Height-adjustable vehicle damping device

Abstract

The invention provides a height-adjustable vehicle vibration damping device which can adjust the height of a vehicle body, has better stress on an upper support and can prolong the service life of the device, and relates to the technical field of vibration dampers. A height-adjustable vehicle damping device comprises a damper body, a spring, a lower support and an upper support. The shock absorber body comprises a piston rod and a cylinder body and further comprises a jacking cylinder arranged below the upper support. The jacking cylinder comprises a cylinder barrel, a piston and a jacking rod, the piston rod is coaxially and slidably sleeved with the cylinder barrel, the piston rod is sleeved with the spring, the lower end of the spring abuts against the lower support, and the upper end of the spring abuts against the cylinder barrel; the piston is arranged in the cylinder barrel and arranged on the piston rod in a sliding and sleeving mode, and the piston is in sliding fit with the cylinder barrel. The jacking rod is coaxially and slidably arranged on the piston rod in a sleeving mode through a center hole formed in the center of the jacking rod, and the lower end of the jacking rod is connected with the piston.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of shock absorber technology, specifically a height-adjustable vehicle shock absorber device. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional car chassis rely on conventional shock absorbers to filter vibrations from the road surface, improving ride comfort and handling. Although paved roads are now widely available and traditional shock absorbers are sufficient for everyday driving, most vehicles with low ground clearance are prone to undercarriage scrapes on broken roads, muddy roads, flooded roads, and mountainous terrain frequented by camping / off-road enthusiasts. In severe cases, this can lead to vehicle damage.

[0003] To achieve vehicle height adjustment, Chinese patent CN106090111B discloses a variable damping hydraulic shock absorber with a height adjustment system. This patent integrates an airbag with the shock absorber, adjusting the vehicle height by inflating and deflating the airbag. However, airbags suffer from a short lifespan in practical use. Furthermore, due to their tendency to adapt and deform, their support stability is relatively poor. This can lead to uneven stress on the upper support (cylinder head), causing damage to the upper support and piston rod bending, thus failing to adequately guarantee the device's lifespan.

[0004] Replacing the airbag with a cylinder or hydraulic cylinder is an easy thought, such as setting multiple cylinders around the piston rod. However, in practical applications, this simple replacement can easily lead to uneven force on both sides of the upper support due to asynchronous movement of the cylinders, which can also expose the device to the risk of deformation or damage. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a height-adjustable vehicle vibration damping device that can adjust the vehicle body height and improve the stress on the upper support, thereby increasing the service life of the device.

[0006] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve its technical problem is: a height-adjustable vehicle shock absorption device, including a shock absorber body, a spring, a lower support, and an upper support for connecting with the vehicle body to support the vehicle body; the shock absorber body includes a piston rod and a cylinder, the lower end of the piston rod extends into the cylinder and slides with the cylinder, the lower support is mounted on the cylinder, the upper support is mounted on the upper end of the piston rod and is located above the lower support, and also includes a lifting cylinder disposed below the upper support; The lifting cylinder includes a cylinder barrel, a piston, and a lifting rod. The cylinder barrel is coaxially and slidably sleeved on the piston rod. The spring is sleeved on the piston rod, with its lower end abutting against the lower support and its upper end abutting against the cylinder barrel. The piston is disposed inside the cylinder and slidably sleeved on the piston rod, and the piston and the cylinder are in sliding engagement. The lifting rod is slidably mounted on the piston rod through a central hole located at its center, with its lower end connected to the piston and its upper end passing through the upper end cover of the cylinder and abutting against the lower end face of the upper support. A sealing structure is provided between the lower end cover of the cylinder and the piston rod, between the upper end cover of the cylinder and the lifting rod, and between the lifting rod and the piston rod; The lifting cylinder is provided with an oil inlet channel that communicates with the rodless chamber of the cylinder barrel.

[0007] Furthermore, an elastic buffer pad is installed at the upper end of the lifting rod, and the lifting rod abuts against the lower end face of the upper support through the elastic buffer pad.

[0008] Furthermore, the upper end of the cylinder is provided with a flange, and the upper end of the spring abuts against the lower end face of the flange.

[0009] Furthermore, the lower end cover of the cylinder is provided with a frustum protruding into the cylinder and coaxial with the cylinder, and the piston is provided with a through hole for clearance fitting with the frustum, so that the piston can slide and be sleeved on the frustum through the through hole. The through hole communicates with the central hole, and the through hole and the central hole form the oil inlet channel; The frustum portion is provided with a gradient structure in which the clearance between the through hole and the frustum portion gradually decreases as the piston slides downward along the frustum portion.

[0010] Furthermore, a sealing structure between the lifting rod and the piston rod is provided at the upper end of the lifting rod.

[0011] Furthermore, the upper end of the lifting rod is provided with a dust cover that covers the upper end cover of the cylinder.

[0012] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The vehicle vibration damping device of this invention has a lifting cylinder coaxially mounted on the piston rod. Only one lifting cylinder is needed to ensure symmetrical force distribution on both sides of the upper support, eliminating the problem of asynchronous operation of multiple cylinders. The lifting rod of the lifting cylinder is a rigid component and will not undergo adaptive deformation. When the upper support is unevenly stressed on both sides, causing a certain degree of tilt, the lifting rod will first contact the downward tilted side of the upper support, rather than the upward tilted side, thus providing better support. Therefore, the vibration damping device of this invention can reduce the probability of damage to the upper support and piston rod bending, thereby improving the service life of the device. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the upper support structure of the present invention; The figure shows: shock absorber body 1, spring 2, lower support 3, upper support 4, lifting cylinder 5, elastic buffer pad 6, cylinder body 11, piston rod 12, piston block 13, cylinder barrel 51, piston 52, lifting rod 53, dust cover 54, oil inlet channel 55, lower end cover 511, frustum 512, flange 513, through hole 521, center hole 531. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0015] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, a height-adjustable vehicle vibration damping device of the present invention includes a damper body 1, a spring 2, a lower support 3, and an upper support 4 for connecting to and supporting the vehicle body. The damper body 1 includes a piston rod 12 and a cylinder 11. The lower end of the piston rod 12 extends into the cylinder 11 and slides with the cylinder 11 via a piston block 13 located at the lower end. The piston block 13 has a damping structure connecting a rod-side chamber and a rodless chamber of the cylinder 11. The lower support 3 is mounted on the cylinder 11, and the upper support 4 is mounted on the upper end of the piston rod 12 and located above the lower support 3. The upper support 4 can be mounted on the upper end of the piston rod 12 by thread or bolt connection. The above-described vehicle vibration damping device has the same structure as existing vehicle vibration damping devices. To allow for adjustment of the vehicle height as needed and to improve the stress on the upper support, thereby increasing the service life of the vibration damping device, the vibration damping device of the present invention includes a lifting cylinder 5 below the upper support 4.

[0016] The lifting cylinder 5 of the present invention is specifically configured as follows: the lifting cylinder 5 includes a cylinder 51, a piston 52, and a lifting rod 53. The cylinder 51 is coaxially and slidably sleeved on the piston rod 12. The spring 2 is sleeved on the piston rod 12, with its lower end abutting against the lower support 3 and its upper end abutting against the cylinder 51. The piston 52 is disposed inside the cylinder 51 and slidably sleeved on the piston rod 12, and the piston 52 and the cylinder 51 are in sliding cooperation. The lifting rod 53 passes through a central hole 53 located at its center. 1. A cylinder is coaxially slidably sleeved on the piston rod 12, with its lower end connected to the piston 52 and its upper end passing through the upper end cover of the cylinder 51 and abutting against the lower end face of the upper support 4; sealing structures are provided between the lower end cover 511 of the cylinder 51 and the piston rod 12, between the upper end cover of the cylinder 51 and the lifting rod 53, and between the lifting rod 53 and the piston rod 12, to prevent hydraulic oil from leaking out from the above structures; the lifting cylinder 5 is provided with an oil inlet channel 55 communicating with the rodless chamber of the cylinder 51.

[0017] In this embodiment of the invention, the upper end cap of the cylinder 51 is an integral structure with the cylinder 51, while the lower end cap of the cylinder 51 is a separate structure, and the lower end cap is threadedly connected to the cylinder 51. It is understood that a sealing structure is required between the lower end cap and the cylinder to prevent oil leakage.

[0018] In this embodiment of the invention, the sealing structure is a rubber sealing structure, that is, a rubber sealing ring is used for sealing.

[0019] The vibration damping principle of the vibration damping device of this invention is the same as that of existing vibration dampers, and will not be described in detail here. When the vehicle height needs to be adjusted, such as increasing the vehicle height, hydraulic oil at a certain pressure is introduced into the rodless chamber of cylinder 51 through the oil inlet channel 55. Because the pressure on the rodless chamber side and the rod chamber side (the side where the lifting rod is set) of piston 52 is different, a pressure difference will be generated; therefore, after the hydraulic oil is introduced, it will push the piston and the lifting rod 53 to move upward (to the rod chamber side) along cylinder 51, thereby raising the upper support 4 (because the weight of the vehicle body remains unchanged, the compression length of the spring will remain unchanged during the raising of the upper support), thus increasing the vehicle height. When the vehicle height needs to be lowered, the hydraulic oil in the rodless chamber of cylinder 51 is released from the oil inlet channel 55, and under the action of the vehicle body's gravity, the piston 52 and the lifting rod 53 will move downward (to the rodless chamber side) along cylinder 51, thereby lowering the vehicle height.

[0020] This invention, through the aforementioned structure, coaxially mounts the lifting cylinder 5 onto the piston rod 12. Only one lifting cylinder is needed to ensure symmetrical force distribution on both sides of the upper support 4, eliminating the problem of asynchronous operation among multiple cylinders. The lifting rod 53 of the lifting cylinder 5 is a rigid component, preventing adaptive deformation. When the upper support is unevenly stressed and tilted, the lifting rod will first contact the downward-tilted side of the upper support, rather than the upward-tilted side, thus providing better support. Therefore, the vibration damping device of this invention reduces the probability of damage to the upper support and lateral bending of the piston rod, better ensuring the service life of the device.

[0021] In addition, compared to the method of setting the lifting cylinder 5 between the lower support and the lower end of the spring, the present invention installs the lifting cylinder 5 above the lower support 3 and above the spring 2, which makes it easier to arrange the lifting cylinder oil pipe. More importantly, it will make the piston rod more resistant to lateral bending, which will also help to better ensure the service life of the device.

[0022] Furthermore, an elastic buffer pad 6 is installed at the upper end of the lifting rod 53, and the lifting rod 53 abuts against the lower end face of the upper support 4 through the elastic buffer pad 6. The elastic buffer pad 6 includes, but is not limited to, rubber pads, silicone pads, polyethylene pads, and polyurethane pads. Since the vehicle will vibrate during driving, the lifting rod and the upper support may collide due to relative movement. The elastic buffer pad 6 can buffer the vibration, prevent abnormal noise, and protect the lifting rod and the upper support.

[0023] In this embodiment of the invention, the elastic buffer pad 6 is a rubber pad.

[0024] In some embodiments, the upper end of the spring 2 may abut against the lower end face of the lower end cap of the cylinder 51. For example... Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment of the invention, the upper end of the cylinder 51 is provided with a flange 513, and the upper end of the spring 2 abuts against the lower end face of the flange 513. That is, the upper end of the spring 2 abuts against the cylinder 51 through the lower end face of the flange 513. The upper end of the spring abuts against the lower end face of the flange, thereby inserting the cylindrical portion below the flange of the cylinder 51 into the spring, utilizing the internal space of the spring. Thus, the addition of a lifting cylinder hardly increases the overall height of the damping device. In other words, under normal conditions, the height of this device is basically the same as that of a damping device without a lifting cylinder, and it hardly increases the ground clearance of the vehicle body under normal conditions.

[0025] The oil inlet channel 55 can be located on the side wall of the cylinder 51, but this would require the oil inlet channel 55 to be located at the lower end of the cylinder 51, which would lower the installation position of the oil pipe in the cylinder 51 and make the arrangement of the oil pipe inconvenient. Figure 2 As shown, the lower end cap of the cylinder 51 has a frustum 512 protruding into the cylinder 51 and coaxial with it. The piston 52 has a through hole 521 for clearance fitting with the frustum 512, allowing the piston 52 to slide onto the frustum 512 through the through hole 521. The through hole 521 communicates with the central hole 531, forming the oil inlet channel 55. The frustum 512 has a gradient structure where the clearance between the through hole 521 and the frustum 512 gradually decreases as the piston 52 slides downward along the frustum 512.

[0026] Figure 2 In this design, the gradient structure is formed by chamfering the root of the frustum 512. After chamfering the root of the frustum 512, a gradient structure with a smaller upper end and a larger lower end is formed at the root of the frustum 512. With the help of this gradient structure, the clearance between the through hole 521 and the frustum 512 gradually decreases as the piston 52 slides downward along the frustum 512.

[0027] The oil inlet channel 55 is formed by the through hole 521 and the center hole 531, which means that the oil inlet pipe of the lifting cylinder needs to be installed on the end of the lifting rod that extends out of the cylinder end cap. The oil pipe is set at a higher height and will not interfere with the spring, making the oil pipe arrangement more convenient. When the vehicle body needs to be restored to the normal height, the hydraulic oil in the rodless chamber of the cylinder 51 is released from the oil inlet channel 55, and the piston slides down. During the downward movement, the piston 52 gradually slides onto the frustum portion 512 through the through hole 521. Since the frustum portion 512 has a gradient structure that gradually reduces the fit clearance between the through hole 521 and the frustum portion 512 as the piston 52 slides down along the frustum portion 512, the fit clearance between the through hole 521 and the frustum portion 512 gradually decreases during the downward movement of the piston. Therefore, the amount of hydraulic oil flowing out of the oil inlet channel 55 also gradually decreases, and the downward movement speed of the piston is correspondingly slowed down, thereby reducing the impact on the end cap during the downward movement of the piston and improving the comfort of the vehicle during the vehicle height adjustment process.

[0028] The sealing structure between the lifting rod 53 and the piston rod 12 can be located at the upper or lower end of the lifting rod 53. Preferably, in this invention, the sealing structure between the lifting rod 53 and the piston rod 12 is located at the upper end of the lifting rod 53. With the sealing structure located at the upper end of the lifting rod 53, the potential swaying of the upper end during use is reduced, which helps the lifting rod 53 better support the upper support.

[0029] like Figure 2 As shown, the upper end of the lifting rod 53 is provided with a dust cover 54 that covers the upper end cover of the cylinder 51 to prevent dust from entering the mating area between the upper end cover and the lifting rod, thus affecting the sliding of the lifting rod. In addition, the dust cover 54 can also prevent mud, sand, stones, etc. from scratching the outer surface of the lifting rod 53, which could lead to oil leakage.

Claims

1. A height-adjustable vehicle damping device, comprising a damper body (1), a spring (2), a lower support (3), and an upper support (4) for connecting to a vehicle body to support the vehicle body; the damper body (1) includes a piston rod (12) and a cylinder (11), the lower end of the piston rod (12) extending into the cylinder (11) and slidingly engaging with the cylinder (11), the lower support (3) being mounted on the cylinder (11), and the upper support (4) being mounted on the upper end of the piston rod (12) and located above the lower support (3), characterized in that: It also includes a lifting cylinder (5) located below the upper support (4); The lifting cylinder (5) includes a cylinder (51), a piston (52) and a lifting rod (53). The cylinder (51) is coaxially slidably sleeved on the piston rod (12). The spring (2) is sleeved on the piston rod (12), and its lower end abuts against the lower support (3) and its upper end abuts against the cylinder (51). The piston (52) is disposed inside the cylinder (51) and is slidably sleeved on the piston rod (12), and the piston (52) and the cylinder (51) are in sliding cooperation; The lifting rod (53) is slidably mounted on the piston rod (12) through the central hole (531) located in its center, and its lower end is connected to the piston (52), while its upper end passes through the upper end cover of the cylinder (51) and abuts against the lower end face of the upper support (4). A sealing structure is provided between the lower end cover of the cylinder (51) and the piston rod (12), between the upper end cover of the cylinder (51) and the lifting rod (53), and between the lifting rod (53) and the piston rod (12); The lifting cylinder (5) is provided with an oil inlet channel (55) that communicates with the rodless chamber of the cylinder (51).

2. A height adjustable vehicle damping device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that: An elastic buffer pad (6) is installed at the upper end of the lifting rod (53), and the lifting rod (53) abuts against the lower end face of the upper support (4) through the elastic buffer pad (6).

3. A height adjustable vehicle damping device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that: The upper end of the cylinder (51) is provided with a flange (513), and the upper end of the spring (2) abuts against the lower end face of the flange (513).

4. A height adjustable vehicle damping device as claimed in claim 1 or 3, characterised in that: The lower end cap of the cylinder (51) is provided with a frustum (512) that protrudes into the cylinder (51) and is coaxial with the cylinder (51). The piston (52) is provided with a through hole (521) for clearance fitting with the frustum (512), so that the piston (52) can slide and be sleeved on the frustum (512) through the through hole (521). The through hole (521) is connected to the center hole (531), and the through hole (521) and the center hole (531) form the oil inlet channel (55). The frustum portion (512) is provided with a gradient structure in which the gap between the through hole (521) and the frustum portion (512) gradually decreases as the piston (52) slides downward along the frustum portion (512).

5. A height adjustable vehicle damping device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that: The sealing structure between the lifting rod (53) and the piston rod (12) is provided at the upper end of the lifting rod (53).

6. A height adjustable vehicle damping device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that: The upper end of the lifting rod (53) is provided with a dust cover (54) that covers the upper end cover of the cylinder (51).

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