JP2012159146A - Air spring device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily fill gas into a diaphragm in a gas-discharged state in which gas inside the diaphragm has been discharged.SOLUTION: The air spring device includes the diaphragm 5 having: an upper member 2; a lower member 3; and a cylindrical film member 4 having opening ends 4a and 4b separately connected to both the members and sealed. The upper member 2 and the lower member 3 respectively include abutment parts 12 and 18, which face each other with an interval in the axial direction in a filled state in which gas is filled into the diaphragm 5 and which abut on each other in the gas-discharged state in which gas inside the diaphragm 5 has been discharged. At least one abutment part 12 of both the abutment parts 12 and 18 of the upper member 2 and the lower member 3 is formed with: a supply/discharge hole 15 for supplying/discharging gas into/from the diaphragm 5; and a communication passage 21 connecting the supply/discharge hole 15 with the inside of the cylindrical film member 4 in the gas-discharged state.

Description

  The present invention relates to an air spring device disposed between a vehicle body such as a railway vehicle and a carriage.

  Conventionally, for example, a configuration described in Patent Document 1 below is known as this type of air spring device. The air spring device includes an upper member, a lower member, and a diaphragm having a cylindrical membrane member that is sealed by both ends of the member being connected to each other. In addition, a sliding surface is formed on the lower surface of the upper member, and the lower member is spaced apart from the sliding surface in the axial direction while the diaphragm is filled with gas, and the inside of the diaphragm is exhausted. In addition, a sliding plate that comes into contact with the sliding surface of the upper member in the exhaust state is provided.

  In the air spring device, generally, at least one of the sliding surface and the sliding plate is formed with a supply / exhaust hole for supplying / exhausting gas into / from the diaphragm. The supply / discharge hole supplies / discharges gas into / from the diaphragm in order to adjust the pressure in the diaphragm in the filled state, for example.

JP 2010-127350 A

  Here, in the conventional air spring device, it is conceivable to use a supply / discharge hole when the exhausted diaphragm is filled with gas. However, in the exhaust state, since the sliding surface and the sliding plate are in contact with each other, it is difficult to supply gas into the diaphragm from the supply / exhaust hole. For example, the upper member is attached using an external lifting device. Since it is necessary to raise the gas and supply the gas into the diaphragm while separating the sliding surface and the sliding plate from each other in the axial direction, there is a problem that it takes time and effort.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an air spring device that can be easily filled with gas from an exhausted state in which the inside of the diaphragm is exhausted. It is.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following means.
An air spring device according to the present invention includes an upper member, a lower member, and a diaphragm having a cylindrical membrane member in which both opening ends are connected to both of these members and sealed, and the upper member and the Each of the lower members is provided with an abutting portion that is opposed to each other while being spaced apart in the axial direction in the filled state in which the diaphragm is filled with gas, and in contact with each other in the exhausted state in which the inside of the diaphragm is exhausted. An air spring device, wherein at least one of the abutting portions of the upper member and the lower member has a supply / discharge hole for supplying / discharging gas into / from the diaphragm, and the supply / discharge in the exhaust state. A communication path that communicates the hole and the inside of the tubular membrane member is formed.

In the present invention, when the gas is filled into the exhausted diaphragm, first, the gas is supplied from the supply / discharge hole into the cylindrical membrane member through the communication path. Then, the pressure in the tubular membrane member rises and the tubular membrane member expands and deforms, so that the upper member and the lower member are moved apart in the axial direction, and the gas is filled in the diaphragm. .
Thus, in the exhaust state, since the supply / discharge hole communicates with the tubular membrane member through the communication path, gas is supplied into the tubular membrane member in a state where both contact portions are in contact with each other. Thus, the diaphragm can be easily filled with gas in the exhaust state.

  Moreover, the said communicating path may be opened toward the inner side of the diaphragm along the axial direction over the whole region.

  In this case, since the communication path is opened toward the inside of the diaphragm along the axial direction over the entire region, it is possible to process the communication path from the inside of the diaphragm along the axial direction. It can be formed easily.

  Further, the communication path may be communicated with the tubular film member by opening from the outer peripheral surface of the contact portion toward the outside in the radial direction.

  In this case, since the communication path opens from the outer peripheral surface of the contact portion toward the outer side in the radial direction and communicates with the inside of the tubular membrane member, the contact portions contact each other, Even if the communication path is blocked from the inside of the diaphragm along the axial direction over the entire region, it is possible to ensure communication between the supply / discharge hole through the communication path and the inside of the tubular membrane member.

  According to the air spring device of the present invention, it is possible to easily fill the diaphragm with gas from the exhausted state where the inside of the diaphragm is exhausted.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the air spring apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the plate-shaped base part which comprises the air spring apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of an exhaust state in which the inside of a diaphragm is exhausted in the air spring device shown in FIG. 1.

Hereinafter, an air spring device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the air spring device 1 is sealed by connecting both open end portions 4 a and 4 b to an upper plate (upper member) 2, a lower plate (lower member) 3, and these face plates 2 and 3. And a diaphragm 5 including a tubular membrane member 4 in which an intermediate portion 4c located between the open end portions 4a and 4b is bulged outward in the radial direction, and is connected to the lower surface plate 3 of the diaphragm 5 The auxiliary elastic body 6 is provided. The air spring device 1 is disposed between a vehicle body (not shown) such as a railway vehicle and a carriage.

Here, the auxiliary elastic body 6 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the central axes of the upper surface plate 2, the lower surface plate 3, the cylindrical film member 4, and the auxiliary elastic body 6 are located on a common axis.
Hereinafter, this common axis is referred to as an axis O, the upper surface plate 2 side along the axis O direction is referred to as the upper side, the lower surface plate 3 side is referred to as the lower side, and the direction perpendicular to the axis O is referred to as the radial direction. The direction that circulates around O is referred to as the circumferential direction.

  The auxiliary elastic body 6 has higher spring constants in the direction of the axis O and the radial direction than the diaphragm 5 in which a gas such as air is filled, and in this embodiment, an annular lower substrate 7 and an upper substrate. 8 and an annular rubber plate 9 and a metal plate 10 that are alternately arranged in the direction of the axis O between the two substrates 7 and 8. The lower substrate 7, the upper substrate 8, the rubber plate 9, and the metal plate 10 are arranged coaxially with the axis O, and the lower substrate 7, the upper substrate 8, the metal plate 10, and the rubber plate 9 are vulcanized and bonded to each other. Has been.

Moreover, in this embodiment, the outer diameter of the upper board | substrate 8 is the largest among the outer diameters of each member which comprises the auxiliary | assistant elastic body 6, and the outer-periphery edge part of the upper board | substrate 8 protrudes on the radial direction outer side. .
Of the inner diameters of the members constituting the auxiliary elastic body 6, the inner diameter of the lower substrate 7 is minimized, and the inner peripheral edge of the lower substrate 7 protrudes inward in the radial direction.

  In the lower substrate 7, a communication cylinder portion 11 is formed that opens toward both sides in the direction of the axis O and communicates with the auxiliary elastic body 6. For example, a gas supply means or an auxiliary tank (not shown) for supplying and discharging gas into the diaphragm 5 is airtightly connected to a portion of the communication cylinder portion 11 protruding downward from the lower substrate 7.

The lower surface plate 3 of the diaphragm 5 includes a plate-like base portion (contact portion) 12 that is formed of, for example, a metal material, a resin material, or a rubber material and is disposed on the upper substrate 8 of the auxiliary elastic body 6. The plate-like base 12 is arranged coaxially with the axis O, and the outer diameter of the plate-like base 12 is smaller than the outer diameter of the upper substrate 8.
The plate-like pedestal 12 is fixed to the upper substrate 8 of the auxiliary elastic body 6 with fixing bolts 13, whereby the lower surface plate 3 and the auxiliary elastic body 6 are connected in an airtight manner, and the lower surface plate 3 and the auxiliary elastic body. The communication between the inside and the outside of the auxiliary elastic body 6 that passes between the inside and the outside 6 is blocked.

  Note that a plurality of bolt holes 14 through which the fixing bolts 13 are inserted are formed in the plate-like base portion 12, and these bolt holes 14 penetrate the plate-like base portion 12 along the axis O direction. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction. The plurality of bolt holes 14 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the same circle centered on the axis O when viewed from above along the axis O direction.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the plate-like base portion 12 is provided with a supply / discharge hole 15 passing through the auxiliary elastic body 6 and the diaphragm 5 along the axis O direction. The supply / discharge hole 15 is disposed coaxially with the axis O, and communicates with the communication cylinder portion 11 through the auxiliary elastic body 6.
In the example shown in the figure, a female screw portion 15a is formed in the supply / discharge hole 15, and a suspension bolt provided in a lifting device (not shown) for lifting the lower surface plate 3 upward can be screwed into the female screw portion 15a. It has become.

  Here, the outer peripheral edge located on the outer substrate 8 on the auxiliary elastic body 6 on the outer side in the radial direction than the plate-like base 12 is covered with an annular rubber seat 16 from above and on the outer side in the radial direction. The inner peripheral edge of the rubber seat 16 is sandwiched between the plate-like base portion 12 of the lower surface plate 3 and the upper substrate 8 of the auxiliary elastic body 6.

  The upper surface plate 2 has a main body plate portion 17 whose outer diameter is larger than the outer diameter of the tubular membrane member 4, and downward from the radial central portion of the main body plate portion 17 (inside the diaphragm along the axial direction). The main body plate portion 17 and the overhanging portion 18 are arranged coaxially with the axis O.

The overhang portion 18 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape and faces the plate-like base portion 12 of the lower surface plate 3 in the direction of the axis O, and the outer diameter of the overhang portion 18 is the same as the outer diameter of the plate-like base portion 12. It is equivalent.
Further, the outer peripheral side portion of the main body plate portion 17 located on the outer side in the radial direction from the overhanging portion 18 is covered with an annular rubber film 19 from below. There is a radial gap between the overhang portion 18 and the rubber film 19.

  Further, the upper surface plate 2 is provided with a through cylinder portion 20 that penetrates the main body plate portion 17 and the overhang portion 18 in the direction of the axis O and communicates the inside of the diaphragm 5 with the outside. The lower end surface of the through tube portion 20 is flush with the lower surface of the overhang portion 18, and the upper end portion of the through tube portion 20 projects upward from the main body plate portion 17. For example, the gas supply means and the auxiliary tank described above are airtightly connected to the upper end portion of the through cylinder 20.

  The tubular membrane member 4 has flexibility, and is formed of, for example, an elastic material, preferably a rubber material, and the upper opening on the upper side of the opening ends 4a and 4b of the tubular membrane member 4 is formed. The end portion 4 a is externally fitted to the overhang portion 18 of the upper surface plate 2 and is disposed in a gap between the overhang portion 18 and the rubber film 19. The lower opening end 4b on the lower side of both opening ends 4a and 4b is airtightly fitted to the plate-like base 12 of the lower surface plate 3 and is disposed on the rubber seat 16.

  In the example shown in the figure, the lower opening end 4b of the tubular membrane member 4 is fitted to a portion of the plate-like pedestal 12 that is located on the lower side (outside of the diaphragm along the axial direction). The part located in the upper side (inner side of the diaphragm along the axial direction) in the base part 12 is exposed toward the outer side in the radial direction.

  Further, the intermediate portion 4c of the tubular film member 4 bulges radially outward from the upper substrate 8 of the auxiliary elastic body 6, and the intermediate portion 4c is provided on the rubber seat 16 provided on the lower surface plate 3 side. The upper elastic body 6 is in contact with the upper substrate 8 from above and radially outside, and is lowered to the main body plate portion 17 of the upper surface plate 2 via the rubber film 19 provided on the upper surface plate 2 side. Abut.

Here, the overhanging portion 18 of the upper surface plate 2 and the plate-like base portion 12 of the lower surface plate 3 are spaced apart from each other in the direction of the axis O in a filled state where the diaphragm 5 is filled with gas, and are shown in FIG. As described above, the diaphragms 5 are slidably in contact with each other in the exhausted state.
In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, in the filled state, in the diaphragm 5, there is a central space S <b> 1 located between the overhanging portion 18 of the upper surface plate 2 and the plate-like base portion 12 of the lower surface plate 3. A diaphragm space S is formed which is located in the tubular membrane member 4 and extends over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction, and an outer circumferential space S2 connected to the central space S1 from the outside in the radial direction.

  In this filling state, the through-hole portion 20 on the upper surface plate 2 side and the supply / discharge hole 15 on the lower surface plate 3 side are respectively between the overhanging portion 18 of the upper surface plate 2 and the plate-like base portion 12 of the lower surface plate 3. It communicates with the outer peripheral space S2 in the tubular membrane member 4 through the central space S1. In the filled state, for example, gas is supplied / exhausted into the diaphragm 5 through the through cylinder 20 or through the supply / exhaust hole 15 to adjust the pressure in the diaphragm 5.

  Further, when the gas is discharged from the filled diaphragm 5 through the through cylinder 20 or the supply / discharge hole 15, the central space S1 and the outer peripheral space S2 are gradually reduced, and the overhanging portion of the top plate 2 is extended. 18 and the plate-like base portion 12 of the lower surface plate 3 gradually approach each other in the direction of the axis O, and the tubular film member 4 gradually contracts and deforms. As shown in FIG. 3, when the exhaust state is reached, the overhanging portion 18 and the plate-like base portion 12 come into contact with each other and the central space S1 disappears.

  In this exhaust state, the upper plate 2 and the lower plate 3 are diametrically moved by sliding the protruding portion 18 of the upper plate 2 and the plate-like base portion 12 of the lower plate 3 in contact with each other. It is relatively movable along. In the exhausted state, the overhanging portion 18 and the plate-like base portion 12 are brought into contact with each other in the through tube portion 20 on the upper surface plate 2 side and the supply / discharge hole 15 on the lower surface plate 3 side. The communication with the tubular membrane member 4 through the space between the cylindrical base 12 is blocked.

  In the present embodiment, the plate-like base portion 12 of the lower surface plate 3 is formed with a communication passage 21 that communicates the supply / discharge hole 15 and the inside of the tubular membrane member 4 in the exhausted state. The communication path 21 opens upward (inner side of the diaphragm along the axial direction) over the entire region, and opens from the outer peripheral surface of the plate-like base 12 toward the outer side in the radial direction, thereby forming a tubular film. It communicates with the inside of the member 4.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the communication passage 21 is formed in a groove shape on the upper surface of the plate-like base portion 12, extends continuously linearly along the radial direction, and has an equal interval in the circumferential direction. In the present embodiment, among the plurality of bolt holes 14 described above, the adjacent ones in the circumferential direction pass through each other.

Further, in the communication passage 21, the outer end opening 21a that opens toward the outer side in the radial direction is located on the inner side in the radial direction with respect to the outer end opening 21a, and the width in the circumferential direction is constant. It is wider than the width portion 21b. The outer end opening 21a gradually widens from the inner side to the outer side in the radial direction. In the illustrated example, the outer end opening 21a extends along the extending direction in which the communication path 21 extends, and the constant-width portion 21b in the communication path 21. With reference to the passage axis L passing through the central portion in the circumferential direction, the width is widened so as to be symmetric.
The cross-sectional area of the constant width portion 21b of the communication path 21 in the cross section orthogonal to the path axis L is, for example, about 1 mm ² .

  Next, when the air spring device 1 configured as described above is filled with gas into the exhausted diaphragm 5 as shown in FIG. 3, the tubular membrane is firstly passed through the communication passage 21 from the supply / discharge hole 15. A gas is supplied into the member 4. Then, the outer peripheral space S2 is expanded, the pressure in the tubular film member 4 is increased, the tubular film member 4 is inflated and deformed, and the intermediate portion 4c of the tubular film member 4 is interposed between the upper surface plate 2 and the rubber film 19. Is lifted, the upper surface plate 2 and the lower surface plate 3 are moved apart in the direction of the axis O, and the central space S1 is enlarged. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the diaphragm 5 is filled with gas to form the diaphragm space S.

  As described above, according to the air spring device 1 according to the present embodiment, in the exhaust state, the supply / exhaust hole 15 communicates with the tubular membrane member 4 through the communication path 21, so that the top plate It is possible to supply gas into the tubular membrane member 4 in a state where the two overhang portions 18 and the plate-like base portion 12 of the lower surface plate 3 are in contact with each other, and the gas into the diaphragm 5 in the exhausted state Can be easily filled.

Moreover, since the communicating path 21 is opened upward over the whole area, it becomes possible to process the communicating path 21 from the upper surface side of the plate-shaped base part 12, and to form the communicating path 21 easily. Can do.
Further, since the communication passage 21 opens from the outer peripheral surface of the plate-like base portion 12 of the lower surface plate 3 toward the outside in the radial direction, it communicates with the tubular membrane member 4. Even if the communication path 21 is blocked from above over the entire region, the communication between the supply / discharge hole 15 through the communication path 21 and the inside of the tubular membrane member 4 is ensured by the contact between the base portions 12. be able to.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the communication path 21 is arranged at an equal interval in the circumferential direction, but is not limited thereto.
Furthermore, in the said embodiment, although the communication path 21 shall be formed in multiple numbers by the plate-shaped base part 12, one may be sufficient.

Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the outer-end opening part 21a of the communicating path 21 shall be gradually widened as it goes outside from the inner side of radial direction, it does not need to be widened.
Furthermore, in the said embodiment, although the communicating path 21 shall extend continuously linearly along radial direction, it is not restricted to this, You may extend in the shape of a curve.

  In the above embodiment, the communication passage 21 opens from the outer peripheral surface of the plate-like base 12 toward the outside in the radial direction so as to communicate with the tubular membrane member 4. In the state, the communication passage 21 may be communicated with the tubular membrane member 4 by opening upward. As such a configuration, for example, it is conceivable that the outer diameter of the plate-like base portion 12 of the lower surface plate 3 is made larger than the outer diameter of the overhang portion 18 of the upper surface plate 2.

  In the above-described embodiment, the communication path 21 is opened upward over the entire area, but is not limited thereto. For example, a part of the communication path 21 may open upward, and the communication path 21 may be non-opening upward over the entire area. In addition, when the communicating path 21 is a non-opening upward over the whole area, it opens in the cylindrical film member 4 by opening as the communicating path 21 toward the outer side of radial direction from the outer peripheral surface of the plate-shaped base part 12. FIG. It is possible to adopt a configuration that communicates with.

Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the communicating path 21 shall be formed in the plate-shaped base part 12 of the lower surface board 3, it is not restricted to this. For example, a communicating path that communicates the inside of the through cylinder 20 (supply / discharge hole) and the inside of the tubular membrane member 4 may be formed in the overhanging portion 18 of the upper surface plate 2.
Furthermore, the supply / discharge hole and the communication path may be provided in at least one of the overhanging portion 18 of the upper surface plate 2 and the plate-like base portion 12 of the lower surface plate 3.

Further, the upper surface plate 2 adopted as the upper member and the lower surface plate 3 adopted as the lower member are not limited to those shown in the above embodiment, and each of the upper member and the lower member is filled with gas in the diaphragm. If the structure is provided with separate contact portions that are slidably contacted with each other in the exhausted state where the inside of the diaphragm is exhausted while being spaced apart in the axial direction in the filled state it can.
For example, in the above embodiment, the outer diameters of the overhanging portion 18 of the upper surface plate 2 and the plate-like base portion 12 of the lower surface plate 3 are the same, but this is not restrictive.
Further, for example, the lower surface plate 3 may include a support portion that supports the plate-like base portion 12 from below (outside the diaphragm along the axial direction). In this case, the support part may be formed of a material different from that of the plate-like base part 12.

Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the auxiliary | assistant elastic body 6 shall be comprised by laminated rubber, other structure with each spring constant of an axis line O direction and radial direction is higher than the diaphragm 5 with which gas was filled inside. It can be changed appropriately. For example, a configuration including a lower substrate, an upper substrate, and a cylindrical elastic member that is disposed between the two substrates and is vulcanized and bonded to the two substrates may be employed.
Further, the auxiliary elastic body 6 may be omitted. In this case, the lower surface plate 3 may be provided with a configuration corresponding to the upper substrate 8 of the auxiliary elastic body 6.

  In addition, it is possible to appropriately replace the constituent elements in the embodiment with known constituent elements without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the above-described modified examples may be appropriately combined.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Air spring apparatus 2 Upper surface board 3 Lower surface board 4 Cylindrical membrane member 4a, 4b Opening end part 5 Diaphragm 12 Plate-shaped base part (contact part)
15 Supply / exhaust hole 18 Overhang part (contact part)
21 Communication path O Axis

Claims (3)

An upper member, a lower member, and a diaphragm having a cylindrical membrane member that is sealed by being connected to both of these members at both open ends;
The upper member and the lower member are opposed to each other while being spaced apart from each other in the axial direction in the filled state in which the diaphragm is filled with gas, and are in contact with each other in the exhausted state in which the inside of the diaphragm is exhausted Is an air spring device provided separately,
At least one of the abutting portions of the upper member and the lower member is
Supply and discharge holes for supplying and discharging gas into the diaphragm;
An air spring device characterized in that a communication passage communicating the supply / discharge hole and the inside of the tubular membrane member in the exhaust state is formed. The air spring device according to claim 1,
The air spring device is characterized in that the communication path is opened toward the inside of the diaphragm along the axial direction over the entire region. The air spring device according to claim 2,
The air spring device according to claim 1, wherein the communication passage opens from the outer peripheral surface of the contact portion toward the outside in the radial direction, and communicates with the tubular membrane member.

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