Gas Spring End Member Assemblies as well as Gas Spring Assemblies and Methods of Manufacture Including Same

An end member assembly dimensioned to receive an associated open end of an associated gas spring flexible member, said end member assembly comprising:

• an end member body having a longitudinal axis and extending axially between a first body end and a second body end, said end member body including a body wall formed from a polymeric material, said body wall extending peripherally around said longitudinal axis and axially between said first and second body ends, said body wall including a crimp wall portion extending axially and including an inner side surface portion facing radially inward, and said crimp wall portion including an outer side surface portion facing radially outward and dimensioned to receive therealong the associated open end of the associated gas spring flexible member;
• and,
• an endless annular ring formed separately from said end member body, said endless annular ring positioned in abutting engagement with said crimp wall portion along said inner side surface portion thereof and disposed axially coextensive with at least some of said outer side surface portion such that said endless annular ring provides increased radial rigidity to said crimp wall portion under radially-inward forces associated with securing the associated open end of the associated gas spring flexible member along said crimp wall portion;
• said crimp wall portion disposed radially outward of said endless annular ring with said endless annular ring frictionally engaging said inner side surface portion of said crimp wall portion but otherwise unconstrained in at least one axial direction by said body wall.

A gas spring assembly comprising:

• a flexible spring member having a longitudinal axis and including a flexible wall extending peripherally about said longitudinal axis between first and second ends of said flexible spring member such that a spring chamber is at least partially defined therebetween;
• an end member secured across said first end of said flexible wall such that a fluid-tight connection is formed therebetween;
• an end member assembly extending across said second end of said flexible wall, said end member assembly including:
• an end member body extending peripherally about said longitudinal axis, said end member body including a body wall formed from a polymeric material, said body wall including a crimp wall portion that includes an inner side surface portion facing radially inward and an outer side surface portion facing radially outward, said inner side surface portion extending axially between a first inner edge and a second inner edge axially offset from said first inner edge, said crimp wall portion received within said second end of said flexible spring member such that said flexible wall is disposed along said outer side surface portion;
• and,
• a first endless annular ring formed separately from said end member body, said first endless annular ring including an outer peripheral side surface portion, an inner peripheral side surface portion and a first end surface portion oriented transverse to said longitudinal axis;
• said first endless annular ring positioned along said crimp wall portion such that said outer peripheral side surface portion is disposed in abutting engagement with said inner side surface portion of said crimp wall portion, said first endless annular ring frictionally engaging said inner side surface portion of said crimp wall portion with substantially-all of said crimp wall portion from said second inner edge to said first inner edge is disposed radially outward of said first endless annular ring such that said first endless annular ring is unobstructed by said crimp wall portion in at least one axial direction;
• and,
• a second endless annular ring extending peripherally around said longitudinal axis, said second endless annular ring positioned coextensive with said crimp wall portion of said end member body and coextensive with said first endless annular ring, said second endless annular ring disposed radially outward of said flexible spring member such that a portion of said flexible wall is disposed between said second endless annular ring and said crimp wall portion, said second endless annular ring generating radially-inward forces compressively engaging said flexible wall along said outer side surface portion of said crimp wall portion such that a fluid-tight seal is formed therebetween.