Support seat of air spring assembly and air spring assembly comprising the same

Abstract

This utility model provides a support base for an air spring assembly and an air spring assembly including the support base. The support base includes: an air spring and a shock absorber for connecting the air spring assembly; the support base includes: a shock absorber spring disc, an upper cover, and a lower cover; wherein the lower cover is sleeved on the outer cylinder of the shock absorber and in contact with the shock absorber spring disc; the upper cover is sleeved on the lower cover and can generate relative torsion with the lower cover; the upper cover includes a circumferential surface extending axially along the shock absorber and an end face extending radially along the shock absorber, and the outer diameter of the circumferential surface gradually increases along the direction from the upper cover to the shock absorber spring disc. The support base for the air spring assembly of this utility model solves the problems of reduced vehicle comfort, abnormal friction noise, poor durability of the air spring sheath, and high replacement costs caused by the circumferential torsion of the air spring and shock absorber in the air spring assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of air spring technology, specifically relating to a support base for an air spring assembly and an air spring assembly including the support base. Background Technology

[0002] The air spring assembly is an integrated structure of spring and shock absorber, with the upper end connected to the vehicle body and the lower end connected to the control arm via a connecting fork arm. Due to the structural characteristics and motion properties of the suspension, the air spring and shock absorber will rotate relative to each other at a small angle during steering and suspension bounce. To solve the relative torsion problem of the air spring assembly, one method in the industry is to use a ball joint connection to connect the lower control arm to the lower end of the air spring assembly. This ball joint releases the circumferential torsional freedom and reduces the torsional impact of the lower control arm on the air spring assembly. However, the ball joint is a rigid connection, sacrificing some comfort. Vehicle performance tuning tends to favor the use of rubber bushings for the lower connection. Another method is to use an interference fit to fix the air spring and shock absorber. On the one hand, the relative torsion angle between the air spring and the shock absorber is entirely achieved by the torsion of the air spring skin, which is not conducive to the fatigue durability of the skin. On the other hand, since the air spring and shock absorber are fixedly connected, the two sub-components cannot be disassembled and reassembled, affecting the replacement of sub-components in after-sales service. In addition, due to space constraints, some models have the stabilizer bar connecting rod directly connected to the shock absorber (or wishbone). This means that during steering or suspension bounce, the stabilizer bar connecting rod directly drags the shock absorber strut around the axis, which will further aggravate the relative torsion between the shock absorber and the air spring. Utility Model Content

[0003] This utility model provides a support base for an air spring assembly and an air spring assembly including the support base, so as to decouple the circumferential torsion of the air spring and the shock absorber in the air spring assembly, thereby solving the problems of reduced vehicle comfort, abnormal friction noise, poor fatigue durability of air spring skin and high replacement cost caused by the circumferential torsion of the air spring and the shock absorber.

[0004] In order to solve or improve the above-mentioned technical problems to a certain extent, this utility model provides a support base for an air spring assembly, which is used to connect the air spring and the shock absorber of the air spring assembly. The support base includes: a shock absorber spring disc, an upper cover and a lower cover.

[0005] The lower cover is connected to the shock absorber spring disc, and the upper cover is sleeved on the lower cover and can be relatively torn with the lower cover.

[0006] The top cover includes a circumferential surface extending axially along the damper and an end face extending radially along the damper, and the outer diameter of the circumferential surface gradually increases in the direction from the top cover to the damper spring disc.

[0007] In some embodiments, a plurality of raised ridges are formed on the peripheral surface, and the thickness of the raised ridges gradually increases along the direction from the upper cover to the damper spring disc.

[0008] In some embodiments, there is a gap between each two adjacent protrusions of the plurality of protrusions, and the plurality of protrusions are evenly distributed on the circumferential surface.

[0009] In some embodiments, the support base further includes an annular inner core, a first annular groove is formed on the lower cover, the annular inner core is placed in the first annular groove, the thickness of the annular inner core is greater than the depth of the first annular groove, and the two opposite surfaces of the annular inner core abut against the upper cover and the lower cover, respectively.

[0010] In some embodiments, the annular inner core abuts against two surfaces of the upper cover and the lower cover, respectively, and at least one annular second annular groove is formed on at least one surface to reduce the contact area between the annular inner core and the upper cover and / or the lower cover.

[0011] In some embodiments, at least one first annular protrusion is formed on the lower cover, the first annular protrusion abutting against the upper cover to reduce the contact area between the lower cover and the upper cover.

[0012] In some embodiments, a lubricating sheet and / or lubricating fluid are provided between the upper cover and the lower cover.

[0013] In some embodiments, a labyrinth seal structure is used between the upper cover and the lower cover to prevent external impurities from entering between the upper cover and the lower cover.

[0014] In some embodiments, the damper spring disc is provided with a positioning hole, and the lower cover is provided with a positioning pin, the positioning pin extending into the positioning hole to restrict the circumferential rotation between the lower cover and the damper spring disc.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, an air spring assembly is provided, comprising: an air spring, a shock absorber, and a support base for the air spring assembly described in any of the above embodiments;

[0016] The support seat is sleeved on the outer cylinder of the shock absorber, the lower cover of the support seat abuts against the outer cylinder, and the shock absorber spring disc is fixedly connected to the outer cylinder of the shock absorber; the piston of the air spring is sleeved on the upper cover and contacts the circumferential surface and the end face of the upper cover.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, a vehicle is provided, including the air spring assembly described in the above embodiments.

[0018] The upper cover of the air spring assembly support base of this utility model is connected to the air spring, and the lower cover is connected to the shock absorber. By setting the upper and lower covers to be relatively torsional, relative torsional movement between the air spring and the shock absorber is achieved. This effectively solves the problem of poor vehicle comfort caused by the need for a ball joint connection between the air spring assembly and the vehicle's lower control arm, as well as problems such as reduced durability of the air spring's bladder and the inability to reassemble and disassemble the air spring assembly. The circumferential surface of the upper cover of this utility model is set as a bevel structure, which effectively improves the support effect on the air spring piston, enhances the stability of the air spring piston installation, and improves the structural strength of the upper cover, preventing deformation and avoiding frictional noise caused by the upper cover contacting the outer cylinder of the shock absorber during torsion due to deformation.

[0019] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of this utility model. In order to better understand the technical means of this utility model and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this utility model more apparent and understandable, preferred embodiments are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an air spring assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of an air spring assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the damper spring disc of the support seat according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the combined state of the upper and lower covers of the support base according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram showing the combined state of the upper and lower covers of the support base according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the combined state of the upper cover and the lower cover according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the combined state of the air spring piston and the damper cover in one embodiment of this utility model.

[0027] [Symbol Explanation]

[0028] 1. Air spring; 10. Piston; 2. Shock absorber; 20. Outer cylinder; 200. End cap; 201. Annular boss; 3. Support seat; 30. Shock absorber spring disc; 300. Positioning hole; 31. Top cover; 310. Circumferential surface; 311. End face; 312. Raised ridge; 313. Second annular protrusion; 32. Bottom cover; 320. First annular groove; 321. Positioning pin; 322. Third annular groove; 33. Annular inner core; 330. Second annular groove; 34. Lubricating plate; 4. Sealing ring. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To further illustrate the technical means and effects adopted by this utility model to achieve its intended purpose, the following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments, describes in detail the specific implementation methods and effects of a support base for an air spring assembly and an air spring assembly including the support base, based on this utility model.

[0030] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a support base 3 for an air spring assembly is provided, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the support seat 3 of the air spring assembly is sleeved on the support column of the shock absorber 2, and is used to connect the air spring 1 of the air spring assembly and the shock absorber 2, so as to decouple the circumferential relative torsion between the air spring 1 and the shock absorber 2 through the support seat 3.

[0031] like Figures 2-6 As shown, the support base 3 of the air spring assembly includes: a shock absorber spring disc 30, an upper cover 31, and a lower cover 32.

[0032] The lower cover 32 is connected to the shock absorber spring disc 30. The lower cover 32 and the shock absorber spring disc 30 can rotate synchronously in the circumferential direction, and there is no circumferential rotation between them. To achieve synchronous circumferential rotation between the lower cover 32 and the shock absorber spring disc 30, they can be fixedly connected, for example, by adhesive bonding or bolting. Of course, to facilitate the disassembly of the air spring assembly and the replacement of parts, the lower cover 32 and the shock absorber spring disc 30 can be detachably connected.

[0033] In one embodiment, such as Figures 3-6 As shown, a positioning pin 321 is provided on the lower cover 32, and a positioning hole 300 is provided on the shock absorber spring plate 30. When the lower cover 32 is connected to the shock absorber spring plate 30, the positioning pin 321 extends into the positioning hole 300, thereby realizing the synchronous circumferential rotation of the lower cover 32 and the shock absorber spring plate 30, and also playing a limiting role when assembling the lower cover 32 and the shock absorber spring plate 30.

[0034] In this embodiment, the lower cover 32 and the shock absorber spring disc 30 are rotated synchronously in the circumferential direction by means of positioning pin 321 and positioning hole 300, which facilitates the disassembly of the shock absorber spring disc 30 and the lower cover 32, thereby enabling the air spring assembly to be inspected and parts replaced.

[0035] Optionally, the positioning hole 300 and the positioning pin 321 can each be set to one or multiple. When multiple positioning holes 300 and positioning pins 321 are provided, the positioning holes 300 and positioning pins 321 are configured to correspond to each other to facilitate installation.

[0036] like Figure 2-6 As shown, the upper cover 31 is fitted onto the lower cover 32, and relative torsion occurs between the upper cover 31 and the lower cover 32. The support seat 3 is fitted onto the pillar of the shock absorber 2, and the upper cover 31 is connected to the piston 10 of the air spring 1. When the shock absorber 2 rotates circumferentially, the lower cover 32 and the shock absorber spring disc 30 rotate synchronously with the shock absorber 2. Because the upper cover 31 and the lower cover 32 are connected in a way that allows relative torsion, when the lower cover 32 rotates circumferentially, the upper cover 31 will not rotate synchronously with the lower cover 32, thereby achieving decoupling of the relative torsion in the circumferential direction between the shock absorber 2 and the air spring 1.

[0037] In one embodiment, in order to achieve relative torsion between the upper cover 31 and the lower cover 32 with very small torque, such as Figure 6 As shown, a first annular groove 320 is formed on the lower cover 32, and an annular inner core 33 is placed in the first annular groove 320. The thickness of the annular inner core 33 is greater than the depth of the first annular groove 320, that is, when the annular inner core 33 is placed in the first annular groove 320, a part of the annular inner core 33 protrudes out of the lower cover 32.

[0038] When the upper cover 31 is fitted onto the lower cover 32, the two opposite sides of the annular inner core 33 will abut against the upper cover 31 and the lower cover 32 respectively. While supporting the upper cover 31 through the annular inner core 33, the contact area required for support is reduced, which effectively reduces the friction when the upper cover 31 and the lower cover 32 are twisted relative to each other, thereby reducing the torque required when the upper cover 31 and the lower cover 32 are twisted relative to each other.

[0039] Optionally, the annular inner core 33 abuts against two opposite surfaces of the upper cover 31 and the lower cover 32, forming at least one second annular groove 330 on at least one surface, thereby further reducing the contact area between the annular inner core 33 and the upper cover 31 and / or the lower cover 32.

[0040] Preferably, such as Figure 6 As shown, the annular inner core 33 abuts against the two opposite surfaces of the upper cover 31 and the lower cover 32, forming multiple second annular grooves 330.

[0041] In one embodiment, to enable relative torsion between the upper cover 31 and the lower cover 32 with very low torque, at least one first annular protrusion (not shown) is formed on the lower cover 32, the protrusion direction of which is towards the upper cover 31. When the upper cover 31 is fitted onto the lower cover 32, the first annular protrusion abuts against the upper cover 31. While supporting the upper cover 31 through the annular inner core 33, the contact area required for support is reduced, effectively reducing the frictional force when the upper cover 31 and the lower cover 32 undergo relative torsion, thereby reducing the torque required for relative torsion between the upper cover 31 and the lower cover 32.

[0042] In one embodiment, in order to further reduce the friction between the upper cover 31 and the lower cover 32, a lubricating sheet 34 and / or lubricating fluid are provided between the upper cover 31 and the lower cover 32.

[0043] Preferably, the lubricating sheet 34 can be made of polytetrafluoroethylene, and the lubricating fluid can be lubricating grease. Of course, the lubricating sheet 34 and the lubricating fluid can also be made of other materials, and this application is not limited thereto.

[0044] Optionally, such as Figure 6 As shown, a lubricating sheet 34 is provided in the gap formed between the upper cover 31 and the lower cover 32 to reduce the friction between the upper cover 31 and the lower cover 32.

[0045] Optionally, a lubricant may be applied to the opposing surfaces between the upper cover 31 and the lower cover 32 to reduce the friction between them.

[0046] Optionally, a lubricating sheet 34 is provided in the gap formed between the upper cover 31 and the annular inner core 33, and lubricant is applied to the opposing surfaces between the upper cover 31 and the annular inner core 33 to reduce the friction between them. Alternatively, a lubricating sheet 34 can also be provided between the lower cover 32 and the annular inner core 33 to reduce the friction between them.

[0047] Alternatively, a lubricating sheet 34 may be provided in the gap between the first annular protrusions formed on the upper cover 31 and the lower cover 32, and a lubricant may be applied to the opposing surfaces between the first annular protrusions formed on the upper cover 31 and the lower cover 32, thereby reducing the friction between the upper cover 31 and the lower cover 32.

[0048] In one embodiment, such as Figures 4-6 As shown, the upper cover 31 includes a peripheral surface 310 and an end surface 311, wherein the peripheral surface 310 is a surface extending axially along the damper 2, and the end surface 311 is a surface extending radially along the damper 2, and both the peripheral surface 310 and the end surface 311 of the upper cover 31 are in contact with the piston 10 of the air spring 1. Figures 4-6As shown, the circumferential surface 310 of the top cover 31 is a vertical surface, and the end surface 311 is a horizontal surface.

[0049] In this embodiment, in order to improve the support effect of the upper cover 31 on the piston 10 of the air spring 1, such as Figures 4-6 As shown, the circumferential surface 310 of the upper cover 31 is set as an inclined structure, that is, along the direction from the upper cover 31 to the damper spring disc 30, the outer diameter of the circumferential surface 310 gradually increases.

[0050] In this embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, the upper cover 31 uses a combination of inclined surface and end face 311 to support the piston 10 of the air spring 1. On the one hand, the inclined surface structure can improve the support force on the piston 10 of the air spring 1 and improve the installation stability of the piston 10 of the air spring 1. On the other hand, the inclined surface structure can effectively improve the structural strength of the upper cover 31, prevent the upper cover 31 from deforming, and avoid the upper cover 31 from contacting the outer cylinder 20 of the shock absorber 2 due to deformation, which would cause friction noise during torsion.

[0051] Optionally, such as Figure 4 As shown, multiple protruding ridges 312 are formed on the circumferential surface 310 of the upper cover 31, and the thickness of the protruding ridges 312 gradually increases along the direction from the upper cover 31 to the damper spring disc 30. The multiple protruding ridges 312 form the inclined structure of the circumferential surface 310 of the upper cover 31.

[0052] In this embodiment, a sloped structure is formed by multiple protruding ridges 312, which can reduce the weight of the top cover 31 on the one hand, and facilitate the molding of the sloped structure when using injection molding process on the other hand.

[0053] Furthermore, such as Figure 4 As shown, there is a gap between each pair of adjacent protrusions 312, and the protrusions 312 are evenly distributed on the circumferential surface 310, so as to ensure the uniformity of force on the upper cover 31 when the piston 10 of the air spring 1 is sleeved on the upper cover 31.

[0054] In one embodiment, such as Figure 6 As shown, a labyrinth-type sealing structure is adopted between the upper cover 31 and the lower cover 32 to seal the gap formed between the upper cover 31 and the lower cover 32, so as to prevent external impurities from entering the gap between the upper cover 31 and the lower cover 32.

[0055] Optionally, such as Figure 6 As shown, at least one second annular protrusion 313 is formed near the periphery of the upper cover 31, and at least one third annular groove 322 is formed at the corresponding position of the lower cover 32. When the upper cover 31 is fitted onto the lower cover 32, the second annular protrusion 313 extends into the corresponding third annular groove 322 to form a labyrinth-type sealing structure.

[0056] Optionally, at least one fourth annular groove (not shown in the figure) is formed at a position near the periphery of the upper cover 31, and at least one third annular protrusion (not shown in the figure) is formed at a corresponding position of the lower cover 32. When the upper cover 31 is fitted onto the lower cover 32, the third annular protrusions extend into the corresponding fourth annular grooves to form a labyrinth-type sealing structure.

[0057] According to another embodiment of the present invention, an air spring assembly is provided, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the air spring assembly includes an air spring 1, a shock absorber 2, and a support 3 for the air spring assembly described in any of the above embodiments.

[0058] like Figure 1 As shown, the support seat 3 of the air spring assembly is sleeved on the outer cylinder 20 of the shock absorber 2, and the shock absorber spring disc 30 and / or lower cover 32 of the support seat 3 abut against the outer cylinder 20.

[0059] Optionally, the shock absorber spring disc 30 is connected to the outer cylinder 20 by means of bonding, welding, bolting, etc.

[0060] like Figure 7 As shown, one end of the piston 10 of the air spring 1 is sleeved on the upper cover 31, and the piston 10 of the air spring 1 is in contact with the circumferential surface 310 and the end face 311 of the upper cover 31. An annular boss 201 is formed on the outer periphery of the cover 200 of the shock absorber 2. Under the support of the piston 10 of the air spring 1 by the circumferential surface 310 of the upper cover 31, the inner diameter of the other end of the piston 10 of the air spring 1 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the annular boss 201 of the cover 200, so that the piston 10 of the air spring 1 does not contact the annular boss 201 of the cover 200 of the shock absorber 2, and the annular boss 201 of the cover 200 and the other end of the piston 10 of the air spring 1 form a small clearance fit.

[0061] In one embodiment, such as Figure 2 As shown, a sealing ring 4 is provided at the top of the support base 3. After the air spring assembly is assembled, the sealing ring 4 simultaneously contacts the upper cover of the support base 3, the piston 10 of the air spring 1, and the outer cylinder 20 of the shock absorber 2. While achieving a seal, the sealing ring 4 can slide at a small angle with the outer cylinder 20 of the shock absorber 2.

[0062] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a vehicle that includes the air spring assembly described in the above embodiments.

[0063] The upper cover of the air spring assembly support base of this utility model is connected to the air spring, and the lower cover is connected to the shock absorber. By setting the upper and lower covers to be relatively torsional, relative torsional movement between the air spring and the shock absorber is achieved. This effectively solves the problem of poor vehicle comfort caused by the need for a ball joint connection between the air spring assembly and the vehicle's lower control arm, as well as problems such as reduced durability of the air spring's bladder and the inability to reassemble and disassemble the air spring assembly. The circumferential surface of the upper cover of this utility model is set as a bevel structure, which effectively improves the support effect on the air spring piston, enhances the stability of the air spring piston installation, and improves the structural strength of the upper cover, preventing deformation and avoiding frictional noise caused by the upper cover contacting the outer cylinder of the shock absorber during torsion due to deformation.

[0064] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the present utility model in any way. Although the present utility model has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present utility model. 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 utility model. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present utility model without departing from the scope of the present utility model shall still fall within the scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A support base for an air spring assembly, characterized in that, For connecting the air spring and the shock absorber of the air spring assembly, the support base includes: a shock absorber spring disc, an upper cover and a lower cover; The lower cover is connected to the shock absorber spring disc, and the upper cover is sleeved on the lower cover and can be relatively torn with the lower cover. The top cover includes a circumferential surface extending axially along the damper and an end face extending radially along the damper, and the outer diameter of the circumferential surface gradually increases in the direction from the top cover to the damper spring disc.

2. The support base for the air spring assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, Multiple protruding ridges are formed on the circumferential surface, and the thickness of the protruding ridges gradually increases along the direction from the upper cover to the damper spring disc.

3. The support base for the air spring assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, There is a gap between each two adjacent protrusions of the plurality of protrusions, and the plurality of protrusions are evenly distributed on the circumferential surface.

4. The support base for the air spring assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support base also includes an annular inner core. A first annular groove is formed on the lower cover. The annular inner core is placed in the first annular groove. The thickness of the annular inner core is greater than the depth of the first annular groove. The two opposite surfaces of the annular inner core abut against the upper cover and the lower cover, respectively.

5. The support base for the air spring assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that, The annular inner core abuts against two surfaces of the upper cover and the lower cover respectively, and at least one annular second annular groove is formed on at least one surface to reduce the contact area between the annular inner core and the upper cover and / or the lower cover.

6. The support base for the air spring assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least one first annular protrusion is formed on the lower cover, and the first annular protrusion abuts against the upper cover to reduce the contact area between the lower cover and the upper cover.

7. The support base for the air spring assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, A lubricating sheet and / or lubricating fluid are provided between the upper cover and the lower cover.

8. The support base for the air spring assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper cover and the lower cover are sealed using a labyrinth-type sealing structure to prevent external impurities from entering between the upper cover and the lower cover.

9. The support base for the air spring assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The damper spring disc is provided with a positioning hole, and the lower cover is provided with a positioning pin. The positioning pin extends into the positioning hole to restrict the circumferential rotation between the lower cover and the damper spring disc.

10. An air spring assembly, characterized in that, include: Air spring, shock absorber, and support for the air spring assembly according to any one of claims 1-9; The support seat is sleeved on the outer cylinder of the shock absorber, the lower cover of the support seat abuts against the outer cylinder, and the shock absorber spring disc is fixedly connected to the outer cylinder of the shock absorber; the piston of the air spring is sleeved on the upper cover and contacts the circumferential surface and the end face of the upper cover.

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