Patents Assigned to Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC
  • Patent number: 11932067
    Abstract: End member assemblies having a longitudinal axis are dimensioned for securement to a flexible spring member. The end member assemblies include a first end member with a first surface portion and a plurality of projections disposed in peripherally-spaced relation to one another about the longitudinal axis. A second end member includes a plurality of grooves dimensioned to receive one of projections. Gas spring and damper assemblies include a damper assembly and a gas spring assembly that includes an end member assembly as well as an end member assembly with a flexible spring member secured between the end member assemblies. A suspension system including one or more gas spring and damper assemblies is also included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC
    Inventor: Peter W. Lauzon
  • Patent number: 11897299
    Abstract: Mounting bracket assemblies including a base bracket and a clamp. The base bracket includes a base bracket wall with a base wall portion having a first surface portion and a second surface portion. The base bracket is positioned along an existing jounce bumper mount of a vehicle with the first surface portion engaging a distal edge of the jounce bumper mount. The clamp is the base bracket and extends peripherally along a side wall portion of the jounce bumper mount in abutting engagement with an outer peripheral surface portion thereof and coextensively therewith. Suspension systems, mounting bracket kits and methods of assembling a mounting bracket assembly are also included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC
    Inventor: Scott A. Smith
  • Patent number: 11859688
    Abstract: End members are supportable along a damper housing and dimensioned for securement to flexible spring member. End members include a wall with a side wall portion including an inner side surface portion. First projections extend toward a first inner edge with a first shoulder surface portion faces a second end. Second projections extend inward beyond the inner side surface portion toward a second inner edge with a second shoulder surface portion facing a first end. Second projections are spaced axially from first projections such that a groove is formed inward of the inner side surface portion between first and second shoulder surface portions. End member assemblies including such an end member as well as gas spring and damper assemblies and suspension systems are also included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC
    Inventor: Joseph A. Bounds
  • Patent number: 11802604
    Abstract: A gas spring and damper assembly includes a damper assembly and a gas spring assembly. The gas spring assembly is axially coextensive with the damper assembly and includes a flexible spring member, a first end member assembly and a second end member assembly. The first end member assembly includes a first wall portion that extends about a longitudinal axis and defines an end member chamber. A second wall portion projects outwardly beyond an outer peripheral surface portion of the first wall portion. The second wall portion at least partially defines an intermediate chamber in fluid communication with the end member chamber and is dimensioned to receive an associated control device. A third wall portion at least partially defines an end member passage through which the end member chamber can be selectively placed in fluid communication with the spring chamber by way of the intermediate chamber and the associated control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC
    Inventors: Jan van Aartsen, Joseph A. Bounds
  • Patent number: 11754138
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC
    Inventor: Albert S. Phillips
  • Patent number: 11719302
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an air spring sleeve comprising: an outer layer, at least one reinforcing layer, and an inner layer that form the sleeve; the outer layer and the inner layer are formed of an elastomeric composition, with the proviso that the elastomeric composition does not comprise epichlorohydrin; and the at least one reinforcing layer comprises a plurality of reinforcing elements disposed between a layer of the elastomeric composition, wherein the elastomeric composition of the at least one reinforcing layer is identical to the elastomeric composition of the outer layer and the inner layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC
    Inventors: Michael C. Howard, Hao Wang, Sheel Agarwal, John D. Rensel
  • Patent number: 11685214
    Abstract: End members are supportable along a damper housing and dimensioned for securement to a flexible spring member. The end members include a wall with a first wall portion having an outer surface portion dimensioned to receivingly engage the flexible spring member. A second wall portion includes an inner surface portion dimensioned to receivingly engage a torsional isolator supported on the damper housing. A third wall portion extends radially outward beyond the second wall portion and includes a passage surface at least partially defining a passage extending axially through the third wall portion. The passage is dimensioned to receive a projection of the torsional isolator. End member assemblies including such an end member as well as gas spring and damper assemblies and suspension systems are also included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC
    Inventor: Peter W. Lauzon
  • Patent number: 11661991
    Abstract: Gas spring and gas damper assemblies include a gas spring and a gas damper. The gas spring includes a flexible spring member with opposing end members secured thereto and at least partially defining a spring chamber. An elongated damping passage having a spiral configuration extends through one of the end members. The gas damper includes a damper housing that at least partially defines a damping chamber in fluid communication with the spring chamber through the elongated damping passage. A damper piston assembly is received within the damping chamber and secured to the other of the end members. Suspension systems and methods are also included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC
    Inventor: Joshua R. Leonard
  • Patent number: 11603901
    Abstract: Mounting assembly dimensioned for securement between a vehicle structure and a gas spring and damper assembly include a first end plate securable to the vehicle structure. A second end plate is attached in substantially fixed relation to the first end plate such that a mounting cavity is disposed therebetween. A connector housing is disposed within the mounting cavity and operatively connectable to the gas spring and damper assembly. A first bearing assembly is disposed between the connector housing and the first end plate and permits rotation of the connector housing relative to the first end plate while transferring forces acting longitudinally therebetween. A second bearing assembly is disposed between the connector housing and the second end plate and permits rotation of the connector housing relative to the second end plate while transferring forces acting longitudinally therebetween. Gas spring and damper assemblies are also included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC
    Inventors: Rutger Zegveld, Jan van Aartsen
  • Patent number: 11597249
    Abstract: A damper assembly has a longitudinal axis and includes a damper housing with a side wall portion and an end wall portion defining a damping chamber containing a quantity of damping fluid. A photon source and a photon receptor are operatively disposed in optical communication with the non-gaseous damping fluid in the damping chamber. The photon source is operable to direct a photon through the non-gaseous damping fluid toward an associated target surface. The photon receptor is operable to receive the photon reflected off the associated target surface through the non-gaseous damping fluid. A sensor suitable for such use as well as spring and damper assemblies and suspension systems are also included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC
    Inventors: Samuel N. Mbugua, Graham R. Brookes, Brian S. DeBruler
  • Patent number: 11577571
    Abstract: A clamping plate is dimensioned to secure a flexible spring member to an end member for forming a gas spring assembly. The clamping plate includes a clamping plate wall with an axis and opposing surface portions oriented transverse to the axis. An opening extends into the clamping plate wall from along each of the opposing surface portions. An elongated damping passage extends in a spiral configuration through the clamping plate wall in fluid communication with the openings. A gas spring assembly includes a flexible spring member that defines a spring chamber, and an end member with an end member wall that defines an end member chamber. The clamping plate is secured to the end member and retains the flexible spring member thereon. The elongated damping passage is in fluid communication between the spring chamber and the end member chamber. Gas transfer between the spring chamber and the end member chamber generates pressurized gas damping during use of the gas spring assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC
    Inventor: Joshua R. Leonard
  • Patent number: 11554624
    Abstract: Gas spring and gas damper assemblies include a flexible spring member. First and second end members are secured to opposing ends of the flexible spring member to form a spring chamber. The second end member includes an end member wall that at least partially defines a damping chamber within the second end member. A damper piston assembly includes a damper piston and an elongated damper rod. The damper piston separates the piston chamber into first and second chamber portions. A pneumatically-actuated control device is disposed in fluid communication with one of the first and second chamber portions. The control device is selectively operable to alter the functionality of the gas spring and gas damper assembly between spring and damper functionality and actuator functionality. Suspension systems including one or more of such gas spring and gas damper assemblies as well as methods of operation are also included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC
    Inventor: Joshua R. Leonard
  • Patent number: D966867
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC
    Inventor: Scott A. Smith
  • Patent number: D967745
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC
    Inventors: Bryan M. Norman, Benjamin J. Hester
  • Patent number: D969677
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: FIRESTONE INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS COMPANY, LLC
    Inventor: Scott A. Smith
  • Patent number: D993750
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC
    Inventor: Scott A. Smith
  • Patent number: D997042
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC
    Inventor: J. Richard Myers
  • Patent number: D999123
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC
    Inventor: Scott A. Smith
  • Patent number: D1003691
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC
    Inventor: Scott A. Smith
  • Patent number: D1009600
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC
    Inventor: J. Richard Myers