AIR SPRING WITH A SENSOR ARRANGEMENT

• US 20140117598A1
• Filed: 10/24/2013
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infinity Engineered Products, LLC
• Original Assignee: Veyance Technologies Incorporated (Continental AG)
• Inventors: May, Lutz
• Granted Patent: US 9,327,572 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 267/64.27
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 11/27 wherein the fluid is a gas
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/019 characterised by the type of sensor or the arrangement thereof B60G17/01941 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/052 Pneumatic spring characteristics B60G17/048 takes precedence ; valves per se F16K
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/152 Pneumatic spring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/111 on pneumatic springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/011 Modular constructions
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/42 Springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/05 Attitude
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/10 Acceleration; Deceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/7122 Fluid spring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/28 Gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2401/904 the sensor being an xyz axis sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0808 Diagnosing performance data testing of vehicles G01M17/00; testing of electrical installation on vehicles G01R31/005
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/0816 Indicating performance data, e.g. occurrence of a malfunction
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/085 using electronic data carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling

Abstract

An air spring (100) for a vehicle is provided. The air spring comprises a first mounting element (110) for being fixed to a vehicle'"'"'s chassis (210), a second mounting element (120) for being fixed to a movable part (220) of a vehicle being movable with respect to the chassis, a bellow (130) extending from the first mounting element to the second mounting element and including an air volume (140), and a sensor arrangement (150) being arranged within the air volume. The sensor arrangement is adapted for sensing at least one of a road condition, a vehicle condition and a pay load condition.

Claims

1. An air spring for a vehicle having a chassis, the air spring comprising:

a first mounting element which is adapted for being fixed to the chassis of the vehicle;

a second mounting element which is adapted for being fixed to a movable part of the vehicle, wherein said movable part is movable with respect to the chassis of the vehicle;

a bellow extending from the first mounting element to the second mounting element, wherein the bellow includes an air volume; and

a sensor arrangement, wherein the sensor arrangement is contained within the air volume, and wherein the sensor arrangement is adapted to detect at least one sensed data relating to a road condition, a vehicle condition and/or a pay load condition.

2. The air spring according to claim 1 wherein the sensor arrangement comprises a transmitter for transmitting the sensed data to an external receiving unit.

3. The air spring according to claim 2 wherein the transmitter operates wirelessly.

4. The air spring according to claim 1 wherein the sensor arrangement comprises a sensor in form of a first accelerometer.

5. The air spring according to claim 4 wherein the sensor arrangement is further comprised of a second accelerometer.

6. The air spring according to claim 5 wherein the first accelerometer is fixedly mounted with respect to the first mounting element and the second accelerometer is fixedly mounted with respect to the second mounting element.

7. The air spring according to claim 6 wherein the first accelerometer and the second accelerometer are mounted so as to allow a differential mode measurement with respect to the first accelerometer and the second accelerometer.

8. The air spring according to claim 1 wherein the sensor arrangement comprises a multitude of accelerometers which detect acceleration in three dimensions.

9. The air spring according to claim 1 wherein the sensor arrangement comprises a sensor in form of a first gyroscope.

10. The air spring according to claim 9 wherein the sensor arrangement is further comprised of a second gyroscope.

11. The air spring according to claim 10 wherein the first gyroscope is fixedly mounted with respect to the first mounting element and the second gyroscope is fixedly mounted with respect to the second mounting element.

12. The air spring according to claim 11 wherein the first gyroscope and the second gyroscope are mounted so as to allow a differential mode measurement with respect to the first gyroscope and the second gyroscope.

13. The air spring according to claim 1 wherein the sensor arrangement comprises a multitude of gyroscopes which detect changes in direction in three dimensions.

14. The air spring according to claim 1 wherein the sensor arrangement comprises a sensor in form of a first microphone.

15. An air spring according to claim 14 wherein the sensor arrangement is further comprised of a second microphone, wherein the first microphone is fixedly mounted with respect to the first mounting element and the second microphone is fixedly mounted with respect to the second mounting element, and wherein the first microphone and the second microphone are mounted so as to allow a differential mode measurement with respect to the first microphone and the second microphone.

16. The air spring according to claim 1 which is further comprised of a wireless power supply which is adapted for wireless transfer of power from outside of the air volume to inside of the air volume.

17. The air spring according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the first mounting element and the second mounting element has a mounting opening and a sensor arrangement carrier, wherein the sensor arrangement carrier has a sensor mounting portion and an outside portion, and wherein the sensor mounting portion and the outside portion are separated by a seal line corresponding to the mounting opening, so that a sensor may be mounted and dismounted within the air volume.

18. An air spring system comprising:

the air spring of claim 1; and

a control unit, wherein the control unit is adapted for receiving sensed signals from the sensor arrangement of the air spring, and wherein the control unit is adapted to evaluate the sensed signals upon at least one of a road condition, a vehicle condition and a pay load condition.

19. The air spring system according to claim 18 wherein the control unit is adapted for conducting a signal profile analysis based on the sensed signals and correlations thereof.

20. The air spring system according to claim 19 wherein the air spring system comprises a plurality of air springs, and wherein the control unit is adapted for conducting a signal profile analysis based on sensed signals from each air spring of the plurality of air springs.