Air Spring Bellows Layer Fold for Outer Guide Clamping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air spring designs face challenges in simplifying the connection of the outer guide to the air spring bellows and efficiently folding the bellows, often requiring additional components and complex clamping mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
The air spring bellows features a layer fold that covers the outer guide with an overlap, allowing for attachment via an outer clamping element without an inner clamping ring, and includes a predetermined buckling point or ring for defined folding, with optional use of a separating element during vulcanization to ensure proper connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an inner clamping ring is used to clamp the outer guide to the air spring bellows, then the connection is secure, but the device complexity increases and the rolling length is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the inner clamping ring from the system entirely. Instead of using a separate clamping component, the air spring bellows itself is folded back to form a layer fold-over that directly covers and clamps the outer guide. This extraction of the inner clamping ring simplifies the device structure while maintaining the clamping function through the folded bellows material.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the function of the air spring bellows with the clamping function. The layer fold-over of the bellows serves dual purposes: it provides the structural bellows function and simultaneously acts as the clamping element for the outer guide. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate clamping components and maximizes the usable rolling length.
2Stability of the object's composition
If an inner clamping ring is used for clamping the outer guide, then the connection is stable, but the rolling length of the air spring bellows is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the inner clamping ring, the invention eliminates the space that would otherwise be occupied by this component. The outer guide can now extend further into the available space, and the air spring bellows has the full length available for rolling motion without being interrupted by a clamping ring structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a separate component (inner clamping ring) to perform the clamping function, the invention inverts the approach by using the air spring bellows itself, folded back, to perform the clamping. This reversal allows the bellows to maintain its full length for rolling while still providing stable clamping through the folded layer.
3Reliability
If additional clamping components are used to connect the outer guide, then the connection is secure, but the manufacturing complexity and assembly time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the additional clamping components from the system. The outer guide is connected solely through the layer fold-over of the air spring bellows, eliminating the need for separate clamping rings or fasteners. This reduction in components simplifies both manufacturing and assembly processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The air spring bellows performs the clamping function for itself through the layer fold-over. The folded bellows material inherently provides the clamping force needed to secure the outer guide, eliminating the need for additional clamping components and simplifying the overall manufacturing process.
4Stability of the object's composition
If the outer guide is clamped with additional components, then the radial expansion is limited, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes additional clamping components while maintaining radial expansion control through the layer fold-over of the air spring bellows. The folded bellows material inherently limits radial expansion without requiring separate support bearings or clamping rings.
Solution Approach 2:
The layer fold-over of the air spring bellows serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support, limits radial expansion of the bellows, and secures the outer guide. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for additional specialized components while achieving all required control functions.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2c
Figure 3a~3c
AI summary
The invention relates to an air spring for chassis of vehicles, which is clamped with an air spring piston and an air spring cover 3 between the chassis and vehicle body of a motor vehicle, comprising an air spring bellows 2 made from elastomeric material which at least partially delimits a compressed air-filled working chamber 1 and which, forming at least one rolling fold 4, rolls on the air spring piston, wherein the air spring bellows 2 is attached by means of clamping elements 5 at a first end 6 to the air spring cover 3 and at a second end to the air spring piston, comprising an external guide 7 which is attached to the air spring bellows 2 and spaced apart from the air spring cover 3 and which is attached to the air spring bellows 2 in such a way that a partial piece of the air spring bellows 2 is formed between the air spring cover 3 and the external guide 7 as a cardanic fold 8 which permits a deflection of the air spring bellows 2 produced by forces acting perpendicular to the axis of the air spring bellows 2. According to the invention, the air spring bellows 2 has a layer cover 9 at the first end 6, said layer cover being inverted back over such a length that, after assembly of the air spring, the layer cover 9 partially covers the external guide 7 with an overlap Ü, and the external guide 7 is attached in the region of the overlap Ü of the layer cover 9 to the air spring bellows 2 by means of an external clamping element 10.