JP2521728Y2 - Air suspension - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] << Industrial application field >> This invention relates to an air suspension used for adjusting a vehicle height of an automobile or the like, and more specifically, to prevent interference between a rolling diaphragm and a protector when the vehicle is running. It relates to an improved air suspension.

<Conventional technology> Conventional air suspensions are, for example,
As shown in FIG. 2, there is a strut tube 2, a piston rod 3, a rolling diaphragm 4, an outer shell 5, an insulator 6, etc., and one end of the rolling diaphragm 4. Is crimped tightly to the strut tube 2 with the crimping fitting 9, and the other end is tightly crimped to the outer shell 5 together with the protector 10, and the inner wall shape of the protector 10 is slightly spaced from the rolling diaphragm 4. The piston rod 13 attached to the insulator 6 with respect to the strut tube 2 expands and contracts to adjust the vehicle height. Then, with this vehicle height adjusting operation, the rolling diaphragm 4 makes an eccentric movement,
Full rebound 4b as shown by the broken line
During the normal stroke (solid line state) from the full-bound 4a of the strut tube 2, draws the envelope surface indicated by the trajectory A so as to swell to the left and moves.

<< Problem to be Solved by the Invention >> At this time, since the inner wall shape of the protector 10 has a shape with a slight gap in the rolling diaphragm 4 and a shape symmetrical to the entire circumference, the outer periphery of the rolling diaphragm 4 The surface interfered with the inner wall of the protector 10 to significantly reduce its durability.

Conventionally, in order to solve this problem, measures were taken to provide a notch in the protector 10, but in this case, the rolling diaphragm 4 may be damaged by stepping stones or the like during traveling, and the influence of ozone in the atmosphere may be caused. The degree was also large, and there was a big problem in durability. In order to avoid the interference of the rolling diaphragm 4 with the protector 10 without the notch, it is conceivable to increase the outer diameter of the protector 10 while keeping the entire circumference symmetrical, but this leads to an increase in the size of the entire apparatus. It cannot be adopted.

This invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of the conventional product, and has as its object to provide an air suspension that improves the durability of a rolling diaphragm without increasing the size of the device.

<< Means for Solving the Problems >> In order to achieve the above object, the air suspension of the present invention is configured such that the folded lower end of the rolling diaphragm, which is protected by being protected by the protector, has a piston rod that expands and contracts with respect to the strut tube. In the air suspension configured to move on the envelope surface at the time of adjusting the vehicle height, the shape of the inner wall of the protector is shifted toward the inclination direction side of the strut tube that is inclined when the vehicle height is increased by the vehicle height adjustment. The rolling diaphragm has a bulge having a gap between itself and the outer peripheral surface thereof, so that the rolling diaphragm has a left-right asymmetric shape.

<< Operation >> The air suspension configured as described above always has a predetermined gap with the outer peripheral surface of the rolling diaphragm corresponding to the locus drawn by moving the inner wall shape of the protector at the time of adjusting the height of the folded back portion of the rolling diaphragm. Since the rolling diaphragm is deflected in accordance with the vehicle height adjustment operation and draws a trajectory of an envelope with its folded lower end bulging, the inner wall of the protector is moved even when the rolling diaphragm moves. Without interference
In addition, since the inner wall shape of the protector has only a small gap on the envelope surface, the size of the entire device does not increase.

<< Embodiment >> Hereinafter, based on the embodiment shown in the drawings, the configuration of the air suspension of the present invention will be described by assigning the same reference numerals to the same parts as those in the related art. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an air suspension according to the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes an air suspension. 6 and so on. One end of the strut tube is attached to a brake device (not shown), a tire, or the like. One end of the rolling diaphragm 4 is attached to the strut tube 2 by a caulking fitting or the like, and the other end is connected to the outer shell 5 by a protector.
It is crimped together with 20 via a caulking fitting or the like.

The inner wall of the protector 20 has a shape in which the piston rod 3 extends with respect to the strut tube 2 and has a gap between the outer peripheral surface of the rolling diaphragm 4 and the inclination direction side of the strut tube 2 that is inclined when the vehicle height is adjusted. Therefore, the shape is asymmetric in the left-right direction in the figure, and has a shape having a bulge 20a from the right to the left.

The rolling diaphragm 4, the outer shell 5, the protector 20, and the piston rod 3 constitute an upper strut as a whole, and the piston rod 3 inserted into the strut tube 2 penetrates the center of the outer shell 5, and the outer shell 5 The piston rod 3 is rotatably supported by the vehicle body via a bearing of the insulator 6. For this reason, when the driver operates the steering wheel, the strut tube 2 and the upper part of the strut are integrally rotated by the turning angle of a wheel (not shown), that is, the turning angle of a spindle (not shown) integrated with the strut tube 2.

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described. When the strut tube 2 moves relative to the piston rod 3 in accordance with the vehicle height adjusting operation, the rolling diaphragm 4 performs an asymmetrical deviating movement with respect to the center axis of the outer shell 5, and its folded lower end. part 4a moves to the full bound at 4a ₁ or a full rebound during 4a ₂ than in the normal (solid line state) as shown, so that the the locus a. The trajectory A is drawn so as to follow the movement of the strut tube 2 with respect to the piston rod 3 and to incline from right to left in the drawing. The folded lower end portion 4 of the rolling diaphragm 4 has an asymmetric inner wall shape in the left-right direction and has a bulge 20a from the right to the left, so that the inner wall shape of the protector 20 is And always have a predetermined slight gap.

<< Effects of the Invention >> As is clear from the above description, the air suspension of this invention has a shape of the inner wall of the protector which is rolled in the direction of inclination of the strut tube which is inclined when the vehicle height is increased by adjusting the vehicle height. The rolling diaphragm has a bulge with a gap between it and the outer peripheral surface of the diaphragm, so that the rolling diaphragm has an asymmetrical deviating movement with respect to the center axis of the outer shell due to the vehicle height adjustment operation. The outer peripheral portion does not collide with the inner wall of the protector to improve durability. Further, since the rolling diaphragm is always covered and protected by the protector, it is possible to reduce the influence of ozone in the atmosphere without being damaged by stepping stones or the like during traveling. Furthermore, the inner wall shape of the protector has a bulge having a gap between the outer peripheral surface of the rolling diaphragm and the swelling side of the strut tube that inclines when the vehicle height is increased by adjusting the vehicle height, so that the left and right sides are asymmetric. Because of the shape, the size of the entire apparatus is minimized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an air suspension according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram showing a conventional air suspension. 1 ... air suspension, 2 ... strut tube, 3 ... piston rod, 4 ... rolling diaphragm, 4a ... folded lower end, 5 ... outer shell.

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] An air suspension in which a folded lower end portion of a rolling diaphragm protected by being protected by a protector moves on an envelope surface when adjusting a vehicle height in which a piston rod expands and contracts with respect to a strut tube. The shape of the inner wall of the protector has a bulge having a gap between the outer peripheral surface of the rolling diaphragm on the side of the strut tube that inclines when the vehicle height is increased due to the vehicle height adjustment. An air suspension characterized by an asymmetric shape.