Air spring guard and cab rear suspension assembly

Abstract

The utility model discloses an air spring protection device and cab rear suspension assembly, including the protection cover and the clamp, the lateral wall of protection cover is equipped with the opening of the air spring loading, the upper end of protection cover is equipped with a fixed part, the fixed part is formed by the edge of the clamping groove of protection cover and is used for the suspension of air spring shock absorber ring and is integrally extended to the outside, and the opening of fixed part is consistent with the extension direction of clamping groove, and the clamp is sleeved on the outside of fixed part to realize the fastening connection of protection cover and the upper part of air spring ring welding rod. In conclusion, the device effectively solves the pain point in the prior art, greatly improves the service life of air spring, reliability and the durability of the whole cab rear suspension assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of heavy truck technology, and in particular relates to an air spring protection device and a rear suspension assembly for the cab. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of commercial vehicle technology, especially heavy-duty truck technology, the requirements for cab comfort and smoothness are getting higher and higher. Air springs are widely used in cab rear suspension systems due to their excellent variable stiffness characteristics and vibration isolation effect.

[0003] However, in actual use, the working environment of the air springs in the rear suspension area of ​​the cab is extremely harsh. First, their proximity to high-temperature heat sources such as the exhaust pipe and engine causes prolonged heat radiation, which accelerates the aging and cracking of the air spring's rubber bladder material, leading to performance degradation and even failure. Second, during vehicle operation, especially in off-road conditions, the air springs are highly susceptible to corrosion from mud and oil kicked up by the road surface, as well as interference from impacts with surrounding components, all of which negatively affect their service life.

[0004] To protect air springs, existing technologies typically involve adding a protective cover to the outside of the air spring. Currently, the most common installation method is to use bolts to fix the protective cover to the vehicle frame (such as a gantry). This method has significant drawbacks: First, improper tightening of the bolts can easily damage the protective cover itself; second, under long-term vehicle vibration, especially under harsh operating conditions, there is a risk of the bolts loosening or falling off, causing the protective device to fail; third, due to limitations in the installation structure, the coverage area of ​​such protective covers is usually small (often less than 50%), resulting in limited heat insulation and protection, and making it difficult to provide comprehensive and effective protection when the heat source changes location.

[0005] Chinese utility model patent CN105059404A discloses a rear suspension assembly for a driver's cab and its air spring protective device. It replaces bolt connections with a locking pin bracket that engages with a slot on the protective cover. While this improves installation reliability to some extent, its structure remains relatively complex. The locking pin bracket, as an independent component, must first be connected to the air spring before being assembled with the protective cover, resulting in numerous installation steps. Furthermore, this structure requires high precision in component manufacturing and assembly.

[0006] Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field for an air spring protection device that is simpler in structure, easier to install, more reliable in fixing, and has a larger protective area, so as to comprehensively improve the environmental adaptability and service life of air springs. Utility Model Content

[0007] In view of the problems existing in the prior art, this utility model provides an air spring protection device and a rear suspension assembly for the cab.

[0008] This utility model is implemented as follows: an air spring protection device and a rear suspension assembly for the driver's cab, including a protective cover and a clamp. The side wall of the protective cover is provided with an opening for the air spring to be installed. The feature is that: the upper end of the protective cover is provided with a fixing part, which is integrally formed by extending outward from the edge of the groove on the protective cover for engaging the air spring shock absorber's hanging ring; and the opening of the fixing part is consistent with the extension direction of the groove. The clamp is fitted on the outside of the fixing part to achieve a tight connection between the protective cover and the hanging ring welding rod on the upper part of the air spring.

[0009] More preferably, the rear middle of the fixing part extends upward to form a clamp limiting part, which is used to restrict the axial movement of the clamp.

[0010] More preferably, the inner side of the clamp limiting part is an arc-shaped structure that matches the outer diameter of the air spring shock absorber ring, and the outer side is provided with a limiting protrusion to restrict the clamp from slipping out.

[0011] More preferably, the limiting protrusion is a raised portion formed by the outer side of the clamp limiting part tilting towards the center.

[0012] More preferably, the thickness of the fixing part gradually increases or increases in a stepped manner from its opening edge toward the clamp limiting part.

[0013] More preferably, the clamp is a worm gear clamp, a double-ring clamp, or a bolt-fastened clamp. More preferably, the protective cover is made of nylon and fiberglass material, and the outer surface of the protective cover is integrally provided with reinforcing ribs.

[0014] More preferably, the lower end of the opening of the protective cover has an arc structure.

[0015] More preferably, the coverage area of ​​the protective cover is 50% to 75% or more of the outer surface area of ​​the air spring.

[0016] A further preferred embodiment of a cab rear suspension assembly includes an air spring and a protective device mounted outside the air spring, characterized in that the protective device is the aforementioned air spring protective device.

[0017] The advantages and technical effects of this utility model are as follows: This utility model provides an air spring protective device and assembly that is simple in structure, easy to install, reliable in fixation, and provides comprehensive protection. Its core innovation lies in the integrated design of the fixing part and the protective cover body, and the use of clamps to achieve a tight connection with the air spring rod, completely avoiding the risks of easy damage and loosening associated with traditional bolt connections. The unique clamp limiting part and guide limiting protrusion design constitute a double anti-detachment mechanism, greatly improving the connection reliability and safety under vehicle vibration conditions. The optimized protective cover uses nylon and fiberglass material with reinforcing ribs, possessing excellent high-temperature resistance, high strength, and high rigidity. Its coverage area is increased to over 50%~75%, which can more effectively isolate heat radiation from heat sources such as exhaust pipes, and comprehensively block mud, oil, and impact interference, thereby significantly improving the working environment of the air spring. In summary, this device effectively solves the pain points of existing technologies, significantly improving the service life and reliability of the air spring and the durability of the entire rear suspension assembly in the cab. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is the front view of the protective cover of this utility model; Figure 2 This is the top view of the sub-map; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the protective cover; Figure 4 and Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the protective cover and the air spring.

[0019] 1. Protective cover; 11. Slot; 12. Reinforcing rib; 2. Clamp; 3. Fixing part; 31. Clamp limiting part; 311. Limiting protrusion; 4. Air spring; 41. Lifting ring; 42. Lifting ring welding rod. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this utility model.

[0021] Please see Figures 1 to 5 An air spring protection device and a rear suspension assembly for the driver's cab are disclosed. The device includes a protective cover 1 and a clamp 2. The side wall of the protective cover 1 is provided with an opening for the air spring to be installed. The device is characterized in that: the upper end of the protective cover 1 is provided with a fixing part 3, which is integrally formed by extending outward from the edge of the groove 11 on the protective cover 1 for engaging the air spring shock absorber ring 41; and the opening of the fixing part 3 is consistent with the extension direction of the groove 11. The clamp is fitted on the outside of the fixing part 3 to achieve a tight connection between the protective cover 1 and the ring welding rod 42 on the upper part of the air spring.

[0022] This design integrates the fixing part 3 with the protective cover 1 body into a single unit, resulting in a simple and compact structure that reduces the number of independent parts, manufacturing costs, and assembly complexity. The opening direction of the fixing part 3 is consistent with that of the slot 11, ensuring that the installation direction of the clamp 2 is coordinated with the installation force direction of the air spring. This allows the clamp 2 to tighten evenly, firmly fixing the protective cover 1 to the air spring lifting ring welding rod. The connection is reliable, avoiding the loosening and falling off problems that may occur with traditional bolt connections, and improving the stability and service life of the protective device.

[0023] In a further preferred embodiment, a clamp limiting part 31 extends upward from the rear middle of the fixing part 3 to form a clamp limiting part 31, which is used to limit the axial movement of the clamp 2. The clamp limiting part 31 forms a mechanical block on the clamp 2 in the axial direction, which effectively prevents the clamp 2 from accidentally shifting or loosening along the axial direction of the boom under long-term vibration or bumpy conditions of the vehicle, greatly enhancing the reliability and safety of the fastening connection and reducing maintenance requirements.

[0024] Preferably, the inner side of the clamp limiting part 31 has an arc-shaped structure that matches the outer diameter of the air spring shock absorber ring, and its outer side has a limiting protrusion 311 to prevent the clamp 2 from slipping out. The arc-shaped structure on the inner side of the clamp limiting part 31 can better fit the outer circular surface of the air spring ring, increasing the contact area, making the positioning of the protective cover 1 more accurate and the installation more stable, while avoiding stress concentration. The limiting protrusion 311 on the outer side constitutes a positive block, further locking the position of the clamp 2, providing double protection to prevent it from slipping out of the fixing part 3, with a high safety redundancy.

[0025] In a further preferred embodiment, the limiting protrusion 311 is a raised portion formed by the outer side of the clamp limiting part tilting towards the center. Using this tilted raised portion structure as the limiting protrusion 311 serves as a guide and facilitates sliding during clamp 2 installation, making assembly easier. After clamp 2 is installed in place, the tilted surface transforms into an effective locking surface, requiring a significant counterforce to disengage it, thus achieving a good combination of ease of installation and reliable anti-disengagement.

[0026] Further preferably, the thickness of the fixing part 3 gradually increases or increases in a stepped manner from its opening edge toward the clamp limiting part 31. The fixing part 3 adopts a variable thickness design, with a thinner opening edge to facilitate the insertion and initial installation of the clamp 2, while the thickness increases closer to the clamp limiting part 31 where the force is greater. This significantly enhances the structural strength and resistance to bending and deformation of the fixing part 3, ensuring that it can withstand the fastening force of the clamp 2 and the vibration during use, thereby improving durability.

[0027] Further preferably, clamp 2 is a worm gear clamp, a double-ring clamp, or a bolt-fastened clamp. Using these general-purpose standard clamps offers advantages such as mature structure, high reliability, convenient procurement, and low cost. It also provides multiple options, increasing design flexibility and allowing the selection of the most suitable clamp type based on different spatial layouts and tightening force requirements, demonstrating strong versatility.

[0028] Preferably, the protective cover 1 is made of nylon and fiberglass material, and the outer surface of the protective cover 1 is integrally provided with reinforcing ribs 12. The nylon and fiberglass material provides excellent high-temperature resistance, effectively isolating heat radiation from heat sources such as exhaust pipes and protecting the air spring bladder. At the same time, this material has high strength and light weight. The integrally molded reinforcing ribs further enhance the overall rigidity and impact resistance of the protective cover 1, making it better able to resist external bumps and vibrations and less prone to breakage and deformation.

[0029] Further preferably, the lower end of the opening of the protective cover 1 has an arc-shaped structure. The arc-shaped transition structure at the lower end of the opening avoids stress concentration at sharp corners and improves structural reliability. At the same time, the arc shape facilitates the installation of the air spring, acts as a guide, makes the installation process smoother and faster, and avoids possible scratches to the protective cover or air spring during installation.

[0030] Further preferably, the protective cover 1 covers an area of ​​50% to 75% or more of the outer surface area of ​​the air spring. This significantly increases the protective area, and compared to traditional protective covers that cover less than 50%, it can more effectively isolate heat radiation and block the erosion of mud, oil, and moisture, providing more comprehensive and sufficient protection for the air spring, thereby significantly improving the air spring's adaptability and service life in harsh environments.

[0031] A further preferred embodiment of the cab rear suspension assembly includes an air spring and a protective device mounted on the outside of the air spring, wherein the protective device is the aforementioned air spring protective device. Applying this optimized air spring protective device to the cab rear suspension assembly improves the environmental adaptability and reliability of the entire assembly. By effectively protecting this critical component, the air spring, the suspension comfort and shock absorption effect of the cab are indirectly guaranteed, reducing the assembly's failure rate and maintenance costs, and extending the service life of the entire vehicle.

[0032] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. An air spring protection device, comprising a protective cover (1) and a clamp (2), wherein the side wall of the protective cover (1) is provided with an opening for inserting an air spring, characterized in that: The upper end of the protective cover (1) is provided with a fixing part (3), which is formed by extending outward from the edge of the groove (11) on the protective cover (1) for engaging the air spring shock absorber ring; and the opening of the fixing part (3) is consistent with the extension direction of the groove (11). The clamp is fitted on the outside of the fixing part (3) to achieve a tight connection between the protective cover (1) and the upper ring welding rod of the air spring.

2. The air spring protection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rear middle of the fixing part (3) extends upward to form a clamp limiting part (31) for restricting the axial movement of the clamp (2).

3. The air spring protection device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inner side of the clamp limiting part (31) is an arc-shaped structure that matches the outer diameter of the air spring shock absorber ring, and the outer side is provided with a limiting protrusion (311) to restrict the slippage of the clamp (2).

4. The air spring protection device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The limiting protrusion (311) is a raised part formed by the outer side of the clamp limiting part tilting towards the center.

5. The air spring protector of claim 3, wherein, The thickness of the fixing part (3) gradually increases or increases in a stepwise manner from its opening edge toward the clamp limiting part (31).

6. The air spring protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The clamp (2) is a worm gear clamp, a double ring clamp, or a bolt-fastened clamp.

7. The air spring protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The outer surface of the protective cover (1) is integrally provided with reinforcing ribs.

8. The air spring protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The lower end of the opening of the protective cover (1) is provided with an arc structure.

9. The air spring protection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The protective cover (1) covers an area of ​​50-75% or more of the outer surface area of ​​the air spring.

10. A cab rear suspension assembly comprising an air spring and a guard mounted externally of the air spring, characterised in that, The protective device is an air spring protective device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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