Multi-cavity elastic-damping integrated air spring assembly

Abstract

The invention discloses a multi-cavity spring-damping integrated air spring assembly, and relates to the technical field of vehicle suspensions. A lower seat; the main air bag is connected between the upper cover and the lower seat; and the driving shearing mechanism is arranged in the cavity of the main air bag. The whole body utilizes the telescopic motion of the main air bag and drives the shearing element structure to rotate in the non-Newtonian fluid in a non-delay manner by driving the shearing mechanism, so that the damping force is self-adaptively adjusted in real time according to the vibration strength. When facing high-frequency fine vibration, damping is extremely low, excellent riding comfort is guaranteed, when facing large-amplitude violent impact, fluid is instantly sheared and thickened, huge damping force is generated, posture changes of a vehicle body are effectively restrained, and control stability and impact isolation capacity are improved. And the whole device does not need any external sensor, controller or energy input, and is compact in overall structure, extremely high in reliability, long in service life and high in environmental adaptability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vehicle suspension technology, specifically to a multi-chamber integrated air spring assembly. Background Technology

[0002] Air springs, as key elastic components in vehicle suspension systems, are widely used in high-end passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and rail vehicles due to their advantages such as low natural frequency, adjustable stiffness, and good ride comfort. However, traditional air springs themselves provide almost no damping and cannot effectively attenuate vibrations. Therefore, in practical applications, they must be used in parallel with independent hydraulic shock absorbers. This separate layout of the "elastic element" and "damping element" not only increases the complexity and space required of the system but also places higher demands on the performance matching and tuning of the two components.

[0003] To further enhance vehicle dynamics, adaptive or semi-active suspension technologies have emerged. The mainstream approach integrates damping adjustment into the air spring, creating a so-called integrated spring-damping assembly. Existing technologies primarily rely on fluid circuits controlled by solenoid valves or dampers based on magnetorheological / electrorheological smart materials. However, these solutions all require external sensors, electronic control units, and a continuous energy supply to achieve real-time damping adjustment. This not only results in complex and costly systems, but their reliability is also severely tested by harsh vehicle operating conditions such as temperature, humidity, and vibration. Furthermore, the response delay of the electronic control system limits further performance improvements. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a multi-chamber integrated air spring assembly to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a multi-chamber integrated air spring assembly, comprising: Top cover; get off your seat; The main airbag is connected between the upper cover and the lower seat; A drive shearing mechanism, installed inside the cavity of the main airbag, includes: A sealed fluid chamber, the interior of which is filled with a non-Newtonian fluid; The shear element structure is rotatably mounted in the fluid chamber; The transmission mechanism converts the axial extension and retraction motion of the main airbag during vibration into the continuous unidirectional rotational motion of the shear element structure in a non-Newtonian fluid. The vibration amplitude-frequency characteristics of the main airbag can be adjusted, and these characteristics are transmitted through a transmission mechanism. The shearing element structure has a variable rotational speed, and the change in rotational speed directly alters the shear rate of the non-Newtonian fluid. The transmission mechanism can drive the rotational speed of the shearing element structure to change according to the vibration amplitude-frequency characteristics of the main airbag.

[0006] Preferably, the transmission mechanism includes: A first mounting plate and a second mounting plate are installed on the top of the vehicle suspension and on the side of the tire; Rigid connectors are respectively mounted on the surfaces of the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate; A pressurized spherical elastic element is installed at the bottom of the rigid connector. A first elastic gasket and a second elastic gasket are respectively installed on the outside of the pressurized spherical elastic element, and the fluid chamber is installed between the first elastic gasket and the second elastic gasket.

[0007] Preferably, the shearing element structure includes: A transmission cavity used for sliding rigid connectors; The disk body has a transmission cavity located at its center end, and a speed sensor is installed on the top of the disk body. The bottom toothed disc is installed at the bottom of the disc body; A reciprocating rotating body, wherein a groove is formed on the surface of the reciprocating rotating body, and the disc body, the bottom gear disc and the reciprocating rotating body are coaxially installed in sequence.

[0008] Preferably, the shearing element structure further includes: The toothed component has its top teeth meshing with the bottom toothed disc. A rotating component is slidably connected to a slotted part on its exterior. A bearing component is sleeved on the bottom of the rotating component, and an elastic spring is installed at the connection end between the rotating component and the bearing component. A sealing element is installed on the side end of a support member. Shearing elements are sequentially installed on the outside of the side end of the sealing element, and a sphere is installed at the bottom of the support member. A support chassis, installed inside the fluid chamber, is used to support the sphere. Labyrinth seals are installed at the bottom of the support chassis and the top of the transmission chamber. Carbon fiber rope is used to connect rigid connectors.

[0009] Preferably, the lower seat has a guide cavity inside, the cavity path of which runs inside the main airbag and communicates with the transmission cavity for replacing non-Newtonian fluid.

[0010] Preferably, an air chamber valve is installed inside the upper cover, and the air chamber valve is used to connect to the first air chamber installed in the upper cover.

[0011] Preferably, when the vibration of the main airbag is lower than a preset intensity, the shear element structure remains basically stationary; when the vibration exceeds the preset intensity, the shear element structure is significantly accelerated.

[0012] Preferably, the disc body and the supporting chassis are formed as an inner rotating cylinder arranged coaxially, the shell of the fluid chamber forms a matching outer fixed cylinder, and the non-Newtonian fluid fills the space formed between the inner rotating cylinder and the outer fixed cylinder.

[0013] Preferably, the non-Newtonian fluid is a shear-thickening fluid, the dispersed phase of which includes silica, calcium carbonate or polymethyl methacrylate microspheres, and the dispersion medium is polyethylene glycol, silicone oil or synthetic hydrocarbon oil.

[0014] Preferably, the main airbag has a multi-chamber structure, including at least one main air chamber and one auxiliary air chamber communicating with the main air chamber, and the air chamber valve is used to connect the main air chamber and the auxiliary air chamber.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: In this invention, the expansion and contraction of the main airbag drives the shearing element structure to rotate in a non-Newtonian fluid without delay via a driving shearing mechanism, allowing the damping force to be adjusted adaptively in real time according to the vibration intensity. When facing high-frequency, fine vibrations, the damping is extremely low, ensuring excellent ride comfort. When facing large, severe impacts, the fluid instantly shears and thickens, generating a huge damping force, effectively suppressing changes in vehicle body posture and improving handling stability and impact isolation capabilities. The entire device requires no external sensors, controllers, or energy input, and its overall structure is compact, highly reliable, has a long service life, and strong environmental adaptability. The integrated multi-chamber air passage and independent fluid maintenance pipeline further enable adjustable stiffness and convenient maintenance, significantly improving the product's overall performance and life-cycle value. This solves the drawbacks of traditional adaptive suspension systems, which are complex, expensive, and energy-intensive. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the main body of a multi-chamber spring-reducing integrated air spring assembly according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal cross-sectional structure of the main body of a multi-chamber spring-reducing integrated air spring assembly according to the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the drive shearing mechanism in a multi-chamber spring-reducing integrated air spring assembly of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the separation structure of the drive shearing mechanism in a multi-chamber spring-reducing integrated air spring assembly of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the shear element structure in a multi-chamber spring-reducing integrated air spring assembly according to the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the separation structure of the shear element in a multi-chamber spring-reducing integrated air spring assembly according to the present invention; Figure 7 This invention relates to a multi-chamber integrated air spring assembly. Figure 6 A magnified structural diagram at point A.

[0017] In the diagram: 100, upper cover; 200, lower seat; 300, drive shearing mechanism; 301, first mounting plate; 302, rigid connector; 303, first elastic gasket; 304, fluid chamber; 305, second elastic gasket; 306, second mounting plate; 307, pressurized spherical elastic element; 308, transmission chamber; 309, speed sensor; 310, disc body; 311, bottom gear disc; 312, sealing ring; 313, reciprocating rotating body; 314, rotating element; 315, bearing element; 316, bearing chassis; 317, toothed element; 318, carbon fiber rope; 319, labyrinth seal; 320, seal breaking element; 321, shearing element; 322, sphere; 400, main airbag; 500, air chamber valve; 600, first air chamber; 700, guide cavity. Detailed Implementation

[0018] 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 skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0019] Reference Figures 1-7 The diagram shows a multi-chamber integrated air spring assembly, comprising: an upper cover 100; a lower base 200; a main airbag 400 connected between the upper cover 100 and the lower base 200; and a drive shearing mechanism 300 installed inside the chamber of the main airbag 400. The drive shearing mechanism 300 includes: a sealed fluid chamber 304 filled with a non-Newtonian fluid; a shearing element structure rotatably mounted in the fluid chamber 304; a transmission mechanism that converts the axial extension and contraction motion of the main airbag 400 during vibration into a continuous unidirectional rotational motion of the shearing element structure in the non-Newtonian fluid; the vibration amplitude-frequency characteristics of the main airbag 400 can be adjusted, and these characteristics are transmitted through the transmission mechanism; the shearing element structure has a variable rotational speed, and the change in rotational speed directly alters the shear rate of the non-Newtonian fluid; the transmission mechanism can drive the rotational speed of the shearing element structure to change according to the vibration amplitude-frequency characteristics of the main airbag 400.

[0020] The upper cover 100 is connected to the vehicle body or the sprung mass, the lower seat 200 is connected to the axle or the unsprung mass, and the main airbag 400 is a corrugated tubular structure made of flexible rubber composite material. Its upper and lower ends are fixedly connected to the upper cover 100 and the lower seat 200 through metal buckles and airtight structures, respectively, forming a retractable and sealed main air chamber.

[0021] The drive shearing mechanism 300 efficiently converts the axial linear reciprocating motion of the main airbag 400 into continuous unidirectional rotational motion. That is, when the vehicle is stationary or traveling at a constant speed on a flat road, the main airbag 400 bears a static load and maintains a balanced compression height. The non-Newtonian fluid is not sheared and presents a low-viscosity liquid state. The entire drive shearing mechanism 300 provides almost no damping force. When the wheel encounters a bump or depression in the road surface, the unsprung mass generates vertical movement. The generated movement is transmitted to the entire air spring assembly through the lower seat 200. When encountering a bump, i.e. the compression stroke, the lower seat 200 moves upward relative to the upper cover 100, the main airbag 400 is compressed, its internal air pressure increases, and elastic potential energy is stored.

[0022] When encountering a dent, i.e., during the recovery stroke, the lower seat 200 moves downward relative to the upper cover 100. The main airbag 400 expands under the influence of internal air pressure and its own elasticity. This expansion and contraction of the main airbag 400 directly causes relative displacement between the upper cover 100 and the lower seat 200 at both ends. This relative displacement is captured and converted in real time by the drive shearing mechanism 300. Therefore, during the compression stroke, the drive shearing mechanism 300 remains stationary or rotates slightly due to inertia. In this stroke, the drive shearing mechanism 300 primarily stores energy for the subsequent recovery stroke.

[0023] During the recovery stroke, the upper cover 100 and the lower seat 200 move away from each other, driving the shearing mechanism 300 to engage. This ensures that regardless of whether the road surface excitation causes continuous, rapid, small-amplitude vibrations or a single, large-amplitude impact, as long as the main airbag 400 expands or recovers, the shearing mechanism 300 can convert its linear displacement into unidirectional rotational motion of the shearing element structure without delay. The higher the vibration frequency and the larger the amplitude, the faster the transmission mechanism is pulled, resulting in a higher instantaneous rotational speed of the shearing element structure. The rotation of the shearing element structure exerts a strong shearing effect on the filling non-Newtonian fluid. The viscosity characteristics of non-Newtonian fluids, especially shear-thickened fluids, are strongly dependent on the shear rate. Therefore, when facing small-amplitude, high-frequency vibrations, such as the minor bumps on an asphalt road, the main airbag 400 has a short stroke, a relatively slow recovery speed, and the transmission mechanism drives the shearing element structure at a lower rotational speed, resulting in a low shear rate for the fluid. In this situation, the non-Newtonian fluid exhibits behavior close to that of a Newtonian fluid, with lower viscosity and lower flow resistance.

[0024] Therefore, the damping force generated by the drive shear mechanism 300 is relatively small, allowing the suspension system to gently filter out high-frequency fine vibrations and ensure excellent ride comfort. However, when faced with large low-frequency impacts, such as when going over speed bumps or potholes, the main airbag 400 generates a large stroke and rapidly extends, the transmission mechanism is rapidly pulled, and the drive shear element structure rotates at high speed, causing the shear rate experienced by the fluid to increase sharply.

[0025] Once the shear rate exceeds the fluid's critical value, the shear-thickened fluid undergoes a significant solid-state phase transition, and the apparent viscosity can instantly increase by several orders of magnitude. This causes the shear element structure to encounter enormous fluid shear resistance when rotating, thereby generating a huge damping force. This damping force effectively suppresses the violent movement of the sprung mass, reduces vehicle pitch or nose-diving, and greatly improves handling stability and impact isolation. After the impact energy is consumed by the damping force, the main airbag 400 begins to rebound under the action of internal air pressure, entering the next compression stroke. At this time, the shear element structure slowly stops in the extremely viscous fluid or remains almost stationary due to fluid resistance, waiting for the drive of the next recovery stroke. This cycle repeats continuously. The entire structure adjusts the magnitude of the damping force in real time and automatically through pure mechanical transmission based entirely on the main airbag 400's own motion intensity and amplitude-frequency characteristics, without any external sensors, controllers, or energy input.

[0026] Preferred, according to Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the transmission mechanism includes: a first mounting plate 301 and a second mounting plate 306 mounted on the top of the vehicle suspension and the side of the tire; rigid connecting members 302 respectively mounted on the surfaces of the first mounting plate 301 and the second mounting plate 306; a pressurized spherical elastic member 307 located at the bottom of the rigid connecting member 302, and a first elastic washer 303 and a second elastic washer 305 respectively mounted on the outside of the pressurized spherical elastic member 307; a fluid chamber 304 is installed between the first elastic washer 303 and the second elastic washer 305. The first mounting plate 301 is an annular metal disc, fixedly connected to the vehicle frame longitudinal beam or a specially designed suspension top bracket by bolts, and is a sprung mass fixed component.

[0027] The second mounting plate 306 is an annular metal disc, bolted to the lower control arm or steering knuckle, or other unsprung mass components. As the wheels move, its disc surface faces upwards and is arranged parallel to the first mounting plate 301. The rigid connector 302 allows limited relative displacement between the first and second mounting plates 301 and 306, primarily vertically, while precisely transmitting pressure and tension between them and maintaining their relative parallelism. The pressurized spherical elastic element 307 is installed in parallel with the rigid connector 302 between the first and second mounting plates 301 and 306.

[0028] The pressure-boosting spherical elastic element 307 is a highly elastic spherical spring. When relative compression or tension occurs between the first mounting plate 301 and the second mounting plate 306, the pressure-boosting spherical elastic element 307 will directly deform, thereby increasing the relative displacement of the rigid connector 302. The first elastic gasket 303 and the second elastic gasket 305 are both annular elastic porous material sheets, such as polyurethane foam or rubber, which are tightly attached to the upper and lower halves of the outer spherical surface of the pressure-boosting spherical elastic element 307, respectively, and are pressed between the lower surface of the first mounting plate 301 and the upper surface of the second mounting plate 306, respectively, to buffer and evenly distribute the pressure from the pressure-boosting spherical elastic element 307, and to ensure that the elastic potential energy of the pressure-boosting spherical elastic element 307 is vertical.

[0029] Specifically, when the vehicle is stationary or traveling at a constant speed on a flat road, the suspension is in a balanced position. A fixed initial distance is maintained between the first mounting plate 301 and the second mounting plate 306. The internal pressure of the pressurized spherical elastic element 307 is stable, the rigid connector 302 is in a vertically tensioned state, and the non-Newtonian fluid in the fluid chamber 304 is not sheared, resulting in the lowest viscosity. However, when the wheel encounters an impact from an uneven road surface, the second mounting plate 306 moves upward with the unsprung mass, approaching the first mounting plate 301. At this time, the rigid connector 302 changes from a tensioned state to a compressed state, directly transmitting some of the impact force to the frame. Simultaneously, this relatively close movement compresses the parallel pressurized spherical elastic element 307, causing the second mounting plate 306 to move downward, away from the first mounting plate 301. The rigid connector 302 is under tension, transmitting the tensile force, and the pressurized spherical elastic element 307 stretches, reducing its internal pressure.

[0030] During this process, the pressurized spherical elastic element 307 is rapidly compressed, and the resulting high pressure is transmitted through the elastic element wall to the first elastic gasket 303 and the second elastic gasket 305 that are in close contact with it. This allows the first elastic gasket 303 and the second elastic gasket 305 to apply pressure evenly to the upper and lower surfaces of the fluid chamber 304. Since the fluid chamber 304 is sealed and filled with non-Newtonian fluid, this externally applied pressure will form isotropic static pressure in the chamber, but will not directly cause shear.

[0031] Simultaneously, as the second mounting plate 306 moves upward, the shear element structure within the fluid chamber 304 rotates relative to the fixed internal barrier ribs through the engagement of the one-way bearing. This rotation causes the fluid, which was originally in a high-pressure, static state within the chamber, to generate an extremely high shear rate through the shear element structure. At this point, the non-Newtonian fluid is simultaneously in a high-pressure and high-shear-rate state. For shear-thickening fluids, pressure significantly reduces the critical shear rate at which shear thickening occurs; that is, under high-pressure conditions, the fluid solidifies more easily and quickly. Therefore, when the shear element structure rotates, the fluid almost instantly solidifies within the flow channel, generating enormous shear resistance, i.e., damping force. This damping force is transmitted to the entire suspension system through the combined action of the second mounting plate 306, the rigid connector 302, and the pressurized spherical elastic element 307, strongly suppressing compressive motion.

[0032] During the recovery stroke, the pressurized spherical elastic element 307 expands, reducing internal pressure. Simultaneously, the second mounting plate 306 moves downwards. Due to the slippage of the one-way bearing, i.e., the transmission cavity 308, the shear element structure is not driven to rotate. No active shearing occurs within the fluid chamber 304, and the non-Newtonian fluid is in a low-pressure, low-shear state with extremely low viscosity. Therefore, the damping force generated is very small, allowing the suspension to rebound quickly and follow the road surface downwards. When facing small-amplitude, high-frequency vibrations, the vertical movement of the second mounting plate 306 is small and relatively slow. The compression amount on the pressurized spherical elastic element 307 during the compression stroke is small, resulting in a limited increase in internal pressure. Furthermore, the shear plate rotates at a low speed, and the fluid pressure and shear rate may not reach the threshold for severe thickening. Therefore, the generated damping force is moderate, primarily serving a vibration filtering function.

[0033] When faced with a large and violent impact, the compression stroke is fast and fierce, the pressurized spherical elastic element 307 is compressed violently, the internal pressure soars, and at the same time the shear element structure is driven at high speed. The superposition of the two causes the non-Newtonian fluid in the fluid chamber 304 to instantly reach extremely high pressure and shear rate, triggering a strong shear thickening effect, generating huge damping force, absorbing the impact energy, and the impact energy is finally converted into heat energy through the internal friction and viscous dissipation of the non-Newtonian fluid. The heat is dissipated into the air through the metal wall of the fluid chamber 304.

[0034] Preferred, according to Figures 4-7As shown, the shearing element structure includes: a transmission cavity 308 for sliding of the rigid connector 302; the transmission cavity 308 is installed at the center end of the disk body 310, and a speed sensor 309 is installed on the top of the disk body 310; a bottom gear disk 311 is installed at the bottom of the disk body 310; a slot is formed on the surface of the reciprocating rotating body 313, and the disk body 310, the bottom gear disk 311, and the reciprocating rotating body 313 are coaxially installed in sequence, and a sealing ring 312 is installed on the outside of the reciprocating rotating body 313. The shearing element structure further includes: the top teeth of the toothed member 317 meshing with the bottom gear disk 311; and the outer teeth of the rotating member 314. The rotating part 314 is slidably connected to the slotted part. A bearing part 315 is sleeved on the bottom of the rotating part 314. An elastic spring is installed at the connection end between the rotating part 314 and the bearing part 315. A sealing part 320 is installed on the side end of the bearing part 315. A shearing part 321 is installed on the outside of the side end of the sealing part 320. A ball 322 is installed at the bottom of the bearing part 315. A bearing base 316 is installed inside the fluid chamber 304 to support the ball 322. A labyrinth seal 319 is installed at the bottom end of the bearing base 316 and the top end of the transmission chamber 308. A carbon fiber rope 318 is used to connect the rigid connector 302. The carbon fiber rope 318 passes through the guide groove in the transmission chamber 308, penetrates into the transmission chamber 308, and is fixed to the sliding block in the transmission chamber 308. When the rigid connector 302 moves up and down, it makes a precise linear reciprocating motion in the transmission chamber 308 through the carbon fiber rope 318.

[0035] The rotating component 314 is a vertical shaft with a slider at its top. This slider is embedded in a helical groove on the inner wall of the reciprocating rotating body 313. A cylindrical support component 315 is sleeved on the bottom of the rotating component 314. The two are connected by a pre-compressed elastic spring, allowing the support component 315 to slide and swing axially relative to the rotating component 314 with limited force. The sealing element 320 is a sharp conical head, horizontally fixed to the side of the support component 315. Multiple shearing elements 321 are coaxially sleeved on the rod of the sealing element 320. A labyrinth seal 319 is disposed between the support chassis 316 and the transmission cavity 308 to prevent leakage of non-Newtonian fluid in the fluid chamber 304, while allowing free movement of the rotating component 314 and the support component 315 assembly.

[0036] Specifically, firstly, when uneven road surfaces cause vertical movement of the wheel, the rigid connector 302 transmits this linear motion to the sliding block in the transmission cavity 308 via the carbon fiber rope 318. Then, the linear motion of the sliding block is converted into forward or reverse rotation of the disc 310 through structures such as the bottom gear disc 311 and the reciprocating rotating body 313. The speed sensor 309 can record this rotation data.

[0037] Subsequently, the rotation of the disc 310 drives the bottom gear disc 311 to rotate synchronously. The bottom gear disc 311 meshes with the toothed member 317, converting the rotational motion into the vertical reciprocating motion of the toothed member 317. At the same time, the vertical motion of the toothed member 317 acts on the rotating member 314 through the inclined thrust bearing at its bottom, generating a periodically changing lateral thrust. Since the slider at the top of the rotating member 314 is stuck in the helical slot of the reciprocating rotating body 313, this lateral thrust and the constraint of the slot work together to force the rotating member 314 to produce a reciprocating oscillation around its own axis, that is, a slight forward and reverse rotation. The amplitude of this oscillation is directly controlled by the speed of the toothed member 317. The faster the input motion, the faster the toothed member 317 moves, the more drastic the change in lateral thrust, and the greater the oscillation angular velocity and amplitude of the rotating member 314.

[0038] Simultaneously, the oscillation of the rotating component 314 is transmitted to the carrier component 315 via an elastic spring, driving the entire carrier component 315, the breaking component 320, the shearing component 321, and the sphere 322 assembly to perform complex oscillating motions on the concave spherical surface of the carrier chassis 316. The rolling friction of the sphere 322 on the concave spherical surface is minimal, thus, when facing small-amplitude, high-frequency vibrations, the input energy is small, and the oscillation amplitude and speed of the rotating component 314 are limited. The carrier component 315 assembly performs gentle oscillations. Therefore, the stacked shearing component 321 oscillates at a low speed in the non-Newtonian fluid, generating a low shear rate, moderate fluid viscosity, and small damping force, effectively filtering out fine vibrations. The breaking component 320 only slightly disturbs the fluid along its trajectory and does not play a major role.

[0039] When faced with a moderate impact, that is, when the impact suddenly increases, the oscillation angular velocity of the rotating component 314 increases, and the force transmitted to the bearing component 315 through the elastic spring also increases. At this time, the oscillation motion of the bearing component 315 intensifies, causing the shearing component 321 to oscillate rapidly, the shear rate increases, the fluid begins to show a thickening trend, the damping force steadily increases, and at the same time, the rapid oscillation causes the sealing component 320 to operate, periodically pushing away the slightly thickened fluid in front of its movement, forming a local low-pressure zone, and guiding fresh fluid to replenish.

[0040] When the violent impact occurs, the rigid connector 302 moves violently and rapidly, causing the disc 310 to rotate at high speed and the toothed component 317 to move up and down at high speed. This causes the rotating component 314 to oscillate extremely rapidly. Through rigid impact transmission, the elastic spring between the toothed component 314 and the bearing component 315 is almost completely compressed, making the two almost rigidly connected. This instantly transfers a huge angular momentum to the bearing component 315. At the same time, the rapid movement of the toothed component 317 applies a huge, transient axial impact force to the rotating component 314. Immediately afterwards, the bearing component 315 assembly experiences a huge impact force. Under high kinetic energy, violent and rapid swaying or even jumping occurs. The sphere 322 rolls at high speed on the concave spherical surface of the supporting chassis 316 and may produce slight bouncing. At this time, the shearing component 321 moves at high speed, causing extreme shearing to the fluid and making it solidify instantly. The sealing component 320 moves at extremely high speed, forcefully penetrating the nearly solidified fluid layer and generating huge plowing resistance. This causes the violent movement of the entire supporting component 315 to combine with the point contact support of the sphere 322, forming violent turbulence and cavitation effects in the fluid. These effects consume a huge amount of impact energy.

[0041] Meanwhile, the energy accumulated by the elastic spring after its ultimate compression is released after the peak impact, driving the component to perform damped oscillations, further dissipating the energy in the fluid. Afterward, the impact energy is finally converted into heat energy through various forms such as viscous shear of the fluid, penetration resistance of the sealing component, and turbulent dissipation. As a result, when the impact is over and the input motion weakens, under the action of the elastic spring's restoring force and fluid resistance, the entire motion component gradually returns to a stable oscillation or returns to a stationary state, preparing to cope with the next sudden impact.

[0042] Further preferred, based on Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the lower seat 200 has a guide cavity 700 inside, the cavity of which runs through the main airbag 400 and communicates with the transmission cavity 308 for replacing non-Newtonian fluid. The upper cover 100 has an air chamber valve 500 inside, which connects to the first air chamber 600 installed in the upper cover 100. When the vibration of the main airbag 400 is lower than a preset intensity, the shear element structure remains basically stationary; when the vibration exceeds the preset intensity, the shear element structure is significantly accelerated. The disc body 310 and the supporting chassis 316 form a coaxially arranged inner rotating cylinder, and the shell of the fluid chamber 304 forms a matching outer fixed cylinder. The non-Newtonian fluid fills the space formed between the inner rotating cylinder and the outer fixed cylinder. The non-Newtonian fluid is a shear-thickening fluid, and its dispersed phase includes silica, calcium carbonate, or polymethyl methacrylate microspheres, and its dispersion medium is polyethylene glycol, silicone oil, or synthetic hydrocarbon oil.

[0043] The main airbag 400 has a multi-chamber structure, including at least one main air chamber and an auxiliary air chamber connected to the main air chamber. The air chamber valve 500 is used to connect the main air chamber and the auxiliary air chamber. The air chamber valve 500 is a multi-way solenoid valve or a mechanical height valve. One port is connected to the first air chamber 600, which serves as the auxiliary air chamber and is usually an independent air tank. The other port is connected to the main air chamber inside the main airbag 400 through an internal air passage. By controlling the opening and closing of the air chamber valve 500, the connection state between the main and auxiliary air chambers can be adjusted, thereby changing the effective volume and stiffness of the air spring and realizing vehicle height adjustment and secondary stiffness switching.

[0044] The guide cavity 700 begins at a side-mounted filling / draining valve, then meanders through and runs along the internal support structure of the main airbag 400 or closely follows its inner wall, ultimately achieving a sealed connection with the bottom of the transmission cavity 308 or a specific part of the fluid chamber 304. A filter is located at the end of the guide cavity 700. The entire guide cavity 700 system constitutes an independent non-Newtonian fluid maintenance and circulation channel for initial filling, subsequent replenishment, or replacement of fluids with degraded performance. Meanwhile, the disc 310 and the supporting chassis 316 are physically connected to form a coaxial integral inner rotating cylinder. The shell of the fluid chamber 304 forms an outer fixed cylinder surrounding the inner rotating cylinder. The space between the inner rotating cylinder and the outer fixed cylinder is the filling and working space for the non-Newtonian fluid. The overall rotational inertia of the inner rotating cylinder is precisely calculated and counterweighted. Its design ensures that when the vibration of the main airbag 400 is lower than the preset intensity, the torque input by the transmission mechanism is insufficient to overcome the static friction of the system and the initial resistance of the fluid, and the inner rotating cylinder remains basically stationary. When the vibration exceeds the preset intensity, the input torque is significantly greater than the resistance torque, and the inner rotating cylinder is significantly accelerated to rotate.

[0045] Specifically, when the vehicle starts or the driving mode is switched, the suspension control unit sends a command to the air chamber valve 500 based on the vehicle speed, load, or driving mode signal.

[0046] Next, if the comfort mode is selected, the air chamber valve 500 opens, connecting the main air chamber of the main airbag 400 with the first air chamber 600, increasing the total air volume, making the air spring stiffness curve flatter, reducing the natural frequency, and emphasizing vibration damping comfort.

[0047] Subsequently, when switching to Sport mode or when the vehicle requires higher lateral support during high-speed cornering, the air chamber valve 500 closes, disconnecting the main and auxiliary air chambers. The entire system operates solely on the main air chamber, resulting in a reduced effective volume, a steeper stiffness curve, and an increased natural frequency, providing firmer support and faster suspension response.

[0048] During this driving mode, when the wheels encounter road surface excitation, the vertical motion is transmitted to the entire assembly through the lower seat 200. The main airbag 400 extends and retracts. First, the extension and retraction motion of the main airbag 400 is converted into the precise linear motion of the sliding block in the transmission cavity 308 through the rigid connector 302 and the carbon fiber rope 318. Then, the linear motion causes the transmission mechanism to drive the disc 310 to rotate. At this time, if the force generated by the minor bumps on the road surface is small, the main airbag 400 moves smoothly, and the torque of the transmission mechanism acting on the disc 310 is lower than the preset threshold. At this time, the inner rotating cylinder remains basically stationary due to its rotational inertia and fluid static friction. The non-Newtonian fluid is hardly sheared and remains in a low viscosity state. The whole provides only minimal basic damping, the suspension is extremely soft, and it effectively isolates high-frequency micro-vibrations.

[0049] When traversing speed bumps or potholes, the main airbag 400 moves violently and rapidly. When the transmission mechanism generates a large torque exceeding a preset threshold, this torque significantly accelerates the inner rotating cylinder's rotation. Subsequently, the inner rotating cylinder rotates at high speed relative to the outer shell, and the non-Newtonian fluid within it is subjected to strong shearing. The shear rate increases dramatically with the inner rotating cylinder's rotation speed. Once it exceeds the critical shear rate corresponding to the fluid formulation, the shear-thickened fluid instantly solidifies, and its viscosity soars by several orders of magnitude. This high-viscosity fluid generates enormous shear resistance in the annular space, forming a powerful damping force. This force reacts to the rotation of the inner rotating cylinder and, through mechanical transmission, ultimately reacts to the suspension movement, strongly suppressing the swaying and impact of the sprung mass.

[0050] Next, the rotation of the inner cylinder, driven by components such as the bottom gear disk 311 and the reciprocating rotating body 313, further drives the reciprocating motion of the toothed member 317 and the oscillation of the rotating member 314, ultimately causing the bearing member 315 and its sealing member 320 to undergo complex movements in the fluid. Under severe impact, these internal movements exacerbate fluid turbulence, local penetration, and energy dissipation, providing additional, nonlinear damping gains, making the damping force growth curve under large impacts steeper. Finally, the impact energy is entirely converted into the internal frictional heat of the non-Newtonian fluid. Heat is dissipated through the metal fluid chamber 304 shell and the lower seat 200. After the impact, the input torque decreases and the fluid viscosity recovers as shearing stops. Under the action of overall internal friction and possible slight rebound, each moving part gradually resets. At the same time, when it is necessary to replace or replenish non-Newtonian fluid, the filling / draining valve of the guide cavity 700 is connected through a special device. That is, the draining mode is first opened, and the old fluid is completely discharged from the fluid chamber 304 through the guide cavity 700 circuit under the drive of air pressure or pump force.

[0051] Next, the system switches to the filling mode. New, high-performance non-Newtonian fluid is injected under pressure from the valve port and flows along the preset pipeline of the guide cavity 700. The design of this pipeline running inside the main air bladder 400 allows the fluid to be preheated during the filling process, making it easier to fill and expel air bubbles. Afterward, the new fluid enters through the end of the guide cavity 700 and fills the annular working gap of the fluid chamber 304, completing the replacement. This independent maintenance pipeline design eliminates the need to disassemble the entire air spring assembly, greatly simplifying maintenance.

[0052] The wiring diagram of the speed sensor 309 in this invention is common knowledge in the field, and its working principle is a well-known technology. The appropriate model is selected according to the actual use. Therefore, the control method and wiring layout of the speed sensor 309 will not be explained in detail.

[0053] Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-chamber integrated air spring assembly, characterized in that, include: Top cover (100); Get off the seat(200); The main airbag (400) is connected between the upper cover (100) and the lower seat (200); A drive shearing mechanism (300) is installed inside the cavity of the main airbag (400), the drive shearing mechanism (300) comprising: A sealed fluid chamber (304) is provided, the interior of which is filled with a non-Newtonian fluid; A shear element structure that can be rotatably mounted in a fluid chamber (304). The transmission mechanism converts the axial extension and retraction motion of the main airbag (400) during vibration into the continuous unidirectional rotational motion of the shear element structure in a non-Newtonian fluid. The vibration amplitude-frequency characteristics of the main airbag (400) can be adjusted, and the vibration amplitude-frequency characteristics are transmitted through a transmission mechanism. The shear element structure has a variable rotational speed, and the change in rotational speed directly changes the shear rate of the non-Newtonian fluid. The transmission mechanism can drive the rotational speed of the shear element structure to change according to the vibration amplitude-frequency characteristics of the main airbag (400).

2. The multi-chamber integrated air spring assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmission mechanism includes: A first mounting plate (301) and a second mounting plate (306) are installed on the top of the vehicle suspension and the side of the tire. Rigid connectors (302) are respectively mounted on the surfaces of the first mounting plate (301) and the second mounting plate (306); A pressurized spherical elastic element (307) is installed at the bottom of the rigid connector (302). A first elastic pad (303) and a second elastic pad (305) are respectively installed on the outside of the pressurized spherical elastic element (307). The fluid chamber (304) is installed between the first elastic pad (303) and the second elastic pad (305).

3. The multi-chamber integrated air spring assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shearing element structure includes: Transmission cavity (308) for sliding of rigid connector (302); The disk body (310) has a transmission cavity (308) installed at the center end of the disk body (310), and a speed sensor (309) is installed on the top of the disk body (310). The bottom toothed disc (311) is installed at the bottom of the disc body (310); A reciprocating rotating body (313) has a groove on its surface. The disc body (310), the bottom gear disc (311) and the reciprocating rotating body (313) are coaxially installed in sequence. A sealing ring (312) is installed on the outside of the reciprocating rotating body (313).

4. The multi-chamber integrated air spring assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shearing element structure further includes: The toothed part (317) has its top teeth and bottom toothed disc (311) meshing and connected; A rotating component (314) is slidably connected to a slotted part on its exterior. A bearing component (315) is sleeved on the bottom of the rotating component (314). An elastic spring is installed at the connection end between the rotating component (314) and the bearing component (315). A sealing element (320) is installed on the side end of a support element (315). A shearing element (321) is installed on the outside of the side end of the sealing element (320), and a ball (322) is installed at the bottom of the support element (315). A support chassis (316) is installed inside the fluid chamber (304) to support the sphere (322). A labyrinth seal (319) is installed at the bottom end of the support chassis (316) and the top end of the transmission chamber (308). Carbon fiber rope (318) is used to connect rigid connectors (302).

5. The multi-chamber integrated air spring assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower seat (200) has a guide cavity (700) inside. The cavity of the guide cavity (700) runs inside the main airbag (400) and is connected to the transmission cavity (308) for replacing non-Newtonian fluid.

6. The multi-chamber integrated air spring assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: An air chamber valve (500) is installed inside the upper cover (100), and the air chamber valve (500) is used to connect to the first air chamber (600) installed in the upper cover (100).

7. The multi-chamber integrated air spring assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the vibration of the main airbag (400) is lower than the preset intensity, the shear element structure remains basically stationary; when the vibration exceeds the preset intensity, the shear element structure is significantly accelerated.

8. The multi-chamber integrated air spring assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The disc body (310) and the supporting chassis (316) are formed as an inner rotating cylinder arranged coaxially, and the shell of the fluid chamber (304) forms a matching outer fixed cylinder. The non-Newtonian fluid fills the space formed between the inner rotating cylinder and the outer fixed cylinder.

9. The multi-chamber integrated air spring assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The non-Newtonian fluid is a shear-thickening fluid, and its dispersed phase includes silica, calcium carbonate or polymethyl methacrylate microspheres, and its dispersion medium is polyethylene glycol, silicone oil or synthetic hydrocarbon oil.

10. The multi-chamber integrated air spring assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main airbag (400) has a multi-chamber structure, including at least one main air chamber and one auxiliary air chamber connected to the main air chamber. The air chamber valve (500) is used to connect the main air chamber and the auxiliary air chamber.

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