Spring devices – Vehicle – Comprising compressible fluid
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-27
2002-06-04
Rodriguez, Pam (Department: 3613)
Spring devices
Vehicle
Comprising compressible fluid
C267S064280, C267S122000, C199S028000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06398198
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bellows type air spring and a vehicle height adjustable suspension using the same.
2. Discussion of the Background
FIG. 11
illustrates an example of conventional suspensions, which includes an upper mount unit
60
mounted on a chassis
50
, a shock absorber
70
mounted to the upper mount unit
60
, upper and lower dish-like receiving plates
80
a
and
80
b,
and a coil spring
90
which is mounted between the upper and lower retainer members in a compressed state.
The upper mount unit
60
includes a rod holder
65
, which in turn includes an annular member
61
made of metal and an annular damper rubber
62
provided around the annular member
61
, an annular mounting plate
66
fixed around an upper portion of the circumferential periphery of the rod holder
65
, and a dish-like receiving plate
67
fixed around an lower portion of the circumferential periphery of the rod holder
65
.
The mounting plate
66
is provided with a plurality of stud bolts, which respectively extend through holes (not shown) formed in the chassis
50
, and are threadedly engaged with nuts (not shown), thereby mounting the upper mount unit
60
on the chassis
50
.
The shock absorber
70
includes a body
71
formed from a hydraulic cylinder, and a retractable rod
72
retractably mounted in the body
71
. The retractable rod
72
forms at its outside end an outwardly threaded portion
73
, which passes the upper dish-like receiving plate
80
a,
and is received in the annular member
61
of the rod holder
65
of the upper mount unit
60
via a washer
81
. The outwardly threaded portion
73
protrudes upwardly and is threadedly engaged with a nut
82
, thereby mounting the shock absorber on the upper mount unit
60
.
On the other hand, the upper dish-like receiving plate
80
a
urged upwardly by the coil spring
90
is pressed against the dish-like receiving plate
67
of the upper mount unit
60
via a bearing
83
.
When the coil spring
90
is to be replaced with a new one, the coil spring
90
in the shock absorber
70
is compressed to a predetermined length by using a spring compressor (not shown) as a safety device, and then the lower dish-like receiving plate
80
b
is cut while retaining the coil spring
90
in a compressed state. The coil spring
90
is then removed from the shock absorber
70
, and a new one is mounted in position.
Next, the new coil spring
90
is compressed in the same manner as the above, and the lower dish-like receiving plate
80
b
is welded on the body
71
. The coil spring
90
is gradually elongated to such a length as to abut against the lower dish-like receiving plate
80
b
by the spring compressor. After that, the spring compressor is removed.
The above conventional suspension requires the compression of the coil spring
90
by the spring compressor, cutting of the lower dish-like receiving plate
80
b
and other works for the replacement of the coil spring
90
and hence adjustment of the vehicle height. These works are troublesome and time consuming.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a bellows type air spring that allows a currently mounted suspension to adjust the height of a vehicle in simple, secured and prompt manners without the necessity of modification of the basic structure of the vehicle, while effectively using an upper mount unit, a shock absorber, etc., of the currently mounted suspension.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a vehicle height adjustable suspension using the bellows type air spring.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In consideration of the above problems, there is provided a bellows type air spring, which includes a bellows body, and first and second end members. The bellows body has a generally hollowed cylindrical shape with upper and lower open ends and a longitudinal axis extending between the upper and lower open ends. The bellows body also defines therein an air chamber for receiving the air, thereby allowing the bellows body to be expanded and contracted along the longitudinal axis. The first end member is disposed in the lower open end for sealing the same, and defines therein a through hole for receiving a body of a shock absorber. The second end member is disposed in the upper open end for sealing the same, and defines therein a through hole for receiving a retractable rod of the shock absorber.
Accordingly, when the currently used suspension includes the combination of the coil spring and the shock absorber, the bellows type air spring having the above arrangement allows the currently mounted suspension to adjust the height of a vehicle in simple, secured and prompt manners without the necessity of modification of the basic structure of the vehicle, while effectively using the upper mount unit, the shock absorber, etc., of the currently mounted suspension.
The bellows type air spring is expanded and contracted along the longitudinal axis thereof by the air introduced, thereby adjusting the height of the vehicle in flexible and simple manners.
The safety device used in the conventional coil spring is not needed any more to replace the bellows type air spring with a different one, resulting in shortening of the replacement time of the spring, and a simpler operation.
An air valve mounting portion is preferably provided in at least one of the first end member and the second end member. This air valve mounting portion is adapted to be connected to an air feeding passage to introduce the air into the bellows body and discharge the air from the bellows body via the air valve mounting portion. With this arrangement, the air introducing and discharging portion can be varied in position according to the body structure (e.g., frame structure, monocoque structure, etc.) of the vehicle currently used.
According to another scope of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle height adjustable suspension including a bellows body, a first end member, a second end member, a shock absorber, a spring receiving member, and an adapter. The bellows body has a generally hollowed cylindrical shape with upper and lower open ends and a longitudinal axis extending between the upper and lower open ends. The bellows body also defines therein an air chamber for receiving the air, thereby allowing the bellows body to be expanded and contracted along the longitudinal axis. The first end member is disposed in the lower open end for sealing the same, and defines therein a through hole. The second end member is disposed in the upper open end for sealing the same, and defines therein a through hole. The shock absorber includes a body extending through the through hole of the first end member, and a retractable rod extending through the through hole of the second end member. The spring receiving member is secured to the body of the shock absorber and hermetically mounted on the first end member, thereby allowing the bellows body to be securely received by the spring receiving member. The adapter is hermetically mounted on the second end member.
According to the above arrangement, it is possible to replace the currently used suspension with the vehicle height adjustable suspension of the present invention by the replacement of the currently used suspension itself without the necessity of modification of the basic structure of the vehicle. Hence, a simple, secured and prompt operation is obtainable.
As an additional advantage of the vehicle height adjustable suspension, it is applicable to the vehicle without the upper mount unit.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3806106 (1974-04-01), Hamel et al.
patent: 4629170 (1986-12-01), Warmuth, II
patent: 4669710 (1987-06-01), Horvat
patent: 4826141 (1989-05-01), Buma et al.
patent: 4993694 (1991-02-01), Gandiglio et al.
patent: 5467971 (1995-11-01), Hurtubise et al.
patent: 5484161 (1996-01-01), McIntyre
patent: 5636831 (1997-06-01), Gubitz
patent: 5667203 (1997-09-01), Romer
patent: 6042092 (2000-03-01), Shibata
Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.
Rodriguez Pam
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