MXPA98009374A - Air shock absorber and springs containing active device and a suspension structure and method for use - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an air damper and springs, characterized in that it includes an end plate and a piston member located in an axially spaced relationship in general, when in a rest position, the end plate and the piston member they are adapted to be mounted in spaced positions of an apparatus and movable towards and away from each other, when the apparatus encounters shocks to absorb them and to maintain the spaced portions of the apparatus in a predetermined spaced relation when in the rest position; a fluid pressure chamber formed between the end plate and the piston member by a flexible elastomeric sleeve having opposite open ends sealingly connected to the end plate and piston member; height sensing means mounted on one of the end plate and the piston member, to determine changes in the axial spacing of the end plate and piston member and to generate a control signal in response to the changes, and a verification device in fluid communication with the fluid pressure chamber including a battery, at least one detector for detecting the fluid pressure chamber inside the air damper and springs and electronic circuit means for receiving the control signal from the height detector and the fluid pressure detected to determine the load on the air damper and springs and for transmitting the load by wireless communication to an interrogator external to the air damper and

Description

AIR SHOCK ABSORBER AND SPRINGS CONTAINING DEVICE ACTIVE AND A SUSPENSION STRUCTURE AND METHOD FOR USING IT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (Technical Field) The invention relates to vehicle suspensions and particularly to an air spring and springs having a device for verifying various physical conditions of the shock absorber and for using the shock absorber in combination with an internal height detector. More particularly, the invention relates to a suspension system using the shock absorber in combination with a tire having a memory device containing stored information concerning the tire and detectors for tire engineering conditions, this information is transmitted to the device Check inside the air damper and springs for subsequent re-transmission to a remote location where the air damper and springs can track the service history of the air damper and springs such as its load, pressure and temperature and increase transmission efficiency of the data from the tire by re-transmitting them through the thinner side walls of the air damper and springs to the remote site.

Background Information It is convenient to check the condition of tires in terms of wear, internal temperature and internal pressure. It is particularly advantageous to check large truck tires, since these are expensive? they must be maintained regularly to maximize the efficiency of the vehicle. In the past, these verification activities have generally been employed as a passive integrated circuit embedded within the body of the tire and activated by radio frequency transmission that energizes the circuit by magnetic and inductive coupling. Passive devices that are based on inductive magnetic coupling or capacitive coupling, in general have the disadvantage of requiring long coil windings, thus requiring major modifications in the construction of the tire and the assembly process. Another serious disadvantage with these passive devices is that the interrogator must be placed in close proximity to the tire, usually within a few centimeters of the tire, in order to allow communication between the tire and the device. Due to proximity requirements, a continuous verification is impractical since it would require an interrogator to be mounted on each wheel of the vehicle. The manual acquisition of data from the passive devices embedded in each of the tires of a parked vehicle is also problematic and time-consuming due to proximity requirements. Other prior art devices used to verify tire conditions have comprised self-energized circuits, which are placed external to the tire such as in the valve stem. Externally mounted devices have the disadvantage of being exposed to damage, such as by the environment or weathering and vandalism. Another disadvantage in installing devices external to the tire is that the device itself introduces additional seal gaskets from which air can leak. Additionally, externally installed devices can be easily detached from a particular tire that is verified. Another disadvantage with known tire identification and verification devices is that communication transmissions are preferably achieved using conventional radio frequencies (RF) which generally require a relatively large antenna, which must be mounted externally or attached to the tire, in such a way which requires relatively major modifications in the process of assembling or building tires.

Many of these problems have been eliminated by the method and construction of the tire illustrated and described in U.S. Patents. Nos. 5,500,065; 5,562,787; 5,573,610; and 5,573,611. However, these devices are contained within the tire-wheel chamber and it is important in transmitting data through the tire to external receivers. More importantly, when RF frequency communication is used, difficulties are encountered in transmitting the signals to a remote remote site because signals are required to pass through the side wall of the tire, which due to its thickness in tires of trucks, materially reduces its transmission efficiency. Tests have shown that there is approximately a signal loss of 15 dB when the signal is transmitted through the relatively thick side walls of the truck tires. This increases the size of the battery required for transmission and increases the cost of the tire terminal. Also, it is convenient for certain applications of air springs and springs, where the monitoring and performance specifications are critical, that some type of verification system is provided. There is no known means to easily verify the conditions of an air damper and springs, such as its load, temperature, pressure, etc. , and to maintain a service history of the air cushion and spring. Also, although the air springs and springs of the prior art have employed internal height detectors to control the pressure inside the air spring and springs and to provide an indication of a load and pressure, this is usually accomplished through a system of physical wiring that extends between the height detector and the compressor of the air damper and springs. Likewise, although the tire verification method and devices illustrated and described in the above-mentioned four patents provide many advantages over prior art, it is desirable to provide a tire verification system, which provides much greater versatility and flexibility in improving the external RF communication transmission in terms of signal / interference ratio, reproducibility and distance when coupling the output of the tire verification system to a verification device contained within a closely adjacent air spring and springs, which is capable of receiving the signals of the tire verification device and retransmit them at a greater distance with less signal loss together with the transmission of the conditions detected in the air damper and springs itself to a distant interrogator, to verify both the vehicle tires and the s air springs and springs; that is to say the suspension of the vehicle in a more efficient way than to date was possible. COMPENDIUM OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the invention, an air damper and springs is provided with an activatable memory device and verification or detection device containing stored data relating to the air damper and springs and which can be coupled to a height detector mounted inside or outside the air damper and springs to transmit signals generated by the air damper and springs and height detectors to a remote interrogator. A further object of the invention is to provide this air cushion and springs for use in a vehicle suspension system that is located closely adjacent to a vehicle tire containing a tire terminal, that is, a device having stored data that refer to the tire and a verification or detection device that detects engineering conditions within the tire such as load, pressure and temperature and transmits the information to the verification device inside the adjacent air and springstemper for subsequent retransmission by the air cushion and springs to a remote interrogator, where the interrogator can be a portable unit, a unit mounted in the vehicle cabin, a fixed gate interrogator, etc. A still further object of the invention is to provide this vehicle suspension system and air damper and springs and associated method that add memory and identification capability to the air damper and springs for automotive and non-automotive applications and that couples the output of a detector of internal or external height to the remote interrogator for use of radio frequency (RF), and where the device of verification of the air cushion and springs can be located either inside the pressure chamber or outside it when mounting it in any of the inner or outer surfaces of one of the end plates of the air cushion and springs. Another object of the invention is to provide a suspension system for a vehicle having verification devices for the tires and air dampers and springs that provide increased signal strength by reducing loss of signal strength by transmitting the signal through the walls Thick side of the tires for only a short distance to the air damper and adjacent springs and then retransmit the signals a longer distance through the thinner side walls of the air damper and springs or even externally of the air damper and springs, without requiring passage through the side walls. These objects and advantages are obtained by the improved air spring and springs of the present invention, the general nature of which can be stated to include an end plate and a piston member located in a generally axially spaced relation when in a position of Resting, the end plate and the piston member are adapted to be mounted on spaced portions of an apparatus and moved to and away from each other when the apparatus encounters shocks to absorb them and to maintain the spaced portions of the apparatus at a pre-determined spaced relationship when it is in the resting position; a fluid pressure chamber formed between the end plate and the piston member by a flexible elastomeric sleeve having opposite open ends sealingly connected to the end plate and piston member; height sensing means mounted on one of the end plate and piston member, to determine changes in the axial spacing of the end plate and piston member and to generate a control signal in response to the changes, and a device of verification in fluid communication with the fluid pressure chamber including a battery, at least one detector for an engineering condition of the air damper and springs and electronic circuit means for transmitting the detected condition and the control signal from the height detection to a remote external site to the air damper and springs. These objects and advantages are furthermore obtained by the improved method of the invention, the general nature of which can be stated to include the steps of providing the air damper and springs with a first device that provides data collection relating to the air damper and springs and containing a first source of energy and first electronic circuits to transmit the collected data; securing the first device on an end plate of the air cushion and springs; Detect an engineering condition of the air damper and springs that activates the power source and electronic circuits and transmit the data from the air damper and springs to a remote location. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrative of the best way in which the applicant has contemplated applying the principles, is established in the following description and is illustrated in the drawings particularly and in distinctive form is indicated and established in the drawings. appended claims. Figure 1 is a fragmentary diagrammatic side elevation view of a vehicle suspension structure using the radio frequency active spring and air damper of the present invention; Figure 2 is a fragmentary diagrammatic top plan view of a suspension structure of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevational view with enlarged and sectioned portions of the improved air spring and springs that * utilizes the active terminal structure for radio frequency and height detector there; Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view, with broken and sectioned portions, showing a portion of the suspension structure of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 5 is a block diagram representative of the various components contained in the radioactive active terminal structure of the tire of a vehicle and of the air damper and springs located adjacent to an external interrogator; and Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of how the active terminal structure of the air spring and springs can transmit information to various types of remote interrogators. Similar numbers refer to similar parts through the drawings. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITY The suspension structure of the vehicle of the present invention is generally indicated at 1, and is diagrammatically illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The suspension structure 1, includes a pair of axle structure 2 which are assembled by underneath a vehicle frame 4 by a pair of downwardly extending hanging brackets 6, to which rear arms 8 are connected by pivotal connections 10. The improved air and springs cushion of the present invention is generally indicated at 12, and it extends between the outer end of each rear arm 8 and one of the main horizontal support beams 14 forming part of a frame 4. Each axle structure 2 includes a shaft 16 extending between and connecting with a pair of arms Rear spaced 8. In many heavy-duty truck and trailer applications, a pair of wheels 18 is mounted on each end of each shaft 16, each of which includes a usual rim 20, and a tire 22 (Figure 4). Each tire 22 includes a rolling pack or part of contact with the floor 23, usual sidewalls 24 and flange areas 25 that mount the tire on the rim. Preferably, each of the tires includes a tire terminal that is mounted on the inner lining of the tire in the vicinity of the shoulder area 25. The tire terminal 27 is preferably similar to those discussed in the four U.S. Patents. previously mentioned Nos. 5,500,065; 5,562,787; 5,573,610; and 5,573,611, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. A preferred tire terminal construction 27 is illustrated in block diagram form of Figure 5 and will preferably include a power source such as a battery 28, one or more detectors 29 that are in fluid communication with the pressurizable cavity 30 of the pneumatic 22 and will contain stored data and in particular of stored IDs indicated at 31, which is tailored to the particular tire 22 on which the tire terminal is mounted. The tire terminal 27 may further include a microcircuit 33 and an amplifier 34, which together form electronic circuit means that operate preferably at radio frequencies (RF) to transmit signals and collect data for an antenna 36. Details and examples Particular of these components are established in the four patents mentioned above and thus are not established in more detail. The operation of the tire terminal 27 is also discussed in detail in the above-mentioned four patents and is adapted to transmit engineering data collected by the detector 29 together with particular ID information relating to the tire, contained in the stored data 31 to a remote site through the electronic circuits of the micro circuit 33, amplifier 34 and antenna 36. As previously indicated, although the tire terminal 27 or its variations provide certain desired results, a reduced transmission distance requiring a battery has been disadvantageous. greater than desired so that the RF signals pass through the relatively thick side walls of a conventional heavy duty truck tire 22. The air damper and springs 12 is illustrated in detail in Figure 3, and is of a usual construction such that it includes a pair of spaced end members 37 and 38, which in the particular embodiment shown consist of an upper end plate 37. and a lower piston 38. A fluid pressure chamber 40 is formed within a flexible elastomeric sleeve 42 that will have spaced open ends, which are in sealed engagement with the end plate 37 and the piston 38 to form the chamber 40. The shock absorber of air and springs 12 is adapted to mount and support the beams 14 by a plurality of solid threaded mounting bolts 44, only those shown in Figure 3, and a threaded rod 45 having a through hole 46 formed therein. The rod 45 is adapted to be connected to a remote compressor by a fluid supply line (not shown) to control the amount of fluid in the chamber 40, depending on the load and displacement in the air damper and springs 12. A detector of height 48 is mounted on the lower surface 49 of the end plate 37 and detects the axial separation occurring between the end plate 37 and the piston 38, as the two end members move towards and away from each other, as that the vehicle experiences road disturbances and vehicle loading, a type of height detector 48 is an ultrasonic detector as illustrated in the US patent No. 4,798,369. However, there may be other types such as ultrasonic, infrared, etc., without affecting the concept and advantages that are achieved by the present invention. In air springs and prior art springs, the detector 48 provides a signal to a remote site, such as a vehicle compressor, usually through a physical wiring system, which then regulates the fluid pressure inside the chamber 40 through perforation of the rod 49. According to one of the features of the invention, a data storage and verification device indicated generally at 50, is mounted on the air damper and springs, preferably on the plate. end 37. The device 50 can be mounted on the inner surface 49 as illustrated in solid lines in Figure 3, or can be mounted on the outer surface 52 as illustrated by dashed lines in Figure 3. When mounted on the interior surface 49, the device 50 is less susceptible to damage caused by the arduous environment to which it will be exposed, if it is mounted on the outer surface 52. However, when mounted on the outer surface 52, the device 50 is easily changed and repaired since it does not require any disassembly of the elastomeric sleeve 42. It will also transmit the various signals as discussed further. then, without requiring the signal to pass through the machine 42, thereby providing an improved and more efficient signal with less energy than if it is mounted within the pressure chamber. However, any interior or exterior location of the chamber 40 has certain advantages and its exact location will depend on the particular pressure with which it will be used. The device 50 can be very similar to the terminal of the tire 27 shown in Figure 5 and discussed above, and preferably includes the same or similar components as the tire terminal 27, that is, a detector 29 for the various conditions of engineering that occurs within the air damper and springs such as load pressure, temperature, etc., and may also contain stored ID information 31 which relates to the air damper and springs particular per se. Also, it will contain an electronic circuits 33, 34 and the antenna 36, to transmit the stored data and the engineering energy conditions detected to a remote site by the battery 28. Thus, according to one of the characteristics of the invention , the air damper and spring 12 contains a data storage and verification device that allows the service history of a particular spring damper such as its load, under pressure, at temperature etc., to be followed by those applications where performance specifications of the air cushion and springs are critical. The device 50 may or may not be coupled with the height detector 48 and for certain applications, the use of the device 50 will only provide increased reliability and verification of the air spring and spring. To date, there is no known air damper and springs that are used primarily for vehicles including trucks, automobiles, etc., or for other applications that have memory and identification capability prior to development of the air damper and springs 12 described above. . Furthermore, according to the invention, the height detector 48 can be coupled with the storage and verification device 50, whereby the circuits and the energy source of the device 50 can be used to transmit the information collected by the height detector 48. alone or in combination with the data stored in the device 50, to a remote site, such as various types of interrogators, collectively indicated as 54, as illustrated in Figures 4 and 6. For other applications, the collected data will be transmitted to an interrogator located on the particular vehicle on which the air cushion and springs and tires are mounted, which is usually located in the vehicle cavity, to provide audio or visual indication to the driver of certain conditions that exist in the tire and / or air damper and springs, especially if certain critical limits are exceeded by any of them. Another important feature of this unique suspension structure is best illustrated in Figure 4. Figure 4 shows a typical structure of many heavy-duty trucks where a pair of tires is mounted on each end of the axle that is partially supported in the vehicle. by an air damper and springs 12. Many of these heavy-duty trucks will contain a tire terminal 27 within the tire to verify the engineering conditions that the tire undergoes., such as load, pressure and temperature, which to date have been transmitted by various devices and structures directly to a remote interrogator such as a gate interrogator 54C, which can be located in a loading terminal, government baling station, or other station that will read the information from the tire terminal 27 as the vehicle stops adjacent. Alternatively, the information from the tire terminal 27 will be fed to an interrogator 54B located within the vehicle cab. Likewise, a vehicle of the Department of Transportation (DOT) or equivalent, will obtain the information collected by an interrogator mounted on a vehicle or laptop as it travels next to a moving truck. According to the invention, the air damper and springs 12 which is located in close proximity to at least one of the tires 22, will now receive the signals transmitted from each tire terminal 27. The device 50 will collect the detected data that is transmitted by the tire terminal that will then be retransmitted by the device to an interrogator located at a remote site. Figure 6 shows diagrammatically how the air damper and springs and in particular the device 50 can transmit data to various remote interrogators such as the portable unit 54A, a cabin-mounted interrogator 54B and a stationary gate interrogator 54C, as an example, and how it receives the data from or transmits the data to the tire terminal 27. These interrogators are well known in the art and thus are not described in more detail. Therefore, the signal intensity of the tire terminals 27 is considerably reduced by the signal that has to pass through the relatively thick side walls 24 of the tire, thus limiting its transmission range and requiring an increase in size from the power source to transmit the signals to an interrogator located at a considerable distance. However, the signal generated by the data storage and verification device 50, whether located internally or externally to air damper and springs, have improved efficiency since even if it is located within the fluid pressure chamber of the air damper and springs, passes more easily through the thin side walls of the sleeve 42 without appreciable loss in transmission efficiency and with considerably reduced energy than that required to pass the signal through the thick side walls of the tires 22. In addition, the device 50 can be coupled with the height detector 48 and still provide additional information to a remote interrogator, which in addition to checking the characteristics and operating conditions of the air damper and springs per se, is also electronically coupled through the use of radio frequency (RF) signals to the individual tire terminals in each of the vehicle tires. Preferably, an air damper and springs is located adjacent to one of the tires of each pair of tires and will contain the data storage device / tester 50, and due to its immediate proximity to the pair of tires, will collect the tire data and will transmit the same ideally or in conjunction with the data of the air damper and springs detected at the remote site. Although the use of this air cushion and springs containing the data storage / verification device 50, will not be used for all vehicular applications, it will be used for those applications where the tracking and performance specifications of the air cushion are critical. and springs and / or tire. It is readily understood that other components and structures of components and circuits may be employed for the tire terminal 27 and device 50 shown in Figure 5 without affecting the concept of the invention. The use of the device 50 to transmit all collected data to a remote interrogator allows the tire terminal 27 to be of a smaller size, requiring a less powerful battery, since the transmission distance is relatively small, thus reducing its cost. Also, as indicated above, the device 50 is preferably mounted on the end plate 37, either inside the pressure chamber with exterior to them. If desired, the device 50 can be mounted on the piston 38, or a lower end plate without affecting the concept of the invention.

Accordingly, the improved method and apparatus is simplified, provides a safe and economical efficient device and method that achieves all the enumerated objectives, eliminates difficulties encountered with previous devices and methods and resolves problems and obtains new results in the technique, In the previous description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clarity and understanding; but no unnecessary limitations will be involved beyond the requirement of the prior art, because these terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be widely considered. Still further, the description and illustration of the invention is by way of example, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described. Having now described the features, discoveries and principles of the invention, the manner in which the improved apparatus and method are constructed and used, the construction characteristics and the new and useful advantageous results obtained, the structures of devices and elements, assemblies, new and useful parts and combinations and method steps are set forth in the appended claims.

Claims (21)

1. CLAIMS 1.- An air damper and springs, characterized in that it includes an end plate and a piston member located in an axially spaced relation in general, when in a rest position, the end plate and the piston member are they adapt to be mounted in spaced positions of an apparatus and mobiles towards and away from each other, when the apparatus encounters shocks to absorb them and to maintain the spaced portions of the apparatus in a predetermined spaced relation when in the rest position; a fluid pressure chamber formed between the end plate and the piston member by a flexible elastomeric sleeve having opposite open ends sealingly connected to the end plate and piston member; height sensing means mounted on one of the end plate and the piston member, for determining changes in the axial spacing of the end plate and piston member and for generating a control signal in response to the changes; and a verification device in fluid communication with the fluid pressure chamber including a battery, at least one detector for an engineering condition of the air damper and springs and electronic circuit means for transmitting the detected condition and the control signal from the means of detecting height to a remote site external to the air damper and springs.
2. 2. The air damper and springs according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the verification device and the height detection means includes components mounted on the end plate inside the pressure chamber.
3. 3. The air damper and springs according to claim 1, characterized in that the verification device is mounted on the end plate externally to the pressure chamber.
4. 4. The air damper and springs according to claim 1, characterized in that it also includes data storage means that contain data relating to the air damper and springs and coupled with the verification device, thereby saving the stored data they can be transmitted by the electronic circuit means to the remote location.
5. 5. The air damper and springs according to claim 1, characterized in that the control signal from the height sensing means generate operational history data of the air damper and springs that are stored by the electronic circuit means for Subsequent transmission by circuit means to the remote location.
6. 6. - Air damper and springs, characterized in that it includes an end plate and a piston member located in an axially spaced relationship in general, that when in a rest position, the end plate and the piston member are adapted for mounted in spaced positions of an apparatus and mobiles towards and away from each other, when the apparatus encounters shocks to absorb them and to keep the portions spaced at a predetermined spaced relation when in the rest position; a fluid pressure chamber which is formed between the end plate and the piston member by a flexible elastomeric sleeve having opposite open ends, sealingly connected with the end plate and piston member; and a verification device in fluid communication with the fluid pressure chamber including a battery, at least one detector for an engineering condition of the air damper and springs and electronic circuit means for transmitting the detected condition to a remote external site. air cushion and springs.
7. 7. The air damper and springs according to claim 6, characterized in that the verification device is mounted on the outer end plate to the pressure chamber.
8. 8. - The air damper and springs in accordance with claim 6, characterized in that the verification device is mounted on the end plate inside the pressure chamber.
9. 9. The air damper and springs according to claim 6, characterized in that it includes data storage means that contain data referring to the air damper and springs and coupled to the verification device, whereby the stored data can be transmitted through the electronic circuit means to the remote location.
10. 10. The air damper and springs according to claim 6, characterized in that it comprises height sensing means mounted on one of the end plate and the piston member, to determine changes in the axial spacing of the end plate and the piston member and to generate a control signal in response to the changes.
11. 11. A suspension structure for a vehicle that includes an axle, at least a pair of tires mounted on it, and an air cushion and springs that extends between spaced supports of the vehicle located in immediate proximity to at least one of the tires; a first verification device mounted within a pressurizable cavity of the tire, for detecting information regarding the tire; the air spring and springs have a pair of spaced end members and a pressure chamber formed between the members by a flexible elastomeric sleeve; and first means mounted on the air damper and springs to receive the information detected by the first verification device and to transmit the information to a remote site of and outside the tire and air damper and springs.
12. 12. The structure according to claim 11, characterized in that the first means of the air damper and springs include a second verification device in communication with the pressure chamber of the air damper and springs to detect information relating to the air damper. and springs; and the first means transmit the detected information of the air damper and springs to a remote site.
13. 13. The structure according to claim 12, characterized in that it includes first means for storing data mounted within the pressurizable cavity of the tire to contain data relating to the tire.
14. 14. The structure according to claim 12, characterized in that each of the first and second verification devices contains a battery, an antenna and a detector and an electronic circuit for transmitting the detected information.
15. 15. The structure according to claim 12, characterized in that the second verification device is mounted on one of the end members of the air damper and springs within the pressure chamber.
16. 16. Method for transmitting data collected from an air damper and springs to a remote site, characterized in that it includes the steps of: providing the air damper and springs with a first device that provide data collection relating to the air damper and springs and containing a first source of energy and electronic circuit first to transmit the collected data; securing the first device to an end plate of the air damper and springs; detect an engineering condition of the air damper and springs and activate the power source and electronic circuits and transmit the data from the air damper and springs to a remote site.
17. 17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that it includes the step of mounting the air spring and springs adjacent to a vehicle tire containing a second device that detects a tire engineering condition; transmitting the detected engineering condition of the tire to the first device within the air damper and springs; and re-transmitting the detected tire engineering condition to the remote location by the first device.
18. 18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that it includes the step of providing the second device in a second power source, an antenna and second electronic circuits to transmit the detected data to the first device.
19. 19. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that it includes the step of providing the air damper and springs with a height detector; attach the height detector with the first device; and transmitting height detector data to the first device.
20. 20. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that it includes the step of mounting the first device on an inner surface of the end plate of the air damper and springs within the pressure chamber.
21. 21. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that it includes the step of mounting the first device on an outer surface of the end plate of the air damper and springs. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An air cushion and springs has a pair of spaced end members and a fluid pressure chamber therebetween, formed by a flexible elastomeric sleeve. The air spring and shock absorber is adapted to be mounted on a vehicle suspension system in close proximity to one of the vehicle's tires. The air damper and springs and the tires of the vehicle each include a verification device for detecting an engineering condition of the air damper and springs and / or tire. The tire verification device transmits the detected engineering condition of the tire to the air damper and springs verification device that re-transmits the received tire data and the engineering connection data of the air damper and springs collected to a distant location with less energy and more efficient signal than possible if it is transmitted directly by the tire verification device due to the reduced wall thickness of a sleeve of the air damper and springs, in contrast to the thickness of the side wall of the tire. Both the air damper and springs and the tire may contain stored ID information concerning the air damper and particular springs and tires where they are confined, this information may also be transmitted by the air damper device and springs to a remote location. A height detector may be contained within the air damper and springs and coupled with the device for transmitting the air damper and springs to provide additional operational information to an interrogator at a remote site. KS / f rp / 3 l / 70NOA-rl