Classifications

• • 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
• • 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

Definitions

• the invention relates to an air spring and more particularly, to an air spring having a piston with an elliptical outer surface to cause a uniform stress distribution in an air spring sleeve.
• a stress along the x axis of the spring is different than a stress in the y axis.
• greater end cap tilt angles for greater side load compensation result in higher non-uniform stress distribution and lower durability.
• the durability of the air spring sleeve is reduced by the elliptical or non-unifqrm stress distribution. The more non-uniform the stress distribution, the more durability is reduced. Representative of the art is U.S. patent no. 5752692
• the prior art air spring causes an elliptical, non- uniform stress distribution in the sleeve which shortens an operating life.
• the primary aspect of the invention is to provide a side-load compensating air spring piston having an elliptical cross-section.
• Another aspect of the invention is to provide a side-load compensating air spring having a sleeve with a substantially uniform stress distribution in a rolling lobe .
• the invention comprises a side load compensating air spring piston having an elliptical cross-section.
• the side load compensating air spring comprises an air spring sleeve forming a chamber and having a rolling lobe. One end of the sleeve is attached to a tilted end cap for side load compensation. The other end of the sleeve has a rolling lobe engaged with a piston elliptical outer surface.
• the piston elliptical outer surface is disposed at a 90° angle to an elliptical stress distribution in the sleeve, thereby rendering the stress distribution uniform in the sleeve rolling lobe portion as it rolls on the piston.
• Fig. la is a cross-sectional view of a prior art air spring.
• Fig. lb is a plan view of a prior art piston cross- section.
• Fig. lc is a plan view of a prior art air spring sleeve stress distribution.
• Fig. 2a is a cross-sectional view of an inventive piston.
• Fig. 2b is a plan view of an inventive piston cross- section B-B, and sleeve uniform stress distribution.
• Fig. 2c is a plan view of a sleeve elliptical stress distribution.
• Fig. la is a cross-sectional view of a prior art air spring.
• Air spring 100 comprises flexible sleeve 10.
• Sleeve 10 is air tight and forms a chamber that is attached at one end to a tilted end cap 11.
• Sleeve 10 is attached to the end cap by crimp ring 110 or other suitable means known in the art.
• End cap 11 is round in plan.
• End cap 11 is tilted by angle ⁇ to compensate for a side load imposed upon the air spring.
• Angle ⁇ is the angle between an end cap plane and a normal to a piston major axis A-A.
• Sleeve 10 is constructed of elastomeric materials and in a manner known in the art.
• Sleeve 10 also comprises cords wound helically within the elastomeric material. A helix angle of the helically wound cord need not be limited to a particular range in order to achieve the benefits of the
• the other end 13 of the sleeve 10 is attached to a piston 20.
• Sleeve 10 is attached to the piston by crimp ring or other suitable means known in the art.
• sleeve 10 forms a rolling lobe 15 on an outer surface 16 of piston 20. Rolling lobe 15 rolls along a length of outer surface 16 of piston 20 during operation of the air spring.
• Fig. lb is a plan view of a prior art piston cross- section.
• Outer surface 16 has a circular cross-section. Since end cap 11 is tilted and therefore not parallel to a piston plane that is normal to a major axis, sleeve 10 has a substantially elliptical stress distribution 17. The elliptical stress distribution can manifest as wrinkles appearing on the sleeve during compression strokes which reduce an operating life.
• Fig. lc is a plan view of a prior art air spring sleeve stress distribution.
• Fig. 2a is a cross-sectional view of an inventive piston.
• Piston 140 comprises outer surface 160.
• the other components are as described in Fig. la.
• Outer surface 160 describes a substantially elliptical shape when viewed along an axis A-A.
• Outer surface 160 may be an integral part of piston 140.
• Outer surface 160 may also comprise an outer shroud 161 that is attached to piston 140.
• Fig. 2a depicts an outer shroud 161 having an elliptical outer surface 160.
• Sleeve 10 has an elliptical stress distribution due to the tilted end cap 11 as described elsewhere herein.
• Fig. 2c is a plan view of a sleeve elliptical stress distribution.
• the sleeve elliptical stress distribution has a major axis on the y-axis and a minor axis on the x- axis .
• Fig. 2b is a plan view of an inventive piston cross- section B-B, and sleeve uniform stress distribution.
• the elliptical cross-section of outer surface 160 is rotated approximately 90° to the orientation of the elliptical stress distribution in the sleeve. Namely, the outer surface 160 has a major axis on the x-axis and the minor axis on the y-axis.
• the elliptical stress distribution in sleeve 10 becomes substantially uniform or in the instant case, substantially circular 170.
• the uniform substantially circular stress distribution 170 in sleeve 10 significantly increases the durability of the sleeve.
• the stress distribution may have a form other than circular and yet remain uniform.
• a ratio between the major axis length and the minor axis length of outer surface 160 is selected in order to establish a substantially uniform, or in the instant example circular, stress distribution in sleeve 10.
• the ratio of the lengths of the major axis and minor axis is dependent upon the degree of side load compensation, namely end cap tilt ⁇ .
• a tilt angle ⁇ of the end cap is zero and the ratio is 1.0 - a circle.
• the ratio is approximately 1.2.
• a side-load compensating air spring sleeve was tested on an elliptical air spring piston having a ratio of approximately 1.08.
• the operating life of the tested sleeve was approximately five (5) times longer than the operating life of an identical sleeve mounted on a piston having a circular cross section.
• the end cap tilt angle ⁇ was approximately seven (7) degrees.
• Ratios for the inventive air spring piston are in the range of approximately 1.0 to 1.5 for end cap tilt angles ⁇ in a range of approximately 0° to 20°.

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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=32030878

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Family Cites Families (9)

• 2003
  • 2003-09-17 JP JP2004538293A patent/JP2006500525A/ja active Pending
  • 2003-09-17 KR KR1020057004842A patent/KR20050084569A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2003-09-17 WO PCT/US2003/029616 patent/WO2004027283A2/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2003-09-17 EP EP03759325A patent/EP1540200A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2003-09-17 BR BR0314621-9A patent/BR0314621A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2003-09-17 AU AU2003275059A patent/AU2003275059A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-09-17 CA CA002498715A patent/CA2498715A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-09-19 TW TW092125894A patent/TWI225128B/zh not_active IP Right Cessation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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