Air spring

Details Air spring Air spring

2001-05-17

2003-04-08

Lavinder, Jack (Department: 3683)

Spring devices

Vehicle

Comprising compressible fluid

C267S064220, C267S064260, C267S064160, C188S317000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06543754

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an air spring which is disposed between a vehicle wheel and the body of a two-wheeled vehicle in order to absorb vibration.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The provision of an air spring between a vehicle wheel and vehicle body in modern bicycles improves riding comfort by absorbing road surface vibrations when the bicycle is running.
Various types of air springs have been proposed and an example thereof is shown in FIG.
9
.
This type of air spring comprises an air chamber A which is partitioned by a piston
103
in a cylinder
101
and an air chamber B in a tank
110
which is separated from cylinder
101
. The air chambers A and B which are filled with pressurized air connected by a passage
108
. The air chambers A, B are connected and disconnected as a result of switching operations performed by a switch valve
109
which is provided in the passage
108
connecting the chambers.
When the air chambers A, B are connected, the effective volume of the air spring is increased with the result that a low spring force is applied. When the air chambers A, B are disconnected, a small effective volume corresponding to only the air chamber a results in a high spring force.
For example, a piston rod
102
is connected to the vehicle wheel and the cylinder
101
is connected to the vehicle body in this air spring. An air chamber C disposed opposite the piston
103
is at atmospheric pressure.
A bicycle comprising an air spring allows the rider to switch the switch valve
109
in order to select a hard ride based on a high spring force or a soft ride based on a low spring force when riding the bicycle.
However a tank
110
which is separate from the cylinder
101
is required in the air spring in order to switch between a high and low spring force. Moreover the capacity of this tank
110
must be large in order to increase the differential variation (width thereof) of the spring force resulting from switching.
As a result, the problem has arisen that the overall size of the spring is increased.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide an air spring enabling two clearly distinct spring characteristics in a compact unit.
In order to achieve above the object, the invention provides an air spring for a two-wheeled vehicle, the air spring being disposed between a vehicle body and a vehicle wheel. The air spring comprises a piston which slides in a cylinder member, a rod member which is engaged with the piston, a rod-side air chamber and a piston-side air chamber which are partitioned in the cylinder member by the piston and are filled with compressed air, a passage which connects the two air chambers, and a switch valve which opens and closes the passage.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3202413 (1965-08-01), Colmerauer
patent: 3856287 (1974-12-01), Freitag
patent: 4944705 (1990-07-01), Kashima et al.
patent: 5275264 (1994-01-01), Isella
patent: 5681234 (1997-10-01), Ethington
patent: 5775677 (1998-07-01), Englund
patent: 5971116 (1999-10-01), Franklin

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