Air spring with vibration isolation
AssigneeBFS Diversified Products, LLC
InventorsDavid A. Weitzenhof, Mark D. Hilburger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An air spring has a pair of end members which are sealingly connected to ends of a flexible sleeve and form an internal fluid chamber. A rigid annular member is located within the fluid chamber and is spaced from one of the end members and clamps the sleeve against a rigid member located outside of the sleeve and fluid chamber. A vibration isolator, such as an annular elastomeric member, is located between the rigid outer member and the adjacent end member to support the sleeve and reduce its tension in order to isolate sleeve vibration from the end member.
Claims20
An air spring comprising:
- first and second spaced end members;
- a flexible sleeve sealingly attached directly to the end members and extending therebetween and forming an interior fluid chamber;
- and
- a vibration absorbing assembly operatively connected to the sleeve to isolate sleeve vibration from said first end member, said absorbing assembly including a rigid outer annular member operatively attached to the first end member and extending along at least a portion of said sleeve, a rigid inner annular member located within the fluid chamber and spaced away from the first end member and clamping the sleeve against said rigid outer annular member reducing sleeve tension, and thus vibration transmission, and a vibration isolator located between the sleeve and the first end member to support the sleeve and reduce the transmission of sleeve vibration to said first end member.
A vehicle suspension system comprising:
- first and second vehicle components;
- first and second end members mounted on the first and second vehicle components respectively;
- a flexible sleeve sealingly attached directly to the end members and extending therebetween and forming an interior fluid chamber;
- and
- a vibration absorbing assembly operatively connected to the sleeve to isolate sleeve vibration from said first end member, said absorbing assembly including a rigid outer annular member operatively attached to the first end member and extending along at least a portion of said sleeve, a rigid inner annular member located within the fluid chamber and spaced away from the first end member and clamping the sleeve against said rigid outer annular member, and a vibration isolator located between the sleeve and the first end member to reduce the transmission of sleeve vibration to said first end member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.