AIR SUSPENSION
Disclosed is an improved air suspension that prevents damage and/or failure of a component of an air spring, such as an air sleeve. The air suspension includes a damper including a cylinder and a piston rod slidably disposed in the cylinder, an air spring hermetically connected to an outside of the cylinder, an upper mount which secures the damper and the air spring to a vehicle frame, and a rotational sealing part disposed between the air piston and the cylinder and allowing relative rotation of the air spring and the cylinder while maintaining air-tightness between the air piston and the cylinder. The air suspension may prevent damage and/or failure of components of an air spring, such as an air sleeve, by undesired force or moment such as torsional rotational force applied to the air spring in the course of driving the vehicle.
1 . An air suspension comprising:
a damper including a cylinder and a piston rod slidably disposed in the cylinder;
an air spring hermetically connected to an outside of the cylinder;
an upper mount which secures the damper and the air spring to a vehicle frame; and
a rotational sealing part disposed between the air piston and the cylinder and allowing relative rotation of the air spring and the cylinder while maintaining air-tightness between the air piston and the cylinder.
2 . The air suspension of claim 1 , wherein the air spring comprises a canister surrounding a part of the piston rod extending outside the cylinder, an air piston surrounding a part of the cylinder, and an air sleeve hermitically connecting the canister and the air piston, and wherein the rotational sealing part is inserted between the air piston and the cylinder.
3 . The air suspension of claim 1 , wherein a bearing is disposed between the bracket for connecting the air suspension to an axle or wheel side and the cylinder to allow relative rotation between the bracket and the cylinder.