IP Library Granted Patent US 12,291,072
Granted Patent B2
US 12,291,072 · App. 17/823,156 · Granted May 6, 2025

Air-spring assembly

Inventors: Miguel Dhaens (Lommel, BE); Monzer Al Sakka (Sint-Truiden, BE); Emilie Florence Simone Boulay (Cortil-Wodon, BE); Vytautas Bucinskas (Vilnius, LT)
Assignee: DRiV Automotive Inc.
B60G17/0528B60G11/27B60G11/30B60G2202/152
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,291,072
App. No.
17/823,156
Granted
May 6, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An air-spring assembly includes a flexible bellows extending from a top end to a bottom end and enclosing an air-spring chamber between the top end and the bottom end, a first panel partially defining the air-spring chamber and movable in response to a pressure of the air-spring chamber, an enclosure partially defining a working chamber fluidly isolated from the air-spring chamber, a second panel partially defining the working chamber and movable relative to the enclosure, and a linkage member fixed relative to the first panel and to the second panel and defining a fixed distance between the first panel and the second panel. The top and bottom ends are fixable to a frame and a wheel of a vehicle, respectively. A volume of the air-spring chamber varies with movement of the bottom end relative to the top end. Movement of the second panel changes a volume of the working chamber.

Claims (23)

1. An air-spring assembly comprising:

a flexible bellows extending from a top end to a bottom end and enclosing an air-spring chamber between the top end and the bottom end, the top end fixable to a frame of a vehicle, the bottom end fixable to a wheel of the vehicle, a volume of the air-spring chamber varying with movement of the bottom end relative to the top end;

a first panel partially defining the air-spring chamber and movable in response to a pressure of the air-spring chamber;

an enclosure partially defining a working chamber fluidly isolated from the air-spring chamber;

a second panel partially defining the working chamber and movable relative to the enclosure, movement of the second panel changing a volume of the working chamber; and

a linkage member fixed relative to the first panel and to the second panel and defining a fixed distance between the first panel and the second panel.

2. The air-spring assembly of claim 1 , wherein an area of the first panel exposed to the air-spring chamber is greater than an area of the second panel exposed to the working chamber.

3. The air-spring assembly of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is positioned inside the flexible bellows.

4. The air-spring assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a spring extending from a first end to a second end, wherein the first end is fixed relative to the first panel, and the second end is fixed relative to the enclosure.

5. The air-spring assembly of claim 1 , wherein a first surface of the first panel is exposed to the air-spring chamber, and a second surface of the first panel opposite the first surface is exposed to ambient air pressure.

6. The air-spring assembly of claim 1 , wherein a first surface of the second panel is exposed to the working chamber, and a second surface of the second panel opposite the first surface is exposed to ambient air pressure.

7. The air-spring assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an ambient chamber partially defined by the second panel and partially defined by the first panel, and a passageway connecting the ambient chamber to an ambient environment.

8. The air-spring assembly of claim 7 , wherein the ambient chamber is positioned inside the flexible bellows.

9. The air-spring assembly of claim 7 , wherein the ambient chamber is fluidly isolated from the air-spring chamber.

10. The air-spring assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first panel is a membrane.

11. The air-spring assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second panel is a membrane.

12. The air-spring assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second panel is a piston.

13. The air-spring assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a check valve positioned to permit airflow to exit the working chamber and block airflow from entering the working chamber.

14. The air-spring assembly of claim 13 , wherein the check valve leads to a location external to the flexible bellows.

15. The air-spring assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a check valve positioned to permit airflow to enter the working chamber from an ambient environment and block airflow from exiting the working chamber.

16. The air-spring assembly of claim 1 , wherein the air-spring chamber contains pressurized air, and a first surface of the first panel is exposed to the pressurized air.

17. The air-spring assembly of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is fixed relative to the top end of the flexible bellows.

18. The air-spring assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first panel is positioned inside the flexible bellows.

Assignments (5)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 20, 2025
From: DRIV AUTOMOTIVE INC.
To: ADVANCED SUSPENSION TECHNOLOGY LLC
Reel/Frame 072553/0175 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 1, 2025
From: DRIV AUTOMOTIVE INC.
To: ADVANCED SUSPENSION TECHNOLOGY LLC
Reel/Frame 071790/0787 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (ABL) Recorded Apr 7, 2023
From: TENNECO INC.; DRIV AUTOMOTIVE INC.; FEDERAL-MOGUL CHASSIS LLC; FEDERAL-MOGUL IGNITION LLC; FEDERAL-MOGUL MOTORPARTS LLC; FEDERAL-MOGUL POWERTRAIN LLC; FEDERAL-MOGUL WORLD WIDE LLC; TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE OPERATING COMPANY INC.; THE PULLMAN COMPANY
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 063268/0506 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS (FIRST LIEN) Recorded Nov 22, 2022
From: DRIV AUTOMOTIVE INC.; FEDERAL-MOGUL CHASSIS LLC; FEDERAL-MOGUL IGNITION LLC; FEDERAL-MOGUL MOTORPARTS LLC; FEDERAL-MOGUL POWERTRAIN LLC; FEDERAL-MOGUL WORLD WIDE LLC; TENNECO AUTOMOTIVE OPERATING COMPANY INC.; TENNECO INC.; THE PULLMAN COMPANY
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 061989/0689 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 30, 2022
From: DHAENS, MIGUEL; AL SAKKA, MONZER; BOULAY, EMILIE FLORENCE SIMONE; BUCINSKAS, VYTAUTAS
To: DRIV AUTOMOTIVE INC.
Reel/Frame 060938/0519 →