Ventilated Air Bellows Valve for Pneumatic Spring Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pneumatic springs for commercial vehicles are unsuitable for crane loading due to the risk of air bellows folding or tilting under negative pressure when the vehicle is unloaded, leading to potential damage, and require mechanical locking or additional support devices to maintain proper operation.
Innovation Solution
A ventilated air bellows with a valve that allows atmospheric air to flow into the bellows when pressure drops below a certain value, maintaining sufficient internal pressure and preventing folding or tilting, thus ensuring reliable unrolling or unfolding without the need for external support devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the air bellows is completely extended during crane loading due to axle weight, then the loading capacity is improved, but negative pressure is generated causing the air bellows to fold or tilt leading to damage
Solution Approach 1:
The valve is pre-configured to automatically open when negative pressure occurs during crane loading, allowing atmospheric air to enter the air bellows before folding or tilting can occur. This preliminary protective action prevents the harmful effect from developing.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts the harmful negative pressure effect into a beneficial trigger mechanism. The negative pressure that would normally cause folding instead activates the valve, allowing air intake that prevents folding and protects the air bellows.
2Reliability
If mechanical locking or divided plungers are used to prevent folding, then the air bellows stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air bellows system serves itself through the integrated valve that automatically responds to pressure changes. The valve monitors and corrects negative pressure conditions without requiring external mechanical locking devices or complex support structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the essential protective function from complex mechanical locking systems and implements it through a simple valve mechanism that allows atmospheric air intake, eliminating the need for divided plungers or external support devices.
3Ease of operation
If the air bellows is designed to unroll along the plunger during normal operation, then the ease of operation is improved, but the risk of folding under negative pressure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The valve is pre-positioned to activate before folding can occur during crane loading operations. By opening in response to negative pressure, it allows air intake that maintains bellows integrity while preserving the normal unrolling motion along the plunger.
Solution Approach 2:
The negative pressure that would normally cause folding is converted into a beneficial signal that opens the valve, allowing air intake that prevents folding while maintaining the ease of normal operation and unrolling motion.
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 ventilated air bellows system ensures safe and reliable operation by maintaining internal pressure, preventing damage and eliminating the need for mechanical locking or divided plungers, allowing for simple and safe crane loading without limiting the spring range.
Implementation Method 1
the valve, at its outside, discharges into the atmosphere which is under atmospheric pressure, and the inside of the valve discharges into the interior space of the air bellows
Implementation Method 2
the valve is a one-way valve and, thus, of simple construction
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an air bellows for a pneumatic spring, in particular of a commercial vehicle, the air bellows including an axle-side region and a body-side region, wherein the axle-side region is arranged on a plunger and movable by a compression or extension movement between a first, compressed position and a second, extended position, and further including an interior space adapted to be filled with compressed air via a compressed air opening that is connectable to a compressed air line. The air bellows further comprises a valve connected to the atmosphere for ventilating the interior space, wherein by applying compressed air present in the interior space to the valve the valve is moved to a closed position.