Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  • B60G11/00—Resilient suspensions characterised by arrangement, location or kind of springs
  • B60G11/26—Resilient suspensions characterised by arrangement, location or kind of springs having fluid springs only, e.g. hydropneumatic springs
  • B60G11/27—Resilient suspensions characterised by arrangement, location or kind of springs having fluid springs only, e.g. hydropneumatic springs wherein the fluid is a gas
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16F—SPRINGS; SHOCK-ABSORBERS; MEANS FOR DAMPING VIBRATION
  • F16F9/00—Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium
  • F16F9/02—Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium using gas only or vacuum
  • F16F9/04—Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium using gas only or vacuum in a chamber with a flexible wall
  • F16F9/05—Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium using gas only or vacuum in a chamber with a flexible wall the flexible wall being of the rolling diaphragm type
  • F16F9/057—Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium using gas only or vacuum in a chamber with a flexible wall the flexible wall being of the rolling diaphragm type characterised by the piston
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16F—SPRINGS; SHOCK-ABSORBERS; MEANS FOR DAMPING VIBRATION
  • F16F9/00—Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium
  • F16F9/02—Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium using gas only or vacuum
  • F16F9/04—Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium using gas only or vacuum in a chamber with a flexible wall
  • F16F9/05—Springs, vibration-dampers, shock-absorbers, or similarly-constructed movement-dampers using a fluid or the equivalent as damping medium using gas only or vacuum in a chamber with a flexible wall the flexible wall being of the rolling diaphragm type
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60G—VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS
  • B60G2206/00—Indexing codes related to the manufacturing of suspensions: constructional features, the materials used, procedures or tools
  • B60G2206/01—Constructional features of suspension elements, e.g. arms, dampers, springs
  • B60G2206/40—Constructional features of dampers and/or springs
  • B60G2206/42—Springs
  • B60G2206/424—Plunger or top retainer construction for bellows or rolling lobe type air springs

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an air plunger to be used in an air cushioning device in a vehicle, said air plunger essentially having the shape of a straight, circular cylinder, which is closed at one end by means of a first end wall and which at the other end has a second end wall with a centre opening.
• An air plunger which is intended for use in an air cushioning device in a vehicle, has essentially the shape of a cylinder closed at its ends by means of end walls. A centre opening is formed in one of the end walls.
• Such an air plunger is usually made of two components, which each consist of a metal sheet compression-moulded to the shape of a cup. One of the two components has in its cup bottom a centre opening and is welded to the other component in such a manner that an air plunger having the above- described shape forms. This results in an air plunger which is tight, apart from the centre opening in one of the end walls.
• FIG. 1 illustrates a prior-art air cushioning device provided with such an air plunger.
• the air cushioning device shown in Fig. 1 has an air plunger 1, which consists of two components 2 and 3 which each consist of a metal sheet compression-moulded to the shape of a cup and which are welded together to form an air plunger 1 of the shape described above.
• the air plunger 1 has in its upper end wall 4 a centre opening 5 which is surrounded by a collar 6 formed on the upper end wall 4.
• a rubber bellows 7 is at one end attached to the collar 6 and at the other end attached to a top plate 8, which in turn is fixed to a vehicle chassis (not shown) .
• the lower end wall or bottom 9 of the air plunger 1 is attached to a bottom plate 10 which has a considerably smaller diameter than the air plunger 1 and the bottom 9 thereof.
• the bottom plate 10 is connected to the wheel axle (not shown) of the vehicle.
• Fig. 1 indicates the air cushioning device by full lines in an initial position and by dashed lines in a loaded position, in which the top plate 8 has been pressed a distance downwards in the direction of the air plunger 1. During such downward pressing, the rubber bellows 7 rolls against the cylindrical jacket of the air plunger 1, the jacket thus forming a rolling surface for the bellows 7.
• Fig. 2 shows a further known air plunger 1' which is adapted to be used in an air cushioning device similar to the one in which the air plunger 1 shown in Fig. 1 is used.
• the air plunger 1' differs from the air plunger 1 shown in Fig.
• the lower component 3 ' having, instead of a circular-cylindrical cup shape, the shape of a truncated conical cup, the smaller cone end of the cup being directed downwards and having essentially the same extent as the bottom plate 10 of the air cushioning device.
• the lower component 3' being given this truncated conical shape, that part of its bottom which is formed of the conical portion can be made of a thinner material than the bottom 9 of the air plunger 1 shown in Fig. 1 and yet transfer the same amount of forces to the bottom plate 10.
• An object of the present invention therefore is to provide an air plunger, in which no such compromise is required, i.e. to provide an air plunger, in which the desired saving of material can be made without necessi- tating a reduction of the rolling surface of the bellows.
• an air plunger which is of the type stated by way of introduction and which is characterised in that it comprises an inner supporting element with a first portion having the shape of a hollow, truncated, straight, circular cone, the smaller cone end abutting against said first end wall and the outer diameter of the larger cone end being essentially equal to the inner diameter of the cylinder, and that the inner supporting element is con- nected to the cylinder to provide transfer of forces from the jacket of the cylinder to a centre area, defined by the smaller cone surface, of said first end wall.
• the inner supporting element suitably has a second portion, which is formed in one piece with the first portion and has the shape of a hollow, straight, circular cylinder, which is an extension of the larger cone end and has the same outer diameter as the latter.
• the inner supporting element has the same height as the cylinder, and said second portion has at its end facing away from said first por- tion has a bent portion adapted to the shape of said second end wall .
• the cone angle of the truncated cone is in a preferred embodiment about 60°.
• Fig. 1 illustrates an air cushioning device provided with the prior-art air plunger 1 as described above
• Fig. 2 illustrates the prior-art air plunger 1' as described above
• Fig. 3 is a sectional view of an air plunger according to the present invention.
• the air plunger 11 shown in Fig. 3 has the same shape as the air plunger 1 described with reference to Fig. 1 and is adapted to be used in an air cushioning device for vehicles similar to the one in which the above-described air plungers 1 and 1' are used.
• the air plunger 11 is rotationally symmetrical and has essentially the shape of a hollow, straight, circular cylinder, which is closed at its lower end by means of an end wall or bottom 12 and which at its upper end has an end wall 13 with a circular centre opening 14.
• the air plunger 11 is suitably made by means of the method and the device as described in our patent application entitled "Method and Device for Making an
• the air plunger 11 is made from a blank which has the shape of a straight, circular cup or can which has the same diameter as the air plunger 11 which is to be made there- of.
• the bottom of the cup-shaped blank is to constitute the bottom 12 of the air plunger 11 and its circular- cylindrical jacket is to form the circular-cylindrical jacket 15 of the air plunger 11.
• the jacket of the blank has a circumferential upper portion which is to be formed to the upper end wall 3 of the air plunger 11 by pressure turning.
• the air plunger 11 has an inner supporting element 16 which is a compression-moulded or pressure-turned metal sheet and has a first portion 17 and a second portion 18.
• the first portion 17 of the supporting element 16 has the shape of a hollow, truncated, straight, circular cone whose smaller cone end has an end wall 19 abutting against the bottom 12 of the air plunger 11.
• the end wall 19 is positioned in front of the bottom plate 10 of the air cushioning device and has the same extent as the bottom plate.
• the outer diameter of the upper larger cone end is equal to the inner diameter of the circular-cylindrical jacket 15.
• the cone angle 2 ⁇ is preferably about 60° .
• the second portion 18 of the supporting element 16 has the shape of a hollow, straight, circular cylinder which is an extension of the larger cone end and has the same outer diameter as the larger cone end, i.e. its outer diameter is equal to the inner diameter of the cir- cular-cylindrical jacket 15.
• the second portion 18 of the supporting element 16 has at its upper end a bent portion 20, whose shape corresponds to the shape of the transition between the jacket 15 and the upper end wall 13 of the air plunger 11.
• the bent portion 20 is suitably formed at the same time as the above-described pressure turning is carried out.
• a supporting element blank which is identical with the supporting element 16, apart from the fact that the bent portion 20 has not yet been manufactured, is placed in the above-described cup-shaped blank, of which the air plunger is to be produced.
• the upper portion of the cup- shaped blank as well as that of the supporting element blank are then given their desired shape.
• the inner supporting element 16 is thus properly fixed in the air plunger 11 and is connected to the circular-cylindrical jacket 15 so as to be capable of transferring the forces caused by the load on the air plunger 11 to the bottom plate 10.
• the jacket 15 and the outer part of the bottom 12 can be made thinner while at the same time the jacket can retain its full length, which permits the desired saving of material without necessitating a reduction of the rolling surface of the bellows.
• the air plunger 11 according to the invention has, compared with the above-described air plunger 1' according to Fig. 2, also the advantage that it can be given the same inner volume as the above-described air plunger 1 according to Fig. 1 by the truncated conical first por- tion 17 of the inner supporting element 16 being formed with apertures .

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Fluid-Damping Devices (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=20412445

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 1998
  • 1998-09-02 SE SE9802949A patent/SE9802949L/sv not_active Application Discontinuation
• 1999
  • 1999-09-01 AU AU60143/99A patent/AU6014399A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1999-09-01 EP EP99969379A patent/EP1112190A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1999-09-01 WO PCT/SE1999/001502 patent/WO2000016999A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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