Pneumatic springing system for vehicles and method for pneumatic springing of vehicle parts

• US 8,757,600 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2011
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Grammer AG (Ningbo Jifeng Auto Parts Co.,Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Grammer AG (Ningbo Jifeng Auto Parts Co.,Ltd.)
• Inventors: Haller, Erwin
• Primary Examiner(s): IRVIN, THOMAS W
• Application Number:
  US13/155,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20110298266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• Field of Search: 248/564, 248/566, 248/588, 248/618, 248/631, 248/595, 248/592, 248/593, 251/250
• US Class Current: 267/131
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/501 actively controlled suspension, e.g. electronic control
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/502 attached to the base of the seat B60N2/504 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/505 Adjustable suspension including height adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/508 Scissors-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/525 using gas

Abstract

The invention concerns a pneumatic springing system for vehicles with at least a first and a second part (3, 4), wherein the two parts (3, 4) are mounted vibration-mobile and pneumatically sprung in relation to each other by means of at least one pneumatic spring (8), wherein a first control device (10) is arranged to supply air to and extract air from the pneumatic spring (8), which carries out the extraction of air after a first travel end zone (62) of the springing system has been reached in which the pneumatic spring (8) is in a compressed state, and which carries out the supply of air after a second travel end zone (63) of the springing system has been reached in which the pneumatic spring (8) is in an extended state, wherein a second control device (20) is provided to supply air to the pneumatic spring (8) and disable the extraction of air from the pneumatic spring (8) during a pre-determinable first time interval (61) after a first travel end stop (58) in the first travel end zone (62) has been reached for the first time, and/or a third control device (30) is provided to extract air from the pneumatic spring (8) and disable the supply of air to the pneumatic spring (8) during a pre-determinable second time interval after a second travel end stop in the second travel end zone (63) has been reached for the first time.

Claims

1. A pneumatic springing system for vehicles, comprising:

at least a first part and a second part;

at least one pneumatic spring, wherein the first and second parts are mounted so as to be movable in an oscillating manner and pneumatically sprung with respect to each other by means of at least one pneumatic spring;

a first control device, wherein the first control device is arranged to supply air to and discharge air from the pneumatic spring, wherein the first control device carries out the discharge of air after a first travel end zone of the springing system has been reached in which the pneumatic spring is in a compressed state, and wherein the first control device carries out the supply of air after a second travel end zone of the springing system has been reached in which the pneumatic spring is in an extended state;

a second control device, wherein the second control device is provided to supply air to the pneumatic spring and to disable a discharge of air from the pneumatic spring during a pre-determinable first time interval after a first travel end stop in the first travel end zone has been reached for the first time; and

a third control device, wherein the third control device is provided to discharge air from the pneumatic spring and to disable the supply of air to the pneumatic spring during a pre-determinable second time interval after a second travel end stop in the second travel end zone has been reached for the first time.

2. The springing system according to claim 1, wherein the springing system includes a second control device, and wherein the second control device comprises a first control valve that is arranged in an air discharge line connecting the pneumatic spring with the first control device to enable and disable the discharge of air from the pneumatic spring.

3. The springing system according to claim 2, wherein the springing system includes a third control device, and wherein the third control device comprises a second control valve that is arranged in a supply air line connecting the pneumatic spring with the first control device to enable and disable the supply of air to the pneumatic spring.

4. The springing system according to claim 3, wherein the second and third control devices can each be switched by means of at least one movable element which can be moved by one of the parts which are mounted so as to be movable in an oscillating manner.

5. The springing system according to claim 4, wherein each movable element is connected with a movement delay member in order, during the first or second time interval, to move the movable element back with a delay into a starting position against the spring application force.

6. The springing system according to claim 5, wherein each movable element is a toothed rack and the movement delay member cooperating therewith is a rotary damper with a predetermineable torque applyable, rotatable toothed wheel.

7. The springing system according to claim 6, wherein the torque acts only in a first rotation direction of the toothed wheel in which the toothed rack moves from a deflection position to the starting position.

8. The springing system according to claim 7, wherein the first control device, from a pre-determinable vibration frequency of the parts which are mounted so as to be movable in an oscillating manner, disables the discharge of air from the pneumatic spring at the start of the first time interval and disables the supply of air to the pneumatic spring at the start of the second time interval.

9. The springing system according to claim 6, wherein the first control device, from a pre-determinable vibration frequency of the parts which are mounted so as to be movable in an oscillating manner, disables the discharge of air from the pneumatic spring at the start of the first time interval and disables the supply of air to the pneumatic spring at the start of the second time interval.

10. The springing system according to claim 5, wherein the first control device, from a pre-determinable vibration frequency of the parts which are mounted so as to be movable in an oscillating manner, disables the discharge of air from the pneumatic spring at the start of the first time interval and disables the supply of air to the pneumatic spring at the start of the second time interval.

11. The springing system according to claim 4, wherein the first control device, from a pre-determinable vibration frequency of the parts which are mounted so as to be movable in an oscillating manner, disables the discharge of air from the pneumatic spring at the start of the first time interval and disables the supply of air to the pneumatic spring at the start of the second time interval.

12. The springing system according to claim 4, wherein the movable element is a toothed rack and the movement delay member cooperating therewith is a Honig motor with a predetermineable torque applyable, rotatable toothed wheel.

13. The springing system according to claim 3, wherein the first control device, from a pre-determinable vibration frequency of the parts which are mounted so as to be movable in an oscillating manner, disables the discharge of air from the pneumatic spring at the start of the first time interval and disables the supply of air to the pneumatic spring at the start of the second time interval.

14. The springing system according to claim 2, wherein the first control device, from a pre-determinable vibration frequency of the parts which are mounted so as to be movable in an oscillating manner, disables the discharge of air from the pneumatic spring at the start of the first time interval and disables the supply of air to the pneumatic spring at the start of the second time interval.

15. The springing system according to claim 2, wherein the second control device can be switched by means of at least one movable element which can be moved by one of the parts which are mounted so as to be movable in an oscillating manner.

16. The springing system according to claim 1, wherein the springing system includes a first control device, and wherein the first control device, from a pre-determinable vibration frequency of the parts which are mounted so as to be movable in an oscillating manner, disables the discharge of air from the pneumatic spring at the start of the first time interval and disables the supply of air to the pneumatic spring at the start of the second time interval.

17. The springing system according to claim 16, wherein the first part is an upper part of the vehicle seat and the second part is a lower part of the vehicle seat.

18. The springing system according to claim 1, wherein the first part is an upper part of the vehicle seat and the second part is a lower part of the vehicle seat.

19. The springing system according to claim 1, wherein the springing system includes a third control device, wherein the third control device comprises a second control valve that is arranged in a supply air line connecting the pneumatic spring with the first control device to enable and disable the supply of air to the pneumatic spring.

20. A method for pneumatic springing of vehicle parts with at least a first and a second part, wherein the two parts are mounted so as to be movable in an oscillating manner and pneumatically sprung with respect to each other by at least one pneumatic spring, wherein a first control device supplies air to and discharges air from the pneumatic spring, which carries out the discharge of air after a first travel end zone of the springing system has been reached in which the pneumatic spring is in a compressed state, and which carries out the supply of air after a second travel end zone of the springing system has been reached in which the pneumatic spring is in an extended state, wherein by means of a second control device air is supplied to the pneumatic spring and the discharge of air from the pneumatic spring is disabled for a pre-determinable first time interval after a first travel end stop in the first travel end zone has been reached for the first time, and/or by means of a third control device during a pre-determinable second time interval air is discharged from the pneumatic spring and the supply of air to the pneumatic spring is disabled after a second travel end stop in the second travel end zone has been reached for the first time.