The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company

Bridgestone/firestone, Inc.

Bridgestone Firestone North American Tire, LLC

David a. Weitzenhof

Wayne H. Geno

Keith E. Hoffman

Wayne H Geno

David A Weitzenhof

Keith E Hoffman

Robert S Harris

An annular clamping band is concentrically engaged in an interference force-fit relationship with the outer annular surface of the sidewall of an end cap of an air spring primarily intended for use for motor vehicles. The band restricts outward movement and creep of the sidewall and retains an open end of a flexible sleeve which forms the fluid pressure chamber of the air spring, in a compressed state between an annular internal sealing ring and an annular recess formed on the inside surface of the sidewall, to maintain the airtight sealing engagement therebetween. The clamping band is forced axially about the outer surface of the end cap sidewall and is restrained from axial movement therealong by a plurality of retaining ribs projecting outwardly from the top surface of the end cap and by an annular outwardly extending rib on a lower end of the end cap sidewall.

External clamping band for air spring

An air spring formed by an axially spaced end member and a piston member with an intervening elastomeric flexible sleeve therebetween which forms a fluid pressure chamber. An annular clamp ring having a recess on the inner diameter thereof coacts with a corresponding annular projection on the outer diameter of the rigid piston member to positionally locate the ring on the piston member. A pair of clamping surfaces are located on opposite sides of the projection and are separated therefrom by expansion grooves. The projection and clamping surfaces form a series of pinch areas with the intervening sleeve, which sealingly clamp the sleeve therebetween. The expansion grooves receive portions of the sleeve and change the direction of reinforcing cords within the sleeve. Another radially extending groove traps a partially compressed end of the sleeve therein and provides an additional material expansion area. The clamp ring seats upon a shoulder of the piston member to reduce movement of the ring during operation of the air spring. The positioning of the ring proximate to the edge of the piston member provides a substantially continuous surface on which the sleeve rolls during operation of the air spring to reduce wear on the sleeve.

Clamp ring assembly for air spring

An ultrasonic air spring system adapted to be mounted on a vehicle for absorbing road shocks exerted on the vehicle and for maintaining the vehicle body level with respect to the axles. An air spring includes an end plate and a piston sealingly connected to the open ends of the flexible elastomeric sleeve to form a pressurized fluid chamber therebetween. A transducer is mounted on the end plate within the fluid chamber and transmits ultrasonic signals through the fluid chamber toward the piston and picks up reflected signals therefrom. A signal is generated by the transducer in response to the reflected signals and fed to a microprocessor based control module. The control module determines whether the air requires fluid feed or exhaustion and will then implement control of inlet or exhaust valves to achieve a desired axial separation between the end plate and piston.

Ultrasonic air spring system

A suspension system for a vehicle having a shock absorber strut with a reciprocal rod located within a cylinder and an air spring having a fluid pressure chamber wherein the piston rod and cylinder extend through the chamber. The air spring includes a rigid annular canister and a flexible sleeve, one end of which is sealingly connected to the cylinder and the other end connected to the open bottom of the canister. An elastomeric isolator is bonded to a lower side of an end cap which is adapted to be secured to the vehicle. The isolator also is bound to and encloses the open upper end of the canister to close the pressure chamber of the air spring and to resiliently mount the air spring to the vehicle. An opening is formed in the isolator for sealingly receiving the upper end of the piston rod therethrough. The bonding of the end cap to the air spring canister by the isolator provides the fluid seal for the piston rod and dual path isolation for the suspension unit with a reduced number of parts.

Suspension system for vehicles containing combination isolator mount and

An air spring for motor vehicles including first and second end members, at least one of which is a piston, with an intervening flexible sleeve forming a fluid pressure chamber therebetween sealingly connected to the end members. A continuous annular sealing band clamps at least one end of the flexible sleeve within an annular recess formed on the inside surface of an annular wall portion of one of the end members within an open end of the end member by compressing the sleeve material between the band and wall, and without deforming the band or wall of the end member beyond their elastic limits. In one embodiment, the annular wall of the end member is formed of plastic and is deformed outwardly but maintained within its elastic limits upon insertion of the band within the open end. The end of the sleeve is rolled over the sealing band and then the sleeve end and band are inserted by a press plate into the open end of the end member with the band compressing and sealing the flexible material of the sleeve into the annular recess. The compressed flexible material expands to seal the sleeve against the end member. In another embodiment, the press plate expands the plastic material of the end member outwardly upon inserting the band and a rolled end of the flexible sleeve into the annular recess of the annular wall portion whereupon the wall attempting to return to its unstressed state seals the flexible sleeve between the sidewall and band.

Air spring having internal sealing band and method of installing same

An air spring formed by a pair of spaced end members and an intervening tubular elastomeric sleeve forms a fluid pressure chamber therebetween for mounting between spaced portions preferably of a vehicle to provide damping and to absorb road shock on the vehicle. Each of the end members is provided with a surface formed with a series of convex projections and concave intervening areas which align with similarly shaped projections and concave areas on an adjacent snap ring. The snap rings compress the ends of the tubular sleeve against the corresponding end cap surfaces to provide a secure clamping engagement therewith. The various projections and surfaces form at least two radially spaced pinch areas on each of the end members and an intervening expansion area in combination with a squeeze area and subsequent terminal expansion area which ensures a change of direction of the reinforcement cords within the sleeve ends to securely clamp the sleeve ends therebetween. The expansion areas permit the elastomeric material of the sleeve to expand on both sides of the pinch areas. The combination of the pinch areas with adjacent expansion areas and squeeze areas provide for a secure end clamp and seal for the tubular sleeve without requiring any internal bead reinforcement.

Beadless air spring

An air spring for motor vehicles to absorb road shocks includes first and second axially spaced end members with an intervening flexible sleeve forming a fluid pressure chamber therebetween. An improved two-way damping valve connects the pressure chamber to a fluid reservoir and provides damping for the air spring by restricting fluid flow in one direction, either into or out of the pressure chamber, without materially effecting the fluid flow in the opposite direction. The valve includes a flexible diaphragm formed of reinforced rubber having slots which provide one or more flaps. The diaphragm preferably is mounted on a rigid annular washer having a predetermined size center opening forming a damping orifice. The flaps are drawn automatically into the washer opening to restrict the fluid flow through the orifice when the fluid moves in one direction, with the flaps moving away from the orifice to permit free movement of the fluid therethrough when the fluid is moving in an opposite direction. In another embodiment the damping valve is mounted in a strut-type fluid shock absorber combined with an air spring.

Damping valve for air spring suspension systems

An air spring for motor vehicles which includes first and second axially spaced piston members with an intervening flexible sleeve forming a fluid pressure chamber therebetween sealingly connected to the piston members. The sleeve has a greater axial length than the at-rest spacing between the piston members resulting in opposed rolled sleeve ends. The rolled sleeve ends extend about an annular-shaped member which surrounds the first piston members when in the at-rest position. The second piston member has an annular-shaped outer wall which extends telescopically about the first piston member and within the other annular-shaped member thereof when the air spring is in a collapsed or jounce position with the rolled ends forming about and within the annular-shaped members of the first piston member and outer wall of the second piston member. The rolled ends of the sleeve unroll to provide increased axial length to the sleeve enabling the piston members to move axially apart beyond the at-rest position and into an extended position providing an air spring with a large stroke with a minimum at-rest height.

Air spring for vehicle

A suspension system for a vehicle having a shock absorber strut with a reciprocal piston rod located within a cylinder, and attachments for securing the piston rod and cylinder to spaced parts of the vehicle. An air spring includes a rigid annular canister mounted on the piston rod by a resilient rotatable mount. The canister forms a fluid pressure chamber in conjunction with a flexible diaphragm, one end of which is sealingly connected to the cylinder by an annular rigid sleeve which forms an air spring piston. The flexible diaphragm has inner and outer radially spaced portions connected by a rolling portion. A rigid member resembling a cutaway can is mounted on the rigid canister portion of the air spring and extends about a predetermined portion of the outer portion of the flexible diaphragm and restrains outward expansion of said portion. Restriction of the outward expansion of only a portion of the flexible diaphragm exerts a lateral force on the strut to counteract the unbalanced lateral forces acting thereon due to the offcenter mounting of the strut with respect to the point of contact of the vehicle wheel with the pavement.

Growing community of inventors

Cicero, IN, United States of America

Wayne H Geno