Granted Patent B2

US 9,683,870 · App. 14/857,478 · Granted Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

Claims (50)

1. An air spring height measurement arrangement, comprising

a magnetic field transmitting arrangement; and

a magnetic field receiving arrangement;

wherein the magnetic field transmitting arrangement is adapted to adopt a first state and a second state with regard to the magnetic field receiving arrangement;

wherein one of the magnetic field transmitting arrangement and the magnetic field receiving arrangement comprises a first coil and a second coil;

wherein the other one of the magnetic field transmitting arrangement and the magnetic field receiving arrangement comprises a third coil;

wherein a first central axis of the first coil and a second central axis of the second coil enclose a first angle which is unequal to 0°;

wherein, in the first state, a third central axis of the third coil and the first central axis enclose a second angle which is unequal to 0°;

wherein, in the second state, the third central axis and the first central axis run parallel to each other;

wherein the first coil and the second coil are configured for transition from the first state to the second state; and

wherein the first coil and the second coil are configured to follow an arc-shaped curve when transitioning from the first state to the second state.

2. The air spring height measurement arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field transmitting arrangement comprises a magnetic field receiving unit and the magnetic field receiving arrangement comprises a magnetic field transmitting unit;

wherein the magnetic field transmitting arrangement is adapted to transmit a first magnetic field;

wherein the magnetic field receiving arrangement is adapted to receive the first magnetic field;

wherein the transmitting unit is adapted to transmit a second magnetic field which is generated out of an energy corresponding to the received first magnetic field; and

wherein the receiving unit is adapted to receive the second magnetic field.

3. The air spring height measurement arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the first angle is equal to the second angle.

4. The air spring height measurement arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first coil, the second coil, and the third coil comprises a core element.

5. The air spring height measurement arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein, in the first state, the third central axis and the second central axis run parallel to each other.

6. The air spring height measurement arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein, in the first state, the third central axis and the second central axis coincide.

7. The air spring height measurement arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the first coil comprises a lateral offset in a direction perpendicular to the first central axis with regard to the second coil.

8. The air spring height measurement arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the first coil overlaps the second coil in an overlap section at least partially in a direction perpendicular to the first central axis.

9. The air spring height measurement arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the first coil completely overlaps the second coil in a direction perpendicular to the first central axis.

10. The air spring height measurement arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein, in the first state, the third coil and the second coil are arranged opposite to each other in a direction of a second measuring direction.

11. The air spring height measurement arrangement according to claim 10 , wherein, in the second state, the third coil and the first coil are arranged opposite to each other in a direction of a first measuring direction.

12. The air spring height measurement arrangement according to claim 11 , wherein a movement of the magnetic field transmitting arrangement from the first state to the second state is adapted to occur within a measuring plane which is defined by the first measuring direction and the second measuring direction.

13. An air spring for a vehicle, comprising

a first mounting element for being fixed to one of a vehicle's chassis and a movable part of a vehicle being movable with respect to the chassis;

a second mounting element for being fixed to the other one of the vehicle's chassis and the movable part of the vehicle being movable with respect to the chassis;

a bellow extending from the first mounting element to the second mounting element and including an air volume;

an air spring height measurement arrangement according to claim 1 ;

wherein the magnetic field transmitting arrangement is arranged at the first mounting element;

wherein the magnetic field receiving arrangement is arranged at the second mounting element; and

wherein a movement of the first mounting element with respect to the second mounting element represents at least a part of a working stroke of the air spring.

14. The air spring for a vehicle according to claim 13 , wherein the magnetic field transmitting arrangement comprises a magnetic field receiving unit and the magnetic field receiving arrangement comprises a magnetic field transmitting unit; wherein the magnetic field transmitting arrangement is adapted to transmit a first magnetic field; wherein the magnetic field receiving arrangement is adapted to receive the first magnetic field; wherein the transmitting unit is adapted to transmit a second magnetic field which is generated out of an energy corresponding to the received first magnetic field; and wherein the receiving unit is adapted to receive the second magnetic field.

15. The air spring for a vehicle according to claim 13 , wherein the first angle is equal to the second angle.

16. The air spring for a vehicle according to claim 13 , wherein at least one of the first coil, the second coil, and the third coil comprises a core element.

17. The air spring for a vehicle according to claim 13 , wherein, in the first state, the third central axis and the second central axis run parallel to each other.

18. The air spring height measurement arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein one of the first coil and the second coil are driven by a same signal generator, wherein the signal generator alternates a transmitting signal sequence between the first coil and the second coil so that only one of the first coil and the second coil is powered by the signal generator.

19. The air spring height measurement arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein one of the first coil and the second coil are driven by a same signal generator, wherein the signal generator transmits a first frequency to the first coil and a second frequency to the second coil so that both the first coil and the second coil can be active simultaneously.

20. An air spring height measurement arrangement, comprising

a magnetic field transmitting arrangement; and

a magnetic field receiving arrangement;

wherein the magnetic field transmitting arrangement is adapted to adopt a first state and a second state with regard to the magnetic field receiving arrangement;

wherein one of the magnetic field transmitting arrangement and the magnetic field receiving arrangement comprises a first coil and a second coil;

wherein the other one of the magnetic field transmitting arrangement and the magnetic field receiving arrangement comprises a third coil;

wherein a first central axis of the first coil and a second central axis of the second coil enclose a first angle which is unequal to 0°;

wherein, in the first state, a third central axis of the third coil and the first central axis enclose a second angle which is unequal to 0°; and

wherein, in the second state, the third central axis and the first central axis run parallel to each other.

21. The air spring height measurement arrangement of claim 20 , wherein the first coil and the second coil are configured to follow an arc-shaped curve when transitioning from the first state to the second state.

Assignments (14)