IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
UP-0338355
(2006-01-24)
|
등록번호 |
US-7690663
(2010-05-20)
|
우선권정보 |
AU-PP4916(1998-07-29); AU-PP5450(1998-08-25); AU-PP9076(1999-03-09) |
발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
3 인용 특허 :
16 |
초록
▼
An air suspension system for a load carrying vehicle has multiple air bags associated with selected vehicle wheels to at least assist supporting the load and to control relative movement between the respective wheel and a supporting frame structure of the vehicle. A high flow-rate air tube connected
An air suspension system for a load carrying vehicle has multiple air bags associated with selected vehicle wheels to at least assist supporting the load and to control relative movement between the respective wheel and a supporting frame structure of the vehicle. A high flow-rate air tube connected to at least one air bag receives air from the connected air bag when air pressure in the air bag increases above that in the air tube. Air flows from the high flow rate air tube to a connected air bag when the air pressure in the air tube is above that of the air bag. The flow rate of air from the air tube to the air bag is controlled by the structure of the fittings between the respective air bags and the high flow-rate air tubes. A height valve maintains a predetermined pressure in the air bags when the vehicle is at rest.
대표청구항
▼
The invention claimed is: 1. An air suspension system for selected wheels of a vehicle, wherein the selected wheels are a single pair of wheels on opposite sides of the vehicle, the air suspension system comprising: at least one air bag operatively associated with each selected vehicle wheel to con
The invention claimed is: 1. An air suspension system for selected wheels of a vehicle, wherein the selected wheels are a single pair of wheels on opposite sides of the vehicle, the air suspension system comprising: at least one air bag operatively associated with each selected vehicle wheel to control relative movement between the wheel and a supporting frame structure of the vehicle, a high flow-rate air tube connected to and associated with each opposed air bag, air flow controlling means between the high flow-rate air tube and the air bag, the air flow controlling means regulating air flow from the high flow-rate air tube into the air bag such that an increase in a pressure differential between the high flow-rate air tube and the air bag results in an increase in the flow rate from the high flow-rate air tube into the air bag that occurs at a lower rate than the rate of the increase in the pressure differential, said air flow controlling means thereby controlling the rate of air pressure build-up in the air bag when air flows into the air bag, the high flow-rate air tube forming a manifold to which air is passed in a manner that is substantially un-regulated by the air-flow controlling means when air pressure in the air bag increases above that in the manifold, and air pressurising/exhausting means connected to the manifold through a low flow-rate air tube to maintain a required pressure therein to thereby maintain a selected, predetermined vehicle ride height; wherein the high flow-rate air tubes associated with each opposed air bag are interconnected by a low flow-rate connection to form a restriction to the flow of air between the high flow-rate air tubes whereby air is able to flow from the air bags to the respective connected manifold as a result of a sudden pressure increase, but pressure differences between manifolds resulting from said sudden pressure increases on one or the other of the air bags are substantially not conveyed to the other manifold, wherein the high flow-rate air tube has a diameter of approximately 2 inches and said restriction has a minimum diameter of approximately ¼ of an inch. 2. An air suspension system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said air flow controlling means comprises a reduced diameter connection at one end of the manifold shaped to provide the proportional control of air flow. 3. An air suspension system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the air flow controlling means includes an end wall of the manifold which defines a shoulder between the manifold and the connection to the respective air bag into which air is flowing, the end wall shoulder causing turbulence in the air flow resulting in air flow restriction. 4. An air suspension system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pressurising/exhausting means includes a valve to admit pressurised air to or exhaust air from the air bags to maintain a predetermined vehicle ride height, said pressurising means being substantially unresponsive to sudden pressure changes in the manifold pressure during vehicle operation. 5. An air suspension system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the selected wheels are mounted on adjacent, multiple axles of the vehicle, and the air bags associated with wheels on the respective sides of the vehicle are connected by a manifold formed by the respective high flow-rate air tubes on each side, each air flow controlling means being located at each end of the respective manifolds and controlling the flow of air into the respective, adjacent, associated air bag. 6. An air suspension system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the air flow controlling means includes an end wall at each end of the manifold, each end wall defining a shoulder between the manifold and the respective connection to the respective air bag into which air is flowing, the end wall shoulder causing turbulence in the air flow into the adjacent air bag resulting in air flow restriction. 7. An air suspension system as claimed in claim 5 wherein the pressurising/exhausting means includes a valve to admit pressurised air to or exhaust air from the air bags on both sides of the vehicle to maintain a predetermined vehicle ride height, said pressurising means being substantially unresponsive to sudden pressure changes in manifold pressure during vehicle operation. 8. An air suspension system as claimed in claim 7 wherein the valve is actuated by a link connected to a rocker member which extends between front and rear axles of a dual axle set of the vehicle, or an adjacent pair of axles in a tri-axle vehicle, the link being connected to the rocker member at a point approximately mid-way along the length of said rocker member whereby only relative movement between the midway connection point and the vehicle supporting frame structure actuates the valve. 9. A vehicle having an air suspension system as claimed in claim 5. 10. A vehicle having an air suspension system as claimed in claim 1. 11. An air suspension system for a vehicle having two or more adjacent axle and wheel sets comprising: at least one air bag operatively associated with each vehicle wheel of each axle and wheel set to control relative movement between the respective wheel and a supporting frame structure of the vehicle, a high flow-rate air tube connected between the air bags on one side of the vehicle and a further high flow-rate air tube connected between the air bags on the other side of the vehicle, wherein each of the high flow-rate air tubes has a diameter of approximately 2 inches, the high flow-rate air tubes forming manifolds to which air is passed when air pressure in one air bag increases above that in the respective manifold, air flow controlling means between the respective manifolds and the connected air bags, the air flow controlling means regulating air flow from the manifold into the respective air bags such that an increase in a pressure differential between the manifold and the air bag results in an increase in the flow rate from the manifold into the air bag that occurs at a lower rate than the rate of the increase in the pressure differential to thereby control the rate of air pressure build-up in the respective air bags when air flows from the manifolds into the respective air bags, but providing substantially un-regulated control of air flow from the respective air bags into the respective manifolds, and pressurising/exhausting means connected to the manifold through a low flow-rate air tube to maintain a required pressure therein to thereby maintain a selected, predetermined vehicle ride height. 12. An air suspension system as claimed in claim 11 wherein each air flow controlling means includes an end wall of the respective manifold which defines a shoulder between the manifold and the connection to the respective air bag into which air is flowing, the end wall shoulder causing turbulence in the air flow resulting in air flow restriction. 13. An air suspension system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the pressurising/exhausting means includes at least one valve to admit pressurised air to or exhaust air from the air bags on both sides of the vehicle to maintain a predetermined vehicle ride height, said pressurising means being substantially unresponsive to sudden pressure changes in the respective manifolds or air bags during vehicle operation. 14. An air suspension system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the valve is actuated by a link connected to a rocker member which extends between front and rear axles of a dual axle set of the vehicle, or an adjacent pair of axles in a tri-axle vehicle, the link being connected to the rocker member at a point approximately mid-way along the length of said rocker member whereby only relative movement between the midway connection point and the vehicle supporting frame structure actuates the valve. 15. An air suspension system as claimed in claim 11 wherein each said high flow-rate air tube is formed of a plurality of connected, parallel sub-tubes. 16. A vehicle having an air suspension system as claimed in claim 11. 17. An air suspension kit for mounting an air suspension system to a vehicle having multiple adjacent axle and wheel sets comprising a plurality of air bags adapted to be mounted to control relative movement between the respective vehicle wheels and a supporting frame structure of the vehicle, a high flow-rate air tube to be connected between the air bags on one side of the vehicle and a further high flow-rate air tube to be connected between the air bags on the other side of the vehicle, wherein each of the high flow-rate air tubes has a diameter of approximately 2 inches, the high flow-rate air tubes forming manifolds to which air is passed when air pressure in one air bag increases above that in the respective manifold, air flow controlling means associated with each manifold to regulate air flow from the manifold into one or other of the respective air bags such that an increase in a pressure differential between the respective manifold and the air bag results in an increase in the flow rate from the manifold into the air bag that occurs at a lower rate than the rate of the increase in the pressure differential, said air flow controlling means thereby controlling the rate of air pressure build-up in the air bag when air flows into the air bag, and pressurising/exhausting means to be connected to the manifold through a low flow-rate air tube to maintain a required pressure in the air bags to maintain a selected ride height, the pressurising means including a height valve to admit pressurised air to or exhaust air from the air bags to maintain said vehicle ride height. 18. An air suspension system for a vehicle having a supporting frame structure and first and second wheels located on at least one side of the vehicle, the air suspension system comprising: a first and a second air bag operatively associated with the first and second wheels, respectively, to control relative movement between the first and second wheels and the supporting frame structure of the vehicle; a manifold with opposing first and second end walls defining a space thereinbetween, the first end wall having a first fluid passageway formed therethrough and the second end wall having a second fluid passageway formed therethrough, wherein a first inlet of the first fluid passageway is smaller in diameter than a diameter of the first end wall and a second inlet of the second fluid passageway is smaller in diameter than a diameter of the second end wall, thereby forming a shoulder at each of the first and second end walls of the manifold, wherein the first and second inlets do not extend into the defined space; the first and the second air bags operatively connected to the first and second fluid passageways, respectively; an air flow control structure located between the manifold and each of the first and second air bags, at least a portion of the air flow control structure defined by the shoulders, the air flow control structure configured to cause a restriction on the air flow from the manifold into the first air bag, wherein the amount of the restriction on the air flow varies proportionately to the rate of air flow from the manifold into the first air bag; and the air flow control structure further configured to regulate the air flow from the manifold into the first air bag such that an increase in a pressure differential between the manifold and the first air bag results in an increase in the flow rate from the manifold into the first air bag that occurs at a lower rate than the rate of the increase in the pressure differential, thereby controlling the rate of air pressure build-up in the first air bag. 19. An air suspension system according to claim 18, wherein air is forced into the manifold from the second air bag. 20. An air suspension system according to claim 18, wherein the manifold defines a length between the first end wall and the second end wall, the manifold defining a longitudinal axis along the length, wherein at least a portion of each of the first and second fluid passageways extends in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the manifold. 21. An air suspension system according to claim 20, wherein at least a portion of each of the first and second fluid passageways is centered along the longitudinal axis of the manifold. 22. An air suspension system according to claim 18, wherein the manifold defines a tubular construction. 23. An air suspension system according to claim 18, wherein the manifold defines a diameter of approximately 2 inches.
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