Patent ID: 7938418

Claim:
An upper mount assembly for a vehicle suspension assembly, wherein the vehicle suspension assembly includes a damper having a cylinder body and a damper rod telescopingly extending through one end of the cylinder body, and an air spring having a lower end supported on the cylinder body such that a free end of the damper rod extends in the direction of an upper end of the air spring, the damper rod including a radial shoulder proximate to the free end, the upper mount assembly comprising: a top plate having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a through bore extending between the upper surface and the lower surface of the top plate; an annular end cap adapted to sealingly support the upper end of the air spring, the end cap including an upper surface, a lower surface, and a through bore extending between the upper surface and the lower surface of the end cap; an annular elastomeric isolator retained within the through bore of the end cap, the elastomeric isolator including a central bore; an inner bushing sleeve disposed within the central bore of the isolator, the inner bushing sleeve having an axially-disposed surface, and the inner bushing sleeve being adapted to receive the free end of the damper rod such that the radial shoulder on the damper rod abuttingly engages the axially-disposed surface of the inner bushing sleeve; and a seal adapted to be disposed between the damper rod and the inner bushing sleeve when the damper rod is received within the inner bushing sleeve, the seal achieving an air-tight seal between the damper rod and the inner bushing sleeve, wherein the isolator includes an axially-projecting lower surface adapted to resiliently engage the one end of the cylinder body.