An air spring includes a bellow at least partially delimiting at least one working chamber that is constructed and arranged to be filled with compressed air. A guide tube surrounds at least a portion of the bellow. A bonding agent solely fixes a portion of the bellow to the guide tube. A piston is associated with the bellow. The bellow is constructed and arranged to roll with respect to an outer surface of the piston and an inner surface of the guide tube.

A spring assembly for a non-rail wheeled or tracked vehicle is provided. The spring assembly includes a piston, and a sleeve with variable thickness. The sleeve is made from an unreinforced synthetic elastomeric material and being free of reinforcing fibers. The sleeve is coupled with a plurality of end components and defines a deformable pressure vessel, and the deformable pressure vessel supplies a support force.

A suspension for a wheeled vehicle includes a leaf spring extending longitudinally relative to the vehicle and having first and second lugs protruding downward therefrom. The lugs are spaced from one another a length of the leaf spring to define a pocket therebetween. An axle passes perpendicularly beneath the leaf spring such that a portion of the axle is disposed in the pocket and is clamped between the lugs. The lugs may be fabricated integrally with the leaf spring.

It is herein described an oscillating arm for a motor-vehicle suspension having a first rod element and a second rod element. The second rod element is a half-shell rod that provides a cavity. The oscillating arm also comprises at least one insert, made of plastic or fiber-reinforced composite material, which fills the cavity of the half-shell rod.

A variable rate bound stopper includes a bound stopper in the form of an elastomer member. The elastomer member has an aperture such that the bound stopper is configured to be positioned over and disposed around a piston rod of a shock absorber. A shape memory alloy (SMA) coil formed from an SMA wire extends around at least a portion of the elastomer member. The SMA coil has a relaxed state and an activated state. The SMA coil constrains the elastomer member from deforming radially outward and alters an intrinsic spring rate of the bound stopper when in the activated state.

A suspension system for a vehicle includes: a composite leaf spring having a protective member which covers an outer surface of the composite leaf spring; and an abrasion-preventing pad coupled to the composite leaf spring and shielding. The protective member and the abrasion-preventing pad are disposed at a portion of the composite leaf spring to which a U-bolt is mounted

An isolation portion for a suspension member may include a substantially monolithic material configured to couple to a connected end of each of a first link and second link of the suspension member. The substantially monolithic material may be configured to dampen a vibration between the first link and the second link.

The following invention relates to smart material couplings, particularly to shape memory alloy drivetrain systems to mitigate against shock or blast.

There is provided an armoured land vehicle comprising:an armoured v shaped hull; a powerplant located within said chassis, at least one wheel set with a hub, and, at least one drive shaft comprising a shape memory alloy, wherein said drivetrain is located between and operably connected via drive couplings to said powerplant and the hub of the at least one wheel set, to provide drive to said at least one wheel set.

A suspension structure for vehicle (a suspension arm for vehicle) is formed of a first plate and a second plate, and includes a mounting part for mounting a component (a collar or a bush). The first plate is partially open toward a first flat plate part so that a first mounting surface can be formed by stamping in a state of a single unit where a first flat plate part is bent. The second plate is also partially open toward a second flat plate part. The mounting part is configured by facing the first flat plate part of the first plate and the second flat plate part of the second plate each other at a distance, and disposing the first mounting surface and a second mounting surface at a distance.

The invention relates to a spring arm device (1) for a motor vehicle, comprising two flanges (2) arranged at a distance from each other and which are made of a first fiber composite material (4) having fibers (6) each oriented in a longitudinal direction (5) of the flanges (2). The spring arm device (1) also comprises a web (3) which connects the flanges (2) and is made of a second fiber composite material (7) having the fibers (8) oriented at positive angles to the longitudinal directions (5) of the flanges (2). The spring arm device (1) can be fastened in end regions (15) opposite to each other to vehicle parts as part of a wheel suspension. The end regions (15) comprise end segments (14) of the two flanges (2) associated with each other and each comprise an end segment (9) of the web (3) that connects the end segments (14) of the flanges (2). Respective forces applied to the spring arm device (1) in the longitudinal direction (5) by means of the end regions (15) can be transmitted by means of the flanges (2). By means of a spring force, the flanges (2) counteract deformation of the spring arm device (1) caused by forces acting in a normal direction (16) of the web (3). Forces acting on the spring arm device (1) in a transverse direction (13) are transmitted from the web (3) to the end regions (15).