Split Bellows Air Spring for Confined Space Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Air springs in passenger vehicles are sensitive to deposits and foreign objects due to thin walls, leading to potential abrasion and failure, and existing protective bellows designs face challenges in confined installation spaces where the bellows cannot be properly attached due to size constraints.
Innovation Solution
The air spring features a split bellows design with overlapping end regions that can be easily assembled and connected, providing protection against contamination and allowing for installation in tight spaces by using a releasable positive connection, such as a stepped contour or clamping means, ensuring secure interlocking and easy detachment for replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a protective bellows is designed to surround the rolling bellows including the outer guide, then the rolling folds are protected from debris, but the bellows cannot be installed in confined spaces where the attachment area diameter is smaller than the outer guide diameter
Solution Approach 1:
The protective bellows is divided into a first partial bellows and a second partial bellows that can be assembled separately. The first partial bellows is pushed over the outer guide from the air spring cover side, while the second partial bellows is pushed over from the rolling piston side. This segmentation allows each partial bellows to be installed independently through the outer guide, solving the installation problem in confined spaces while maintaining complete protection when assembled together.
2Ease of manufacture
If the bellows attachment areas are made larger than the outer guide diameter for easy assembly, then installation is simplified, but the available installation space on the axle and body side is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The bellows is segmented into two partial bellows that are assembled separately onto the outer guide. This allows the attachment areas to remain compact (smaller than the outer guide diameter) to fit confined installation spaces, while still enabling complete bellows coverage when both partial bellows are joined together at the overlapping end regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The partial bellows are pushed over the outer guide in a nested manner during assembly. The first partial bellows is installed from one end of the outer guide, and the second partial bellows is installed from the other end, with both being guided over the outer guide structure. This nested assembly approach enables installation in confined spaces without requiring large attachment areas.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the bellows is made as a single piece to ensure continuous protection, then protection is complete, but assembly and replacement become difficult in confined spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The protective bellows is divided into replaceable partial bellows that can be independently removed and replaced. When one partial bellows becomes damaged, only that specific section needs to be replaced rather than the entire bellows assembly, significantly easing maintenance in confined spaces while the overlapping design ensures continuous protection during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection between partial bellows uses a dynamic assembly approach with overlapping end regions that can be joined through simple interlocking or fastening mechanisms. This allows for easy disassembly and reassembly during replacement, making the system adaptable for maintenance operations in confined spaces while maintaining structural integrity during normal operation.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
Air spring (1) for a chassis of a motor vehicle comprising an air spring cover (2) and an air spring piston (3), wherein an airtightly attached rolling diaphragm (4) made of elastomeric material partially delimits a working chamber (15) that can be filled with compressed air between the air spring cover (2) and the air spring piston (3), wherein the rolling diaphragm (4) is at least partially enclosed by a sleeve-shaped outer guide (5), wherein a bellows surrounds the rolling diaphragm (4) together with the outer guide (5), wherein the bellows comprises a first partial bellows (6) and a second partial bellows (7), wherein a first end region (9) of the first partial bellows (6) facing the second partial bellows (7) is connected to a second end region (10) of the second partial bellows (7) facing the first partial bellows (6).