Air spring assembly with continuously adjustable rigidity

Abstract

The utility model discloses an air spring assembly with continuously adjustable rigidity, which relates to the technical field of automobile air suspension systems and solves the problem that the damping effect of a throttling hole is affected due to the fact that the aperture of the throttling hole is enlarged due to the fact that the periphery of the throttling hole is easy to deform greatly. An additional air chamber is formed in the piston, and at least one throttling hole is formed in the top of the piston; wherein a connecting hole is formed in the bottom of the air bag, the top of the piston is inserted into the connecting hole and is in interference fit with the connecting hole, and reinforcing ribs are arranged on at least one side, located on the throttling hole, of the top of the piston so as to reinforce the structural strength of the peripheral portion of the throttling hole. According to the air spring, the reinforcing ribs are arranged on the top of the piston and located on at least one side of the throttling hole, the structural strength of the top of the piston can be enhanced through the reinforcing ribs, the top of the piston is not prone to deformation when the air spring works, and therefore the using safety of the air spring is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of automobile air suspension systems, in particular to an air spring assembly with continuously adjustable stiffness. Background Art

[0002] As a daily means of transportation and transport, cars play a vital role and are inseparable from human daily life. The shock absorption function of a car's suspension plays a decisive role in its comfort and stability. Air suspension is currently recognized as a high-end comfort feature, and the performance of air springs, as the primary actuator, directly affects the overall comfort and road-friendliness of the vehicle.

[0003] Stiffness, one of the key performance indicators of air springs, increases dramatically during the bumpy, rising phase of a wheel's ride. While maintaining load, this also increases the impact on the road and reduces overall vehicle comfort. Currently, the primary method for reducing the rate of increase in air spring stiffness is to reduce the piston diameter. However, excessively large piston diameter changes can reduce the lifespan of the air spring's airbag, increasing user costs.

[0004] Existing air springs, such as those described in Publication No. CN203756838U, have a relatively simple structure. The interior of the air spring is divided into two air chambers: a rubber airbag chamber and a piston chamber. Although a throttle hole is located at the top of the piston, allowing gas to flow between the rubber airbag chamber and the piston chamber, the damping effect generated by the throttle hole affects the stiffness of the air spring. However, the top of the piston in this air spring is a thin plate with low strength and no surrounding reinforcement to strengthen the plate. Therefore, the top plate is prone to deformation during operation, compromising the safety of the air spring. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of the utility model is to solve the above problems and to design an air spring assembly with continuously adjustable stiffness, which solves the problem that the top of the piston is easily deformed and affects the safety of the air spring.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention to achieve the above-mentioned purpose is to provide an air spring assembly with continuously adjustable stiffness, comprising:

[0007] an airbag, wherein a main air chamber is formed in the airbag;

[0008] A piston having an additional air chamber formed therein, and a top of the piston having at least one throttle hole connecting the main air chamber and the additional air chamber, wherein the size of the throttle hole is adapted to the stiffness of the air spring;

[0009] The bottom of the airbag has a connecting hole, the top of the piston is plugged into the connecting hole and has an interference fit with it, and the top of the piston is provided with a reinforcing rib on at least one side of the throttle hole, and the reinforcing rib is close to the throttle hole to strengthen the structural strength of the top of the piston.

[0010] Furthermore, a piston stop and a retaining ring are provided on the top of the piston, and the piston stop and the connecting hole are interference fit. The piston stop and the retaining ring are respectively located on both sides of the throttle hole and close to the throttle hole to enhance the structural strength on both sides of the throttle hole.

[0011] Furthermore, a limiting block is provided on the top of the piston, a threaded hole is provided in the center of the top of the piston, a bolt is provided in the threaded hole, the limiting block is fixed to the piston by the bolt, and forms a support for one side of the retaining ring.

[0012] Furthermore, when the airbag is in a compressed state, the airbag wraps the upper side of the piston, and the position of the connecting hole is bent toward the center and wraps the outer portion of the piston located at the piston stop to form a support.

[0013] Furthermore, the piston includes an upper piston tube and a lower piston tube, the bottom of the upper piston tube is welded to the upper part of the lower piston tube and the additional air chamber is formed between the upper piston tube and the lower piston tube, and the bottom of the lower piston tube is provided with a connecting screw for connecting to the suspension system.

[0014] Furthermore, an upper cylinder inner support and an upper cylinder support column are provided on the inner side of the piston upper cylinder, and a lower cylinder inner support and a lower cylinder support column are provided on the inner side of the piston lower cylinder. The upper cylinder inner support and the lower cylinder inner support are welded to each other, and the upper cylinder support column and the lower cylinder support column are welded to each other.

[0015] Furthermore, the bottom of the piston upper cylinder, the bottom of the upper cylinder inner support, and the bottom of the upper cylinder support column are all provided with stepped welding positions, and the piston upper cylinder and the piston lower cylinder, the upper cylinder inner support and the lower cylinder inner support, and the upper cylinder support column and the lower cylinder support column are welded at the welding positions to form a sealed joint surface.

[0016] Furthermore, a plurality of support ribs are provided inside the upper piston tube and the lower piston tube, and the plurality of support ribs surround the upper tube inner support and the lower tube inner support respectively.

[0017] Furthermore, the top of the airbag has an opening, and a cover plate is provided at the opening. The cover plate tightly wraps the upper end of the airbag by curling, and the cover plate is provided with studs for connecting to the vehicle body.

[0018] Furthermore, there are multiple throttle holes, and the multiple throttle holes are distributed along the circumferential direction of the retaining ring.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects are:

[0020] The utility model provides a reinforcing rib on at least one side of the throttle hole at the top of the piston. The reinforcing rib can strengthen the structural strength of the top of the piston, making it less likely for the top of the piston to deform during operation, thereby improving the safety of the air spring during use. By forming the inner cavity of the piston of the air spring into an additional air chamber, and opening a throttle hole of appropriate size at the top of the additional air chamber, and utilizing the damping characteristics of the throttle hole, a certain pressure difference is generated between the main air chamber and the additional air chamber during operation of the air spring. By designing the size of the throttle hole, the additional air chamber has a compensating effect on the air pressure of the main air chamber, slowing down the speed of change of the air pressure of the main air chamber, causing the gas pressure of the main air chamber to change continuously, and making the stiffness of the air spring transition smoothly, so that the air spring changes according to the required stiffness, thereby improving the driving comfort of the vehicle. The size of the throttle hole is designed according to the stiffness of the air spring. According to the characteristics of the air spring matching different vehicle models, the throttle hole of the piston can be designed to different sizes and specifications to provide appropriate stiffness change characteristics. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the air spring assembly of the utility model when the air bag is in a compressed state;

[0022] Figure 2 It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the piston in the air spring assembly;

[0023] Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the air bag in the air spring assembly in a compressed state;

[0024] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the limit block on the top of the piston;

[0025] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the working principle of variable stiffness air spring.

[0026] In the figure, 1. piston; 11. piston upper tube; 12. piston lower tube; 111. piston stop; 111. limiting part; 112. throttle hole; 113. threaded hole; 114. retaining ring; 115. supporting rib; 116. welding position; 117. additional air chamber; 118. upper tube support column; 119. lower tube support column; 120. upper tube inner support; 121. lower tube inner support; 122. connecting screw; 2. air bag; 21. main air chamber; 201. connecting hole; 202. supporting part; 3. bolt; 4. limiting block; 5. cover plate; 501. curling; 6. stud. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The following is a clear and complete description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] like Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, a preferred embodiment of the present invention provides an air spring assembly with continuously adjustable stiffness. The air spring assembly primarily comprises an airbag 2 and a piston 1. The airbag 2 comprises a primary chamber, while the piston 1 comprises an additional chamber. The piston 1 is cylindrical in shape, with a connecting hole 201 formed at the bottom of the airbag 2 and an annular piston stop 111 formed at the top of the piston 1. The piston stop 111 is inserted into the connecting hole 201 and forms an interference fit therewith.

[0029] In order to further limit the piston stop 111, the top of the outer side of the piston stop 111 protrudes outward to form a limiting portion 1111. The limiting portion 1111 can limit the piston stop 111, further increasing the difficulty of pulling the piston stop 111 out of the connecting hole 201, so that the piston stop 111 can be firmly connected to the connecting hole 201.

[0030] like Figure 2 As shown, the piston 1 consists of two components: an upper piston tube 11 and a lower piston tube 12. When welded together, these two components form a sealed additional air chamber 117. A throttle hole 112 of appropriate size is located at the top of the additional air chamber 117 (i.e., the top of the upper piston tube 11). This throttle hole 112 connects the additional air chamber 117 to the main air chamber 21. Utilizing the damping properties of the throttle hole 112, the air between the main air chamber 21 and the additional air chamber 117 of the air spring is exchanged through the throttle hole 112, causing the gas pressure in the main air chamber 21 to continuously change, thereby adjusting the desired stiffness of the air spring. The number and diameter of the throttle holes 112 in the piston 1 can be designed to vary according to the air spring characteristics for different vehicle models to provide the desired stiffness variation.

[0031] refer to Figure 2 An upper cylinder inner support 120 and an upper cylinder support column 118 are provided inside the piston upper cylinder 11, and a lower cylinder inner support 121 and a lower cylinder support column 119 are provided inside the piston lower cylinder 12. The upper cylinder inner support 120 and the lower cylinder inner support 121 together constitute an inner support, the upper cylinder support column 118 and the lower cylinder support column 119 together constitute a support column, and the inner support and the support column together constitute an inner support structure, which is used to strengthen the structural strength of the additional chamber, prevent the additional air chamber 117 from being unable to restore its original shape due to large deformation due to force, and also prevent the piston 1 from being damaged.

[0032] The top and bottom of the support column are connected to the center of the piston upper tube 11 and the center of the piston lower tube 12, respectively. The inner support is a cylindrical structure, and the support column is located in the middle of the inner support, with a cavity between the two. This can reduce material consumption without affecting the support performance, thereby reducing the cost of the piston 1.

[0033] like Figure 2 As shown, in order to further increase the structural strength of the additional chamber in the piston 1, a number of support ribs 115 are provided inside the piston upper cylinder 11 and the piston lower cylinder 12. The support ribs 115 are distributed along the circumferential direction of the upper cylinder support 120 and the lower cylinder support 121.

[0034] A welding position 116 is formed on the periphery of the bottom of the piston upper cylinder 11 and the periphery of the top of the piston lower cylinder 12. The welding is a stepped structure. The welding position 116 on the piston upper cylinder 11 and the welding position 116 on the piston lower cylinder 12 are connected together in a concave-convex fitting manner, and then welded at the welding position 116 to form a sealing joint surface to ensure the sealing of the additional chamber.

[0035] Similarly, welding positions 116 are also formed at the bottom of the upper tube inner support 120 and the top of the lower tube inner support 121, as well as the bottom of the upper tube support column 118 and the top of the lower tube support column 119. The connection method between them is the same as described above, and then the upper tube inner support 120 and the lower tube inner support 121, as well as the upper tube support column 118 and the lower tube support column 119 are connected together by welding.

[0036] like Figure 2 As shown, a retaining ring 114 is provided at the top of the piston upper cylinder 11. A threaded hole 113 is provided in the center of the top of the piston upper cylinder 11, with the retaining ring 114 located around the threaded hole 113. The stopper 4 is fixed to the top of the piston upper cylinder 11 by bolts 3, which are threadedly engaged with the threaded hole 113. The retaining ring 114 is located around the stopper 4 and serves to limit the position of the stopper 4.

[0037] like Figure 4 As shown, a countersunk platform is provided on stopper block 4, allowing bolt 3 to be embedded within it without protruding. When piston 1 moves upward, stopper block 4 acts as a stopper and reinforces the top of piston 1. When the vehicle jolts, the air spring moves toward its lowest travel, and the cover plate 5 located on top of the airbag 2 strikes stopper block 4, protecting the air spring while keeping the chassis suspension operating within its designed travel range and ensuring normal vehicle operation.

[0038] In this embodiment, the diameter of the limit block 4 is adapted to the inner diameter of the retaining ring 114, so that the limit block 4 can perfectly cooperate with the retaining ring 114, provide support for the inner side of the retaining ring 114, prevent the retaining ring 114 from deforming, and at the same time prevent the surrounding material of the throttle hole 112 from deforming, thereby preventing the throttle hole 112 from deforming.

[0039] like Figure 2 As shown, the throttle hole 112 is located between the piston stop 111 and the retaining ring 114. The piston stop 111 and the retaining ring 114 are both close to the throttle hole 112, and the distance between them is determined by the aperture of the throttle hole 112. The piston stop 111 and the retaining ring 114 can strengthen the structural strength of the top of the piston 1 and prevent it from deformation, thereby improving the safety of the air spring during use.

[0040] The inner support is located below the retaining ring 114 and can provide upward support to the part. Moreover, since the inner support is located below the retaining ring 114, it can cooperate with the retaining ring 114 to further strengthen the structural strength of the top of the piston 1.

[0041] refer to Figure 1 、 Figure 3 When the airbag 2 is compressed, the gas in the main air chamber 21 slowly flows into the additional air chamber 117 through the throttle hole. At this time, the airbag 2 wraps around the upper side of the piston 1, and the connection hole 201 at the bottom of the airbag 2 is bent toward the center to form a support portion 202. This support portion 202 wraps around the outer periphery of the top surface of the piston upper tube 11 and extends to the outer wall of the piston stop 111. This support portion 202 can provide downward support for the upper part of the piston upper tube 11.

[0042] The support portion 202 is thickened to enhance structural strength and strengthen support for the piston stop 111. When the pressure in the main air chamber 21 increases, it exerts pressure on the support portion 202, causing the support portion 202 to cling to the corresponding portion of the top of the piston 1. The support portion 202 can provide support for the outer side of the piston stop 111 to prevent deformation of the piston stop 111.

[0043] When the piston 1 moves up and down, the support part 202 cooperates with the inner support and the support column to greatly reduce the deformation around the throttle hole 112, thereby reducing the aperture change of the throttle hole 112 and preventing the damping characteristics of the throttle hole 112 from changing significantly due to the increase in the aperture of the throttle hole 112.

[0044] If there are multiple throttle holes 112 , the multiple throttle holes 112 can be evenly distributed along the circumference of the retaining ring 114 , so that the airflow is more uniform.

[0045] like Figure 2As shown, a connecting screw 122 is provided at the bottom of the piston lower cylinder 12, and the connecting screw 122 is used to connect the air spring and the automobile suspension system.

[0046] like Figure 3 As shown, the top of the airbag 2 has an opening, where a cover plate 5 is positioned. A wire loop is located inside the upper end of the airbag 2, which mates with the cover plate 5. The cover plate 5 tightly wraps the upper end of the airbag 2 via a crimping 501, providing enhanced connectivity and sealing. Studs 6 are provided on the cover plate 5 for connection to the vehicle body.

[0047] You can refer to Figure 5 During vehicle operation, as the piston 1 moves upward, the gas inside the air spring is further compressed, increasing the pressure and stiffness of the air spring. At this point, the pressure in the main air chamber 21 is greater than that in the additional air chamber 117, and the pressure differential gradually increases as the piston 1 moves upward. This pressure differential causes the air in the main air chamber 21 to flow through the throttle hole 112 in the piston 1 into the additional air chamber 117, reducing the pressure in the main air chamber 21 and slowing the rate of pressure increase there, ultimately achieving a gradual increase in the stiffness of the air spring.

[0048] Similarly, when piston 1 moves downward, the internal volume of the air spring increases, the high-pressure gas is released and rapidly depressurized, and the stiffness of the air spring also decreases sharply. At this point, the air pressure in the main air chamber 21 is lower than that in the additional air chamber 117, and the pressure differential gradually increases as piston 1 moves downward. This pressure differential causes air in additional air chamber 117 to flow into the main air chamber 21 through orifice 112 in piston 1, increasing the pressure in the main air chamber 21 and slowing the rate at which the pressure in the main air chamber 21 decreases. This, in turn, causes the stiffness of the air spring to gradually decrease, increasing the wheel's grip.

[0049] The above technical solutions only reflect the preferred technical solutions of the present utility model. Any changes that may be made to certain parts thereof by technicians in this technical field all reflect the principles of the present utility model and fall within the scope of protection of the present utility model.

Claims

1. An air spring assembly with continuously adjustable stiffness, characterized in that: include: An airbag (2), wherein a main air chamber (21) is formed in the airbag (2); A piston (1), wherein an additional air chamber (117) is formed in the piston (1), and the top of the piston (1) has at least one throttle hole (112) for connecting the main air chamber (21) and the additional air chamber (117), wherein the size of the throttle hole (112) is adapted to the stiffness of the air spring; The bottom of the airbag (2) has a connecting hole (201), the top of the piston (1) is plugged into the connecting hole (201) and has an interference fit therewith, and the top of the piston (1) is provided with a reinforcing rib on at least one side of the throttle hole (112) to enhance the structural strength of the top of the piston (1).

2. The continuously adjustable stiffness air spring assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top of the piston (1) is provided with a piston stop (111) and a retaining ring (114), and the piston stop (111) and the connecting hole (201) are interference fit. The piston stop (111) and the retaining ring (114) are respectively located on both sides of the throttle hole (112) and close to the throttle hole (112) to enhance the structural strength of both sides of the throttle hole (112).

3. The continuously adjustable stiffness air spring assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: A limiting block (4) is provided on the top of the piston (1), a threaded hole (113) is provided at the center of the top of the piston (1), a bolt (3) is provided in the threaded hole (113), and the limiting block (4) is fixed to the piston (1) by the bolt (3) and forms a support for one side of the retaining ring (114).

4. The continuously adjustable stiffness air spring assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the airbag (2) is in a compressed state, the airbag (2) wraps the upper side of the piston (1), and the location of the connecting hole (201) is bent toward the center and wraps the outer portion of the piston (1) located at the piston stop (111) to form a support.

5. The continuously adjustable stiffness air spring assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The piston (1) comprises an upper piston cylinder (11) and a lower piston cylinder (12), wherein the bottom of the upper piston cylinder (11) is welded to the upper part of the lower piston cylinder (12) and the additional air chamber (117) is formed between the upper piston cylinder (11) and the lower piston cylinder (12), and the bottom of the lower piston cylinder (12) is provided with a connecting screw (122) for connecting to a suspension system.

6. The continuously adjustable stiffness air spring assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: An upper cylinder inner support (120) and an upper cylinder support column (118) are provided on the inner side of the piston upper cylinder (11), and a lower cylinder inner support (121) and a lower cylinder support column (119) are provided on the inner side of the piston lower cylinder (12). The upper cylinder inner support (120) and the lower cylinder inner support (121) are welded to each other, and the upper cylinder support column (118) and the lower cylinder support column (119) are welded to each other.

7. The continuously adjustable stiffness air spring assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that: The bottom of the piston upper cylinder (11), the bottom of the upper cylinder inner support (120), and the bottom of the upper cylinder support column (118) are all provided with a stepped welding position (116). The piston upper cylinder (11) and the piston lower cylinder (12), the upper cylinder inner support (120) and the lower cylinder inner support (121), and the upper cylinder support column (118) and the lower cylinder support column (119) are welded at the welding position (116) to form a sealed joint surface.

8. The continuously adjustable stiffness air spring assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: A plurality of support ribs (115) are provided inside the piston upper cylinder (11) and the piston lower cylinder (12), and the plurality of support ribs (115) respectively surround the upper cylinder inner support (120) and the lower cylinder inner support (121).

9. The continuously adjustable stiffness air spring assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top of the airbag (2) has an opening, and a cover plate (5) is provided at the opening. The cover plate (5) tightly wraps the upper end of the airbag (2) through a rolled edge (501), and a stud (6) for connecting to the vehicle body is provided on the cover plate (5).

10. The continuously adjustable stiffness air spring assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: A plurality of throttle holes (112) are provided, and the plurality of throttle holes (112) are distributed along the circumferential direction of the retaining ring (114).

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