Wheel assembly including controllable operating response gas spring and related methods

1. A wheel assembly to be coupled to a hub of a vehicle, the wheel assembly comprising:

an inner rim to be coupled to the hub of the vehicle;

an outer rim surrounding the hub and having a circular inner surface;

a plurality of gas springs operatively coupled between said inner rim and said outer rim to provide a gas suspension for relative movement between said inner rim and said outer rim;

at least one gas spring from the plurality thereof having a controllable operating response; and

a disk coupled to and extending radially outward from said inner rim and spaced apart from said plurality of gas springs, said disk having a circular outer surface defining a closable gap with adjacent portions of the circular inner surface of the outer rim during operation of the vehicle, and said disk defining a mechanical stop to limit relative movement between said inner rim and said outer rim during operation of the vehicle.

2. The wheel assembly of claim 1 , comprising a local controller coupled to said at least one gas spring.

3. The wheel assembly of claim 2 , comprising a local sensor coupled to said local controller; and wherein said local controller is configured to control the operating response of the at least one gas spring based upon the local sensor.

4. The wheel assembly of claim 2 , wherein said local controller is configured to control the operating response of the at least one gas spring based upon at least one remote sensor.

5. The wheel assembly of claim 2 , wherein said local controller is configured to control the operating response of the at least one gas spring while the wheel assembly is rolling.

6. The wheel assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one gas spring has a controllable gas pressure.

7. The wheel assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one gas spring has a controllable gas volume.

8. The wheel assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one gas spring comprises a double-acting gas cylinder and associated piston.

9. A wheel assembly to be coupled to a hub of a vehicle having an axis of rotation, the wheel assembly comprising:

an inner rim to be coupled to the hub of the vehicle;

an outer rim surrounding the hub and having a circular inner surface;

a plurality of gas springs operatively coupled between said inner rim and said outer rim to provide a gas suspension for relative movement between said inner rim and said outer rim;

at least one gas spring from the plurality thereof having a controllable operating response;

a disk coupled to and extending radially outward from said inner rim and spaced apart from said plurality of gas springs, said disk having a circular outer surface defining a closable gap with adjacent portions of the circular inner surface of the outer rim during operation of the vehicle, and said disk defining a mechanical stop to limit relative movement between said inner rim and said outer rim during operation of the vehicle; and

a local controller coupled to said at least one gas spring and configured to control the operating response of said at least one gas spring.

10. The wheel assembly of claim 9 , comprising a local sensor coupled to said local controller; and wherein said local controller is configured to control the operating response of the at least one gas spring based upon the local sensor.

11. The wheel assembly of claim 9 , wherein said local controller is configured to control the operating response of the at least one gas spring based upon at least one remote sensor.

12. The wheel assembly of claim 9 , wherein said local controller is configured to control the operating response of the at least one gas spring while the wheel assembly is rolling.

13. The wheel assembly of claim 9 , wherein the at least one gas spring has a controllable gas pressure.

14. The wheel assembly of claim 9 , wherein the at least one gas spring has a controllable gas volume.

15. The wheel assembly of claim 9 , wherein the at least one gas spring comprises a double-acting gas cylinder and associated piston.

16. A method of making a wheel assembly to be coupled to a hub of a vehicle, the method comprising:

operatively coupling a plurality of gas springs between an inner rim to be coupled to the hub of the vehicle and an outer rim surrounding the hub to provide a gas suspension for relative movement between the inner rim and the outer rim, the outer rim having a circular inner surface, and at least one gas spring from among the plurality thereof having a controllable operating response,

coupling a local controller to the at least one gas spring to control the operating response of the at least one gas spring; and

coupling a disk to extend radially outward from the inner rim and spaced apart from the plurality of gas springs, the disk having a circular outer surface defining a closeable gap with adjacent interior portions of the circular inner surface of the outer rim during operation of the vehicle, and the disk being coupled to define a mechanical stop to limit relative movement between the inner rim and the outer rim during operation of the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16 , comprising coupling a local sensor to the local controller; and wherein the local controller is configured to control the operating response of the at least one gas spring based upon the local sensor.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the at least one gas spring has at least one of controllable gas pressure and controllable gas volume.

19. A method of operating a wheel assembly coupled to a hub of a vehicle, the wheel assembly comprising an inner rim to be coupled to the hub of the vehicle, an outer rim surrounding the hub, the outer rim having a circular inner surface, a plurality of gas springs operatively coupled between the inner rim and the outer rim, at least one gas spring from among the plurality thereof having a controllable operating response, and a disk coupled to and extending radially outward from the inner rim and spaced apart from the plurality of gas springs, the disk having a circular outer surface defining a closable gap with adjacent portions of the circular inner surface of the outer rim during operation of the vehicle, and the disk defining a mechanical stop to limit relative movement between the inner rim and the outer rim during operation of the vehicle, the method comprising:

operating a local controller coupled to the at least one gas spring to control the operating response of the at least one gas spring and with the circular outer surface of the disk defining a closeable gap with adjacent interior portions of the circular inner surface of the outer rim.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein operating the local controller comprises operating the local controller to control the operating response of the at least one gas spring based upon a local sensor coupled to the controller.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein operating the local controller comprises operating the local controller to control the operating response of the at least one gas spring based upon at least one remote sensor.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein operating the local controller comprises operating the local controller to control the operating response of the at least one gas spring while the wheel assembly is rolling.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein operating the local controller comprises operating the local controller to control a gas pressure of the at least one gas spring.

24. The method of claim 19 , wherein operating the local controller comprises operating the local controller to control a gas volume of the at least one gas spring.

25. A wheel assembly to be coupled to a hub of a vehicle, the wheel assembly comprising:

an inner rim to be coupled to the hub of the vehicle;

an outer rim surrounding the hub and having a circular inner surface;

a plurality of gas springs operatively coupled between said inner rim and said outer rim to provide a gas suspension for relative movement between said inner rim and said outer rim;

at least one gas spring from the plurality thereof having a controllable operating response; and

a disk coupled to and extending radially outward from said inner rim and spaced apart from said plurality of gas springs, said disk having a t-shaped cross section so that a circular outer surface defines a closable gap with adjacent portions of the circular inner surface of the outer rim during operation of the vehicle, and said disk defining a mechanical stop to limit relative movement between said inner rim and said outer rim during operation of the vehicle.

26. The wheel assembly of claim 25 , comprising a local controller coupled to said at least one gas spring.

27. The wheel assembly of claim 25 , comprising a local sensor coupled to said local controller; and wherein said local controller is configured to control the operating response of the at least one gas spring based upon the local sensor.

28. The wheel assembly of claim 25 , wherein said local controller is configured to control the operating response of the at least one gas spring based upon at least one remote sensor.

29. The wheel assembly of claim 25 , wherein said local controller is configured to control the operating response of the at least one gas spring while the wheel assembly is rolling.

30. The wheel assembly of claim 25 , wherein the at least one gas spring has a controllable gas pressure.

31. The wheel assembly of claim 25 , wherein the at least one gas spring has a controllable gas volume.

32. The wheel assembly of claim 25 , wherein the at least one gas spring comprises a double-acting gas cylinder and associated piston.