JP2005125958A - Suspension device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a suspension device facilitating the adjustment of a car height, while enabling the suspension device to be mounted easily in spite of the presence of a protruding member on the vehicle body side. <P>SOLUTION: A cylindrical space part C opening downward is formed of a hollow cylindrical member 11 comprising an inner cylindrical part 6, outer cylindrical part 7 and wall parts 5. An annular piston 4 is fitted inside the cylindrical space part C of the hollow cylindrical member 11. The protruding member 38 of the vehicle body is stored within the inner cylindrical part 6 of the hollow cylindrical member 11. The upper end of a coil spring 3 is brought into contact with the annular piston 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an automobile wheel suspension system.

Conventionally, the present inventors have made various proposals on a suspension device in which a coil spring and an air spring are arranged in series in order to easily adjust the vehicle height and improve riding comfort (for example, (See Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the present inventors arrange a coil spring 31, an air spring 32, and an adapter 33 with adjustable mechanical height in series so that a vehicle body 34 and an axle (a connecting arm) ) We have also proposed a suspension system installed between the 35 side as Japanese Patent Application 2002-201343.
JP 2001-001730 A JP 2001-121936 A

  As illustrated in FIG. 6, the conventional suspension device has no problem in the mounting operation if the mounting portion 34 </ b> A on the vehicle body 34 side is a flat surface. That is, for example, in the step wagon made by Honda, the mounting portion 34A has a flat surface shape (flat), so that the upper end of the adapter 33 can be attached by the bolt 36 or the like.

However, depending on the vehicle model, as shown in FIG. 4, a protruding member 38 that protrudes (enters) into the (original) coil spring 37 may be formed on the vehicle body 34 side. (The protruding member 38 serves to attach the bump rubber 39 to the lower end.)
When the projection member 38 shown in FIG. 4 is present in the attachment portion 34A of the suspension device, the conventional suspension device as shown in FIG. 6 described above—the coil spring 31, the air spring 32, and the adapter 33 are connected in series. I cannot install the suspension system that I placed.

  If the suspension device shown in FIG. 6 or the suspension device of Patent Documents 1 and 2 is installed, the protruding member 38 illustrated in FIG. 4 is cut from the root (upper end), and the hole is further formed. Since it must be attached after it is closed by welding or the like, the cutting operation and attachment (welding) operation are extremely troublesome and time-consuming, and there is also a problem that the rigidity of the vehicle body 34 is lowered.

  Therefore, the present invention provides an air cylinder (air spring) and a coil spring connected in series to a vehicle having such a protruding member on the vehicle body side without cutting or welding the vehicle body side. An object of the present invention is to provide a suspension device that can be easily mounted even if it is provided. Furthermore, it is possible to easily change the vehicle height, to ensure a high-speed running stability, and to provide a suspension device that can secure a sufficient vehicle height when traveling on rough roads (land roads). The purpose is.

Therefore, the suspension device according to the present invention includes a hollow cylindrical member that includes an inner cylindrical portion, an outer cylindrical portion, and a wall portion orthogonal to the axial center, and that forms an open cylindrical space portion in one vertical direction. Mounting an annular piston in the cylindrical space of the hollow cylindrical member, and forming a fluid storage cavity between the wall and the inner surface of the piston in the cylindrical space, Further, a coil spring is arranged in series on the outer surface side of the piston.
In addition, air is sealed in the fluid storage chamber. Further, the air is sealed in the fluid storage space to form an air cylinder, and the air is taken in and out to adjust the vehicle height.
Alternatively, the vehicle height is adjusted by putting oil into and out of the fluid housing empty space.
In addition, a shock absorber is provided in parallel with the piston and the coil spring arranged in series.

The present invention has the following remarkable effects.
Even in a vehicle type in which a protruding member exists on the vehicle body side, it is possible to mount a suspension device including a fluid pressure cylinder (air cylinder) without cutting or welding the vehicle body side. In addition, the vehicle height can be set to a slightly low level when driving at high speeds, and the vehicle height can be set to a high level when driving on rough roads. It can be changed.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on the illustrated embodiment.
FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an automobile wheel suspension system according to the present invention. This suspension system 1 includes a coil spring 3 and a fluid pressure cylinder 2 arranged in series. The vehicle body 34 and the axle 35 are mounted.
Specifically, the fluid pressure cylinder 2 includes a hollow cylindrical member 11 having an open cylindrical space C in the downward direction and an annular piston 4. The hollow cylindrical member 11 includes a wall portion 5 in a direction orthogonal to the axis L, a direction orthogonal to the axis, and an inner cylindrical portion 6 and an outer cylindrical portion 7. The upper side (ceiling side) is closed by the wall portion 5 and opens downward.

The annular piston 4 is mounted in the cylindrical space C of the hollow cylindrical member 11 so as to be capable of reciprocating in the vertical direction, and the inner surface (upper surface) 8 of the piston 4 and the wall 5 in the direction orthogonal to the axis. In between, the fluid accommodation empty space E is formed. In other words, in the cylindrical space portion C, the fluid housing empty space E is formed between the wall portion 5 in the direction orthogonal to the axial center and the inner surface 8 of the piston 4.
And the upper end of the coil spring 3 is made to contact the outer surface 9 of this piston 4, and the coil spring 3 and the piston 4 are arrange | positioned in series. In other words, the coil spring 3 is arranged in series on the outer surface 9 side of the piston 4, and the fluid pressure cylinder 2 and the coil spring 3 are arranged in series. Here, “in series” refers to an arrangement in which the transmission of force between the vehicle body 34 side and the axle 35 is not transmitted via only one, but is always transmitted via both. Define.

In FIG. 1, a fluid pipe 12 is connected to a hollow cylindrical member 11 via a joint 10. The fluid pressure cylinder 2 constitutes an air cylinder (air spring) 2A by preferably sealing air in the fluid housing empty space E. In addition, air is hermetically stored in the fluid storage space E to form an air cylinder 2A so that air can be freely taken in and out (not shown) with switching valves, air tank / compressor, etc., and the fluid pipe 12 above. It is desirable to adjust the vehicle height by connecting and disconnecting air.
In addition, oil can be freely taken into and out of the fluid storage empty space E, and is connected to a switching valve (not shown) and a pump through the fluid pipe 12 to adjust the vehicle height by taking in and out the oil. It is also free to do.

As shown in FIG. 1, the above-described fluid pressure cylinder 2 (the piston 4) and the coil spring 3 arranged in series are independently provided with a shock absorber (shock absorber) 13. It is).
Reference numeral 20 denotes an upper mount, and the wall portion 5 of the hollow cylindrical member 11 of the fluid pressure cylinder 2 contacts the upper mount 20 from below. There is a projecting member 38 that hangs down from the vehicle body 34 through the upper mount 20, and this projecting member 38 is housed in the inner tube portion 6 of the hollow tubular member 11. In the example shown in the figure, a bump rubber 39 is attached to the lower end of the protruding member 38, and the bump rubber 39 protrudes to the internal space of the coil spring 3. Reference numeral 25 denotes a tire.

  As is clear from a comparison between FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, in the suspension device 1 according to the present invention, the fluid pressure cylinder 2 (air cylinder 2 </ b> A) has an inner space in the axial direction formed by the inner cylinder portion 6. Since the chamber portion B is provided, the suspension device according to the present invention can be easily attached by removing the coil spring 37 (existing) before modification and the like. That is, the modification can be easily performed as shown in FIG. 1 without performing troublesome work such as cutting the existing protruding member 38 from the base (upper base end). Of course, the conventional welding operation for covering the cover material after cutting the protruding member 38 can be omitted.

Next, another embodiment shown in FIG. 2 has a structure in which the fluid pressure cylinder 2 and the coil spring 3 already described in FIG. 1 are disposed upside down. The same reference numerals as those in FIG.
However, the cylindrical space portion C of the hollow cylindrical member 11 is opened upward, and the lower part of the coil spring 3 is inserted from above, so that the outer surface 9 of the annular piston 4 ─── upper surface ── Directly or indirectly (or through other members not shown). Further, the wall portion 5 in the direction perpendicular to the axis is received by the receiving member 14 on the axle 35 side. In short, FIG. 2 and FIG. 1 show the case where they are arranged upside down (symmetrically).
At this time, the protruding member 38 is inserted into the coil spring 3 along the axis L as a penetrating shape, and the lower half of the protruding member 38 enters the inside of the inner cylinder portion 6 ──inner chamber B B. Stored.

  3 (A) and 3 (B) are enlarged sectional views of the annular piston 4 applied to FIG. 1 or FIG. 2. In FIG. 3 (A), the piston 4 includes an annular piston body 15 and The piston body 15 is fitted into a first seal member 21 such as an O-ring fitted in a concave groove 16 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the piston body 15 and concave peripheral grooves 17, 18, 19 formed on the inner peripheral surface. It comprises a second sealing material 22 such as an O-ring, a sliding bearing 23, a dust seal packing 24, and the like. Moreover, the lower side of FIG. 3A shows the case of the outer surface 9, but the mounting protrusion ring portion 26 is formed on the outer surface 9, and the coil spring 3 is fitted as shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 3. Attached and positioned. The slide bearing 23 is slidably in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder portion 6. The dust seal packing 24 prevents dust from entering from the outside.

  The piston 4 may have a shape structure as shown in FIG. 3 (B). In FIG. 3 (B), two concave peripheral grooves 17 and 17 are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the piston body 15. In addition, the seal members 22 and 22 such as O-rings are mounted, and concave circumferential grooves 18 and 16 are formed on the outer peripheral surface, and the slide member 23 and the seal member 21 such as the O-ring are fitted. That is, the sliding bearing 23 is slidably in contact with the inner surface of the outer cylinder portion 7. It is the same as that of FIG. 3B that the outer ring 9 has a protrusion ring portion 26 for attaching the coil spring 3.

  3 (A) and 3 (B), the sealing materials 21 and 22 may be U packings or square packings, and increase / decrease in the concave circumferential grooves 16, 17, 19 or increase / decrease in the dust seal packing 24. Such design changes are free. Further, a sliding bearing 23 is also provided on the inner peripheral surface side of the piston 4, or the material of the piston 4 itself is made of a material that has low frictional resistance and is easily slid, or the outer peripheral surface / inner peripheral surface of the piston 4 is coated. It is free to do.

  The present invention is a suspension device that can be easily attached even when the (obstructive) projecting member 38 is present on the side of the vehicle body 34 as described above, but in the case of a vehicle type without such a projecting member 38, By utilizing the inner vacant space B formed on the inner surface of the inner cylinder 6, another coil spring 27 shown in FIG. 5B is housed (interior), or a shock as shown in FIG. In order to accommodate (internally) the absorber 28 and to improve suspension characteristics, it is also preferable to accommodate (internally) a fluid pressure cylinder and various sensors (not shown).

  In FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, when air (compressible) is used as a fluid, the vehicle height can be increased by supplying the air in the direction of arrow G and supplying it into the fluid storage space E. Conversely, if air is discharged in the direction opposite to arrow G, the vehicle height can be reduced.

  In the above-described case using air, the coil spring 3 and the air cylinder 2A (fluid storage space E) are arranged in series. Although not shown, pressurized air is supplied to the air cylinder 2A from the compressor via a dryer, an air tank, a solenoid valve, a regulator, and the like. By opening and closing the solenoid valve with a switch on the driver's seat, Alternatively, the pressurized air is taken in and out of the air cylinder 2A by a mechanical switching valve. The compressor power is supplied from a battery.

The generated force F of the air cylinder 2A has the following relationship between the internal pressure P of the air cylinder 2A and the effective pressure receiving area S of the air cylinder 2A.
F = P × S
Therefore, since the generated force F is proportional to the air pressure (internal pressure P), it can be easily converted into a numerical value and reliably changed to a predetermined vehicle height.

  In another embodiment of the present invention, oil is supplied as an incompressible fluid through a pipe 12 or the like to an in-vehicle hydraulic pump (not shown) and a hydraulic valve (not shown) in the fluid housing empty space E. It is also possible to easily adjust the vehicle height by supplying and raising / lowering the piston 4. During operation, the solenoid valve and the manual switching valve are opened and closed (switched) with the switch and lever of the driver's seat, and the pressurized oil from the hydraulic pump is supplied in the direction of arrow G to increase the vehicle height. The oil in the fluid storage empty space E can be returned to the tank to reduce the vehicle height (easily).

  As described above, the present invention is a hollow cylindrical member 11 composed of an inner cylindrical portion 6, an outer cylindrical portion 7, and a wall portion 5 in the direction perpendicular to the axial center, which forms an open cylindrical space C in one vertical direction. And mounting the annular piston 4 in the cylindrical space C of the hollow cylindrical member 11, and in the cylindrical space C, the wall 5 and the inner surface 8 of the piston 4 In addition, a fluid storage vacant space E is formed between them, and the coil spring 3 is arranged in series on the outer surface 9 side of the piston 4, so that the projection member 38 and the like are obstructed on the original vehicle body 34 side. Even if there is a simple member (leaving it as it is), the suspension device 1 of the present invention can be easily mounted. In other words, the above-mentioned disturbing member can be accommodated in the penetrating inner vacant space B in the vertical direction of the inner cylindrical portion 6 of the hollow cylindrical member 11. Alternatively, the coil spring 27, the shock absorber 13 and other various mechanisms as shown in FIGS. 5 (b) and 5 (c) are housed in the inner space B of the inner cylinder portion 6 to increase the degree of freedom in design. .

  Further, if air is sealed in the fluid housing empty space E, an air cylinder 2A that can be compressed and elastically deformed is formed, and the vehicle height can be easily adjusted. Further, since the air is sealed in the fluid storage space E to form the air cylinder 2A and the vehicle height is adjusted by taking the air in and out, for example, when driving at high speed, The vehicle can be stably driven at a low height. On the other hand, when traveling on a rough road, the vehicle height can be increased to prevent interference between the bottom wall of the vehicle body and rocks.

  Alternatively, if the vehicle height is adjusted by putting oil into and out of the fluid storage vacant space E, the vehicle height can be adjusted reliably and quickly while maintaining the same characteristics as in FIG. It becomes possible. Further, since the piston 4 and the coil spring 3 arranged in series are independent of each other and the shock absorber 13 is arranged in parallel, the vicinity of the fluid pressure cylinder 2 and the coil spring 3 is compactly gathered, and the vehicle body There is an advantage that it is easy to mount between 34 and the axle 35.

It is a partial cross section front view which shows one Embodiment of this invention. It is a partial cross section front view which shows the carrying of other implementations of this invention. It is principal part sectional drawing. It is the partial cross section front view which showed the state before mounting | wearing with the suspension apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the modification of the principal part. It is a partial cross section front view which shows a prior art example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Suspension device 2 Fluid pressure cylinder 2A Air cylinder 3 Coil spring 4 Toroidal piston 5 Wall part 6 Inner cylinder part 7 Outer cylinder part 8 Inner surface 9 Outer surface
11 Hollow cylindrical member
13 Shock absorber
38 Projection member C Cylindrical space E Fluid storage vacant space L Center axis

Claims (5)

  A hollow cylindrical member comprising an inner cylindrical part (6), an outer cylindrical part (7), and a wall part (5) perpendicular to the axial center, forming an open cylindrical space part (C) in one vertical direction ( 11), an annular piston (4) is mounted in the cylindrical space (C) of the hollow cylindrical member (11), and the wall is formed in the cylindrical space (C). A fluid storage space (E) is formed between the portion (5) and the inner surface (8) of the piston (4), and further, a coil spring is connected in series to the outer surface (9) side of the piston (4). (3) is disposed, the suspension device.   The suspension device according to claim 1, wherein air is sealed in the fluid housing empty space (E).   The suspension device according to claim 1, wherein air is hermetically stored in the fluid storage space (E) to form an air cylinder (2A) and the vehicle height is adjusted by taking in and out the air. .   The suspension device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle height is adjusted by putting oil into and out of the fluid housing empty space (E).   The suspension system according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein the piston (4) and the coil spring (3) arranged in series are provided with a shock absorber (13) in parallel.

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