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 assembly operatively connected to said elongated damper rod and operatively secured across said first end of said flexible spring member such that a substantially fluid-tight connection is formed therebetween, said first end member assembly having a first midline and a second midline disposed in a common plane with said second midline intersecting said first midline at said longitudinal axis, said first end member assembly including a first end member wall that includes:
• a first wall portion extending peripherally about said longitudinal axis and at least partially defining an end member chamber inward thereof, said first wall portion having an outer peripheral surface portion;
• a second wall portion projecting outwardly beyond said outer peripheral surface portion of said first wall portion, said second wall portion at least partially defining an intermediate chamber in fluid communication with said end member chamber, said intermediate chamber having a chamber axis oriented transverse to said longitudinal axis and said first midline, said chamber axis disposed in laterally offset alignment with said second midline;
• and
• a third wall portion at least partially defining an end member passage in fluid communication with said spring chamber and said end member chamber;
• and,
• a second end member assembly 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;
• and,
• a control device disposed at least partially within said intermediate chamber, said control device being selectively operable between a first operative condition and a second operative condition, in said first operative condition said end member chamber and said intermediate chamber are substantially fluidically isolated from said spring chamber and in said second operative condition said end member chamber and said spring chamber are disposed in fluid communication with one another through said intermediate chamber and said end member passage.

A gas spring and damper assembly comprising:

• a damper assembly having a longitudinal axis;
• 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 spring chamber and an end member assembly operatively connected to said damper assembly, said end member assembly including a first midline oriented transverse to said longitudinal axis and a second midline oriented transverse to said longitudinal axis and said first midline, said first and second midlines being disposed in a common plane oriented transverse to said longitudinal and said end member assembly including an end member wall that includes:
• a first wall portion extending peripherally about said longitudinal axis and at least partially defining an end member chamber radially inward thereof that includes a chamber axis disposed in offset alignment with said first midline and transverse to said longitudinal axis and said second midline, said first wall portion having an outer peripheral surface portion;
• a second wall portion projecting outwardly beyond said outer peripheral surface portion of said first wall portion, said second wall portion at least partially defining an intermediate chamber in fluid communication with said end member chamber, said intermediate chamber having a chamber axis oriented transverse to said longitudinal axis and said first midline, and said chamber axis disposed in laterally offset alignment with said second midline;
• and,
• a third wall portion at least partially defining an end member passage through which said end member chamber can be selectively placed in fluid communication with said spring chamber by way of said intermediate chamber.