Height sensor for an air spring

• US 8,915,508 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2013
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infinity Engineered Products, LLC
• Original Assignee: Veyance Technologies Incorporated (Continental AG)
• Inventors: May, Lutz
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, TOAN C
• Application Number:
  US14/090,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20140145411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: 280/124.157, 92/5.R, 267/64.19, 267/64.23, 267/64.27, 324/635, 324/207.15, 324/207.17
• US Class Current: 280/124.157
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 11/26 having fluid springs only, e.g. hydropneumatic springs B60G11/006, B60G15/12 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/05 the flexible wall being of the rolling diaphragm type
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/3292 Sensor arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/04 Suspension or damping
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/08 Systems for measuring distance only indirect measurement G01S15/46

Abstract

The subject invention relates to an air spring height sensor. The air spring height sensor of this invention comprises a height measuring signal transmitter (102) and a receiver (101). The height measuring signal transmitter is adapted for transmitting a height signal. The receiver is adapted for sensing the height signal transmitted by the height measuring signal transmitter. The height signal indicates a distance between the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver.

Claims

1. An air spring comprising:

a first mounting element being adapted for being mounted to a first vehicle portion,

a second mounting element being adapted for being mounted to a second vehicle portion being springy movable with respect to the first vehicle portion,

an air volume limited by a resilient belly having an interior space, a first edge, and a second edge, which belly with the first edge is sealed to the first mounting element and with the second edge is sealed to the second mounting edge, and

an air spring height sensor comprising

a height measuring signal transmitter, and

a receiver,

wherein the height measuring signal transmitter is adapted for transmitting a height signal,

wherein the receiver is adapted for sensing the height signal transmitted by the height measuring signal transmitter, and

wherein the height signal indicates a distance between the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver,

wherein the air spring height sensor is adapted for measuring a working stroke of the air spring, which working stroke corresponds to a distance between the first mounting element and the second mounting element.

2. The air spring according to claim 1,

wherein at least one of the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver is adapted for being connected to an electric power supply.

3. The air spring according to claim 2,

further comprising a first height signal transfer element which is adapted for transmitting the height signal from one of the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver to the other one of the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver.

4. The air spring according to claim 2,

wherein the height signal is transmitted wirelessly from one of the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver to the other one of the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver.

5. The air spring according to claim 1,

wherein at least one of the height measuring signal transmitter or the receiver is adapted for being connected to an electric power supply with a wire.

6. The air spring according to claim 1,

wherein one energy transmitting element of the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver is adapted for wirelessly transmitting energy to the other one energy receiving element of the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver,

wherein the energy transmitting element is adapted to generate a magnetic field, and

wherein the magnetic field is adapted to induce an electric current in the energy receiving element.

7. The air spring according to claim 1,

further comprising a first energy transfer element connecting the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver,

wherein the first energy transfer element is adapted for transmitting energy from one of the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver to the other one of the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver.

8. The air spring according to claim 1,

further comprising a first height signal transfer element which is adapted for transmitting the height signal from one of the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver to the other one of the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver.

9. The air spring according to claim 1,

wherein the height signal is transmitted wirelessly from one of the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver to the other one of the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver.

10. The air spring according to claim 1,

wherein the belly comprises a conductive layer arranged at an interior surface of the belly, and

wherein the height measuring signal transmitter is adapted to generate the height signal depending on the distance to the conductive layer.

11. The air spring according to claim 10,

wherein the height measuring signal transmitter is arranged inside of the interior space of the air spring.

12. The air spring according to claim 1,

wherein the height measuring signal transmitter is arranged inside of the interior space of the air spring.

13. The air spring according to claim 1,

wherein the receiver is arranged inside of the interior space of the air spring.

14. The air spring according to claim 1,

wherein the height measuring signal transmitter is mounted to the first mounting element, and

wherein the receiver is mounted to the second mounting element as to sense a height signal with respect to the first mounting element.

15. The air spring according to claim 1,

further comprising a first energy transfer element connecting the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver and adapted for transmitting energy from one of the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver to the other one of the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver,

wherein the first energy transfer element is arranged inside of the interior space.

16. The air spring according to claim 1,

further comprising a second energy transfer element connecting the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver and adapted for transmitting energy from one of the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver to the other one of the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver,

wherein the second energy transfer element is arranged outside of the interior space.

17. The air spring according to claim 1,

comprising a first height signal transfer element adapted for transmitting a height signal from one of the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver to the other one of the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver,

wherein the first height signal transfer element is arranged inside of the interior space.

18. The air spring according to claim 17,

further comprising a second height signal transfer element adapted for transmitting a height signal from one of the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver to the other one of the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver,

wherein the second height signal transfer element is arranged outside of the interior space.

19. The air spring according to claim 1,

further comprising a second height signal transfer element adapted for transmitting a height signal from one of the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver to the other one of the height measuring signal transmitter and the receiver,

wherein the second height signal transfer element is arranged outside of the interior space.