A gas spring performance test device

Abstract

The present application relates to gas spring test technical field, disclose a kind of gas spring performance test equipment, including test box and the fatigue test mechanism being arranged in test box interior, the box wall of the test box is equipped with thermal insulation interlayer, temperature control module is integrated in the test box, the fatigue test mechanism includes movable frame, fixed plate being fixedly installed on movable frame, overturning assembly being arranged on fixed plate and load tooling for assembling gas spring to be measured, the overturning assembly includes drive motor being fixedly installed on fixed plate, rotating shaft being rotatably installed on fixed plate by adapter, rotating arm being fixedly installed on rotating shaft and counterweight frame, the end of rotating shaft is fixedly connected with the output shaft of drive motor, and the counterweight frame is movably installed on rotating arm. Its purpose is, to propose a kind of gas spring performance test equipment capable of simulating actual loading conditions of gas spring, while applying axial load, it can apply lateral load and bending moment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of gas spring testing technology, and specifically relates to a gas spring performance testing device. Background Technology

[0002] A gas spring, also known as a gas strut or gas bar, is an elastic element that stores mechanical energy using aerodynamic principles. Its structure mainly includes a sealed cylinder, a piston, and a piston rod. When the piston rod is pressed into the cylinder by an external force, the gas inside the cylinder is compressed and stored as pressure potential energy. When the external force is released, the gas inside the cylinder expands, pushing the piston back to its original position and releasing the stored potential energy as thrust. Gas springs have advantages such as small size, light weight, smooth operation, and easy installation, and are widely used in automotive tailgates, engine hoods, furniture, medical devices, construction machinery, and aerospace equipment. To ensure the quality and reliability of gas spring products, multiple performance tests, including force characteristics, durability, and sealing performance, are conducted before they leave the factory.

[0003] However, existing gas spring performance testing equipment has significant limitations. Most conventional gas spring testing equipment is a vertical spring testing machine, which can only apply pure compression or pure tension along the axial direction of the gas spring. However, in actual vehicle installation conditions, especially in applications such as tailgates, gas springs are typically mounted in a floating manner with hinges at both ends. During the opening and closing of the tailgate, the gas spring is constantly subjected to bending moments caused by changes in gravitational torque, as well as lateral shear forces caused by installation angles and movement trajectories. Because existing testing equipment completely ignores the effects of these lateral loads and bending moments, the measured durability life values ​​deviate significantly from reality—laboratory data are often much higher than the actual vehicle life, meaning the test results are severely inflated. This directly leads to quality problems such as early oil leaks, piston rod scratches, and rapid seal failure after mass production, seriously affecting product lifespan and driving safety. Therefore, we propose a gas spring performance testing device to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to propose a gas spring performance testing device that can realistically simulate the actual vehicle installation conditions of gas springs and can apply lateral loads and bending moments while applying axial loads.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned technical objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: A gas spring performance testing device includes a test chamber and a fatigue testing mechanism disposed inside the test chamber. The test chamber has an insulation layer inside its walls and a temperature control module integrated inside the test chamber. The fatigue testing mechanism includes a movable frame, a fixed plate fixedly mounted on the movable frame, a flipping assembly disposed on the fixed plate, and a load fixture for assembling the gas spring to be tested.

[0006] Further specifying, the flipping assembly includes a drive motor fixedly mounted on a fixed plate, a rotating shaft rotatably mounted on the fixed plate via an adapter, a rotating arm fixedly mounted on the rotating shaft, and a counterweight frame. The end of the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the drive motor, and the counterweight frame is movably mounted on the rotating arm. This structural design allows the drive motor to drive the rotating arm to reciprocate and flip via the rotating shaft, realistically simulating the motion trajectory and angle changes of the gas spring during the opening and closing of the tailgate. The counterweight frame, movably mounted on the rotating arm, allows for the simulation of flipping conditions under different weight loads by adjusting the counterweight position, thus ensuring that the test conditions are highly consistent with actual vehicle loading conditions.

[0007] Further defined, the load fixture includes a sliding seat, a mounting platform, a movable block, a threaded sleeve fixedly mounted on the movable block, a lateral motor fixedly mounted on the mounting platform, a drive rod fixedly mounted on the output shaft of the lateral motor, a threaded rod threadedly connected to the threaded sleeve, an adjustable frame movably mounted on the rotating arm, and fixed rods fixedly mounted at both ends of the adjustable frame. A guide rail is fixedly mounted on the fixed plate, the sliding seat is slidably mounted on the guide rail, a positioning groove is provided on the sliding seat, the mounting platform is movably mounted on the sliding seat through the positioning groove, a slot adapted to the drive rod is provided at the end of the threaded rod, a limit groove is provided on the mounting platform, the movable block is slidably mounted in the limit groove, and connecting ends movably connected to both ends of the gas spring are fixedly mounted at the ends of the movable block and the fixed rod, respectively. This structural design allows the sliding seat to slide along the guide rail and the mounting platform to slide along the positioning groove, enabling flexible adjustment of the gas spring mounting position in a two-dimensional plane. The lateral motor drives the threaded rod to rotate via the drive rod, which in turn drives the movable block to slide along the limiting groove, thereby applying a controllable lateral load to the gas spring and realistically simulating the bending moment and lateral shear force in actual vehicle installation.

[0008] Furthermore, a pressure sensor is installed between the output shaft of the lateral motor and the end of the threaded rod. This structural design allows the pressure sensor to detect the magnitude of the lateral force applied by the lateral motor in real time, providing data feedback for precise control and adjustment of the lateral load. This ensures that the lateral force value is stable and controllable during testing, improving the accuracy and repeatability of the test results.

[0009] Further specifying, the lower part of the movable frame is movably mounted with a transfer frame, a side plate is fixedly mounted on the movable frame, and an arc-shaped guide groove is formed on the side plate. A guide column is fixedly mounted on the transfer frame and slidably installed within the arc-shaped guide groove. A rotating crossbeam is movably mounted on the transfer frame, and a connecting piece adapted to the rotating crossbeam is provided at the lower part of the counterweight frame. This structural design allows the transfer frame to slide along the arc-shaped guide groove via the guide column, matching the movement trajectory of the rotating crossbeam with the rotation trajectory of the rotating arm. The connecting piece at the lower part of the counterweight frame cooperates with the rotating crossbeam during rotation, achieving smooth guidance and torque balance when the counterweight frame rotates with the rotating arm, avoiding impacts and vibrations caused by rotational inertia, and improving the stability and safety of the experiment.

[0010] Furthermore, the rotating arm, guide rail, and sliding seat all have graduated markings on their positioning grooves. This structural design allows operators to accurately read and record the rotation angle of the rotating arm, the sliding position of the sliding seat along the guide rail, and the adjustment position of the positioning groove on the mounting platform. This enables quantitative control and traceability of test parameters, improving the consistency and repeatability of the test.

[0011] Further specifying, an adapter seat is fixedly installed at the uppermost end of the movable frame, a rotating rod is rotatably mounted on the adapter seat, an arc-shaped connecting rod is fixedly installed at the end of the rotating rod, and a force sensor for detecting collision force is provided at the end of the arc-shaped connecting rod. A support column for supporting the rotating rod is fixedly installed on the adapter seat, and a detection component for detecting the rotation angle of the rotating rod is provided on the back of the movable frame. This structural design allows the force sensor at the end of the arc-shaped connecting rod to detect the potential collision force between the gas spring and surrounding components during the gas spring's rotation, simulating the interference between the tailgate and other body components in actual vehicle installation. The detection component monitors the rotation angle of the rotating rod in real time, correlating the collision force with the corresponding angle, providing data support for evaluating the dynamic interference performance of the gas spring in actual vehicle installation.

[0012] Further specifying, the detection component includes a fixed box, a fixed cover, and a camera. The fixed box is fixedly mounted on a movable frame, and the fixed box has a cavity inside, with an opening on the fixed box for the end of the rotating rod to extend into. The fixed cover is fixedly mounted on one side of the fixed box and communicates with the cavity. The camera is fixedly mounted on the end of the fixed cover, and the cavity wall of the fixed cover has an angle mark. This structural design, with the camera connected to the cavity of the fixed box through the fixed cover, allows for capturing images of the rotation of the end of the rotating rod within the cavity through the opening. Combined with the angle mark on the cavity wall of the fixed cover, this achieves non-contact, precise measurement of the rotation angle of the rotating rod, avoiding the additional resistance generated by contact sensors on the movement of the rotating rod, and ensuring the authenticity and accuracy of the measurement results.

[0013] The invention employing the above technical solution has the following advantages: This invention uses a flipping component to drive a gas spring to swing back and forth, simulating the actual movement trajectory of the tailgate opening and closing. At the same time, a lateral motor in the load fixture drives a sliding block to apply a controllable lateral load to the gas spring. This realistically reproduces the bending moment and lateral shear force generated by the change of gravitational torque during actual vehicle installation, effectively avoiding quality problems such as early oil leakage, piston rod scratches, and rapid failure of seals caused by inflated test results.

[0014] 2. In this invention, the sliding seat can slide along the guide rail, the mounting platform can slide along the positioning groove, and the adjustable frame can slide along the rotating arm, realizing flexible adjustment of the gas spring installation position and offset in three-dimensional space. The counterweight frame can move along the rotating arm to adjust the torque balance. The rotating arm, guide rail, and positioning groove are all equipped with scale markings to facilitate accurate recording and reproduction of test parameters. The above structure allows the same device to simulate the service conditions of gas springs under different vehicle models, different installation angles, and different load conditions, making it highly versatile and widely applicable. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a gas spring performance testing device according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the test chamber door in the open state of a gas spring performance testing device according to the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the fatigue testing mechanism in a gas spring performance testing device of the present invention; Figure 4 for Figure 3 Enlarged structural diagram at point A; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the load fixture part in a gas spring performance testing device of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the lateral motor and threaded rod portion in a gas spring performance testing device of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the adapter and fixing box in a gas spring performance testing device of the present invention; Figure 8 for Figure 7 A magnified structural diagram at point B in the middle.

[0016] The symbols for the main components are explained below: 1. Test chamber; 2. Fatigue testing organization; 21. Movable rack; 22. Fixing plate; 221. Guide rail; 23. Tilting assembly; 231. Drive motor; 232. Rotating shaft; 233. Rotating arm; 234. Counterweight frame; 24. Load fixture; 241. Sliding seat; 242. Mounting platform; 243. Movable block; 244. Threaded sleeve; 245. Side motor; 246. Threaded rod; 247. Adjustable frame; 248. Fixed rod; 249. Drive rod; 25. Pressure sensor; 3. Adapter frame; 31. Rotating crossbeam; 4. Side panels; 5. Adapter; 51. Rotating rod; 52. Arc-shaped connecting rod; 53. Support column; 6. Fixing box; 61. Fixing cover; 62. Camera. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It should be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic representations of the basic concept of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0018] The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are schematic diagrams, not actual pictures, and should not be construed as limiting the invention. To better illustrate the embodiments of the invention, some parts in the drawings may be omitted, enlarged, or reduced, and do not represent the actual product dimensions. It is understandable to those skilled in the art that some well-known structures and their descriptions may be omitted in the drawings.

[0019] In the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention, the same or similar reference numerals correspond to the same or similar components. In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that if terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," and "rear" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, they are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the terms used to describe positional relationships in the drawings are only for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0020] like Figures 1 to 8As shown, the gas spring performance testing equipment of the present invention includes a test chamber 1 and a fatigue testing mechanism 2 disposed inside the test chamber 1. The test chamber 1 has an insulation layer in its inner wall to reduce heat exchange between the inside of the test chamber 1 and the external environment and to ensure the stability of the temperature field inside the chamber. The test chamber 1 integrates a temperature control module, which includes a heating unit, a cooling unit, a temperature sensor and a controller. The temperature control module can precisely adjust the temperature inside the test chamber 1 according to a preset temperature value to simulate the service conditions of the gas spring under different ambient temperatures. The fatigue testing mechanism 2 includes a movable frame 21, a fixed plate 22 fixedly mounted on the movable frame 21, a flipping assembly 23 disposed on the fixed plate 22 and a load fixture 24 for assembling the gas spring to be tested.

[0021] The flipping assembly 23 includes a drive motor 231 fixedly mounted on a fixed plate 22, a rotating shaft 232 rotatably mounted on the fixed plate 22 via an adapter, a rotating arm 233 fixedly mounted on the rotating shaft 232, and a counterweight frame 234. The end of the rotating shaft 232 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the drive motor 231, and the counterweight frame 234 is movably mounted on the rotating arm 233.

[0022] The load fixture 24 includes a sliding seat 241, a mounting platform 242, a movable block 243, a threaded sleeve 244 fixedly mounted on the movable block 243, a lateral motor 245 fixedly mounted on the mounting platform 242, a drive rod 249 fixedly mounted on the output shaft of the lateral motor 245, a threaded rod 246 threadedly connected to the threaded sleeve 244, an adjustable frame 247 movably mounted on the rotating arm 233, and fixed rods 248 fixedly mounted at both ends of the adjustable frame 247. A guide rail 221 is fixedly mounted on the fixed plate 22. The sliding seat 241 is slidably mounted on the guide rail 221. A positioning groove is provided on the sliding seat 241. The mounting platform 242 is movably mounted on the sliding seat 241 through the positioning groove. The end of the threaded rod 246 is provided with a positioning groove. A slot is adapted to the drive rod 249. A limit groove is opened on the mounting platform 242. The movable block 243 is slidably installed in the limit groove. The ends of the movable block 243 and the fixed rod 248 are respectively fixedly installed with connecting ends that are movably connected to both ends of the gas spring. A pressure sensor 25 is set between the output shaft of the lateral motor 245 and the end of the threaded rod 246. The pressure sensor 25 is used to detect the magnitude of the lateral force applied by the lateral motor 245 in real time and feed the detection signal back to the controller. The controller adjusts the output torque of the lateral motor 245 according to the feedback signal to ensure that the lateral force remains constant or fluctuates within a preset range throughout the test. The positioning grooves of the rotating arm 233, the guide rail 221 and the sliding seat 241 are all marked with scale marks.

[0023] The lower part of the movable frame 21 is movably mounted with a transfer frame 3. A side plate 4 is fixedly mounted on the movable frame 21. An arc-shaped guide groove is provided on the side plate 4. A guide column is fixedly mounted on the transfer frame 3 and slidably mounted in the arc-shaped guide groove. A rotating crossbeam 31 is movably mounted on the transfer frame 3. A connecting piece adapted to the rotating crossbeam 31 is provided at the lower part of the counterweight frame 234.

[0024] An adapter seat 5 is fixedly installed at the top of the movable frame 21. A rotating rod 51 is rotatably installed on the adapter seat 5. An arc-shaped connecting rod 52 is fixedly installed at the end of the rotating rod 51. A force sensor for detecting collision force is provided at the end of the arc-shaped connecting rod 52. A support column 53 for supporting the rotating rod 51 is fixedly installed on the adapter seat 5. A detection component for detecting the rotation angle of the rotating rod 51 is provided on the back of the movable frame 21.

[0025] The detection assembly includes a fixed box 6, a fixed cover 61, and a camera 62. The fixed box 6 is fixedly installed on the movable frame 21. The fixed box 6 has a cavity inside and an opening for the end of the rotating rod 51 to extend into. The fixed cover 61 is fixedly installed on one side of the fixed box 6 and is connected to the cavity. The camera 62 is fixedly installed at the end of the fixed cover 61. An angle mark is provided on the cavity wall of the fixed cover 61.

[0026] The method of using this invention is as follows: When conducting gas spring performance tests, firstly, based on the actual vehicle installation conditions of the gas spring to be tested, connect the two ends of the gas spring to the connecting end of the movable block 243 and the connecting end of the fixed rod 248 respectively. Then, by adjusting the position of the sliding seat 241 on the guide rail 221, the position of the mounting platform 242 in the positioning groove, and the position of the adjustable bracket 247 on the rotating arm 233, the installation angle and offset of the gas spring are precisely set. According to the test requirements, the temperature inside the test chamber 1 is adjusted to the target value (e.g., any temperature within the range of -40℃ to +80℃) through the temperature control module. The lateral motor 245 is started, and the movable block 243 is driven to slide along the limit groove through the threaded rod 246 to apply the set lateral load to the gas spring, simulating the bending moment and lateral shear force in actual vehicle installation. The drive motor 231 is started, driving the rotating arm 233 to reciprocate at a preset angle and frequency, simulating the repeated opening and closing of the tailgate. During the test, the pressure sensor monitors the lateral force value in real time and feeds it back to the controller to ensure that the lateral load is constant. At the same time, the counterweight frame 234 swings with the rotating arm 233, and the torque balance is achieved through the arc-shaped guide of the adapter frame 3. The camera 62 and the force sensor work together to monitor in real time whether the gas spring interferes with or collides with the surrounding parts during the flipping process, as well as the magnitude and corresponding angle of the collision force. After a preset number of cycles, the gas spring is taken out for performance testing, and its durability and performance degradation under simulated real vehicle conditions can be obtained.

[0027] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A gas spring performance testing device, comprising a test chamber (1) and a fatigue testing mechanism (2) disposed inside the test chamber (1), wherein the test chamber (1) has an insulation layer in its inner wall and a temperature control module is integrated inside the test chamber (1), characterized in that: The fatigue testing mechanism (2) includes a movable frame (21), a fixed plate (22) fixedly installed on the movable frame (21), a flipping assembly (23) set on the fixed plate (22), and a load fixture (24) for assembling the gas spring to be tested.

2. The gas spring performance testing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flipping assembly (23) includes a drive motor (231) fixedly mounted on a fixed plate (22), a rotating shaft (232) rotatably mounted on the fixed plate (22) via an adapter, a rotating arm (233) fixedly mounted on the rotating shaft (232), and a counterweight frame (234). The end of the rotating shaft (232) is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the drive motor (231), and the counterweight frame (234) is movably mounted on the rotating arm (233).

3. The gas spring performance testing equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The load fixture (24) includes a sliding seat (241), a mounting platform (242), a movable block (243), a threaded sleeve (244) fixedly mounted on the movable block (243), a lateral motor (245) fixedly mounted on the mounting platform (242), a drive rod (249) fixedly mounted on the output shaft of the lateral motor (245), a threaded rod (246) threadedly connected to the threaded sleeve (244), an adjustable frame (247) movably mounted on the rotating arm (233), and fixed rods (248) fixedly mounted on both ends of the adjustable frame (247). The fixed plate (22) is fixed with... A guide rail (221) is fixedly installed, and the sliding seat (241) is slidably installed on the guide rail (221). The sliding seat (241) has a positioning groove. The mounting platform (242) is movably installed on the sliding seat (241) through the positioning groove. The end of the threaded rod (246) has a slot that matches the drive rod (249). The mounting platform (242) has a limit groove. The movable block (243) is slidably installed in the limit groove. The ends of the movable block (243) and the fixed rod (248) are respectively fixedly installed with connecting ends that are movably connected to both ends of the gas spring.

4. The gas spring performance testing equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: A pressure sensor (25) is provided between the output shaft of the lateral motor (245) and the end of the threaded rod (246).

5. The gas spring performance testing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower part of the movable frame (21) is movably installed with a transfer frame (3), and a side plate (4) is fixedly installed on the movable frame (21). An arc-shaped guide groove is provided on the side plate (4). A guide column is fixedly installed on the transfer frame (3) and slidably installed in the arc-shaped guide groove. A rotating crossbeam (31) is movably installed on the transfer frame (3). A connecting piece adapted to the rotating crossbeam (31) is provided at the lower part of the counterweight frame (234).

6. The gas spring performance testing equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: The rotating arm (233), guide rail (221), and sliding seat (241) are all equipped with scale markings at their positioning grooves.

7. The gas spring performance testing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The uppermost end of the movable frame (21) is fixedly installed with an adapter (5), a rotating rod (51) is rotatably installed on the adapter (5), an arc-shaped connecting rod (52) is fixedly installed at the end of the rotating rod (51), a force sensor for detecting collision force is provided at the end of the arc-shaped connecting rod (52), a support column (53) for supporting the rotating rod (51) is fixedly installed on the adapter (5), and a detection component for detecting the rotation angle of the rotating rod (51) is provided on the back of the movable frame (21).

8. The gas spring performance testing equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that: The detection assembly includes a fixed box (6), a fixed cover (61), and a camera (62). The fixed box (6) is fixedly installed on the movable frame (21). The fixed box (6) has a cavity inside and an opening for the end of the rotating rod (51) to extend into. The fixed cover (61) is fixedly installed on one side of the fixed box (6) and is connected to the cavity. The camera (62) is fixedly installed at the end of the fixed cover (61). An angle mark is provided on the cavity wall of the fixed cover (61).

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