Patent ID: 8220785
Filing Date: 2012-07-17
Classification: F16F

Abstract:
1. An air spring comprising: a sleeve rolling-lobe flexible member made of elastomeric material and incorporating a reinforcement and said sleeve rolling-lobe flexible member having an end portion; a connecting part; a clamp ring for form tightly attaching said end portion to said connecting part so as to make the attachment pull tight and pressure tight; said connecting part having an attachment slot formed to have a shape corresponding to a truncated cone when viewed in cross section; said slot having a cylindrical base and first and second flanks ending in first and second upper edges; said first flank being configured to be linearly conical with an opening angle (α); said clamp ring having an elevation (H said elevation (H said clamp ring further having an inner surface running parallel to said base and an inner radius being equal to or less than at least one of the radii of one of said upper edges of said slot when said clamp ring is in the clamped-in state; said sleeve rolling-lobe flexible member having a wall defining an unconstricted wall thickness (S); said inner surface of said clamp ring and said base of said slot conjointly defining a distance therebetween corresponding substantially to said unconstricted wall thickness (S) of said flexible member so as to cause said flexible member to substantially retain said unconstricted wall thickness (S) over all of said elevation (H said clamp ring having a peripherally extending edge facing toward one of said flanks and said edge of said clamp ring and said at least one of said flanks conjointly defining a clamping constriction for fixedly clamping the wall of said flexible member at said end portion thereof so as to reduce a wall thickness of said flexible member at said constriction to be 30% to 75% of said unconstricted wall thickness (S) thereby preventing any significant longitudinal displacement and separation of said elastomeric material from said reinforcement.