Apparatus for retrofitting height and load adjustable air spring to coil spring based Mac Pherson strut

Abstract

An automotive wheel suspension comprised of a shock absorbing strut located within a retrofit air spring which is located where previously a standard coil was located. The air spring includes a single, double, or triple convoluted bellow comprised of a rubber bellow and two bead sealing rings mounted eccentrically onto the strut by a fixed lower adapter plate. The strut is also comprised with a rotatable upper adapter plate that allows the air spring to take the place of the previously mounted coil spring in order to allow load and ride height adjustment where beforehand the coil spring allowed none.

1 . An air suspension retrofit to a coil spring based strut comprising: 
 A shock absorbing strut having a piston rod extending telescopically from a strut body that originally includes a coil spring mount attached to said body;    An air spring having one main chamber comprised of a flexible rubber membrane arranged in a single, double, or triple bellows orientation;    A duo of mounts for the air spring to seal to, which form an airtight seal about the outside diameter of both the said strut body and the said piston rod, the design of said mounts being such they replace the upper and lower coil spring mounts originally equipped on vehicle;    A system of tubular spacers and or bearings to facilitate clearance and ease mounting of said air space retrofit strut onto vehicle.    
     
     
         2 . A vehicle suspension system where: 
 A set or two sets of air ride retrofit struts are mounted in original factory locations;    A control system for said struts where the mechanism to control ride height and or spring rate is located within the passenger compartment so as to facilitate the driver controlling the said suspension variables.    
     
     
         3 . Air spring retrofit mounts that have: 
 A design where the air spring is mounted eccentrically to eliminate contact of the said air spring with any portion of vehicle body;    A design of said air spring mount that is varied by strut body diameter, relation of original coil seat mounting location to top of said strut body, diameter of strut piston rod, and dimension of said original coil seat;    A design of said air spring mount that facilitates construction by either casting said mount and then machining certain features or by fabricating said mount by welding a machined piece of tubing to a plasma cut plate in order to make a single piece mount.    
     
     
         4 . An air spring mounting system where: 
 A bead-sealing ring and said air spring mount capture a bead, located at the top and bottom periphery of said air spring, between them. This ensures a long life, airtight seal as opposed to a single thin band of metal wrapped tightly around thin rubber membrane and strut body as previously mentioned in other air spring equipped struts that are prone to leakage and seal failure.    
     
     
         5 . A revolving upper sealing design comprising: 
 An upper air spring mounting plate with a proper-machined fit to allow said strut piston rod to easily turn within it's bored inside diameter;    A duo of o-rings located at designed dimensions of the correct size to ensure an airtight seal yet to also allow axial movement of said strut piston rod when vehicle is undergoing steering input.