WO2025187030A1 - Compressor intake tube connection structure - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a compressor intake tube connection structure (S) of an air suspension for a vehicle, said structure comprising a compressor (1), an intake tube (2), an air spring (4), a protective cover (7), and a breather duct (8). The air spring (4) comprises an air chamber (10) surrounded by a diaphragm (9). The protective cover (7) is attached to the air spring (4) so as to surround the diaphragm (9), and forms an internal space (12) between itself and the air spring (4). One end (8L) of the breather duct (8) is connected to the protective cover (7). The compressor (1) generates high-pressure air to be supplied to the air chamber (10). One end (2L) of the intake tube (2) is connected to an intake port of the compressor (1), the other end (2U) is connected to the breather duct (8), and air in the breather duct (8) is supplied to the intake port of the compressor (1).

Description

Compressor intake tube connection structure

The present invention relates to a compressor intake tube connection structure for a vehicle air suspension.

Air suspension systems adjust vehicle height and spring characteristics by adjusting the amount and pressure of air in the air springs. Air suspension systems are equipped with a compressor that takes in air from the outside and pressurizes it. The pressurized air is used to adjust the amount and pressure of air in the air springs. Patent Document 1 discloses related technology.

Patent No. 6338995

In addition to air springs and a compressor, air suspension systems often include an air tank, intake and exhaust valves, pressure sensors, and temperature sensors. If the air taken in by the compressor from the outside contains a large amount of foreign matter such as sand and dust, or water (hereinafter referred to as "foreign matter"), these can accumulate within the system and cause system malfunctions.

The object of the present invention is to provide a compressor intake tube connection structure for a vehicle air suspension that is simple in structure and can suppress the ingestion of foreign matter, etc.

A compressor intake tube connection structure for a vehicle air suspension according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a compressor, an intake tube, an air spring, a protective cover, and a breather duct. The air spring has an air chamber surrounded by a diaphragm. The protective cover is attached to the air spring so as to surround the diaphragm, forming an internal space between the air spring and the protective cover. One end of the breather duct is connected to the protective cover. The compressor generates high-pressure air that is supplied to the air chamber. One end of the intake tube is connected to the intake port of the compressor and the other end is connected to the breather duct, and supplies air in the breather duct to the intake port of the compressor.

The above compressor intake tube connection structure is simple and can prevent the ingestion of foreign matter.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a ladder frame provided with a connection structure according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the left rear wheel and its vicinity. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the connection structure according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the air spring. FIG. 5 is a side view of the vicinity of the left rear wheel. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the breather duct and the compressor.

The compressor intake tube connection structure S according to the embodiment will now be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, FR and RR indicate the front and rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, respectively, LH and RH indicate the left and right in the width direction of the vehicle, and UP and DN indicate the top and bottom, respectively. In the following description, the left and right sides in the width direction of the vehicle, and the front, front side, rear and rear sides in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle will be simply referred to as the "left side," "right side," "front," "front side," "rear" and "rear side," respectively. Furthermore, components having the same functions as those already described will be designated by the same reference numerals, and further description will be omitted.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the connection structure S of this embodiment includes a compressor 1 for a vehicle air suspension. The compressor 1 is fixed to a ladder frame 3 behind the left rear wheel. The compressor 1 can be a well-known type, such as a scroll compressor or a vane compressor. An intake tube 2 for introducing air into the compressor 1 is connected to the compressor 1. A metal pipe 5 is also connected to the compressor 1. The metal pipe 5 is fixed to the ladder frame 3 and connected to an air spring 4 for the left rear wheel. Although not shown, in addition to the metal pipe 5, the compressor 1 is also connected to other metal pipes 5 (three in total) for the left front wheel, right front wheel, and right rear wheel, as well as a metal pipe 5 connected to an air tank (not shown). These metal pipes 5 are also fixed to the ladder frame 3. An exhaust tube 6 for discharging air from the inside of the compressor 1 is also connected to the compressor 1. The intake tube 2 and exhaust tube 6 are, for example, flexible rubber tubes.

The connection structure S also includes an air spring 4, a protective cover 7, and a breather duct 8. The air spring 4 is a spring that replaces the coil spring found in conventional suspensions, and as shown in FIG. 4, includes an upper end 4A, a lower end 4B, and a diaphragm 9 disposed therebetween. The upper edge of the diaphragm 9 is airtightly attached to the upper end 4A, and the lower edge of the diaphragm 9 is airtightly attached to the lower end 4B. The diaphragm 9 is made of rubber, for example, and includes an air chamber 10 therein. High-pressure air generated by the compressor 1 is supplied to the air chamber 10 directly or via an air tank (not shown). The upper end 4A is provided with a port 4P for supplying high-pressure air into the air chamber 10. The port 4P is connected to the compressor 1 via metal piping 5.

The air spring 4 is arranged so that it is sandwiched from above and below between the vehicle body members, including the ladder frame 3, and the suspension component 11, which moves up and down relative to the vehicle body members. Therefore, by increasing the internal pressure of the air chamber 10 and increasing the height of the air spring 4, the vehicle height (or the height of the ladder frame 3 from the ground) can be increased. Conversely, by decreasing the internal pressure of the air chamber 10 and decreasing the height of the air spring 4, the vehicle height (or the height of the ladder frame 3 from the ground) can be lowered. Furthermore, the spring characteristics of the air spring 4 can be changed by changing the internal pressure of the air chamber 10. When the vehicle is running, the air spring 4 is constantly expanding and contracting, absorbing vibrations and shocks from the road surface. The suspension component 11 is, for example, a lower arm, which moves up and down relative to the vehicle body members along with the wheel.

Air springs 4 are often placed near each wheel, in locations that are susceptible to foreign objects when the vehicle is in motion. For this reason, as shown in Figure 4, the air spring 4 is provided with a protective cover 7 to protect the diaphragm 9 from foreign objects when the vehicle is in motion. The protective cover 7 is attached to the air spring 4 so as to surround the diaphragm 9, or more specifically, so as to cover the diaphragm 9 from the radially outer side. The upper edge of the protective cover 7 is airtightly attached to the upper end 4A of the air spring 4, and the lower edge of the protective cover 7 is airtightly attached to the lower end 4B of the air spring 4. The protective cover 7 has a bellows structure that allows it to expand and contract in response to the expansion and contraction of the air spring 4 when adjusting the vehicle height or when the vehicle is in motion. The protective cover 7 is made of, for example, resin.

In addition, an internal space 12 is formed between the air spring 4 and the protective cover 7. The internal space 12 prevents contact wear between the air spring 4 and the protective cover 7, thereby improving their durability. The internal space 12 is defined between the outer surface of the air spring 4 and the inner surface of the protective cover 7. The volume of the internal space 12 changes depending on the expansion and contraction of the air spring 4 (or the increase or decrease in height).

The breather duct 8 supplies air from the outside to the internal space 12 and exhausts air from the internal space 12 to the outside in response to changes in the volume of the internal space 12. As shown in Figure 3, one end (lower end) 8L of the breather duct 8 is connected to a connection port 7O at the top of the protective cover 7. As shown in Figure 3, the connection port 7O is located at the upper edge of the protective cover 7, i.e., near the connection between the protective cover 7 and the upper end 4A of the air spring 4.

The other end (upper end) 8U of the breather duct 8 opens at a position inside the vehicle that is less susceptible to the influence of foreign objects, etc. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, a resin inner cover 13 is provided inside the wheelhouse, and a metal panel 14, which forms part of the vehicle body mounted on the ladder frame 3, is provided on the outside of the inner cover 13. The other end (upper end) 8U of the breather duct 8 opens inside the space formed between the inner cover 13 and the metal panel 14.

In other words, the breather duct 8 connects the relatively clean space inside the vehicle with the interior space 12. Therefore, the space inside the breather duct 8 is filled with clean air that contains less foreign matter than the outside. In Figure 6, the other end 8U of the breather duct 8 is located on the far side of the page relative to the inner cover 13. The two-dot chain line in the figure indicates the cross section of the inner cover 13 at a position closer to the front of the page than the other end 8U of the breather duct 8. Although not shown in the figure, the cross section of the inner cover 13 at the position of the other end 8U of the breather duct 8 is located lower than the other end 8U.

A filter 8F made of, for example, nonwoven fabric may be attached to the opening at the other end 8U of the breather duct 8. The filter 8F prevents foreign matter from entering the breather duct 8.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the portion of the breather duct 8 on one end 8L connected to the protective cover 7 is formed as a flexible duct 81. The flexible duct 81 has a flexible structure that allows its length and curvature to be easily changed, either in part or in its entirety. The portion of the flexible duct 81 with the flexible structure is made of rubber, for example, and has a bellows shape. On the other hand, the portion of the breather duct on the other end 8U is formed as a non-flexible duct 82 that is more rigid than the flexible duct 81. The non-flexible duct 82 is made of resin, for example, and is fixed to a vehicle body member such as a panel or ladder frame 3 that constitutes part of the vehicle body. The non-flexible duct 82 does not have the flexible structure of the flexible duct 81. Note that the flexible duct 81 of this embodiment has a resin joint 81J (see Figure 7) in part. The joint 81J is fixed to a vehicle body member such as a panel or ladder frame 3 that constitutes part of the vehicle body.

As shown in Figure 7, the other end (upper end) 2U of the intake tube 2 is connected to the longitudinal center of the breather duct 8. One end (lower end) 2L of the intake tube 2 is connected to the intake port of the compressor 1. That is, the intake tube 2 communicates between the internal space of the compressor 1 and the space within the breather duct 8. More specifically, the other end 2U is connected to the position of the non-flexible duct 82 closest to the flexible duct 81. The other end 2U is also connected to the portion of the cross section of the breather duct 8 that is located on the upper side in the direction of gravity at the connection position to the breather duct 8. The space within the breather duct 8 is defined by the inner surface of the breather duct 8 from one end (lower end) 8L to the opening of the other end 8U. The effective flow path cross-sectional area of the breather duct 8 is larger than that of the intake tube 2.

One end (lower end) 6L of the exhaust tube 6 is connected to the exhaust port of the compressor 1. The other end (upper end) 6U of the exhaust tube 6 is fixed to the outer surface of the other end 8U of the breather duct 8 and opens into the same space as the other end 8U, i.e., the space formed between the inner cover 13 and the metal panel 14. When scavenging the inside of the compressor 1, air is discharged from the exhaust tube 6.

(1) The connection structure S according to this embodiment comprises a compressor 1, an intake tube 2, an air spring 4, a protective cover 7, and a breather duct 8. The air spring 4 comprises an air chamber 10 surrounded by a diaphragm 9. The protective cover 7 is attached to the air spring 4 so as to surround the diaphragm 9, forming an internal space 12 between the air spring 4 and the protective cover 7. The breather duct 8 for the internal space 12 has one end 8L connected to the protective cover 7. The compressor 1 generates high-pressure air that is supplied to the air chamber 10. The intake tube 2 has one end 2L connected to the intake port of the compressor 1 and the other end 2U connected to the breather duct 8, and supplies air in the breather duct 8 to the intake port of the compressor 1.

In the connection structure S, the other end 2U of the intake tube 2 is connected to the breather duct 8, so clean air with little foreign matter inside the breather duct 8 is supplied to the intake port of the compressor 1. Therefore, the connection structure S can suppress the introduction of foreign matter into the air suspension system with a simple structure. In particular, in the connection structure S in the above example, a filter 8F is provided at the opening of the other end 8U of the breather duct 8, which more effectively suppresses the intrusion of foreign matter into the breather duct 8. This more reliably suppresses the introduction of foreign matter into the air suspension system.

(2) On the other hand, fine dust or water may enter the breather duct 8. In this case, the entered dust tends to accumulate in the lower portion of the cross section of the breather duct 8 in the direction of gravity. The entered water tends to either remain in the lower portion of the cross section of the breather duct 8 in the direction of gravity, or flow along that portion. In the connection structure S, the other end 2U of the intake tube 2 is connected to the portion of the cross section of the breather duct 8 that is located on the upper side in the direction of gravity, at the connection position with the breather duct 8. Therefore, even if fine dust or water enters the breather duct 8, the entered dust or water can be prevented from being inhaled from the other end 2U of the intake tube 2.

In particular, with the connection structure S in the above example, the effective flow path cross-sectional area of the breather duct 8 is larger than the effective flow path cross-sectional area of the intake tube 2. As a result, when the intake tube 2 takes in air, the flow velocity of the air flow generated within the breather duct 8 can be kept low. This prevents dust accumulated within the breather duct 8 from being stirred up and sucked into the intake tube 2.

(3) The air spring 4 expands and contracts when the vehicle height is adjusted or when the vehicle is in motion, and the protective cover 7 expands and contracts accordingly. The upper part of the air spring 4 is fixed directly or indirectly to a vehicle body member, and the lower part of the air spring 4 is fixed directly or indirectly to a suspension component 11. The upper part of the protective cover 7 is attached to the upper part of the air spring 4, and the lower part of the protective cover 7 is attached to the lower part of the air spring 4. Therefore, when the vehicle height is adjusted or the vehicle is in motion, the lower part of the protective cover 7 moves more significantly relative to the vehicle body member than the upper part of the protective cover 7. In the connection structure S, one end 8L of the breather duct 8 is connected to the upper part of the protective cover 7, which reduces the tensile load and bending moment generated at the connection compared to when it is connected to the lower part of the protective cover 7.

Furthermore, in the connection structure S, one end 8L of the breather duct 8 is formed as a flexible duct 81, and the other end 8U of the breather duct 8 is formed as a non-flexible duct 82 that is more rigid than the flexible duct 81. As a result, the tensile load and bending moment that occur in the connection between the breather duct 8 and the protective cover 7 and in the breather duct 8 itself can be further reduced compared to when the entire breather duct 8 is formed as a non-flexible duct 82.

Furthermore, with connection structure S, because the other end 2U of the intake tube 2 is connected to the non-flexible duct 82, the tensile load and bending moment that occur at the connection between the breather duct 8 and the intake tube 2 are reduced compared to when the intake tube 2 is connected to the flexible duct 81. This reduces the load input to the breather duct 8 and intake tube 2 that occurs when the air spring 4 expands and contracts, making it possible to more stably breathe the internal space 12 via the breather duct 8 and intake air into the compressor 1 via the intake tube 2.

The above-described embodiments are merely examples described to facilitate understanding of the invention. The technical scope of the invention is not limited to the specific technical details disclosed in the above-described embodiments, but also includes various modifications, changes, and alternative technologies that can be easily derived therefrom.

In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the connecting structure S was provided behind the left rear wheel, but the location is not limited to this. Instead of or in addition to being provided behind the left rear wheel, the connecting structure S may be provided in front of the left rear wheel, in front of or behind the left front wheel, in front of or behind the right front wheel, or in front of or behind the right rear wheel.

S. Compressor intake tube connection structure for vehicle air suspension; 1. Compressor; 2. Intake tube; 2L. One end of the intake tube; 2U. Other end of the intake tube; 4. Air spring; 7. Protective cover; 8. Breather duct; 8L. One end of the breather duct; 9. Diaphragm; 10. Air chamber; 12. Internal space; 81. Flexible duct; 82. Non-flexible duct.

Claims (3)

A compressor intake tube connection structure for a vehicle air suspension, comprising:
an air spring having an air chamber surrounded by a diaphragm;
a protective cover attached to the air spring so as to surround the diaphragm and forming an internal space between the protective cover and the air spring;
a breather duct for the interior space, one end of which is connected to the protective cover;
a compressor that generates high-pressure air to be supplied to the air chamber;
a compressor intake tube connection structure comprising: an intake tube having one end connected to the intake port of the compressor and the other end connected to the breather duct, and supplying air in the breather duct to the intake port. The compressor intake tube connection structure of claim 1, wherein the other end of the intake tube is connected to a portion of the breather duct that is upper in the direction of gravity in a cross section of the breather duct at the connection position to the breather duct. the one end of the breather duct is connected to an upper portion of the protective cover,
The one end side of the breather duct is formed as a flexible duct,
The other end of the breather duct is formed as a non-flexible duct having higher rigidity than the flexible duct,
3. The compressor intake tube connection structure according to claim 1, wherein the other end of the intake tube is connected to the non-flexible duct.