Height control valve for air spring with end piston-boot operated

Claim 2

A control valve assembly for a vehicle leveling system comprising an air spring piston having a base portion adapted to be connected to a first suspension component, said piston including an inner end portion thereon of a first diameter, an outer surface on said piston including a reduced diameter at one end thereof and a progressively increasing diameter at the opposite end thereof, a tubular air spring sleeve including a rolling lobe portion, an end on said rolling lobe overlying said small diameter end of said outer piston, means for holding said lobe end portion in sealing engagement with said piston, said rolling lobe including an inner wall portion movable onto and from said outer surface of said piston, means including said sleeve and said piston for forming a pressurizable air chamber for varying the pressurization of said air sleeve to produce a reaction against said piston member to produce a supplemental spring force, a bore extending through said piston from said outer surface thereof into said pressurizable chamber, a valve seat formed in alignment with said bore, a valve stem having a valving element thereon located in alignment with said seat adapted to be moved into opened and closed relationship with said seat, said stem including a plunger on one end thereof directed outwardly of said bore, means forming an outlet passageway in communication with said bore aDapted to be connected to a fluid supply system for said air spring, a seal boot supported by said piston having an inner surface thereon in engagement with said plunger and including an outer surface portion thereon extending outwardly of said piston at the small diameter end of said outer piston surface, said rolling lobe of said air sleeve having an inner wall portion thereon movable onto and off of said outer piston surface engageable with said outer surface of said boot to exert an inward pressure on said stem so as to maintain said valving element tightly closed against said valve seat to trap air within said air chamber to increase the air pressure therein, said air spring sleeve responding to a reduction of vehicle load thereon to cause the inner wall of said rolling lobe to roll off said outer piston surface and away from said outer boot surface to reduce the inward exertion of pressure on said valving element, said valving element responding to a predetermined pressure thereon when said rolling lobe is no longer pressed against said boot to cause said valve stem to move away from said valve seat to leak air from said air chamber through said outlet passageway.

Claim 3

A control valve assembly for a vehicle leveling system comprising an air spring piston having a base portion adapted to be connected to a first suspension component, said piston including an inner end portion thereon of a first diameter, a bell-shaped outer surface on said piston including a reduced diameter at one end thereof and a progressively increasing diameter at the opposite end thereof, a tubular air spring sleeve including a rolling lobe portion, an end on said rolling lobe overlying said small diameter end of said outer piston, means for holding said lobe end portion in sealing engagement with said piston, said rolling lobe including an inner wall portion movable onto and from said bell-shaped surface of said piston, means including said sleeve and said piston for forming a pressurizable air chamber for varying the pressurization of said air sleeve to produce a reaction against said piston member to produce a supplemental spring force, a bore extending through said piston from said bell-shaped outer surface thereof into said pressurizable chamber, a valve seat formed in alignment with said bore, a valve stem having a valving element thereon located in alignment with said seat adapted to be moved into opened and closed relationship with said seat, means including a minimum pressure retention spring biasing said stem to move said sealing element into a closed position against said seat, said stem including a plunger on one end thereof directed outwardly of said bore, an outlet passageway in said bore adapted to be connected to a fluid supply system for said air spring, a seal boot supported by said piston having an inner surface thereon in engagement with said plunger and including an outer surface portion thereon extending outwardly of said piston at the small diameter end of said bell-shaped outer surface, said rolling lobe of said air sleeve having an inner wall portion thereon movable onto and off of said bell-shaped surface engageable with said outer surface of said boot for supplementing the spring bias of said minimum pressure retention spring to exert an inward pressure on said stem so as to maintain said valving element tightly closed against said valve seat to trap air within said air chamber to increase the air pressure therein, said air spring sleeve responding to a reduction of vehicle load thereon to cause the inner wall of said rolling lobe to roll off said outer bell-shaped surface and away from said outer boot surface to reduce the pressure on said valving element, said valving element responding to a predetermined pressure thereon when said rolling lobe is no longer against said boot to overcome said minimum pressure retention spring and to cause said valve stem to move away from said valve seat to leak air from said air chamber through said exhaust passageway in said air spring pistoN.

Claim 4

A control valve assembly for a vehicle leveling system comprising an air spring piston having a base portion adapted to be connected to a first suspension component, said piston including an inner end portion thereon of a first diameter, a bell-shaped outer surface on said piston including a reduced diameter at one end thereof and a progressively increasing diameter at the opposite end thereof, a tubular air spring sleeve including a rolling lobe portion, an end on said rolling lobe overlying said small diameter end of said outer piston, means for holding said lobe end portion in sealing engagement with said piston, said rolling lobe including an inner wall portion movable onto and from said bell-shaped surface of said piston, means including said sleeve and said piston for forming a pressurizable air chamber for varying the pressurization of said air sleeve to produce a reaction against said piston member to produce a supplemental spring force, a bore extending through said piston from said bell-shaped outer surface thereof into said pressurizable chamber, a valve seat formed in alignment with said bore, a valve stem having a valving element thereon located in alignment with said seat adapted to be moved into opened and closed relationship with said seat, means including a minimum pressure retention spring biasing said stem to move said sealing element into a closed position against said seat, said stem including a plunger on one end thereof directed outwardly of said bore, an outlet passageway in said bore adapted to be connected to a fluid supply system for said air spring, a seal boot supported by said piston having an inner surface thereon in engagement with said plunger and including an outer surface portion thereon extending outwardly of said piston at the small diameter end of said bell-shaped outer surface, said rolling lobe of said air sleeve having an inner wall portion thereon movable onto and off of said bell-shaped surface engageable with said outer surface of said boot for supplementing the spring bias of said minimum pressure retention spring to exert an inward pressure on said stem so as to maintain said valving element tightly closed against said valve seat to trap air within said air chamber to increase the air pressure therein, said air spring sleeve responding to a reduction of vehicle load thereon to cause the inner wall of said rolling lobe to roll off said outer bell-shaped surface and away from said outer boot surface to reduce the pressure on said valving element, said valving element responding to a predetermined pressure thereon when said rolling lobe is no longer against said boot to overcome said minimum pressure retention spring and to cause said valve stem to move away from said valve seat to leak air from said air chamber through said exhaust passageway in said air spring pistoN.

Claim 5

An air spring assembly comprising a tubular air spring sleeve, means for closing one end of said tubular air spring sleeve, a rolling lobe on the other end of said sleeve, said rolling lobe including an inner wall and an end portion thereon, a piston having a small diameter inner end thereon located within the end of said rolling lobe, means for sealing said piston and sleeve ends together, an outer surface on said piston having a smaller diameter adjacent said small diameter end of said piston and a progressively increasing diameter, said rolling lobe including an inner wall movable onto and off of said outer piston surface and a curved portion, said piston and said sleeve forming a pressurizable air chamber adapted to be inflated to vary the reaction on said piston for producing a resultant force between the ends of said tubular sleeve, saId piston including a bore therethrough extending from said outer piston surface and into said pressurizable air chamber, an elongated valve stem located within said bore, a valving element carried on one end of said stem, means defining a valve seat in said bore in alignment with said valving element, means forming an exhaust passageway in communication with said bore, a boot including a base portion located within said bore, means for holding said boot end in sealing engagement with said bore, said boot including an inwardly pinched midportion thereon and a bulbed end having an inner surface engageable with the outermost end of said valve stem and an outer surface with curved segments thereon located outwardly of said piston beyond said outer surface thereon, said outer surface curved segments being engageable with the curved portion of said rolling lobe of said sleeve as said sleeve lobe passes onto and off of said piston to move said boot inwardly of said valve bore, said inner surface of said boot engaging said valve stem when said rolling lobe is in contact therewith to move it inwardly of said bore to cause said valving element to move into sealed engagement with said valve seat, said inwardly directed midportion of said boot located in close spaced relationship to said stem and movable with respect thereto upon valve closing movement of said stem to guide said stem linearly of said valve stem bore during valve closing and opening movements, said stem being moved away from said seat by pressure on said valving element when said lobe is out of engagement with said bulbed end to cause air to leak from said sleeve into said exhaust passageway means.

Claim 6

An air spring assembly comprising a tubular air spring sleeve, means for closing one end of said tubular air spring sleeve, a rolling lobe on the other end of said sleeve, said rolling lobe including an inner wall and an end portion thereon, a piston having a small diameter inner end thereon located within the end of said rolling lobe, means for sealing said piston and sleeve ends together, an outer surface on said piston having a smaller diameter adjacent said small diameter end of said piston and a progressively increasing diameter, said rolling lobe including an inner wall movable onto and off of said outer piston surface and a curved portion, said piston and said sleeve forming a pressurizable air chamber adapted to be inflated to vary the reaction on said piston for producing a resultant force between the ends of said tubular sleeve, saId piston including a bore therethrough extending from said outer piston surface and into said pressurizable air chamber, an elongated valve stem located within said bore, a valving element carried on one end of said stem, means defining a valve seat in said bore in alignment with said valving element, means forming an exhaust passageway in communication with said bore, a boot including a base portion located within said bore, means for holding said boot end in sealing engagement with said bore, said boot including an inwardly pinched midportion thereon and a bulbed end having an inner surface engageable with the outermost end of said valve stem and an outer surface with curved segments thereon located outwardly of said piston beyond said outer surface thereon, said outer surface curved segments being engageable with the curved portion of said rolling lobe of said sleeve as said sleeve lobe passes onto and off of said piston to move said boot inwardly of said valve bore, said inner surface of said boot engaging said valve stem when said rolling lobe is in contact therewith to move it inwardly of said bore to cause said valving element to move into sealed engagement with said valve seat, said inwardly directed midportion of said boot located in close spaced relationship to said stem and movable with respect thereto upon valve closing movement of said stem to guide said stem linearly of said valve stem bore during valve closing and opening movements, said stem being moved away from said seat by pressure on said valving element when said lobe is out of engagement with said bulbed end to cause air to leak from said sleeve into said exhaust passageway means.

Claim 7

An air spring assembly comprising a tubular air spring sleeve, means for closing one end of said tubular air spring sleeve, a rolling lobe on the other end of said sleeve, said rolling lobe including an inner wall and an end portion thereon, a piston having a small diameter inner end thereon located within the end of said rolling lobe, means for sealing said piston and sleeve ends together, an outer surface on said piston having a smaller diameter adjacent said small diameter end of said piston and a progressively increasing diameter, said rolling lobe including an inner wall movable onto and off of said outer piston surface and a curved portion, said piston and said sleeve forming a pressurizable air chamber adapted to be inflated to vary the reaction on said piston for producing a resultant force between the ends of said tubular sleeve, said piston including a bore therethrough extending from said outer piston surface and into said pressurizable air chamber, an elongated valve stem located within said bore having the walls thereof spaced from said wall to form an axial opening therebetween, a valving element carried on one end of said stem, means defining a valve seat in said bore in alignment with said valving element, minimum pressure retention spring means acting on said stem for holding said valving element against said seat to trap a predetermined minimum pressure within said air chamber, means forming an exhaust passageway in communication with said axial passagewaY, a boot including a base portion located within said bore, means for holding said boot end in sealing engagement with said bore, said boot including an inwardly pinched midportion thereon and a bulbed end having an inner surface engageable with the outermost end of said valve stem and an outer surface with curved segments thereon located outwardly of said piston beyond said outer surface thereon, said outer surface curved segments being engageable with a curved portion of said rolling lobe of said sleeve as said sleeve lobe passes onto and off of said piston surface to move said boot inwardly of said valve bore, said inner surface of said boot engaging said valve stem when said rolling lobe is in contact therewith to move it inwardly of said bore to cause said valving element to move into sealed engagement with said valve seat, said inwardly directed midportion of said boot located in close spaced relationship to said stem and movable with respect thereto upon valve closing movement of said stem to guide said stem linearly of said valve stem bore during valve closing and opening movements, said stem being moved away from said seat by pressure on said valving element when said lobe is out of engagement with said bulbed end to cause air to leak from said sleeve into said exhaust passageway means.

Claim 8

An air spring assembly comprising a tubular air spring sleeve, means for closing one end of said tubular air spring sleeve, a rolling lobe on the other end of said sleeve, said rolling lobe including an inner wall and an end portion thereon, a piston having a small diameter inner end thereon located within the end of said rolling lobe, means for sealing said piston and sleeve ends together, an outer surface on said piston having a smaller diameter adjacent said small diameter end of said piston and a progressively increasing diameter, said rolling lobe including an inner wall movable onto and off of said outer piston surface and a curved portion, said piston and said sleeve forming a pressurizable air chamber adapted to be inflated to vary the reaction on said piston for producing a resultant force between the ends of said tubular sleeve, said piston including a bore therethrough extending from said outer piston surface and into said pressurizable air chamber, an elongated valve stem located within said bore having the walls thereof spaced from said wall to form an axial opening therebetween, a valving element carried on one end of said stem, means defining a valve seat in said bore in alignment with said valving element, minimum pressure retention spring means acting on said stem for holding said valving element against said seat to trap a predetermined minimum pressure within said air chamber, means forming an exhaust passageway in communication with said axial passagewaY, a boot including a base portion located within said bore, means for holding said boot end in sealing engagement with said bore, said boot including an inwardly pinched midportion thereon and a bulbed end having an inner surface engageable with the outermost end of said valve stem and an outer surface with curved segments thereon located outwardly of said piston beyond said outer surface thereon, said outer surface curved segments being engageable with a curved portion of said rolling lobe of said sleeve as said sleeve lobe passes onto and off of said piston surface to move said boot inwardly of said valve bore, said inner surface of said boot engaging said valve stem when said rolling lobe is in contact therewith to move it inwardly of said bore to cause said valving element to move into sealed engagement with said valve seat, said inwardly directed midportion of said boot located in close spaced relationship to said stem and movable with respect thereto upon valve closing movement of said stem to guide said stem linearly of said valve stem bore during valve closing and opening movements, said stem being moved away from said seat by pressure on said valving element when said lobe is out of engagement with said bulbed end to cause air to leak from said sleeve into said exhaust passageway means.

Claim 9

An air spring assembly comprising a tubular air spring sleeve, means for closing one end of said tubular air spring sleeve, a rolling lobe on the other end of said sleeve, said rolling lobe including an inner wall and an end portion thereon, a piston having a small diameter inner end thereon located within the end of said rolling lobe, means for sealing said piston and sleeve ends together, an outer surface on said piston having a smaller diameter adjacent said small diameter end of said piston and a progressively increasing diameter, said rolling lobe including an inner wall movable onto and off of said outer piston surface and a curved portion, said piston and said sleeve forming a pressurizable air chamber adapted to be inflated to vary the reaction on said piston for producing a resultant force between the ends of said tubular sleeve, said piston including a bore therethrough extending from said outer piston surface and into said pressurizable air chamber, means forming an exhaust passageway in communication with said bore, means defining a valve seat in said bore, valving means for opening and closing said valve seat, said valve means including an operator with curved segments thereon located outwardly of said piston beyond said outer surface thereon, said outer surface curved segments being engageable with the curved portion of said rolling lobe of said sleeve as said sleeve lobe passes onto and off of said piston to move said operator inwardly of said valve bore to close said valve seat, said valve means being moved away from said seat by pressure thereon when said lobe is out of engagement with said operator to cause air to leak from said sleeve into said exhaust passageway means.

Claim 10

An air spring assembly comprising a tubular air spring sleeve, means for closing one end of said tubular air spring sleeve, a rolling lobe on the other end of said sleeve, said rolling lobe including an inner wall and an end portion thereon, a piston having a small diameter inner end thereon located within the end of said rolling lobe, means for sealing said piston and sleeve ends together, an outer surface on said piston having a smaller diameter adjacent said small diameter end of said piston and a progressively increasing diameter, said rolling lobe including an inner wall movable onto and off of said outer piston surface and a curved portion, said piston and said sleeve forming a pressurizable air chamber adapted to be inflated to vary the reaction on said piston for producing a resultant force between the ends of said tubular sleeve, said piston including a bore therethrough extending from said outer piston surface and into said pressurizable air chamber, means forming an exhaust passageway in communication with said bore, means defining a valve seat in said bore, valving means for opening and closing said valve seat, said valve means including an operator with curved segments thereon located outwardly of said piston beyond said outer surface thereon, said outer surface curved segments being engageable with the curved portion of said rolling lobe of said sleeve as said sleeve lobe passes onto and off of said piston to move said operator inwardly of said valve bore to close said valve seat, said valve means being moved away from said seat by pressure thereon when said lobe is out of engagement with said operator to cause air to leak from said sleeve into said exhaust passageway means.