Air spring having hybrid bellows

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9512895-B2
Application number	US-201214009401-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2012
Priority date	Apr 6, 2011
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

An air spring assembly for a motor vehicle, including an air spring, a rolling piston, a tubular rolling air spring bellows arranged concentrically about a central longitudinal axis of the air spring, and an air spring cover. A first partial air spring bellows has a first embedded textile reinforcement and a second partial air spring bellows has a second embedded textile reinforcement The first textile reinforcement has first reinforcing threads, the preferred axis of which extends parallel or nearly parallel to the axis of the central longitudinal axis of the air spring The second textile reinforcement has second reinforcing threads, the first preferred axis of which extends obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the air spring and the second preferred axis of which extends obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the air spring, wherein the first and the second preferred axis are at an angle to each other.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air spring assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising an air spring, an air spring bellows, an air spring cover, and a rolling piston, wherein the air spring bellows is a tubular rolling bellows, wherein the air spring bellows is arranged concentrically about a central longitudinal axis of the air spring, between the air spring cover and the rolling piston, wherein the air spring bellows has a first partial air spring bellows and a second partial air spring bellows, wherein the first partial air spring bellows partially encloses an air volume at the end of the air spring on the cover side, wherein the second partial air spring bellows encloses an air volume at the end of the air spring on a rolling piston side, wherein the first partial air spring bellows has a first embedded textile reinforcement, wherein the second partial air spring bellows has a second embedded textile reinforcement, wherein the first textile reinforcement has first reinforcing threads, a preferred axis of which extends parallel or nearly parallel to the axis of the central longitudinal axis of the air spring, wherein the second textile reinforcement has second reinforcing threads, a first preferred axis of which extends obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the air spring and a second preferred axis of which extends obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the air spring, wherein the first and the second preferred axis are at an angle to each other, wherein the air spring bellows includes three separate areas arranged in an axial direction of the air spring bellows, a first area of the three areas including the first partial air spring bellows and not the second partial air spring bellows, a second area of the three areas including both the first partial air spring bellows and the second partial air spring bellows arranged in overlapping fashion in a radial direction of the air spring bellows, and a third area of the three areas including the second partial air spring bellows and not the first partial air spring bellows, and wherein the first partial air spring bellows has an elastically deformable counterholder on an innermost surface thereof,
wherein the first partial air spring bellows has a system of folds, wherein the system of folds comprises at least two folds, wherein the at least two folds have two apex lines and a common trough line when viewed from the central longitudinal axis of the air spring, wherein the system of folds comprises a constriction of the first partial air spring bellows to form the one trough line, wherein the constriction is designed to accommodate a ring or a cord bandage,
wherein the constriction is designed in such a way that the ring can be accommodated positively in the axial direction, and
wherein the elastically deformable counterholder is positioned at the at least one trough line of the system of folds, wherein the counterholder is designed to accommodate the ring positively.

2. The air spring assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first partial air spring bellows comprises a first elastomer blend, and the second partial air spring bellows comprises a second elastomer blend, wherein the first elastomer blend differs from the second elastomer blend or the first elastomer blend is identical with the second elastomer blend, wherein the first elastomer blend comprises at least one first elastomer layer, and the second elastomer blend comprises at least one second elastomer layer.

3. The air spring assembly as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the first partial air spring bellows comprises a first number of layers of the first embedded textile reinforcement and/or of the first elastomer layer, and the second partial air spring bellows comprises a second number of layers of the second embedded textile reinforcement and/or of the second elastomer layer, wherein the first number of layers differs from the second number of layers, wherein the first and second elastomer layers are designed to seal off the air volume from an external environment.

4. The air spring assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first partial air spring bellows comprises at least as many layers of first embedded textile reinforcements as the second partial air spring bellows.

5. The air spring assembly as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the first and the second elastomer layer form a common elastomer layer or wherein the first and the second elastomer layer are segmented.

6. The air spring assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a first angle of the first preferred axis of the second reinforcing threads and a second angle of the second preferred axis of the second reinforcing threads vary relative to the longitudinal axis of the air spring within the second partial air spring bellows.

7. The air spring assembly as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the at least two apex lines and the at least one trough line extend concentrically around the longitudinal axis of the air spring, wherein the at least two apex lines correspond to maximum radii of the first partial air spring bellows and the at least one trough line corresponds to a minimum radius of the first partial air spring bellows.

8. The air spring assembly as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the ring is embedded in at least one of the first number of layers of the first embedded textile reinforcement and/or of the first elastomer layer.

9. The air spring assembly as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a cylindrical outer guide of the air spring, wherein the longitudinal axis of the outer guide is congruent with the longitudinal axis of the air spring, wherein the outer guide partially surrounds the air spring bellows, wherein the first partial air spring bellows and the second partial air spring bellows are fixed to an inner wall of the outer guide by being vulcanized together, adhesively bonded and/or by means of a clamping ring in the second area of the air spring bellows, wherein the first partial air spring bellows and the second partial air spring bellows are fixed to one another by the vulcanization process, by the adhesive bonding process and/or by the clamping ring.

Assignees

• Behmenburg Christof
• Gleu Jens Uwe
• Kind Andreas
• Kröger Dirk
• Nessel Andreas
• Waschk Reiner
• Continental Teves Ag & Co Ohg

Inventors

• Behmenburg Christof
• Gleu Jens Uwe
• Kind Andreas
• Kröger Dirk
• Nessel Andreas
• Waschk Reiner

Classifications

• F16F9/0409 Primary

  characterised by the wall structure · CPC title

• F16F9/0418

  having a particular shape, e.g. annular, spherical, tube-like (F16F9/05 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16F9/0445

  characterised by intermediate rings or other not embedded reinforcing elements (wall structure F16F9/0409) · CPC title

• B60G17/052

  Pneumatic spring characteristics (B60G17/048 takes precedence {; valves per se F16K}) · CPC title

• B60G17/048

  with the regulating means inside the fluid springs (B60G17/044 takes precedence) · CPC title