A clamping plate is dimensioned to secure a flexible spring member to an end member for forming a gas spring assembly. The clamping plate includes a clamping plate wall with an axis and opposing surface portions oriented transverse to the axis. An opening extends into the clamping plate wall from along each of the opposing surface portions. An elongated damping passage extends in a spiral configuration through the clamping plate wall in fluid communication with the openings. A gas spring assembly includes a flexible spring member that defines a spring chamber, and an end member with an end member wall that defines an end member chamber. The clamping plate is secured to the end member and retains the flexible spring member thereon. The elongated damping passage is in fluid communication between the spring chamber and the end member chamber. Gas transfer between the spring chamber and the end member chamber generates pressurized gas damping during use of the gas spring assembly. Suspension systems and methods are also included.

An air spring having at least one composite part is provided. The air spring will have a top plate, a flexible sleeve, and a clamp ring coupled together by an injection molded collar. The injection molded collar will be formed to hold the top plate, flexible sleeve, and clamp ring in compression to form an air tight seal. In certain aspects, the top plate and/or the clamp ring may be formed from composites or metals.

End members are supportable along a damper housing and dimensioned for securement to flexible spring member. End members include a wall with a side wall portion including an inner side surface portion. First projections extend toward a first inner edge with a first shoulder surface portion faces a second end. Second projections extend inward beyond the inner side surface portion toward a second inner edge with a second shoulder surface portion facing a first end. Second projections are spaced axially from first projections such that a groove is formed inward of the inner side surface portion between first and second shoulder surface portions. End member assemblies including such an end member as well as gas spring and damper assemblies and suspension systems are also included.

A suspension actuator includes a first housing part, a second housing part, a ball screw actuator that is connected to the first housing part and to the second housing part, and an air spring membrane that is connected to the first housing part and to the second housing part. The air spring membrane includes a flexible material and a reinforcing structure that is disposed within the flexible material to resist torsion loads that are applied to the second housing part by the ball screw actuator.

Lateral support elements include an element wall with an exterior surface dimensioned to abuttingly engage an associated flexible wall and an interior surface that at least partially defines an element chamber within the lateral supporting element. Gas spring assemblies include a flexible spring member that at least partially defines a spring chamber. The lateral support element is disposed along and operatively connected to the flexible spring member. The element chamber can, optionally and in some cases, be disposed in fluid communication with the spring chamber. The gas spring assembly can include one or more end members operatively connected to the flexible spring member. Suspension systems and methods of assembly are also included.

An air spring strut for a motor vehicle comprising an air spring with a shock damper for the spring-cushioning and damping of oscillations of a motor vehicle chassis, wherein the air spring comprises an air spring cover and a rolling piston, wherein a rolling bellows of elastomer material is clamped in an airtight manner between the air spring cover and the rolling piston, wherein the air spring cover comprises a damper bearing receptacle in which a damper bearing of the shock damper is arranged, and wherein the air spring cover comprises a clamping base to which a first end of the rolling bellows is attached, wherein at least the damper bearing receptacle of the air spring cover is produced from a plastic material.

An air suspension strut for a motor vehicle comprises an air spring having an air spring cover and a rolling piston. A shock damper is integrated with the air spring and has a damper tube and a piston rod receivable within the damper tube. A rolling bellows is secured between the spring cover and the rolling piston thereby delimiting a variable volume pressure chamber filled with compressed air. The rolling bellows rolls on the rolling piston with a rolling fold being formed. A damper bearing is accommodated in a bearing socket of the air spring cover and connected to the piston rod. The damper bearing comprises a supporting piece, an elastomer body, and a sleeve. A closure element inserted in the bearing socket above the damper bearing. An elastic element arranged between the sleeve and the closure element.

The invention relates to an article, more particularly an air spring bellows, having a one-layer or multi-layer main body with elastic properties, at least one layer of the main body being made up of a rubber mixture, a carbon black proportion of at least one carbon black, more particularly a total carbon black proportion of all carbon blacks, of the rubber mixture being less than 5 phr. The rubber mixture preferably contains aluminium hydroxide as a reinforcing filler. The rubber mixture can comprise chloroprene rubber as a base polymer.

Disclosed is an elastic compression device for storing, thanks to a composite spring, large elastic energies under a small mass, suitable for astronautics, aeronautics, elastic suspension elements for automotive and rail transport, and industrial mechanisms. This is achieved by a device, tolerant to damage, offering immunity to creep, shocks to corrosion and notch while reaching levels of considerable energy density, namely 1,400 J/kg, which is 4.66 times more than of steel springs. The device has a bellows shape, of its elastic element of compression, which shape includes at least one portion of an ellipse, terminated by supports. Further, the device is leakproof, so that the device can contain pressurized gas or fluid and can be used as an air or a hydraulic strut.

Pneumatic Structure and Associated Production Method

The structure (10) comprises an elastically deformable body (12) defining at least one network of internal cavities (14), each internal cavity (14) having a closed contour in at least one section of the internal cavity (14),

Each internal cavity (14) is able to be pressurized so as to make the elastically deformable body (12) pass from a rest configuration to at least one pressurized configuration,

In each pressurized configuration, the elastically deformable body (12) has a macroscopic metric that is distinct from its macroscopic metric in the rest position,

In each pressurized configuration, the radius of curvature of an outer surface of the elastically deformable body (12), considered regarding each internal cavity (14) adjacent to the outer surface, is greater than twice the size of the internal cavity (14) adjacent to the outer surface.