AIR SPRING WITH A SENSOR ARRANGEMENT

• US 20170018124A1
• Filed: 04/27/2016
• Published: 01/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Stemco Products, Inc. (Enpro Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Stemco Kaiser Incorporated (Enpro Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: May, Lutz
• Application Number:
  US15/140,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20170018124A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. An air spring system comprising:

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

a second mounting element 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;

a sensor arrangement completely contained within the air volume,

wherein the sensor arrangement comprises a plurality of sensors;

a control unit adapted for receiving sensed signals from the sensor arrangement; and

a wireless power supply adapted for wireless transfer of power to the sensor arrangement.

22. The air spring system of claim 21, wherein the sensor arrangement further comprises a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting sensed data to an external receiving unit.

23. The air spring system of claim 21, wherein the wireless power supply is adapted for wireless transfer of power from outside of the air volume to inside of the air volume.

24. The air spring system of claim 23, wherein the wireless power supply comprises an induction loop, wherein the induction loop is arranged at an outer surface of the bellow.

25. The air spring system of claim 21, wherein the wireless power supply is positioned within the air volume of the bellow.

26. The air spring system of claim 25, wherein the wireless power supply comprises an induction loop, wherein the induction loop is arranged at an inner surface of the bellow.

27. The air spring system of claim 21, wherein the control unit is further adapted to conduct a signal profile analysis based on the sensed signals and correlations thereof.

28. The air spring system of claim 21, wherein:

the sensor arrangement includes a first accelerometer and a second accelerometer,

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, and

the first accelerometer and the second accelerometer are mounted to allow a differential mode measurement with respect to the first accelerometer and the second accelerometer.

29. The air spring system of claim 21, wherein:

the sensor arrangement includes a first gyroscope and a second gyroscope,

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, and

the first gyroscope and the second gyroscope are mounted to allow a differential mode measurement with respect to the first gyroscope and the second gyroscope.

30. The air spring system of claim 21, wherein the plurality of sensors includes at least one temperature sensor and at least one microphone.

31. The air spring system of claim 21, wherein the control unit is further adapted for evaluating the sensed signals upon at least one of a road condition, a vehicle condition and a payload condition.

32. The air spring system of claim 21, wherein the control unit is further adapted for:

accumulating the sensor signals from each sensor arrangement in each air spring on the vehicle; and

providing a status of the vehicle based on the sensor signals from each of the sensor arrangements in each of the air springs on the vehicle.

33. The air spring system of claim 21, wherein the control unit is further adapted for comparing the sensed signals and correlations thereof with known signal profiles to identify and recognize a current signal profile.

34. An air spring system comprising:

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

a second mounting element 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;

a sensor arrangement completely contained within the air volume,

wherein the sensor arrangement comprises a plurality of sensors;

a control unit adapted for receiving sensed signals from the sensor arrangement; and

a wireless power supply adapted for wireless transfer of power to the sensor arrangement wherein the wireless power supply is positioned within the air volume of the bellow,

wherein the wireless power supply comprises an induction loop, and

wherein the induction loop is arranged at an inner surface of the bellow.

35. The air spring system of claim 34, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises at least two different types of sensors, wherein the at least two different types of sensors are selected from the group consisting of:

a gyroscope, a microphone, a temperature sensor, an air pressure sensor, and an accelerometer.

36. The air spring system of claim 34, wherein the control unit is further adapted for:

accumulating the sensor signals from each sensor arrangement in each air spring on the vehicle; and

providing a status of the vehicle based on the sensor signals from each of the sensor arrangements in each of the air springs on the vehicle.

37. The air spring of claim 34, wherein the control unit is further adapted for comparing the sensed signals and correlations thereof with known signal profiles to identify and recognize a current signal profile.

38. The air spring system of claim 37, wherein the sensor arrangement includes a first sensor coupled to the first mounting element and a second sensor coupled to the second mounting element, wherein conducting the signal profile includes comparing a measurement from the first sensor with a measurement from the second sensor.

39. An air spring system comprising:

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

a second mounting element 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;

a sensor arrangement completely contained within the air volume,

wherein the sensor arrangement comprises a plurality of sensors;

a control unit adapted for receiving sensed signals from the sensor arrangement; and

a wireless power supply adapted for wireless transfer of power to the sensor arrangement wherein the wireless power supply is positioned outside of the air volume of the bellow,

wherein the wireless power supply is adapted for wireless transfer of power from outside of the air volume to inside of the air volume,

wherein the wireless power supply comprises an induction loop, and

wherein the induction loop is arranged at an outer surface of the bellow.

40. An air spring system comprising:

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

a second mounting element 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;

a sensor arrangement completely contained within the air volume,

wherein the sensor arrangement comprises a plurality of sensors;

a control unit adapted for receiving sensed signals from the sensor arrangement; and

a means for wirelessly transferring power from a power source external to the air volume to the sensor arrangement internal to the air volume.