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US 10,578,181 B2Granted
Flexible spring members as well as gas spring assemblies and methods of manufacture
AssigneeFirestone Industrial Products Company, LLC
InventorStephen C. Street
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flexible spring member and bead guard assembly. A gas spring assembly including a flexible spring member with a mounting bead and a bead guard disposed along the mounting bead. A method of manufacturing a gas spring assembly includes providing bead guard, and securing the bead guard along a flexible spring member.
Claims20
A gas spring assembly comprising:
- a flexible spring member having a longitudinal axis, said flexible spring member extending peripherally about said longitudinal axis between a first end and a second end spaced longitudinally from said first end such that a spring chamber is at least partially defined by said flexible spring member between said first and second ends, said flexible spring member including a flexible wall at least partially formed from an elastomeric material and a mounting bead disposed along said first end;
- a first end member secured across said first end of said flexible spring member in fluid communication with said spring chamber such that a substantially fluid-tight seal is formed therebetween;
- and,
- a bead guard disposed radially inward of said mounting bead and extending longitudinally therealong with said bead guard permanently attached to said mounting bead of said flexible spring member.
1 more element
A flexible spring member and bead guard assembly comprising:
- a flexible spring member having a longitudinal axis and extending peripherally about said longitudinal axis between a first end and a second end spaced longitudinally from said first end, said flexible spring member including a flexible wall at least partially formed from an elastomeric material, and said flexible wall including a mounting bead disposed along said first end, said mounting bead at least partially formed from said elastomeric material of said flexible wall and including an annular reinforcing element at least partially embedded therein;
- and,
- a bead guard disposed along said first end of said flexible spring member with at least a portion of said bead guard disposed radially inward of said mounting bead such that said portion of said bead guard extends longitudinally along said mounting bead and is secured along said mounting bead of said flexible spring member with an outside surface of said bead guard permanently attached to said mounting bead and an inside surface of said bead guard facing radially inward.
A gas spring assembly comprising:
- a flexible spring member having a longitudinal axis and extending peripherally about said longitudinal axis between a first end and a second end spaced longitudinally from said first end, said flexible spring member including a flexible wall at least partially formed from an elastomeric material and a mounting bead disposed along said first end, said mounting bead including an inner side surface facing radially inward and an end surface facing away from said second end of said flexible spring member;
- a first end member including an end member wall with an outer peripheral wall portion disposed radially outward of said mounting bead, said first end member disposed across said first end of said flexible spring member with said outer peripheral wall portion forming a crimped connection around at least a portion of said mounting bead;
- and,
- a bead guard including a side wall portion extending longitudinally and a mounting wall portion extending radially outward from along said side wall portion, said bead guard disposed along said first end of said flexible spring member such that said side wall portion faces radially outward toward inner side surface of said mounting bead and said mounting wall portion is disposed between said first end member and said end surface of said mounting bead with said bead guard permanently attached to said mounting bead of said flexible spring member along at least one of said inner side surface and said end surface thereof.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.