Method for making an air spring member

Abstract

An identification device (1) for a pneumatic spring (2) includes an RFID transponder (8), which is completely embedded into the elastomer matrix (13) of the flexible member (4). An electromagnetic field is generated by a read device (9), wherein the energy necessary for supplying the RFID transponder (8) is taken from the electromagnetic field generated by the read device (9). When the read device (9) is active, information can be exchanged between the RFID transponder (8) and the read device (9). The RFID transponder (8) operates completely without an internal energy supply. The RFID transponder (8) may also be configured as a read/write transponder including a memory chip, wherein data may be stored on the memory chip in a safe and permanent manner. By retrieving data from the RFID transponder (8), an identification of the pneumatic spring (2) is possible even without any internal power supply of the RFID transponder.

Claims

1. A method for making an air spring flexible member comprising the steps of: constructing an air spring flexible member blank from at least one reinforcement carrier layer and at least one non-vulcanized elastomer material with said air spring flexible member defining a location thereon whereat said flexible member is stressed less in terms of deformation of said flexible member during operational use thereof; introducing an RFID transponder into said elastomer material at said location so as to cause said RFID transponder to be completely embedded in said non-vulcanized elastomer material, wherein the RFID transponder has at least one unit configured to draw energy necessary to supply the RFID transponder from an electromagnetic field generated by a read unit and, when energy is available to the RFID transponder, information can be exchanged between the RFID transponder and the read unit; and, vulcanizing the flexible member causing said RFID transponder to be completely surrounded by vulcanized elastomer material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic components of the RFID transponder are introduced directly into the non-vulcanized elastomer material with no encapsulation surrounding said RFID transponder.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a pneumatic spring identification system as a basic illustration; and,

(3) FIG. 2 shows an enlarged detail of the pneumatic spring from FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(4) FIG. 1 shows a pneumatic spring identification system 1 having a pneumatic spring 2. The pneumatic spring 2 has a piston 3, a flexible member 4 and a cover 5, wherein the cover 5 has an attachment bolt 6 and an air port 7. An RFID transponder 8 is embedded in the flexible member 4. A read unit 9 with an antenna 10 is connected to a data storage unit 11 via a cable 12, and is operatively connected to the RFID transponder 8 via a magnetic field (not shown).

(5) FIG. 2 shows an enlarged detail of the pneumatic spring 2. The flexible member 4 is attached in an airtight fashion to the cover 5. The RFID transponder 8 is completely surrounded by the elastomer matrix 13 of the flexible member 4.

(6) The RFID transponder 8 draws its energy via an integrated antenna (not shown here) from the electrical field (likewise not shown here) which is generated by the read unit 9, and in the process the RFID transponder 8 transmits data to the read unit 9. The data from the RFID transponder 8 can be transmitted to the data storage unit 11 via the cable 13. The data which are stored in the data storage unit 11 can be further processed in a data processing system (not shown), with the result that the identity of the pneumatic spring 2 can be determined.

(7) It is understood that the foregoing description is that of the preferred embodiments of the invention and that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(8) (Part of the Description)

(9) 1 Pneumatic spring identification system Pneumatic spring 3 Piston 4 Flexible member/bellows 5 Cover 6 Attachment bolt 7 Air port 8 RFID transponder 9 Read unit 10 Antenna of the read unit 9 11 Data storage unit 12 Cable between the read unit 9 and the data storage unit 11 13 Elastomer matrix of the flexible member 4