Patent ID: 7011301

Claim:
A forward axle air spring strut for guiding a wheel in a motor vehicle having a chassis, the air spring strut comprising: an air spring including: an air spring cover defining a longitudinal axis; an air spring piston; and, an air spring flexible member connected pressure-tight and tension-tight between said air spring cover and said air spring piston; a shock absorber integrated axially into said air spring; said shock absorber including: a shock absorber cylinder; and, a shock absorber rod axially displaceable and rotatable in said shock absorber cylinder; a non-rotatable elastic support connected to said chassis and said shock absorber rod being articulately connected to said chassis via said non-rotatable elastic support; said non-rotatable elastic support and said air spring cover conjointly defining an interface; a rotational bearing for connecting said air spring to said chassis separately from said shock absorber; said rotational bearing being mounted at said interface so as to permit said air spring to rotate about said longitudinal axis relative to said non-rotatable support and said shock absorber; a seal also mounted at said interface; said rotational bearing and said seal being mounted so that said bearing and said seal can be subjected to torsion when the wheel is turned for steering said motor vehicle; said cover, said piston and said air spring flexible member conjointly defining a pressure space; said seal being mounted above said rotational bearing; and, said rotational bearing being mounted in said pressure space of said air spring.