GUIDING DEVICE FOR METAL BELLOWS

Abstract

A guiding device for metal bellows (19) which comprises a terminal element (35) on at least one bellows end (31), said terminal element being movable along the wall of a housing (1) during expansion and compression of the bellows (19), a guiding means (47) being interposed between the terminal element and the housing (1). The guiding device is characterized in that the guiding means comprises at least one annular element (47) which surrounds a peripheral zone of the terminal element (35), said annular element, on its outer periphery, forming first annular sections which are radially spaced apart from the wall of the housing (1) and which are separated from each other by second annular sections that radially project over the first annular sections.

Description

The invention relates to a guiding device for a metal bellows, which comprises an end body on at least one end of the bellows, said end body being movable along the wall of a housing during expansion and compression of the bellows, between this end body and the housing there being a guiding means.

Metal bellows are used in various technical fields as a component of variable length, for example, when it is necessary to equalize the length in lines or coupling connections for flowable media. In particular, metal bellows are also often used in hydraulic accumulators as a movable separating element between the gas side and the fluid side. Especially in applications where relatively extensive movements take place during expansion and compression of the bellows, or if back and forth movements take place at a relatively high rate and/or at higher acceleration values, as is the case in pulsation dampers or shock absorbers, it is important for the service life of the bellows that the respective end of the bellows that is moved along a housing wall in operation be guided in a safe and reliable manner.

In this respect, the prior art provides a guiding means on the movable end of the bellows involved. In a prior art solution published at a later date, disclosed in German patent application DE 10 2007 036 487.5, the guide arrangement is designed in such a way that individual guide bodies that are distributed around the periphery of the end body are fastened to the peripheral edge of the movable end body of the bellows; and these guide bodies form sliding bodies that are guided so as to rest with an outer sliding surface against the wall of the housing. The sliding surfaces of these bodies are spaced radially apart from the peripheral edge of the end body, so that fluid passages are formed along the housing wall between the individual guide bodies.

These guide bodies are designed as guide shoes; and, when the end body is configured in the form of a cup, the guide shoes overlap the peripheral edge of the cup, which has a circular cylindrical side wall that extends into the interior of the bellows. When the guide bodies are made of a plastic material with good sliding properties, good guide properties are attained; that is, when the friction ratio between the guide body and the housing wall is favorable, the guide provides safe and reliable long term operation. On the other hand, the production is complex and cost intensive. The individual guide bodies, which are fabricated in a separate production step, have to be brought to the assembly site and mounted on the end edge of the end body of the pertinent bellows. In order to ensure a reliable anchoring of the guide bodies, the guide bodies are designed as guide shoes, having a profile that is similar to the shape of a U in the cross section, with legs that overlap the end edge of the cup-like end body. In this context, the end edge of the cup has to have a catch, and the interior of the profile of the guide shoes has to have at least one undercut in order to make it possible to secure the guide bodies with a snap lock action. The formation of the undercuts involves a time-consuming and costly production of the guide shoes by compression molding.

In light of the above-described prior art, the object of the present invention is to provide a guiding device that is distinguished by a significant simplification of the production process and, as a result, a reduction in the production costs while at the same time retaining the good guide and operating properties of the aforementioned solution known from the prior art.

This object is achieved according to the present invention by a guiding device having the features specified in claim 1 in its entirety.

Accordingly, an important particularity of the invention resides in the fact that the guiding means comprises an annular element, which surrounds a peripheral region of the end body of the bellows, and that the annular element forms both annular sections, which are radially spaced apart from the wall of the housing, on the outer periphery of this annular element and also forms second annular sections, which are distributed over the outer periphery and project radially beyond the first annular sections. At the same time, these radially projecting annular sections form the sliding surfaces that are provided on the wall of the housing and separate the first annular sections, which are radially recessed relative to said sliding surfaces, from each other in the circumferential direction. Therefore, a uniform annular element assumes not only the function of the guide bodies known from the solution according to the prior art, but also takes over the formation of the fluid passages between the housing wall and the end body of the bellows at the first annular sections, which are situated between the second annular sections and which are radially recessed.

Preferably, the annular element is made of a plastic material with good sliding properties, so that the result is a lightweight design that is easy to manufacture by injection molding.

In preferred embodiments, the bellows is secured at the bellows end, which lies opposite the movable end body, at a retaining ring that is rigidly mounted on the housing and that seals off the interior of the bellows relative to the wall of the housing, so that the end body forms a closure body that tightly closes off the interior of the bellows at the assigned end of the bellows. Such a design is especially advantageous when the metal bellows is used as a movable separating element between the gas side and the fluid side of a hydraulic accumulator.

The arrangement can be configured in such an advantageous way that the respective annular element has a ring portion that forms the first annular sections and that engages with a circumferential annular groove, which is arranged on the end body. This enlargement of the distance from the guide location to the immovable end of the bellows supports the tilt resistance of the guide. Securing the annular element by snapping into an annular groove renders the assembly process especially simple and easy.

In especially advantageous embodiments, the annular element can exhibit an internal ring portion with at least one inner edge, which projects radially inward into the assigned annular groove, and an external ring portion having an exterior, on which are formed the first and the second annular sections, with the external ring portion and the first and the second annular sections having a larger axial width than the width of the annular groove and the width of the accommodated inner edge of the internal ring portion. Such a design of the annular element offers the possibility of forming the axial dimensions of the second annular sections, which are formed on the external ring portion and which form the actual sliding surfaces on the housing wall, with dimensions that are axially much larger than those corresponding to the width of the annular groove securing the annular element. As a result, the sliding surfaces that are expanded accordingly in the axial direction exhibit optimal guide properties at the wall of the housing.

The arrangement can be configured in such an advantageous way that the end of the internal ring portion of the annular element that lies closest to the bottom of the housing forms a radially inward projecting lip, which extends inward from the radially external edge region and limits the edge region to a narrow annular surface. Hence, when the device is running, a narrow, axially projecting edge region forms a contact face when making contact with the surface of the housing bottom during the fully expanded state of the bellows. When the annular element impinges on the bottom surface, the resilience of the plastic material, of which the annular element is made, acts as a damping element, so that the risk of adhering to the housing bottom is eliminated due to the fact that the size is reduced on account of the inclined surface of the formed contact face.

Preferably, the second annular sections are arranged at equal angular distances from each other respectively. However, for a low friction, but safe and reliable guide, there are preferably 4 to 12 second annular sections on the pertinent annular element.

The subject matter of the invention according to claim 8 is also a hydraulic accumulator with an accumulator housing, which has a metal bellows as the movable separating element between a gas side and a fluid side; and there is a guiding device according to one of claims 1 to 7 for said metal bellows.

The invention is explained in detail below by means of one embodiment shown in the drawings. Referring to the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a hydraulic accumulator, which is depicted in a highly simplified schematic form and slightly reduced in size compared to a practical embodiment, with said hydraulic accumulator being provided for use as a shock absorber and having a metal bellows, which serves as the movable separating element between the gas side and the fluid side and is provided with a guiding device according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the hydraulic accumulator (shown in FIG. 1) that is partially cut open;

FIG. 3 is a perspective oblique view of just the annular element as an essential component of the guiding device of the exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the annular element from FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view along the intersecting line from FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 shows a detail of just the area designated as XIII in FIG. 5 and drawn on a larger scale than in FIG. 5.

FIGS. 1 to 6 show an exemplary embodiment of the inventive guiding device in a hydraulic accumulator in the form of a shock absorber. An accumulator housing, designated as a whole as 1, comprises a main housing part 3 in the form of a circular cylindrical cup, which is closed on the end situated at the top in the drawing, with the exception of a fill port 7, which is in alignment with the longitudinal axis 9 of the housing and is closed off in a fluid-tight manner by means of a weld nugget in the drawing from FIG. 1. In order to close the upper end of the cup, a closure part 13 is tightly welded to the main housing part 3 along a welding line 16. A fluid inlet 15 with an outer connecting pipe 17 is arranged concentrically to the axis 9 in the bottom 69 of the cup. In the drawing from FIG. 1, a thread protection cap 20 is screwed onto the outer thread of the connecting pipe 17.

In the interior of the accumulator housing, a metal bellows unit forms a movable separating element between a gas side 21, which borders on the closure part 13 and can be filled via the fill port 7 with a working gas, preferably N₂, at a gas prefill pressure. In the drawing from FIG. 1, the bellows 19 is in its fully expanded state, with the volume of the gas side 21 having the maximum value, whereas the fluid side 23, adjacent to the fluid inlet 15, exhibits its minimum value. The bellows unit is welded in a fluid-tight manner to a metal retaining ring 25 with the bellows end 29 adjacent to the closure part 13 of the housing—stated more precisely, on the radially external edge of the last bellows fold. The retaining ring 25 in turn is welded to the accumulator housing at the point of separation between the closure part 13 and the main part 3 at the welding line 16. When the accumulator housing is assembled and integrated into the bellows unit, the welding line 16 therefore is heat-insulated at least to some extent from the bellows end 29 by the retaining ring 25. The weld area of the bellows end 29 at the retaining ring 25 is at the site designated as 27 in the figure, where the retaining ring 25 forms an axial bulge as the weld area.

The movable bellows end 31, lying opposite the bellows end 29 that is rigidly mounted in the housing, is welded to a metal end body 35 at the radially external end edge of the last bellows fold. This end body forms a closure body that closes in a fluid-tight manner the interior of the bellows 19 and, as a result, forms the separation between the gas side 21 and the fluid side 23.

A cylindrical insert body 73, which extends from the closure part 13 into the interior of the bellows 19, has the effect of suitably reducing the volume of the gas side 21 and forms at the same time an end stop abutment, against which the movable end body 35 of the bellows 19 in its fully compressed state strikes. FIG. 1 shows the bellows 19 in its almost fully expanded position, in which the end body 35 is at a short distance from the flat bottom area 71 of the bottom 69.

The end body 35 has a more or less flat surface on the side facing the interior of the bellows 19, apart from a peripheral edge 75, which projects slightly in the axial direction and forms the welding spot at the assigned bellows end 31. Axially offset from the peripheral edge 75, the end body 35 forms an annular groove 77 as the seat for an internal ring portion 79 of the annular element 47 of the guiding device. Axially offset relative to the annular groove 77, the end body 35 forms a step with a step surface against which rests a radially inward projecting lip 81 of the ring portion 79. The annular element 47, depicted in FIGS. 3 to 6, has an external ring portion 83, which is connected in a radially outward manner to the internal ring portion 79. This external ring portion forms the inner annular sections 51, which are separated from each other by outer annular sections 53, which form externally on the radially projecting guide bodies 55 the sliding surfaces for contact with the housing wall. The annular element 47 is made of a plastic material with good sliding properties and can be fabricated by turning or milling, but can also be formed as a compression molded component.

One particularity of the annular element 47 resides, as best seen in FIG. 6, in the fact that the lip 81 forms on inclined surface 87 between the radially outer end 85 and its inner end, so that the annular element 47 forms a relatively narrow edge region at the end 85. Therefore, when the annular element 47 is attached to the end body 35 of the bellows, this axially projecting edge region forms the contact face at the end 85 when making contact with the bottom area 71 of the bottom 69 during the fully expanded state of the bellows 19. The resilience of the plastic material, of which the annular element 47 is made, acts as a damping element when impinging on the bottom area 71 so that the risk of adhering to the bottom area 71 is eliminated due to the fact that the size is reduced on account of the inclined surface 87 of the formed elevation area. Not only can the guide provide support, but also the bellows body, in particular in its end regions, can provide support. As a result, the overall axial length of the guide could then be shorter.

In the event that the diameter of the bellows 19 is large, a plurality of annular sections 53 would be necessary to provide support than would be the case for bellows having smaller diameters. In the event of a very small diameter, three annular sections 53, which are arranged so as to be offset by 120° from each other respectively, are provided at the annular element 47.

An additional particularity resides in the fact that the guide bodies 55 and, thus, the sliding surfaces formed by the outer annular sections 53 exhibit a much larger axial length than would be the case with an annular element 47 forming a flat ring.

When the hydraulic accumulator that is provided with the guiding device according to the invention is used as a pulsation damper, the fluid side 23 is in fluid connection with a pressure fluid, in particular a hydraulic fluid, a fuel, or lubricant, by way of the inlet 15, in order to stabilize any pressure surges. In this context, it has proven to be practical if, as disclosed in DE 10 2004 004 341 A1, the gas side 21 is filled not only with a working gas, but also with a specifiable volume fraction of a fluid. In this case, it has proved to be especially advantageous for the gas side 21 of the accumulator to have as the filling a combination of nitrogen gas as the working gas and ethylene alcohol as the fluid. In operation, the fluid can form a damping support medium between the folds and the deflections of the bellows 19; and this damping support medium can provide support as an abutment for the folded wall portions of the bellows 19 at the fluid, a feature that extends the service life of the bellows and, thus, enhances the operational reliability. The same applies, in particular, to rapid pulsations and fast pressure surges.

Claims

1. A guiding device for a metal bellows (19), which comprises an end body (35) on at least one bellows end (31), said end body being movable along the wall of a housing (1) during expansion and compression of the bellows (19), between this end body and the housing (1) there being a guiding means (47), characterized in that the guiding means comprises at least one annular element (47), which surrounds a peripheral region of the end body (35); and that the outer periphery of this annular element forms first annular sections (51), which are radially spaced apart from the wall of the housing (1) and are separated from each other by second annular sections (53), which are distributed over the outer periphery and project radially beyond the first annular sections (51).

2. The guiding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the annular element (47) is made of a plastic material with good sliding properties.

3. The guiding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the bellows (19) is secured at the bellows end (29), which lies opposite the movable end body (35), at a retaining ring (25) that is rigidly mounted in the housing; and this retaining ring seals off the interior of the bellows (19) relative to the wall of the housing (1), and that the end body (35) forms a closure body that tightly closes off the interior of the bellows (19) at the assigned bellows end (31).

4. The guiding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the respective annular element (47) has a ring portion (49) that forms the first annular sections (51) and that engages with a circumferential annular groove (77), which is arranged on the end body (35).

5. The guiding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the respective annular element (47) has an internal ring portion (79) with at least one inner edge, which projects radially inward into the assigned annular groove (77), and an external ring portion (83) having an exterior, on which are formed the first and the second annular sections (51, 53), and that the external ring portion (83) and the first and the second annular sections (51, 53) have a larger axial width than the width of the annular groove (77) and the width of the accommodated inner edge of the internal ring portion (79).

6. The guiding device according to claim 5, characterized in that the end of the internal ring portion (79) that lies closest to the bottom (69) of the housing (1) forms a radially inward projecting lip (81), which extends inward from the radially external edge region (85) and limits the edge region (85) to a narrow annular surface.

7. The guiding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the second annular sections (53) are arranged at equal angular distances from each other respectively; and that there are preferably three to twelve second annular sections (53) at the annular element (47).

8. A hydraulic accumulator comprising an accumulator housing (1), which is provided with a metal bellows (19) as the movable separating element between a gas side (21) and a fluid side (23); and there is a guiding device (47) according to claim 1, for said metal bellows.