Gas spring and damper assemblies as well as suspension systems including same

A gas spring and damper assembly comprising:

• a damper assembly having a longitudinally-extending axis and including:
• a damper housing including a housing wall extending axially between opposing first and second ends, said housing wall at least partially defining a damping chamber containing a quantity of damping fluid;
• and,
• a damper rod assembly including an elongated damper rod and a damper piston secured along said elongated damper rod, said damper rod assembly operatively interengaged with said damper housing for reciprocal displacement relative thereto with said damper piston disposed within said damping chamber and at least a portion of said elongated damper rod projecting axially-outwardly from said first end of said damper housing;
• and,
• a gas spring assembly disposed in axially coextensive relation with at least a portion of said damper assembly, said gas spring assembly including:
• a flexible spring member extending peripherally about said longitudinal axis and longitudinally between opposing first and second ends such that a spring chamber is at least partially defined therebetween;
• a first end member operatively connected to said elongated damper rod and/or operatively secured across said first end of said flexible spring member such that a substantially fluid-tight connection is formed therebetween;
• and,
• an end member assembly including a second end member and a backing ring:
• said second end member supported on said damper housing and operatively secured across said second end of said flexible spring member such that a substantially fluid-tight connection is formed therebetween, said second end member at least partially formed from a first material and including a second end member wall extending peripherally about said longitudinal axis and longitudinally between a first end member end and a second end member end opposite said first end member end, said second end member wall including:
• a first wall portion disposed along said first end member end and including an outer surface portion dimensioned to receivingly engage said flexible spring member;
• a second wall portion disposed toward said second end member end in longitudinally-spaced relation to said first wall portion, said second wall portion including an inner surface portion dimensioned to receivingly engage an associated torsional isolator supported on said damper housing;
• and,
• a third wall portion disposed along an opposing side of said second wall portion from said first wall portion, said third wall portion extending radially outward beyond said second wall portion and including a passage surface at least partially defining a passage extending axially through said third wall portion in offset relation to said longitudinal axis with said passage dimensioned to at least partially receive an associated projection of the associated torsional isolator;
• and,
• said backing ring separate from said second end member and disposed along said first wall portion radially inward of said outer surface portion, said backing ring including a backing ring wall formed from a second material that is different from said first material of end member.