Integrated Auxiliary Spring in Vehicle Height Adjustment Strut
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Solution Overview
Problem
Suspension struts for motor vehicles with auxiliary springs are often too long and exposed to weather, leading to noise and installation challenges due to the separate arrangement of auxiliary and suspension springs.
Innovation Solution
Integrating the auxiliary spring within the height adjustment device, allowing it to be accommodated within the cylinder element, thus maintaining a compact length and protecting it from weather exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the auxiliary spring is arranged separately below the suspension spring, then it can generate residual preload to prevent rattling noises, but the overall length of the strut increases and the auxiliary spring is exposed to weather effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the auxiliary spring with the height adjustment device by integrating it into the cylinder element. The auxiliary spring is positioned inside the cylinder element and acts on the piston, merging two separate components (auxiliary spring and height adjustment device) into a single integrated structure. This eliminates the need for a separate auxiliary spring arrangement below the suspension spring, thereby reducing the overall length while maintaining the residual preload function.
Solution Approach 2:
The auxiliary spring is nested within the cylinder element of the height adjustment device. Specifically, the auxiliary spring is arranged inside the cylinder element and acts on the piston from the inside, creating a nested configuration where one component (auxiliary spring) is placed within another component (cylinder element). This nesting approach allows the auxiliary spring to maintain residual preload without increasing the external dimensions of the strut.
2Reliability
If the auxiliary spring is arranged separately below the suspension spring, then it can generate residual preload, but it becomes exposed to weather effects leading to noise generation
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the auxiliary spring with the height adjustment device and positioning it inside the cylinder element, the auxiliary spring is no longer exposed to the external environment. The cylinder element acts as a protective enclosure, shielding the auxiliary spring from weather effects such as moisture, temperature extremes, and contaminants that could cause noise or degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The nested arrangement of the auxiliary spring within the cylinder element provides protective enclosure. The cylinder element serves as a housing that protects the auxiliary spring from direct exposure to weather conditions, preventing the noise generation issues that occur when the auxiliary spring is exposed externally.
3Reliability
If the auxiliary spring and suspension spring are arranged in series, then the auxiliary spring can maintain preload, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the auxiliary spring function with the height adjustment device, eliminating the need for a separate auxiliary spring arrangement. The auxiliary spring is integrated into the existing height adjustment mechanism, allowing it to maintain preload on the suspension spring without requiring additional separate components or complex arrangements. This integration simplifies the overall device structure while maintaining reliable spring support.
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 integrated auxiliary spring maintains residual preload on the suspension spring without increasing the strut's overall length, preventing rattling noises and ensuring reliable support, while allowing for height adjustment and varying spring properties for different vehicle settings.
Implementation Method 1
an auxiliary spring (13) which has a lower spring rate than the suspension spring (11) and which can generate a residual preload in the suspension spring (11) when the vibration damper (10) is extended
Implementation Method 2
a pressure chamber is formed in the cylinder element, which can be acted upon by a pressure medium. As a result, the height level of the vehicle body can be changed by the pressure chamber being acted upon by a pressure fluid and by the reciprocating piston in the cylinder element being moved accordingly
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The present invention relates to a suspension strut for a motor vehicle with a vibration damper, with a supporting spring and with a height-adjustment device, with which the height of the vehicle body of the motor vehicle can be changed, and wherein the suspension strut has an auxiliary spring having a lower spring characteristic than the supporting spring, by means of which auxiliary spring a residual prestress can be produced in the supporting spring when the vibration damper is extended, and wherein the auxiliary spring is integrated in the height-adjustment device.