Air spring with damping characteristics for heavy-duty vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9738131-B2
Application number	US-201615150505-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2016
Priority date	May 11, 2015
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

An air spring with damping characteristics for a suspension assembly of a heavy-duty vehicle includes a bellows and a piston. The bellows includes a bellows chamber. The bellows is attached to a main member of the heavy-duty vehicle and to the piston. The piston includes an open bottom that is sealingly closed by a disc attached to the open bottom. The piston and the disc define a piston chamber. The piston is mounted on the suspension assembly of the heavy-duty vehicle. The bellows chamber and the piston chamber are in fluid communication with each other via at least one opening, wherein airflow between the bellows chamber and the piston chamber provides damping to the suspension assembly of the heavy-duty vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air spring with damping characteristics for a suspension assembly of a heavy-duty vehicle comprising:
a bellows and a piston, said bellows including a bellows chamber, the bellows connected to a main member of said heavy-duty vehicle, said bellows to directly connected to a retaining plate which is in turn mounted on a top plate of said piston, the piston having an open bottom, said open bottom of said piston being sealingly closed by a disc attached to the open bottom, whereby the piston and said disc define a piston chamber, said piston mounted on said suspension assembly of said heavy-duty vehicle, said bellows chamber and said piston chamber being in fluid communication with each other via aligned openings formed in said retaining plate and said piston top plate, wherein airflow between the bellows chamber and the piston chamber provides damping to the suspension assembly of said heavy-duty vehicle.

2. The air spring with damping characteristics for a suspension assembly of a heavy-duty vehicle of claim 1 , said piston further comprising a flared portion and a piston sidewall, said disc being generally circular-shaped, further comprising a continuous raised lip, wherein said continuous raised lip is formed on a disc top surface along a periphery of said disc, with said continuous raised lip disposed generally between said flared portion and said piston sidewall for reinforcing said attachment of said disc to said piston.

3. The air spring with damping characteristics for a suspension assembly of a heavy-duty vehicle of claim 1 , said disc further comprising a groove formed in a top surface of said disc disposed circumferentially around said disc, and configured to mate with a lower surface of said piston for reinforcing said attachment of said disc to said piston.

4. The air spring with damping characteristics for a suspension assembly of a heavy-duty vehicle of claim 3 , an O-ring being disposed in said groove for reinforcing said attachment of said disc to said piston.

5. The air spring with damping characteristics for a suspension assembly of a heavy-duty vehicle of claim 1 , said piston further comprising a piston sidewall and a central hub, said disc being generally cup-shaped, further comprising a base, a vertical sidewall, and a central portion, wherein said base mates with a lower surface of said piston sidewall, said vertical sidewall mates with said piston, and said central portion mates with said central hub for reinforcing said attachment of said disc to said piston.

6. The air spring with damping characteristics for a suspension assembly of a heavy-duty vehicle of claim 1 , said bellows chamber including a volume of from about 305 in. 3 to about 3000 in. 3 .

7. The air spring with damping characteristics for a suspension assembly of a heavy-duty vehicle of claim 1 , said piston chamber including a volume of from about 105 in. 3 to about 550 in. 3 .

8. The air spring for a heavy-duty vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said aligned openings form a continuous opening including a cross sectional area of from about 0.009 in. 2 to about 0.13 in. 2 .

9. The air spring for a heavy-duty vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said aligned openings form a continuous opening whereby a ratio of a cross sectional area of said continuous opening measured in in. 2 to a volume of said piston chamber measured in in. 3 to a volume of said bellows chamber measured in in. 3 is in a range of ratios of from about 1:403:2,346 to about 1:61,111:333,333.

10. The air spring with damping characteristics for a suspension assembly of a heavy-duty vehicle of claim 1 , said aligned openings comprising:
a threaded rod, said threaded rod formed with an opening through a length of the threaded rod, said threaded rod disposed between and in fluid communication with said bellows chamber and said piston chamber.

11. The air spring with damping characteristics for a suspension assembly of a heavy-duty vehicle of claim 10 , said air spring further comprising a conduit, said conduit providing fluid communication between said threaded rod opening and said piston chamber.

12. The air spring with damping characteristics for a suspension assembly of a heavy-duty vehicle of claim 1 , said attachment of said disc to said open bottom of said piston comprises and adhesive bond or a friction weld.

13. A method for converting a non-damping air spring into an air spring with damping characteristics for a suspension assembly of a heavy-duty vehicle, comprising the following steps:
a) providing a bellows and a piston, said bellows including a bellows chamber, the bellows connected to a main member of said heavy-duty vehicle, said bellows directly connected to a retaining plate which is in turn mounted on a top plate of said piston, the piston having an open bottom,
b) sealingly closing said open bottom of said piston by attaching a disc to the open bottom, whereby the piston and said disc define a piston chamber, said piston mounted on said suspension assembly of the heavy-duty vehicle, said bellows chamber and said piston chamber being in fluid communication with each other via aligned openings formed in said retaining plate and said piston top plate, wherein airflow between the bellows chamber and the piston chamber provides damping to the suspension assembly of said heavy-duty vehicle.

14. The method for converting a non-damping air spring into an air spring with damping characteristics for a suspension assembly of a heavy-duty vehicle of claim 13 , said piston further comprising a flared portion and a piston sidewall, said disc being generally circular-shaped, further comprising a continuous raised lip, wherein said continuous raised lip is formed on a disc top surface along a periphery of said disc, with said continuous raised lip disposed generally between said flared portion and said piston sidewall for reinforcing said attachment of said disc to said piston.

15. The method for converting a non-damping air spring into an air spring with damping characteristics for a suspension assembly of a heavy-duty vehicle of claim 13 , said disc further comprising a groove formed in a top surface of said disc disposed circumferentially around said disc, and configured to mate with a lower surface of said piston for reinforcing said attachment of said disc to said piston.

16. The method for converting a non-damping air spring into an air spring with damping characteristics for a suspension assembly of a heavy-duty vehicle of claim 15 , an O-ring being disposed in said groove for reinforcing said attachment of said disc to said piston.

17. The method for converting a non-damping air spring into an air spring with damping characteristics for a suspension assembly of a heavy-duty vehicle of claim 13 , said piston further comprising a piston sidewall, and a central hub, said disc being generally cup-shaped, further comprising a base, a vertical sidewall, and a central portion, wherein said base mates with a lower surface of said piston sidewall, said vertical sidewall mates with said piston, and said central portion mates with said central hub for reinforcing said attachment of said disc to said piston.

18. The method for converting a non-damping air spring into an air spring with damping characteristics for a suspension assembly of a heavy-duty vehicle of claim 13 , said bellows chamber including a volume of from about 305 in. 3 to about 3000 in. 3 .

19. The method for converting a non-damping air spring into an air spring with damping characteristics for a suspension assembly of a he

Assignees

• Hendrickson Usa Llc

Inventors

• Keeler Michael J
• Zawacki Jeff R
• Westnedge Andrew J
• Ramus Jason M
• Andreasen Jacob
• Giamati Nicholas J

Classifications

• B60G15/12 Primary

  and fluid damper · CPC title

• B60G2300/02

  Trucks; Load vehicles · CPC title

• B60G2300/026

  Heavy duty trucks · CPC title

• B60G2202/152

  Pneumatic spring · CPC title

• B60G2206/424

  Plunger or top retainer construction for bellows or rolling lobe type air springs · CPC title