Gas spring and gas damper assemblies as well as suspension systems and methods including the same

A gas spring and gas damper assembly comprising:

• a flexible spring member having a longitudinal axis and including a flexible wall extending longitudinally between first and second ends and peripherally about said axis to at least partially define a spring chamber;
• a first end member operatively secured to said first end of said flexible spring member such that a substantially fluid-tight seal is formed therebetween;
• a second end member disposed in spaced relation to said first end member and operatively secured to said second end of said flexible spring member such that a substantially fluid-tight seal is formed therebetween, said second end member including an end member wall with an exterior surface portion and a damping chamber at least partially defined within said second end member, said end member wall at least partially defining a valve cavity and a connector port with a control passage disposed in fluid communication between said valve cavity and said connector port, said control passage being accessible from along said exterior surface portion of said end member wall;
• a damper rod assembly including a damper piston and an elongated damper rod operatively connected to said damper piston, said damper piston positioned within said damping chamber and separating said damping chamber into first and second chamber portions;
• and,
• a pneumatically-actuated control device at least partially disposed within said valve cavity in fluid communication with at least one of said first and second chamber portions, said pneumatically-actuated control device displaceable between:
• a first operative condition in which said pneumatically-actuated control device restricts pressurized gas flow through said control passage while allowing pressurized gas transfer between said spring chamber and at least one of said first and second damping chambers such that said gas spring and gas damper assembly has spring and damper functionality in which said gas spring and gas damper assembly undergoes extension and compression with said damper piston reciprocally displaced within said damping chamber;
• and,
• a second operative condition in which said pneumatically-actuated control device restricts pressurized gas flow between said spring chamber and at least one of said first and second damping chambers while allowing pressurized gas flow through said control passage such that said gas spring and gas damper assembly has actuator functionality in which said gas spring and gas damper assembly is maintainable at an approximately fixed length with said damper piston maintained in a substantially stationary position within said damping chamber for an indeterminate period of time.

An end member assembly dimensioned for securement to an associated flexible spring member of an associated gas spring and gas damper assembly, said end member assembly comprising:

• an end member dimensioned for operative securement to the associated flexible spring member such that a substantially fluid-tight seal is formed therebetween, said end member including an end member wall with an exterior surface portion and a damping chamber at least partially defined within said end member, said end member wall at least partially defining a valve cavity and a connector port with a control passage disposed in fluid communication between said valve cavity and said connector port, said control passage being accessible from along said exterior surface portion of said end member wall;
• a damper piston positioned within said damping chamber and separating said damping chamber into first and second chamber portions;
• and,
• a pneumatically-actuated control device at least partially disposed within said valve cavity in fluid communication with at least one of said first and second chamber portions, said pneumatically-actuated control device displaceable between:
• a first operative condition in which said pneumatically-actuated control device restricts pressurized gas flow through said control passage while allowing pressurized gas transfer into and out of at least one of said first and second damping chambers such that said damper piston is reciprocally displaceable within said damping chamber;
• and,
• a second operative condition in which said pneumatically-actuated control device restricts pressurized gas flow out of at least one of said first and second damping chambers while allowing pressurized gas flow into said first damping chamber through said control passage such that said gas spring and gas damper assembly has actuator functionality in which said damper piston is maintained in a substantially stationary position within said damping chamber for an indeterminate period of time.