Motor vehicles – Special wheel base – Having only two wheels
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-22
2004-04-20
Morris, Lesley D. (Department: 3611)
Motor vehicles
Special wheel base
Having only two wheels
C280S283000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06722461
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This nonprovisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) on Patent Application No. 2001-105335 filed in Japan on Apr. 4, 2001, the entirety of which is herein incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rear suspension attachment structure for a motorcycle, and more particularly to a rear suspension attachment structure providing increasing degrees of freedom of design shape, dimension, an attachment position or the like of a contiguous part. The present invention narrows an interval of an attachment portion while maintaining a stroke amount of a shock absorbing member and concentrating parts at an end portion of the shock absorbing member.
2. Description of the Background Art
FIG. 10
is a side view of a vehicle of the background art incorporating a conventional rear suspension attachment structure. In
FIG. 10
, a vehicle
100
having a conventional rear suspension
103
, a power unit
102
constituted by an engine and a transmission attached to a lower portion of a vehicle body frame
101
of the vehicle
100
is shown. The rear suspension
103
is arranged at rear portions of the vehicle body frame
101
and the power unit
102
.
The rear suspension
103
includes a swing arm
104
swingably attached to the rear portion of the power unit
102
, a rear wheel
105
attached to a rear end of the swing arm
104
, and one end of a shock absorber
106
attached to the rear portion of the vehicle body frame
101
. A first link member
107
is attached to the swing arm
104
and is connected to other end of the shock absorber
106
, and a second link member
108
attached to the power unit
102
is connected to the first link member
107
. The vehicle
100
also includes a head pipe
111
attached to a front end of the vehicle body frame
101
, a front fork
112
rotatably attached to the head pipe
111
and a front wheel
113
.
The shock absorber or shock absorbing member
106
includes a first attachment portion
116
provided at an end portion of a cylinder portion
115
to the vehicle body frame
101
and a second attachment portion
117
provided at an other end thereof to the first link member
107
. The shock absorber
107
includes a stroke amount that effects the length of an interval L1, e.g., an interval L1 between the first attachment portion
116
and the second attachment portion
117
of the shock absorber
106
. When a necessary amount of stroke of the shock absorber
106
effecting influence on running performance and ride quality of the vehicle
100
is enlarged, e.g. the interval L1 is increased, a position of the first attachment portion
116
is ultimately raised to a position higher with respect to the vehicle frame.
Accordingly, shapes and attachment positions of a seat, a fuel tank and the like arranged on an upper side of the vehicle frame are undesirably restricted. Alternatively, a position of the second attachment portion
117
is lowered and lengths and attachment positions of the first and the second link members
107
and
108
arranged on a lower side are also restricted. Further, it is difficult to arrange other parts in positions surrounding the first and the second attachment portions
116
and
117
of the shock absorber
106
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings associated with the background art and achieves other advantages not realized by the background art.
An aspect of the present invention is to provide a rear suspension attachment structure that narrows an interval between attachment positions for a rear shock absorber or shock absorber.
An aspect of the present invention is to increase the degree of freedom of vehicle frame and rear suspension design with respect to shape, dimension, an attachment position or the like of part(s) contiguous to an end portion of the rear shock absorber and rear suspension of a vehicle such as a motorcycle.
These and other aspects of the present invention are accomplished by a rear suspension attachment structure for a motorcycle having a vehicle body, the vehicle body including a rear wheel and a power unit, the rear suspension attachment structure comprising a swing arm having first end and a second end, the first end being swingably attached to a pivotal shaft provided on the vehicle body and the second end being attached to the rear wheel; a shock absorber having a cylinder and a lower end, the cylinder including a side face, the lower end of the rear shock absorber being connected to the side of the vehicle body; and an attachment member, the side face of the cylinder of the rear shock absorber being attached to the swing arm via the attachment member.
These and other aspects of the present invention are accomplished by a rear suspension attachment structure for a vehicle comprising a swing arm, said swing arm having a generally trapezoidal shape with a middle portion, a first swing arm end and a second swing arm end; a rear shock absorber having an upper end and a lower end; at least one upper bracket for said swing arm, said upper end of said rear shock absorber being attached to the middle portion of the swing arm at said at least one upper bracket; at least one lower bracket for said swing arm; and a link mechanism being attached to said swing arm by said at least one lower bracket.
According to a rear suspension attachment structure of the present invention, one end of a swing arm is swingably attached to a pivotal shaft provided on a side of a vehicle body and a rear wheel is attached to other end of the swing arm. A side face of a cylinder of a rear shock absorber is attached to the swing arm via an attachment member and a lower end of the rear shock absorber is connected to the side of the vehicle body. Accordingly, an interval between an attachment portion of the rear shock absorber on a side of the swing arm and an attachment portion thereof on a side of the vehicle body when the rear shock absorber is attached between the swing arm and side of the vehicle body can be reduced. A new space can also be formed at an area surrounding an end portion of the rear shock absorber.
Therefore, the degrees of freedom of shape, dimension and attachment positions of contiguous parts to the end portion of the rear shock absorber can be desirably increased. Further, additional/alternative parts can be arranged at the area surrounding the end portion of the rear shock absorber
34
.
A male screw can be formed at the side face of the cylinder and coupled with a female screw portion formed at the attachment member. Accordingly, by rotating the cylinder, the cylinder can be moved in a direction of the extension of a cylinder axis relative to the attachment member. An interval between the attachment portion of the rear cushion on the side of the swing arm and the attachment portion of the rear cushion on the side of the vehicle body can be changed and a position on the side of the vehicle body can be moved upwardly and downwardly as desired.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
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Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Morris Lesley D.
Royal, Jr. Paul
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