Air Spring Bogie Stopper Pivoting Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air springs face issues where the outer cylindrical member can horizontally move or rotate relative to the inner cylindrical member, leading to collisions between the stopper and protrusion portions, causing damage and discomfort in applications like railway vehicles.
Innovation Solution
An air spring design featuring a stopper assembly pivotable on the inner cylindrical member, with a set of protrusion portions of varying heights arranged to prevent excessive movement and collision, and a diaphragm forming a sealed internal space with a pivoting mechanism to suppress damage and enhance stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the outer cylindrical member is allowed to move horizontally or rotate relative to the inner cylindrical member, then the air spring can accommodate vibrations and movements, but collisions between the stopper and protrusion portions occur causing damage and discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper assembly is made pivotable on the inner cylindrical member, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position and orientation in response to vibrations and movements. This dynamic capability enables the stopper to follow the motion of the outer cylindrical member without rigid collision, thereby maintaining reliability while accommodating vibrations.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusion portions are designed with varying heights in a specific arrangement pattern to provide graduated cushioning effects. The different heights create a progressive stopping mechanism that reduces impact forces before collisions occur, preventing damage while allowing controlled movement and vibration absorption.
2Reliability
If a stopper assembly is added to prevent excessive movement, then collision damage is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper assembly is segmented into multiple protrusion portions with different heights, each serving a specific function in the progressive stopping mechanism. This segmentation allows the complex function of vibration absorption and collision prevention to be distributed across multiple simple geometric elements rather than requiring a single complex component.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making the inner cylindrical member movable to accommodate vibrations, the invention inverts the approach by making the stopper assembly pivotable on the inner member. This inversion allows the stopper to adapt to movements while the main structural components remain stable, reducing overall device complexity.
3Ease of operation
If protrusion portions of varying heights are arranged to prevent collision, then the stopper assembly can pivot smoothly, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The protrusion portions are designed with asymmetric varying heights in a specific arrangement pattern. This asymmetry creates the smooth pivoting action by providing progressive contact points that guide the stopper assembly's rotation. The asymmetric design, while requiring precision, follows a regular pattern that can be manufactured using standardized processes.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the stopper assembly have locally optimized properties through the varying heights of protrusion portions. Each local region (protrusion portion) has a specific height tailored to its functional requirement in the pivoting sequence, allowing smooth operation while maintaining manufacturability through localized rather than global complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The air spring effectively prevents collisions between the stopper and protrusion portions, reducing damage and passenger discomfort, while maintaining the ability to alleviate vibrations in railway vehicles by ensuring smooth operation and reliable sealing.
Implementation Method 1
an air spring which utilizes compressed air's elasticity
Data Source
AI summary
An air spring includes: an outer cylindrical member; an inner cylindrical member; a diaphragm which couples the outer and inner cylindrical members and forms an internal space; a stopper assembly disposed in the internal space; and a pivoting mechanism which causes this stopper assembly to pivot on the inner cylindrical member. The stopper assembly has a stopper portion protruding towards the outer cylindrical member, and the outer cylindrical member has as a set four or more protrusion portions provided at a position to face the stopper portion and protruding toward the inner cylindrical member. Each of the protrusion portions belonging to the set is disposed successively and also different in height. Each of the protrusion portions belonging to the set is arranged without having a protrusion portion belonging to the set smallest in height adjacent to a protrusion portion belonging to the set largest in height.