Vehicle seats with damper center-mounted air suspension

Abstract

The present invention is an automobile and heavy equipment seat equipped with a damper center-mounted air suspension. The specific configuration is such that a suspension (10) is provided, and the suspension (10) is equipped with a "U" shaped rail (11) at the bottom and top, and a pair of X-links (20) are mounted at a certain distance between the bottom rail (11) and the top rail (11), and four shafts (30) are mounted at the front and rear of the bottom and top of the X-links (20), and an air spring (13) is mounted on one side of the suspension (10), and a damper (14) is mounted on the other side of the suspension (10), and a mounting bracket (22) is mounted between the spaced pair of X-links (20), and a bracket (21) for mounting one end of the damper (14) is mounted in the center of the mounting bracket (22), and the other end of the damper (14) is mounted in the center of the shaft (30) mounted at the bottom of the X-link (20).

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an automobile and heavy equipment seat equipped with an air suspension, and more specifically, to an automobile and heavy equipment seat equipped with a damper center-mounted air suspension that significantly improves the shock reduction effect by mounting a damper in the center of the air suspension configuration mounted on the bottom surface of the seat to mitigate the shock transmitted to the driver when driving on a rough road surface. Background Technology

[0002] If the cushioning of automotive and heavy equipment seats is insufficient, drivers are exposed to continuous vibrations and shocks transmitted from the road, leading to increased fatigue. These vibrations place a burden on the musculoskeletal system, including the lower back, neck, and shoulders, which can cause health problems such as back pain, herniated discs, and numbness in the hands and feet during prolonged driving.

[0003] Furthermore, accumulated fatigue leads to reduced concentration, increasing the risk of drowsy driving and adversely affecting vehicle control capabilities, posing a significant threat to safe driving. Additionally, if the seat fails to properly absorb shock, the impact is transferred to the equipment or components mounted on the seat, resulting in reduced durability.

[0004] Suspension is installed on the underside of the seat to cushion shocks transmitted from the road surface while driving, thereby reducing driver fatigue and promoting safe driving. By equipping the suspension with dampers, air springs, height valves, and balance valves, the seat height from the road surface is always maintained at a constant level even when the vehicle vibrates up and down due to road shocks, thus contributing to comfortable and safe driving.

[0005] The X-Link system, commonly used in suspensions equipped with air springs and dampers, involves rollers moving along rails to perform lifting motions. As the rollers move in a sliding manner within the rails and perform repetitive motions, wear occurs due to friction between the rollers and the rails.

[0006] If imbalance occurs in the rollers due to wear, the precision of the suspension's lifting motion deteriorates, leading to a significant decrease in vibration absorption performance. This issue is pointed out as a problem that not only causes severe noise by leading to collisions between parts during prolonged use, but also further increases driver fatigue, particularly when driving on rough terrain.

[0007] In addition, conventionally, as the position of the damper mounted on the X-Link is offset to one side, there are problems such as cracks occurring in the bracket fixing the damper due to vibrations that persist for a long time while the X-Link is unbalanced, or the range of left-right vibration of the entire suspension being severe, which degrades ride comfort. The problem to be solved

[0008] Accordingly, the present invention is designed to solve the aforementioned conventional problems and aims to provide a damper center-mounted air suspension in which the mounting position of the damper (14) in an air suspension (10) that moves up and down in an X-link (20) manner is mounted in the center through a mounting bracket (22) mounted in the center of the X-link (20), thereby maintaining the left-right balance of the suspension (10) and improving the vibration absorption performance. means of solving the problem

[0009] A specific means for solving the problem of an automobile and heavy equipment seat equipped with a damper center-mounted air suspension according to the present invention comprises: a suspension (10) being provided, wherein the suspension (10) is provided with "U"-shaped rails (11) on the lower and upper sides, wherein a pair of X-links (20) are mounted at a certain distance apart between the lower rail (11) and the upper rail (11), wherein four shafts (30) are mounted on the lower and upper front and rear sides of the X-links (20), wherein an air spring (13) is mounted on one side of the suspension (10) and a damper (14) is mounted on the other side of the suspension (10), wherein a mounting bracket (22) is mounted between the spaced-apart pair of X-links (20), wherein a bracket (21) for mounting one end of the damper (14) is mounted in the center of the mounting bracket (22), and the other end of the damper (14) is at the center of the shaft (30) mounted on the lower side of the X-link (20). It is a structure that is mounted. Effects of the invention

[0010] Using an automobile and heavy equipment seat equipped with a damper center-mounted air suspension according to the present invention provides the following advantages.

[0011] In the past, as the damper (14) was mounted on one side of the suspension (10), the load transmitted to the left and right X-links (20) was asymmetrical. However, by placing the damper (14) in the center, vibration damping and load transmission between the left and right X-links (20) are more symmetrically achieved, thereby improving the overall balance and stability of the suspension (10).

[0012] In addition, as the vibration load concentrated on one side is distributed to the center, the fatigue stress concentrated on a specific X-link (20) or bracket (21) is relieved, thereby reducing the accumulation of fatigue in key components such as the X-link (20), bracket (21), and mounting bracket (22), and extending the lifespan of the suspension (10).

[0013] In addition, since the damper (14) is positioned in the center, it can symmetrically absorb vibrations transmitted from both X-links (20), thereby maintaining consistent damping characteristics regarding road surface vibrations, which contributes to maintaining ride comfort during long-term driving.

[0014] In addition, since the damper (14) is mounted in the center, the operation of the shock-absorbing suspension (10) becomes more linear and predictable, which has a positive effect on reducing driver fatigue and improving control performance. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical automobile and heavy equipment seat with suspension. FIG. 2 is a perspective view and a side view illustrating the structure of a general suspension. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating operational problems of a general suspension. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view for explaining a rotary roller of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along line AA and a cross-sectional view along line BB FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating the problems of a damper in a general suspension. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a damper-centered air suspension according to the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0016] Hereinafter, the technical configuration and effects of a preferred embodiment capable of achieving the objectives of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings and in comparison with the prior art, wherein identical configurations are described using the same reference numerals, and if a detailed description of known functions, configurations, or systems related to the present invention is merely an elaboration that does not correspond to the gist of the present invention, such detailed description will be omitted.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a general automobile and heavy equipment seat (1) with a suspension (10) applied. FIG. 1 shows a seat (1) that is installed in automobiles, construction heavy equipment and large buses that experience severe vibration and shock during operation, and the seat (1) is supported by the suspension (10) and alleviates vibration and shock occurring during operation in real time.

[0018] The height of the above seat (1) can be easily set to a position preferred by the driver by operating the operating lever (15) mounted on the front of the suspension (10) in a one-touch manner.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a perspective view and a side view for explaining the structure of a general suspension (10). As shown in FIG. 2, the suspension (10) is fixedly installed on the floor of the driver's seat, and the suspension (10) has a lower rail (11) located where it contacts the floor and an upper rail (11) located where it contacts the seat (1), and an X-link (20) for adjusting the height of the seat (1) is installed between the lower rail (11) and the upper rail (11), so that the height of the seat (1) is set by the lifting movement of the X-link (20).

[0020] As indicated by arrow ① in Fig. 2(a), the lifting and lowering movement of the suspension (10) is made possible by an air spring (13) mounted between the lower rail (11) and the upper rail (11). The air spring (13) is configured to expand and contract by compressed air to drive the lifting and lowering movement of the X-link (20) in the suspension (10).

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the air spring (13) is mounted on one side of the suspension (10), and the damper (14) is mounted on the other side of the suspension (10). The damper (14) performs the function of setting the sensitivity of shocks transmitted during operation to feel soft or hard.

[0022] Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 2(b), the operating lever (15) is mounted at the front of the suspension (10) so that it is easy for the driver to hold and operate it with their hand while sitting on the seat (1). In addition to the operating lever (15) and the air spring (13), an air compressor, an inlet hose, an outlet hose, and various wires are provided to set the height of the seat (1). However, since this technology is a known technology, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0023] FIG. 3 is a perspective view to explain the operational problems of a general suspension (10). FIG. 3 shows only one side of a rail (11) mounted symmetrically to explain the operation of the X-link (20) in detail, and four shafts (30) are mounted on the lower and upper front and rear of the X-link (20), and rollers (40) are mounted on both ends of the shafts (30).

[0024] The roller (40) is positioned on the rail (11), and when the X-link (20) moves up and down as indicated by arrow ② in FIG. 3, it performs a linear motion along the upper rail (11) and the lower rail (11) as indicated by arrow ③, thereby allowing the cushioning function of the suspension (10) to operate smoothly.

[0025] However, there is a fatal problem with the roller (40) of the conventional suspension (10). As shown in the enlarged view in FIG. 3, the height (H) of the inner circumference of the “C”-shaped rail (11) and the outer diameter (D1) of the roller (40) fitted into the rail (11) are the same (H=D1). Therefore, when the X-link (20) moves up and down, the roller (40) slides rather than rolls while moving in a straight line along the rail (11), causing one side of the roller (40) to wear out due to friction.

[0026] That is, when the roller (40) and the rail (11) are in contact, the roller (40) slides rather than rolls due to the structure, and if used for a long time, wear occurs due to friction, making the lifting motion uneven.

[0027] If an imbalance occurs in the movement of the roller (40) due to wear, the precision of the lifting motion of the suspension (10) is reduced, and the vibration absorption performance is significantly reduced. This problem leads to collisions between parts during long-term use, causing severe noise, and further increases driver fatigue, especially when driving on rough roads.

[0028] The present invention proposes a configuration in which a roller (40) in a suspension (10) can roll without moving in a sliding manner inside a rail (11) in order to solve the problem of the prior art.

[0029] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view for explaining a rotary roller in the present invention, and only one side of the rail (11) mounted symmetrically is shown in order to explain in detail the "U" shaped rail (11) having an extension part (12) formed at the bottom.

[0030] Four shafts (30) are mounted on the lower and upper front and rear of the X-link (20), and as shown inside the ellipse by drawing out with an arrow in FIG. 4, insertion grooves (31) are formed at both ends of the shafts (30), and a shaft rod (32) is inserted into the insertion groove (31), and a guide roller (41) and a roller (40) are sequentially inserted into the shaft rod (32), and then firmly assembled through a piece (42).

[0031] Since it is desirable to machine the outer diameter of the shaft (32) smoothly so that the rolling of the roller (40) and the guide roller (41), which are assembled to make surface contact with the shaft (32), operates smoothly, the shaft (30) and the shaft (32) are separated to easily machine the outer surface of the shaft (32).

[0032] The cross-sectional view of line AA in FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the problem of wear of the roller (40) in the conventional suspension (10) shown in FIG. 3, in which the height (H) of the inner circumference of the “U” rail (11) and the outer diameter (D1) of the roller (40) fitted into the rail (11) are the same (H = D1), and the center axis (X1) of the rail (11) and the center axis (X2) of the shaft (30) coincide (X1 = X2).

[0033] In this state, when the X-link (20) moves up and down, as the roller (40) moves in a straight line along the rail (11), the roller (40) slides rather than rolls, and one side of the roller (40) is worn down due to friction. If an imbalance occurs in the movement of the roller (40) due to the wear, the precision of the lifting motion of the suspension (10) is reduced, and the vibration absorption performance is significantly reduced.

[0034] The BB line cross-sectional view of FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration in which a roller (40) rotates in the suspension (10) according to the present invention shown in FIG. 4, wherein a guide roller (41) and a roller (40) are sequentially mounted on one side of the shaft (30) while maintaining the same axis as the shaft (30).

[0035] The characteristics of the above guide roller (41) and roller (40) are that the outer diameter (D2) of the guide roller (41) is larger than the outer diameter (D1) of the roller (40) (D1 < D2), the height (H) of the inner surface of the "U" shaped rail (11) is larger than the outer diameter (D1) of the roller (40) located inside the rail (11) (H > D1), and the center axis (X1) of the rail (11) and the center axis (X2) of the shaft (30) are misaligned (X1 ≠ X2).

[0036] When assembled under the above conditions, the upper surface inside the "C" shaped rail (11) is formed as a surface contact portion (C1) that comes into contact with the roller (40), and the lower surface inside the "C" shaped rail (11) is formed as a gap portion (S) that does not come into contact with the roller (40).

[0037] Additionally, an extension (12) is formed at the bottom of the "U" shaped rail (11), and a guide roller (41) is positioned on the extension (12). By configuring the extension (12) and the guide roller (41) to come into contact, a surface contact portion (C2) is created.

[0038] Accordingly, when the X-link (20) moves up and down, the guide roller (41) located outside the "C"-shaped rail (11) rolls smoothly due to the surface contact portion (C2) created at the extension portion (12) of the "C"-shaped rail (11), and the roller (40) located inside the "C"-shaped rail (11) rolls smoothly due to the surface contact portion (C1) created on the upper surface of the "C"-shaped rail (11), thereby fundamentally preventing uneven wear of the roller (40), so that the vibration absorption performance through the suspension (10) is continuously and excellently exhibited.

[0039] FIG. 6 is a perspective view for explaining the problem of the damper (14) in a general suspension (10), and is intended to explain the problem of the vibration absorption function of the conventional suspension (10) being reduced.

[0040] FIG. 6 illustrates only one side of a rail (11) mounted symmetrically to explain the structure of the X-link (20) in detail, wherein a pair of X-links (20) are spaced apart from each other, and four shafts (30) are mounted on the lower and upper front and rear of the spaced X-links (20). A bracket (21) for mounting one end of a damper (14) is mounted on one of the pair of X-links (20), and the other end of the damper (14) is mounted offset to one side of the shaft (30) mounted on the lower part of the X-link (20).

[0041] In the past, the damper (14) was mounted in an uneven state on the X-link (20). Considering that the damper (14) operates in real time to make the sensitivity of the shock transmitted during driving feel soft or hard when vibrations transmitted from the road surface are continuously transmitted to the suspension (10) for a long time, stress is concentrated on the bracket (21) of the uneven damper (14) shown in FIG. 6 and on the X-link (20) to which the bracket (21) is mounted. As fatigue strength accumulates, fine cracks occur, and durability is weakened.

[0042] In addition, as the overall balance of the suspension (10) is lost due to the damper (14) mounted off-center, the amplitude of the suspension (10) moving to absorb continuous vibrations for a long time moves significantly left and right, causing a problem in which the ride comfort is significantly reduced.

[0043] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view for explaining the damper center-mounted air suspension of the present invention. In order to solve the problem of the damper (14) mounted off-center as described in FIG. 6, the damper (14) is mounted in the center of the X-link (20).

[0044] That is, a mounting bracket (22) is mounted between a pair of spaced-apart X-links (20) via a shaft (30), a bracket (21) for mounting one end of a damper (14) is mounted in the center of the mounting bracket (22), and the other end of the damper (14) is mounted in the center of the shaft (30) mounted on the lower part of the X-link (20).

[0045] Accordingly, as a pair of X-links (20) are arranged symmetrically on the left and right sides relative to the damper (14), the overall balance of the suspension (10) is maintained, and the amplitude of the suspension (10) moving to absorb continuous vibrations for a long time in real time moves densely to the left and right, thereby significantly improving the ride comfort.

[0046] In addition, as the left and right amplitude of the suspension (10) becomes dense due to the centrally mounted damper (14), the stress generated during vibration absorption is uniformly transmitted to the X-link (20), thereby fundamentally eliminating the phenomenon of fatigue strength concentration and improving the durability of the suspension (10).

[0047] As seen above, using an automobile and heavy equipment seat equipped with a damper center-mounted air suspension according to the present invention provides the following advantages.

[0048] In the past, as the damper (14) was mounted on one side of the suspension (10), the load transmitted to the left and right X-links (20) was asymmetrical. However, by placing the damper (14) in the center, vibration damping and load transmission between the left and right X-links (20) are more symmetrically achieved, thereby improving the overall balance and stability of the suspension (10).

[0049] In addition, as the vibration load concentrated on one side is distributed to the center, the fatigue stress concentrated on a specific X-link (20) or bracket (21) is relieved, thereby reducing the accumulation of fatigue in key components such as the X-link (20), bracket (21), and mounting bracket (22), and extending the lifespan of the suspension (10).

[0050] In addition, since the damper (14) is positioned in the center, it can symmetrically absorb vibrations transmitted from both X-links (20), thereby maintaining consistent damping characteristics regarding road surface vibrations, which contributes to maintaining ride comfort during long-term driving.

[0051] In addition, since the damper (14) is mounted in the center, the operation of the shock-absorbing suspension (10) becomes more linear and predictable, which has a positive effect on reducing driver fatigue and improving control performance. Explanation of the symbols

[0052] 1 : Sheet 10: Suspension 11 : Rail 12: Extension part 13 : Air spring 14 : Damper 15 : Control lever 20 : X-Link 21 : bracket 22 : Stand 30 : Shaft 31 : Insertion slot 32 : Blessing 40 : Roller 41 : Guide roller 42 : Peace H: Height D1, D2: Outer diameter X1, X2: Central axis C1, C2: Contact area S : Separation

Claims

Claim 1 A car and heavy equipment seat equipped with a damper center-mounted air suspension, characterized in that a suspension (10) is provided, and the suspension (10) is provided with "U" shaped rails (11) at the bottom and top, and a pair of X-links (20) are mounted at a certain distance apart between the bottom rail (11) and the top rail (11), and four shafts (30) are mounted at the front and rear of the bottom and top of the X-links (20), an air spring (13) is mounted on one side of the suspension (10), and a damper (14) is mounted on the other side of the suspension (10), wherein a mounting bracket (22) is mounted between the spaced pair of X-links (20), a bracket (21) for mounting one end of the damper (14) is mounted in the center of the mounting bracket (22), and the other end of the damper (14) is mounted in the center of the shaft (30) mounted on the bottom of the X-link (20).

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