Gas spring and gas damper assembly and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9809075-B2
Application number	US-201615055038-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2016
Priority date	Oct 5, 2011
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

A gas spring and gas damper assembly includes a gas spring assembly and a gas damper assembly. The gas spring assembly includes a first wall portion, a second wall portion disposed in spaced relation to the first wall portion, and a flexible wall section connected therebetween. The gas damper assembly includes a third wall portion disposed in longitudinally-spaced relation to the first wall portion, and a second flexible wall section connected between the second wall portion and the third wall portion. A fourth wall portion is disposed between the first and second wall sections to define two pressurized gas chambers. A damper rod connects at least the first and third wall portions. Methods are also included.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gas spring and gas damper assembly comprising:
a first end member;
a second end member including a pivot mount;
a gas spring assembly including:
a first wall portion of said first end member;
a second wall portion of said second end member disposed in spaced relation to said first wall portion such that a longitudinal axis is formed therebetween; and,
a first flexible wall section extending circumferentially about said axis and operatively connected between said first and second wall portions such that a first chamber is at least partially defined therebetween; and,
a gas damper assembly including:
a third wall portion disposed in longitudinally-spaced relation to said first wall portion of said gas spring assembly, said third wall portion at least partially forms a roll-off piston;
a second flexible wall section extending circumferentially about said axis and operatively connected between said second wall portion and said third wall portion such that a second chamber is at least partially defined therebetween;
a fourth wall portion including opposing first and second sides, said fourth wall portion being an end element of said second end member and including first and second passages extending therethrough between said first and second sides, said fourth wall portion oriented such that said first side of said fourth wall portion is in fluid communication with said first chamber and said second side is in fluid communication with said second chamber; and,
a damper rod extending through said first passage of said fourth wall portion and operatively connecting said first wall portion of said first end member to said third wall portion of said roll-off piston, said damper rod extending through said first end member and including a pivot mount positioned on an opposite side of said first end member from said first chamber;
said roll-off piston being axially displaceable relative to said damper rod from a first position allowing relative rotational displacement between said damper rod and said roll-off piston and a second position restricting relative rotation between said damper rod and said roll-off piston.

2. A gas spring and gas damper assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said first wall portion is a side wall portion of said first end member, said second wall portion is a side wall portion of said second end member, and said fourth wall portion is an end wall portion of said second end member that is operatively connected to said side wall portion of said second end member.

3. A gas spring and gas damper assembly according to claim 2 , wherein said first flexible wall section forms a rolling lobe along an outer surface of said side wall portion of said second end member, and said second flexible wall section forms a rolling lobe between an inner surface of said side wall portion of said second end member and said roll-off piston.

4. A gas spring and gas damper assembly according to claim 1 , wherein first and second flexible wall sections are portions of a single flexible wall.

5. A gas spring and gas damper assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said first flexible wall section is at least partially formed from a flexible wall having first and second reinforcing plies disposed at opposing angles to one another, and said second the flexible wall section is at least partially formed from a flexible wall having a single reinforcing plies extending longitudinally along said flexible wall.

6. A gas spring and gas damper assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said first and second flexible wall sections are secured along said second wall portion in axially spaced relation to one another.

7. A gas spring and gas damper assembly according to claim 1 , wherein at least one end of at least one of said first and second flexible wall sections is secured using a retaining ring.

8. A gas spring and gas damper assembly according to claim 7 , wherein said retaining ring includes an annular groove extending into said retaining ring and dimensioned to receive a sealing element operative to form a substantially fluid tight seal with one of said first wall portion, said second wall portion, said third wall portion and said fourth wall portion.

9. A gas spring and gas damper assembly according to claim 1 , wherein one of said first flexible wall section and said second flexible wall section includes a cut end disposed in fluid communication with one of said first and second chambers, and said gas spring and gas damper assembly further comprises a sealing element operatively disposed between said cut end and said one of said first and second chambers such that said cut end is fluidically isolated from said one of said first and second chambers.

10. A gas spring and gas damper assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said second wall portion includes a first wall section and a second wall section spaced radially inwardly from said first wall section with a connecting wall section extending their between, said first flexible wall section is secured along said second wall section of said second wall portion, and said second flexible wall section is secured along said first wall section of said second wall portion.

11. A method of assembling a gas spring and gas damper assembly, said method comprising:
providing a rod assembly including a longitudinal axis, an elongated rod, an end nut and a sealing element;
providing an inner piston element having a passage extending therethrough, and extending said elongated rod through said passage such that said end nut and said sealing element engage said inner piston element in a first position in which said end nut remains rotatably displaceable relative to said inner piston element and in which a substantially fluid-tight seal is formed between said sealing element and said inner piston element;
providing a flexible wall and securing said flexible wall to said inner piston element to at least partially form a spring chamber;
providing a first pivot mount operatively connected to said elongated rod at a position outside the spring chamber, and a second pivot end supported in spaced relation to the first pivot mount;
orienting said first and second pivot mounts relative to one another by rotating at least said first pivot mount, said elongated rod and said end nut relative to said inner piston element such that said pivot mounts are in approximate alignment with one another; and,
transferring pressurized gas into said spring chamber, and thereby urging said inner piston element in an axial ly-outward direction and into a second position in which said end nut and said inner piston element are rotatably fixed relative to one another.

12. A gas spring and gas damper assembly comprising:
a rod assembly, an elongated rod including a longitudinal axis, having opposing first and second ends, an end nut disposed along said first end and a sealing element disposed along said elongated rod between said first and second ends;
an inner piston element having a passage extending therethrough, said elongated rod extending through said passage and engaging said end nut and said sealing element in a first position with said inner piston element such that said end nut remains rotatably displaceable relative to said inner piston element and such that a substantially fluid-tight seal is formed between said sealing element and said inner piston element;
a first flexible wall section having a first end secured to said inner piston element;
an outer piston element including a side wall, an open end and a pivot mount opposite said open end;
said inner piston element and at least a portion of said first flexible wall section disposed with

Assignees

• Firestone Ind Products Co Llc

Inventors

• Bounds Joseph A

Classifications

• B60G17/0521

  the spring having a flexible wall · CPC title

• F16F2226/04

  Assembly or fixing methods; methods to form or fashion parts · CPC title

• Y10T29/49609

  Spring making · CPC title

• B60G2206/80

  Manufacturing procedures · CPC title

• B60G2202/314

  The spring being a pneumatic spring · CPC title