Air spring swage assembly
AssigneeBFS Diversified Products, LLC
InventorDavid A. Weitzenhof
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An air spring has a pair of axially spaced end members and an intervening elastomeric flexible sleeve extending therebetween which forms a fluid pressure chamber. A plurality of axially spaced ribs and intervening grooves are formed on an inner surface of a ring which align with corresponding ribs and grooves formed on an axial sealing surface of one of the end members to form a fluid tight seal with the elastomeric sleeve clamped therebetween. An annular radially extending projection is formed on each of the ring and end member which cooperatively mate with each other to provide a mechanical interlock therebetween which is free of intervening elastomeric material, to securely retain the ring in position with respect to the end member sealing surface.
Claims13
An air spring including:
- a) a pair of end members adapted to be mounted at spaced locations;
- b) a flexible sleeve formed of an elastomeric material having at least one open end sealingly engaged with one of the end members and forming a fluid chamber between said end members;
- c) a similar sealing surface formed on each of said end members, each of said sealing surface being formed with a plurality of spaced annular ribs and intervening grooves, said ribs extending outwardly from the sealing surface and terminating in outer ends;
- d) a radially outwardly extending first annular projection formed on each of the end members adjacent the sealing surface;
- e) an annular swage ring selectively located concentrically with respect to either of the sealing surfaces of said end members sealingly clamping the open end of the flexible sleeve therebetween, said swage ring having inner and outer surfaces extending between a pair of end surfaces, said inner surface being formed with plurality of spaced annular ribs and intervening grooves, said ribs extending radially inwardly from said inner surface toward the sealing surface of the said selected end member and cooperating with the ribs and recesses formed on said sealing surface to sealingly clamp the flexible sleeve therebetween;
- said swage ring further including an annular recess formed adjacent each end surface and a second annular projection formed on the inner surface of the swage ring adjacent at least one of the end surfaces;
- and
- f) said first annular projection of the selected end member being seated in one of the recesses formed in the swage ring and cooperating with the second projection formed on said swage to provide a mechanical interlock therebetween free of any intervening elastomeric material for retaining said swage ring in position adjacent the sealing surface of the selected end member and to restrict movement of said swage ring during operation of the air spring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.