Indicator of estimated spring life as well as gas spring assembly, system and method

• US 9,098,951 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Firestone Industrial Products
• Original Assignee: Firestone Industrial Products
• Inventors: Nieten, Jason D., Moulik, Pradipta N., Howard, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Tuan C.
• Application Number:
  US14/042,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20140095015A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 701/31.9, 280/5.514, 280/5.508, 280/5.51, 280/124.16
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 11/27 wherein the fluid is a gas
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 11/28 characterised by means specially adapted for attaching the spring to axle or sprung part of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/00 Testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof monitoring of programme-control systems G05B19/048, G05B19/406
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/13 Differential equations using digital differential analysers G06F7/64
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/00 Registering or indicating the working of vehicles

Abstract

An indicator of an estimated remaining life of an associated spring device can include at least one sensor and at least one processor. The at least one sensor can be operative to generate a signal having a relation to at least one of a usage condition and an environmental exposure condition of a spring device. The at least one processor can be communicatively coupled with the at least one sensor and programmed to receive signals from the at least one sensor, derive data from the received signals, and determine an estimated remaining life of at least the spring device using the data and an expression modeling a relationship between an estimated remaining life of the spring device and at least one of a usage condition and an environmental exposure condition. A gas spring and indicator assembly, a suspension system and a method are also included.

Claims

1. An indicator of an estimated remaining life of an associated spring device, said indicator comprising:

at least one sensor operative to generate a signal having a relation to at least one of a usage condition and an environmental exposure condition of said spring device; and

at least one processor programmed to;

receive said signals having a relation to at least one of a usage condition and an environmental exposure condition of the associated spring device from a first timing event to a second timing event;

derive data from said received signals; and

,

determine an estimated remaining life of the associated spring device using said data and an expression modeling a relationship between an estimated remaining life of the associated spring device and said at least one of a usage condition and an environmental exposure condition.

2. An indicator according to claim 1, wherein said at least one of a usage condition and an environmental exposure condition includes one or more of temperature, number of cycles and distance traveled.

3. An indicator according to claim 2, wherein the associated spring device is a gas spring having an associated gas pressure, and said at least one of a usage condition and an environmental exposure condition includes pressure.

4. An indicator according to claim 2, wherein the associated spring device has a longitudinal axis and during use the associated spring device can experience periods of axial displacement between compressed and extended conditions, and said distance traveled has a relation to an axial displacement of the associated spring device between the compressed and extended conditions.

5. An indicator according to claim 2, wherein the associated spring device has a longitudinal axis and during use the associated spring device can experience periods of axial displacement between compressed and extended conditions, and said number of cycles is one of:

a number of periods of compression of the associated spring device immediately followed by extension of the associated spring device; and

,

a number of periods of extension of the associated spring device immediately followed by compression of the associated spring device.

6. An indicator according to claim 1, wherein said at least one processor is programmed to derive data by generating a plurality of data samples from said received signals, and said at least one processor is programmed to determine an estimated remaining life using at least a portion of said plurality of data samples.

7. An indicator according to claim 6, wherein each data sample includes a sample period spanning from one of a beginning-of-life of the associated spring device event and a time of generating an immediately preceding data sample event to a time of generating said data sample.

8. An indicator according to claim 6, wherein said expression is:

9. An indicator according to claim 6, wherein said expression is:

10. An indicator according to claim 6, wherein the associated spring device is a gas spring having an associated gas pressure, and said expression is:

11. A gas spring and indicator assembly comprising:

a gas spring including opposing end members and a flexible wall secured therebetween that at least partially defines a spring chamber; and

,

an indicator supported on one of said opposing end members, said indicator including at least one sensor operative to generate a signal having a relation to at least one of a usage condition and an environmental exposure condition of said gas spring and at least one processor communicatively coupled with said at least one sensor and programmed to;

receive signals from said at least one sensor;

derive data from said received signals; and

,

determine an estimated remaining life of at least said gas spring using said data and an expression modeling a relationship between an estimated remaining life of said gas spring and said at least one of a usage condition and an environmental exposure condition.

12. A gas spring and indicator assembly according to claim 11, wherein said indicator is at least partially disposed within said spring chamber, and said at least one sensor includes a plurality of sensors operative to generate signals having a relation to at least one of distance, acceleration, temperature and pressure.

13. A gas spring and indicator assembly according to claim 11, wherein said at least one of a usage condition and an environmental exposure condition include one or more of temperature, number of cycles, distance traveled and jounce pressure.

14. A suspension system of an associated vehicle having an associated sprung mass and an associated unsprung mass, said suspension system comprising:

a gas spring operatively disposed between the associated sprung mass and the associated unsprung mass; and

,

an indicator including at least one sensor operative to generate a signal having a relation to at least one of a usage condition and an environmental exposure condition and at least one processor communicatively coupled with said at least one sensor and programmed to;

receive signals from said at least one sensor;

derive data from said received signals; and

,

determine an estimated remaining life of at least said gas spring using said data and an expression modeling a relationship between an estimated remaining life of said gas spring and said at least one of a usage condition and an environmental exposure condition.

15. A suspension system according to claim 14, wherein said indicator is a first indicator, and said gas spring is a gas spring of a gas spring and indicator assembly with said gas spring and indicator assembly including a second indicator with said second indicator including at least one sensor operative to generate a signal having a relation to at least one of a usage condition and an environmental exposure condition of said gas spring and at least one processor communicatively coupled with said at least one sensor and programmed to:

receive signals from said at least one sensor;

derive data from said received signals; and

,

determine an estimated remaining life of at least said gas spring using said data and an expression modeling a relationship between an estimated remaining life of said gas spring and said at least one of a usage condition and an environmental exposure condition.

16. A suspension system according to claim 15, wherein said gas spring includes opposing end members and a flexible wall secured therebetween that at least partially defines a spring chamber, and said second indicator is supported on one of said opposing end members at least partially within said spring chamber.

17. A suspension system according to claim 15, wherein at least one of said first and second indicators includes a plurality of sensors operative to generate signals having a relation to at least one of distance, acceleration, temperature and pressure such that said at least one of a usage condition and an environmental exposure condition can include one or more of temperature, number of cycles, distance traveled and jounce pressure.

18. A method of determining an estimated remaining life of a spring device, said method comprising:

generating by at least one sensor operatively associated with said spring device a signal having a relation to at least one of a usage condition and an environmental exposure condition of said spring device;

receiving by at least one processor said signals having a relation to at least one of a usage condition and an environmental exposure condition from a first timing event to a second timing event;

deriving data from said signals using said at least one processor; and

,

determining using said at least one processor an estimated remaining life of the spring device using said data and an expression modeling a relationship between an estimated remaining life of the spring device and at least one of a usage condition and an environmental exposure condition.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein said expression includes a relation to one or more of temperature, pressure, number of cycles and distance traveled.

20. A method according to claim 18 further comprising communicating an indication of an estimated remaining life to one of a device, a system and a user.