A lifting cylinder for an air suspension system

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of automotive suspension technology, and particularly to a lifting cylinder for an air-hydraulic suspension system. It includes a three-stage nested piston mechanism, an active venting and fluid replenishment mechanism, an adaptive adjustment mechanism, and a self-sealing mechanism. In this invention, the combination of the three-stage nested piston mechanism and a high-precision displacement sensor enables high-precision control of the lifting height to ±0.2mm, thus meeting the high-precision control requirements of precision operations. The active venting and fluid replenishment system can promptly remove gas from the cylinder and replenish fluid, avoiding sluggish action caused by gas mixing and insufficient fluid, improving work efficiency by more than 40%. The adaptive adjustment mechanism can automatically adjust the cylinder's operating parameters according to the vehicle's real-time operating conditions, enhancing the cylinder's adaptability under complex conditions, reducing the occurrence of malfunctions, and improving the cylinder's reliability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automotive suspension technology, and in particular to a lifting cylinder for an air-hydraulic suspension system. Background Technology

[0002] The hydropneumatic suspension system is a suspension system whose basic components include suspension cylinders, accumulators, and control valves. The upper end of the suspension cylinder is connected to the sprung supports such as the vehicle frame and the boom, while the lower end is connected to the axle.

[0003] The lifting cylinder in the hydropneumatic suspension system is the core actuator for adjusting vehicle height and supporting load. It completes the lifting function through the synergistic action of hydraulic oil and high-pressure gas.

[0004] Traditional hydraulic suspension lifting cylinders mainly rely on a single piston structure and a passive hydraulic spring system, which has the following shortcomings in practical applications: Poor precision control: Manual operation or simple hydraulic control makes it difficult to accurately control the lifting height, resulting in a vehicle leveling error exceeding ±1mm, which affects the vehicle's driving stability.

[0005] Low operating efficiency: Air inside the cylinder cannot be expelled quickly, which can easily lead to cavitation and insufficient oil, resulting in sluggish operation and low operating efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a lifting cylinder for an air suspension system with high control precision and improved operating efficiency.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution of the present invention is: a lifting cylinder for an oil-pneumatic suspension system, the innovation of which is: including The three-stage nested piston mechanism includes a cylinder, a first-stage piston, a second-stage piston, and a third-stage piston. The first-stage piston is slidably connected to the cylinder along its axial direction. The second-stage piston is coaxially nested within the first-stage piston. One end of the third-stage piston is coaxially nested within the second-stage piston, and the other end extends outward from the cylinder and connects to the suspension swing arm. A high-precision displacement sensor is also provided on the first-stage piston. An active exhaust and oil replenishment mechanism includes an exhaust valve, an oil replenishment pump, and an oil storage tank. The exhaust valve is installed at the high point of the oil chamber inside the cylinder. The oil replenishment pump is connected to the oil storage tank, and a pressure sensor is installed at the oil inlet on the cylinder. An adaptive adjustment mechanism includes a sensor group and a controller. The sensor group includes a pressure sensor, a displacement sensor and an acceleration sensor, which monitors the vehicle's operating conditions in real time and feeds them back to the controller. The controller adjusts the cylinder's operating parameters based on the feedback information. The self-sealing mechanism includes multiple independent seals, and each of the first-stage piston, second-stage piston and third-stage piston is provided with one of the independent seals.

[0008] Furthermore, the lifting range of the three-stage nested piston mechanism is 0-500mm.

[0009] Furthermore, the exhaust valve of the active exhaust and oil replenishment system is used to automatically sense the gas pressure inside the cylinder, and automatically open to exhaust when the pressure exceeds the set value; the oil replenishment pump automatically starts to replenish oil according to the oil pressure.

[0010] An innovative method for controlling the lifting cylinder of a hydropneumatic suspension system, as described in any one of the above, includes the following steps: Data acquisition: Real-time acquisition of vehicle operating condition information via sensor array and transmission to the controller; Parameter calculation: The controller calculates the required working parameters of the hydraulic cylinder based on the collected working condition information and the preset algorithm model; Command output: The controller converts the calculated operating parameters into control commands and sends them to the execution unit; Adjustment: The actuator adjusts the working parameters of the hydraulic cylinder according to the control command, so that the hydraulic cylinder can adapt to complex working conditions.

[0011] The advantages of this invention are: In this invention, the combination of a three-stage nested piston mechanism and a high-precision displacement sensor enables high-precision control of the lifting height to ±0.2mm, thus meeting the high-precision control requirements of precision operations. The active exhaust and oil replenishment system promptly removes gas from the cylinder and replenishes oil, avoiding sluggish action caused by gas mixing and insufficient oil, thereby improving work efficiency by over 40%. The adaptive adjustment mechanism automatically adjusts the cylinder's operating parameters according to the vehicle's real-time operating conditions, enhancing the cylinder's adaptability to complex conditions, reducing malfunctions, and improving cylinder reliability. In summary, this invention is particularly suitable for the suspension systems of heavy-duty vehicles such as construction machinery and heavy trucks, effectively improving lifting performance and driving stability. Detailed Implementation

[0012] To further illustrate the technical means and effects of the present invention in achieving the intended purpose, the following detailed description of the specific implementation methods, structures, features and effects of the present invention, in conjunction with preferred embodiments, is provided below.

[0013] A lifting cylinder for an air suspension system includes a three-stage nested piston mechanism, an active exhaust and oil replenishment mechanism, an adaptive adjustment mechanism, and a self-sealing mechanism.

[0014] The three-stage nested piston mechanism includes a cylinder, a first-stage piston, a second-stage piston, and a third-stage piston. The first-stage piston is slidably connected to the cylinder along its axial direction. The second-stage piston is coaxially nested within the first-stage piston. One end of the third-stage piston is coaxially nested within the second-stage piston, and the other end extends outward from the cylinder and connects to the suspension swing arm. A high-precision displacement sensor is also provided on the first-stage piston. A high-precision displacement sensor is also installed on each stage of the piston, and the sensor's signal line is connected to the controller.

[0015] The lifting range of the three-stage nested piston mechanism is 0-500mm.

[0016] The active exhaust and oil replenishment mechanism includes an exhaust valve, an oil replenishment pump, and an oil storage tank. The exhaust valve is installed at the high point of the oil chamber inside the cylinder to ensure that it can properly sense the gas pressure inside the cylinder. The oil replenishment pump is connected to the oil storage tank through a pipeline, and a one-way valve is installed on the pipeline to prevent oil backflow. A pressure sensor is installed at the oil inlet on the cylinder to monitor the oil pressure in real time. Finally, the signal lines of the exhaust valve, the oil replenishment pump, and the pressure sensor are all connected to the controller.

[0017] The exhaust valve of the active exhaust and oil replenishment system is used to automatically sense the gas pressure in the cylinder. When the pressure exceeds the set value, it automatically opens to exhaust the gas. The oil replenishment pump automatically starts to replenish oil according to the oil pressure.

[0018] The adaptive adjustment mechanism includes a sensor group and a controller. The sensor group includes a pressure sensor, a displacement sensor and an acceleration sensor, which monitor the vehicle's operating conditions in real time and feed them back to the controller. The controller adjusts the cylinder's operating parameters based on the feedback information. Install pressure sensors, displacement sensors, acceleration sensors, and other sensor arrays in appropriate locations on the vehicle to ensure accurate acquisition of vehicle operating condition information. Install the controller in the vehicle's cab or a suitable location, and connect the sensor array's signal wires to the controller. Based on the vehicle's actual conditions and operational requirements, preset the algorithm model and initial values ​​of operating parameters in the controller.

[0019] The self-sealing mechanism includes multiple independent seals, with an independent seal on each of the first-stage piston, second-stage piston, and third-stage piston.

[0020] A control method for a lifting cylinder based on any hydropneumatic suspension system includes the following steps: Data acquisition: Real-time acquisition of vehicle operating condition information via sensor array and transmission to the controller; Parameter calculation: The controller calculates the required working parameters of the hydraulic cylinder based on the collected working condition information and the preset algorithm model; Command output: The controller converts the calculated operating parameters into control commands and sends them to the execution unit; Adjustment: The actuator adjusts the working parameters of the hydraulic cylinder according to the control command, so that the hydraulic cylinder can adapt to complex working conditions.

[0021] After completing the above assembly and installation work, the adaptive hydropneumatic suspension lifting cylinder is subjected to overall debugging. First, an appropriate amount of hydraulic oil is injected into the cylinder, and the connections of each component are checked for tightness and any leaks. Then, the vehicle is started and operated under different conditions, such as no load, full load, different driving speeds, and different road conditions. During operation, the intelligent controller adjusts the cylinder's operating parameters in real time based on information from the sensor array, observing whether performance indicators such as lifting height, action response speed, and driving stability meet design requirements. If necessary, the algorithm model and operating parameters in the intelligent controller are further optimized and adjusted until the cylinder's performance reaches its optimal state.

[0022] The advantages of this invention are: In this invention, the combination of a three-stage nested piston mechanism and a high-precision displacement sensor enables high-precision control of the lifting height to ±0.2mm, thus meeting the high-precision control requirements of precision operations. The active exhaust and oil replenishment system promptly removes gas from the cylinder and replenishes oil, avoiding sluggish action caused by gas mixing and insufficient oil, thereby improving work efficiency by over 40%. The adaptive adjustment mechanism automatically adjusts the cylinder's operating parameters according to the vehicle's real-time operating conditions, enhancing the cylinder's adaptability to complex conditions, reducing malfunctions, and improving cylinder reliability. In summary, this invention is particularly suitable for the suspension systems of heavy-duty vehicles such as construction machinery and heavy trucks, effectively improving lifting performance and driving stability.

[0023] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications or alterations to the above-disclosed technical content to create equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A lifting cylinder for an air suspension system, characterized in that: include The three-stage nested piston mechanism includes a cylinder, a first-stage piston, a second-stage piston, and a third-stage piston. The first-stage piston is slidably connected to the cylinder along its axial direction. The second-stage piston is coaxially nested within the first-stage piston. One end of the third-stage piston is coaxially nested within the second-stage piston, and the other end extends outward from the cylinder and connects to the suspension swing arm. A high-precision displacement sensor is also provided on the first-stage piston. An active exhaust and oil replenishment mechanism includes an exhaust valve, an oil replenishment pump, and an oil storage tank. The exhaust valve is installed at the high point of the oil chamber inside the cylinder. The oil replenishment pump is connected to the oil storage tank, and a pressure sensor is installed at the oil inlet on the cylinder. An adaptive adjustment mechanism includes a sensor group and a controller. The sensor group includes a pressure sensor, a displacement sensor and an acceleration sensor, which monitors the vehicle's operating conditions in real time and feeds them back to the controller. The controller adjusts the cylinder's operating parameters based on the feedback information. The self-sealing mechanism includes multiple independent seals, and each of the first-stage piston, second-stage piston and third-stage piston is provided with one of the independent seals.

2. The lifting cylinder of the hydropneumatic suspension system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting range of the three-stage nested piston mechanism is 0-500mm.

3. The lifting cylinder of the hydropneumatic suspension system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The exhaust valve of the active exhaust and oil replenishment system is used to automatically sense the gas pressure in the cylinder and automatically open to exhaust when the pressure exceeds the set value; the oil replenishment pump automatically starts to replenish oil according to the oil pressure.

4. A control method for the lifting cylinder of the hydropneumatic suspension system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: Data acquisition: Real-time acquisition of vehicle operating condition information via sensor array and transmission to the controller; Parameter calculation: The controller calculates the required working parameters of the hydraulic cylinder based on the collected working condition information and the preset algorithm model; Command output: The controller converts the calculated operating parameters into control commands and sends them to the execution unit; Adjustment: The actuator adjusts the working parameters of the hydraulic cylinder according to the control command, so that the hydraulic cylinder can adapt to complex working conditions.