Armored air spring assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9829060-B2
Application number	US-201614991353-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2016
Priority date	Jan 8, 2016
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

An air spring assembly including a damper that extends into an air cylinder float, the damper including a rod positioned having an end affixed to an end cap of the air cylinder float, a first piston affixed to the rod within the damper, a second piston affixed to the damper and having one or more seals on an outer surface thereof that sealingly engage an inner surface of the air cylinder float, wherein when a load applied to the air spring assembly is increased, the second piston and the second end of the damper move towards the end cap compressing air within the air cylinder float, wherein the air cylinder float is a solid member that does not expand as the air pressure within increases during compression, and wherein a protective membrane is positioned on an outer diameter of the air cylinder float.

First claim

We claim:

1. An air spring assembly, comprising:
a damper having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end includes a first mount and the second end of the damper extends into an air cylinder float;
the damper includes a housing defining a cavity, the damper having a rod positioned in the air cylinder float, the rod having a first end positioned within the cavity of the damper and a second end affixed to an end cap that is connected to a first end of the air cylinder float;
a first piston affixed to the first end of the rod within the cavity of the damper,
a second piston affixed to the damper, the second piston having one or more seals on an outer surface thereof that sealingly engage an inner surface of the air cylinder float;
wherein when a load applied to the air spring assembly is increased, the second piston and the second end of the damper move towards the end cap compressing air within the air cylinder float;
wherein as the load is increased the volume of air within the air cylinder float decreases resulting in an increased air pressure;
wherein the air cylinder float is a solid member that does not expand as the air pressure within increases during compression;
wherein a protective membrane is positioned on an outer diameter of the air cylinder float; and
wherein a second portion of the protective member has a thickness less than a thickness of a first portion of the protective membrane.

2. The air spring assembly of claim 1 , wherein at a designed vehicle ride height the air pressure within the air cylinder float is between 175 and 250 psi inclusive.

3. The air spring assembly of claim 1 , further including a primary coil spring positioned within the air cylinder float.

4. The air spring assembly of claim 3 , further including a tender spring positioned within the air cylinder float in series with the primary coil spring.

5. The air spring assembly of claim 1 , wherein the protective member extends 360 degrees around the outer diameter of the air cylinder float.

6. The air spring assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the protective membrane has a thickness of between 0.5 inches to 0.75 inches inclusive.

7. The air spring assembly of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the second portion of the protective portion is ⅛ th of an inch.

8. The air spring assembly of claim 5 , wherein the protective membrane covers the entire outer diameter of the air cylinder float.

9. The air spring assembly of claim 1 , wherein the protective membrane comprises a plurality of layers of para-aramid fibers.

10. The air spring assembly of claim 9 , wherein the para-aramid synthetic fibers comprise poly-para-phenylene terephthalamide.

11. The air spring of claim 1 , wherein the outer diameter of the air cylinder float is 6 inches.

12. The air spring assembly of claim 1 , wherein the outer diameter of the air cylinder float is equal to an inner diameter of the protective membrane.

13. The air spring assembly of claim 1 , wherein the protective membrane has a height of between 19 and 21 inches inclusive.

14. An air spring assembly, comprising:
a damper having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end includes a first mount and the second end of the damper extends into an air cylinder float;
the damper includes a housing defining a cavity, the damper having a rod positioned in the air cylinder float, the rod having a first end positioned within the cavity of the damper and a second end affixed to an end cap that is connected to a first end of the air cylinder float;
a first piston affixed to the first end of the rod within the cavity of the damper,
a second piston affixed to the damper, the second piston having one or more seals on an outer surface thereof that sealingly engage an inner surface of the air cylinder float;
wherein when a load applied to the air spring assembly is increased, the second piston and the second end of the damper move towards the end cap compressing air within the air cylinder float;
wherein as the load is increased the volume of air within the air cylinder float decreases resulting in an increased air pressure;
wherein the air cylinder float is a solid member that does not expand as the air pressure within increases during compression; and
wherein a protective membrane is positioned on an outer diameter of the air cylinder float; and
wherein an upper portion of an upper surface of the protective membrane adapted to face an inner portion of a military vehicle is sloped to provide for a greater clearance between the protective membrane and a suspension of the military vehicle.

15. An air spring assembly, comprising:
a spring having an expandable rubber bladder wherein when a load applied to the air spring is increased, the expandable rubber bladder expands;
wherein a flexible protective membrane is positioned on an outer diameter of the expandable rubber bladder;
wherein when the expandable rubber bladder expands, the flexible protective member also expands;
wherein the flexible protective member has first and second edges that extend longitudinally along the air cylinder float; and
a distance between the first and second edges changes when expandable rubber bladder expands.

16. The air spring assembly of claim 15 , wherein flexible straps are used to connect the first and second edges.

17. The air spring assembly of claim 15 , wherein the first and second edges overlap prior to expansion of the expandable rubber bladder.

18. The air spring assembly of claim 15 , wherein the protective membrane comprises a plurality of layers of para-aramid fibers.

19. The air spring assembly of claim 18 , wherein the para-aramid synthetic fibers comprise poly-para-phenylene terephthalamide.

20. An air spring assembly, comprising:
an air cylinder float having an end cap;
a rod positioned within the air cylinder float and secured to the end cap;
a piston attached to the rod;
wherein when a load applied to the air spring assembly is increased, the piston moves towards the end cap compressing air within the air cylinder float;
wherein as the load is increased the volume of air within the air cylinder float decreases resulting in an increased air pressure;
wherein the air cylinder float is a solid member that does not expand as the air pressure within increases during compression;
wherein a protective membrane is positioned on an outer diameter of the air cylinder float; and
wherein a second portion of the protective member has a thickness less than a thickness of a first portion of the protective membrane.

21. The air spring assembly of claim 20 , wherein at a designed vehicle ride height the air pressure within the air cylinder float is between 175 and 250 psi inclusive.

22. The air spring assembly of claim 20 , wherein the first portion of the protective membrane has a thickness of between 0.5 inches to 0.75 inches inclusive.

23. The air spring assembly of claim 20 , wherein the protective membrane comprises a plurality of layers of para-aramid fibers.

24. The air spring assembly of claim 20 , wherein the para-aramid synthetic fibers comprise poly-para-phenylene terephthalamide.

Assignees

• Hendrickson Usa Llc

Inventors

• Batsch Christopher J
• Gies Jason N

Classifications

• F16F9/06

  using both gas and liquid {(F16F9/486 take precedence; self-pumping fluid springs B60G17/044)} · CPC title

• B60G11/27

  wherein the fluid is a gas · CPC title

• B60G15/12

  and fluid damper · CPC title

• B60G2204/40

  Auxiliary suspension parts; Adjustment of suspensions · CPC title

• B60G2202/314

  The spring being a pneumatic spring · CPC title