Air expansion tank

Abstract

A container (10, 50, 60) designed as an air equalization volume of a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, which is provided with connection points (30, 32) located in a first plane of the container and designed for connection to a structure of the vehicle, wherein the container (10, 50, 60) is designed as a load-bearing component, and has further connection points in a second plane spaced apart from the first plane, which are designed for connection to the structure of the vehicle, wherein inside the container (10, 50, 60) a reinforcing profile part (40) stiffening the container (10, 50, 60) is provided, which has four legs (42, 44, 46, 48) arranged in the form of an “X”.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a container designed as an air equalization volume of a vehicle, a vehicle carrier for receiving a container and a method for manufacturing a container.

[0002] US 2010 / 0327573A1 discloses a motor vehicle frame with parallel frame longitudinal members and at least one cross member designed as a tube, the opposite ends of which are tightly closed by first and second mounting plates to form a sealed, enclosed space for storing fluids, the mounting plates being in direct contact with the frame longitudinal members and serving to connect the cross member to the vehicle frame.

[0003] US Patent 2004 / 0150209A1 discloses a structural element intended for a vehicle body and frame assembly with an integrated air tank for supplying compressed air to an auxiliary unit such as an active vehicle suspension, wherein the air tank can be designed as an essentially cup-shaped component with a closed end section, several side sections and an outwardly projecting flange at the open end section, which is attached to a first section of a closed channel structural element to form an airtight chamber, wherein the chamber is designed to selectively receive, store and release a pressurized fluid and can alternatively be realized by an opening in the structural element or by a flexible bladder for fluidic connection and formation of the airtight chamber.

[0004] DE 102 00 632 A1 discloses an air spring strut for motor vehicles with a rolling diaphragm that can be rolled on a rolling sleeve and encloses a gas chamber, and with a hydraulic vibration damper arranged within the rolling diaphragm and / or the rolling sleeve, having an oscillating piston rod whose end is elastically attached directly or indirectly to the vehicle body in the axial direction, wherein the air spring strut is designed such that, in order to relieve the shock absorber when a stiff wheel suspension is required, a further gas chamber is provided that can be connected to the first gas chamber, the connection to the first gas chamber of which can be completely or partially closed via a valve.

[0005] US Patent 2,226,605 A discloses a pneumatic cushion or bellows of the type used in conjunction with wheel suspensions, and a method for its manufacture.

[0006] DE 10 2007 060 273 A1 shows an oil pan with a base body having a main oil chamber and a wall, wherein at least one additional oil chamber is provided for easy adaptation to different required oil collection volumes, which is connected to the main oil chamber of the base body via a through-opening formed in the wall.

[0007] Vehicles, especially motor vehicles, typically have an axle system. If the axle system is equipped with air suspension, a reservoir is required to serve as an air equalization volume.

[0008] However, such a container requires installation space that is also needed for supporting structures of the vehicle body. Up to now, the container has been bolted to a structure or supporting frame of the body in such a way that the forces from the wheel suspension could be transferred to the body.

[0009] The lack of supporting structures due to the presence of the container negatively impacts the vehicle's stiffness and strength. Therefore, appropriate compensatory measures must be implemented elsewhere, which, however, entail increased costs and / or weight.

[0010] The object underlying the invention is to provide a container designed as an air equalization volume, which is improved in such a way that the effort required for compensation measures is reduced.

[0011] The problem is solved by the independent patent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

[0012] With the container according to the invention, the integration of the container as a load-bearing part for the body stiffness can be achieved by means of further connection points or fastening points in a second plane.

[0013] This results in savings in terms of weight and costs, a reduction in the required installation space, and an increase in the trunk volume of a motor vehicle.

[0014] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in drawings, from which further advantages and features will become apparent.

[0015] Terms such as "front", "back", "top", "bottom" are to be understood in relation to a normal motor vehicle which is on a level road and whose normal direction of travel is forward.

[0016] The figures show: Fig. 1 a view from below of a container according to the invention, which is designed as an air equalization volume; Fig. 2 a longitudinal section along AA of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 one Fig. 2. A corresponding, schematically simplified section to illustrate how the container is screwed onto a longitudinal beam of a motor vehicle; Fig. 4 a perspective view of the container, which has a reinforcing profile section with four legs; Fig. 5 a longitudinal section through a container with an upper and a lower half-shell; Fig. 6 a longitudinal section through a preliminary stage of a container with an upper and a lower half-shell which are telescopically slidable relative to each other; and Fig. 7 schematically simplified cross-sections through a container to illustrate its dimensions (length, width, height).

[0017] Fig. Figure 1 shows a bottom view of a container 10 according to the invention. The container 10 is essentially in the shape of an elongated can, as described in more detail below with reference to Fig. 7 is explained.

[0018] The container 10 has a front tab 12 and a rear tab 14. A strut mount 16 for receiving a strut of an air suspension is provided in the center on the underside.

[0019] The front tab 12 has holes 18 and 20, which serve as additional attachment points. Similarly, the rear tab 14 has holes 22 and 24, which also serve as additional attachment points.

[0020] Fig. Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through a longitudinal beam 26 of a motor vehicle, which has a cavity in which the container 10 is installed.

[0021] Up to now, a conventional container has only been attached to the longitudinal beam 26 via connection points 30, 32 using screws on its upper side.

[0022] According to the invention, the container 10 is connected by additional attachment points 34, 36, which are located in Fig. 2 are shown as screws or bolts, attached to the longitudinal beam 26.

[0023] The supporting structure achieved according to the invention is schematically greatly simplified in Fig. Figure 3 shows that the upper section of the cavity of the longitudinal beam 26 forms an upper chord 28 and the container 10 connected to the longitudinal beam 26 forms a lower chord of the resulting supporting structure.

[0024] Fig. Figure 4 is a perspective view of a container 10, which, as described above, is provided with a front flap 12 having two holes 18 and 20, and with a rear flap 14 having two holes 22, 24.

[0025] Furthermore, the container 10 has a reinforcing profile part 40, which is provided with four legs 42, 44, 46, 48 which are arranged approximately in the form of an “X”.

[0026] Here, the two front legs 42, 44 are connected to the front tab 12, and the two rear legs 46, 48 are connected to the rear tab 14. The reinforcing profile section 40 allows for a significantly increased stiffness, particularly bending stiffness, of the container 10 with minimal effort. Furthermore, improved force transmission into the longitudinal beam 26 is achieved.

[0027] Fig. Figure 5 is a sectional view through a container 50 according to the invention, which has an upper half-shell 52 and a lower half-shell 54, both made of steel. The thickness d of the upper half-shell 52 is approximately 3 mm to prevent warping, and the thickness d of the lower half-shell 54 is approximately 2 to 2.5 mm.

[0028] The two half-shells 52, 54 of the container 50 are connected to each other by a circumferential weld 56. Such a container is designed for a working pressure of 20 bar and a burst pressure of 30 bar.

[0029] Fig. Figure 6 shows an embodiment of a container 60 according to the invention, which also has an upper half-shell 62 and a lower half-shell 64. These two half-shells also consist, as in the one shown in Fig. The embodiment shown in Figure 5 is made of steel. The two half-shells 62, 64 are oriented in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 6 telescopically movable relative to each other.

[0030] The container 60 is manufactured by telescopically sliding the upper half-shell 62 and the lower half-shell 64 relative to each other to achieve the desired air equalization volume inside the container 60. The upper half-shell 62 is then joined to the lower half-shell 64 to form a pressure-tight container by means of a circumferential weld 56.

[0031] When the container 60 is constructed from telescopically movable half-shells 62 and 64, production and storage are made cheaper and easier, since only a single type of upper half-shell 62 and a corresponding lower half-shell 64 needs to be produced and stored, yet different air compensation volumes and thus different finished containers 60 can be provided.

[0032] As in Fig.As shown in Figure 7, the container 10 according to the invention essentially has the shape of a flat can. The height H is approximately 1.5 to 2 times the width B, and the length L is approximately 5 to 7 times the height H. Reference symbol list 10 containers 12. Tab (front) 14 Tab (rear) 16 Strut mount 18 holes (out of 12) 20 holes (out of 12) 22 holes (out of 14) 24 holes (out of 14) 26 longitudinal beams 28 Upper chord 30 screw (bolt) 32 Screw (bolt) 34 Screw (bolt) 36 Screw (bolt) 40 Reinforcement profile part 42 thighs (out of 40) 44 thighs (out of 40) 46 thighs (out of 40) 48 thighs (out of 40) 50 containers 52 upper half-shell 54 lower half-shell 56 weld seam 60 containers 62 upper half-shell 64 lower half-shell

Claims

A container (10, 50, 60) designed as an air equalization volume of a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, which is provided with connection points (30, 32) located in a first plane of the container and designed for connection to a structure of the vehicle, wherein the container (10, 50, 60) is designed as a load-bearing component, and has further connection points in a second plane spaced apart from the first plane, which are designed for connection to the structure of the vehicle, wherein inside the container (10, 50, 60) a reinforcing profile part (40) stiffening the container (10, 50, 60) is provided, which has four legs (42, 44, 46, 48) arranged in the form of an “X”. Container (10, 50, 60) according to claim 1, wherein a first tab (12) and a second tab (14) are provided, the first tab (12) projects forward from the front of the container (10, 50, 60) and the second tab (14) projects backward from the rear of the container (10, 50, 60), the first tab (12) has two holes (18, 20) designed as further attachment points and the second tab (14) has two holes (22, 24) designed as further attachment points, and the four holes (18, 20, 22, 24) form the four corners of a rectangle. Container (10, 50, 60) according to claim 1 or 2, which has the shape of a flat cuboid rounded at the front and rear ends, the width (B) of which is twice its height (H), and the length (L) of which is approximately three to four times the height (H). Container (10, 50, 60) according to one of claims 1 to 3, which is provided with a strut mount (16) through which forces acting from an axle of the vehicle are introduced into the container (10, 50, 60). Container (10, 50, 60) according to one of claims 1 to 4, which has an upper half-shell (52) and a lower half-shell (54). Container (10, 50, 60) according to claim 5, wherein the upper half-shell (52) and the lower half-shell (54) of the container (10, 50, 60) are connected by a circumferential weld seam (56). Longitudinal beam (26) of a vehicle, wherein the longitudinal beam (26) has a recess for receiving a container (10, 50, 60) according to one of claims 1 to 6, and the container (10, 50, 60) is connected to the longitudinal beam (26) at its connection points (30, 32) provided in the first plane of the container (10, 50, 60) and at its further connection points provided in the second plane, so that the container (10, 50, 60) bridges the recess in the longitudinal beam (26) and thus forms a load-bearing strap. A method for manufacturing a container (10, 50, 60) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising the following steps: - providing an upper half-shell (62) and a lower half-shell (64) of the container (10, 50, 60); - wherein the upper half-shell (62) and the lower half-shell (64) are designed to be telescopically displaceable relative to each other in the direction of the height (H) of the container (10, 50, 60); - telescopically displacing the upper half-shell (62) and the lower half-shell (64) relative to each other until a desired air equalization volume is reached inside the container (10, 50, 60); and - joining the upper half-shell (62) with the lower half-shell (64) to form a pressure-tight container (10, 50, 60) by means of a circumferential weld seam (56).

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