Air spring rigidity adjusting assembly and vehicle

Abstract

The utility model discloses an air spring rigidity adjusting assembly and a vehicle, and is characterized in that the air spring rigidity adjusting assembly comprises an air spring, and a main air chamber is formed in the air spring; and the air chamber adjusting devices comprise additional air chambers with adjustable volumes, and the additional air chambers are directly communicated with the main air chamber or are communicated with the main air chamber through airflow adjusting pieces, so that the rigidity of the air spring is adjusted. According to various arrangement schemes of the air spring rigidity adjusting assembly with the air chamber adjusting device, the air spring and the air chamber adjusting device can be directly connected or connected through an air pipe, the installation arrangement mode between the air spring and the air chamber adjusting device is flexible, and the air spring rigidity adjusting assembly with the air chamber adjusting device can be combined with the space condition of a chassis. And better space distribution and utilization are realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of air springs, in particular to an air spring stiffness adjustment assembly and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Since air suspensions can effectively improve the ride comfort of vehicles, they have been widely used in the automotive field. As an important component of air suspensions, air springs play roles such as supporting, buffering, and vibration isolation. The stiffness of an air spring is one of the important factors affecting vehicle comfort. The smaller the spring stiffness, the lower the natural frequency of the vehicle body, and the better the ride smoothness of the vehicle. However, the handling stability will be correspondingly reduced, resulting in a weakened timely feedback of the vehicle to the driver's operation and a reduced ability of the vehicle to resist interference.

[0003] When a vehicle encounters different working conditions during driving, different spring stiffnesses are required. The stiffness characteristics of the air spring can be changed by changing the volume of the additional air chamber of the air spring. The air spring stiffness decreases as the volume of the additional air chamber increases. However, due to limitations in its own structural design defects, the traditional additional air chamber cannot be flexibly arranged in the vehicle interior space, thus affecting the distribution of the vehicle chassis space. Summary of the Utility Model

[0004] The utility model aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0005] The additional aspects and advantages of the utility model will be partially given in the following description, partially become apparent from the following description, or be understood through the practice of the utility model.

[0006] In a first aspect of the utility model, an air spring stiffness adjustment assembly is provided, including: an air spring with a main air chamber formed therein; at least two air chamber adjustment devices, each air chamber adjustment device including an additional air chamber with adjustable volume, and the additional air chamber is communicated with the main air chamber through a throttle hole or through an air flow adjustment member, thereby adjusting the stiffness of the air spring.

[0007] In one embodiment, the air chamber adjustment device further includes an oil chamber, and the oil chamber and the additional air chamber are separated by a movable baffle.

[0008] In one embodiment, the movable baffle slides based on the pressure difference on both sides to adjust the volumes of the additional air chamber and the oil chamber.

[0009] In one embodiment, the additional air chamber is communicated with the main air chamber through a throttle hole, and the air chamber adjustment devices are respectively connected to both sides of the air spring.

[0010] In one embodiment, the additional air chamber is communicated with the main air chamber through an air flow regulating member. The air flow regulating member includes an air pipe and a throttle orifice. The air pipe is connected to the air spring and the air chamber regulating device, and the throttle orifice is arranged at one end of the air pipe close to the air spring.

[0011] In one embodiment, there are at least two air chamber regulating devices. One side of the air spring is directly communicated with the air chamber regulating device through a throttle orifice, and the other side is communicated with the air chamber regulating device through an air flow regulating member.

[0012] In one embodiment, it further includes an oil tank and a hydraulic pump. The hydraulic pump is arranged between the oil tank and the oil chamber. The oil tank is connected to the hydraulic pump through an oil pipe, and the hydraulic pump is connected to the oil chamber through an oil pipe to adjust the amount of oil in the oil chamber.

[0013] For the air spring stiffness adjustment assembly of the present utility model, the air spring and the air chamber regulating device can be connected in two ways: directly connected through a throttle orifice and connected through an air pipe. The installation and arrangement method between the air spring and the air chamber regulating device is flexible, and better space allocation and utilization can be achieved in combination with the chassis space situation.

[0014] In a second aspect of the present utility model, a vehicle is provided, which includes an air spring stiffness adjustment assembly.

[0015] When the air spring stiffness adjustment assembly of the present utility model is applied to a vehicle, the driving states such as load, vehicle speed, and road conditions will change greatly during the driving process of the vehicle. The air spring stiffness adjustment assembly of the present utility model can, through the cooperation of the air spring 1 and the air flow regulating device, adjust the stiffness and damping of the air spring 1 in real time, realize the stepless adjustment of the stiffness and damping of the air spring 1, meet the driving requirements under different working conditions, and is beneficial to improving the riding comfort.

[0016] Through the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments of the present utility model with reference to the accompanying drawings, other features and advantages of the present utility model will become clear. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present utility model will become obvious and easy to understand from the description of the embodiments in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein:

[0018] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of another embodiment of the present utility model;

[0019] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of another embodiment of the present utility model;

[0020] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of another embodiment of the present utility model;

[0021] Reference numerals:

[0022] 1. Air spring, 11. Main air chamber, 2. Air chamber adjusting device, 21. Additional air chamber, 22. Oil chamber, 23. Movable baffle, 3. Hydraulic pump, 4. Air flow adjusting member, 41. Throttle hole, 42. Air pipe, 5. Fuel tank, 6. Oil pipe. Detailed implementation manners

[0023] Various exemplary embodiments of the present utility model will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that: unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangements of components and steps, numerical expressions and values set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present utility model.

[0024] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative in nature and in no way serves as a limitation on the present utility model and its application or use.

[0025] The air spring stiffness adjustment assembly according to an embodiment of the present utility model will be specifically described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. As Figures 1-3 shown, the present utility model aims to provide an air spring stiffness adjustment assembly with an air chamber adjusting device 2. A main air chamber 11 is provided in the air spring 1 of the assembly. The air chamber adjusting device 2 includes an additional air chamber 21 and an oil chamber 22. The main air chamber 11 is a flexible wall air chamber wrapped by a rubber bladder. The air chamber adjusting device 2 is a rigid wall air chamber. The air spring 1 and the air chamber adjusting device 2 can be connected in two ways: directly connected or connected through an air pipe 42. The installation and arrangement method between the air spring 1 and the air chamber adjusting device 2 is flexible, and better space allocation and utilization can be achieved in combination with the chassis space conditions.

[0026] Although the above-mentioned air spring 1 stiffness adjustment assembly with an air chamber adjusting device 2 has different structural forms, their working principles are basically the same. During the working process of the air spring 1 system, the main body of the air spring 1 is subjected to external excitation, and the rubber airbag deforms and compresses or stretches, causing a pressure difference between the gases in the main and additional air chambers 21. Under the action of the pressure difference, the gas reciprocates between the main and additional air chambers 21, generating gas exchange; the existence of the additional air chamber 21 increases the total amount of gas and the working space inside the spring, affecting the vibration characteristics of the spring. The throttle hole 41 or the connecting pipeline provided between the additional air chamber 21 and the main air chamber 11 limits the flow rate of the gas and is the key component for generating the pressure difference between the two air chambers; when the gas flows through the throttle hole 41 or the connecting pipeline, a damping effect is generated, playing a role in attenuating vibration; the inert oil occupies the volume of the additional air chamber 21, achieving the effect of stiffness change adjustment.

[0027] Furthermore, during the use of the above air spring air chamber adjusting device 2, the oil chamber 22 of the air chamber adjusting device 2 is connected to the oil pipe 6, and then the main chamber of the air spring 1 is connected to the additional air chamber 21 of the air chamber adjusting device 2. The oil pipe 6 is also connected to a hydraulic pump 3 and a fuel tank 5. The hydraulic pump 3 is arranged between the fuel tank 5 and the oil chamber 22 to complete the pipeline connection of the control component of the air spring 1. Through the above pipelines, the hydraulic pump 3 can adjust the amount of oil in the oil chamber 22 to push the movable baffle 23 to move between the oil chamber 22 and the additional air chamber 21, so as to adjust the volume of the additional air chamber 21. The change in the volume of the additional air chamber 21 affects the air pressure in the main air chamber 11 of the air spring, thereby realizing the adjustment of the stiffness of the air spring 1.

[0028] Specifically, when it is necessary to increase the stiffness of the air spring 1, the hydraulic pump 3 presses inert oil into the oil chamber 22 to push the movable baffle 23 to move towards the air pipe 42. As the movable baffle 23 moves towards the additional air chamber 21, the volume of the additional air chamber 21 is gradually compressed, so that the gas in the additional air chamber 21 is pressed into the air spring 1, thereby effectively increasing the stiffness of the air spring 1. When it is necessary to reduce the stiffness of the air spring 1, the hydraulic pump 3 extracts inert oil from the oil chamber 22. At this time, a pressure difference will be formed on both sides of the movable baffle 23, and it will move towards the oil chamber 22 under the air pressure of the air spring 1. As the movement of the movable baffle 23 continues, the space of the additional air chamber 21 gradually expands, so that the air pressure in the air spring 1 decreases, thereby effectively reducing the stiffness of the air spring 1. In this way, the air chamber adjusting device 2 of the air spring 1 uses air pressure to control the injection and discharge of oil, effectively controls the corresponding movement of the movable baffle 23, changes the volume of the additional air chamber 21, and achieves the adjustment of the stiffness of the air spring 1, so that the air spring 1 can adapt to different working conditions of the vehicle, and further achieves the purpose of improving the comprehensive performance of the suspension system. At the same time, compared with the traditional mechanical structure control, the air spring stiffness adjustment component of the present invention has the characteristics of simple structure, convenient operation and fast control speed, making the stiffness adjustment of the air spring 1 more sensitive and effective.

[0029] In one embodiment, as Figure 1As shown, the additional air chamber 21 of the air spring 1 is installed outside the spring body. The additional air chamber 21 is directly connected to the air spring 1. The additional air chamber 21 is installed at the top or bottom of the air spring 1, and the two are connected through a preset throttle hole 41. A throttle hole 41 is provided between the main air chamber 11 and the additional air chamber 21 to make the gases in the two chambers communicate. The inert hydraulic oil is pumped from the oil tank 5 through the pipeline and the hydraulic pump 3 into the oil tank 5 of the air chamber adjusting device 2, and the oil and gas are separated by the movable baffle 23. The inert hydraulic oil is an incompressible fluid. Being pumped by the pump can achieve the effect of quickly and continuously reducing the volume of the additional air chamber 21, so that the stiffness of the air spring 1 can be quickly and continuously adjusted. This installation form has a compact structure and small occupied space. At the same time, the air chamber adjusting device 2 needs to occupy the space in the height direction of the air spring 1, and is suitable for the installation layout when there is sufficient height space in the vehicle suspension system.

[0030] In one embodiment, as Figure 2 shown, the additional air chamber 21 of the air spring 1 is installed outside the spring body. The main air chamber 11 and the air chamber adjusting device 2 are separately arranged, and the two are connected by an air pipe 42. The air pipe 42 can be a flexible pipe or a rigid pipe. The air spring 1 of this type is separately installed from the air chamber adjusting device 2. Since the length of the air pipe 42 is adjustable, the air chamber adjusting device 2 can be flexibly arranged according to the space, which is beneficial to the distribution of the chassis space.

[0031] There are multiple air chamber adjusting devices in the present utility model. Please refer to Figures 1-3 , which is the structural schematic diagram when there are two air chamber adjusting devices 2.

[0032] Specifically, in one embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 . When there is sufficient height space in the chassis, the two air chamber adjusting devices 2 can be directly connected to the air spring 1 through the throttle hole 41. The hydraulic pump 3 can be simultaneously connected to the oil chambers 22 of the two air chamber adjusting devices 2. By controlling the amount of oil entering or flowing out of the oil chamber 22, the volume of the additional air chamber 21 is changed, so as to adjust the stiffness of the air spring 1.

[0033] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 2 . When the height space of the chassis is limited, the two air chamber adjusting devices 2 can be connected to the air spring 1 through the air pipe 42. The two air chamber adjusting devices 2 can be flexibly arranged at the positions with space, so as to improve the utilization efficiency of the chassis space.

[0034] In another embodiment, please refer to Figure 3 . The air chamber adjusting device 2 can also be connected to both sides of the air spring 1 in two different ways. One side of the air spring 1 is directly connected to the air chamber adjusting device through the throttle hole 41, and the other side is connected to the air chamber adjusting device 2 through the air flow adjusting member 4.

[0035] Multiple air chamber adjusting devices 2 can broaden the adjustable range of the stiffness of the air spring 1, enabling the air spring 1 of the present utility model to better adapt to different working conditions of the vehicle, and further achieving the purpose of improving the comprehensive performance of the suspension system. The various connection methods between the air chamber adjusting device 2 and the air spring 1 can also provide more flexible possibilities for the spatial layout of the present utility model.

[0036] It should be noted that the stiffness adjustment method of the present utility model can be applied to a diaphragm air spring. If it is necessary to increase its stiffness upper limit, in one embodiment, a cylindrical metal cylinder can be added outside the bladder of the main air chamber 11 to limit its deformation expansion and prevent it from bursting.

[0037] In one embodiment, the main air chamber 11 of the air spring 1 in the present utility model can also be changed to a bladder air spring.

[0038] In one embodiment, the type of the throttle element of the present utility model can also be changed to a throttle valve or a throttle tube. At the same time, there are also various choices for the oil pump and the valve, which can more flexibly adapt to the vehicle type layout.

[0039] According to the second aspect of the present utility model, a vehicle is provided, including the air spring 1 stiffness adjustment component in the above embodiment. Since the air spring stiffness adjustment component according to the embodiment of the present utility model has the above technical effects, therefore, the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present utility model should also have corresponding technical effects, that is, the vehicle of the present utility model can, by adopting the air spring stiffness adjustment component, through the air spring stiffness adjustment component with the air chamber adjusting device 2, the air spring 1 and the air chamber adjusting device 2 can have two connection methods: direct connection and connection through the air pipe 42. The installation and layout method between the air spring and the air chamber adjusting device 2 is flexible, and better space allocation and utilization can be achieved in combination with the chassis space situation.

[0040] When the air spring stiffness adjustment component of the present utility model is applied to a vehicle, the driving states such as load, vehicle speed, and road conditions of the vehicle will change greatly during driving. The air spring stiffness adjustment component of the present utility model can, through the cooperation of the air spring 1 and the air flow adjustment device, adjust the stiffness and damping of the air spring 1 in real time, realize the stepless adjustment of the stiffness and damping of the air spring 1, meet the driving requirements under different working conditions, and is beneficial to improving the riding comfort.

[0041] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to terms such as "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "schematic embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present utility model. In this specification, the schematic expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example.

[0042] Technologies, methods, and devices that are known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such technologies, methods, and devices should be considered as part of the specification.

[0043] In all the examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values should be construed as merely exemplary and not as a limitation. Thus, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0044] It should be noted that like reference numerals and letters indicate like items in the following figures, and thus, once an item is defined in one figure, further discussion thereof is not required in subsequent figures.

[0045] In the description and claims of the present utility model, features related to the terms "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present utility model, unless otherwise specified, the meaning of "a plurality of" is two or more. In addition, "and / or" in the description and claims means at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates an "or" relationship between the associated objects before and after.

[0046] In the description of the present utility model, it should be understood that for terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., the indicated orientation or positional relationship is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing the present utility model and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as a limitation to the present utility model.

[0047] In the description of the present utility model, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms "mounted", "connected", and "coupled" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it may be the communication inside two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present utility model can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0048] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An air spring stiffness adjustment assembly, characterized in that: include: An air spring (1), wherein a main air chamber (11) is provided in the air spring (1); At least two air chamber adjustment devices (2), the air chamber adjustment device (2) comprising an additional air chamber (21) with adjustable volume, the additional air chamber (21) being connected to the main air chamber (11) via a throttle hole (41) or via an air flow adjustment member (4), thereby adjusting the stiffness of the air spring (1).

2. The air spring stiffness adjustment assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air chamber regulating device (2) further comprises an oil chamber (22), wherein the oil chamber (22) and the additional air chamber (21) are isolated by a movable baffle (23).

3. The air spring stiffness adjustment assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The movable baffle (23) slides based on the pressure difference on both sides to adjust the volumes of the additional air chamber (21) and the oil chamber (22).

4. The air spring stiffness adjustment assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The additional air chamber (21) is connected to the main air chamber (11) via the throttle hole (41), and the air chamber adjustment device (2) is respectively connected to two sides of the air spring (1).

5. The air spring stiffness adjustment assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The additional air chamber (21) is connected to the main air chamber (11) via the air flow regulating member (4); the air flow regulating member (4) comprises an air pipe (42) and a throttle hole (41); the air pipe (42) connects the air spring (1) and the air chamber regulating device (2); the throttle hole (41) is arranged at one end of the air pipe (42) close to the air spring (1).

6. The air spring stiffness adjustment assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: One side of the air spring (1) is directly connected to the air chamber regulating device (2) through a throttle hole (41), and the other side is connected to the air chamber regulating device (2) through the air flow regulating member (4).

7. The air spring stiffness adjustment assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The invention also comprises an oil tank (5) and a hydraulic pump (3), wherein the hydraulic pump (3) is arranged between the oil tank (5) and the oil chamber (22), the oil tank (5) and the hydraulic pump (3) are connected via an oil pipe (6), and the hydraulic pump (3) and the oil chamber (22) are connected via an oil pipe (6) to adjust the amount of oil in the oil chamber (22).

8. A vehicle, characterized in that: The invention comprises the air spring stiffness adjustment assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 7.

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