JPH0125046Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a vehicle height adjustment device for a vehicle equipped with an air spring suspension mechanism.

[Prior Art] The air spring suspension mechanism will be described with reference to FIG. 1. An axle case 25 is supported with an air spring 24 interposed between a bracket 26 connected to the axle case 25 and a vehicle frame 39. Air is supplied from the air tank 9 to the spring 24, and air is released from the air spring 24 to the atmosphere to improve the vehicle height (vehicle frame 39 and axle case 2).
5) is adjusted. For this reason, the car frame 39
A vehicle height adjustment valve 30 is fixed to the vehicle height adjustment valve 30, and a link 8 is connected by pins 37 and 38 between an operating lever 29 connected to a rotation shaft 36 for operating the valve and an arm 28 connected to the aforementioned bracket 26. connected,
When the actuation lever 29 is rotated as the axle case 25 moves up and down, the amount or pressure of air in the air spring 24 is adjusted by the vehicle height adjustment valve 30 to maintain a predetermined vehicle height.

The vehicle height can be adjusted by changing the length of the link 8, but with typical air spring suspension systems, such adjustments must be made by a worker crawling under the vehicle body, and the height may be adjusted while the vehicle is in motion. cannot be done.

For buses equipped with air spring suspension mechanisms, it is desirable to lower the vehicle height at stops to facilitate boarding and alighting, and for trucks, it is desirable to lower the loading platform to facilitate loading and unloading.

In the vehicle height adjustment device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 58-98211, one end of the arm that holds the vehicle height adjustment valve is pivotably supported on the vehicle frame, and a pneumatic actuator for tilting the arm is attached to the arm. An electromagnetic on-off valve is connected to the vehicle frame, and the pneumatic circuit of the pneumatic actuator is provided with an electromagnetic on-off valve, while a link is connected between the operating lever of the vehicle height adjustment valve and an axle supported by an air spring. When the pneumatic actuator is extended, the tip of the arm is pushed up, the operating lever is rotated accordingly, the air in the air spring is discharged, and the vehicle height is lowered.

The above-mentioned device requires a large number of parts and a complicated installation configuration, as it requires supporting the vehicle height adjustment valve on the arm, a pneumatic actuator to tilt the arm, and an electromagnetic on-off valve to control this pneumatic circuit. become.

[Problems to be solved by the invention] The purpose of the invention is to provide a vehicle height adjustment system that has a simple configuration, can be easily attached to conventional vehicle height adjustment devices, and allows the user to freely adjust the vehicle height from the driver's seat while driving. The goal is to provide equipment.

[Means for solving the problem] In order to achieve the above object, the structure of the present invention is such that the link connected to the operating lever of the vehicle height adjustment valve fixed to the vehicle frame and the axle case supported by the air spring is divided into two parts. A screw shaft supported on the other divided body is screwed into a nut supported on one divided body, and a driving means is provided for rotating either the screw shaft or the nut.

[Function] When the electric motor 4 is driven, the screw shaft 5 or the nut 7 is rotated, and a relative axial movement occurs between the upper divided body of the link 8 and the lower divided body of the link 8, and the vehicle height adjustment valve 30 is actuated. When the lever 29 is tilted, pressurized air is supplied from the air tank 9 to the air spring 24 via the vehicle height adjustment valve 30 to raise the vehicle height, or the air in the air spring 24 is supplied to the vehicle height adjustment valve 30. It is then emitted into the atmosphere, lowering the vehicle height.

[Embodiment of the invention] As shown in FIG.
3, and a drive means for expanding and contracting the same is electrically operated from the outside.

As shown in FIG. 2, the telescopic mechanism 23 has a main body 3 fitted inside the outer cylinder 2 in a slidable but unrotatable manner, and a nut 7 formed integrally with the main body 3 to rotate the outer cylinder 2. A screw shaft 5, which can be supported, is screwed together. An electric motor 4 that drives the screw shaft 5 is supported by an end wall of the outer cylinder 2 and covered by a cover 21. The upper divided body of the link 8 is coupled to the cover 21 of the outer cylinder 2. A stopper 6 is provided at the inner end of the screw shaft 5 to prevent it from coming off.
will be provided. The lower segment of the link 8 is coupled to the main body 3.

Conductive wires 19 and 20 are drawn out from the electric motor 4 and connected to an on-vehicle battery 18 via a switch 10. This switch 10 has contact pieces 10a, 10b that rotate the motor 4 in the forward direction, and contact pieces 10c, 1 that rotate the motor 4 in the reverse direction.
0d are connected between the positive conductor and the negative conductor of the on-vehicle battery 18, respectively.

A mechanism for preventing rotation of the nut 7 is provided at the sliding portion between the outer cylinder 2 and the nut 7. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, an axial groove 2a is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 2, and a protrusion 3a that engages with the groove 2a is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the nut 7. A pin may be provided instead of this protrusion 3a.

Next, the operation of the device of the present invention will be explained. Contact pieces 10a, 1 of the switch 10 placed on the driver's seat
When 0b is closed, the electric motor 4 is driven to rotate in the normal direction, the screw shaft 5 is screwed into the nut 7, and the nut 7 is inserted into the outer cylinder 2, thereby lowering the vehicle height. Conversely, when the contact pieces 10c and 10d of the switch 10 are closed, the electric motor 4
is driven in the reverse direction, the screw shaft 5 is screwed out from the nut 7, the nut 7 comes out of the outer cylinder 2, and the vehicle height becomes higher.

According to the present invention, the link 8 can be expanded or contracted by operating the switch 10 on the driver's seat as described above. Therefore, when the link 8 is extended, the operating lever 29 is rotated counterclockwise in FIG. Pressurized air is supplied from the tank 9 to the air spring 24, increasing the vehicle height. As the vehicle height increases, when the operating lever 29 reaches the substantially horizontal neutral position shown in FIG. 1, the air passage between the air tank 9 and the air spring 24 is blocked, and the vehicle height is maintained at that height.

Conversely, when the link 8 is shortened, the actuating lever 2
9 is rotated clockwise together with the rotation shaft 36, the air in the air spring 24 is discharged to the outside, and the vehicle height is lowered. When the operating lever 29 reaches a horizontal neutral position as the vehicle height decreases, the air outlet of the air spring 24 is closed and the vehicle height is maintained at that level.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, a guide wall plate 22 having a square hole is fixed inside the outer cylinder 2 which is connected to the upper division body of the link 8, and a cylindrical guide wall plate 22 is fixed to the lower end of the outer cylinder 2. The main bodies 12 are connected by bolts.
Both ends of the ball screw shaft 15 having a square cross section are slidably fitted into the square hole of the end plate 32 connected to the lower end of the main body 12 and the square hole of the guide wall plate 22 described above. The lower end of the ball screw shaft 15 is constructed integrally with the lower divided body of the link 8. The ball screw shaft 15 is screwed into the nut 7 via a series of balls 16.
The nut 7 is rotatably supported inside the outer cylinder 2 by a thrust bearing 13, and is also supported by a thrust bearing 14 on the end wall of the main body 12. A bevel gear 7a is formed on the upper end surface of the nut 7, and a bevel gear 41 that meshes with the bevel gear 7a is connected to the main shaft of the electric motor 4 supported on the outer cylinder 2. When the nut 7 is rotated via the bevel gear 41 by the forward/reverse drive of the electric motor 4, the ball screw shaft 15 is axially moved relative to the outer cylinder 2.
Link 8 is expanded or contracted.

[Effects of the invention] As mentioned above, the present invention divides the link connecting the operating lever of the vehicle height adjustment valve fixed to the vehicle frame and the axle case supported by the air spring into two parts, and supports it on one of the parts. A screw shaft supported by the other divided body is screwed into the nut, and a driving means is provided for rotating one of the screw shaft and the nut, and there is no need to newly provide a solenoid valve or air piping. is simple and can be easily assembled into conventional air spring suspension mechanisms, reducing costs.

The vehicle height can be adjusted freely from the driver's seat according to the vehicle's driving conditions, improving driving stability.
It also makes loading and unloading easier.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle height adjustment device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of an expansion and contraction mechanism in the vehicle height adjustment device, and FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view of the same.
FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of a telescoping mechanism according to a modified embodiment of the present invention. 2... Outer cylinder, 3... Main body, 4... Electric motor, 5... Screw shaft, 7... Nut, 7a, 41... Bevel gear, 8... Link, 9... Air tank, 13, 14... Bearing, 15...
Ball screw shaft, 24...air spring, 25...axle case, 29...operating lever, 30...vehicle height adjustment valve,
39...Car frame.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] The link connected to the operating lever of the vehicle height adjustment valve fixed to the vehicle frame and the axle case supported by the air spring is made into two parts, and the screw shaft supported by the other part is screwed into the nut supported on one of the parts. 1. A vehicle height adjustment device comprising: a drive means for rotating one of the screw shaft and the nut.