JP2023151067A - Rear suspension structure of motor cycle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a rear suspension structure of a motor cycle that contributes to downsizing of the motor cycle.SOLUTION: A rear suspension structure 4 of a motor cycle 1 includes: a swing arm 6 that is connected to a vehicle body frame 2 in a front end swingably via a pivot 5a, is suspended to the vehicle body frame 2 via a rear cushion 7, and supports a rear wheel 3 in a rear end; a link member 8 that is connected to the vehicle body frame 2 and is connected to a lower end of the rear cushion 7; and a vehicle height adjustment device 9 provided between the swing arm 6 and the link member 8. The vehicle height adjustment device 9 includes: a body part 91 that extends and contracts in a front and rear direction to adjust the vehicle height; and a free piston part 92 that is provided in an upper part in the body part 91 and acts on the body part 91 to enable the body part 91 to extend and contract.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a rear suspension structure for a motorcycle.

Conventionally, a rear suspension structure for a motorcycle includes a swing arm that supports a rear wheel, a rear cushion that suspends the swing arm via a link member, and a vehicle height adjustment device provided between the swing arm and the link member. is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). The vehicle height adjustment device includes, for example, a main body part that adjusts the vehicle height by expanding and contracting, and a free piston part that is provided in front of the main body part and expands and contracts the main body part by acting on the main body part.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-018476

However, in conventional rear suspension structures, the free piston part of the vehicle height adjustment device is provided in front of the main body, which increases the length of the vehicle height adjustment device in the front and rear direction, which hinders miniaturization of motorcycles. Was.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a rear suspension structure for a motorcycle that contributes to downsizing of motorcycles.

(1) The rear suspension structure (e.g., rear suspension structure 4, described below) of the motorcycle according to the present invention (e.g., motorcycle 1, described later) swings against the vehicle body frame (e.g., vehicle body frame 2, described later) at the front end. It is swingably connected via a shaft (e.g., a pivot 5a described later), is suspended from the vehicle body frame via a rear cushion (e.g., a rear cushion 7 described later), and is connected to a rear wheel (e.g., A swing arm (e.g., swing arm 6, which will be described later) that supports a rear wheel 3 (described later), and a link member (e.g., a link member 8, which will be described later) that is connected to the vehicle body frame and the lower end of the rear cushion. ), and a vehicle height adjustment device (for example, a vehicle height adjustment device 9 described later) provided between the swing arm and the link member, and the vehicle height adjustment device adjusts the vehicle height by expanding and contracting in the front and rear direction. A main body part (for example, a main body part 91 described later) that adjusts the height, and a free piston part (for example, a free piston part that is provided above the main body part and makes the main body expandable and retractable by acting on the main body part) (for example, a main body part 91 described later). A free piston portion 92).

According to the rear suspension structure for a motorcycle according to the invention (1), the free piston portion of the vehicle height adjustment device is provided above the main body portion. As a result, the length of the vehicle height adjustment device in the longitudinal direction can be made shorter than in the past, so the length of the motorcycle in the longitudinal direction can be shortened, and the motorcycle can be made smaller. Furthermore, according to the rear suspension structure for a motorcycle according to the invention (1), it is possible to downsize the motorcycle, thereby improving the maneuverability of the motorcycle.

(2) In the rear suspension structure for a motorcycle according to the invention of (1), the free piston portion may be provided at a position overlapping the link member in a side view.

According to the rear suspension structure for a motorcycle according to the invention (2), the free piston portion of the vehicle height adjustment device is arranged at a position overlapping the link member when viewed from the side. This allows the rear suspension structure to be made smaller, thereby making it possible to make the motorcycle smaller. Furthermore, the rear suspension structure for a motorcycle according to the invention (2) can contribute to effective use of space and improve the layout of the motorcycle.

(3) In the rear suspension structure for a motorcycle according to the invention of (2), the link member may have a shape capable of accommodating the free piston portion therein.

According to the rear suspension structure for a motorcycle according to the invention (3), the link member has a shape capable of accommodating the free piston portion therein. Thereby, the free piston portion of the vehicle height adjustment device is not exposed to the outside, so that the appearance of the motorcycle can be improved.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a rear suspension structure for a motorcycle that contributes to downsizing of motorcycles.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a rear suspension structure of a motorcycle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the structure around the vehicle height adjustment device. 3 is a sectional view taken in the direction of arrow III-III in FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the structure of the vehicle height adjustment device.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

First, a rear suspension structure 4 for a motorcycle 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described using FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. 1 is a side view showing the rear suspension structure 4 of the motorcycle 1, and more specifically, it is a view of the rear suspension structure 4 of the motorcycle 1 viewed from the left side. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the periphery of the vehicle height adjustment device 9, and more specifically, a view of the periphery of the vehicle height adjustment device 9 viewed from the left side. 3 is a sectional view taken in the direction of arrow III-III in FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the structure of the vehicle height adjustment device 9. As shown in FIG. Note that FIG. 3 shows only the vehicle height adjustment device 9 for convenience, and FIG. 4 corresponds to a sectional view taken in the direction of arrow IV-IV in FIG. 3.

The motorcycle 1 of this embodiment is an off-road type motorcycle. As shown in FIG. 1, the motorcycle 1 includes a body frame 2, a rear suspension structure 4 that suspends a rear wheel 3, and the like.

The vehicle body frame 2 is formed by joining together multiple types of steel materials by welding or the like. The vehicle body frame 2 includes a pair of left and right pivot frames 5, a cross member (not shown), and the like. A pair of left and right pivot frames 5 are arranged at rear end portions of the vehicle body frame 2. A cross member (not shown) connects the upper portions of the pair of left and right pivot frames 5.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rear suspension structure 4 includes a pair of left and right swing arms 6, a rear cushion 7, a link member 8, and a vehicle height adjustment device 9.

The pair of left and right swing arms 6 are swingably connected to the pair of left and right pivot frames 5 in the vehicle body frame 2 via pivots (swing shafts) 5a at their respective front ends. The pair of left and right swing arms 6 are provided to extend in the front-rear direction of the motorcycle 1 and are suspended from the vehicle body frame 2 via a rear cushion 7. Further, the pair of left and right swing arms 6 support the rear wheel 3 at their rear ends.

The rear cushion 7 is connected to a cross member (not shown) in the vehicle body frame 2 at a position above the pivot 5a, and its lower end is swingably connected to a link member 8 via a swing shaft 8b. Ru.

The link member 8 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is provided at a position forward and below the swing arm 6. As shown in FIGS. This link member 8 interconnects the pivot frame 5, rear cushion 7, and vehicle height adjustment device 9 in the vehicle body frame 2. Specifically, the link member 8 is swingably connected to the pivot frame 5 of the vehicle body frame 2 via a swing shaft 8a, and is swingably connected to the lower end of the rear cushion 7 via a swing shaft 8b. Connected. This link member 8 is indirectly connected to the swing arm 6 by being swingably connected to the vehicle height adjustment device 9 via a swing shaft 8c.

Further, in the link member 8, two link plates 81 and 82 having a substantially triangular shape when viewed from the side are connected by swing shafts 8a, 8b, and 8c located at the apexes of the substantially triangular shape. The link member 8 and a free piston portion 92 of a vehicle height adjustment device 9, which will be described later, are arranged at positions overlapping each other when viewed from the side. The link member 8 has a shape that can accommodate the free piston portion 92 therein, and accommodates the free piston portion 92 between the two link plates 81 and 82. Specifically, the two link plates 81 and 82 both have a shape that bulges outward, and the free piston portion 92 is disposed in the bulge.

The vehicle height adjustment device 9 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a device for adjusting the vehicle height of the motorcycle 1, and is provided between the swing arm 6 and the link member 8. This vehicle height adjustment device 9 is swingably connected to the link member 8 via a swing shaft 8c, and is swingably connected to a pair of left and right swing arms 6 via a swing shaft 6a. .

Specifically, the vehicle height adjustment device 9 includes a main body portion 91 and a free piston portion 92. The main body portion 91 adjusts the vehicle height by expanding and contracting in the front-rear direction. The free piston portion 92 is provided above the front side of the main body portion 91 and expands and contracts the main body portion 91 by acting on the main body portion 91 . The vehicle height adjustment device 9 swings the swing arm 6 upward by extending the main body portion 91 in the front-rear direction, thereby lowering the vehicle height. In addition, the vehicle height adjustment device 9 causes the swing arm 6 to swing downward as the main body portion 91 contracts in the front-rear direction, thereby increasing the vehicle height.

As shown in FIG. 4, the main body portion 91 includes a cylinder 93, a piston 94, a piston rod 95, a coil spring 96, and hydraulic oil 97.

The cylinder 93 is swingably connected to the link member 8 via the swing shaft 8c at its front end. This cylinder 93 is partitioned by a piston 94 into a coil spring chamber 93a and an oil chamber 93b. A piston rod 95 is arranged in the coil spring chamber 93a, and a coil spring 96 is arranged around the piston rod 95. The oil chamber 93b communicates with the inside of the free piston portion 92 and is filled with hydraulic oil 97.

The piston 94 moves rearward due to the restoring force of the coil spring 96, thereby moving the piston rod 95 rearward, thereby causing the main body 91 to extend in the front-rear direction. At this time, hydraulic oil 97 flows into the oil chamber 93b from the inside of the free piston portion 92, which will be described later. Further, the piston 94 is contracted and moved forward so that a restoring force is generated in the coil spring 96, thereby moving the piston rod 95 forward, thereby causing the main body portion 91 to contract in the front-rear direction. At this time, the hydraulic oil 97 flows out from the oil chamber 93b into the free piston portion 92.

The piston rod 95 is swingably connected to the swing arm 6 via the swing shaft 6a at its rear end. This piston rod 95 is fixed to the cylinder 93 at its front end, and moves back and forth together with the cylinder 93.

The coil spring 96 is provided so as to be locked by, for example, a locking mechanism (not shown) in a state where a biasing force is applied in a direction in which the piston 94 and the piston rod 95 move rearward and the main body portion 91 extends forward and backward. When the locking mechanism is released, the coil spring 96 moves the piston 94 and the piston rod 95 rearward by its restoring force.

The hydraulic oil 97 fills the oil chamber 93b in the cylinder 93 and the free piston portion 92. This hydraulic oil 97 flows into the oil chamber 93b in the cylinder 93 from the inside of the free piston section 92, and also flows out into the inside of the free piston section 92 from the oil chamber 93b in the cylinder 93.

The free piston portion 92 communicates with an oil chamber 93b in the cylinder 93, allowing hydraulic oil 97 to flow in and out. A piston 92b is slidably disposed inside the free piston portion 92. An opening 92a is provided above the free piston portion 92, allowing air to flow in and out. Thereby, the free piston portion 92 can adjust the internal volume according to the inflow and outflow of oil by the piston 92b in a free state, and functions as a relief portion for the hydraulic oil 97.

In addition, the vehicle height adjustment device 9 of this embodiment can operate the locking mechanism of the piston 94, for example, by a wire (not shown) that is linked to an operation part (not shown) provided on a handle (not shown). configuration can be adopted. This allows the vehicle height to be adjusted by the driver's operation on the operating section.

According to the rear suspension structure 4 of the motorcycle 1 according to the present embodiment having the above configuration, the following effects are achieved.

According to the rear suspension structure 4 of the motorcycle 1 according to the present embodiment, the free piston portion 92 of the vehicle height adjustment device 9 is provided above the main body portion 91. As a result, the length of the vehicle height adjustment device 9 in the front-rear direction can be made shorter than before, so the length of the motorcycle 1 in the front-rear direction can be shortened, and the motorcycle 1 can be made smaller. Furthermore, according to the rear suspension structure 4 of the motorcycle 1 according to the present embodiment, the motorcycle 1 can be downsized, so that the maneuverability of the motorcycle 1 can be improved.

Further, according to the rear suspension structure 4 of the motorcycle 1 according to the present embodiment, the free piston portion 92 of the vehicle height adjustment device 9 is arranged at a position overlapping the link member 8 in a side view. Thereby, the rear suspension structure 4 can be made smaller, so the motorcycle 1 can be made smaller. Further, the rear suspension structure 4 of the motorcycle 1 according to the present embodiment can contribute to effective use of space and improve the layout of the motorcycle 1.

Further, according to the rear suspension structure 4 of the motorcycle 1 according to the present embodiment, the link member 8 has a shape that can accommodate the free piston portion 92 therein. Thereby, the free piston portion 92 of the vehicle height adjustment device 9 is not exposed to the outside, so that the appearance of the motorcycle 1 can be improved.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the present invention includes modifications, improvements, etc. within a range that can achieve the purpose of the present invention.

1 Motorcycle 2 Body frame 3 Rear wheel 4 Rear suspension structure 5 Pivot frame 5a Pivot (swing axis)
6 Swing arm 6a Swing shaft 7 Rear cushion 8 Link member 81, 82 Link plate 8a, 8b, 8c Swing shaft 9 Vehicle height adjustment device 91 Main body 92 Free piston section 92a Opening 92b Piston 93 Cylinder 93a Coil spring chamber 93b Oil chamber 94 Piston 95 Piston rod 96 Coil spring 97 Hydraulic oil

Claims (3)

The front end is swingably connected to the vehicle body frame (2) via a swing shaft (5a), suspended from the vehicle body frame (2) via a rear cushion (7), and the rear wheel ( 3) a swing arm (6) that supports the
a link member (8) connected to the vehicle body frame (2) and connected to the lower end of the rear cushion (7);
A vehicle height adjustment device (9) provided between the swing arm (6) and the link member (8),
The vehicle height adjustment device (9) includes:
a main body part (91) that adjusts the vehicle height by expanding and contracting in the front-rear direction;
A motorcycle (1) comprising: a free piston portion (92) provided above the main body portion (91) and capable of expanding and contracting the main body portion (91) by acting on the main body portion (91). rear suspension structure (4). The rear suspension structure (4) for a motorcycle (1) according to claim 1, wherein the free piston portion (92) is arranged at a position overlapping the link member (8) in a side view. The rear suspension structure (4) for a motorcycle (1) according to claim 2, wherein the link member (8) has a shape capable of accommodating the free piston portion (92) therein.

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