Air Spring Stopper Height Adjustment Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air springs require dismounting the vehicle body to adjust the space between stoppers, and there is a risk of stopper damage due to improper contact during horizontal displacement, especially when stopper faces are convexo-concave.
Innovation Solution
An air spring design featuring a movable body that can rotate relative to a holding body with a taper configuration, allowing vertical adjustment of stopper faces without dismounting, and forming stopper faces in a flat shape to ensure secure contact and prevent damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the height of the air spring is increased by supplying air, then the vehicle body height is restored, but the space between upper and lower stoppers widens causing increased swaying range
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper member is designed with a movable configuration that can dynamically adjust its position. The movable body can shift vertically along the bellows to maintain a constant space between stoppers regardless of air spring height changes, thereby maintaining swaying control reliability while allowing height adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of stopper spacing from fixed to variable by incorporating the movable body that can adjust its position. This allows the stopper spacing to remain constant while the air spring height parameter changes, resolving the contradiction between height restoration and swaying control.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the upper stopper member is made rotatable to adjust stopper space, then stopper space can be adjusted, but the bogie must be extracted and vehicle body dismounted for adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper member performs dual functions: it automatically maintains constant stopper spacing during operation and allows for adjustment of the overall stopper position relative to the bellows. The adjustment can be performed in place without requiring vehicle body dismounting, making the system self-sufficient for both operational and adjustment needs.
3Device complexity
If convexo-concave stopper faces are used, then stopper contact area is reduced, but there is risk of improper contact during horizontal displacement and stopper damage
Solution Approach 1:
The stopper faces are designed with homogeneous flat surfaces that ensure uniform contact across the entire contact area. This eliminates the risk of improper contact points that occur with convexo-concave geometries during horizontal displacement, maintaining reliable stopper function while simplifying the contact interface.
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
Enables easy and reliable adjustment of stopper space without dismounting the vehicle body, preventing stopper damage by ensuring consistent contact over a wide area even during horizontal displacement.
Implementation Method 1
a taper that is slidable with respect to the other of the movable body and the holding body is formed that inclines in a circumferential direction of the movable body relative to a horizontal surface
Data Source
AI summary
An air spring according to this invention enables easy and reliable adjustment of a space between stoppers. Specifically, an upper member (3) and a lower member (4) are secured to upper and lower ends of a bellows (2). Stopper faces (5) and (6) that come in contact with each other to limit the amount of displacement of the upper member (3) are formed on the upper member (3) and the lower member (4). A movable body (7) that can move vertically to adjust the height of the stopper face (6) is provided in the lower member (4). A holding body (8) is provided that holds the movable body (7) in a manner that enables vertical movement thereof. The movable body (7) is capable of relative rotation around a central axis (18) with respect to the holding body (8). On at least one of the movable body (7) and the holding body (8), tapers (32) and (41) are formed that are capable of sliding with respect to the other of the movable body (7) and the holding body (8). The movable body (7) is rotated relative to the holding body (8) to cause the tapers (32) and (41) to slide and thereby move the movable body (7) upward or downward.