Flexible Spring Bead Guard for Gas Spring Jounce Interaction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional gas spring constructions face issues with undesirable interactions between jounce bumpers and non-load bearing components during lateral and articulating travel, which can affect performance and characteristics, necessitating a solution that maintains performance while simplifying manufacture, assembly, and reducing costs.

Innovation Solution

A flexible spring member with a mounting bead and a bead guard, where the bead guard is positioned radially inward of the mounting bead to prevent contact with the jounce bumper, ensuring a fluid-tight seal and improved interaction during jounce motion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a jounce bumper is disposed within the spring chamber of a gas spring device, then it can prevent contact between opposing portions of the sprung and unsprung masses, but it may result in undesirable interactions with other non-load bearing components during lateral and articulating travel

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection against impactVSAvoidundesirable interaction with non-load bearing components

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A bead guard is introduced as an intermediary component between the jounce bumper and the mounting bead/sealing components. The bead guard extends radially inward from the mounting bead to create a protective barrier that prevents the jounce bumper from contacting non-load bearing components during lateral and articulating travel, while allowing the jounce bumper to continue providing impact protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the bead guard is positioned to prevent contact with the jounce bumper, then interaction during jounce motion is improved, but the complexity of the assembly increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinteraction during jounce motionVSAvoidassembly complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The bead guard is merged with the mounting bead structure, where the bead guard is formed as an integral part of the mounting bead assembly. This integration reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the assembly process, while still providing the protective function against undesirable interactions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of manufacture

If conventional gas spring constructions are used, then manufacturing and assembly are relatively simple, but undesirable interactions between jounce bumpers and non-load bearing components affect performance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidperformance characteristics

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The bead guard provides localized protection only in the specific area where undesirable interactions occur between the jounce bumper and non-load bearing components. This targeted approach allows the rest of the gas spring device to maintain its conventional simple construction, preserving ease of manufacture while improving performance characteristics where needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS10578181B2Flexible spring members as well as gas spring assemblies and methods of manufacture

Publication Date: 2020.03.03 FIRESTONE INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS COMPANY LLC

AI summary

A flexible spring member and bead guard assembly. A gas spring assembly including a flexible spring member with a mounting bead and a bead guard disposed along the mounting bead. A method of manufacturing a gas spring assembly includes providing bead guard, and securing the bead guard along a flexible spring member.