IP Library Granted Patent US 12,270,446
Granted Patent B2
US 12,270,446 · App. 18/177,542 · Granted Apr 8, 2025

Compressor assembly, air supply unit

Inventor: Katarzyna Golda (Wroclaw, PL)
Assignee: ZF CV Systems Europe BV
F16F15/04B60T17/002B60T17/02F04B39/0044
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,270,446
App. No.
18/177,542
Granted
Apr 8, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The disclosure relates to a compressor assembly for an air supply unit of a vehicle. The compressor assembly includes: a compressor for providing pressurized air and having a compressor housing, at least one mounting bracket, wherein the at least one mounting bracket is fixed to the compressor housing, and, for each mounting bracket, one bearing for connecting the compressor assembly to a housing structure of the air supply unit. The bearing includes a flexible, hollow bellow, adapted to receive a gaseous medium, wherein the bellow includes at least one mounting feature, in particular recess, adapted to receive the mounting bracket, and the bellow is adapted to be pneumatically charged from an unpressurized state into a pressurized state, wherein the mounting feature is adapted to mechanically connect the bellow to the mounting bracket in a pressurized state via a positive lock.

Claims (39)

1. A compressor assembly for an air supply unit of a vehicle, the compressor assembly comprising:

a compressor configured to provide pressurized air and having a compressor housing;

at least one mounting bracket fixed to said compressor housing;

at least one bearing, wherein, for each of said at least one mounting brackets, the compressor assembly has one of said at least one bearings for connecting the compressor assembly to a housing structure of the air supply unit;

said at least one bearing includes a flexible, hollow bellow configured to receive a gaseous medium;

said flexible, hollow bellow includes at least one mounting feature configured to receive said at least one mounting bracket;

said bellow being configured to be pneumatically charged from an unpressurized state into a pressurized state; and,

said at least one mounting feature being configured to mechanically connect said bellow to said at least one mounting bracket in the pressurized state via a positive lock.

2. The compressor assembly of claim 1 further comprising a fixation feature configured to mechanically connect said bellow to the housing structure of the air supply unit.

3. The compressor assembly of claim 1 further comprising:

a mounting assembly having a mounting screw configured to exert an axial compression force to said bellow or a bellow skin of said bellow via a fastening of said mounting screw.

4. The compressor assembly of claim 3 further comprising:

a fixation feature configured to mechanically connect said bellow to the housing structure of the air supply unit; and,

said mounting assembly being part of said fixation feature and being configured to charge said bellow from the unpressurized state into the pressurized state.

5. The compressor assembly of claim 3 , wherein said mounting assembly is part of said at least one mounting feature and is configured to clamp said bellow skin via a force closure of said bellow skin at a clamping orifice located in said at least one mounting feature.

6. The compressor assembly of claim 3 , wherein said mounting assembly includes at least one mounting screw washer configured to distribute the compression force on said bellow.

7. The compressor assembly of claim 1 , wherein said bellow is air tight.

8. The compressor assembly of claim 1 , wherein said bellow includes a pressure port configured to receive the gaseous medium for pneumatically charging said bellow into the pressurized state.

9. The compressor assembly of claim 2 , wherein said fixation feature includes a hollow cylindrical body having a threaded surface and configured to engage with a corresponding bearing thread of the housing structure; and, said hollow cylindrical body is configured to hold said bellow via at least one of a clamped fixation and positively locking fixation.

10. The compressor assembly of claim 8 further comprising a valve configured to pneumatically close and open at least one of said pressure port and a pneumatic connection between a charging line and said bellow.

11. The compressor assembly of claim 10 , wherein said valve is a check valve configured to open in a flow direction from the charging line to said bellow and to close in a direction opposite to the flow direction.

12. The compressor assembly of claim 1 , wherein said bellow is comprised of rubber.

13. The compressor assembly of claim 1 , wherein said at least one mounting feature is a recess.

14. The compressor assembly of claim 1 further comprising a mounting assembly having a mounting screw and a mounting nut configured to exert an axial compression force to said bellow or a bellow skin of said bellow via a fastening of at least one of said mounting screw and said mounting nut.

15. The compressor assembly of claim 3 , wherein said mounting assembly includes at least one mounting screw washer configured to distribute the compression force on a bellow end face of said bellow.

16. The compressor assembly of claim 3 , wherein said mounting assembly is part of said at least one mounting feature and is configured to sealingly clamp said bellow skin via a force closure of said bellow skin at a clamping orifice located in said at least one mounting feature.

17. An air supply unit for a vehicle, the air supply unit comprising:

a housing structure;

a compressor assembly including a compressor configured to provide pressurized air and having a compressor housing;

said compressor assembly further comprising at least one mounting bracket fixed to said compressor housing and at least one bearing;

wherein, for each of said at least one mounting brackets, the compressor assembly has one of said at least one bearings for connecting the compressor assembly to said housing structure;

said at least one bearing includes a flexible, hollow bellow configured to receive a gaseous medium;

said flexible, hollow bellow includes at least one mounting feature configured to receive said at least one mounting bracket;

said bellow being configured to be pneumatically charged from an unpressurized state into a pressurized state;

said at least one mounting feature being configured to mechanically connect said bellow to said at least one mounting bracket in the pressurized state via a positive lock; and,

said housing structure having at least one mounting receptacle configured to receive said at least one bellow bearing.

18. The air supply unit of claim 17 , wherein said housing structure includes a charging line configured to pneumatically connect a pressure outlet to a pressure port of said at least one bearing.

19. The air supply unit of claim 17 , wherein said housing structure includes a compressor line configured to pneumatically connect a pressure outlet of said compressor assembly to a pressure port of said at least one bearing.

20. The air supply unit of claim 18 further comprising a valve disposed in said charging line; and, said valve being configured to pneumatically close and open at least one of said pressure port and a pneumatic connection between said charging line and said bellow.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 14, 2023
From: ZF CV SYSTEMS POLAND SP. Z O.O.
To: ZF CV SYSTEMS EUROPE BV
Reel/Frame 065557/0387 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 8, 2023
From: WABCO POLSKA SP. Z O.O.
To: ZF CV SYSTEMS POLAND SP. Z O.O.
Reel/Frame 065515/0313 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 24, 2023
From: GOLDA NEE SKOCZYLAS, KATARZYNA
To: WABCO POLSKA SP. Z O.O.
Reel/Frame 063414/0701 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTEP2020074384 · Sep 2, 2020
Related Publication 20230234546A1 · Jul 27, 2023
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