Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC

Brian S DeBruler

Todd A Chapman

Brad W Munchel

Joshua R Leonard

Graham R Brookes

Pradipta N Moulik

Samuel N Mbugua

A damper assembly has a longitudinal axis and includes a damper housing with a side wall portion and an end wall portion defining a damping chamber containing a quantity of damping fluid. A photon source and a photon receptor are operatively disposed in optical communication with the non-gaseous damping fluid in the damping chamber. The photon source is operable to direct a photon through the non-gaseous damping fluid toward an associated target surface. The photon receptor is operable to receive the photon reflected off the associated target surface through the non-gaseous damping fluid. A sensor suitable for such use as well as spring and damper assemblies and suspension systems are also included.

Internal damper sensors as well as damper assemblies and suspension systems including same

An end member is dimensioned to engage an end of a flexible spring member to at least partially form a gas spring assembly. The end member includes an end member wall that has a longitudinal axis. The end member includes a securement wall portion having an outer surface with a surface profile dimensioned to abuttingly engage the end of the flexible spring member. The surface profile includes a plurality of concave profile sections and a plurality of convex profile sections that are dimensioned to generate a progressively increasing compression force along at least a section of the securement wall portion. A gas spring assembly including such an end member is included. A suspension system including one or more gas spring assemblies and a method of assembly are also included.

End member and gas spring assembly including same

Support and carrier assemblies are dimensioned for securement along a damper housing and dimensioned to operatively support an end member of a gas spring assembly on the damper housing as well as to form a substantially fluid-tight connected between the end member and the damper housing. The support and seal assembly can include a seal assembly with a seal carrier and at least one sealing element. The seal carrier can be dimensioned for securement along the damper housing. The at least one sealing element can be dimensioned sealingly engage the seal carrier and one of the end member and the damper housing to at least partially form the substantially fluid-tight connection therebetween. End member assemblies including such support and carrier assemblies are included. Gas spring and damper assemblies as well as suspension systems are also included.

Support and carrier assemblies as well as end member assemblies and gas spring and damper assemblies including same

A jounce bumper can be dimensioned for securement along an end member of a gas spring assembly adjacent a sensing device. The jounce bumper can include a bumper body with a sensing passage extending their through such that the sensing device can communicate through the sensing passage. A gas spring assembly including a sensing device and such a jounce bumper as well as a suspension system including one or more of such gas spring assemblies are also included.

Jounce bumpers and spring assemblies including same

A performance-variable bushing includes an inner support element and an outer support element. An elastomeric connecting element extends between and operatively connect the inner and outer support elements such that a substantially fluid-tight seal is formed therebetween. The elastomeric connecting element can be at least partially formed from one of an electrorheological elastomeric material and a magnetorheological elastomeric material. The performance-variable bushing includes a variation-inducing element operatively associated with the elastomeric connecting element and selectively operable to vary values of one or more physical properties of the elastomeric connecting element. The elastomeric connecting element is configured for use under a pre-load force from pressurized gas within a spring chamber of an associated gas spring and damper assembly. Gas spring and damper assemblies and suspension systems are also included.

Performance-variable bushings as well as gas spring and damper assemblies including same

An end member () is dimensioned to engage an end of a flexible spring member () to at least partially form a gas spring assembly. The end member () includes an end member wall that has a longitudinal axis. The end member includes a securement wall portion () having an outer surface with a surface profile dimensioned to abuttingly engage the end of the flexible spring member (). The surface profile includes a plurality of concave profile sections and a plurality of convex profile sections that are dimensioned to generate a progressively increasing compression force along at least a section of the securement wall portion (). A gas spring assembly including such an end member () is included. A suspension system including one or more gas spring assemblies and a method of assembly are also included.

A damper rod bushing operatively connects an end member of a gas spring and a damper rod of a damper to at least partially form a gas spring and damper assembly. The damper rod bushing is constructed for exposure to gas pressure within a spring chamber of a gas spring and damper assembly such that pre-load forces due to gas pressure within said spring chamber act on said damper rod bushing. The damper rod bushing can include an outer support element, an inner support element and an elastomeric connector element operatively connected between the outer and inner support elements such that a substantially fluid-tight seal is formed therebetween. A gas spring and damper assembly including such a damper rod bushing, as well as a suspension system including one or more of such gas spring and damper assemblies and a method of assembly are also included.

Damper rod bushings as well as gas spring and damper assemblies and methods including same

End members are dimensioned for securement to a flexible wall of a gas spring assembly. The end members can include an end wall, and inner and outer crimp walls that extend from the end wall and are disposed in spaced relation to one another such that gap is formed therebetween. A plurality of connector walls extend between and operatively interconnect the inner and outer crimp walls. Gas spring assemblies including such an end member and suspension systems including one or more of such gas spring assemblies are also included.

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Noblesville, IN, United States of America

Brian S DeBruler