Snap-on bumper for air spring
AssigneeBridgestone/Firestone, Inc.
InventorsJack D. Ecktman, Michael M. Brown
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An air spring has pair of spaced end members for mounting the spring at spaced locations on a structure. A flexible sleeve of elastomeric material is sealingly engaged with the end members and forms a pressurized fluid chamber therebetween. A post is mounted on one of the end members and extends into the fluid chamber. A shock absorbing bumper formed of a high strength plastic is snap-fitted on an enlarged top of the post. A plurality of circumferentially arranged flexible fingers define an opening in a base of the bumper, and are snap-fitted over the enlarged top of the post which extends into the opening and seat into an annular undercut formed in the post beneath the enlarged top. The snap-fitted plastic bumper replaces the heretofore used elastomeric bumper.
Claims17
An improved air spring of the type having a pair of spaced end members adapted to be mounted at spaced locations and a flexible sleeve formed of an elastomeric material sealingly engaged with the end members and forming a pressurized fluid chamber therebetween, said improvement including a post mounted on one of the end members and extending into the fluid chamber, said post having an enlarge end portion and an undercut formed beneath said end portion;
- and a shock absorbing bumper mounted on the post for possible impact engagement with the other of said end members, said bumper being formed of a one-piece plastic member having a base formed with a central opening defined by a plurality of circumferentially spaced flexible fingers, said finger being inclined inwardly and upwardly toward the enlarged and portion of the post and are snap-fitted over the enlarged end portion of the post and seated in the undercut thereof for mounting said bumper on the post.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.