IDENTIFICATION DEVICE FOR A PNEUMATIC SPRING

• US 20110205034A1
• Filed: 03/24/2011
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ContiTech Luftfedersysteme GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: ContiTech Luftfedersysteme GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Reck, Siegfried, Gawinski, Hubertus
• Granted Patent: US 8,866,591 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.51
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/70 by moulding using a particular moulding technique, see the relevant technique , e.g. by injection B29C45/14467
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2021/00 Use of unspecified rubbers as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/04 in a chamber with a flexible wall producing hollow articles of plastics, e.g. air bellows, B29D22/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/3264 Arrangements for indicating, e.g. fluid level; Arrangements for checking dampers F16F9/3292 takes precedence; testing of vehicle damping G01M17/04

Abstract

An identification device (1) for a pneumatic spring (2) includes an RFID transponder (8), which is completely embedded into the elastomer matrix (13) of the flexible member (4). An electromagnetic field is generated by a read device (9), wherein the energy necessary for supplying the RFID transponders (8) is taken from the electromagnetic field generated by the read device (9). When the read device (9) is active, information can be exchanged between the RFID transponder (8) and the read device (9). The RFID transponder (8) operates completely without an internal energy supply. The RFID transponder (8) may also be configured as a read/write transponder including a memory chip, wherein data may be stored on the memory chip in a safe and permanent manner. By retrieving data from the RFID transponder (8), an identification of the pneumatic spring (2) is possible even without any internal power supply of the RFID transponder.

Claims

1. An identification device for a pneumatic spring having at least one piston, a cover, and a flexible member having at least one elastomer matrix;

said identification device comprising;

a transmit memory device configured as a radio frequency identification transponder (RFID Transponder) and being completely embedded in said elastomer matrix of said flexible member;

a read unit configured to generate an electromagnetic field;

said RFID transponder having at least one unit configured to draw energy from said electromagnetic field needed to supply said RFID transponder;

said RFID transponder being so configured that when said energy is available to said RFID transponder information can be exchanged between said RFID transponder and said read unit.

2. The identification device of claim 1, further comprising:

a data storage unit;

said RFID transponder has an unambiguous and unique electronic component identifier which can be transmitted by said RFID transponder and received by said read unit;

said data storage unit being configured to store said component identifier; and

,

said component identifier in said data storage unit being combinable with data, which can be acquired during production of said pneumatic spring, so as to cause the identity of said pneumatic spring to be determined in an unambiguous manner.

3. The identification device of claim 1, wherein:

said RFID transponder is a read/write transponder having a memory chip;

said memory chip of said RFID transponder being configured to reliably and permanently store data and configured to have data read into said memory chip by said read unit and/or to have data read from said memory by said read unit when energy is available to said RFID transponder.

4. The identification device of claim 3, wherein said data stored on said memory chip can be encrypted by encryption algorithms.

5. The identification device of claim 4, wherein said data stored on said memory chip can be encrypted by at least one encryption algorithm which is integrated into the hardware of said memory chip.

6. The identification device of claim 4, wherein said encryption algorithms can be changed in at least one of periodic intervals and nonperiodic intervals.

7. A method for making a flexible member comprising the steps of:

constructing a flexible member blank from at least one reinforcement carrier layer and at least one non-vulcanized elastomer material;

introducing an RFID transponder into said elastomer material so as to cause said RFID transponder to be completely embedded in said non-vulcanized elastomer material, wherein the RFID transponder has at least one unit configured to draw energy necessary to supply the RFID transponder from electromagnetic field generated by a read unit and, when energy is available to the RFID transponder, information can be exchanged between the RFID transponder and the read unit; and

,

vulcanizing the flexible member.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the electronic components of the RFID transponder are introduced directly into the non-vulcanized elastomer material with no encapsulation surrounding said RFID transponder.

9. A pneumatic spring comprising:

a piston;

a cover;

a flexible member having at least one elastomer matrix;

a transmit memory device embedded in said elastomer matrix of said flexible member and configured as a radio frequency identification transponder (RFID transponder);

a read unit configured to generate an electromagnetic field;

said RFID transponder having at least one unit configured to draw energy necessary to supply said RFID transponder from said electromagnetic field; and

,

said RFID transponder being so configured that when said energy is available to said RFID transponder information can be exchanged between said RFID transponder and said read unit.

10. The pneumatic spring of claim 9, further comprising:

a data storage unit;

said RFID transponder has an unambiguous and unique electronic component identifier which can be transmitted by said RFID transponder and received by said read unit;

said data storage unit being configured to store said component identifier; and

,

said unique component identifier in said data storage unit being combinable with data, which can be acquired during production of said pneumatic spring, so as to cause the identity of said pneumatic spring to be determined in an unambiguous manner.

11. The pneumatic spring of claim 9, wherein:

said RFID transponder is a read/write transponder having a memory chip;

said memory chip of said RFID transponder being configured to reliably and permanently store data and configured to have data read into said memory chip by said read unit and/or to have data read from said memory by said read unit when energy is available to said RFID transponder.

12. The pneumatic spring of claim 11, wherein said data stored on said memory chip can be encrypted by encryption algorithms.

13. The pneumatic spring of claim 12, wherein said data stored on said memory chip can be encrypted by at least one encryption algorithm which is integrated into the hardware of said memory chip.

14. The pneumatic spring of claim 12, wherein said encryption algorithms can be changed in at least one of periodic intervals and nonperiodic intervals.

15. The pneumatic spring of claim 9, wherein said transponder operates completely without an internal energy supply.