JP4863331B2 - Inversion prevention device for link mechanism for vehicle height sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent inversion of a link mechanism to be used for a vehicle height sensor. <P>SOLUTION: One end of a sensor side link member 20 is mounted on a turning part 10A of a vehicle height sensor 10. One end of an axle side link member 30 is turnably connected to the other end of the sensor side link member 20 via a ball joint 30A or the like. The other end of the axle side link member 30 is turnably connected to an axle side link member mounting part 40 via a ball joint 30B or the like. Stopper parts 7A, 7B are provided on a bracket 7 for a vehicle height sensor. The stopper part 7A is arranged so as to assemble a link mechanism including the sensor side link member 20 and the axle side link member 30 only when the stopper part is in the original positional relationship A between the sensor side link member 20 and the axle side link member 30. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an inversion prevention device for a link mechanism applied to a vehicle height sensor for detecting a distance between a vehicle body and an axle.

  For example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, an air spring is disposed between a vehicle body (body or frame) and an axle (axle), and the air is supplied to the air spring according to the degree of air supply. 2. Description of the Related Art There is known a vehicle height adjustment device configured to be able to control a distance between a vehicle body and an axle (that is, a vehicle height that is a height from the road surface of the vehicle body) as desired.

  Such a vehicle height adjusting device is used for, for example, improving the traveling stability of the vehicle or maintaining the vehicle, or for the convenience of unloading, unloading, getting on and off, etc. Alternatively, the vehicle height can be controlled as desired according to the number of passengers, the loaded weight, and the like.

  Specifically, the distance between the vehicle body and the axle is actually detected by a vehicle height sensor. For example, the detection result is compared with the target value, and the deviation in the air spring is reduced. The vehicle height is controlled as desired by controlling the air pressure of the vehicle. Alternatively, the vehicle height is controlled as desired by the manual operation of the operator.

Here, as a vehicle height sensor used in the vehicle height adjusting device, for example, there is one used by being attached by a method as shown in FIG.
That is, from the standpoint of preventing damage and contamination, a vehicle height sensor 200 including a potentiometer, for example, is attached to the vehicle body 100 via the vehicle height sensor bracket 110, and the angle to the vehicle height sensor 200 is One end of a rod-shaped sensor-side link member 210 that extends in the radial direction within the rotation plane is attached to the rotation unit 201 that is an input unit for position or angular position change. One end of a rod-like axle-side link member 220 is connected to the other end of the sensor-side link member 210, for example, via a ball joint 220A, and the other end of the axle-side link member 220 is connected. The part is rotatably attached to a part of the axle 300 via a ball joint 220B, for example.

  By configuring in this way, the relative position or displacement of the axle with respect to the vehicle body (that is, the distance between the vehicle body and the axle or the change thereof) is secured while ensuring sufficient assembly and the like, while ensuring a sufficient stroke. It can be detected with high accuracy.

  However, for example, after a vehicle equipped with such a vehicle height sensor is shipped to the market, when assembling the sensor side link member 210 or the axle side link member 220 for replacement, repair, maintenance, etc., As indicated by a chain line in FIG. 5, the original positional relationship A between the sensor side link member 210 and the axle side link member 220 is opposite to the straight line connecting the rotation center of the rotation unit 201 and the ball joint 220B. There is a risk of assembly in an inverted state so that the positional relationship B is obtained.

  The vehicle height sensor 200 is configured to obtain good output characteristics in a state where the sensor side link member 210 and the axle side link member 220 are assembled in the original positional relationship A. When assembled in the reverse state, the distance between the axle 300 and the vehicle body 100 and the relative displacement of the axle 300 with respect to the vehicle body 100 cannot be detected with high accuracy, and the vehicle height adjustment control is satisfactory. There is a risk that it may not be possible, or the vehicle height sensor 200, the sensor side link member 210, the axle side link member 220, and the like may be damaged.

  In the vehicle height sensor 200 as described above, for example, the sensor-side link member 210 and the axle-side link member 220 are rotated about the rotation center in accordance with the relative displacement of the axle 300 with respect to the vehicle body 100. However, for example, the positional relationship between the sensor-side link member 210 and the axle-side link member 220 is shown in FIG. There is also a possibility that the original positional relationship A shown in FIG.

Even in such a case, the distance between the axle 300 and the vehicle body 100 and the relative displacement of the axle 300 with respect to the vehicle body 100 cannot be detected with high accuracy, and the vehicle height adjustment control may not be satisfactorily performed. The high sensor 200, the sensor side link member 210, the axle side link member 220, and the like may be damaged.
JP-A-63-199110 JP 2000-335220 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inversion prevention device for a vehicle height sensor link mechanism that can prevent inversion of a link mechanism used in a vehicle height sensor.

For this reason, the inversion prevention device for the vehicle height sensor link mechanism according to the present invention is:
A link mechanism inversion prevention device used for a vehicle height sensor for detecting a distance between a vehicle body and an axle,
The vehicle height sensor is a sensor that outputs a detection signal based on a rotation amount of a rotation unit provided in the vehicle height sensor, and is attached to one of the vehicle body and the axle,
The link mechanism is
A first link member having one end connected to the rotating portion of the vehicle height sensor;
One end is connected to the other end of the first link member so as to be rotatable around the first rotation center, and the other end is connected to the other of the vehicle body or the axle so as to be rotatable around the second rotation center. A second link member,
Comprising
The first rotation center is an original position with a straight line connecting the rotation center of the rotation unit and the second rotation center in a plane substantially parallel to the rotation plane of the rotation unit. In order to prevent it from being positioned at the reverse position located on the opposite side, a stopper portion that protrudes from the vehicle body that restricts movement by contacting the first link member or the second link member connected to the vehicle body side is provided. It is characterized by including the provided anti-inversion bracket .

The reversing prevention bracket has a stopper portion that can be supported by contacting the first link member or the second link member connected to the vehicle body side when the vehicle height sensor is assembled to the vehicle body frame in the vertically inverted state. Is further provided .

The stopper portion of the anti-reverse bracket is configured such that, after the first link member and the second link member are assembled in their original positions, the first link member and the second link member when the acting inertia force is below a predetermined level. It can be characterized by not contacting the two link members.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, although it is a simple and cheap structure, the reversal of the link mechanism used for a vehicle height sensor can be prevented reliably.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle height sensor link mechanism inversion prevention device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, leaf springs 2, 3 are attached to a frame 1 on the vehicle body (body) side, and an axle (axle) 4 is integrated with the leaf springs 2, 3 via a fastening member 5. Is attached. A shock absorber 6 for damping vibration is attached to a part of the axle 4 on one end side (lower side in FIG. 1) and attached to the frame 1 on the other end side (upper side in FIG. 1). Yes.

The vehicle height sensor 10 is attached to the frame 1 via a vehicle height sensor bracket 7 which is an example of a reversal prevention bracket according to the present invention, and a rotating unit 10A which is an input unit to the vehicle height sensor 10. In addition, one end of the sensor side link member 20 is attached. One end of the axle-side link member 30 is rotatably connected to the other end of the sensor-side link member 20 via, for example, a ball joint 30A. The other end of the axle-side link member 30 is For example, via a ball joint 30B, it is rotatably connected to an axle side link member mounting portion 40 that is displaced in the vertical direction in FIG. 1 in conjunction with the movement of the axle 4.

  Here, the sensor side link member 20 functions as a first link member according to the present invention, and the axle side link member 30 functions as a second link member according to the present invention. The ball joint 30A functions to provide the first rotation center according to the present invention, and the ball joint 30B functions to provide the second rotation center according to the present invention.

  The axle side link member 30 is provided with a screwing portion 30C functioning as a length adjusting portion in the longitudinal direction, and the vehicle height sensor 10, the sensor side link member 20, the axle is provided by the screwing portion 30C. For example, product errors and mounting errors (positional shift, length shift, etc.) of the side link member 30 and the axle side link member mounting portion 40 can be easily adjusted.

  In the present embodiment having such a configuration, the vehicle height is set via the sensor side link member 20 and the axle side link member 30 according to the distance between the axle 4 and the frame 1 (that is, the vehicle height). The rotation unit 10A of the sensor unit 10 is rotated, and a potentiometer (not shown) built in the vehicle height sensor 10 outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the angular position of the rotation unit 10A, and the CPU, ROM, various interfaces A control unit (not shown) including an A / D converter or the like receives the output signal and detects a distance (vehicle height) between the axle 4 and the frame 1.

  Further, when relative displacement of the axle 4 with respect to the frame 1 (vertical movement in FIGS. 1 and 2; change in the distance between the vehicle body and the axle) occurs, the axle-side link member 30 and the sensor-side link member 20 are interposed. Thus, the displacement is transmitted to the rotating portion 10A of the vehicle height sensor unit 10, and the rotating unit 10A of the vehicle height sensor 10 is rotated according to the displacement. The change in the angular position of the rotating portion 10A of the vehicle height sensor 10 is converted into an electric signal via a potentiometer or the like built in the vehicle height sensor 10, and the electric signal is sent to the control unit.

  The control unit receives the electrical signal and obtains a change in vehicle height by calculation based on the electrical signal and vehicle height data stored in advance.

  The control unit then adjusts the air pressure in the air spring (not shown) to each actuator (not shown) so as to obtain a desired vehicle height according to the request based on the detected vehicle height or a change in the vehicle height. Control through. As a result, the vehicle height can be controlled as desired, so that, for example, the running stability of the vehicle can be increased or maintained, and convenience for unloading, unloading, and getting on and off can be achieved. Etc. can be improved. The vehicle height sensor 10 can be disposed on all wheels (in other words, the axle) such as the left and right front and rear wheels, or can be disposed on some of the wheels.

  Here, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, stopper portions 7 </ b> A and 7 </ b> B are provided on the vehicle height sensor bracket 7. These stopper portions 7A and 7B are assembled so that the sensor side link member 20 is positioned between the stopper portion 7A and the stopper portion 7B when the sensor side link member 20 and the axle side link member 30 are assembled. It functions as a mark, a mark, etc. for the worker, thereby contributing to the improvement of work efficiency and the avoidance of erroneous assembly as described later.

  The stopper portion 7A is in a state where the sensor-side link member 20 and the axle-side link member 30 are in the original positional relationship A (see reference numeral A in FIG. 2). A link mechanism including the side link member 30 is disposed so as to be assembled so as to connect the vehicle height sensor 10 and the axle side link member mounting portion 40.

  That is, the ball joint 30A, which is a connecting portion between the sensor side link member 20 and the axle side link member 30, includes a rotation center of the rotation portion 10A of the vehicle height sensor 10 and a rotation center of the ball joint 30B. In the state of reversal positional relationship B (see symbol B in FIG. 2) located on the opposite side across the straight line connecting, the sensor side link member 20 and the stopper portion 7A cannot be assembled due to interference. A stopper portion 7A is provided at a position so as to protrude from the mounting surface of the vehicle height sensor 10 by a predetermined amount (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

  Thereby, it can prevent reliably that the original positional relationship A of the said sensor side link member 20 and the said axle side link member 30 is assembled | attached accidentally so that it may become the reverse positional relationship B. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably prevent erroneous detection of the vehicle height sensor 10 due to such erroneous assembly, and consequently erroneous vehicle height adjustment control by the control unit. Further, it is possible to reliably prevent the rotation portion 10A of the vehicle height sensor 10, the sensor-side link member 20, the axle-side link member 30, and the connection portion thereof from being damaged due to erroneous assembly. .

  Further, the stopper portion 7A is configured to prevent the positional relationship A between the sensor-side link member 20 and the axle-side link member 30 from being the reverse positional relationship B during actual operation such as when the vehicle is running. The side link member 20 functions so as to restrict movement due to the action of inertial force.

  For example, the axle 4 is relatively displaced with respect to the frame 1 when the vehicle travels over unevenness during driving and there is an external input from the wheel side (ie, the axle 4 side) (the vertical direction in FIG. 1). At this time, the leaf springs 2 and 3 and the air spring (not shown) supporting the axle 4 are expanded and contracted.

  For this reason, the ball joint 30A of the axle-side link member 30 connected to the axle 4 via the axle-side link member mounting portion 40 also moves in the vertical direction in FIGS. The positional relationship A between the sensor-side link member 20 and the axle-side link member 30 may become the reverse positional relationship B due to the action such as inertial force that occurs.

  As described above, when the positional relationship A between the sensor side link member 20 and the axle side link member 30 becomes the reverse positional relationship B, the vehicle height sensor 10 accurately detects the relationship between the axle 4 and the frame 1. It is impossible to measure the distance (ie, the vehicle height) and the change between them, and the vehicle height adjustment control cannot be performed accurately by the control unit. Furthermore, there is a possibility that the rotating portion 10A of the vehicle height sensor 10, the sensor-side link member 20, the axle-side link member 30, and their connecting portions may be damaged.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, in the case where the positional relationship A between the sensor side link member 20 and the axle side link member 30 becomes the reverse positional relationship B due to the action of the inertial force as described above, the stopper portion 7A. Is in contact with the sensor-side link member 20 to restrict the movement of the sensor-side link member 20.

  Accordingly, it is possible to reliably prevent the phenomenon that the positional relationship A between the sensor side link member 20 and the axle side link member 30 becomes the reverse positional relationship B caused by the action of the inertial force as described above. it can.

  For this reason, even if an inertial force is generated due to the relative displacement of the axle 4 with respect to the frame 1 in the case of overcoming the unevenness during traveling, the originality of the sensor side link member 20 and the axle side link member 30 is reduced. The positional relationship A can be maintained, so that the detection accuracy of the vehicle height sensor 10 can be maintained with high accuracy and the reliability of the vehicle height adjustment control can be improved, and damage to each part can be reliably prevented. can do.

  The stopper portion 7B is a frame in which the vehicle height sensor 10 to which the sensor side link member 20 and the axle side link member 30 are attached in advance is turned upside down in the assembly process from the viewpoint of ease of assembly. 1 can be used as a base for supporting the sensor-side link member 20 and the axle-side link member 30 when assembled to the vehicle height sensor bracket 7 attached to the vehicle. Alternatively, the sensor side link member 20 and the axle are attached to the vehicle height sensor 10 attached to the frame 1 placed in the upside down state in the assembly process through the vehicle height sensor bracket 7 in view of ease of assembly. When the side link member 30 is assembled, the side link member 30 can be used as a stand for supporting the sensor side link member 20 and the axle side link member 30.

  By the way, the stopper portions 7A and 7B according to the present embodiment are the most contracted even when the leaf springs 2 and 3 are extended most in the assumed range (when the axle 1 moves most downward in FIG. 1). Even when the axle 1 moves upward in FIG. 1, it is provided at a position where it does not contact the sensor side link member 20.

  That is, the stopper portion 7A according to the present embodiment does not come into contact with the sensor side link member 20 within the range of the suspension stroke when the acting inertia force is below a predetermined level, and the influence of the inertia force is not affected. Only when receiving, there is play of each part, and the sensor side link member 20 and the axle side link member 30 rotate unnecessarily, and the original positional relationship A is inverted to the positional relationship B. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of the phenomenon of being lost. And the stopper part 7B which concerns on this Embodiment can improve the ease of an assembly, without contact | abutting to the said sensor side link member 20 at the time of actual work, and causing a damage etc. FIG.

  The stopper portions 7A and 7B can be integrally formed with the vehicle height sensor bracket 7 by, for example, pressing as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The stopper portions 7A and 7B and the vehicle height sensor bracket 7 may be configured separately from each other.

  In the above-described embodiment, the vehicle height sensor 10 has been described as being configured to be attached to the frame 1 via the vehicle height sensor bracket 7. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the vehicle height sensor 10 is directly connected to the frame 1. It is good also as a structure attached to the flame | frame 1. In such a case, the said stopper parts 7A and 7B can be attached to the flame | frame 1 integrally or separately.

  Furthermore, although the vehicle height sensor 10 is configured to be attached to the frame 1 in the present embodiment, it may be configured to be attached to the axle 4 side.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the stopper portions 7A and 7B are configured to contact the sensor side link member 20. However, the stopper portions 7A and 7B are prevented from contacting the axle side link member 30 and reversing to the reverse position. It can also be arranged.

  In the present embodiment, the stopper portion 7A has been described as preventing reversal due to the action of inertial force. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the ball joints 30A, 30B It is also possible to limit the amount of rotation, thereby preventing reversal due to the action of inertial force.

It is a figure explaining the whole structure of one embodiment concerning the present invention. It is an enlarged view explaining the inversion prevention apparatus of the link mechanism for vehicle height sensors which concerns on embodiment same as the above. It is a figure which partially extracts and shows the inversion prevention device of the link mechanism for vehicle height sensors concerning an embodiment same as the above. It is the figure which looked at the bracket for vehicle height sensors from the X direction of FIG. It is a figure which shows the conventional link mechanism for vehicle height sensors.

Explanation of symbols

1 Body (frame)
4 axles
7 Bracket for vehicle height sensor 7A, 7B Stopper 10 Vehicle height sensor 20 Sensor side link member (first link member)
30 Axle side link member (second link member)
30A ball joint (first rotation center)
30B ball joint (second rotation center)
40 Axle side link member attachment

Claims (3)

A link mechanism inversion prevention device used for a vehicle height sensor for detecting a distance between a vehicle body and an axle,
The vehicle height sensor is a sensor that outputs a detection signal based on a rotation amount of a rotation unit provided in the vehicle height sensor, and is attached to one of the vehicle body and the axle,
The link mechanism is
A first link member having one end connected to the rotating portion of the vehicle height sensor;
One end is connected to the other end of the first link member so as to be rotatable around the first rotation center, and the other end is connected to the other of the vehicle body or the axle so as to be rotatable around the second rotation center. A second link member,
Comprising
The first rotation center is an original position with a straight line connecting the rotation center of the rotation unit and the second rotation center in a plane substantially parallel to the rotation plane of the rotation unit. In order to prevent it from being positioned at the reverse position located on the opposite side, a stopper portion that protrudes from the vehicle body that restricts movement by contacting the first link member or the second link member connected to the vehicle body side is provided. An anti- inversion device for a link mechanism for a vehicle height sensor, comprising the anti-inversion bracket provided . The reversing prevention bracket has a stopper portion that can be supported by contacting the first link member or the second link member connected to the vehicle body side when the vehicle height sensor is assembled to the vehicle body frame in the vertically inverted state. The apparatus for preventing inversion of a link mechanism for a vehicle height sensor according to claim 1, further comprising: After the first link member and the second link member are assembled in their original positions, the stopper portion of the reversal prevention bracket is in a state where the acting inertia force is below a predetermined level, the first link member and the second link member The inversion prevention device for a link mechanism for a vehicle height sensor according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the device does not contact the two link members.