WO2004104441A1

WO2004104441A1 - Two-wheeled motor vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2004104441A1
Application number: PCT/JP2004/007242
Authority: WO
Inventors: Toshio Araki; Soichi Ono
Original assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha; Soqi Kabushiki Kaisha
Priority date: 2003-05-22
Filing date: 2004-05-20
Publication date: 2004-12-02
Also published as: CN1701188A; JP4235696B2; CN100406770C; JPWO2004104441A1

Abstract

A piston rod (22) is connected to a vehicle body frame so as to be located on the upper side of a cylinder (21), a cover (36) is installed on the piston rod (22) so as to cover an outer peripheral portion of the piston rod, and an intermediate spring-receiving member (31) and a cam (spring characteristics-switching mechanism)(30) are arranged outside the cover (36).

Description

Description Motorcycle Technical field

The present invention relates to a motorcycle having a rear wheel shock absorber. Background art

Motorcycles are sometimes equipped with a rear wheel shock absorber to ensure riding comfort and steering stability even when weight changes occur due to rear passengers or loading of luggage.

Conventionally, as such a rear wheel shock absorber, an intermediate spring receiving member is movably mounted in an axial direction on a cylinder in which a piston rod is inserted, and a cylinder is inserted between the intermediate spring receiving member and a spring receiving seat on the piston rod side. A main coil panel is disposed on the main coil panel, and a sub coil panel is disposed between the main coil panel and the spring receiving seat on the cylinder side to form a shock absorber. The intermediate spring receiving member is a combination of both main and sub coil panels or only the main coil panel. There has been proposed a mechanism provided with a switching mechanism for switching to a state in which any of the independent spring characteristics can be obtained (see, for example, Japanese Patent No. 3020178). The rear wheel shock absorber is configured to switch to the combined spring characteristic side when the driver is the only driver, and to switch to the single spring characteristic side when a two-seater or heavy load is loaded.

By the way, in the device described in the above-mentioned patent document, the above-mentioned cylinder is arranged upside down so as to be located above the piston rod, so that a backup spring is required to ensure a sealing property between the cylinder and the piston port. In need. Therefore, there is a concern that the cost increases and the sealing structure becomes complicated. In order to avoid such cost increase and complicated sealing structure, It is effective to arrange the erect so that it is located below the biston rod. Disclosure of the invention

However, in the case of the upright arrangement as described above, since the spring characteristic switching mechanism is located at the lower part of the damper, there is a possibility that the spring characteristic switching mechanism may interfere with the rear wheel sprocket, muffler, etc., and the arrangement space for the switching mechanism is reduced. There is a problem that it is difficult to secure them and the degree of freedom in design is low. When the spring characteristic switching mechanism and the intermediate spring receiving member are arranged on the piston rod side, there is a problem that the stroke amount of the damper is restricted depending on the structure.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a motorcycle that can secure an arrangement space for a switching mechanism and improve design flexibility when an upright arrangement is adopted. .

The invention according to claim 1 is a damper having a piston inserted into a cylinder, a piston having one end connected to the piston, and having a second end projecting outward from one end of the cylinder, and a piston having the same. An intermediate spring receiving member provided movably in the axial direction of the damper radially outward of the damper; a first spring receiving seat provided at the other end of the cylinder; a first spring receiving seat and the intermediate spring; A first spring provided between the second spring receiving seat and the intermediate spring receiving member; a second spring receiving seat provided at the other end of the biston rod; And a state in which the intermediate spring receiving member is allowed to move with respect to the damper, and a state in which the intermediate spring receiving member is prevented from moving with respect to the damper. Switching spring Characteristics switching The other end of the cylinder is connected to a rear arm supported on the body frame so as to be able to swing up and down, and the other end of the piston rod is also located above the cylinder. A cover for covering the other end of the piston rod from outside, and the intermediate spring receiving member and the spring characteristic switching mechanism are provided outside the cover. Special This is a motorcycle.

The invention of claim 2 is characterized in that, in claim 1, the spring wire diameter of the second spring is set smaller than the spring wire diameter of the first spring.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the spring characteristic switching mechanism includes a cam for preventing the intermediate spring receiving member from moving with respect to the damper.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, the rear wheel shock absorber is provided as a pair of left and right wheels, and each of the pair of rear wheel shock absorbers includes a spring characteristic switching mechanism. A single operating member for operating the pair of spring characteristic switching mechanisms is provided.

The invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that, in claim 4, the operation member is disposed inside the vehicle body force bar below the seat.

The invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that, in claim 4, the operating member is arranged around a steering handle. -The invention according to claim 7 is the invention according to claim 4, wherein a retractable footrest for a rear passenger is provided, and the footrest and the operation member are connected so as to interlock with each other, and the footrest is in a use state. When rotated, the spring characteristic switching mechanism is configured to switch to a state in which the intermediate spring receiving member is prevented from moving with respect to the damper.

The invention according to claim 8, according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the spring characteristic switching mechanism includes a state in which the intermediate spring receiving member is allowed to move with respect to the damper; Is characterized by comprising display means for displaying which state is switched to a state in which movement of the damper is prevented.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the fourth aspect, an operating force transmitting member that transmits an operation of the operating member to the spring characteristic switching mechanism is provided, and the operating force transmitting member is configured of a vehicle body. It is characterized by being arranged so as to pass through a space sandwiched between components.

A tenth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the fourth aspect, the operation member is integrally attached to a spring characteristic switching mechanism provided in one of the rear wheel shock absorbers.

The invention of claim 11 is the invention according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the operating force transmitting member extends rearward or forward from each of the rear wheel suspension devices and passes through a space sandwiched by vehicle body components. It is characterized by being arranged.

The invention according to claim 12 is the invention according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the pair of rear wheel shock absorbers is disposed in a forwardly inclined state so that the upper portion thereof is located closer to the front side, and the operating force transmitting member has flexibility. And is extended rearward from each of the rear wheel shock absorbers and routed so as to pass through a space between the seat rail and the seat bottom plate.

The invention of claim 13 is the invention of claim 12, wherein the sheet bottom plate is provided with a pair of front and rear protrusions protruding toward the seat rail, and the operating force transmitting member is formed of a pair of front and rear protrusions. It is characterized by being routed between or near these.

The invention of claim 14 is the invention according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the pair of rear wheel shock absorbers are disposed in a forwardly inclined state so as to be located closer to an upper side, and the operating force transmitting member has flexibility. It is constituted by a linear member, extends forward from each of the rear wheel shock absorbers, and is routed so as to pass through a space between the seat rail and the seat bottom plate.

According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, in the ninth aspect, the operating force transmitting member is constituted by a wire cable obtained by inserting an inner cable into a bow tube so as to be relatively movable, and one end of the wire cable has one end. The spring characteristic switching mechanism is connected to the spring characteristic switching mechanism, extends rearward from the spring characteristic switching mechanism, and is disposed so as to pass through a space sandwiched by vehicle body components. The invention according to claim 16 is provided with the same rear wheel shock absorber as in claim 1, provided with an operating member for operating the spring characteristic switching mechanism, and transmitting the operation of the operating member to the spring characteristic switching mechanism. The motorcycle is characterized in that an operating force transmitting member is provided, and the operating force transmitting member is disposed so as to pass through a space sandwiched between vehicle body components.

The invention of claim 17 is the invention according to claim 16, wherein the rear wheel shock absorber is provided as a pair of left and right wheels, and each of the pair of rear wheel shock absorbers is provided with a spring characteristic switching mechanism. It is characterized in that a single operating member for operating the spring characteristic switching mechanism is provided.

In the motorcycle according to the first aspect of the present invention, the piston rod is disposed so as to be positioned above the cylinder, a cover is attached to the piston rod so as to surround the outer periphery thereof, and an intermediate spring support is provided outside the cover. Since the members and the above-described spring characteristic switching mechanism are provided, the spring characteristic switching mechanism in the case where the damper is erected can be disposed on the piston rod side, without increasing the cost or complicating the structure. Interference with wheel sprockets, mufflers, etc. can be prevented. Further, since the switching mechanism and the intermediate spring receiving member are provided outside the force bar mounted so as to surround the cylinder, there is no problem that these members regulate the stroke amount of the damper.

In the invention of claim 2, since the wire diameter of the second spring is smaller than that of the first spring, it is possible to suppress an increase in the outer diameter of the second spring, and to make the upper diameter β of the damper compact, and to have a higher degree of freedom on the vehicle body layout. Can be improved, and the design can be improved. In addition, the switching mechanism can be arranged inside the second spring, and it is possible to prevent the entire device from being enlarged when the switching mechanism is arranged.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the spring characteristic switching mechanism is provided with a cam for preventing the movement of the intermediate spring receiving member with respect to the damper, so that the structure is simple with only rotating the cam and the number of parts is small. With this, a spring characteristic switching mechanism can be configured, and the operating force can be reduced. That is, in the device described in the above publication, the cam can be moved And a stopper for restricting the cam to an immovable position against the urging force of the spring, thereby increasing the number of parts. Further, when the cam is rotated to the immovable position, it is necessary to compress the spring, and there is a problem that the working force is increased accordingly.

According to the invention of claim 4, the spring characteristic switching mechanism of each of the rear wheel shock absorbers disposed on the left and right sides of the body frame is switched by one operating member. The number of components can be reduced as compared with the case where the operation members are arranged, and the switching operation can be easily performed.

Further, since the operating member is connected to the switching mechanism via the operating force transmitting member, the operating member can be arranged at a position away from the rear wheel shock absorber, and the degree of freedom in the arrangement position can be increased.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the operation member is disposed inside the vehicle body cover below the seat, the operation member is not exposed to the outside, so that the appearance can be improved, and the switching operation in the riding state or the traveling state can be performed. Can be prevented.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the operating member is disposed around the steering handle, the switching operation can be easily performed, and the operating member can be seen from the outside, so that the merchantability can be appealed.

According to the invention of claim 7, since the switching operation is performed in conjunction with the operation of the footrest for the rear passenger, the spring characteristic can be automatically switched between one-seater and two-seater.

According to the invention of claim 8, since the switching position of the switching mechanism is displayed, it is possible to visually confirm the switching state and to appeal the merchantability.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, since the operating force transmitting member that transmits the operation of the operating member to the spring characteristic switching mechanism is disposed so as to pass through the space sandwiched by the vehicle body components, the wiring structure of the operating force transmitting member is simplified. it can. According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, since the operation member is integrally attached to one of the switching mechanisms, the entire arrangement space is reduced as compared with, for example, the case where the operation member is disposed at a different position from the left and right rear wheel shock absorbers. Can be smaller.では In claim 11, the operating force transmitting member extends rearward or forward from each of the rear wheel shock absorbers and is routed so as to pass between the vehicle body components, thereby simplifying the wiring structure of the operating force transmitting member. it can. More specifically, as shown in the invention of claim 12, the operating force transmitting member is a linear member (for example, a wire cable) having flexibility, and the vehicle is moved from the rear wheel shock absorber which is inclined forward. The cable is extended rearward, not in the width direction, and is routed so as to pass between the seat rail and the seat bottom plate that are arranged rearward, so that the wiring structure of the operating force transmitting member can be simplified.

According to claim 13 of the present invention, the operating force transmitting member is routed so as to pass between or near a pair of protrusions formed on the seat bottom plate so as to protrude toward the seat rail. The operating force transmitting member can be routed by effectively utilizing the existing gap formed between the seat bottom plate and the seat rail, and unnecessary external force can be prevented from being applied to the operating force transmitting member.

According to the invention of claim 14, the operating force transmitting member extends forward from the rear wheel shock absorber, not in the vehicle width direction, and is routed so as to pass between the seat rail and the seat bottom plate. Can be simplified.

According to the invention of claim 15, the operating force transmitting member is a flexible wire cable and extends rearward, not in the vehicle width direction, from the rear wheel shock absorber inclined forward and is sandwiched by vehicle body components. Since it is arranged so as to pass through the space, the wiring structure of the operation force transmitting member can be simplified.

According to the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, since the operating force transmitting member is disposed so as to pass through the space between the vehicle body components, the wiring structure of the operating force transmitting member can be simplified.

According to the seventeenth aspect of the invention, the characteristics of the left and right rear wheel shock absorbers can be adjusted substantially simultaneously by one operating member, and the adjustment operation can be performed easily and easily. Also on the left, The number of parts can be reduced as compared to the case where operating members are arranged on the right rear wheel shock absorber. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a side view of a motorcycle provided with a rear wheel shock absorber according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the shock absorber of the rear wheel shock absorber.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the spring characteristic switching mechanism of the shock absorber (a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2).

FIG. 4 is a plan view of an operation member of the switching mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the operation member.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the shock absorber.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a dust cover of the shock absorber.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an intermediate spring receiving member of the switching mechanism.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a cam constituting the switching mechanism.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the upper spring receiving seat of the shock absorber.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a ring plate of the shock absorber.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a stopper plate of the shock absorber.

FIG. 13 is a characteristic diagram showing a relationship between the load and the amount of displacement of the shock absorber.

FIG. 14 is a plan view showing a second embodiment of the operation member.

FIG. 15 is a front view of the operation member according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a side view of a shock absorber according to the third embodiment of claims 9 to 13. FIG. 17 is a plan view of the pair of right and left shock absorbers.

FIG. 18 is a front view of the pair of right and left shock absorbers.

FIG. 19 is a sectional view of the shock absorber. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 1 to 13 are views for explaining a motorcycle according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side view of the motorcycle provided with a rear wheel shock absorber, and FIG. 2 is a shock absorber. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the spring characteristic switching mechanism of the shock absorber (a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-III in Fig. 2), Fig. 4 is a plan view of the operating member of the switching mechanism, and Fig. 5 is an example of the operating member. 6 is a perspective view of the shock absorber, FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the dust cover, FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the intermediate spring receiving member, FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the cam, and FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the upper spring receiving seat. A perspective view, FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a ring plate, FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a stop plate, and FIG. 13 is a characteristic diagram showing a relationship between a load of a shock absorber and a displacement. Note that the terms front, rear, left and right in the present embodiment mean front, rear, left and right when viewed from a seat.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a motorcycle. A body frame 2 of the motorcycle 1 has a main frame 6 on which an engine 3 is mounted, and a left frame connected to the main frame 6 and extending substantially linearly rearward of the vehicle. The seat rail 8 includes a pair of right and left seat rails 8 and a pair of left and right seat stays 9 for connecting a central portion of each of the seat rails 8 and a lower portion of the main frame 6.

A front fork 4 is pivotally supported by a head pipe 10 fixed to the front end of the main frame 6, a front wheel 11 is pivotally supported at a lower end of the front fork 4, and a steering handle 12 is fixed at an upper end. Have been.

The main frame 6 includes one main pipe 6a extending obliquely downward from the upper end of the head pipe 10 to the rear of the vehicle, and one down tube 6b extending substantially linearly downward from the lower end to the rear of the vehicle. And a gusset 14 for integrally connecting the head pipe 10, the main pipe 6a, and the down tube 6b.

The main pipe 6a has a tank rail 6c extending linearly from the head pipe 10, and a rear arm bend extending downward from the rear end of the tank rail 6c. It has a racket part 6 d. The front end of each of the seat rails 8 is welded to the rear end of the tank rail 6c, and the front end of the seat stay 9 is connected to the rear arm bracket 6d.

The engine 3 is suspended and supported by the main pipe 6a and the down tube 6b with the crank shaft 3a directed in the vehicle width direction. An exhaust manifold 15 is connected to the front wall of the cylinder head 3b of the engine 3, and an intake manifold 16 is connected to the rear wall. An output shaft 3c is disposed on the rear side of the crankshaft 3a of the engine 3 in parallel with the crankshaft 3a, and a drive sprocket 3d is fixed to the output shaft 3c. The drive sprocket 3d is connected via a chain or the like to a rear wheel sprocket (not shown) mounted on a rear wheel 13 described later.

A fuel tank 17 is mounted on the tank rail 6c of the main pipe 6a, and a seat 7 is detachably mounted on each of the seat rails 8 on the rear side of the fuel tank 17. I have. The seat 7 has a front seat portion 7a and a rear seat portion 7b located slightly higher than the front seat portion 7a.

The lower portion of the seat 7 is covered with a side cover 18, and the side cover 18 extends in the vehicle front-rear direction along the lower edge of the seat 7. A driver's footrest 26 is arranged below the front seat portion 7a, and a rear occupant footrest 27 is arranged below the rear seat portion 7b. The rear occupant footrest 27 is rotatable between a riding position protruding outside the vehicle and a storage position standing upright.

A rear arm 5 is pivotally supported on the rear arm bracket 6 d of the main frame 6 so as to be able to swing up and down. The rear wheel 13 is supported at the rear end of the rear arm 5. The rear arm 5 has a substantially U-shape in plan view formed by connecting the front ends of left and right arm portions 5a, 5a extending in the vehicle front-rear direction with a connecting portion 5b extending in the vehicle width direction. The connecting portion 5b is pivotally supported by a rear arm bracket portion 6d via a pivot shaft 19, and a rear wheel 13 is disposed between the left and right arm portions 5a. You.

Between the rear arm 5 and the seat rail 8, a pair of left and right rear wheel shock absorbers for absorbing an impact force transmitted from the road surface to the rear wheel 13 are provided. Each of the shock absorbers includes a shock absorber 20 disposed on the left and right sides of the vehicle body frame, a spring characteristic switching mechanism (cam) 30 for switching the spring characteristic of the shock absorber 20, and a respective switching mechanism 3. It has one operating member 50 for switching 0 through an operating force transmitting member 40, and has the following structure in detail.

Each of the left and right shock absorbers 20 has the same structure and includes a damper 20a and a spring mechanism 20b, and the left and right arm portions 5a and 5a and the left and right arms. It is arranged between the seat rails 8 and 8 at an angle to the front of the vehicle.

In the damper 20a, a piston 23 with a built-in damping mechanism is inserted into a bottomed cylindrical cylinder 21 filled with hydraulic oil so as to advance and retreat, and a piston rod 22 is inserted into the piston 23. It has a schematic structure in which the piston rod 22 is connected and protruded upward. A seal member 24 for oil-tightly sealing between the cylinder rod 21 and the piston rod 22 is fitted in the opening of the cylinder 21.

The shock absorber 10 is erected so that the piston rod 22 is positioned above the cylinder 21. That is, the mounting boss 22 a connected and fixed to the upper end of the piston rod 22 is rotatably connected to the seat rail 8, and the mounting boss 21 a connected and fixed to the lower end of the cylinder 21 is an arm. It is rotatably connected to 5a.

The spring mechanism 2 Ob includes a generally annular intermediate spring receiving member 31 disposed on the damper 20 a so as to be movable in the axial direction, and a lower spring receiving seat fixed to the lower end of the cylinder 21. (The first spring receiving seat) The coiled first spring 33 is disposed between the first spring receiving member 32 and the intermediate spring receiving member 31 and the upper end of the biston rod 22 are disposed. A coil-shaped second spring 35 is arranged between the upper spring receiving seat (second spring receiving seat) 34 and the upper spring receiving seat 34. The intermediate spring receiving member 31 is connected to the first and second springs 33, 35. It is urged upward and downward, and is held at a position where the spring forces of both springs 33 and 35 are balanced.

In this embodiment, the first spring 33 has a shaft length of approximately 00 mm and a wire diameter of 7.5 mm ((). The second spring 35 has a shaft length of approximately The wire diameter is set to about 6 mm (^^) smaller than the wire diameter of the first spring 33 to 5 O mm. The piston rod 22 has a cylindrical shape slightly larger than the cylinder 21. A dust cover 36 is attached, which covers the outer periphery of the piston rod 12 and also covers the outer periphery of the upper edge of the cylinder 21. The dust cover 36 is attached to the upper end of the dust cover 36. A cover plate 36c is disposed on the fixed flange portion 36b, and a semicircular stop plate 37 interposed between the cover plate 36c and the lower surface of the mounting boss portion 22a of the piston rod 22. , 37 are fixed so as to advance and retreat with the piston rod 22. Thereby, the cylinder 21 is moved upward. Water from the piston rod sliding opening seal portion of the foreign matter such as dust is prevented from entering.

The intermediate spring receiving member 31 is slidably mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the dust cover 36. The intermediate spring receiving member 31 is integrally formed with a pair of cam receiving portions 31a and a pair of spring guide portions 31e projecting upward from the annular spring supporting portion 31c with an interval of 90 degrees. It is of a formed structure. A groove 31b extending in the axial direction is cut out on the inner surface of each cam receiving portion 31a.

A pair of convex portions 36a extending in the axial direction are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the dust cover 36 at an interval of 180 degrees, and the convex portions 36a are formed on the cam receiving portion 31a. It is slidably engaged with groove 31b. Thus, the intermediate spring receiving member 31 is supported by the dust cover 36 so as to be relatively movable in the axial direction and immovable in the circumferential direction. The spring characteristic switching mechanism includes a substantially cylindrical cam 30 mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the dust cover 36. The cam 30 is disposed between the dust cover 36 and the second spring 35, and allows the intermediate spring receiving member 31 to move up and down. The movable position where the combined spring characteristics of the two springs 3 3 and 3 5 are obtained, and the non-movable position where the intermediate spring receiving member 3 1 prevents the upward movement and obtains the single spring characteristic only by the first spring 33. It is rotatable between them.

The force member 30 has a structure in which a pair of engagement protrusions 30b are formed at an upper edge of a cylindrical cam body 30a at an interval of 180 degrees. In the cam body 30a, an escape recess 30c having a size that allows the force receiving portion 31a to enter can be formed by notching in the axial direction. The second spring 35 is allowed to expand and contract by moving the cam receiving portion 31a forward and backward within the escape concave portion 3Oc. In addition, 30 e is an escape groove for assembly.

The lower end surface of the cam body 30a is a cam surface 30d, which is slightly lower than the upper end surface 31d of the cam receiving portion 31a when in the movable position. Located on the side. When the cam 30 rotates to the immovable position, the cam surface 30 engages the upper end surface 31d of the cam receiving portion 31a, and presses the intermediate spring receiving member 31 downward to urge it upward. It is designed to prevent movement.

The engagement projection 30b of the cam 30 is mounted on the upper spring receiving seat 34, and a ring plate 38 is mounted on the upper side of the cam 30. A concave portion 38a into which the engaging protrusion 30b is fitted is formed inside the ring plate 38, so that when the ring plate 38 is rotated, the cam 30 rotates together therewith. It works.

Here, the assembling work of the shock absorber 20 is performed in the following procedure. The first spring 33 is disposed outside the cylinder 21 and on the lower spring receiving seat 32, and the intermediate spring receiving member 31, the second spring 33, and the upper spring receiving seat 34 are sequentially placed thereon. The cam 30 is inserted inside the second spring 33 and the ring plate 38 is engaged with the cam 30. Subsequently, the dust cover 36 is inserted so that the convex portion 36a of the dust cover 36 passes through the escape concave portion 30c of the cam 30 and the groove 31b of the intermediate spring receiving member 31. 6 b is placed on the upper surface of the cam 30. And place the cover plate 3 6 c The ring plate 38 is pressurized to contract the second spring 35, and a semi-circular stopper plate 37, 37 is placed between the cover plate 36c and the lower end surface of the mounting boss 22a. Insert and release the above pressure.

The operating member 50 is disposed inside the side cover 18 below the rear end of the seat 7 and is attached and fixed to the seat rail 8 via a bracket 8a. The operating member 50 includes a disk-shaped rotary pulley 52 housed and arranged in a case 51 in which upper and lower case portions 51 a and 5 lbs are fixed by bolts. The rotary shaft 53 integrally formed with the shaft 2 is pivotally supported, and the operation lever 54 is bolted and fixed to the projecting portion 53 a of the rotary shaft 53 outside the case.

The operating force transmitting member 40 connects the one operating member 50 with the cams 30 and 30 of the left and right shock absorbers 10 and 20. The operating force transmitting member 40 is composed of three first, second, and third operating cables 41, 42, and 43 having flexibility. The operation cables 4 1 to 4 3 are routed along the sheet rail 8 in the side cover 18 and the inner cables 4 1 b to 4 3 b are placed in the outer tubes 4 1 a to 4 3 a. It is inserted movably.

One end portions 41c and 42c of the first and second operation cables 41 and 42 of the first and second operation cables 41 and 42 are connected and fixed to the case 51 of the operation member 50. One end 41 d, 42 d of each of the inner cables 41b, 42b is routed in a groove 52a formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rotary pulley 52, and the rotary pulley 5 It is connected in the middle of 2.

The other end 41 e of the outer tube 41 a of the first operation cable 41 is connected to a support piece 34 a formed integrally with the upper spring receiving seat 34 of the shock absorber 20 on the right side of the vehicle. The connection is fixed. The other end 4 1 f of the inner cable 4 lb of the first operation cable 41 is routed in a groove 38 b formed on the outer peripheral surface of the right ring plate 38, and in the middle of the ring plate 38. It is connected to.

The other end 4 2e of the outer tube 4 2a of the second operation cable 42 is loose on the left side. The other end 4 2 f of the inner cable 4 b is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the left ring plate 38, which is connected and fixed to the support piece 34 a of the upper spring receiving seat 34 of the impulse 20. It is routed in the groove 38 b and connected to the middle of the ring plate 38.

One end 4 3c of the cable tube 4 3a of the third operation cable 4 3 is fixedly connected to the support piece 34 a of the ring plate 38 on the right side, and one end 4 3 of the inner cable 43 b. d is arranged in a groove 38 b formed on the outer peripheral surface of the right ring plate 38, and is connected in the middle of the ring plate 38. The other end 4 3 e of the outer cable 4 3 a is connected and fixed to the support piece 3 4 a of the left ring plate 38 .The other end 4 3 f of the inner cable 4 3 b is connected to the left ring plate 3 8. It is routed in a groove 38 b formed on the outer peripheral surface of the ring plate 38, and is connected in the middle of the ring plate 38.

When the operation lever 54 is in the soft position S, the cam 30 is in the movable position, and the relief recess 30 c of the cam 30 is in the force receiving portion 31 of the intermediate spring receiving member 31. Therefore, the intermediate spring receiving member 31 is allowed to move in the axial direction. As a result, as shown by the characteristic line B in FIG. 13, a combined spring characteristic with a small spring constant obtained by combining both the first and second springs 33 and 35 is obtained. As a result, ride comfort and steering stability when traveling alone can be ensured.

When the operation lever 54 is turned from the soft position S to the hard position H, the left ring plate 38 and the cam 30 are rotated counterclockwise through the second operation cable 42, and the third operation is performed. The right ring plate 38 and the cam 30 also rotate counterclockwise via the cable 43. Then, the left and right cams 30 rotate to the immovable positions, the cam surfaces 30d ride on the cam receiving portions 31a, and the intermediate spring receiving members 31 are fixed immovably upward. As a result, as shown by the characteristic line A in FIG. 13, the first spring 33 is switched to a single spring characteristic having a large spring constant by itself. As a result, it is possible to suppress bottoming when a two-seater or heavy load is loaded, thereby ensuring ride comfort and steering stability. When the operating lever 54 is returned to the soft position S in the above state, the right cam 30 rotates clockwise via the first operating cable 41 and the third operating cable 43 , The left cam 30 is rotated clockwise, the engagement between each cam 30 and the cam receiving portion 31a is released, and the combination spring characteristics are switched. Here, the characteristic line B 1 shows the spring characteristic of the first spring 33 alone, and the characteristic line B shows the spring characteristic of the second spring 35 alone.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the shock absorbers 20 disposed on the left and right sides of the body frame 2 are erected so that the piston rod 22 is positioned above the cylinder 11, A dust cover 36 is attached to the piston rod 22 so as to surround the outer periphery thereof, and an intermediate spring receiving member 31 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the dust cover 36 so as to be movable in the axial direction, and the spring characteristics are switched. Since the cam 30 that constitutes the mechanism is arranged, the intermediate spring receiving member 31 and the cam 30 when the shock absorber 20 is erected are arranged on the piston rod 22 side, that is, above the shock absorber 20. It is possible to prevent interference with rear wheel sprockets, mufflers, etc. without increasing costs and complicating the structure.

In addition, since the cam 30 and the intermediate spring receiving member 31 are disposed outside the dust cover 36 disposed so as to surround the cylinder 21, the cam 30 and the intermediate spring receiving member 31 are attached to the piston rod 2. Thus, the problem that the piston stroke of the shock absorber 20 is restricted by the above member can be avoided.

In the present embodiment, since the wire diameter of the second spring 35 is smaller than the wire diameter of the first spring 33, the outer diameter of the second spring 35 can be suppressed accordingly, and the upper part of the shock absorber 20 can be suppressed. Therefore, the degree of freedom on the body layout can be increased, and the design can be improved. Further, the cam 30 can be arranged inside the second spring 35 of the shock absorber 20, and the size of the shock absorber 20 can be prevented.

Further, in the present embodiment, a cam 30 mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the dust cover 36 is rotatably disposed, and the cam 30 is moved to a non-movable position for fixing the intermediate spring receiving member 31. Alternatively, the switching mechanism is configured to rotate to the movable position allowing the movement of the intermediate spring receiving member 31, so that the switching mechanism can be configured with a simple structure simply by rotating the cam 30 and with a small number of parts. The required operating force can be reduced.

In the present embodiment, since the switching operation of each force 30 of the left and right shock absorbers 0 is performed simultaneously by one operating member 50, when the operating members are arranged on each cam 30, respectively. The number of parts can be reduced as compared with, and the switching operation can be easily performed in a single operation.

Since the operation member 50 is connected to the left and right cams 30 via the operation cables 41 to 43, the operation member 50 can be arranged at a position away from the shock absorber 20. The degree of freedom in the arrangement position can be increased. That is, since the operation member 50 is disposed inside the side cover 18 below the rear end of the seat 7, the operation member 50 is not exposed to the outside, so that it is possible to prevent the appearance from being deteriorated and to prevent the switching operation in the riding state or the traveling state. . Further, since the switching operation of each force 30 is performed by the three operation cables 41 to 43, the wiring structure can be simplified and the cost can be reduced. That is, when arranging the operation members on each cam, at least four operation cables are required, which complicates the wiring structure and increases the cost.

In the above embodiment, the case where the operating member 50 is attached to the seat rail 8 in the side cover 18 below the seat 7 has been described. However, the operating member of the present invention is provided around the steering handle 12, for example. The head pipe 10 may be arranged at a position above the head pipe 10 so that the driver can view it. This is the invention of claim 6. In this case, the switching operation can be easily performed, and since the operation lever 54 can be seen from the outside, the merchantability can be appealed.

FIGS. 14 and 15 show a second embodiment according to the invention of claim 7. The present embodiment is an example in which a footrest for a rear passenger is used also as an operation member.

In the figure, a drive umbrella fixed to the pivot 27 a of the foot left 27 for the rear passenger The gear 60 a is engaged with a driven bevel gear 6 Ob fixed to a rotating shaft 61 a arranged in the vehicle width direction of a pulley 61 rotatably arranged on the vehicle body side. The pulley 61 corresponds to the pulley 52 in FIG. 4, and cables 41 and 42 similar to those in FIG. 4 are connected.

When the footrest 27 is in the retracted position, the combined spring characteristic is obtained. When the footrest 27 is rotated to the use position, the cam 30 moves upward of the intermediate spring receiving member 31. And a single spring characteristic can be obtained.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the spring characteristics can be automatically switched using the rotation of the footrest 27 to the use position. In this case, it is also possible to attach a return prevention device to the footrest 27 so that it cannot be switched while riding.

Here, display means may be provided for indicating whether the intermediate spring receiving member 31 has been switched to a state in which the intermediate spring receiving member 31 is allowed to move with respect to the damper 20a or a state in which the movement is prevented. This is often the case with the invention of claim 8.

Specifically, the switching positions S and H of the operation lever 54 may be displayed on the indicator. For example, a switch may be provided on the operation lever 54 so that the lamp is turned on by the switch. With this configuration, the switching state can be visually confirmed, and the merchantability can be appealed.

The main lever switch may be configured to lock the operation lever and the switching mechanism. Further, the manual switching operation may be converted into a hydraulic pressure, and the switching mechanism may be driven by the hydraulic pressure. In such a case, the operating force can be significantly reduced. Further, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which switching is performed by an electric motor by switch operation. In this case, manual operation can be eliminated.

FIGS. 16 to 19 show a rear wheel cushion according to a third embodiment of the invention of claims 9 to 13. It is a figure for explaining a device. In the figures, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 2 to 4 indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Each of the rear wheel shock absorbers according to the present embodiment includes a shock absorber 20 disposed on the left and right sides of the vehicle body frame 2 in a forwardly inclined state so that the upper part is located closer to the front, and a spring characteristic of the shock absorber 20. A switching cam 30 and one operating member 50 for switching the respective cams 30 via an operating force transmitting member 40 are provided. The basic structure is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment. Therefore, the different parts will be described below.

The seat 7 has a structure in which a cushion material (not shown) is disposed on a resin bottom plate 56, and the outer surface of the cushion material is covered with a skin. The seat bottom plate 56 has a structure in which a bottom plate main body 56c and a frame portion 56b surrounding the outer periphery thereof are integrally formed.

A pair of left and right stoppers 56a, 56a is formed at the front and rear of the bottom plate main body 56c so as to protrude downward, so that each stopper 56a can contact the seat rail 8. ing. Also on the rear side of a stop part 5 6 a of the left and right of the bottom plate main body 5 6 c is mounted a rubber elastic member ₅ 7, the elastic member 5 7 is in contact with the seat rail 8. Here, the stopper portion 56a and the elastic member 57 are a pair of front and rear protrusions formed on the seat bottom plate. The seat rail 8 is disposed rearward so as to be higher toward the rear, and the seat bottom plate 56 is disposed slightly rearward as a whole. Therefore, when viewed from the side of the vehicle, a slight gap c is formed between the seat rail 8 and the seat bottom plate 56.

A ring plate 38 is attached and fixed to the engaging portion 30 b of each cam 30 of the left and right shock absorbers 20, and a pair of guide grooves 38 a is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the ring plate 38. , 38 a are formed. A bracket 39 is fixed to the mounting bosses 22a of the left and right dampers 20a. The bracket 39 has a substantially T-shape in which a support piece 39b is formed by bending the outer end of a tongue-shaped fixing piece 39a, and a damper 20 is provided at the center of the support piece 39b. A damping force adjustment valve for adjusting the damping force of Is being worn.

The operating member 50 has a structure in which an operating knob 50b is connected to a cylindrical body 50a disposed on the left damper 20a so as to surround the outer periphery of the second spring 35. A flange 37 is fixed to the upper end of the cylindrical body 50a, and the flange 37 is fixedly held between the ring plate 38 and the engaging portion 30b. Thus, when the operation member 50 is rotated, the cam 30 is rotated together with the ring plate 38.

The operating force transmitting member 40 is constituted by first and second wire cables 41 and 42 having flexibility. Each of the wire cables 41, 4 has inner cables 41b, 42b inserted into outer tubes 41a, 42a so as to be relatively movable.

The ends of the outer tubes 4 la and 42 a of the first and second wire cables 41 and 4 are connected and fixed to the support pieces 39 b of the left and right brackets 39, respectively. The ends of 1 b and 42 b are routed in the guide grooves 38 a of the left and right ring plates 38, respectively, and are connected in the middle of the ring plates 38.

The first and second wire cables 41 and 42 extend rearward in a substantially tangential direction of the left and right cams 30 and 30, and then a gap between the seat rail 8 and the seat bottom plate 57. It is routed in the width direction of the vehicle so as to pass between c and the elastic member 57. Further, the first and second wire cables 41 and 42 are routed along the upper surface of a ryafender 59 arranged between the left and right seat rails 8. The wire cables 41 and 42 may be routed near the front side of the stopper P 56 a or near the rear side of the elastic member 57.

When the operating knob 50b of the operating member 50 is at the soft position S, the intermediate spring receiving member 31 is allowed to move in the axial direction at the movable position. As a result, a combined spring characteristic with a small spring constant obtained by combining the first and second springs 33, 35 with the rain methods is obtained. Can be

When the operating member 50 is rotated from the soft position S to the hard position H, the left ring plate 38 and the cam 30 rotate counterclockwise, and this rotation is performed by the first wire cable. It is transmitted to the right ring plate 38 via 41, and the ring plate 38 and the cam 30 rotate counterclockwise. Then, the cam surfaces 3Od of the left and right cams 30 are engaged with the cam receiving portions 31a, so that the intermediate spring receiving member 31 is fixed at the immovable position. Thereby, the first spring 33 is switched to the single spring characteristic having a large spring constant by itself.

When the operating member 50 is returned to the soft position S in this state, the left cam 30 rotates clockwise and the right cam 30 rotates clockwise via the second wire cable 41. Then, the engagement between each cam 30 and the cam receiving portion 31a is released, and the combination spring characteristics are switched.

According to the third embodiment, the cams 30 disposed on the pair of right and left shock absorbers 20 are connected to each other by the first and second wire cables 41, 42 via the ring plate 38. By rotating the operating member 50 connected to the left cam 30, the left cam 30 is rotated, and this rotating operation is performed by the first and second wire caps 41, 42. , The spring characteristics of the left and right shock absorbers 20 can be switched simultaneously with one operating member 50, and the switching operation can be performed easily. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced as compared with the case where operating members are arranged on the left and right cams 30 respectively.

In addition, the first and second wire cables 41 and 42 are extended from the shock absorber 20 arranged in the forwardly inclined state to the rear slightly upward rather than in the vehicle width direction, and furthermore, the seat rail 8 and the seat bottom plate 5 6 Since the wires are routed so as to pass through the portion sandwiched between the two, the wire cable routing structure for connecting the spring characteristic switching mechanisms of the left and right shock absorbers 20 can be simplified. In addition, since the wire cables 4 1 and 4 2 move up and down together with the wire cable connection portion of the shock absorber 20 and the seat rail 8, the wire cable 4 1 , 42 can be prevented from applying unnecessary external force.

Since the operating member 50 is integrally attached to the cam 30 of the damper 20a on the left side, the entire arrangement space can be reduced as compared to, for example, disposing the operating member at a different position from the left and right shock absorbers. Can be smaller. Further, since the operation member 50 is disposed on the rear side of the rider, it is difficult for the rider to perform the switching operation in the riding state or the traveling state, and thus the operation in the traveling state can be suppressed.

In the present embodiment, since the operating force transmitting member 40 is made of the flexible wire cables 41 and 42, it is easy to connect the left and right shock absorbers 20 and 20. Can be.

Since the first and second wire cables 41 and 42 are routed so as to pass between the stopper 咅 56 a of the gap c between the seat rail 8 and the seat bottom plate 56 and the elastic member 57, the seat The cable can be routed by effectively utilizing the empty space between the rail 8 and the seat bottom plate 56, and the existing gap c between the stopper 咅 P 56 a and the seat rail 8 can be effectively utilized. It is possible to prevent unnecessary external force from being applied to the wire cables 41 and 42.

In the third embodiment, the wire cable is routed so as to connect the left and right shock absorbers through the rear side of the shock absorber 20. However, the wire cables pass through the front side of the shock absorber 20 and the left and right shock absorbers. It is also possible to arrange them so as to connect them. This is the invention of claim 14. In this case, the same operation and effect as in the third embodiment can be obtained.

Claims

The scope of the claims

1. A damper having a piston inserted into the cylinder, a piston connected at one end to the piston, and a biston rod having the other end protruding outward from one end of the cylinder, and movable in the axial direction of the biston rod. An intermediate spring receiving member provided radially outside of the damper, a first spring receiving seat provided at the other end of the cylinder, and an intermediate spring receiving member and the intermediate spring receiving member. A first spring provided on the other end of the piston rod, a second spring receiving seat provided on the other end of the piston rod, and a second spring provided between the second spring receiving seat and the intermediate spring receiving member. A spring characteristic switching mechanism for selectively switching between a state in which the intermediate spring receiving member is allowed to move with respect to the damper and a state in which the intermediate spring receiving member is prevented from moving with respect to the damper; After having The other end of the cylinder is connected to a limb supported on the body frame so as to be able to swing up and down and the other end of the piston rod is positioned above the cylinder. A cover that is connected to the frame and covers the other end of the biston rod from outside; and the intermediate spring receiving member and the spring characteristic switching mechanism are provided outside the cover. Motorcycle. .

2. The motorcycle according to claim 1, wherein the spring wire diameter of the second spring is set smaller than the spring wire diameter of the first spring.

3. The automatic book reader according to claim 1, wherein the spring characteristic switching mechanism includes a cam for preventing the intermediate spring receiving member from moving with respect to the damper.

4. In any one of claims 1 to 3, the rear wheel shock absorber is provided as a pair of left and right wheels, and the pair of rear wheel shock absorbers each include a spring characteristic switching mechanism. A motorcycle comprising a single operating member for operating a spring characteristic switching mechanism.

5. The operation member according to claim 4, wherein the operation member is disposed inside the vehicle body cover below the seat. A motorcycle characterized by being made.

6. The motorcycle according to claim 4, wherein the operation member is disposed around a steering handle.

7. The retractable footrest for a rear-seat occupant according to claim 4, wherein the footrest and the operating member are connected so as to be interlocked, and the footrest is turned to a use state. The motorcycle, wherein the spring characteristic switching mechanism is configured to switch to a state in which the intermediate spring receiving member is prevented from moving with respect to the damper.

8. The spring characteristic switching mechanism according to any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the intermediate spring receiving member is allowed to move with respect to the damper, and the intermediate spring receiving member is moved relative to the damper. A motorcycle comprising a display means for displaying which state is being switched to a state where movement is prevented.

9. In claim 4, an operating force transmitting member for transmitting the operation of the operating member to the spring characteristic switching mechanism is provided, and the operating force transmitting member is disposed so as to pass through a space sandwiched between the vehicle body components. A motorcycle characterized by being made.

10. The motorcycle book-table according to claim 4, wherein the operating member is integrally attached to a spring characteristic switching mechanism provided in one of the rear wheel shock absorbers.

11. The vehicle according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the operating force transmitting member extends rearward or forward from each of the rear wheel shock absorbers, and is disposed so as to pass through a space sandwiched by vehicle body components. A motorcycle characterized by the following.

12. In claim 9 or 10, the pair of rear wheel shock absorbers are arranged in a forwardly inclined state so as to be located closer to the upper side, and the operating force transmitting member is a linear member having flexibility. A motorcycle having a structure and extending rearward from each of the rear wheel shock absorbers, and routed so as to pass through a space sandwiched between a seat rail and a seat bottom plate.

13. In claim 12, the seat bottom plate is provided with a pair of front and rear protrusions protruding toward the seat rail, and the operating force transmitting member is provided between or near the pair of front and rear protrusions. A motorcycle characterized by being routed so as to pass therethrough.

14. In Claim 9 or 10, the pair of rear wheel shock absorbers are disposed in a forwardly inclined state so as to be located closer to the front toward the top, and the operating force transmitting member is a linear member having flexibility. And a motorcycle extending forward from each of the rear wheel shock absorbers and routed so as to pass through a space between the seat rail and the seat bottom plate.

15. In claim 9, the operating force transmitting member is constituted by a wire cable having an inner cable inserted into the outer tube so as to be relatively movable, and one end of the wire cable has one spring characteristic. A motorcycle connected to a switching mechanism, extending rearward from the spring characteristic switching mechanism, and disposed so as to pass through a space sandwiched between vehicle body components.

16. A damper having a piston inserted into the cylinder, a piston connected at one end to the piston, and a piston rod at the other end protruding outward from one end of the cylinder, and moving in the axial direction of the piston rod. An intermediate spring receiving member provided on a radially outer side of the damper, a first spring receiving seat provided on the other end of the cylinder, and a portion between the first spring receiving seat and the intermediate spring receiving member. A second spring receiving seat provided at the other end of the piston rod, and a second spring provided between the second spring receiving seat and the intermediate spring receiving member. A spring characteristic switching mechanism for selectively switching between a state in which the intermediate spring receiving member is allowed to move with respect to the damper and a state in which the intermediate spring receiving member is prevented from moving with respect to the damper. Having An operating member for operating the spring characteristic switching mechanism is provided, the operating force transmitting member for transmitting the operation of the operating member to the spring characteristic switching mechanism is provided; A motorcycle characterized by being arranged so as to pass through a space sandwiched between body components.

17. In claim 16, the rear wheel shock absorber is provided as a pair of left and right wheels, and the pair of rear wheel shock absorbers each include a spring characteristic switching mechanism, and a pair of spring characteristic switching mechanisms. A motorcycle provided with a single operating member for operating the vehicle.