US 6,783,121 B2Granted

Rolling-lobe spring

AssigneeContiTech Luftfedersysteme GmbH

InventorsChristoph Bank, Paul Cerny, Gerhard Thurow, Peter Gönnheimer, Joachim Frey

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Abstract

The sleeve-shaped rolling-lobe flexible member (4) of a rolling-lobe spring (2) is made of elastomeric material and is provided with a reinforcement layer. The ends of the sleeve-shaped rolling-lobe flexible member (4) include neither beads nor cores. The rolling-lobe flexible member (4) is attached pressure-tightly to a cover (8) functioning as a connecting part and/or to a roll-off piston (10) of the spring (2). This pressure-tight attachment is achieved in that each clamping region (18, 20) of the connecting part (cover 8 and/or roll-off piston 10) is provided with a drawn-in connecting surface having at least one peripherally-extending raised portion (22, 24). Clamp rings (12, 14) are assigned to corresponding clamping regions (18, 20) of the connecting parts (8, 10). The clamp rings (12, 14) have respective peripherally-extending recesses (26, 28). The peripherally-extending raised portion (22, 24) provided at the attachment surface of the corresponding connecting part (8, 10) and/or the peripherally-extending recesses (26, 28) located in the corresponding clamp rings (12, 14) are configured to have a rectangular cross section whereby a form-tight connection of the reinforcement layer in combination with a redirection thereof results during the clamping process.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A rolling-lobe spring comprising:

a first connecting part;
a second connecting part;
a sleeve-like rolling-lobe flexible member arranged between said parts;
said flexible member being made of elastomeric material and having a reinforcement layer contained therein;
said flexible member having first and second end portions attached to said first and second connecting parts, respectively, and said end portions being devoid of beads and cores;
a clamp unit including one of said connecting parts and a clamp ring;
said one connecting part having a drawn-in peripherally-extending attachment surface and at least one peripherally-extending raised portion disposed on said attachment surface;
said clamp ring having a peripherally-extending recess formed therein and said clamp ring being disposed relative to said attachment surface so that said attachment surface and said clamp ring conjointly define an interface clamping region with said recess facing toward said attachment surface;
one of said end portions of said flexible member being disposed in said interface clamping region and being clamped pressure tight between said clamp ring and said attachment surface so as to neither squeeze nor expand said flexible member whereby a separation of paid elastomeric material from said reinforcement layer is precluded and,
at least one of said raised portion and said recess having a rectangular cross section so as to cause said reinforcement layer to be reorientated when said clamp ring is clamped tightly against said attachment surface with said one end portion being clamped form tightly therebetween.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.