) and the telescopic rod (402) are both hollow structures. The support column (403) is filled with damping oil, and the internal cavity of the telescopic rod (402) is smaller than the internal cavity of the support column (403).

2. The adjustable stiffness and damping independent dual-circuit air spring according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top plate (3) is threadedly connected to the adjusting bolt (401). An adjusting rod (404) is fixedly connected to one bottom end of the adjusting bolt (401). An adjusting block (405) is provided at one bottom end of the adjusting rod (404). A telescopic rod (402) is provided on the outside of the adjusting rod (404), and a flow groove (406) is provided at one bottom end of the telescopic rod (402).

3. The adjustable stiffness and damping independent dual-circuit air spring according to claim 2, characterized in that: The adjustment mechanism (5) includes a sealing component and a lifting component. The sealing component is connected to the lifting component. The lifting component is installed inside the base (1). The sealing component is used to seal the lifting component. The lifting component is used to adjust the rigidity of the airbag (202) by lifting.

4. The adjustable stiffness and damping independent dual-circuit air spring according to claim 3, characterized in that: The lifting assembly includes a piston plate (501), the outer wall of which slides in contact with and is tightly fitted to the inner wall of the secondary cavity (206), a sealing ring is provided on the contact surface between the piston plate (501) and the secondary cavity (206), the piston plate (501) is slidably connected to a limiting rod (506), two limiting rods (506) are provided, the piston plate (501) is threadedly connected to a threaded column (504) inside, a connecting column (505) is provided at one end of the bottom of the threaded column (504), the connecting column (505) is keyed to a worm gear (507), the worm gear (507) meshes with a worm (508), the other end of the worm (508) is keyed to a connecting rod (509), and a hexagonal groove is provided at one end of the connecting rod (509).

5. The adjustable stiffness and damping independent dual-circuit air spring according to claim 4, characterized in that: The sealing assembly includes a sealing tube (502), and there are two sealing tubes (502). The two sealing tubes (502) are metal bellows. The sealing tubes (502) are fitted onto the outside of the threaded column (504). Flange rings (503) are provided at both ends of the sealing tubes (502). The sealing tubes (502) are connected to the piston plate (501) through the flange rings (503).

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