Continental Automotive Systems Corporation

Continental Teves, Ag and Company Ohg

Christian Schallmeier

Garrett Mark Pniewski

Sunny Makkar

Ralf Pielock

Kranti Kiran Manga

Andreas Nessel

Holger Wehaus

David Lee Hockey

Susanne Tatter

Air spring strut for a motor vehicle including an air spring with a shock absorber for spring-cushioning and damping oscillations of a motor vehicle running gear assembly. The air spring includes an air spring cover and an air spring piston. An air spring bellows made of elastomeric material is clamped air-tightly between the air spring cover and the air spring piston partially delimits a working space filled with compressed air and, while forming a rolling fold, rolls on the air spring cover and/or the air spring piston. The air spring cover is embodied in two parts with a first cover part for receiving an absorber bearing and with a second cover part for fastening the air spring bellows. The first cover part is manufactured from metal and the second cover part is manufactured from plastic.

Air spring cover

A pneumatic spring strut for a vehicle is provided including a hydraulic cylinder having a lower end for connection with a suspension system of the vehicle; a hydraulic piston slidably mounted within the hydraulic cylinder; a piston rod connected with the hydraulic piston; a pneumatic spring mount body connected with the hydraulic cylinder; a pneumatic spring bellows having a lower in connected with the pneumatic spring mount body; a top cap encircling the piston rod and being connected with a top end of the spring bellows, and a closing cover twist lock connected with the top cap.

Vehicle air strut with twist lock closure cover

An air spring includes a bellow at least partially delimiting at least one working chamber that is constructed and arranged to be filled with compressed air. A guide tube surrounds at least a portion of the bellow. A bonding agent solely fixes a portion of the bellow to the guide tube. A piston is associated with the bellow. The bellow is constructed and arranged to roll with respect to an outer surface of the piston and an inner surface of the guide tube.

Bonded guide tube and bellow assembly for air spring

A closing cover assembly for an air spring includes a first portion defining a first internal space constructed and arranged to receive a portion of an air spring. A second portion is integral with and extends from the first portion. The second portion defines a second internal space. A passageway connects the first internal space with the second internal space. A pressure retention valve having a main body is received in the second internal space, with the second portion of the cover defining an outer protective housing for the main body of the pressure retention valve.

Closing cover with integrated pressure retention valve housing for air spring applications

An air spring for air suspension system comprises a piston assembly and a damper assembly where the piston assembly is spaced apart from the damper assembly to at least partially define an air chamber. A seal is molded with piston walls to form an integrated piston assembly. The seal includes at least one sealing lip extending radially inward from the piston assembly at an angle that is non-perpendicular to an axis of the damper and the at least one sealing lip contacts the damper assembly when the piston assembly and the damper assembly are assembled together to seal the air chamber.

Air spring piston with integrated sealing

A suspension system comprises an air supply unit and four air spring corner assemblies. The air supply unit including an ECU is fluidly connected to the air spring corner assemblies and is capable of independently adjusting the air spring corner assemblies from one another. A first pressure sensor is located at a valve block of the air supply unit. The pressure signal from the first pressure sensor is used to determine a vehicle load. A second pressure sensor proximate to at least one air spring to detect air pressure of the system at that air spring and to calibrate an air pressure for at least one of the other air springs.

High accuracy load detection for air suspension systems

A method of orientating a vehicle for a potential impact includes detecting an object proximate a vehicle with at least one sensor mounted to the vehicle, identifying if the object is a pedestrian, determining a potential for a collision between the object and the vehicle with a controller mounted within the vehicle and determining a vehicle orientation for mitigating damage based on the determined potential for collision. The determined vehicle orientation includes at least an independent determination of a ride height for each corner of the vehicle. The method further includes actuating a suspension component to move each corner of the vehicle to the determined ride height for that corner independent of the other corners of the vehicle to place the vehicle in an orientation determined to mitigate damage and injury. A controller provides the independent determination of a ride height for each corner of the vehicle. The controller further is configured to initiate actuation of at least one suspension component of the vehicle to place the vehicle in the determined vehicle orientation that mitigates injury.

Independent vehicle ride height adjustment

An air spring for air suspension system comprises a piston assembly and a damper assembly. A plurality of crush ribs are spaced apart from one another located within an internal cavity defined by the piston assembly and extending in an axial direction. A striker cap is located proximate to a first end of the damper assembly. There is a first interference fit between the damper assembly and the striker cap and there is a second interference fit between the striker cap and the crush fins, such that the piston assembly and the damper assembly are rotationally fixed relative to one another.

Piston with crush fins

A method of adjusting an air suspension system comprises detecting with a positioning system that the vehicle is approaching a park location and reporting the park location is approaching to an electronic control unit for the air suspension system. A vehicle speed is determined and compared to a predetermined speed threshold, with the electronic control unit. The electronic control unit selects a park mode for the suspensions system when the vehicle is approaching the park location and when the vehicle speed is below the predetermined threshold. Air supply for the air suspension system is controlled to adjust the corner assemblies for the air suspension system to lowered positions associated with the park mode.

Growing community of inventors

Lake Orion, MI, United States of America

Christian Schallmeier