Gas spring and damper assemblies as well as suspension systems including same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11802604-B2
Application number	US-201917293882-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2019
Priority date	Nov 14, 2018
Publication date	Oct 31, 2023
Grant date	Oct 31, 2023

Abstract

A gas spring and damper assembly includes a damper assembly and a gas spring assembly. The gas spring assembly is axially coextensive with the damper assembly and includes a flexible spring member, a first end member assembly and a second end member assembly. The first end member assembly includes a first wall portion that extends about a longitudinal axis and defines an end member chamber. A second wall portion projects outwardly beyond an outer peripheral surface portion of the first wall portion. The second wall portion at least partially defines an intermediate chamber in fluid communication with the end member chamber and is dimensioned to receive an associated control device. A third wall portion at least partially defines an end member passage through which the end member chamber can be selectively placed in fluid communication with the spring chamber by way of the intermediate chamber and the associated control device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gas spring and damper assembly comprising:
a damper assembly having a longitudinally-extending axis and including:
a damper housing including a housing wall extending axially between opposing first and second ends, said housing wall at least partially defining a damping chamber containing a quantity of damping fluid; and,
a damper rod assembly including an elongated damper rod and a damper piston secured along said elongated damper rod, said damper rod assembly operatively interengaged with said damper housing for reciprocal displacement relative thereto with said damper piston disposed within said damping chamber and at least a portion of said elongated damper rod projecting axially-outwardly from said first end of said damper housing; and,

a gas spring assembly disposed in axially coextensive relation with at least a portion of said damper assembly, said gas spring assembly including:
a flexible spring member extending peripherally about said longitudinal axis and longitudinally between opposing first and second ends such that a spring chamber is at least partially defined therebetween;
a first end member assembly operatively connected to said elongated damper rod and operatively secured across said first end of said flexible spring member such that a substantially fluid-tight connection is formed therebetween, said first end member assembly having a first midline and a second midline disposed in a common plane with said second midline intersecting said first midline at said longitudinal axis, said first end member assembly including a first end member wall that includes:
a first wall portion extending peripherally about said longitudinal axis and at least partially defining an end member chamber inward thereof, said first wall portion having an outer peripheral surface portion;
a second wall portion projecting outwardly beyond said outer peripheral surface portion of said first wall portion, said second wall portion at least partially defining an intermediate chamber in fluid communication with said end member chamber and dimensioned to at least partially receive an associated control device, said intermediate chamber having a chamber axis oriented transverse to said longitudinal axis and said first midline, said chamber axis disposed in laterally offset alignment with said second midline; and,
a third wall portion at least partially defining an end member passage through which said end member chamber can be selectively placed in fluid communication with said spring chamber by way of said intermediate chamber and the associated control device; and,

a second end member assembly supported on said damper housing and operatively secured across said second end of said flexible spring member such that a substantially fluid-tight connection is formed therebetween.

2. A gas spring and damper assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said second wall portion is curved around said chamber axis in a direction transverse to said first wall portion.

3. A gas spring and damper assembly according to claim 2 , wherein said first end member wall includes a fourth wall portion disposed inward of said first and second wall portions and at least partially defining said intermediate chamber.

4. A gas spring and damper assembly according to claim 3 , wherein said fourth wall portion is oriented transverse to said longitudinal axis and said chamber axis, and includes a passage portion in fluid communication between said end member chamber and said intermediate chamber.

5. A gas spring and damper assembly according to claim 3 , wherein said first end member wall includes a fifth wall portion disposed inward of said first and second wall portions with said fifth wall portion curved around said chamber axis such that said second and fifth wall portions at least partially define a cylindrical shape of said intermediate chamber.

6. A suspension system comprising:
a pressurized gas system including a pressurized gas source and a control device; and,
at least one gas spring and damper assembly according to claim 1 disposed in fluid communication with said pressurized gas source through said control device such that pressurized gas can be selectively transferred into and out of at least said spring chamber.

7. A gas spring and damper assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said second wall portion is curved around said chamber axis and extends lengthwise therealong from an open end of said intermediate chamber into approximately tangential engagement with said first wall portion.

8. A gas spring and damper assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said first end member assembly has a reference plane oriented transverse to said longitudinal axis with a reference area formed by a reference polygon circumscribing said outer peripheral surface portion of said first wall portion and a cross-section of at least said first end member assembly along said reference plane is disposed within said reference polygon.

9. A gas spring and damper assembly according to claim 8 , wherein a tangential edge of said second wall portion is coextensive with a reference line of said reference polygon.

10. A gas spring and damper assembly according to claim 8 , wherein said tangential edge of said second wall portion is colinear with said reference line of said reference polygon.

11. A gas spring and damper assembly according to claim 8 , wherein said reference polygon is at least one of equiangular and equilateral.

12. A gas spring and damper assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said end member chamber has a substantially fixed volume.

13. A gas spring and damper assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said first end member assembly includes:
a first end member component including a first end surface portion; and,
a second end member component including a second end surface portion, said second end member component oriented such that said second end surface portion is disposed in facing relation to said first end surface portion to at least partially define said end member chamber.

14. A gas spring and damper assembly according to claim 13 , wherein said first end member assembly includes a crimp ring operatively connecting said first and second end member components in abutting engagement with one another.

15. A gas spring and damper assembly comprising:
a damper assembly having a longitudinally-extending axis and including:
a damper housing including a housing wall extending axially between opposing first and second ends, said housing wall at least partially defining a damping chamber containing a quantity of damping fluid; and,
a damper rod assembly including an elongated damper rod and a damper piston secured along said elongated damper rod, said damper rod assembly operatively interengaged with said damper housing for reciprocal displacement relative thereto with said damper piston disposed within said damping chamber and at least a portion of said elongated damper rod projecting axially-outwardly from said first end of said damper housing; and,

a gas spring assembly disposed in axially coextensive relation with at least a portion of said damper assembly, said gas spring assembly including:
a flexible spring member extending peripherally about said longitudinal axis and longitudinally between opposing first and second ends such that a spring chamber is at least partially defined therebetween;
a first end member assembly operatively connected to said elongated damper rod and operatively secured across said first end of said flexible spring member such that a substantially fluid-tight connection is formed therebetween, s

Assignees

• Firestone Ind Products Co Llc

Inventors

• Van Aartsen Jan
• Bounds Joseph A

Classifications

• F16F9/084 Primary

  comprising a gas spring contained within a flexible wall, the wall not being in contact with the damping fluid, i.e. mounted externally on the damper cylinder · CPC title

• B60G15/10

  and mechanical damper {or dynamic damper} · CPC title