JP5208065B2 - Front fork - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a front fork, and more particularly to an improvement in a front fork as a hydraulic shock absorber that is mounted on a front wheel side of a two-wheeled vehicle and absorbs road surface vibrations input to the front wheel while suspending the front wheel of the two-wheeled vehicle at a lower end.

  There have been various proposals for a front fork that is a hydraulic shock absorber that is mounted on the front wheel side of a two-wheeled vehicle and absorbs road surface vibrations input to the front wheel while suspending the front wheel of the two-wheeled vehicle at the lower end.

  Among them, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a proposal of a front fork that adjusts the spring force of an internally mounted suspension spring and can adjust the height of the motorcycle in a reaction force based on the spring force. Has been.

  That is, this Patent Document 1 discloses that the spring force of each suspension spring in the front fork mounted on the front wheel side of the two-wheeled vehicle and the rear cushion unit mounted on the rear wheel side of the two-wheeled vehicle is single. It is assumed that the height of a two-wheeled vehicle can be adjusted by adjusting the operation of the pressure part as a pressure source.

  Therefore, in the proposal disclosed in Patent Document 1, the spring force of each suspension spring in the front fork and the rear cushion unit can be adjusted by a so-called single operation, and the vehicle height in the two-wheeled vehicle can be adjusted. .

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-8934 (see Claims, Fig. 2)

  However, the proposal disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above is not basically problematic in that the spring force of each suspension spring in the front fork and the rear cushion unit can be adjusted by a single operation. However, there is a possibility that it is pointed out that there is a slight defect, considering the actual use.

  That is, in the above proposal, since the pressure part as a pressure source is single, the pressure of this pressure part is the spring load on the suspension spring of the front fork and the spring load on the suspension spring of the rear cushion unit. Get balanced.

  Therefore, when the load on the two-wheeled vehicle is different, that is, for example, when the sprung load is increased on the rear wheel side than on the front wheel side, the result of adjusting the spring force of each suspension spring with the above-mentioned pressure portion, for example, There is a problem that the front wheel side where the front fork is mounted has a higher vehicle height than the rear wheel side.

  As a result, in a two-wheeled vehicle, when the load on the rear wheel side is increased, the vehicle height on the front wheel side becomes high, and a squat phenomenon is likely to occur when the two-wheeled vehicle starts, resulting in a problem of poor ride comfort. .

  The present invention has been made in view of such a current situation, and the object of the present invention is to adjust the rear cushion or the other of the pair when the spring force of the suspension spring provided in the fork body is adjusted. It is to provide a front fork that can be adjusted to a spring force independent of a suspension spring in a front fork to improve riding comfort in a two-wheeled vehicle and is expected to improve its versatility.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the problem solving means of the present invention includes a fork main body comprising a vehicle body side tube and a wheel side tube, a suspension spring provided in the fork main body, and a jack mechanism provided in the fork main body. A cap member for closing the upper end opening of the vehicle body side tube, a through hole formed in the cap member and communicating with the jack mechanism, and disposed outside the fork main body and communicating with the through hole via a dedicated passage. A front fork that adjusts the spring force of the suspension spring by raising and lowering the upper end position of the suspension spring by operating the dedicated fluid pressure supply / exhaust source to extend and retract the jack mechanism. The dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source is defined by the housing, the piston slidably inserted in the housing, and the piston in the housing. The dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source is incorporated in a drive mechanism that is disposed outside the fork main body and allows other dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge sources to be incorporated. One main drive shaft and a pair of slave drive shafts driven in conjunction with the main drive shaft, and the slave drive shaft slides the piston in the dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source within the housing. It is characterized by being moved.

  Therefore, in the present invention, an internal jack mechanism is arranged on the fork main body constituting a single front fork, and is also arranged outside the fork main body through a single dedicated passage disposed outside the fork main body. Therefore, only the spring force of the suspension spring in the single front fork can be adjusted by the operation of the dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source.

1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a front fork partially broken according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a piston portion as a damping portion in a damper built in the front fork of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing an upper end portion of a vehicle body side tube in the front fork of FIG. 1. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the state in which the exclusive fluid pressure supply / discharge source was incorporated in the drive mechanism. It is a figure which shows the drive mechanism by other embodiment similarly to FIG. It is a figure which shows the upper end part of the vehicle body side tube in the front fork by other Embodiment of this invention similarly to FIG. It is a partial front view which shows the state with which a pair of front fork was connected by the bridge mechanism. It is a top view which shows the under bracket which comprises the bridge mechanism of FIG. It is a figure which shows the upper end part of the vehicle body side tube in the front fork by other embodiment similarly to FIG. It is a figure which shows the piston part which is a damping part by other embodiment similarly to FIG.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on the illustrated embodiment. A front fork according to the present invention is mounted on a front wheel side of a two-wheeled vehicle and is input to the front wheel while suspending the front wheel of the two-wheeled vehicle at a lower end portion. It functions as a hydraulic shock absorber that absorbs road vibration.

  In this front fork, as shown in FIG. 1, the upper end position of the suspension spring S in the interior of the fork body composed of the vehicle body side tube 1 and the wheel side tube 2 is set to the jack mechanism ( The spring force of the suspension spring S can be adjusted by moving it up and down by driving (not shown).

  In this front fork, as shown in the figure, the fork main body is set upside down with the vehicle body side tube 1 as an outer tube and the wheel side tube 2 as an inner tube.

  However, in the embodiment of the present invention, although not shown, the fork main body may be set upright with the vehicle body side tube 1 as the inner tube and the wheel side tube 2 as the outer tube. good.

  The front fork shown in FIG. 1 will be described briefly. In the front fork, a fork body including a vehicle body side tube 1 and a wheel side tube 2 includes a suspension spring S, a jack mechanism, and a damper (not shown). It becomes.

  In this front fork, the suspension spring S is supported on the cylinder body 3 side of a damper, which will be described later, and the upper end is locked to a jack mechanism via a cylindrical spacer S1. The fork main body is urged in the extending direction in the direction in which the wheel side tube 2 protrudes from the side tube 1.

  Specifically, the lower end of the suspension spring S is supported on the upper end of the oil lock case 5 provided continuously with the upper end of the cylinder body 3, and the upper end of the spacer S1 that locks the upper end of the suspension spring S constitutes a jack mechanism. The piston member 12 is locked to the lower end.

  As will be described later, the piston member 12 constituting the jack mechanism is interposed on the lower end side portion of the cap member 11 that closes the upper end opening of the vehicle body side tube 1 so as to be slidable.

  The oil lock case 41 is opposed to an oil lock piece 41 held by the rod body 4 of the damper. The oil lock piece 41 is fitted into the oil lock case 5 when the fork body is fully contracted. In addition to exerting a cushioning effect, an oil lock phenomenon is manifested.

  On the other hand, in this front fork, the damper is a cylinder body 3 as a lower end side member standing in the wheel side tube 2 and an upper end side member suspended in the vehicle body side tube 1 as shown in the figure. And a rod body 4 which is inserted into the cylinder body 3 so that the tip end portion can be projected and retracted.

  Although not shown, the lower end portion of the cylinder body 3 is coupled to a bottom member 21 that closes the lower end opening of the wheel side tube 2, and the upper end portion of the rod body 4 is a cap member 11 that closes the upper end opening of the vehicle body side tube 1. Therefore, the damper is integrally connected to the fork main body and is expanded and contracted in synchronization with the expansion and contraction operation of the fork main body.

  Therefore, in the front fork according to the present invention, the axial direction as the expansion / contraction direction of the damper coincides with the axial direction as the expansion / contraction direction of the fork main body, and therefore, it is easy to ensure the smooth expansion / contraction operation of the damper with respect to the fork main body that expands and contracts. Become.

  In addition, the damper has a piston portion P that is slidably received in the cylinder body 3 while being held at the tip of the rod body 4, and the piston portion P is as shown in FIG. The piston body is slidably received in the cylinder body 3 while being held by the tip member 43 constituting the tip portion of the rod body 4, and defines an upper chamber R1 and a lower chamber R2 in the cylinder body 3. 6.

  In the piston portion P, the piston body 6 has an extension side port 6a and a compression side port 6b, and an extension side damping valve 6c for closing the downstream end of the extension side port 6a so as to be openable, and a compression side And a pressure-side damping valve 6d that closes the downstream end of the port 6b so as to be openable.

  By the way, the damping valves 6c and 6d on each side are made of annular leaf valves, are arranged in a manner that the outer peripheral end is fixed with the inner peripheral end fixed, and the hydraulic oil passes through the gap appearing there as the outer peripheral end bends. As a result, a predetermined damping action is realized.

  On the other hand, in the above damper, although not shown, the base valve portion is provided in the lower end portion of the cylinder body 3 and the outside of the cylinder body 3 is a reservoir chamber R (see FIG. 1). The lower chamber R2 in the cylinder body 3 can communicate with the chamber R through the base valve portion.

  At this time, the base valve portion also has a pressure-side damping valve that allows the hydraulic oil in the lower chamber R2 in the cylinder body 3 to flow out toward the reservoir chamber R, and is parallel to the pressure-side damping valve, although not shown in the figure. Thus, a check valve that allows the hydraulic oil from the reservoir chamber R to flow into the lower chamber R2 in the cylinder body 3 is provided.

  Therefore, in the damper described above, the hydraulic oil in the lower chamber R2 in the cylinder body 3 is transferred to the piston portion P during the contraction operation in which the piston portion P descends in the cylinder body 3 in synchronization with the contraction operation of the fork main body. Flows into the upper chamber R1 through the pressure side damping valve 6d.

  At this time, an amount of hydraulic oil corresponding to the rod intrusion integral surplus in the lower chamber R2 flows out into the reservoir chamber R via the pressure side damping valve in the base valve portion, and a predetermined pressure side damping action is realized. .

  In the damper, the hydraulic oil in the upper chamber R1 in the cylinder body 3 is transferred to the piston portion P during the extension operation in which the piston portion P rises in the cylinder body 3 in synchronization with the extension operation of the fork main body. It flows out to the lower chamber R2 through the expansion side damping valve 6c.

  At this time, an amount of hydraulic oil corresponding to the rod withdrawal volume deficient in the lower chamber R2 is replenished from the reservoir chamber R via the check valve in the base valve portion, thereby realizing a predetermined extension side damping action.

  Incidentally, when the rod body 4 described above is formed of a pipe body having a through hole 4a in the shaft core portion as shown by a virtual diagram in the drawing, the weight of the rod body 4 can be reduced, This is advantageous in that the section modulus can be increased and the bending strength can be increased.

  Further, even if the tip member 43 is provided with a passage 43a made of a through hole as shown by a virtual diagram in the drawing, the passage 43a is set as a bypass passage in the piston portion P. obtain.

  A control valve (not shown) that allows the upper chamber R1 and the lower chamber R2 to communicate with each other by using this bypass passage, and controls the flow rate of hydraulic oil passing through the bypass passage in the bypass passage. 2), it is possible to control the level of damping action by the damping valves 6c and 6d on each side.

  At this time, as described above, when the rod body 4 has the through hole 4a of the shaft core portion, a control rod (not shown) connected to the control valve (not shown) in the through hole 4a. Can be stowed.

  The control rod can be driven by an actuator housed in a cap member 11 that closes the upper end opening of the vehicle body side tube 1.

  In the present invention, as described above, the spring force in the suspension spring S provided in the fork main body can be adjusted by the jack mechanism. The jack mechanism will be described below a little.

  First, as shown in FIG. 3, the jack mechanism is slidably connected to a lower end side portion 11 a of a cap member 11 that closes an upper end opening of the vehicle body side tube 1 and a lower end side portion 11 a of the cap member 11. It has a piston member 12 that defines a pressure chamber R3 that expands and contracts with the lower end side portion 11a.

  In the jack mechanism, the pressure chamber R3 is supplied and discharged from the pressure chamber R3 from a dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source 100 (see FIG. 1) which is a single unit disposed outside the fork main body. The piston member 12 is expanded and contracted to move up and down with respect to the cap member 11, and the upper end position of the suspension spring S is moved up and down.

  Therefore, the cap member 11 has a through hole 11b in the shaft core portion, and the through hole 11b communicates with the pressure chamber R3 in the jack mechanism and the dedicated passage L described above via the dedicated passage L disposed outside the fork main body. The fluid pressure supply / discharge source 100 is communicated.

  On the other hand, the cap member 11 has a lower end shaft portion 11c that protrudes downward from the lower end side portion 11a. In the illustrated case, the above-described rod is provided at the shaft core portion of the lower end shaft portion 11c. The upper end portion of the body 4 is screwed under the presence of the lock nut 42.

  Also from this, as described above, in the damper, the upper end portion of the rod body 4 is screwed to the cap member 11 that closes the upper end opening of the vehicle body side tube 1, so that the cylinder body 3 is connected to the wheel side tube. In addition to being coupled to 2, the fork body is integrally coupled.

  Thus, the axial direction as the expansion / contraction direction of the damper coincides with the axial direction as the expansion / contraction direction of the fork main body, and therefore, it is easy to ensure a smooth expansion / contraction operation of the damper with respect to the expanding / contracting four body.

  Incidentally, a seal 11d is interposed on the outer periphery of the main body portion in the cap member 11 to ensure liquid tightness with the vehicle body side tube 1.

  Meanwhile, the piston member 12 that defines the pressure chamber R3 between the lower end side portion 11a of the cap member 11 has an upper cylindrical portion 12a that is in sliding contact with the outer periphery of the lower end side portion 11a of the cap member 11, and an upper cylindrical portion. The lower part 12b which connects 12a to an upper end is comprised.

  In the piston member 12, the lower portion 12 b protrudes downward from the lower end side portion 11 a of the cap member 11, and the lower end shaft portion for screwing the upper end portion of the rod body 4 to the shaft core portion. In this state, the upper end of the spacer S1 formed in a cylindrical shape is locked via the spring sheet S2 in this state.

  Incidentally, a seal 11e is interposed on the outer periphery of the lower end side portion 11a of the cap member 11 to ensure liquid tightness with the upper cylindrical portion 12a of the piston member 12, and the lower portion of the piston member 12 A seal 12c is interposed on the inner periphery of 12b to ensure liquid-tightness between the cap member 11 and the lower end shaft portion 11c.

  Therefore, in the jack mechanism formed as described above, when the outer diameter of the piston member 12 is set smaller than the inner diameter of the wheel side tube 2 formed of the inner tube, Since it does not interfere with the wheel side tube 2 entering the tube 1, there is no need to worry that the drive of the jack mechanism is hindered.

  In the jack mechanism, the outer diameter of the upper cylindrical portion 12a of the piston member 12 is made smaller than the inner diameter of the wheel side tube 2, while the lower end side of the cap member 11 that closes the upper end opening of the vehicle body side tube 1 is used. It is slidably contacted with the outer periphery of the part 11a.

  Therefore, in this jack mechanism, the pressure chamber R3 defined between the cap member 11 and the piston member 12 is, for example, compared with the case of the proposal disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above, for example, When the inner diameter of the wheel side tube 2 is made the same, the pressure receiving area in the pressure chamber R3 can be increased, and the operation efficiency with respect to the supply pressure can be improved.

  In addition, the jack mechanism is configured by a cap member 11 that closes the upper end opening of the vehicle body side tube 1 and a piston member 12 that is connected to the cap member, as compared with the proposal disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced, and a slight modification to the existing cap member 11 is sufficient, so that no unreasonable cost increase is not caused.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the dedicated fluid pressure supply / exhaust source 100 communicates with the shaft core portion of the cap member 11 via a dedicated passage L that is a single hole in the through hole 11b. Therefore, the operation of the dedicated fluid pressure supply / exhaust source 100 allows the above-described jack mechanism built in the fork main body of the front fork that is independent to be extended and retracted.

  To explain a little, the dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source 100 is illustrated as having a housing 101 formed in a headed cylinder shape having a fluid chamber R4 communicating with a single dedicated passage L disposed outside the fork main body. And a piston 102 slidably housed in the housing 101 and defining the fluid chamber R4.

  In the dedicated fluid pressure supply / exhaust source 100, when the piston 102 advances by an external force input from outside and enters the housing 101 as indicated by an arrow in the drawing, the fluid chamber R4 Fluid flows out to the jack mechanism.

  Further, in the dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source 100, when the above external force is eliminated, the piston 102 comes out of the housing 101 by the pressure action in the jack mechanism and is supplied to the jack mechanism. The fluid is returned to flow into the fluid chamber R4.

  At this time, the fluid used for the dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source 100 may be, for example, hydraulic oil stored in the fork main body, but in order to reduce the amount of hydraulic oil used in the fork main body. May use different oil, or use water instead of oil, and may also use gas, especially when using gas as fluid, the air spring effect by the expansion and contraction drive of the jack mechanism Can be expected.

  Therefore, in the dedicated fluid pressure supply / exhaust source 100 described above, only the spring force of the suspension spring S in the single front fork is adjusted. Compared with the case where the spring force of each suspension spring in the two hydraulic shock absorbers, that is, the front fork and the rear cushion unit is adjusted at the same time, the predetermined spring force adjustment in the suspension spring S is as set. The ride comfort in a motorcycle is not impaired.

  By the way, regarding the operation of the dedicated fluid pressure supply / exhaust source 100 described above, in the present invention, by using the drive mechanism 200 shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. Each spring force in the suspension spring S can be adjusted simultaneously.

  In other words, in a two-wheeled vehicle, the front fork that suspends the front wheel is often a pair of left and right, and as long as that is the case, the spring force of the suspension spring S on the front fork is adjusted. If it is not simultaneous, it will be irrational.

  On the other hand, in the proposal disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above, the spring force of the suspension springs in the two hydraulic shock absorbers can be adjusted by a pressure portion serving as one pressure source. Therefore, it can be said that the spring force of the suspension spring in the pair of front forks on the left and right can be adjusted.

  However, as described above, the proposal disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a structure in which one pressure portion is connected to two front forks, so that the front fork is transported or mounted on a motorcycle. Sometimes the two front forks are in a connected state and are transported or mounted on a two-wheeled vehicle, which is inconvenient and has a problem that the work is not quick.

  Therefore, in the present invention, a single dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source 100 is connected to each front fork, and by operating each dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source 100, the spring force of each suspension spring S is controlled. Make adjustments feasible.

  Basically, since the front forks mounted on the two-wheeled vehicle are a pair of left and right, according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. The exhaust source 100 is operated simultaneously by using the drive mechanism 200.

  Against the background as described above, this drive mechanism 200 has a dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source 100 connected to the casing 201 and a single unit held by the casing 201 as shown in FIGS. One main drive shaft 202 and a pair of slave drive shafts 203, 203 that are driven by the drive of the main drive shaft 202 while being held in the casing 201, and the slave drive shafts 203, 203 are The piston 102 in each dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source 100 is slid in the housing 101.

  Explaining briefly, in the drive mechanism 200 shown in FIG. 4, the main drive shaft 202 is screwed into the casing 201, and advances and retreats with respect to the casing 201 when rotating.

  The main drive shaft 202 is connected to a rear end portion serving as a rotational force input end portion of a substrate 204 that is non-rotatably accommodated in the casing 201, and the main drive shaft 202 is rotated with respect to the casing 201. The substrate 204 is made to appear and disappear with respect to the casing 201 at the time of appearance.

  On the other hand, each of the driven shafts 203, 203 is formed in a rod-like body and is configured to advance and retreat with respect to the casing 201, and the tip is brought into contact with the piston 102 in each dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source 100.

  The driven shafts 203 and 203 are connected to the base plate 204 at the base end portions thereof. Therefore, when the main drive shaft 202 is rotated, the driven shafts 203 and 203 are projected and retracted with respect to the casing 201 so that the pistons 102 are respectively moved. The dedicated fluid pressure supply / exhaust source 100 is slid in the housing 101 to advance and retract.

  On the other hand, in the drive mechanism 200 shown in FIG. 5, first, the main drive shaft 202 is rotatably held by the casing 201, and guide rods 205, 205 that house the follower drive shaft 203 at the time of the rotation are provided with a gear structure. (Not shown) linked to the bottom.

  Each guide rod 205, 205 has a hexagonal hole (not shown) on the inside, and the driven shafts 203, 203 formed in a bolt shape are fitted into the hexagonal hole.

  Incidentally, the guide rod 205 is connected to the driven shaft 203 under an arbitrary structure instead of the connection by the hexagonal hole and the bolt-like body as long as the driven shaft 203 can be rotated by its rotation. Also, although not shown, for example, it may be connected under the intervention of a double speed structure or a speed reduction structure.

  Further, each driven drive shaft 203, 203 is screwed into the casing 201 under a retaining structure (not shown) and the tip is brought into contact with the piston 102 in each dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source 100. .

  Therefore, in each driving mechanism 200 formed as described above, the sliding of the piston 102 in the housing 101 in each dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source 100 that becomes two by the rotation operation of the main driving shaft 202. The fluid can be supplied and discharged from the fluid chamber R4 to the pressure chamber R3 in the jack mechanism.

  4 has the advantage of reducing the number of components in the drive mechanism 200 as compared to the location shown in FIG. 5, and the location shown in FIG. 5 is smoother than the location shown in FIG. The advantage that can be expected to drive.

  By the way, in the above description, it is assumed that each dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source 100 is connected to the drive mechanism 200, and it has not been mentioned in what manner it is specifically connected. A housing 101 in the dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source 100 is screwed to a casing 201 in the drive mechanism 200.

  That is, when the housing 101 in the dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source 100 is screwed to the casing 201 in the drive mechanism 200, it is of course advantageous in that no other connecting member is required in view of the fact. However, it is also advantageous in that the connecting operation can be performed quickly.

  Therefore, in the present invention, the housing 101 in the dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source 100 is screwed into the casing 201 in the drive mechanism 200. Therefore, the housing 101 in the dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source 100 is screwed to the outer periphery of the lower end portion. 101a (see FIG. 3).

  On the other hand, since the piston 102 can slide in the housing 101 in a state in which the housing 101 in the dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source 100 is screwed to the casing 201 in the drive mechanism 200, the piston 102 comes out of the housing 101. As a result, the incorporation into the drive mechanism 200 cannot be realized.

  Therefore, it is desirable to prevent the piston 102 from coming out of the housing 101 by an appropriate means until the housing 101 in the dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source 100 is screwed into the casing 201 in the drive mechanism 200.

  At this time, as an appropriate means, an arbitrary configuration can be selected. For example, although not shown, in addition to a measure for punching and tightening the opening end of the housing 101 to prevent deformation, for example, as shown in FIG. There is a measure for screwing, that is, mounting the temporary cap 300 serving as a lid member on the above-described screw 101a.

  By the way, in the exclusive fluid pressure supply / discharge source 100, when the temporary cap 300 as the lid member is used in order to prevent the piston 102 from coming out of the housing 101, the temporary cap 300 is attached. Care must be taken not to interfere with the assembly work of the front fork after dredging.

  That is, when this type of front fork is supplied as a product, the left and right front forks are integrated under the use of the bridge mechanism 400, for example, as shown in FIG. The

  At this time, the bridge mechanism 400 includes an upper bracket 401, an under bracket 402, and a steering shaft 403. The following procedures are used to connect the bridge mechanism 400 to the front fork.

  That is, first, the under bracket 402 is fixed to the upper end side portion of the front fork. At this time, the steering shaft 403 is integrally connected to the under bracket 402 in advance.

  And it connects so that the upper end side part in a front fork may be inserted in the under bracket 402 which connects this steering shaft 403 integrally.

  Next, the upper bracket 401 is connected to the upper fork so as to be inserted through the upper end of the front fork. At this time, the upper end of the steering shaft 403 is connected to the upper bracket 401.

  Incidentally, although not shown, the steering shaft 403 is turnably connected to a head pipe that forms the front end portion of the vehicle body in a two-wheeled vehicle, so that a pair of front forks sandwich the front wheel on the front wheel side of the two-wheeled vehicle in the left-right direction. It is possible to steer.

  On the other hand, the upper bracket 401 and the under bracket 402 constituting the bridge mechanism 400 are, for example, as shown in FIG. 8 displaying the upper bracket 401, mounting holes 401a through which the upper end side portions of the front fork are inserted into both side end portions. It has.

  The mounting hole 401a is formed with a split 401b that allows the upper end side portion of the front fork to be inserted without undue resistance. Let

  Therefore, the same applies to the under bracket 402, but the inner diameter W2 (see FIG. 8) of the mounting hole 401a in the upper bracket 401 is the outer diameter W (see FIG. 6) of the outer tube 1 constituting the front fork. It will be larger, but will not expand more than necessary.

  Accordingly, it is important that the dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source 100 extending from the upper end of the front fork is set to have an outer diameter that allows the attachment hole 401a in the upper bracket 401 to be inserted without so-called resistance. Become.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when the dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source 100 includes the temporary cap 300 described above, the outer diameter W1 of the temporary cap 300 is the outer diameter of the outer tube 1 constituting the front fork. Of course, it is important to set it to be smaller than the inner diameter W2 of the mounting hole 401a in the upper bracket 401.

  In FIG. 1, that is, in FIG. 3, the front fork has a jack mechanism so that the spring force of the suspension spring S can be adjusted. However, in FIG. 6 and FIG. In addition to the jack mechanism, the front fork has an actuator A that enables control of the damping action.

  In the front fork shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, the actuator A controls the damping action of the piston portion P (see FIG. 10) in the cylinder body 3 of the damper.

  In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, the same reference numerals are used in the drawings except where necessary for the same configuration as in the embodiment shown in FIG. The detailed explanation is omitted as it is attached only.

  In the following, the actuator A will be described in the embodiments shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, and is accommodated in the shaft core portion of the cap member 11 that closes the upper end opening of the vehicle body side tube 1. The lead A1 to be connected extends through the cap member 11 in the radial direction and extends outside the cap member 11.

  At this time, the lead wire A1 extends obliquely upward as shown in FIG. 6 and extends in the horizontal direction as shown in FIG. 9, but as shown in a virtual diagram in each figure. In addition, when the upper bracket 401 is bent upward, the mounting hole 401a can be inserted into the upper bracket 401.

  In addition, since the actuator A is disposed at the shaft core portion of the cap member 11, the through hole 11b opened in the cap member 11 to communicate with the pressure chamber R3 in the jack mechanism described above is illustrated. By the way, this is provided in the site | part which decenters from an axial center.

  By the way, in the present invention, the cap member 11 has a cover member 13, and the actuator can be easily disposed in the cap member 11 by attaching and detaching the cover member 13. It is easy to secure the waterproofness by fixing A to a predetermined position and covering the actuator A.

  First, as shown in FIG. 6, the cap member 11 has a concave portion 11f whose upper end is opened at the shaft core portion, and the peripheral wall portion that houses the actuator A in the concave portion 11f and forms the concave portion 11f. The lead wire A1 is inserted through an oblique hole 11h opened at 11g.

  The cover member 13 has a thread 13a that is screwed into the inner thread 11i formed at the upper end side of the recess 11f in the cap member 11, and the cover member 13 is screwed onto the cap member 11. By fixing, the actuator A is fixed to a predetermined position.

  At this time, an annularly formed cushion member A2 is disposed between the bottom of the recess 11f and the lower end of the actuator A, and the annularly formed sealing member is formed between the lower end of the cover member 13 and the upper end of the actuator. A3 is provided to ensure the fixing property of the actuator A while ensuring the waterproof property to the actuator A. In particular, the arrangement of the cushion member A2 is advantageous in canceling the vibration during the operation of the actuator A.

  On the other hand, as described above, the lead wire A1 passes through the perforated oblique hole 11h in the peripheral wall portion 11g forming the recess 11f in the cap member 11, and the lead wire A1 is inserted into the oblique hole 11h through which the lead wire A1 is inserted. Although not shown in the drawings, in many cases, for example, a mold material is filled to achieve waterproofing.

  The lead wire A1 extending obliquely upward can be inserted through the mounting hole 402a in the under bracket 402 when bent upward as shown in a virtual diagram in FIG. As described above.

  Note that the actuator A moves a push rod 73 (see FIG. 10), which will be described later, downward in the drawing when power is input as a signal through the lead wire A1, and push rod when the power is released. 73 is retreated so as to rise in the figure, and has, for example, a solenoid.

  Next, the place shown in FIG. 9 will be described. The cap member 11 has a concave portion 11f whose upper end is opened at the shaft core portion, and the actuator A is accommodated in the concave portion 11f, and the peripheral wall forming the concave portion 11f The lead wire A1 is allowed to reside in a notch groove 11j formed in the radial direction in the portion 11g.

  The opening of the recess 11f is closed by press-fitting the cover member 13, and the actuator A is fixed to the recess 11f by press-fitting the cover member 13.

  From the above, the cap member 11 is made of a metal material. However, the cover member 13 shown in FIG. 9 facilitates the press-fitting operation and improves the fixing property to the cap member 11. On the other hand, in order to easily obtain airtightness, it is formed of, for example, a soft synthetic resin material. Therefore, waterproofness and durability can be expected at a low price including the case of replacement.

  In addition, it is preferable that a cushion member A2 formed in an annular shape is disposed between the lower end of the actuator A by press-fitting the cover member 13, and the function of the cushion member A2 is as described above.

  As described above, the seal 11d is interposed on the outer periphery of the peripheral wall portion 11g of the cap member 11 to ensure the liquid-tightness with the vehicle body side tube 1.

  On the other hand, as described above, the lead wire A1 is present in the notch groove 11i formed in the radial direction on the peripheral wall portion 11g forming the recess 11f in the cap member 11, but the notch groove 11i in which the lead wire A1 is present. However, in many cases, for example, a mold material is filled for waterproofing, although not shown.

  Incidentally, in the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, when the cap member 11 is screwed to the vehicle body side tube 1, the lead wire A1 is removed from the notch groove 11i, and therefore the screwing operation of the cap member 11 is performed. Can be practiced without any problems.

  Even in the actuator A shown in FIG. 9, a push rod 73 (to be described later) is advanced so as to descend in the drawing when electric power as a signal is input via the lead wire A1, and the push rod is released when the electric power is eliminated. 73 is retreated so as to rise in the figure, and has, for example, a solenoid.

  In the front fork shown in FIGS. 6 and 9 formed as described above, the lead wire A1 extending from the actuator A housed in the shaft core portion of the cap member 11 that closes the upper end opening of the vehicle body side tube 1 is used. Is inserted through the cap member 11 in the radial direction and extends outside the cap member 11, compared with the case where the lead wire A1 extends upward from the upper end of the vehicle body side tube 1, The risk of rainwater entering the inside through the lead wire A1 can be greatly reduced.

  At this time, the lead wire A1 does not pass through the cap member 11, but is unnecessary for the vehicle body side tube 1 as compared with the case where the lead wire A1 passes through the vehicle body side tube 1 or only the vehicle body side tube 1 in the radial direction. Since it is not necessary to perform processing, the durability of the vehicle body side tube 1 is not unnecessarily lowered, and so-called processing number is not increased.

  Further, since the lead wire A1 passes through the cap member 11 in the radial direction and extends outside the cap member 11, the lead wire A1 extends upward from the upper end of the vehicle body side tube 1. Compared with the case where the lead wire A1 does not fall down due to a so-called lateral force, there is no fear of the lead wire A1 falling or internal disconnection due to the standing and falling of the lead wire A1.

  As a result, in the front fork having the actuator A that is housed in the fork main body and electrically controls the damping action by remote operation, an electrical failure in the lead A1 connected to the actuator A is less likely to occur.

On the other hand, in the front forks of the respective embodiments shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 9 described above, when the electric power as a signal to the actuator A is input via the lead wire A1, the piston built in the cylinder body 3 in the damper is provided. The damping action in the part P (see FIG. 10) is controlled to be high or low.

  FIG. 10 shows a piston portion P as a damping portion in the damper housed in the front fork shown in FIG. 1 as a damping portion in the damper housed in the front fork shown in FIGS. The piston part P is shown.

  Therefore, in the following, the piston part P which is the damping part shown in FIG. 10 will be described a little, but the actuator A is turned on so that the push rod 73 is advanced, and the needle valve body 71 interlocked with the push rod 73 is used. The control valve 7 is actuated to reduce the flow rate of the hydraulic oil in the bypass passage that bypasses the attenuation portion, and increases the attenuation action by the attenuation portion.

  Contrary to the above, when the electric power as the signal through the lead wire A1 is canceled, the actuator A is turned off so that the push rod 73 is retracted, and the control valve 7 interlocked with the push rod 73 operates the damping portion. Increase the flow rate of hydraulic oil in the bypass bypass to reduce the damping action by the damping part.

  Incidentally, in the place shown in FIG. 10, the piston portion P basically has the same configuration as that shown in FIG. 2 described above. Except where necessary, only the same reference numerals are given in the drawings, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  First, the piston portion P has a bypass passage (not shown) at the tip end portion 43 of the rod body 4 that holds the piston body 6 in the cylinder body 3, and a control valve 7 that controls the passage flow rate in the bypass passage. Have.

  This bypass passage corresponds to the passage 43a formed of the through hole disclosed in the above-described FIG. 2, but is located in the piston portion P and bypasses the expansion side damping valve 6c and the pressure side damping valve 6d so as to bypass the upper chamber R1. And communication with the lower chamber R2.

  The control valve 7 controls the damping action by the damping valves 6c and 6d on the respective sides. In the figure, the control valve 7 has a needle valve body 71, and the pointed portion 71a of the needle valve body 71 is bypassed. The flow rate of hydraulic oil passing through the flow path is controlled in magnitude by moving forward and backward through a flow path (not shown) constituting the path.

  The needle valve element 71 in the control valve 7 is urged in the backward direction, which is the upward direction in the figure, by the urging force of the urging spring 72 interposed on the base end side thereof. Is the thrust from the actuator A described above, and moves forward so as to drop in the drawing when an external force is input, thereby increasing or decreasing the passage flow rate of the hydraulic oil in the bypass passage.

  The base end portion 71b of the needle valve body 71 is a partition wall having a seal 71c on the outer periphery, and a shaft of the rod body 4 serving as a control rod for transmitting thrust from the actuator A is provided on the back surface of the partition wall. A push rod 73 that passes through the open through-hole 4a is adjacent to the lower end of the push rod 73 in the drawing.

  Therefore, in the damper described above, the hydraulic oil in the lower chamber R2 in the cylinder body 1 is transferred to the piston portion P during the contraction operation in which the piston portion P descends in the cylinder body 1 in synchronization with the contraction operation of the fork body. The hydraulic fluid flows into the upper chamber R1 through the pressure side damping valve 6d and the amount of hydraulic oil corresponding to the rod intrusion integral that becomes redundant in the lower chamber R2 passes through the pressure side damping valve in the base valve portion to the reservoir chamber R (FIG. 1)) to realize a predetermined compression side damping action.

  In the damper, the hydraulic oil in the upper chamber R1 in the cylinder body 1 is in the piston part P during the extension operation in which the piston part P rises in the cylinder body 1 in synchronization with the extension operation of the fork body. An amount of hydraulic oil corresponding to the rod withdrawal volume that is deficient in the lower chamber R2 is replenished from the reservoir chamber R via the check valve in the base valve portion, while flowing out to the lower chamber R2 via the extension side damping valve 6c. A predetermined extension side damping action is realized.

  Even in the front fork shown in FIG. 6 formed as described above, a single dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source 100 is provided in the pressure chamber R3 in the internal jack mechanism via a single dedicated passage L. As described above, the dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source 100 is incorporated in the drive mechanism 200 (see FIGS. 4 and 5), and the drive mechanism 200 rotates the main drive shaft 202. It operates as described above.

  In the above description, since the hydraulic shock absorber embodying the present invention is mounted on the front wheel side of the two-wheeled vehicle so as to be the left and right front forks that suspend the front wheel of the two-wheeled vehicle, Regarding the adjustment of the spring force, it has been described that it is preferable to adjust them simultaneously.

  However, in a front fork that is paired on the right and left sides of almost all kinds, as described above, the upper end side is fixedly connected by the upper bracket 401 and the under bracket 402 that are the bridge mechanism 400 (see FIG. 7). Although not shown, the lower end portion is fixedly connected through the axle of the front wheel.

  From this, if the jack mechanism is operated on either the left or right front fork, the rod reaction force on the left and right front forks will change apparently even if the jack mechanism does not operate on the other front fork. Will get.

  Therefore, in view of the fact that the front fork according to the present invention is used, it is sufficient that the jack mechanism is operated in either one of the left and right front forks. Therefore, in the present invention, There is an advantage that the vehicle height can be realized even when the jack mechanism fails in one of the left and right front forks.

  Further, in the above description, the case where the hydraulic shock absorber embodying the present invention is a front fork mounted on the front wheel side of the two-wheeled vehicle and suspending the front wheel of the two-wheeled vehicle is taken as an example. Therefore, instead of the above, it may be embodied in a shock absorber that is arranged in each part of a four-wheel vehicle and serves as a suspension device. In this case, the action and effect are not different.

  When adjusting the spring force of the internal suspension spring on the fork body that constitutes the front fork, it is possible to adjust the spring force independent of the rear cushion or the suspension spring of the other front fork to make the ride comfort in a motorcycle It is suitable for improvement and expecting improvement of its versatility.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Car body side tube 2 Wheel side tube 3 Cylinder body 4 Rod body 11 Cap member 11a Lower end side part 11b Through hole 11c Lower end shaft part 11h Diagonal hole 11j Notch groove 12 Piston member 12a Upper cylinder part 12b Lower part 13 Cover member 100 Dedicated fluid Pressure supply / discharge source 101 Housing 102 Piston 200 Drive mechanism 202 Main drive shaft 203 Sub drive shaft 300 Temporary cap as a lid member 400 Bridge mechanism 402a Mounting hole R3 Pressure chamber R4 Fluid chamber S Suspension spring S1 Spacer

Claims (2)

A fork main body comprising a vehicle body side tube and a wheel side tube, a suspension spring provided in the fork main body, a jack mechanism provided in the fork main body, a cap member for closing the upper end opening of the vehicle body side tube, and a cap member And a dedicated fluid pressure supply / exhaust source provided outside the fork main body and communicated with the through hole via a dedicated passage. In the front fork that adjusts the spring force of the suspension spring by moving the jack mechanism to extend and contract by the operation of the upper and lower positions to adjust the spring force of the suspension spring , the dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source is slid into the housing and the housing. A piston inserted movably and a fluid chamber defined by the piston in the housing and communicating with the dedicated passage, the dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge source being the fluid Is installed in a drive mechanism that is installed outside the main body and allows other dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge sources to be installed. The drive mechanism is driven in conjunction with a single main drive shaft and the main drive shaft. A front fork comprising: a pair of slave drive shafts, wherein the slave drive shafts slide the pistons in their dedicated fluid pressure supply / discharge sources within the housing . The jack mechanism has the cap member and a piston member that is connected to the cap member and defines a pressure chamber that expands and contracts between the cap member, and the pressure is supplied and discharged to and from the pressure chamber. The front fork according to claim 1, wherein the chamber is expanded and contracted to raise and lower the piston member with respect to the cap member, thereby raising and lowering an upper end position of the suspension spring .

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