Abstract: In a central fastening element for an axially symmetric, vehicle gas spring, which includes a bellows that has central bores or cutouts in the region of its end faces, the fastening element being fixed to the vehicle body, protruding from the surroundings of the attachment point in a direction normal to it, and being encompassed by the bores or cutouts. The fastening element includes a shaped stud or a shaped cap, the maximum outer diameter of the stud or the cap being at least less than one fifth of the maximum outer diameter of the gas-spring bellows. A device may be provided which allows a gas spring to be installed in a simple manner and allows the spring bellows to rotate with respect to the suspension and/or the vehicle body during the initial installation and/or the initial operation.

Abstract: In a process for controlling the quantity of air in a closed, chargeable and estimable pneumatic level control system of a vehicle, which level control system comprises at least one pressure sensor, one pump, an actuator, a storage reservoir and pressure lines interconnecting these components, at least one vehicle body level sensor, and a temperature sensor, which measures the ambient temperature, from the values measured an air mass of the level control system is calculated on the basis of the air pressures in the components, the level of the vehicle and the ambient temperature. Furthermore, the level of the vehicle, the ambient temperature and a maximum possible change in level from a particular vehicle level are used to calculate a vehicle-specific desired air mass and a desired air pressure in the system. The air mass is increased if the actual air pressure drops below the desired air pressure, and the air mass is reduced if the actual air pressure exceeds the desired air pressure.

Abstract: In an air spring system of a motor vehicle having a pressure line extending between a compressor and a pressure storage or air springs of the motor vehicle, the pressure line includes a section between a dryer and the air springs with a variable flow cross-section and with one electromagnetically actuable switching valve arranged in parallel with the variable flow cross-section and providing unrestricted flow when opened.

Abstract: An air suspension for a vehicle includes at least one air spring per wheel at at least one vehicle axle, one pump, at least one accumulator, and one circuit arrangement for connecting these units, the pressure side of the pump being connected to the accumulator or the air springs. To form a closed compressed-air system, the intake side of the pump is connected via at least one valve to the accumulator or the air springs, and at least the air-guiding interior pump chambers between the intake side and the pressure side of the pump have a pressure-tight design. The air suspension system requires comparably low energy consumption and small unit volume at a high level of efficiency.

Abstract: In an air spring system of a motor vehicle having a pressure line extending between a compressor and a pressure storage or air springs of the motor vehicle, the pressure line includes a section between a dryer and the air springs with a variable flow cross-section and with one electromagnetically actuable switching valve arranged in parallel with the variable flow cross-section and providing unrestricted flow when opened.

Abstract: In a process for controlling the quantity of air in a closed, chargeable and emptiable pneumatic level control system of a vehicle, which level control system comprises at least one pressure sensor, one pump, an actuator, a storage reservoir and pressure lines interconnecting these components, at least one vehicle body level sensor, and a temperature sensor, which measures the ambient temperature, from the values measured an air mass of the level control system is calculated on the basis of the air pressures in the components, the level of the vehicle and the ambient temperature. Furthermore, the level of the vehicle, the ambient temperature and a maximum possible change in level from a particular vehicle level are used to calculate a vehicle-specific desired air mass and a desired air pressure in the system. The air mass is increased if the actual air pressure drops below the desired air pressure, and the air mass is reduced if the actual air pressure exceeds the desired air pressure.

Abstract: An air suspension for a vehicle includes at least one air spring per wheel at at least one vehicle axle, one pump, at least one accumulator, and one circuit arrangement for connecting these units, the pressure side of the pump being connected to the accumulator or the air springs. To form a closed compressed-air system, the intake side of the pump is connected via at least one valve to the accumulator or the air springs, and at least the air-guiding interior pump chambers between the intake side and the pressure side of the pump have a pressure-tight design. The air suspension system requires comparably low energy consumption and small unit volume at a high level of efficiency.

Abstract: A device and a method to detect dynamic changes in the level or ground clearance of a vehicle. The changes are determined indirectly by the instances of longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle which are analogous with these changes, preferably by calculation from signals of rotational speed sensors for the vehicle wheels. Such sensors are normally present in vehicles with anti-lock braking system or traction control systems.

Abstract: The invention concerns a regulable shock-absorption valve system for the dashpot in a motor vehicle. It has two shock-absorption valves. Each valve consists of an electromagnetic bolt that slides back and forth and operates in conjunction with at least one port and of a pressure-sensitive valve for the suction stage and for the compression stage, mutually coaxially accommodated in an essentially cylindrical housing and capable of communicating by way of hydraulic-fluid channels. The pressure-sensitive valves (7 & 8) in accordance with the present invention rest on a simple or complex component (15) with its ends permanently or temporarily secured in a bore that extends through the center of the pole cores (17 & 18) of the electromagnets (11) that actuate the bolts (5 & 6). The advantages of the present invention are direct transmission of the shock-absorption forces and simpler assembly of the system.

Abstract: A hydraulically supported power steering system is disclosed for motor vehicles including a double-acting hydraulic displacement unit or piston/cylinder unit for generating an auxiliary hydraulic force. For this purpose, the displacement body working spaces or piston working spaces can be acted upon by controllable hydraulic pressure or relieved of hydraulic pressure by means of associated conduits controlled by a servo-valve. The displacement unit or piston/cylinder unit also undertakes the function of a steering damper by means of damper valves arranged on the conduit connections. The damper valves include a perforated disc type of support part which can be clamped in the manner of a spacer ring between a bearing surface of a connecting mouthpiece arranged on a housing of one of the servo-valve and the displacement unit and an opposite bearing surface of a connecting part of a conduit, said connecting part being detachably connected to the connecting mouthpiece.

Abstract: A regulable hydraulic dashpot for motor vehicles with a shock-absorption piston equipped with pressure-sensitive throttle valves traveling back and forth on the end of a piston rod inside a shock-absorption cylinder full of shock-absorbing fluid and dividing the cylinder into two displacement chambers. A gas-filled pressure-compensation chamber operates in conjunction with one displacement chamber. A shock-absorption performance-curve selection valve is positioned outside the cylinder and opens and closes a bypass. To create a hydraulic-fluid channel, the cylinder comprises two parts of different width between the two displacement chambers. One of the parts overlaps the other to the length of the stroke traveled by the piston and its open end is sealed tight to the outer part. The outer part is provided with two hydraulic-fluid conveying connections into the shock-absorption performance-curve selection valve.

Abstract: A variable dashpot for motor vehicles. It comprises a vibration-suppressing piston-and-cylinder mechanism. The cylinder contains displacement fluid. The piston divides the cylinder into two displacement compartments. The piston has a piston rod attached to it. The piston is provided with pressure-dependent valves that vary the level of vibration suppression. The vibration-suppression valve system has two vibration-suppressing valves (2) accommodated in alignment in a cylindrical valve housing (1). Each vibration-suppressing valve consists of an axially displaced electromagnetic plunger (5 or 6) that operates in conjunction with at least one outlet (3 or 4) and of at least one pressure-sensitive valve (7 or 8) on stream parallel or in alignment with the plunger.

Abstract: A supporting mount for the angularly mobile flexible support of a supporting member of a wheel suspension, especially a shock absorber, has a mount core which is vulcanized into an elastomer body and the movements of which are limited in the supporting direction by stops fixed in relation to the housing. The elastomer body is prestressed in the mount housing in the supporting direction and held in a manner which does not involve contact with the stops. The supporting mount makes it possible to introduce small supporting forces comfortably into the vehicle bodywork by a soft characteristic while larger supporting forces are transmitted by the stops via a progressively hardening characteristic.