Method and arrangement for making contactless distance and pressure measurements within an air spring

US6073491A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• ContiTech Luftfedersysteme GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Norbert Fischer · Lichtenberg, DE
• Roland Altsinger · Burgdorf, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 10, 1999
• Grant date: Jun 13, 2000
• Expiry date: May 10, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01S2007/52014
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The exact spring height as well as the spring pressure can be determined with a single arrangement for the optimal utilization of the axle loads of a multi-axle air spring suspended vehicle and to control the distance between the chassis and the axle. An air spring (2) is equipped with an ultrasonic pulse/echo measuring system. The air spring (2) includes a transmitter/receiver component (14) arranged on the chassis and a first reference electrode (20) and a reflector component (16) fixed to the axle. The air spring height can be determined in a conventional manner from the relative value of the running times of the ultrasonic pulses which are traversed on the reference path and the measuring path. A second reference reflector (22) is mounted at a different distance to the first reference reflector (20). For the determination of pressure, the transmitting power or the receiving amplification of the second reference reflector (22) is controlled in such a manner that the amplitude (intensity) of the sonic waves, which are reflected from the first reference reflector (20), remains at a constant value. This amplitude (intensity) is measured via the sonic transducer (14).