JP2007261541A - Air suspension - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate mounting work of an air suspension to a vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: The air suspension 1 is provided with an air piston 11 bonded to an outer periphery of a cylinder 3 of a shock absorber 2; an air chamber 12 connected to a distal end of a piston rod 4 of the shock absorber 2; a flexible wall 13 connected to the air piston 11 and the air chamber 12; and an insulator 6 rotatably connected to the air chamber 12 through a bearing 5. A rotation stop member 20 provided with a cap part 21 for closing an opening end of a pipe coupling for an air feed pipe connection provided on the air chamber and a connection part 22 connected to the insulator 6 is provided. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an air suspension.

  Conventional air suspensions are mainly interposed between the vehicle body and the axle for the purpose of suppressing the propagation of vibrations due to road surface input during vehicle travel to the vehicle body. In the case of this suspension, since the shock absorber functions as a support column for positioning the wheel, rotation of the shock absorber in the circumferential direction is allowed during wheel steering.

That is, the shock absorber in the air suspension is rotatable with respect to the insulator that is a member attached to the vehicle body. Specifically, the shock absorber and the insulator are connected via a bearing such as a ball bearing or a thrust bearing. Even if the insulator is connected to the vehicle body, the shock absorbers directly connected to the wheels are allowed to rotate in the circumferential direction with respect to the vehicle body, thereby enabling the steering of the wheels. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 09-119474 (FIG. 1)

  By the way, when the suspension spring used in the above-described strut type suspension is a coil spring, there is no particular problem. However, in the case of an air suspension in which the suspension spring is a gas spring, the air chamber attached to the shock absorber, the air Since it is necessary to supply high pressure gas to the air chamber composed of the piston and the diaphragm connected to the air chamber and the air piston, a pipe joint such as a union joint provided in the air chamber extends from an in-vehicle air tank. It is necessary to connect the air pipe. The air tank is a tank for storing high-pressure gas supplied from the compressor.

  And when installing the air suspension on a vehicle, the arrangement of the air supply pipe has already been determined, so the assembly work for interposing the air suspension between the vehicle body and the axle can be free from shock absorbers. Therefore, the assembly work of the air suspension becomes complicated and the workability is poor.

  Therefore, the present invention has been developed to improve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to facilitate the work of mounting the air suspension on the vehicle.

  The problem-solving means of the present invention includes an air piston coupled to the outer periphery of the cylinder of the shock absorber, an air chamber coupled to the tip of the piston rod of the shock absorber, a diaphragm coupled to the air piston and the air chamber, In an air suspension including an insulator that is rotatably connected to an air chamber via a bearing, a cap portion that closes an opening end of a pipe joint for connecting an air supply pipe provided in the air chamber is connected to the insulator. A detent member provided with a connection portion is provided.

  According to the air suspension of the present invention, the shock absorber does not rotate in the circumferential direction with respect to the insulator by the anti-rotation member. Therefore, when the air suspension is interposed between the vehicle body and the axle, bother the pipe joint. The air suspension can be assembled to the vehicle without the need for positioning the position by a separate method, and the assembly work of the air suspension to the vehicle becomes very easy and the assembly workability is improved. Will improve.

  The present invention will be described below based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway side view of an air suspension according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view of the rotation preventing member in the embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an air suspension 1 according to an embodiment is connected to a shock absorber 2, an air piston 11 coupled to the outer periphery of a cylinder 3 of the shock absorber 2, and a tip of a piston rod 4 of the shock absorber 2. An air chamber 12, a diaphragm 13 as a flexible wall connected to the air piston 11 and the air chamber 12, an insulator 6 rotatably connected to the air chamber 12 via a bearing 5, and a detent member 20 And is configured.

  The shock absorber 2 is well known and not shown in detail, but the cylinder 3, a piston (not shown) that is slidably inserted into the cylinder 3, and a piston that is connected to the piston and movably inserted into the cylinder 3. When the piston rod 4 exhibits relative movement in the axial direction with respect to the cylinder 3, a predetermined damping force is exhibited.

  Subsequently, the gas spring of the air suspension 1 includes a cylindrical air piston 11 coupled to the outer periphery of the cylinder 3, a cylindrical air chamber 12 connected to the piston rod 4 and having a larger diameter than the air piston 11, and an air piston. 11 and an air chamber 12 and a flexible diaphragm 13 that allows relative movement of the air piston 11 and the air chamber 12 in the axial direction, and a cylindrical shape that is connected to the lower end of the air chamber 12 in FIG. The air piston 15, the air chamber 12, and the diaphragm 13 define an air chamber 15, and the air chamber 15 is connected to an air supply pipe (not shown) of an external air tank. The pressure in the air chamber 15 is controlled by supplying or discharging gas from the pipe joint 16 to adjust the spring force of the gas spring. So that the can be.

  The air piston 11 includes a mortar-shaped bottom portion 11a and a cylindrical portion 11b extending from the upper end in FIG. 1 of the bottom portion 11a, and a circular opening 11c provided in the shaft core portion of the bottom portion 11a is press-fitted into the outer periphery of the cylinder 3. They are joined by welding or the like.

  The air chamber 12 includes an annular top portion 12a, an outer tube 12b suspended from the top portion 12a, and an inner tube 12c coupled to the shaft core portion of the top portion 12a. Is connected to the upper end of the piston rod 4 through a collar 8 coupled to the outer periphery of the piston rod 4. Further, the inner diameter of the outer cylinder 12b is set larger than the outer diameter of the cylinder portion 11b of the air piston 11 so as to ensure a space to be connected in a state where the diaphragm 13 is folded back. Accordingly, the air piston 11 can enter and exit from the air chamber 12. A seal member S is provided between the collar 8 and the inner cylinder 12c, so that the air chamber 15 is kept airtight.

  Further, the end 12d, which is the lower end in FIG. 1 of the air chamber 12, has a smaller diameter than that of the outer cylinder 12b. When the end of the diaphragm 13 is sandwiched between the end 12d and the cover 14, the diaphragm 13 is strengthened. An annular recess 12e is provided so that it can be held.

  The cover 14 is a cylinder with a tapered lower end, and a fixed band 14b is provided on the inner peripheral side of the upper end portion 14a so that one end of the diaphragm 13 can be tightened.

  The diaphragm 13 is formed in a cylindrical shape having a small diameter at the other end and a large diameter at the one end, and an annular fixed band 18 on the outer periphery of the air piston 11 where the other end of the diaphragm 13 is coupled to the cylinder 3 of the shock absorber 2. The one end of the diaphragm 13 is connected to the outer periphery of the end portion 12d of the air chamber 12 when the cover 14 is fitted on the outer periphery of the air chamber 12, and the intermediate portion of the diaphragm 13 is folded back. 12 is sandwiched between an end portion 12 d of 12 and a fixing band 14 b provided on the inner periphery of the upper end portion 14 a of the cover 14, and is connected to the air chamber 12.

  Since the inner diameter of the fixed band 14b is set slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the portion other than the annular recess 12e of the end 12d of the air chamber 12, the other end b of the diaphragm 13 is connected to the fixed band 14b and the cover 14 Is compressed in a shape that conforms to the outer diameter of the end portion 12e, and is sandwiched between the cover 14 and the end portion 12d of the air chamber 12, and is firmly connected to the air chamber 12. The

  Subsequently, the insulator 6 includes an annular upper plate 6a, a plurality of bolts 6b inserted into holes provided in a vehicle body (not shown) provided on the upper plate 6a, and an anti-vibration rubber below the upper plate 6a. The lower plate 6d is connected to the bearing 5 by grasping the outer ring 5a of the bearing 5 which is a ball bearing on the inner periphery. In addition, a notch 6e is provided by notching one place on the outer periphery of the lower plate 6d.

  Further, the inner ring 5 b of the bearing 5 is fixed to the top portion 12 a of the air chamber 12 through an annular bracket 19 that holds the inner ring 5 b. The inner diameter of the bracket 19 is larger than the inner cylinder 12c of the air chamber 12, the bearing 5 is disposed on the outer peripheral side of the inner cylinder 12c, and the entire length of the air suspension 1 including the insulator 6 is unnecessarily long. It is prevented from becoming.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the anti-rotation member 20 is connected to the insulator 6 and the cap portion 21 that closes the opening end portion of the pipe joint 16 for connecting the air supply pipe provided in the air chamber 12. The connection part 22 is provided.

  The cap portion 21 is formed in a lid shape so as to be able to close the opening end portion of the pipe joint 16, and the connection portion 22 is provided at the arm 23 extending from the upper end in FIG. And a fitting portion 24 that is provided and fitted into a notch 6e on the outer periphery of the lower plate 6d of the insulator 6.

  Specifically, the fitting portion 24 is a convex portion having a shape that is bent and protrudes to the left and right of the tip of the arm 23 so as to coincide with the notch 6e, and has elasticity. 2, the left and right widths are set slightly larger than the circumferential width of the notch 6e. When the fitting portion 24 is pushed into the notch 6e, the width can be fitted into the notch 6e. The anti-rotation member 20 may be specifically manufactured using a material having elasticity to some extent, such as synthetic resin, the elasticity in the fitting portion 24 is secured, and the attachment / detachment to the notch 6e is facilitated. .

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the arm 23 has a bent portion 23 a that bends from the upper portion of the cap portion 21 toward the air chamber 12 side, and is connected to the upper portion of the bent portion 23 a in the vertical direction, and in the middle of the air chamber 12 And a tip portion 23b having an inclined portion inclined toward the top, and the fitting portion 24 is configured to be easily urged toward the lower plate 6d of the insulator 6 in the upper right direction in FIG. Therefore, after the cap portion 21 of the anti-rotation member 20 is attached to the opening end portion of the pipe joint 16, when the air suspension 1 is transported or assembled to the vehicle, the fitting portion 24 is the lower plate of the insulator 6. A situation in which the connection between the notch 6e and the fitting portion 24 is released by being biased in a direction away from the notch 6e of 6d is prevented, and after the anti-rotation member 20 is attached to the pipe joint 16 The situation in which the fitting portion 24 cannot be fitted into the notch 6e is prevented, and the anti-rotation member 20 does not protrude excessively to the side of the air suspension 1. The outer diameter of the air suspension 1 is not enlarged during transportation or assembly to the vehicle. The shape of the arm 23 is not limited to the above-described shape, but the above-described advantage can be obtained by using the above-described shape.

  Further, a knob 21a is provided at the lower end in FIG. 1 of the cap portion 21, and the anti-rotation member 20 is removed from the pipe joint 16 using the knob 21a after the air suspension 1 is assembled to the vehicle. Is easy.

  As described above, when the cap portion 21 of the anti-rotation member 20 is fitted into the opening end portion of the pipe joint 16 and the fitting portion 24 is fitted into the notch 6e of the lower plate 6d of the insulator 6, the pipe joint 16 And the insulator 6 are positioned in the circumferential direction by the anti-rotation member 20.

  Therefore, since the shock absorber 2 does not rotate in the circumferential direction with respect to the insulator 6, when the air suspension 1 is interposed between the vehicle body and the axle, the position of the pipe joint 16 is bothered by a separate method. The air suspension 1 can be assembled to the vehicle without performing the positioning operation, the assembling work of the air suspension 1 to the vehicle becomes very easy, and the assembling workability is improved. .

  Further, since the anti-rotation member 20 includes a cap portion 21 that closes the opening end of the pipe joint 16, and the anti-rotation member 20 also serves as a lid of the pipe joint 16, the air chamber 15 is used when the air suspension 1 is transported. It is possible to prevent foreign matter and dust from entering the inside, and there is no need for a lid for closing the opening end of the pipe joint 16, and the number of parts when the air suspension 1 is delivered increases. There is no end.

  In addition, in the place mentioned above, since the connection part 22 should just be detachably connectable with the insulator 6, it replaces with the above-mentioned fitting part 24, for example, can grasp a part of outer periphery of the insulator 6. Other connecting means may be provided, such as providing a possible clip, but it is advantageous in terms of processing cost and maintaining the connected state that the connection is possible by the combination of the fitting portion 24 and the notch 6e. .

  This is the end of the description of the present invention, but it goes without saying that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the details shown or described.

It is a partially cutaway side view of an air suspension in an embodiment. It is a front view of the rotation prevention member in one embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air suspension 2 Shock absorber 3 Cylinder 4 Piston rod 5 Bearing 5a Outer ring 5b Inner ring 6 Insulator 6a Upper plate 6b Bolt 6c, 7 Anti-vibration rubber 6d Lower plate 6e Notch 8 Collar 11 Air piston 11a Bottom part 11b Tube part 11c Opening part 12 Air Chamber 12a Top 12b Outer cylinder 12c Inner cylinder 12d End 12e Annular recess 13 Flexible wall diaphragm 14 Cover 14a Cover upper end 14b, 18 Fixed band 15 Air chamber 16 Fitting 19 Bracket 20 Non-rotating member 21 Cap part 21a Knob 22 connecting portion 23 arm 23a bent portion 23b tip portion 24 fitting portion

Claims (2)

An air piston coupled to the outer periphery of the cylinder of the shock absorber, an air chamber coupled to the tip of the piston rod of the shock absorber, a flexible wall coupled to the air piston and the air chamber, and a bearing in the air chamber via a bearing An air suspension including an insulator that is rotatably coupled to each other includes a cap portion that closes an opening end of a pipe joint for connecting an air supply pipe provided in the air chamber, and a connection portion that is connected to the insulator. An air suspension characterized in that a detent member is provided. The air suspension according to claim 1, wherein the connection portion is fitted into a notch provided on an outer periphery of the insulator.

Images