Air suspension device

Abstract

To provide an air suspension device whose behavior is not hindered even when ground height of a vehicle is relatively lowered.SOLUTION: An air suspension device comprises: a diaphragm 10 which indirectly connects a side frame sm1 with a lower link Ln and is expansible and contractible between the side frame and the lower link; a cover 40 which surrounds the diaphragm so as to protect the diaphragm; and a hose 50 with a connection part jt1 in an internal space sp between the diaphragm and the cover which can circulate gas existing in the internal space between the internal space and outside thereof. An opening 57 of the hose is arranged at an upper side relative to the connection part and at an upper side relative to a fender protector fp1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air suspension device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, suspensions have been known for vehicles as devices that connect the body and wheels, and are composed of suspension arms, springs, shock absorbers, etc. Coil springs are often used as springs for suspensions, but there are also air springs for air suspension devices that operate by injecting and discharging gas. As a conventional technique related to air springs for air suspension devices, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique that includes an air spring and a bellows cover with a bellows portion that covers the outside of the air spring, and provides an intermediate cover between the air spring and the bellows portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-034871 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] From the perspective of ensuring sufficient living space within the vehicle cabin, the inventors have been actively studying specifications that will not impede the operation of the air suspension even when the floor of the vehicle is lowered.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE An object of the present invention is to ensure that the operation of an air suspension is not hindered even when a vehicle equipped with the air suspension has a relatively low ground clearance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is an air suspension device that includes a diaphragm that directly or indirectly connects between a frame and a lower link of a vehicle and that is expandable and contractable between the frame and the lower link, and a cover that has an internal space that surrounds the diaphragm to protect the diaphragm. The air suspension device includes a hose that has one opening in the internal space between the diaphragm and the cover and is connected to allow gas present in the internal space to flow between the hose and the outside. The other opening of the hose is provided above the one opening and above a fender protector. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the above air suspension device, the operation of the air suspension can be unimpeded even when the ground clearance of the vehicle is relatively low. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a cover and a hose that constitute the air suspension device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic connection between the cover in FIG. 1 and the vehicle body; [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the lower part of the cover. [Figure 6] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the inside of the cover and the vicinity of a connection portion between the piston and the diaphragm. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the inside of the cover and the lower part of the cover. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the vicinity of a rear wheel of a vehicle equipped with an air suspension device according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] 1 is a perspective view showing a connection between a hose constituting an air suspension device according to an embodiment and a vehicle body. [Figure 10] 2 is a diagram showing the vicinity of an opening of a hose constituting the air suspension device according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 11] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a vehicle equipped with an air suspension device according to an embodiment, as viewed from both sides; [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment in which an air suspension device is mounted on a front wheel. [Figure 13] 13 is a view of the air suspension device in FIG. 12 as viewed from the vehicle front-rear direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted. In the drawings, the size and ratio of each component are exaggerated to facilitate understanding of the embodiment, and may differ from the actual size and ratio.

[0010] The vehicle structure according to this embodiment can be used for a rear wheel suspension device of a sports utility vehicle (SUV), which is a frame vehicle with a minimum ground clearance of less than 200 mm and equipped with a side frame sm1 and a cabin (not shown). The vehicle structure according to this embodiment will be described with respect to an air spring (diaphragm 10) of an air suspension device and a configuration related to the air spring. Note that suspension members such as the shock absorber sb1 and lower link Ln arranged on the left side of FIG. 8 can constitute a suspension, but as they are similar to known ones, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0011] 1, 4, 6, etc., the air suspension device includes a diaphragm 10, an outer cylinder 20, a piston 30, a dust cover 40 (which may also be called a dust boot), and a hose 50. A detailed description will be given below.

[0012] (Diaphragm) The diaphragm 10 expands and contracts with the inflow and outflow of gas, allowing the space between the side frame sm1 and the lower link Ln to be freely stretched and contracted. In this embodiment, the diaphragm 10 is formed in a hollow, generally cylindrical shape, but the specific shape is not limited to a cylindrical shape as long as the diaphragm 10 can expand and contract with the inflow and outflow of gas. The diaphragm 10 can be made of a known elastically deformable rubber material or the like. In this embodiment, the diaphragm 10 indirectly connects the side frame sm1 and the lower link Ln via the piston 30. However, the diaphragm may directly connect the side frame sm1 and the lower link Ln as long as the diaphragm 10 can function as an air suspension.

[0013] (Outer cylinder) 6, the outer cylinder 20 is disposed radially outward of the diaphragm 10 so as not to expand radially or to be difficult to expand when the diaphragm 10 expands. The outer cylinder 20 can be made of a known metal or plastic (resin) material, etc.

[0014] (piston) The piston 30 is provided on the top of the diaphragm 10, and is configured so as to be surrounded by a dust cover 40. The piston 30 is configured integrally with the diaphragm 10 so as to press the diaphragm 10 in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the diaphragm 10 is configured integrally by crimping the piston 30 with a holding means hd such as a ring, as shown in FIG. 6. The piston 30 can be made of a known plastic (resin) material, etc. A tank and a compressor that send gas to the diaphragm 10 can be arranged near the side frame sm1 (corresponding to the frame) (not shown).

[0015] (Dust cover) The dust cover 40 has an internal space sp surrounding the diaphragm 10, the outer cylinder 20, and the piston 30 to protect the diaphragm 10. At least a portion of the dust cover 40 has a shape with multiple bellows in the height direction. The upper part of the dust cover 40 is attached to the lower part of the vehicle body (side frame sm1) via a bearing bg (see FIG. 3), and the lower part is attached to the lower link Ln of the suspension (see FIG. 8). The internal space sp of the dust cover 40 is configured to allow gas such as air to flow in response to the expansion and contraction (stroke) of the diaphragm 10.

[0016] 7, the dust cover 40 is configured so as not to have any shape communicating with the outside, such as a ring 41 (which may also be called a winding ring), on the radially outer side of the airbag to prevent foreign matter, such as sand of 0.5 mm or more, from entering the internal space of the diaphragm 10. The lower part of the diaphragm 10 is configured so as to be surrounded by the ring 41. The dust cover 40 can be configured from a known plastic (resin) material.

[0017] (hose) The hose 50 is configured to allow gas to flow in and out of the internal space sp between the diaphragm 10 and the dust cover 40. The hose 50 is configured to connect the upper part of the dust cover 40 so that gas present in the internal space sp can flow between the interior and the exterior. As shown in Figs. 1, 8, etc., the hose 50 is formed to extend substantially upward along the wheelhouse panel wh1 of the vehicle body. As shown in Fig. 1, etc., the hose 50 includes a first portion 51, a second portion 52, a third portion 53, and a fourth portion 54.

[0018] The first part 51 is configured to be connected to the dust cover 40 at the top. The first part 51 is made of an elastic material such as rubber, similar to the third part 53 described later. The first part 51 can be configured to have a bellows shape. The first part 51 is a part between the connection part jt1 and a fixing part fn1 to the vehicle body provided on the second part 52, and is configured of an elastically deformable hose (corresponding to a first elastic member). The connection part jt1 corresponds to one opening that leads to the internal space between the diaphragm 10 and the dust cover 40. The fixing part fn1 is between the connection part jt1 and an opening 57 described later, and corresponds to a first fixing part that is fixed to the vehicle body side.

[0019] Since parts such as the dust cover 40 cannot be connected by a rigid body, an elastic material capable of elastic deformation is used as described above. This configuration makes it possible to absorb (follow) the oscillation of the air suspension device. Also, the first portion 51, the dust cover 40, and the connection portion jt1 are configured to face the outside of the vehicle (in the left-right direction). This configuration makes it possible to improve visibility during assembly and inspection during vehicle production.

[0020] The second portion 52 is configured to be continuous with the first portion 51. The second portion 52 is configured to have at least a portion that is flat. This allows a certain distance to be kept between the tire and the tire so that scratches due to chipping by foreign objects from the tire while the tire is traveling on a road surface are not generated. The second portion 52 is configured to be fixed to a side frame sm1, which is a part of the vehicle body, by a bracket br1 (see FIG. 1) or the like, for example.

[0021] The second portion 52 is fixed to the vehicle body by sandwiching the second portion 52 between a bracket br1 (see FIG. 1) and a side frame sm1, and fixing one end of the second portion 52 to the side frame sm1 with a fixing portion fn1 such as a bolt or clip (single-point fastening). The other end of the second portion 52 is fixed to the side frame sm1 by fitting (fitting with a claw). This configuration allows the hose 50 including the second portion 52 to rotate slightly, while mitigating the effects of swinging. The hose 50 has multiple fixing portions, such as the fixing portion fn1 described above and a fixing portion fn2 (corresponding to a second fixing portion) described later (see FIGS. 1 and 9).

[0022] The third portion 53 is configured to be continuous with the second portion 52. As described above, the third portion 53 is made of an elastic material such as rubber. This configuration allows the vibration in the vehicle interior to be absorbed (follow the vibration). The third portion 53 is also a hose disposed between the fixed portion fn1 and the fixed portion fn2. The third portion 53 corresponds to an elastically deformable second elastic member disposed on the opening 57 (corresponding to the other opening) side of the first portion 51 across the fixed portion fn1. The third portion 53 is configured to have a higher elastic modulus than the first portion 51. The amount of vibration between the side frame sm1 and the cabin (vehicle interior) may be larger than the amount of vibration between the air suspension device and the side frame sm1, but this configuration allows the influence of the vibration to be absorbed. The third portion 53 is also configured to be longer than the first portion 51. This configuration allows the influence of the vibration to be easily absorbed.

[0023] The third portion 53 is located between the fixing portion fn1 of the second portion 52 and the fixing portion fn2 of the fourth portion 54, and is made of an elastic material. This makes it difficult for vibrations from the hose 50 to be transmitted to the diaphragm 10. The third portion 53 can be configured to have a bellows shape, similar to the first portion 51.

[0024] The fourth portion 54 is configured to be continuous with the third portion 53. As shown in FIG. 9, the fourth portion 54 is fixed to the cabin by being fixed to the inner wall surface of the wheelhouse panel WH1 via a bracket br2 using a fixing portion fn2 such as a bolt. The fourth portion 54 has an opening 57 at the top. The first portion 51 to the opening 57 of the fourth portion are continuously connected to each other so that gas can flow therethrough. The opening 57 is configured to be located above the connection portion jt1 with the dust cover 40 and above the fender protector fp1.

[0025] This allows gas to circulate between the internal space sp of the dust cover 40 and the outside, while preventing muddy water, sand, and the like that are blown up from the ground when the vehicle is running from entering the internal space of the diaphragm 10 through the internal space sp from the opening 57. Also, the position of the opening 57 can be arranged at a position higher than the water level in a flooded road running test of the vehicle (for example, 900 mm or more above the ground in FIG. 11) (see FIG. 11).

[0026] The opening 57 of the fourth portion 54 is configured to be provided between the fender protector fp1 and the wheelhouse panel wh1. This configuration can reduce the transmission of abnormal noise into the vehicle cabin. The opening 57 can be located 900 mm or more above the ground, as described above. The fourth portion 54 is configured to have flat, rectangular, side surfaces so that it is positioned as close to and above the wheelhouse panel wh1 as possible.

[0027] The opening 57 of the fourth portion 54 is configured to have a flat shape so that the dimension in the vehicle up-down direction is smaller than the dimension in the vehicle left-right direction or the vehicle front-rear direction. By configuring it in this way, the position of the opening 57 can be positioned as far up the vehicle as possible, and it is possible to prevent muddy water, sand, etc. from entering the internal space of the dust cover 40 and the diaphragm 10 through the opening 57.

[0028] A canister drain, a filler hose ft (a hose that connects a gasoline filler port to a fuel tank), an AIR COMPR breather hose cb (a breather hose for an air suspension compressor), etc. can be arranged near the opening 57 of the hose 50 as shown in Fig. 10. Although not shown, the opening 57 of the hose 50 is larger than the AIR COMPR breather hose cb, and water and the like can easily enter. Therefore, by arranging the opening 57 of the hose 50 facing downwards of the vehicle, the intrusion of water and the like can be suppressed.

[0029] 1, when the canister drain (a component that discharges gasoline vapor released from the fuel tank to the outside of the vehicle) or the battery is located near and on one side of the hose 50 in a plan view, the opening 57 can be arranged to face the other side, not the canister drain or the battery. For example, when the canister drain or the battery is located on the inner side of the hose 50 in the vehicle width direction, the opening 57 of the hose 50 located on the outer side of the canister drain in the vehicle width direction can be arranged to face the outer side in the vehicle width direction. Water is prevented from entering the internal space sp of the dust cover 40, but even if water does enter and the water that enters the internal space sp through the opening 57 splashes around, the orientation of the opening 57 as described above can prevent the water from splashing on the canister drain or the battery.

[0030] In addition, the first portion 51 to the fourth portion 54 of the hose 50 may be configured as a single part from the first portion 51 to the fourth portion 54 to form the hose 50, or the hose 50 may be configured by joining multiple hoses molded into the first portion 51 to the fourth portion 54.

[0031] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Fig. 12 is a side view showing an embodiment in which an air suspension device is mounted on the front wheels of a vehicle, and Fig. 13 is a view of Fig. 12 as seen from the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0032] In the above, the air suspension device is mounted on the rear wheels of the vehicle, but the air suspension device is not limited to being mounted on the rear wheels, and may be mounted on the front wheels of the vehicle. In this case, taking into consideration the space between the hose 50a and the height sensor, the dust cover 40a can be attached to the lower part of the side frame sm2 as shown in Figures 12 and 13, and the connection part jt2 with the hose 50a can be directed outward in the left-right direction.

[0033] The hose 50a extends from the connection part jt2 above the side frame sm2, extends inward in the vehicle width direction along the upper surface of the side frame sm2, and then extends upward from the upper surface of the side frame sm2 toward the upper part of the wheel house panel wh2. The opening 57a of the hose 50a can be disposed above the fender protector fp2 as shown in Fig. 12. Note that a shock absorber sb2 can be disposed behind the hose 50a in Fig. 13.

[0034] This configuration also makes it possible to prevent mud, sand, and the like scattered from the tires when traveling on a road surface from entering the internal space sp of the dust cover 40. Even in the cases shown in Figures 12 and 13, the opening 57a can be arranged so as not to face the location of the engine and battery (the left side in Figure 13), and fixing parts fn1 and fn2 can be provided for the hose 50a as in the case of Figure 1. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 10 diaphragm, 40 Dust cover (cover), 50 hose, 51 first portion (first elastic member), 53 third portion (third elastic member), 57, 57a opening (the other opening), fn1, fn2 fixed part, fp1, fp2 fender protector, jt1, jt2 Connection (one opening), sm1, sm2 side frame (frame), sp internal space, WH1, WH2 wheelhouse panels,

Claims

1. a diaphragm that directly or indirectly connects a frame and a lower link of a vehicle and is stretchable between the frame and the lower link; a cover having an internal space surrounding the diaphragm to protect the diaphragm, the air suspension device has a hose having an opening on one side in the internal space between the diaphragm and the cover and connected to enable gas present in the internal space to flow to the outside, The other opening of the hose is provided above the one opening and above a fender protector.

2. 2. The air suspension device according to claim 1, wherein the other opening of the hose is provided between the fender protector and a wheel house panel.

3. the hose has a fixing portion fixed to a vehicle body between the one opening and the other opening, 2. The air suspension device according to claim 1, wherein the hose disposed between the one opening and the fixed portion is elastically deformable.

4. The air suspension device is mounted on a frame vehicle, The frame vehicle includes a side frame and a cabin, the hose has a first fixing portion fixed to the side frame and a second fixing portion fixed to the cabin, 4. The air suspension device according to claim 3, wherein the hose between the first fixed portion and the second fixed portion is elastically deformable.

5. The hose includes a first elastic member elastically deformable between the one opening and the first fixed portion, and a second elastic member elastically deformable between the first fixed portion and the second fixed portion, 5. The air suspension apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said second elastic member is longer than said first elastic member.

6. The hose includes a first elastic member elastically deformable between the one opening and the first fixed portion, and a second elastic member elastically deformable between the first fixed portion and the second fixed portion, 5. The air suspension apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the second elastic member has a greater elastic modulus than the first elastic member.

7. 2. The air suspension device according to claim 1, wherein a connection portion where the hose is connected to the air suspension faces toward the outside of the vehicle.

8. 8. The air suspension device according to claim 7, wherein the other opening of the hose has a dimension in a vertical direction of the vehicle that is smaller than a dimension in a front-rear direction of the vehicle.

9. 2. The air suspension device according to claim 1, wherein when an opening of a canister drain or a battery is located near and on one side of the hose, the opening of the hose faces the other side relative to the one side.

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