Patent ID: 7213799

Claim:
A pneumatic suspension and damping arrangement for mounting in a motor vehicle having a chassis and a wheel mount, the arrangement comprising: an upper cover attachable to said chassis; first and second air springs filled with pressurized gas and being mounted one above the other and each of said air springs being hermetically closed and changeable with respect to volume; a connector connectable to a source of pressurized gas for filling said air springs; a throttle element defining an interface between the respective interiors of said first and second air springs; said throttle element being configured to allow said pressurized gas to flow in both directions between said interiors; said first air spring including a first flexible resilient member having a first end attached to said upper cover; a lower cover; said first flexible resilient member having a second end attached to said lower cover; said second air spring including a second flexible resilient member having a first end attached to said lower cover; said lower cover having a downwardly extending annular body having an outer wall surface and defining a first roll-off piston for said first flexible resilient member and said annular body being so configured that said first flexible resilient member rolls off over said second air spring on said outer wall surface; a second roll-off piston arranged below said lower cover; said second flexible resilient member being connected to said second roll-off piston so as to roll off thereon; said annular body having an inner wall surface defining a guide contour for said second flexible resilient member; said first and second flexible resilient members defining first and second rolling lobes, respectively, and said first and second rolling lobes rolling off on corresponding ones of said first and second roll-off pistons in the same direction; a connecting element connecting said upper cover fixedly to said second roll-off piston and extending down to said second roll-off piston outside of said first and second air springs; an attachment element rigidly connected to said lower cover and extending downwardly below said second air spring and said attachment element being rigidly connected to said wheel mount and being in spaced relationship to said connecting element so as not to be fixedly connected thereto; and, said first and second air springs enclosing respective first and second interior spaces devoid of any rigid structure interconnecting said air springs thereby permitting said first and second air springs to pivot with respect to each other when said wheel mount moves relative to said chassis during operation of said motor vehicle.