WO2018177666A1

WO2018177666A1 - Adjustable spring bracket

Info

Publication number: WO2018177666A1
Application number: PCT/EP2018/054720
Authority: WO
Inventors: Josef Renn; Tom Schneider; Jan ROSSBERG; Christian Fueglein
Original assignee: Zf Friedrichshafen Ag
Priority date: 2017-03-29
Filing date: 2018-02-27
Publication date: 2018-10-04
Also published as: DE102017205269A1

Abstract

The invention relates to an adjustable spring bracket (1), comprising a spring plate (41), wherein the spring plate (41) can be axially adjusted by means of an actuator (9) and is rotationally fixed with respect to a longitudinal axis (47) of the spring bracket (1) in the circumferential direction, wherein the actuator (9) is axially retained at least indirectly by a cylinder-side support surface, wherein a housing (11) for a drive unit (19, 21) of the actuator (9) and a spring plate support surface are connected to each other, wherein the housing (11) is driven by the actuator (9) for the axial movement of the spring plate (65) and the spring bracket (1) comprises a bearing cylinder (3) that has a rotation prevention profile (53) formed by a bearing ring (53) fixed to the bearing cylinder (3), wherein the connection between the bearing cylinder (3) and the bearing ring (53) is designed as a releasable force-fit and/or interlocking connection.

Description

Adjustable spring carrier

The invention relates to an adjustable spring carrier according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

DE 10 2015 208 787 A1 describes an adjustable spring carrier comprising a pump unit for a hydraulic actuator, which shifts a spring plate axially to a externa ßeren cylinder of a vibration damper. In particular, in an obliquely inclined to the longitudinal axis of the vibration damper spring plate, the alignment and the fixation of the spring plate in the circumferential direction is important. For an anti-rotation is proposed, is secured against rotation in the Aktuatorkolben. In the embodiment according to FIGS. 3 and 4 of DE 10 2015 208 787 A1, the actuator piston has a form-fitting profile with the actuator cylinder. However, this type of construction leads to a comparatively difficult sealing of the actuator piston.

From the older DE 10 2016 202 314 A1, an adjustable spring carrier is known, in which the actuator housing is adjustable to the vibration damper, wherein the Aktu actuator housing carries the secured in the circumferential direction spring plate. The actuator housing is in turn positioned circumferentially about a welded to the outer cylinder of the vibration damper support ring in conjunction with an axial guide. In this embodiment, the positive connection is solved by means of axial guide very expensive. Furthermore, the welding of the support ring is not always possible or useful, for. B. in a thin-walled cylinder and the changed by the heat input material properties of the cylinder.

The object of the present invention is to provide a spring carrier with a rotationally secured spring plate in the circumferential direction, can be dispensed with in a welded support ring.

The object is achieved in that a housing for a drive unit of the actuator and a spring seat support surface are connected to each other, wherein the housing for the axial movement of the spring plate is driven by the actuator and the spring carrier comprises a support cylinder having an anti-rotation profile, which is formed by a support ring fixed to the support cylinder, wherein the connection between the support cylinder and the support ring is designed as a releasable frictional connection and / or positive connection.

The advantage of the non-positive or positive connection is that a support cylinder can be used, on which just no welded connection must be made. When manufacturing the spring carrier, it is not clear how high the static weight of the vehicle will be on the axle. Consequently, it is possible to achieve a simple basic adjustment of the vehicle level by a variation of support rings with different height by simply replacing the support ring.

The support ring may be a metallic inner sleeve, with the support cylinder a

Press fit received, and have a sheath body made of plastic. A plastic sheath body offers the advantage that even more complex cover structures can be produced more easily, but the mechanical strength of the metallic inner sleeve is achieved.

Alternatively or additionally, it can be provided that the support cylinder for the support of the support ring has a radially projecting cam profile into which the support ring engages. Then, the support ring inner diameter can be made larger than the outer diameter of the support cylinder, since the centering then takes place via the cam profile.

The housing has in the region of the positive connection to the support ring on a cylindrical outer surface, which cooperates with a concave section of the support ring. The advantage is that the housing has a very easy to produce casting or forging geometry, so requires virtually no rework for the positive connection. In order to obtain an overall slim support ring, the concave cutout is executed in a flange portion of the support ring. With the flange material is used only where a function must be fulfilled.

In operation, the housing performs an axial lifting movement to the support ring. So that there is no dirt that impedes the working movement of the housing within the positive connection, and thus the guidance of the housing, the flange area is designed with axial dirt removal openings.

In addition, the support ring has a receptacle for a protective tube, which is fixed at its other end to the housing. The protective tube is designed telescopically, for example as a bellows or as a multi-part tube, in which at least two parts can be pushed into one another.

The actuator is powered by external energy. For a supply line, the support ring may have a line holder.

Preferably, the actuator has an inner cylinder which is centered at its one end by the support ring and at its other end by a centering ring to the support cylinder. About the mounting ring gap, the actuator can easily thread on the support cylinder, the mounting ring gap is closed by the centering ring.

The centering ring may be part of an end cap of the support cylinder. The specific embodiment is dependent on the axial positioning of the actuator on the support cylinder.

The centering of the inner cylinder takes place in a simple manner by an interference fit between the centering ring and the inner cylinder.

Depending on the combination outer diameter of the support cylinder and inner diameter of the centering ring of the centering ring engages in an inner diameter range of the inner cylinder or the centering engages over a Außenendurchmesserbe- area of the inner cylinder.

Also, the centering ring has a support flange for a protective tube between the centering ring and the housing in order to protect the sliding region of the housing to the support ring.

With regard to a small number of parts, the protective tube between the centering ring and the housing and the protective tube between the support ring and the housing identical connection contours. This can be identical

Thermowells are used for the two protection areas.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the following description of the figures.

It shows:

Fig. 1 sectional view of a spring carrier

Fig. 2 detail view of Figure 1

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of FIG. 1. FIG

Fig. 4 support ring as a single part

Fig. 5-9 variants for centering ring of Figure 1

1 shows a sectional view of a spring carrier 1 with a support cylinder 3, which is part of a vibration damper 5 with a piston rod 6. At a lower end of the support cylinder 3, a Radträgeranschluss 7 is attached, via which the spring carrier 1 z. B. is positioned within a vehicle axle. Positioned means in the broadest sense, the height arrangement of the spring carrier 1 and the rotational orientation of the support cylinder 3 to the vehicle axle and thus within a limited space. The spring carrier 1 has an actuator 9, which is arranged in a housing 1 1. The housing 1 1 has two parallel cylinder portions 13; 15 and have a cross section in the shape of an eight. A first cylinder region 13 has a first receptacle 17 for a drive 19, which acts on a pump 21 in a second receptacle 23. The pump 21 has two delivery directions and is preferably adjustable. It is an equivalent circuit diagram inserted to illustrate that the concrete structural design of the pump and the drive for the invention is subordinate.

Both cylinder areas 13; 15 are firmly connected. In this example, the housing 1 1 is made in one piece. The second cylinder portion 15 surrounds the support cylinder 3 and forms with an inner cylinder 25 a Gleichgangzylinder as a pressure medium operated actuating cylinder. The housing 1 1 has end fixed bases 27; 29, which together with a divider 31 which is fixed to the inner cylinder 25, two working spaces 33; 35 forms, in turn, via a respective pressure medium connection 37; 39 are connected to the pump 21. Thus, the housing 1 1 forms with the inner cylinder 25 a manageable unit.

The housing 1 1 carries a spring plate 41 for a vehicle suspension spring 43. For the housing 1 1 has a support surface 45 and the bottom 27 via a radial projection 47 which engages in a groove 49 of the spring plate 41 to a positive fit in the peripheral ring to reach. About the positive locking an anti-rotation between the spring plate 41 and the actuator 9 is achieved. Of course, the positive connection between the housing 1 1 and the spring plate 41 may also be designed differently.

The support cylinder 3 has an axial support surface 51 for a support ring 53, on which the housing 1 1 is supported. The axial support surface 51 may be formed as a circumferential radially outwardly facing bead or by a plurality of individual beads 55. In Fig. 1, a plurality of individual beads 55 are shown, which are arranged in a common horizontal plane. Figures 2, 3 and 4 are intended to bring the structure and the details of the support ring 53 closer. The support ring 53 has a jacket body 57 made of plastic and a metallic inner sleeve, which receives an interference fit with the support cylinder 3. As a result, there is a releasable frictional connection between the support ring 53 and the support cylinder 3. The forces occurring in the circumferential direction are relatively easy to control, so that the frictional connection is designed as a detachable connection.

Optionally, the support ring in the direction of the support surface 51 can also have a bottom-side profiling, which engages in free spaces 63 delimited by the radially projecting cam profile of the individual beads 55. Then there is also a positive connection between the support ring 53 and the support cylinder 3.

As already described, the first cylinder region 13 of the housing 1 1 has a cylindrical base surface and thus also a cylindrical lateral surface 65. The positive connection between the support ring 53 and the housing 1 1 is achieved in that the support ring 53 has a concave cutout 67, which cooperates with the lateral surface 65. Consequently, the housing 1 1 can not rotate in the circumferential direction via the force and / or positive connection between the support ring 53 and the support cylinder 3. The support ring 53 has a sleeve portion 69 and an end flange portion 71, in which the concave cutout 67 is executed. (FIG. 3 and FIG. 4). In the perspective view of FIG. 4 it can be seen that the flange region 71 is designed with axial dirt removal openings 73. The sheath body 57 made of plastic simplifies that the support ring 53 may have a line holder 75 for the actuator 9.

In the synopsis of FIGS. 1 and 2 it can be seen that the support ring 53 has a receptacle 77 for a protective tube 79, which is fixed at its other end to the housing 1 1. The protective tube 79 is either telescopic or designed as a bellows. Thus, a lower stroke range of the housing 1 1 can be covered to the inner cylinder 25, which extends from a lower edge of the inner sleeve 25 to the end face 81 of the bottom 29. In the enlargement of Fig. 2 it is clear that between the support cylinder 3 and the inner cylinder 25, a mounting gap 83 is present. To compensate for this mounting gap 83, the inner cylinder 25 is centered at one end of the support ring 53 and at its other end by a centering ring 85 to the support cylinder 3. FIG. 2 shows a centering cone 87 of the support ring 53, which is formed by the jacket body 57, as FIGS. 5 to 9 are intended to explain. FIG. 5 shows a detail enlargement of FIG. 1 in the region of the centering ring 85 which, like FIG. 6, has axial centering webs which engage in the assembly gap 83 or in an inner diameter region 91 of the inner cylinder. Between the centering ring 85 and the inner cylinder 25 is an interference fit. As a preferred material for the centering ring 85, a plastic is used, which is radially elastic, in particular in the region of the centering webs 89th

The centering ring 85 has a support flange 93 for a protective tube 95 between the centering ring 85 and the housing 11. The protective tube 95 between the centering ring 85 and the housing 11 and the protective tube 79 between the support ring 53 and the housing 11 may have identical terminal contours. Consequently, the two protective tubes 79, 95 can be made identical overall, since the stroke between the housing 11 and the centering ring 85 is just as long as between the support ring 53 and the housing 11. It should be ensured that the sleeve portion 69 of the support ring 53rd and a pipe socket 97 of the centering ring 85 are at least made similar length.

Notwithstanding Figures 5 and 6, the centering ring according to FIGS. 7 - 9 part of an end cap 99 of the support cylinder 3. A protective bellows 101 extends from a receiving groove 103 of the housing 11 concentric with the piston rod 6 and covers it. The not shown end of the protective bellows 101 is fixed in place to the outer end of the piston rod 6, also not shown.

The embodiment according to FIGS. 8 and 9 differs from the variant according to FIGS. 5 to 7 in that the centering ring or the end cap engages over an outer diameter region 105 of the inner cylinder 25 and thus centered on the support cylinder 3. Basically, there is also the possibility of this variant Separation between end cap 99 and centering ring 85 similar to the embodiment of Figures 5 and 6. The end cap is located radially directly on the support cylinder 3 and thus bridges the mounting gap 83rd

REFERENCE CHARACTERS

Spring carrier 59 inner sleeve

Supporting cylinder 61 profiling

Vibration damper 63 Free space

Piston rod 65 cylindrical surface

Wheel carrier connection 67 Detail

Actuator 69 Sleeve section

Housing 71 Flange area

First cylinder area 73 Intake opening Second cylinder area 75 Line holder First holder 77 Holder

Drive 79 protective tube

Pump 81 front side

second picture 83 Mounting gap

Inner cylinder 85 centering ring

Bottom 87 centering cone

Floor 89 centering bars

Divider 91 Inside diameter range

Working space 93 Supporting flange

Working space 95 Protective tube

Pressure medium connection 97 Pipe socket

Pressure medium connection 99 End cap

Spring plate 101 protective bellows

Vehicle support spring 103 receiving groove

Support surface 105 Au ßendurchmesserbereich radial projection

groove

support surface

support ring

Beading

covering body

Claims

claims

1. Adjustable spring carrier (1), comprising a spring plate (65), wherein the spring plate (65) by means of an actuator (9) is axially adjustable and to a longitudinal axis (47) of the spring carrier (1) is secured against rotation in the circumferential direction, wherein the Aktua is held axially at least indirectly by a cylinder-side support surface, characterized in that a housing (11) for a drive unit (19, 21) of the actuator (9) and a spring plate support surface (67) are interconnected, wherein the housing (11) for the axial movement of the spring plate by the actuator (9) is driven and the spring carrier (1) comprises a support cylinder (3) having a Verdrehsicherungsprofil (53) which is formed by a support cylinder to the (3) fixed support ring (55) the connection between the support cylinder (3) and the support ring (55) is designed as a releasable adhesion and / or positive connection.

2. spring carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that the support ring (55) has a metallic inner sleeve (59) which enters into an interference fit with the support cylinder (3), and a jacket body (57) made of plastic.

3. spring carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that the support cylinder (3) for the support of the support ring (53) has a radially projecting cam profile (55).

4. spring carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (11) in the region of the positive connection to the support ring (55) has a cylindrical outer surface (65) which cooperates with a concave cutout (67) of the support ring (53).

5. spring carrier according to claim 4, characterized in that the concave cutout (67) in a flange portion (71) of the support ring (53) is executed.

6. spring carrier according to claim 5, characterized in that the flange portion (71) with axial Schmutzabführöffnungen (73) is executed.

7. spring carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that the supporting ring (53) has a receptacle (77) for a protective tube (79) which is fixed with its other end on the housing (11).

8. spring carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that the support ring (53) has a line holder (75) for the actuator (9).

9. spring carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that the actuator (9) has an inner cylinder (25) centered at one end of the support ring (53) and at its other end by a centering ring (85) to the support cylinder (3) becomes.

10. spring carrier according to claim 9, characterized in that the centering ring (85) is part of an end cap (99) of the support cylinder (3).

11. Spring carrier according to claim 9, characterized in that between the centering ring (85, 99) and the inner cylinder (25) is an interference fit.

12. Spring carrier according to claim 9, characterized in that the centering ring (85, 99) engages in an inner diameter region (91) of the inner cylinder (25).

13. Spring carrier according to claim 9, characterized in that the centering ring (85, 99) engages over an outer diameter region (105) of the inner cylinder (25).

14. spring carrier according to claim 9, characterized in that the centering ring (85) has a support flange (93) for a protective tube (95) between the centering ring (85) and the housing (11).

15. spring carrier according to claim 7, characterized in that the protective tube (95) between the centering ring (85) and the housing (11) and the protective tube (79) between the support ring (53) and the housing (11) have identical connection contours.