small gas struts

A gas spring is a type of spring that, similar to a typical mechanical spring that relies on elastic deformation, uses compressed gas contained within an enclosed cylinder sealed by a sliding piston to pneumaticallystore potential energy and withstand external force applied parallel to the direction of the piston shaft.

Common applications include automobiles (where they are incorporated into the design of struts that support the weight of the hatchback tailgate while they are open) and office chairs. They are also used in furniture, medical and aerospace applications. Much larger gas springs are found in machines that are used in industrial manufacturing (the press tooling industry), where the forces they are required to exert often range from 2500N to 400,000N (forty tonnes).