Lever-Articulated Bellows Air Spring for Tilt Buckling Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Convoluted bellows air springs experience buckling during tilting or angling, leading to operational malfunctions, increased wear, and potential failure due to lateral offset of belt rings, which affects force direction and exceeds installation space specifications.
Innovation Solution
The belt ring is articulated using a lever with a pivot axis different from the convoluted bellows air spring, with fictitious auxiliary lines defining the articulation to ensure the center points of the belt ring lie on the main axis, even in a tilted state, allowing the bellows to maintain its natural curved axis and preventing buckling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the belt ring is articulated using a lever with a pivot axis different from the convoluted bellows air spring, then the center points of the belt ring lie on the main axis even in a tilted state, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A lever is introduced as an intermediary component between the convoluted bellows air spring and the belt ring. The lever has a first pivot axis for articulation with the bellows and a second pivot axis for articulation with the belt ring, where these pivot axes are offset from each other. This intermediary lever mediates the motion transmission while maintaining the belt ring center points on the main axis during tilting operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves from a single-axis articulation to a two-axis articulation system. The lever introduces an additional dimensional degree of freedom by having pivot axes that are offset from each other, allowing the system to accommodate tilting motions while maintaining proper alignment of the belt ring center points on the main axis.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the convoluted bellows air spring is tilted about a pivot axis, then the fastening surfaces move on a curved path, but buckling occurs leading to operational malfunctions
Solution Approach 1:
The lever acts as an intermediary that decouples the tilting motion from the belt ring articulation. By introducing this intermediate component with offset pivot axes, the system can accommodate the curved path motion of fastening surfaces during tilting without causing buckling of the bellows structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The articulation mechanism is designed to dynamically adapt to tilting positions. The offset pivot axes allow the lever to rotate and adjust its orientation as the bellows tilt, maintaining proper alignment and preventing buckling throughout the range of motion rather than being fixed in a single position.
3Device complexity
If the belt ring is articulated with the pivot axis on the pivot axis of the convoluted bellows air spring, then the device complexity is reduced, but the usable stroke is reduced due to pushing out the belt ring
Solution Approach 1:
By moving from a single shared pivot axis to two offset pivot axes on the lever, the system gains an additional dimensional degree of freedom. This allows the belt ring to be articulated without being pushed out laterally, preserving the full usable stroke of the convoluted bellows air spring while maintaining a relatively simple mechanism.
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
This solution reliably prevents buckling, ensuring the convoluted bellows air spring operates within specifications during tilting, maintaining a stable force direction and reducing wear, while allowing for a full usable stroke without compromising the installation space.
Implementation Method 1
the belt ring, or if there are a number of belt rings the belt rings, is or are respectively articulated by means of a lever (7, 117, 127), wherein the articulating pivot axis (10, 110, 120) of the respective lever (7, 117, 127) differs from the pivot axis (6, 106) of the convoluted bellows air spring (1, 101)
Implementation Method 2
The convoluted bellows air spring (1, 101) is tiltable about a pivot axis (6, 106)
Implementation Method 3
This constriction is formed by a reinforcing ring, which ensures that the elastic rubber bellows does not inflate like a balloon when pressurized
Implementation Method 4
by the maximum stretching of the textile strength member as said folds move apart
Data Source
AI summary
A convoluted bellows air spring having at least one belt ring, wherein the convoluted bellows air spring is tiltable about a pivot axis. The invention was based on the object of creating a convoluted bellows air spring for kinematic applications with tiltings, which even in unfavorable situations can nevertheless be operated in conformity with specifications and reliably during tilting of the connection parts, by reliably preventing buckling. This object is achieved in that the belt ring, or if there are a number of belt rings the belt rings, is or are respectively articulated by means of a lever, wherein the articulating pivot axis of the respective lever differs from the pivot axis of the convoluted bellows air spring.