Gas spring piston with partial bellows support feature and gas spring assembly including same

A piston for use in forming an associated gas spring assembly including an associated flexible sleeve, said piston comprising:

• a first end including a first end wall adapted to abuttingly engage the associated flexible sleeve of the associated gas spring assembly;
• an opposing second end including a second end wall adapted to abuttingly engage an associated structural component, said second end disposed in longitudinally-spaced relation to said first end such that a central axis extends therebetween;
• and,
• an outer side wall extending longitudinally along said piston and being suitable for rolling of an associated lobe of the associated flexible sleeve therealong, said outer side wall including:
• a first side wall portion at least partially defining a fully circumferential support area for abuttingly engaging said flexible sleeve, said first side wall portion having a distal extent disposed at a first longitudinal distance from said first end wall;
• a plurality of second side wall portions extending longitudinally from said first side wall portion in a direction away from said first end wall, said plurality of second side wall portions disposed in circumferentially spaced relation to one another and having a distal extent disposed at a second longitudinal distance from said first end wall, said second longitudinal distance being greater than said first longitudinal distance such that said plurality of second side wall portions extend longitudinally beyond said distal extent of said first side wall portion, and each of said plurality of second side wall portions defining a partially circumferential support area that extends around less than the full circumference of said piston, said plurality of second side wall portions being dimensioned to abuttingly engage a corresponding circumferential portion of the associated flexible sleeve upon longitudinal displacement of the associated lobe of the associated sleeve wall beyond said fully circumferential support area.

A gas spring assembly comprising:

• a flexible sleeve including a sleeve wall extending between longitudinally-spaced sleeve ends and having a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, said sleeve wall extending circumferentially about said axis to at least partially define a spring chamber;
• a first end member secured along one of said ends of said flexible sleeve such that a substantially fluid-tight seal is formed with said sleeve wall;
• and,
• a second end member secured on the other of said ends of said flexible sleeve such that a substantially fluid-tight seal is formed with said sleeve wall, said second end member including:
• a first end wall abuttingly engaging said sleeve wall;
• a first side wall portion extending transverse to said first end wall and suitable for rolling a lobe of said sleeve wall therealong, said first side wall portion at least partially defining a fully circumferential support area for abuttingly engaging said flexible sleeve, said first side wall portion having at least one distal extent disposed at a first longitudinal distance from said first end wall;
• and,
• a plurality of second side wall portions extending longitudinally from said first side wall portion in a direction away from said first end wall, said plurality of second side wall portions extend longitudinally beyond said distal extent of said first side wall portion, said plurality of second side wall portions disposed in circumferentially spaced relation to one another such that each of said plurality of second side wall portions defines a partially circumferential support area that extends around less than the full circumference of said second end member, said plurality of second side wall portions being dimensioned to abuttingly engage a corresponding circumferential portion of said flexible sleeve upon longitudinal displacement of said lobe of said flexible sleeve wall beyond said fully circumferential support area.