Clamp ring assembly for air spring

An air spring including:

• a) a pair of end members adapted to be mounted at generally axially spaced locations;
• b) a flexible sleeve formed of an elastomeric material containing reinforcing cords and having open ends sealingly engaged with the end members forming a fluid chamber therebetween;
• c) an annular axially extending sealing surface formed on at least one of said end members, said sealing surface being formed with a pair of axially spaced annular projections extending radially outwardly and terminating in outer ends;
• d) an annular clamp ring located concentrically with respect to the annular sealing surface of said one end member for sealingly clamping one end of the flexible sleeve therebetween, said clamp ring having an axially extending inner clamping surface formed with a pair of recesses having bottom surfaces, each of said recesses cooperating with a respective one of the annular projections to positionally locate said ring with respect to said one end member, and for providing a pair of axially spaced pinch areas for clamping the flexible sleeve therebetween and for changing the direction of travel of the reinforcing cords in the clamped sleeve end, with the outer ends of the projections being spaced radially from the bottom surfaces of the recesses a distance within the range of 40% and 60% of the thickness of the flexible sleeve;
• e) at least three grooves being formed in the sealing surface of said one end member providing expansion zones for receiving elastomeric material of the sleeve therein, one of said grooves being intermediate the pair of projections with the other two grooves being located on other sides of said projections;
• and
• f) a radially outwardly extending annular shoulder formed at one end of the annular sealing surface of said one end member for abutting the clamp ring to restrict movement of said clamp ring in the axial direction during operation of the air spring.