Wheel assembly including gas spring mounted gas damper and related methods
AssigneeGacw Incorporated
InventorZoltan KEMENY
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wheel assembly may include an inner rim to be coupled to the hub of the vehicle and an outer rim surrounding the hub. The wheel assembly may also include gas springs operatively coupled between the inner rim and the outer rim to provide a gas suspension for relative movement between the inner rim and the outer rim. Each of the gas springs may include a cylinder body and an associated piston moveable therein and dividing the cylinder body into cylinder-side and piston-side gas chambers. A respective gas damper may be mounted on an exterior of each gas spring and operatively coupled to the piston-side gas chamber.
Claims25
A wheel assembly to be coupled to a hub of a vehicle, the wheel assembly comprising:
- an inner rim to be coupled to the hub of the vehicle;
- an outer rim surrounding the inner rim;
- a plurality of gas springs operatively coupled between the inner rim and the outer rim to provide a gas suspension for relative movement between the inner rim and the outer rim, each of the plurality of gas springs comprising a cylinder body and an associated piston moveable therein and dividing the cylinder body into cylinder-side and piston-side gas chambers;
- and
- a respective gas damper mounted on an exterior of each gas spring and operatively coupled to the piston-side gas chamber.
A wheel assembly to be coupled to a hub of a vehicle, the wheel assembly comprising:
- an inner rim to be coupled to the hub of the vehicle;
- an outer rim surrounding the inner rim;
- an outer ring coupled to the outer rim and defining a closable gap with adjacent portions of the inner rim;
- a plurality of gas springs operatively coupled between the inner rim and the outer rim to provide a gas suspension for relative movement between the inner rim and the outer rim, each of the plurality of gas springs comprising a cylinder body and an associated piston moveable therein and dividing the cylinder body into cylinder-side and piston-side gas chambers;
- a respective gas damper mounted on an exterior of each gas spring and operatively coupled to the piston-side gas chamber;
- and
- a cylinder mount coupling the respective gas damper to a corresponding gas spring in a piggy-back configuration.
A method of making a wheel assembly comprising an inner rim to be coupled to the hub of the vehicle and an outer rim surrounding the inner rim, the method comprising:
- operatively coupling a plurality of gas springs between the inner rim and the outer rim to provide a gas suspension for relative movement between the inner rim and the outer rim, each of the plurality of gas springs comprising a cylinder body and an associated piston moveable therein and dividing the cylinder body into cylinder-side and piston-side gas chambers;
- and
- mounting a respective gas damper on an exterior of each gas spring and operatively coupled to the piston-side gas chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.