Pneumatic spring, especially for motor vehicles

A pneumatic spring for motor vehicles which includes at least one closed spring volume, two spring surfaces of different sizes adapted to be subjected to pressure acting in opposite directions, the two spring surfaces each having an effective spring surface which is variable in size as a function of travel of the pneumatic spring, and a separate supporting means for supporting the respective spring surfaces so as to be coaxial with respect to one another, characterized in that means are provided for elastically linking the respective supporting means with one another so as to enable an axial distance between the respective supporting means to be variable within predetermined limits as a function of a pressure of the closed spring volume,

• characterized in that a smaller of the two spring surfaces decreases over the travel distance of the pneumatic spring, two roll bellows means provided for forming the respective spring surfaces, said spring surfaces facing away from each other, each of the roll bellows means defining a partial volume of the at least one closed spring volume, the supporting means includes a pair of spring piston means having different diameters associated with the respective roll bellows means such that the effective spring surfaces of the roll bellows means facing away from each other are supported by the respective spring piston means, and in that at least the smaller of the spring piston means includes a support surface means for the roll bellows means which tapers over the travel distance of the pneumatic spring, and in that a spring force is transmitted by the spring piston means and a supporting element associated with walls of the roll bellows means.