Plastic Rolling Piston Steel Support Air Spring

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing rolling pistons for air springs face challenges in achieving a balance between weight reduction, load capacity, temperature resistance, and comfort, with steel pistons being heavy and expensive, while plastic pistons lack sufficient internal volume and strength.

Innovation Solution

A lightweight rolling piston design featuring a steel support integrated within a plastic structure, where the support is modularly inserted and connected to enhance strength and load-bearing capacity, utilizing a hollow plunger with rib-like stiffening elements and airtight connections to optimize air volume and comfort.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a steel rolling piston with buffer support is used, then load capacity and temperature resistance are improved, but weight and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveload capacityVSAvoidpiston weight

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The piston combines plastic material for the main body with a metal buffer support insert, creating a composite structure that leverages the weight advantages of plastic while incorporating the strength advantages of metal only where needed for load-bearing functions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The piston is divided into functional segments: a plastic body for structural integrity and a separate metal buffer support for load-bearing, allowing each material to be optimized for its specific function

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Weight of moving object

If a plastic rolling piston with buffer support is used, then weight is reduced, but load capacity and temperature resistance deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepiston weightVSAvoidload capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

Weight of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The buffer support is positioned locally at the bottom of the piston where axial loads are concentrated, providing enhanced strength and temperature resistance precisely where needed rather than throughout the entire piston structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of manufacture

If the internal volume of the piston is not fully utilized, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but comfort and suspension quality deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidsuspension comfort

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The buffer support is nested within the piston cavity, with the support insert positioned inside the hollow piston body, allowing the internal volume to be fully utilized for suspension comfort while maintaining a simple integrated structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentEP2766631B1Rolling piston for an air spring u-type bellows

Publication Date: 2019.06.05 CONTITECH LUFTEDERSYSTEME GMBH

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AI summary

A rolling piston composed of plastic for an air spring U-type bellows (19), wherein the rolling piston (1) is formed as a plunger piston and has a preferably central support (2) for a stop buffer (3) which acts in an axial direction of the air spring, wherein the support (2) is composed preferably of steel and can be received in a recess, which is of complementary shape to the support, of the rolling piston and connected to the latter.