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.

A damping air spring for heavy-duty vehicle axle/suspension systems. The damping air spring includes a piston chamber and a bellows chamber and at least one opening between the chambers to provide restricted fluid communication between the chambers. A relationship between a cross-sectional area of the at least one opening in square inches to a volume of the piston chamber in cubic inches to a volume of the bellows chamber in cubic inches to a mean effective area of the air spring in square inches or of the at least one opening in square inches to a volume of the piston chamber in cubic inches to a volume of the bellows chamber in cubic inches to a unitless ratio of the volume of the bellows chamber to the volume of the piston chamber provides damping characteristics to the air spring over a first and second critical range of frequencies.

Gas spring and gas damper assemblies include a gas spring and a gas damper. The gas spring includes a flexible spring member with opposing end members secured thereto and at least partially defining a spring chamber. An elongated damping passage having a spiral configuration extends through one of the end members. The gas damper includes a damper housing that at least partially defines a damping chamber in fluid communication with the spring chamber through the elongated damping passage. A damper piston assembly is received within the damping chamber and secured to the other of the end members. Suspension systems and methods are also included.

A suspension unit has a piston assembly connected to an adjuster. The piston assembly has three or more concentric cylindrical bodies including: an outer tube; an inner tube, and a dampener rod. The dampener rod is inside and concentric to the inner tube. The outer tube is rigidly connected to the dampener rod. The inner tube is telescopically mounted to the outer tube. The inner tube is inside and concentric to the outer tube. The adjuster has an adjuster compression entry port. The axle clamp rebound port connects to an adjuster block rebound entry port. The adjuster block has a high-speed compression cavity formed on an end of the adjuster block.

There is provided an air spring for supporting a load, the air spring comprises a chamber for holding a pressurized gas in use, a load-bearing surface arranged to transmit a force from a load in use to the pressurized gas held in the chamber. Importantly, in order to lower the spring rate, the chamber contains a mass of adsorptive material. There is also provided a use of an adsorptive material for the purpose of lowering the spring rate of an air spring, including a gas strut and a pneumatic wheel. There is also provided a method of designing an air spring using an adsorptive material to lower the spring rate.

A gas spring and gas damper assembly includes a gas spring and a gas damper. The gas spring includes a flexible spring member with opposing end members secured thereto and at least partially defining a spring chamber. The gas damper includes an inner sleeve that is at least partially received within one of the end members and at least partially forms a damping chamber. A damper piston assembly is received within the damping chamber and secured to the other of the end members. An elongated damping passage fluidically connects the damping chamber and the spring chamber. Suspension systems and methods are also included.

An air spring for a heavy-duty vehicle includes a bellows chamber, a piston chamber, and at least one opening. The piston chamber is operatively connected to the bellows chamber. The at least one opening is in fluid communication with the bellows chamber and the piston chamber to provide fluid communication between the bellows chamber and the piston chamber. An orifice assembly is disposed adjacent the at least one opening for variably changing the size of the opening. The air spring provides damping to the heavy-duty vehicle.

An air spring with damping characteristics for a suspension assembly of a heavy-duty vehicle includes a bellows chamber, a piston chamber and an asymmetrical orifice. The asymmetrical orifice is in fluid communication with the bellows chamber and the piston chamber of the air spring. The asymmetrical orifice provides asymmetrical damping characteristics to the air spring of the heavy-duty vehicle.

Gas spring sensors including a millimeter wave radar source and a target surface disposed in spaced relation to the radar source. The sensors also include a millimeter wave radar receptor operable to generate a signal upon receiving the radar waves reflected off the target surface. The radar source is operable to direct millimeter-length radar waves of a frequency greater than or equal to 120 gigahertz (GHz) and a wavelength of 2.5 millimeters or less toward the target surface. A processor is communicatively coupled with the radar source and the radar receptor, and is operable to determine a displacement and a relative velocity using pulsed Doppler or continuous wave frequency modulation radar methods that rely on time of flight and frequency phase shifts of pulsed or continuous radar waves. Gas spring assemblies including such sensors, and suspension systems including one or more of such gas spring assemblies are also included.