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Gas spring and damper assembly

  • US 8,517,357 B2
  • Filed: 06/18/2010
  • Issued: 08/27/2013
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A gas spring and damper assembly comprising:

  • a damper including a damper housing and a damper rod operatively connected with said damper housing for relative reciprocal motion therebetween;

    a gas spring including;

    a first end member supported on said damper rod;

    a second end member disposed in longitudinally-spaced relation to said first end member and extending longitudinally along at least a portion of said damper housing, said second end member including a side wall having an outer surface and extending longitudinally between opposing first and second ends, said side wall including a first wall portion having a first cross-sectional dimension and being disposed toward said first end, a second wall portion having a second cross-sectional dimension that is less than said first cross-sectional dimension and being disposed toward said second end, and a third wall portion having a third cross-sectional dimension that is less than said first and second cross-sectional dimensions and being disposed between said first and second wall portions, said first wall portion being spaced radially-outwardly from said damper housing such that said first end is unsupported by said damper housing and such that a fixed volume is defined between said damper housing and at least said first wall portion with an opening formed between said damper housing and said first wall portion of said side wall along said first end;

    a flexible wall forming a rolling lobe that rolls along said outer surface of said side wall and secured between said first and second end members such that a spring chamber is at least partially defined therebetween and operative to receive a quantity of pressurized gas, said spring chamber including a first volume at least partially defined by said first end member and said flexible wall and including said fixed volume at least partially defined between said damper housing and at least said first wall portion of said side wall, said first volume and said fixed volume being in fluid communication through said opening such that a portion of said quantity of pressurized gas is disposed within each of said first volume and said fixed volume;

    a friction-reducing element operatively connected between said damper housing and said second wall portion of said side wall of said second end member such that said damper housing and said second end member are freely rotatable relative to one another; and

    ,a sealing element operatively disposed between said damper housing and said second end member such that a substantially fluid-tight seal is formed therebetween, said sealing element substantially fixedly supported on one of said damper housing and said third wall portion and interfacing with the other of said damper housing and said third wall portion for relative rotational movement therebetween, and said sealing member being positioned longitudinally-inwardly from said friction-reducing element such that said sealing element is longitudinally supported by at least a portion of said friction-reducing element and said quantity of pressurized gas within said fixed volume urges said sealing element toward said friction-reducing element.

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