JPH0342268Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] <Industrial application field> This invention is installed between the front wheels and the vehicle body of vehicles such as two-wheeled vehicles and three-wheeled vehicles, and improves riding comfort by damping energy such as vibrations from the road surface. Regarding the front fork that doubles as a fork and a shock absorber.

<Prior Art> Generally, in a front fork of a motorcycle, etc., it is preferable to change the spring load of the suspension spring and the pressure of the air chamber each time depending on the road surface conditions, the weight of the rider, and the loaded load.

For this reason, for example, as a front fork that can change the spring load and the volume of the air chamber,
Those disclosed in Publication No. 7436 and Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 58-3744 are known.

In the former case, a push rod that contacts the suspension spring is movably provided inside the inner tube, and the height of the push rod is adjusted to any desired height using a plurality of cams, and the suspension spring is pushed according to the height of the cam. , to adjust its spring load.

In the latter case, the piston is in contact with the suspension spring, and the piston is rotatably fitted to the rod, and when the rod is rotated, the piston is displaced in the axial direction, and the initial of the spring is set according to that position. It is.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> However, in the former case, when the push rod is driven, the volume of the air chamber decreases by the volume of the intrusion of the push rod, and the spring characteristics of the air chamber change simultaneously with the initial adjustment of the spring.

Similarly, in the latter case, the displacement of the piston in the axial direction changes the volume of the air chamber by the volume of the piston's intrusion.

Therefore, in each of the prior art techniques described above, when the initial value of the suspension spring is adjusted, the volume of the air chamber also changes at the same time, and these cannot be selectively adjusted as required.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a front fork in which the spring load of the suspension spring and the volume of the gas chamber can be adjusted simultaneously or selectively.

<Means for solving the problem> In order to achieve the above purpose, the structure of the present invention is as follows.
A first slider is movably attached to the inner tube, a second slider is movably provided to the inner tube, and a third slider is movably provided between the first and second sliders and the suspension spring. It is characterized by the fact that it is interposed.

<Operation> When the first slider is moved up and down, the second and third sliders are moved up and down, and the spring load of the suspension spring and the volume of the gas chamber change.

<Example> An example of implementation of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

The front fork 1 consists of an outer tube 2, an inner tube 4 slidably inserted into the outer tube 2 via a piston portion 3, and a damper 5 disposed within the outer tube 2 and the inner tube 4. 5 is composed of a cylinder 6 and a piston rod 7 movably inserted into the cylinder 6 via a piston.

A bracket 8 is integrally attached to the lower end of the outer tube 2, and the bracket 8 is connected to an axle of a vehicle such as a motorcycle, and the upper part of the inner tube 4 is connected to the vehicle body via the bracket.

The cylinder 6 of the damper 5 is partitioned into an upper oil chamber and a lower oil chamber 9 by a piston, and the piston is provided with a valve for generating damping force.

A piston portion is provided at the upper end of the cylinder 6,
The outer periphery of this piston portion is in sliding contact with the inner periphery of the inner tube 4.

A suspension spring 10 is supported at the upper end of the piston portion to bias the inner tube 4 in the direction of extension.

The piston rod 7 of the damper 6 is connected to the inner tube 4 as will be described later, and expands and contracts in conjunction with the inner tube 4, at which time a damping force is generated by a valve or the like.

An upper oil chamber and a lower oil chamber 11 are defined within the outer tube 2 and the inner tube 4, and this oil chamber 11 integrally communicates with the upper oil chamber through a through hole formed in the piston section at the upper part of the damper 6. A gas chamber 12 filled with air, gas, etc. is defined above the upper oil chamber, and a predetermined amount of gas is filled in the gas chamber 12 via a filling valve V.

A hollow nut 13 is screwed into the inner periphery of the upper end of the inner tube 4 through a seal and a screw so that it can move up and down, and a cylindrical first slider 14 is attached to the inner periphery of the nut 13 through a screw up and down. A second slider 15 which is movably screwed together and has a passage 16 formed in the axial direction on the inner periphery of the first slider 14 is screwed so as to be movable up and down. The upper part of the piston rod 7 is connected to the piston rod 7 through a screw and nut 17.

A valve case 18 is screwed onto the upper part of the inner circumference of the second slider 15 so as to be movable up and down, and the lower part of the valve case 18 is interlocked with an operating rod 20 via a spacer 19, and is operated when the valve case 18 is moved up and down. The rod 20 moves up and down, and a valve such as a needle valve provided at the lower end of the operating rod 20 adjusts the opening area of a passage provided in the piston within the damper 5, thereby adjusting the rebound damping force.

A ball 21 serving as a daytent mechanism is provided between the second slider 15 and the valve case 18 so as to be able to move in and out.
positioning.

The ball 21 fits into a long groove 22' provided in the second slider 15, and the second slider 15 can move vertically by the length of the long groove 22'.

First slider 14 and second slider 15
A ring-shaped holder 22 is in contact with the lower end surface of the
A pipe-shaped spacer 23 and spring seats 24 and 25 are arranged in series below the holder 22, and the upper end of the suspension spring 10 is in contact with the spring seat 25.

The holder 22, the spacer 23, and the spring seats 24, 25 constitute the third slider 27, and these members may be integrally molded.

The upper end of the first slider 14 is in contact with a locking nut 26 screwed onto the second slider 15.

When the first slider 14 is lowered while rotating through a screw, the second slider 15 also descends together, and the first and second sliders 14 and 15 push the third slider 27 downward, and similarly The third slider 15 lowers the piston rod 7 via the nut 17, thereby compressing the suspension spring 10, and setting the spring load of the suspension spring 10 in accordance with the downward stroke of the first slider 14.

Moreover, at this time, the first and second sliders 14,
The gas chamber volume is reduced by the intrusion amount volume of 15,
The volume of the gas chamber 12 and the gas spring force are adjusted simultaneously.

On the other hand, if you want to adjust only the spring load of the suspension spring 10, first change the spring load of the spring 10 and the volume of the gas chamber 12 as described above,
Next, the second slider 15 is pulled upward by an amount corresponding to the intrusion volume of the first slider 14, the distance between the second slider 15 and the holder 22 is expanded, and the volume of the gas chamber 12 is corrected to the original volume. do.

On the other hand, when adjusting only the volume of the gas chamber 12, the first slider 14 is not displaced, and when the second slider 15 is moved upward or downward, the gas chamber 12 is adjusted by the volume moved by the second slider 15. The volume changes by expanding or contracting.

A compression side damping force adjusting device 57 and a check valve 28 are provided at the lower part of the outer tube 2 and below the cylinder 6.

A cylindrical spacer 29 is fitted inside the lower end of the outer tube 2, and the spacer 29 includes passages 30, 31, which communicate with the lower oil chamber 9 of the damper 5.
A check valve 28 is disposed at the upper end of the passage 32 so as to be openable and closable, and the lower end of this passage opens directly into the oil chamber 11 in the outer tube 2.

There are two passages 3 at the bottom of the outer tube 2.
3 and 34 are formed, and the two passages 33 and 34 communicate with passages 37 and 38 provided in the housing 35 of the damping force generating device 27 via an oil chamber 36, and one passage 33 is connected to the passage 31 on the spacer 29 side. The other passage 34 opens directly into the oil chamber 11 in the outer tube 2.

A valve guide 39 is inserted into the housing 35, and below the valve guide 39, a partition member 40, a leaf valve 41, a valve holder 42, a guide member 45, and a support member 44 are inserted, and these members are connected with a nut 46. It has been concluded.

Ports 49 and 50 are axially bored in the partition member 40 and the valve holder 42, respectively, and a leaf valve 41 is provided at the upper end of the port 50 so as to be openable and closable.

Passages 47 and 48 are formed in the valve guide 39 to communicate the upper and lower parts of the oil chamber 36.

A needle valve 51 is inserted into the valve guide 39 so as to be vertically movable.
One lower valve head is inserted into the passage 47, and the opening area of the passage 47 is adjusted as the needle valve 51 moves.

A driving member 52 is fitted into the needle valve 51, and when the driving member 52 is rotated, the needle valve 51 moves vertically, and the needle valve 51
The position is held at the fitted position of the detent ball 53.

When the damper 5 is compressed, the oil in the oil chamber 9 flows from the passages 30, 31, 33, and 36 to the upper part of the oil chamber 36 via the leaf valve 41 and the passage 47, and further from the passages 51 and 34. The oil flows into the lower oil chamber 11 of the outer tube 2, and at this time, a damping force on the pressure side is generated by the leaf valve 41 and the passage 47.

During the extension operation, oil in the outer tube 2 is sucked into the lower oil chamber 9 of the damper 5 via the check valve 28 and the damping force generator 27.

<Effect of invention> According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

(a) By moving the first slider up and down, the spring load of the suspension spring, the volume of the gas chamber, and the spring characteristics can be adjusted simultaneously according to the stroke.

(b) If you move the first slider up and down by an arbitrary stroke and then move the second slider in or out by an amount corresponding to the amount of intrusion or retreat of the first slider, the volume of the gas chamber will not change. figure,
Only the spring load of the suspension spring can be adjusted.

(c) If you move only the second slider while holding the first slider in a certain position,
Only the volume of the gas chamber can be adjusted.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The accompanying drawing is a partially vertical front view of a front fork according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2... Outer tube, 4... Inner tube, 5... Damper, 7... Piston rod,
10... Suspension spring, 13... Nut, 14
...First slider, 15...Second slider, 23...Spacer, 24, 25...Spring seat, 27...Third slider, 32...
holder.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] (1) In a front fork in which an inner tube is slidably inserted into an outer tube and a suspension spring is provided in the upper part of the inner tube, a first slider is provided in the upper part of the inner tube. A second slider is attached to the first slider so as to be movable up and down, and a third slider is movable up and down between the first and second sliders and the suspension spring. equipped front fork. (2) The front according to claim 1, wherein a damper is built into the inner tube and the outer tube, and the piston rod of the damper is connected to the inner tube via first and second sliders. Folk. (3) Registration of a utility model in which a nut is coupled to the inner tube, a first slider is screwed into the nut so as to be movable up and down, and a second slider is screwed into the first slider so as to be movable up and down. A front fork according to claim 1. (4) The front fork according to claim 1, wherein the third slider is constructed by stacking a spring seat, a pipe-shaped spacer, and a hollow ring-shaped holder in series.