Vehicle suspension system

Abstract

A vehicle suspension system has a combination air spring/damper mounted between spaced first and second components of a vehicle. The damper has a fluid cylinder attached to the first vehicle component and a piston rod connected to the second vehicle component. The air spring has a piston and an end plate with an intervening flexible bellows forming an air chamber. The air spring piston is mounted on and surrounds the damper cylinder and the end plate is secured to the second vehicle component, but at a separate location from the attachment of the piston rod to distribute the loading forces at the points of attachment. A flexible sealing sleeve extends between the piston rod and an end plate opening of the air spring through which the piston rod extends. A rigid canister is mounted on the end plate of the air spring and extends about the flexible bellows and has a sealing skirt at a lower end which engages the damper cylinder.

1 . A vehicle suspension system comprising: 
 first and second spaced apart vehicle components;    a damper having a cylinder and a piston rod reciprocally mounted therein;    a first attachment securing the cylinder to the first vehicle component and a second attachment securing the piston rod to a first portion of the second vehicle component;    an air spring including a piston mounted on the damper cylinder and an end plate attached to a second portion of the second vehicle component spaced from said piston rod second attachment to said second vehicle component, and a flexible bellows sealingly connected to and extending between the piston and the end plate and forming an air chamber therein for containing a quantity of air, with the piston rod extending through said air chamber and through an opening formed in said end plate; and    a flexible seal extending about the end plate opening and piston rod to retain the air within the air chamber.    
     
     
         2 . The vehicle suspension system defined in  claim 1  in which the flexible seal includes an elongated flexible sleeve to provide for conical movement of the piston rod during movement of the vehicle components.  
     
     
         3 . The vehicle suspension system defined in  claim 2  in which the flexible seal further includes a retaining collar mounted on an extended end of the piston rod and a clamp ring securing a first end of the elongated flexible sleeve to said collar.  
     
     
         4 . The vehicle system defined in  claim 3  in which the end plate opening is defined by an annular flange; and in which a clamp ring secures a second end of the elongated flexible sleeve to said flange.  
     
     
         5 . The vehicle system defined in  claim 1  in which the second attachment includes inner and outer of rigid concentric members and an intervening annular elastomeric bushing and a fastener extending through an opening in said inner member.  
     
     
         6 . The vehicle system defined in  claim 1  in which a restraining canister is mounted concentrically about the air spring piston and damper rod.  
     
     
         7 . The vehicle system defined in  claim 6  in which the restraining canister is secured to the end plate of the air spring and extends along an outer surface of the flexible bellows and terminates in a flexible seal which extends about the damper cylinder.  
     
     
         8 . The vehicle system defined in  claim 7  in which the flexible seal of the canister includes a flexible brush extending about and in contact with the damper cylinder.  
     
     
         9 . The vehicle system defined in  claim 6  in which the canister is a rigid non-metallic fabric.  
     
     
         10 . The vehicle system defined in  claim 9  in which the canister fabric is an elastomeric sheet containing radial reinforcement cords.  
     
     
         11 . The vehicle system defined in  claim 6  including a mounting device for resiliently mounting the canister to the air spring end plate.  
     
     
         12 . The vehicle system defined in  claim 1  in which the second vehicle component is a frame channel having a web wall and at least one outwardly extending channel leg; in which the channel leg wall is formed with an opening with the piston rod extending through said opening; and in which the second attachment secures the piston rod to the web wall of the frame channel.  
     
     
         13 . The vehicle system defined in  claim 1  in which the first attachment is a flexible bushing.  
     
     
         14 . A vehicle suspension system comprising: 
 first and second spaced apart vehicle components;    a damper having a cylinder and a piston rod reciprocally mounted therein;    a first attachment securing the damper cylinder to the first vehicle component and a second attachment securing the piston rod to the second vehicle component;    an air spring including a piston surrounding the damper cylinder and an end plate attached to the second vehicle component at a spaced location from said second attachment, and a flexible bellows sealingly connected to and extending between the piston and the end plate and forming an air chamber therein for containing a quantity of air, with the piston rod extending through said air chamber and through an opening formed in said end plate;    a flexible seal extending about the end plate opening and piston rod to retain the air within the air chamber; and    a restraining canister mounted concentrically about the air spring and damper rod.    
     
     
         15 . The vehicle suspension system defined in  claim 14  in which the flexible seal includes an elongated flexible sleeve and a retaining collar mounted on an extended end of the piston rod and a clamp ring securing a first end of the elongated flexible sleeve to said collar.  
     
     
         16 . The vehicle suspension system defined in  claim 15  in which the restraining canister is secured to the end plate of the air spring and extends along an outer surface of the flexible bellows and terminates in a flexible seal which extends about the damper cylinder.  
     
     
         17 . The vehicle suspension system defined in  claim 16  in which the flexible seal of the canister includes a flexible brush extending about and in contact with the damper cylinder.  
     
     
         18 . The vehicle system defined in  claim 17  in which the canister is a rigid non-metallic elastomeric sheet containing radial reinforcement cords.  
     
     
         19 . The vehicle system defined in  claim 14  in which the end plate opening is defined by an annular flange; and in which a clamp ring secures a second end of the elongated flexible sleeve to said flange.  
     
     
         20 . The vehicle suspension system defined in  claim 14  in which the first vehicle component is a frame channel having a web wall and at least one outwardly extending channel leg; in which the channel leg wall is formed with an opening with the piston rod extending through said opening; and in which the second attachment secures the piston rod to the web wall of the frame channel.