Air supply unit, air spring system and vehicle

Abstract

An air supply unit. An air compressor (4) and an electromagnetically controlled valve group are integrally arranged in a valve block (8); an electric motor (7) is mounted on a first side face of the valve block, and the inside of the valve block is provided with a gas channel for forming a pneumatic connection. An electronic control unit (2) is arranged on the same first side face of the valve block as the electric motor, and an air dryer (5) is arranged on a second side face adjacent to the electric motor. A compressed air outlet of the air compressor is in communication with a compressed air inlet (1-2) of the air dryer through the gas channel, and a dried compressed air outlet (1-1) of the air dryer is in communication with the electromagnetically controlled valve group in the valve block through the gas channel. The electronic control unit is electrically connected to the electromagnetically controlled valve group, and uses a predetermined control means to control the electromagnetically controlled valve group to output compressed air. Further disclosed are an air spring system and a vehicle. By means of the air supply unit, the integration level of the air supply unit is improved, the space occupied by the air supply unit is reduced, and the assembly difficulty of the air supply unit on the vehicle is lowered.

Description

Air supply unit, air spring system and vehicle TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of air suspension systems of vehicles, and particularly relates to an air supply unit for providing compressed air for an air spring system, an air spring system and a vehicle. BACKGROUND

[0002] An air suspension system has better shock absorption performance than a traditional steel suspension system, and can provide a more comfortable riding experience and safety for a rider. However, since the air suspension system mainly consists of a motor, an air compressor, an air dryer, an air spring, an electric valve, an electronic controller and the like, the structure is relatively complex. Installing such a complex air suspension system in a limited space position of a vehicle chassis and wheels increases the difficulty of vehicle manufacturing, and also greatly increases the manufacturing cost. In particular, in order to realize the generation, supply and electrical control of compressed air, more pipelines and electrical connection lines need to be arranged, which makes the pipeline system complex, increases the assembly and maintenance difficulty, and is prone to failure.

[0003] In order to reduce the arrangement of pipelines and electrical connection lines, a Chinese invention patent application with the application publication number CN106232398A assembles an air compressor and a plurality of pneumatic valves into a pneumatic block, the pneumatic block has pneumatic pipelines for connecting air paths, and the motor and the electronic controller are arranged on opposite sides of the pneumatic block, thereby forming an integrated air supply unit. This not only greatly reduces the external pipelines and electrical connection lines, but also reduces the space occupied by the air supply unit, and reduces the manufacturing and assembly difficulty. However, since the motor and the electronic controller are arranged on opposite sides of the pneumatic block, the space occupied by the air supply unit is still relatively large, which is not convenient for assembling the air supply unit on the vehicle.

[0004] A Chinese invention patent application with the application publication number CN117284034A discloses an integrated valve pump assembly, an air spring system and a vehicle having the same, which has a structure basically similar to the Chinese invention patent application with the application publication number CN106232398A. The application tries to solve the problem of complex controller and electric control valve connection process caused by the partial arrangement of the pneumatic valve in the pneumatic block and the partial arrangement in the electronic controller in the CN106232398A patent application by means of arranging the electric control valve module entirely in the valve body, thereby reducing the manufacturing difficulty of the integrated valve pump assembly and improving the assembly convenience of the integrated valve pump assembly. However, the motor and the electronic controller of the patent application are still arranged on opposite sides of the pneumatic block, which has the same technical problem as the CN106232398A patent application. SUMMARY

[0005] The application aims to provide an air supply unit, which further improves the integration of the air supply unit, reduces the occupied space of the air supply unit and reduces the assembly difficulty of the air supply unit on a vehicle.

[0006] The application also aims to provide an air spring system and a vehicle.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned purposes, the application adopts the technical scheme of:

[0008] The air supply unit comprises an air compression unit, an electronic control unit and an electromagnetic control valve group, the air compression unit comprises a motor, an air compressor and an air dryer, the air compressor and the electromagnetic control valve group are arranged in a valve block, the motor is arranged on a first side of the valve block, the output shaft of the motor is in transmission connection with the air compressor in the valve block, so that the motor drives the air compressor to compress the air entering the air compressor through the air inlet of the valve block, the valve block has a gas passage for forming a gas circuit connection, the electronic control unit is arranged on the same first side of the valve block as the motor, the air dryer is arranged on a second side adjacent to the motor, the compressed air outlet of the air compressor is in communication with the compressed air inlet of the air dryer through the gas passage, the dried compressed air outlet of the air dryer is in communication with the electromagnetic valve group in the valve block through the gas passage, and the electronic control unit is electrically connected with the electromagnetic control valve group to control the output of compressed air of the electromagnetic control valve group in a predetermined control mode.

[0009] Further, the air compressor is a single-cylinder air compressor, the valve block is provided with a first mounting hole for mounting a cylinder body and a piston assembly of the air compressor, a first compression chamber is formed between the piston assembly and a cylinder sleeve, a motor mounting hole is arranged on the first side surface for a motor output shaft to extend into the valve block and form a crank connecting rod mechanism with the piston assembly through an eccentric block mounted on the motor output shaft, and the motor drives the piston assembly to reciprocate in the first compression chamber to realize air compression.

[0010] Further, the air dryer has one or two cylinders, and the cylinders are provided with a drying agent.

[0011] Further, the valve block air inlet on the third side surface is provided with an air inlet connector, and the valve block air outlet on the third side surface is provided with an air outlet connector.

[0012] Further, the drive unit and the coil of the electromagnetic control valve group are arranged in the valve block and the electronic control unit respectively, or the drive unit and the coil of the electromagnetic control valve group are arranged in the valve block.

[0013] Further, the electromagnetic control valve group comprises:

[0014] A first electromagnetic control valve is arranged for controlling compressed air dried by the air dryer to be provided to the air tank for storage and receiving compressed air output from the air tank;

[0015] A second electromagnetic control valve is connected with the first electromagnetic control valve and is arranged for controlling compressed air output from the first electromagnetic control valve or the air dryer and providing the compressed air to the air spring.

[0016] A third electromagnetic control valve is used to control the compressed air discharged from the air spring to re-enter the air tank for storage;

[0017] A fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh electromagnetic control valve are used to receive the compressed air from the output of the second electromagnetic control valve and control the supply of compressed air to different air springs or receive the compressed air discharged from the air spring, respectively;

[0018] An eighth electromagnetic control valve is connected between the air inlet of the air compressor and the air tank and is used to control the air in the air tank to enter the air compressor for re-compression;

[0019] A ninth electromagnetic control valve is used to control the compressed air in the air compressor or the regeneration exhaust gas of the air dryer to be discharged to the atmosphere through the valve block exhaust port.

[0020] Further, a first one-way valve is arranged between the compressed air outlet of the air dryer and the second electromagnetic control valve, a second one-way valve is arranged at the air inlet of the air compressor, and a throttle valve is arranged at the compressed air outlet of the air dryer.

[0021] Further, a pressure sensor is arranged on the air circuit to detect the pressure of the air circuit.

[0022] The air supply unit provided by the present application is used in an air spring system, which further comprises an air tank and an air spring, wherein the air tank is connected to the air circuit and is used to store the compressed air output from the air compressor and supply the compressed air to the air spring or receive the compressed air discharged from the air spring in a controlled manner.

[0023] The air spring system provided by the present application is used in a vehicle.

[0024] The electronic control unit and the motor are arranged on the same side in the present application, which further improves the integration of the air supply unit, so that the air supply unit is more compact in terms of the external dimensions, the assembly of the air supply unit is easier in the limited space of the vehicle chassis and the vehicle wheel, and the maintenance is also facilitated. The air dryer is arranged outside the valve block in the present application, which reduces the processing difficulty of the valve block. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0025] Fig. 1 is a front view of the present application;

[0026] Fig. 2 is a top view of the present application;

[0027] Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the present application;

[0028] Fig. 4 is an A-A sectional view of Fig. 3;

[0029] Fig. 5 is a B-B sectional view of Fig. 3;

[0030] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the air supply unit of the present application without the air dryer and the cover plate of the electronic control unit;

[0031] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the air supply unit of the present application with the air dryer;

[0032] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the air path structure inside the valve block of the present application;

[0033] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the working principle of the air path of the present application.

[0034] Reference signs: 1-1, the outlet of the compressed air of the air dryer, 1-2, the inlet of the compressed air of the air dryer, 2, the electronic control unit, 2-1, the PCB board, 3, the air inlet and outlet connector, 4, the air compressor, 4-1, the cover, 4-2, the cylinder sleeve, 4-3, the piston assembly, 5, the air dryer, 5-1, the first cylinder, 5-2, the second cylinder, 6, the electromagnetic control valve, 7, the motor, 8, the valve block, 9, the output shaft of the motor, 10, the air pipe joint, 11, the eccentric block, 101, the filter, 102, the second one-way valve, 103, the first electromagnetic control valve, 104, the air tank, 105, the second electromagnetic control valve, 106, the first one-way valve, 107, the fourth electromagnetic control valve, 108, the fifth electromagnetic control valve, 109, the sixth electromagnetic control valve, 110, the seventh electromagnetic control valve, 111, the eighth electromagnetic control valve, 112-115, the air spring, 116, the third electromagnetic control valve, 117, the throttle valve, 118, the ninth electromagnetic control valve. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] As shown in Figures 1-7, the air supply unit of the present application includes an air compression unit 1, an electronic control unit 2, the air compression unit includes a motor 7, an air compressor 4 and an air dryer 5. In order to improve the integration of the air supply unit, the present application is provided with a valve block 8, which integrates the air compressor 4 and a plurality of electromagnetic control valves for controlling the on-off of the air path inside the valve block 8. The motor 7 is mounted on one side of the valve block 8, which is defined as the first side for the convenience of description. The air dryer 5 is arranged on the second side adjacent to the motor 7. The valve block 8 has a gas passage for forming an air path connection between the air compressor 4, the air dryer 5 and the electromagnetic control valves.

[0036] Specifically, a motor mounting hole is provided on the first side surface, the output shaft of the motor is mounted in the motor mounting hole through a bearing, and the motor output shaft 9 extends into the valve block 8 and is in driving connection with the air compressor 4. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the air compressor 4 is a double-cylinder air compressor, two coaxial first mounting holes and second mounting holes are machined in the valve block 8, the cylinder sleeve 4-2 and the two piston assemblies 4-3 of the air compressor 4 are respectively mounted in the first mounting hole and the second mounting hole, and are sealed by the cover 4-1 mounted on the valve block 8. The two piston assemblies 4-3 and the corresponding cylinder sleeves 4-2 respectively form a first compression chamber and a second compression chamber. The motor output shaft 9 is mounted with an eccentric block 11, the eccentric block 11 is connected with the two piston assemblies 4-3 to form a crank connecting rod mechanism, and the motor 7 works under the control of the electronic control unit 2 to drive the two piston assemblies to reciprocate in the first compression chamber and the second compression chamber to compress the air entering the air compressor 4 through the air inlet of the valve block 8.

[0037] In some embodiments, under the premise of ensuring the compression efficiency, the air compressor 4 can also adopt a single-cylinder compressor, and correspondingly, only one first mounting hole for mounting the cylinder sleeve and the piston assembly is machined on the valve block 8, the first compression chamber is formed between the piston assembly and the cylinder sleeve, and the motor drives the piston assembly to reciprocate in the first compression chamber to realize air compression. In some embodiments, in order to further improve the compression efficiency, the air compressor 4 can also adopt a multi-cylinder compressor, and correspondingly, a corresponding number of mounting holes for mounting the cylinder sleeve and the piston assembly are machined on the valve block 8. The compression chambers are respectively formed between the piston assemblies and the cylinder sleeves, and the motor drives the piston assemblies to reciprocate in the compression chambers to realize air compression.

[0038] The compressed air outlet of the air compressor is communicated with the compressed air inlet 1-2 of the air dryer through a gas passage provided in the valve block, and the dry compressed air outlet 1-1 of the air dryer is communicated with the electromagnetic valve group in the valve block through the gas passage. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the air dryer 5 is provided with a first cylinder 5-1 and a second cylinder 5-2, and a drying agent is contained in the cylinder.

[0039] In order to further improve the integration of the air supply unit, the electronic control unit 2 is arranged on the same first side surface of the valve block 8 and the motor 7, so that the air supply unit is smaller in external dimensions, especially in length, and the assembly of the air supply unit in the limited space of the vehicle chassis and wheels is easier, and maintenance is also facilitated. The electronic control unit 2 includes a PCB board 2-1 and a vehicle-mounted circuit interface, and the vehicle-mounted circuit interface is used for convenient electrical connection between the electronic control unit and the vehicle ECU and the vehicle power supply.

[0040] In the embodiment, the air inlet of the valve block is arranged on the third side of the valve block, and the air inlet is provided with an air inlet connector. The air outlet of the valve block is also arranged on the third side, and the air outlet is provided with an air outlet connector. In order to make the structure more compact, the air inlet and the air outlet of the valve block 8 are arranged in close proximity to each other, and the air inlet connector and the air outlet connector are integrated to form an integrated air inlet and air outlet connector 3. In the embodiment, the air inlet and air outlet connector 3 is arranged on the side opposite to the motor 7. In some embodiments of the application, the air inlet connector and the air outlet connector can also be arranged on other sides of the valve block.

[0041] In the embodiment, the air outlet of the valve block 8 for providing compressed air to the air spring is arranged on the third side opposite to the first side, and a plurality of air pipe connectors 10 are arranged on the side.

[0042] The compressed air outlet of the air dryer 5 is connected to the electromagnetic control valve group through a first one-way valve 11. The electronic control unit 2 is electrically connected to the electromagnetic control valve group, and outputs the dried compressed air in a predetermined control mode under the control of the electronic control unit.

[0043] Fig. 8 shows a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the valve block of the application, and Fig. 9 shows the working principle of the air circuit. External air is filtered through an air filter 101, enters the air compressor 4 through a second one-way valve 102 arranged at the air inlet of the valve block, and is compressed by the air compressor under the drive of the motor 7. The compressed air is discharged from the compressed air outlet of the air compressor, enters the air dryer 5, and is dried by adsorption. The dried compressed air is output through a first one-way valve 106. In the air circuit connection, one of the circuits is connected to the air tank 104 through a first electromagnetic control valve 103, and the compressed air enters the air tank 104 for storage. The other circuit is connected to a second electromagnetic control valve 105, which is also connected to a fourth electromagnetic control valve 107, a fifth electromagnetic control valve 108, a sixth electromagnetic control valve 109, and a seventh electromagnetic control valve 110 for controlling the inflation of the air springs 112, 113, 114, and 115 or the exhaust of the air springs 112, 113, 114, and 115. A third electromagnetic control valve 116 is used to control the compressed air discharged from the air springs to re-enter the air tank for storage. An eighth electromagnetic control valve 111 is connected between the air inlet of the air compressor 4 and the air tank 104, and is used to control the air in the air tank 104 to enter the air compressor for re-compression. A throttling valve 117 for backflushing and regeneration is arranged between the air tank 104 and the compressed air outlet of the air dryer 5.

[0044] The compressed air discharged from the compressed air discharge port of the air dryer 5 is stored in the air tank 104 via the opening of the first electromagnetic control valve 103. When it is required to charge compressed air into one or more of the air springs 112, 113, 114, 115, the electronic control unit 2 controls the opening of the first electromagnetic control valve 103, the second electromagnetic control valve 105, and one or more of the fourth to seventh electromagnetic control valves 107, 108, 109, 110, and the compressed air in the air tank 104 is charged into the air springs. When it is required to discharge air from one or more of the air springs, the electronic control unit 2 controls the opening of one or more of the fourth to seventh electromagnetic control valves 107, 108, 109, 110, the opening of the third electromagnetic control valve 116, and the opening of the eighth electromagnetic control valve 111, and the air in the air springs is discharged into the air tank 104 for storage.

[0045] After the air dryer 5 is used for a period of time, the drying agent needs to be regenerated, at which time the electronic control unit 2 controls the opening of the first electromagnetic control valve 103 and the throttle valve 117, and the compressed air in the air tank 104 is formed into high-pressure gas by the throttle valve 117 to backflush the drying agent in the drying cylinder to regenerate the drying agent, thereby effectively maintaining the drying performance of the air dryer. The waste gas generated during regeneration is discharged to the atmospheric environment by the opening of the ninth electromagnetic control valve 118 controlled by the electronic control unit 2.

[0046] The opening and closing of the first to ninth electromagnetic control valves of the present application are automatically selected according to the road surface height, vehicle speed, vehicle acceleration, and other driving parameters detected by the vehicle sensors, which are pre-set by the vehicle ECU, and the electronic control unit 2 automatically controls the opening and closing of the electromagnetic control valves according to the instructions of the ECU. The conditions for the opening and closing of the electromagnetic control valves are pre-set by the driving control program, which is also the meaning of the predetermined control mode of the present application.

[0047] Of course, it is not excluded that the vehicle manufacturer sets a manual control function for increasing the functions of the vehicle, for the charging and discharging of the air springs and the regeneration of the air dryer.

[0048] FIG. 9 only shows one air path connection relationship and control mode, and of course, the air path connection relationship and control mode of the present application can also be flexibly adjusted as needed. Correspondingly, the structure inside the valve block not shown in FIG. 8 is also only exemplary and can be adjusted accordingly according to the control mode.

[0049] The first to ninth electromagnetic control valves of the application are integrated as a control valve group in the valve block, and in this embodiment, the drive units and coils of each of the electromagnetic control valves in the control valve group are provided in the valve block 8 and the electronic control unit 2, respectively. It should be noted that the electromagnetic control valve labeled 6 in Fig. 3 does not specifically refer to any one of the first to ninth electromagnetic control valves, but is merely intended to show the mounting method of the electromagnetic control valves. As an alternative, the drive units and coils of the control valve group can also be provided in the valve block.

[0050] The air supply unit of the application further comprises a pressure sensor 119 mounted on the air passage for detecting the pressure of the air passage so as to detect whether the pressure of the air passage reaches the requirement.

[0051] The application further provides an air spring system comprising the air supply unit as described above, and further comprising an air tank and an air spring, wherein the air tank is connected to the air passage for controlled storage of compressed air output from the air compressor and supply of the compressed air to the air spring or receiving of the compressed air discharged from the air spring.

[0052] The application further provides a vehicle using the air spring system as described above.

[0053] The air supply unit of the application can be used not only in the air spring system of a vehicle, but also in other devices having an air spring system. In addition, the air supply unit of the application can be used not only in an air spring system, but also in other devices requiring supply of compressed gas.

[0054] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only intended to illustrate the technical solutions of the application, and are not intended to limit the application; although the application has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions described in the above embodiments can still be modified, or some or all of the technical features can be replaced by equivalents; and such modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the application. Although the application uses the words "first", "second", etc. to define some parts, those skilled in the art should know that the use of "first", "second" is only for the convenience of describing the application, and the above words have no special meaning unless otherwise stated.

Claims

1. An air supply unit, comprising an air compression unit, an electronic control unit, and an electromagnetic control valve group, wherein the air compression unit comprises a motor, an air compressor, and an air dryer, wherein the air compressor and the electromagnetic control valve group are integrated in a valve block, wherein the motor is mounted on a first side surface of the valve block, wherein an output shaft of the motor is in driving connection with the air compressor in the valve block so that the motor drives the air compressor to compress air entering the air compressor through an air inlet of the valve block, wherein a gas channel is provided in the valve block for forming an air path connection, and wherein: The electronic control unit is arranged on the same first side of the valve block as the motor, and the air dryer is arranged on the second side adjacent to the motor. The compressed air outlet of the air compressor is connected to the compressed air inlet of the air dryer through the gas channel, and the dry compressed air outlet of the air dryer is connected to the solenoid valve group in the valve block through the gas channel. The electronic control unit is electrically connected to the solenoid control valve group to control the solenoid control valve group to output compressed air in a predetermined control manner.

2. The air supply unit according to claim 1, wherein: The air compressor is a single-cylinder air compressor. A first mounting hole is provided in the valve block for installing the cylinder body and piston assembly of the air compressor. A first compression chamber is formed between the piston assembly and the cylinder liner. A motor mounting hole is provided on the first side surface for the motor output shaft to extend into the valve block and form a crank-connecting rod mechanism with the piston assembly through the eccentric block installed on the motor output shaft. When the motor is working, it drives the piston assembly to reciprocate in the first compression chamber to achieve air compression.

3. The air supply unit according to claim 1, wherein: The air compressor is a two-cylinder air compressor. The valve block is provided with a coaxial first mounting hole and a second mounting hole, which are respectively used to install the cylinder body and two piston assemblies of the air compressor. A first compression chamber and a second compression chamber are formed between the two pistons and the cylinder sleeves, respectively. A motor mounting hole is provided on the first side surface, for the motor output shaft to extend into the valve block and form a crank-connecting rod mechanism with the two piston assemblies through the eccentric block installed on the motor output shaft. When the motor is working, it drives the two piston assemblies to reciprocate in the first compression chamber and the second compression chamber to achieve air compression.

4. The air supply unit according to claim 1, wherein: The air compressor is a multi-cylinder air compressor. The valve block is provided with mounting holes corresponding to the number of compression cylinders for installing the cylinder body and piston assemblies of the air compressor. Compression chambers are formed between the piston assemblies and the cylinder liners. A motor mounting hole is provided on the first side surface for the motor output shaft to extend into the valve block and form a crank-connecting rod mechanism with the piston assemblies through the eccentric block installed on the motor output shaft. When the motor is working, it drives the piston assemblies to reciprocate in the compression chambers to achieve air compression.

5. The air supply unit according to claim 1, wherein: The air dryer has one or two cylinders, and the cylinders are filled with desiccant.

6. The air supply unit according to claim 1, wherein: The valve block air inlet on the third side surface of the valve block is provided with an air inlet connector, and the valve block air outlet on the third side surface is provided with an air exhaust connector.

7. The air supply unit according to claim 1, wherein: The driving unit and the coil of the electromagnetic control valve group are respectively arranged in the valve block and the electronic control unit, or the driving unit and the coil of the electromagnetic control valve group are both arranged in the valve block.

8. The air supply unit according to claim 1, wherein: The electromagnetic control valve group includes: The first electromagnetic control valve is used to control the compressed air dried by the air dryer to provide compressed air to the air storage tank for storage and receive compressed air output from the air storage tank; a second electromagnetic control valve connected to the first electromagnetic control valve, for controlling the compressed air output from the first electromagnetic control valve or the air dryer and providing compressed air to the air spring; The third electromagnetic control valve is used to control the compressed air discharged from the air spring to re-enter the air storage tank for storage; a fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh electromagnetic control valve, for receiving the compressed air output from the second electromagnetic control valve and respectively controlling the supply of compressed air to different air springs or receiving the compressed air discharged from the air springs; an eighth electromagnetic control valve, connected between the air inlet of the air compressor and the air storage tank, for controlling the gas in the air storage tank to enter the air compressor for recompression; The ninth solenoid control valve is used to control the compressed air in the air compressor or the regeneration waste gas of the air dryer to be discharged into the atmosphere through the exhaust port of the valve block.

9. The air supply unit according to claim 8, wherein: A first one-way valve is provided between the compressed air outlet of the air dryer and the second electromagnetic control valve, a second one-way valve is provided at the air inlet of the air compressor, and a throttle valve is provided at the compressed air outlet of the air dryer.

10. The air supply unit according to claim 1, wherein: A pressure sensor is provided on the gas line to detect the pressure of the gas line.

11. An air spring system, characterized in that: It comprises an air supply unit as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, and also comprises an air tank and an air spring, wherein the air tank is connected to the air circuit and is used to controllably store compressed air output from the air compressor and supply compressed air to the air spring or receive compressed air discharged from the air spring.

12. A vehicle, characterized in that: An air spring system as claimed in claim 11 is employed.

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