Segmented Gas Spring End Member for Uniform Sealing Compression
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gas spring end members experience variations in compression and flexing under axial loads, leading to pressurized gas loss and undesirable performance characteristics due to non-uniform radial stiffness during assembly and use.
Innovation Solution
The design of a gas spring end member with a longitudinally oriented end wall and radially extending outer wall, featuring isolated rib wall portions that decouple from the outer wall, ensuring uniform radial stiffness and consistent compression during assembly and operation, thereby forming a substantially fluid-tight connection with the flexible spring member.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional end members are used with continuous outer walls, then manufacturing is simpler, but radial stiffness is non-uniform causing flexing and gas loss under axial loads
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous outer wall is segmented into discrete rib wall portions spaced apart from each other. This segmentation creates gaps between the ribs that allow the flexible spring member to be compressed more uniformly during assembly, preventing non-uniform flexing and gas loss while maintaining structural integrity under axial loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The rib wall portions are positioned at specific locations around the circumference rather than forming a continuous wall. This local quality approach provides radial stiffness exactly where needed to prevent flexing, while the gaps between ribs allow for uniform compression of the flexible spring member during the crimping process.
2Ease of manufacture
If crimp ring assembly is used to secure flexible wall, then connection is formed, but variations in compression occur around the outer surface leading to gas loss
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented rib wall structure allows the crimp ring to compress the flexible spring member more uniformly during assembly. The gaps between ribs prevent stress concentration and allow even distribution of compressive forces around the circumference, eliminating the variations in compression that lead to gas loss.
3Device complexity
If end members experience non-uniform radial stiffness, then assembly is simpler, but flexing occurs under axial load conditions causing performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the outer wall into discrete rib segments, the structure achieves uniform radial stiffness distribution. Each rib provides localized support while the gaps between them prevent stress concentration, ensuring consistent performance under axial load conditions without requiring complex design modifications.
Data Source
AI summary
Gas spring end members include an end member wall with a longitudinal axis. The end member wall includes an end wall portion and an outer wall portion. The outer wall portion extends peripherally about an axis and is dimensioned to receivingly engage a flexible spring member. Rib wall portions are spaced around the axis with each of the rib wall portions projecting axially from the end wall portion toward a rib end surface portion. The rib wall portions also include a rib edge surface portion spaced inward from an inner side surface portion of the outer peripheral wall portion such that a gap is formed therebetween. Gas spring assemblies including one or more of such end members, and suspension systems including one or more of such gas spring assemblies are also included.