Method for operating a piston compressor, and piston compressor

Abstract

Piston compressors and methods for operating a piston compressor for a motor vehicle, in particular an air spring piston compressor of an air suspension system or compressed-air sensor cleaning system of the motor vehicle. A compressor piston is driven inside a compressor cylinder, at least indirectly, by a drive shaft of a drive motor rotatable about a rotary axis in at least one rotation direction. A control device of the drive motor reverses the rotation direction of the drive motor when the drive motor is started according to at least one definable rotation direction parameter.

1 . A method for operating a piston compressor for an air spring piston compressor of an air suspension system or compressed-air sensor cleaning system of a motor vehicle, the method comprising: 
 driving a compressor piston inside a compressor cylinder, at least indirectly, by a drive shaft of a drive motor rotatable about a rotary axis in at least one rotation direction; and   reversing, via a control device of the drive motor, the rotation direction of the drive motor when the drive motor is started according to at least one definable rotation direction parameter.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the definable rotation direction parameter accounts for a useful signal selected from at least one of a number-of-starts signal, a number of revolutions, or an operating time, wherein the useful signal characterizes at least one of a predeterminable number of starts, a predeterminable number of revolutions, or a predeterminable operating time. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the definable rotation direction parameter accounts for an event signal. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the event signal is a sensor signal, a user signal, or an error signal. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the event signal comprises a sensor signal characterizing a mechanical variable and/or an electrical variable. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the sensor signal characterizes at least one of a starting current, a drive shaft position at a time of starting the drive motor, or a wear state, wherein the definable rotation direction parameter is determined according to at least one predeterminable threshold value of the sensor signal. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the sensor signal for the drive shaft position determines the definable rotation direction parameter in a decompression direction of the compressor cylinder inside the compressor piston. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the sensor signal for the drive shaft position is for an angle of the drive shaft. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the sensor signal determines the definable rotation direction parameter with regard to a minimized starting current. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the sensor signal of the wear state of an operating pressure state or of an operating current behavior determines the definable rotation direction parameter with regard to a minimized wear state. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the wear state is an abrasion or friction state.  
     
     
         12 . A piston compressor for an air spring compressor of an air suspension system or compressed-air sensor cleaning system of a motor vehicle, the piston compressor comprising: 
 at least one compressor piston movable inside a compressor cylinder, the compressor cylinder being drivable at least indirectly by a drive shaft of a drive motor rotatable about a rotary axis in at least one rotation direction; and   at least one control device configured to reverse the rotation direction of the drive motor when the drive motor is started according to at least one definable rotation direction parameter.   
     
     
         13 . The piston compressor according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least one control device comprises a useful signal generating unit and/or an event signal generating unit, the useful signal generating unit and/or the event signal generating unit configured to supply the definable rotation direction parameter for generating a rotation direction actuating current of the drive motor.  
     
     
         14 . The piston compressor according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least one control device comprises a useful signal generating unit having a recorder configured to record at least one of a number of starts, a number of revolutions, or an operating time. 
     
     
         15 . The piston compressor according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least one control device comprises an event signal generating unit having a processor configured to process a sensor signal of one or more of a starting current, an operating current, a drive shaft position, or a wear state.