Abstract
A filter for use at an airflow opening of bellows of a shock absorber. The filter device includes a filter body through which a gas, in particular air, can flow in in the direction of an air inflow direction and out in the direction of an air outflow direction. The airflow opening is a joint air inlet and air outlet opening. A fastening means is disclosed that is fitted with a filter, in particular a fastening ring fitted therewith, for fastening bellows to a shock absorber.
Claims
1.-13. (canceled)
14. A filter device for use at an airflow opening of bellows of a shock absorber, the filter comprising: a filter body configured to fit to an airflow opening of a bellows and configured to permit a gas to enter in the direction of an air inflow direction and exit in the direction of an air outflow direction, and wherein the airflow opening is a joint air inlet and air outlet opening.
15. The filter device of claim 14, comprising an excess pressure relief mechanism.
16. The filter device of claim 15 wherein the pressure relief mechanism includes a non-return function.
17. The filter device of claim 14 wherein the filter body is produced from a flexible, preferably mat-like material exhibiting a restoring force and/or held in a movable filter body frame which is air-permeable in the air inflow and air outflow direction, which filter body frame can be exposed to a restoring force.
18. The filter device of claim 17 wherein the filter body or the filter body frame can be moved by the restoring force into an inoperative position in which the filter body closes the at least one joint air inlet and air outlet opening in the air inflow direction and also in the air outflow direction in a filtering manner up to a predefined air outflow pressure.
19. The filter device of claim 17 wherein the filter body or the filter body frame is moved against the restoring force from the inoperative position into a working position during an outflow of air at a pressure higher than the predefined air outflow pressure, in the air outflow direction.
20. The filter device of claim 19 wherein an opening degree of the working position of the filter body or the filter body frame is limited by a stop.
21. The filter device of claim 14 wherein the filter body is arranged in a stationary filter body frame element.
22. The filter device of claim 21 wherein a bypass surrounding the filter body is provided as an excess pressure relief mechanism which comprises a pressure relief closure in the form of a non-return valve which closes the bypass and automatically opens it for pressure relief from a predefined air outflow pressure.
23. The filter device of claim 14 wherein the filter body is configured as a particle filter and/or as a harmful substance filter.
24. The filter device of claim 14 wherein the filter body is configured to be self-cleaning.
25. The filter device of claim 24 wherein the self-cleaning of the filter body takes place through a deformation of the filter body and/or through tapping and/or blowing off when the filter body or the filter body frame moves from the inoperative position into the working position and back or strikes a stop delimiting an opening angle.
26. The filter device of claim 14 wherein a separate filter body is provided for each airflow opening and/or a joint filter body for one or multiple airflow openings.
27. A fastening ring, comprising the filter device of claim 14, the fastening ring configured to fasten bellows to a shock absorber.
Description
[0027] The invention is described below with the help of exemplary embodiments which are explained in greater detail with the help of the figures. In the figures:
[0028] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a first embodiment of a filter device according to the invention with the filter body closed as a side view;
[0029] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a first embodiment of a filter device according to the invention with a filter body opened by excess pressure as a side view;
[0030] FIG. 3 shows a further schematic representation of an inventive filter device according to an embodiment of the invention as a side view;
[0031] FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a further embodiment of a filter device according to the invention with a fixed filter body as a side view;
[0032] FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of a unit made up of a shock absorber, bellows and inventive filter device in accordance with the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3 as a side view;
[0033] FIG. 6 shows a detail view of the representation shown in FIG. 5;
[0034] FIG. 7 shows a schematic representation of a unit made up of a shock absorber, bellows and inventive filter device according to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 4 as a side view; and
[0035] FIG. 8 shows a detail view of the representation shown in FIG. 7.
[0036] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a first embodiment of a filter device 10 according to the invention with the filter body 50 closed as a sectional view. The filter body 50, as emerges from FIG. 1 in conjunction with FIG. 2, is shown on the right side in the representations, fastened to a shock absorber 40, more precisely to a cylinder of a shock absorber 40 on a filter mount 60. In the inoperative position, the filter body 50 lies against the joint air inlet and air outlet openings 20 of the filter device 10 according to the invention. The air flowing into the interior of a bellows 30 flows along an air inflow direction 22 through the filter body 50 and the air inflow opening 20. In the opposite direction, the air flowing out of the interior of the bellows 30 flows along an air outflow direction 22 through the filter body 50 and the air outflow opening 20, which is the same as the air inflow opening 20. It can be seen from both FIG. 1 and also from FIG. 2 that the filter device 10 according to the invention is arranged integrated in a fastening ring 100 and is attached to the shock absorber 40. If excess pressure occurs in the interior of the bellows 30, the filter body 50, which is configured as a flexible filter body 50, folds downwards with its free filter body end portion 55, i.e. in the direction of the ambient air, and clears the air outlet opening 20, so that an excess pressure developing in the interior volume of the bellows 30 can be reduced along an excess pressure path 24 outwardly in the direction of the ambient air.
[0037] FIG. 3 shows a similar embodiment of a filter device 10 according to the invention, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2; however, the fastening ring 100 is attached to the shock absorber 40 using an alternative fastening. The method of operation of the filter device 10 shown in FIG. 3 corresponds, however, to that also depicted in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.
[0038] FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a further embodiment of a filter device according to the invention with a fixed filter body in side view. According to this embodiment of the invention, the filter body 50 is arranged in a filter body frame element 70 and fixed in a stationary manner by filter mounts 60. The filter body 50 according to this embodiment is arranged in an immobile, i.e. stationary and immovable, manner. As is also the case with the embodiments described above, here too the air flowing into an internal volume of the bellows 30 through the filter body 50 and also through the filter body frame element 70 and the air inflow opening 20 and also in the reverse direction during an outflow from the internal volume of the bellows 30 in the opposite direction through the air outflow opening 20 flows back into the ambient air. Unlike the embodiments shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 of a filter device 10 according to the invention, the filter body 50 according to the embodiment depicted in FIG. 4 cannot open up the air outflow opening 20 when excess pressure occurs in the internal volume of the bellows, since the filter body 50 is fixed in the filter body frame element 70. For this reason, a bypass 80 is provided along the side of the filter body frame element 70, through which air can flow out from the interior of the bellows when a predefined air outflow pressure is exceeded. The bypass 80 is closed in the inoperative position by a non-return flap 90 which automatically opens when the predefined air outflow pressure is exceeded and also closes again automatically due to preloading if the pressure in the internal volume of the bellows 30 falls below the predefined air outflow pressure once again. In this case, during a pressure increase in the internal volume of the bellows 30, the air flows normally through the air outlet opening 20 and the filter body frame element 70 and also the filter body 50.
[0039] FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of a unit made up of a shock absorber, bellows and inventive filter device according to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3 in side view. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the filter device according to the invention is integrated in a fastening ring 100 which fixes the lower end of a bellows to the cylinder of a shock absorber 40. A detail view of the representation shown in FIG. 5 is shown in FIG. 6.
[0040] FIG. 7 shows a schematic representation of a unit made up of a shock absorber, bellows and inventive filter device according to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 4 in side view. As can be seen in FIG. 7, the filter device according to the invention is integrated in a fastening ring 100 which fixes the lower end of a bellows to the cylinder of a shock absorber 40. A detail view of the representation shown in FIG. 7 is shown in FIG. 8.
[0041] At this point it should be pointed out that all the parts described above, both individually and in any combination, particularly the details depicted in the drawings, are claimed as essential to the invention. Modifications to these will be jointly known by the person skilled in the art.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS
[0042] 10 Filter device [0043] 20 Air inlet and air outlet opening [0044] 22 Air inflow direction [0045] 22 Air outflow direction [0046] 24 Excess pressure path [0047] 30 Bellows [0048] 40 Shock absorber [0049] 50 Filter body [0050] 55 Filter body end portion [0051] 60 Filter mount [0052] 70 Filter body frame element [0053] 80 Bypass [0054] 90 Non-return flap [0055] 100 Fastening ring
