Air spring sleeve
AssigneeBFS Diversified Products, LLC
InventorsRussell W. Koch, John D. Rensel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flexible sleeve for an air spring terminates in end portions which define a pair of open ends. The sleeve has inner and outer layers of a flexible material with a plurality of reinforcement elements disposed within the materials with the reinforcement elements extending throughout the end portions. Inner and outer layers of the end portions are joined to the inner and outer layers of the sleeve, by non-overlapping joints with the inner and outer layers of the end portions having a higher modulus of elasticity than the inner and outer layers of the sleeve.
Claims22
An air spring sleeve comprising:
- an elongated flexible tubular member terminating in axially spaced first and second ends and having inner and outer layers of a flexible material and containing reinforcement elements disposed therebetween and extending throughout the length of said tubular member;
- and at least one of said inner and outer layers of said first end terminating in a modified end portion formed of a non-reinforced elastomeric material having a higher modulus of elasticity than said one inner and outer layer of the tubular member, and being joined to said one layer by a non-overlapping joint providing said tubular member with a uniform thickness throughout its axial length.
An air spring having first and second end members and a flexible sleeve connected to said end members and forming an internal pressure chamber, said sleeve being formed with at least one open end;
- a ring sealingly securing said open end of the flexible sleeve to a sealing surface of the first end member;
- said sleeve having inner and outer layers of flexible materials and reinforcement elements disposed therein;
- and at least one of said inner and outer layers at the open end terminating in a modified end portion having a higher modulus of elasticity than said inner and outer layers of the sleeve and being joined to said one of the inner and outer layers by a non-overlapping joint, said modified end portion extending throughout the length of the sealing surface of said first end member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.