JP4142279B2 - Steering damper device for saddle-ride type vehicles - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a hydraulic steering damper device for a saddle-ride type vehicle such as a motorcycle that is used to suppress the steering of a steering wheel during traveling, and more particularly to an advantageous arrangement structure of a steering damper.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A hydraulic steering damper device that generates a damping force with respect to a steering wheel shake is known (for example, Japanese Patent No. 2593461). Also known are those that generate a damping force only when necessary, and in other cases make the damping force variable so that no extra damping force is generated. For example, control based on the steering angle and traveling speed (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-64888), and those controlled based on changes in the front wheel load (Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-74023).
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, if a relatively heavy hydraulic steering damper is supported on the top bridge, the steering inertia becomes large. However, it is preferable to make such a steering inertia as small as possible. In addition, since other parts such as a handle may be mounted on the top bridge, the degree of freedom of mounting the steering damper is likely to be limited, and the other parts disposed on and near the top bridge are likely to be obstructed. It is also desired to increase the degree of freedom of attachment and to prevent it from interfering with other parts. The present invention aims to realize such a demand.
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the invention of claim 1 relating to a saddle riding type vehicle steering damper device supports a steering system via a steering shaft on a head pipe disposed in front of the vehicle body frame, and the steering system and the vehicle body. In a saddle-ride type vehicle with a steering damper interposed between the frame and
The steering damper includes a pivot shaft that pivots in conjunction with the steering shaft, a pivot member that pivots integrally with the pivot shaft, and a compartment that is defined by the pivot member and communicates with each other by a throttle passage. A rotary type with two liquid chambers,
Fixed to the front of the head pipe ,
And the rotating shaft of the said rotating member is substantially orthogonal to the said steering shaft, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.
[0005]
In the invention the above claim 1 of claim 2, wherein the steering system, possess the top bridge located above the head pipe, and a bottom bridge located below the head pipe, scan tearing axis of these top bridge and a bottom bridge And the top bridge or the bottom bridge is connected to the steering damper via a link member.
[0006]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the steering damper, which is a relatively heavy object, is fixed to the head pipe, the steering inertia can be reduced, and a comfortable steering performance can be realized. In addition, by placing the steering damper in front of the head pipe with relatively few restrictions, rather than above the top bridge, which is relatively subject to restrictions, the degree of freedom of mounting the steering damper is increased, and on and near the top bridge. It does not interfere with other parts placed in the.
[0007]
According to the invention of claim 2, since the top bridge or the bottom bridge which is a movable part of the steering system and the steering damper are connected via the link, the turning of the steering system is transmitted from the link to the steering damper when turning, A damping force is generated in the steering damper. In this way, the steering damper and the steering system are connected via the link, thereby further increasing the degree of freedom in mounting the steering damper.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The first embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a motorcycle to which this embodiment is applied, FIG. 2 is a side view of the front structure of a vehicle body provided with a steering damper, FIG. 3 is a plan view of the same part, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a steering damper that is partially broken away from (in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2).
[0009]
In FIG. 1, an upper portion of a front fork 2 that supports a front wheel 1 at its lower end is connected to a front portion of a vehicle body frame 3 and is rotatable by a handle 4. A fuel tank 5 is supported on the vehicle body frame 3. Reference numeral 6 is a seat, 7 is a rear cowl, 8 is a rear swing arm, and 9 is a rear wheel.
[0010]
Next, the steering damper will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the steering damper 10 is disposed in front of the steering system components. The steering system component includes a top bridge 11 and a bottom bridge 12 and is integrated above and below a steering shaft 14 supported by a head pipe 13. Reference sign L in FIG. 2 is a steering axis, and is actually inclined with respect to the ground so as to form a predetermined steering angle.
[0011]
The head pipe 13 in the present embodiment is a cylindrical portion integrally formed in the vertical direction at the center of the front portion of the head portion 3a that is the front end portion of the body frame 3. However, the head pipe 13 may be a known pipe member that is formed in advance by a pipe member separate from the vehicle body frame and integrated with the front end of the vehicle body frame by welding or the like. The vehicle body frame 3 includes a main frame portion 3b that extends from the left and right of the head portion 3a in a pair from the left and right of the rear end portion (FIG. 3).
[0012]
The steering shaft 14 is rotatable with respect to the head pipe 13 by ball bearings 15 and 16 above and below the head pipe 13, a large diameter step portion 14 a at the lower end abuts the lower surface of the bottom bridge 12, and an upper end at the head pipe 13. The nut 17 is fastened to a screw portion 14b formed in the periphery so as to protrude upward, and the steering nut 18 is fastened to an upper end portion penetrating the top bridge 11 to be integrated.
[0013]
The top bridge 11 and the bottom bridge 12 support the upper portions of a pair of left and right front forks 2. The top bridge 11, the bottom bridge 12, and the steering shaft 14 rotate together with the left and right front forks 2 by the operation of the handle 4 (FIG. 1) attached to the top bridge 11.
[0014]
As shown in FIG. 3, a protrusion 20 projecting forward is integrally provided at the front center of the top bridge 11, and a pillow ball type ball joint 21 is provided at the tip thereof. An upper end 23 that penetrates the ball joint 21 in the vertical direction and forms a small diameter of the link arm 22 is fitted.
[0015]
The steering damper 10 is disposed in front of the head pipe 13 so as to straddle the vehicle body center C (FIG. 3), and a mounting portion 26 that projects from the left and right sides of the case 25, which is the main body, is attached to the front surface of the head pipe 13 with bolts 27. It is fixed by fastening (FIG. 2).
[0016]
As shown in FIG. 4, the case 25 is substantially fan-shaped, and a shaft 28 is provided in the thickness direction of the case 25 at the main part, and one end of the shaft 28 is directed to the front side of the case 25 (the front side in FIG. 4). It protrudes and is integrated with the lower end 24 which forms the large diameter of the link arm 22 here.
[0017]
As is apparent from FIG. 2, the link arm 22 is long in the vertical direction parallel to the steering shaft 14, and the shaft 28 is substantially orthogonal to the axial directions of the link arm 22 and the steering shaft 14. Therefore, when the top bridge 11 rotates integrally with the steering shaft 14, the protrusion 20 rotates about the axis of the steering shaft 14 in FIG. 3, whereby the link arm 22 shows the upper end 23 around the shaft 28. 4, the shaft 28 is rotated about its axis.
[0018]
The steering damper 10 of the present embodiment is a hydraulic attenuator for preventing kickback. As shown in FIG. 4, as shown in FIG. 4, the case 25 has a substantially fan-shaped liquid chamber 30 filled with hydraulic fluid in advance. Furthermore, the inside is divided into a right liquid chamber 32 and a left liquid chamber 33 by a partition wall 31. One end of the partition wall 31 is integrated with the shaft 28, and the inside of the liquid chamber 30 is swingable by the rotation of the shaft 28. The other end 31 a of the partition wall 31 moves while forming a slight gap along the arc-shaped wall 34 of the liquid chamber 30, and this gap forms a throttle passage 35 that communicates between the right liquid chamber 32 and the left liquid chamber 33.
[0019]
Therefore, when the partition wall 31 swings, the working fluid moves from one side of the right liquid chamber 32 and the left liquid chamber 33 to the other side through the gap 35, and at this time, a damping force is generated by being throttled by the gap 35. The damping force prevents the handle from kicking back.
[0020]
Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. Since the steering damper 10 is fixed to the front surface of the head pipe 13, the steering inertia can be reduced as compared with the case where the steering damper 10, which is a relatively heavy object, is fixed on the top bridge 11. realizable. In addition, by disposing the steering damper 10 not in front of the top bridge 11 that is relatively restricted but in front of the head pipe 13 with relatively little restriction, the degree of freedom in mounting the steering damper 10 is increased, and the top It does not interfere with other parts arranged on the bridge 11 and in the vicinity thereof.
[0021]
Further, a ball joint 21 and the steering damper 10 provided on the protrusion 2 0 of the top bridge 11 is a movable part of the steering system is connected via a re Nkuamu 22, rotation of the steering system during the turning Can be transmitted to the steering damper 10 via a link. Therefore, since the steering damper 10 and the steering system can be separated from each other via the link, the degree of freedom in mounting the steering damper 10 is further increased.
[0022]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and applications are possible within the same inventive principle. For example, the steering system connected to the steering damper 10 may be the bottom bridge 12 instead of the top bridge. Further, the steering damper 10 may be of a known variable type in which a variable control valve is provided in the communication path between the right fluid chamber 32 and the left fluid chamber 33 so that the damping force can be varied according to the magnitude of the input of the steering system. .
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a motorcycle to which the embodiment is applied. FIG. 2 is a side view of a front part of a vehicle body showing a steering damper device part. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the same part. Diagram showing structure 【Explanation of symbols】
1: Front wheel, 2: Front fork, 3: Body frame, 10: Steering damper, 11: Top bridge, 14: Steering shaft, 20: Projection, 21: Ball joint, 22: Link arm, 28: Shaft, 30: Liquid chamber, 31: partition wall, 32: right liquid chamber, 33: left liquid chamber, 35: throttle passage

Claims (3)

In a saddle-ride type vehicle in which a steering system is pivotally supported via a steering shaft on a head pipe disposed in front of the body frame, and a steering damper is interposed between the steering system and the body frame,
The steering damper includes a pivot shaft that pivots in conjunction with the steering shaft, a pivot member that pivots integrally with the pivot shaft, and a compartment that is defined by the pivot member and communicates with each other by a throttle passage. A rotary type with two liquid chambers,
Fixed to the front of the head pipe,
And the rotation axis of the rotation member is substantially orthogonal to the steering axis,
A steering damper device for a saddle-ride type vehicle. The steering system includes a top bridge located above the head pipe, with possess the bottom bridge located below the head pipe, connecting the top bridge and the bottom bridge to the scan tearing axis, the top bridge or the bottom bridge The steering damper device for a saddle-ride type vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the steering damper device is connected to the steering damper via a link member. The top bridge is provided with a protrusion protruding forward of the vehicle, and one end of the link member is connected to the protrusion via a ball joint,
The saddle riding type vehicle steering damper device according to claim 2, wherein the steering damper is attached to a front surface of the head pipe.

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