Land vehicles – Wheeled – Occupant propelled type
Patent
1982-03-31
1984-03-20
Song, Robert R.
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Occupant propelled type
267175, 267177, 280703, B62K 2508
Patent
active
044376782
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a vehicular suspension.
It is well known that the front suspension members of a vehicle become heavily loaded during brake applications. This compression or "dive" has the effect of reducing the effective suspension travel available to cope with road surface irregularities, of affecting the level attitude of the vehicle, and therefore affecting steering geometry.
The need to control this tendency has particular significance in short wheelbase vehicles where small suspension compressions acting over a short base produce more pronounced angles of dive or in vehicles with softly sprung long travel suspensions. It will be appreciated that suspension dive is therefore a particularly serious problem in motorcycle suspensions but is also a problem in other vehicles such as automobiles.
The object of the present invention is to provide a novel form of suspension which ameliorates the effect of suspension dive.
According to the present invention there is provided a vehicle comprising a chassis, at least one wheel, a suspension for resiliently mounting the wheel relative to the chassis, brake means for applying a braking torque to said wheel, suspension adjustment means coupled to said brake means and operable to increase resilient loading of the suspension when said brake means produces a braking torque on said wheel and means for transmitting at least part of the reaction torque to the braking torque to said adjustment means. In the arrangement defined above the suspension adjustment means are operated independently of any loading which might be applied to the suspension means in consequence of braking of the vehicle. Thus, the arrangement of the invention can be considered to increase the resistance of the suspension under vehicle braking to thereby effectively reduce suspension dive.
Preferably, the suspension includes a compression spring and said suspension adjustment means is operable to compress the spring.
Preferably further, the suspension includes a telescopic suspension strut having first and second tubular members telescopically coupled together with said compression spring therein and wherein said adjustment means is operable to adjust the compressive forces applied to said spring without affecting the relative positions of said first and second members.
Preferably further, said suspension adjustment means includes an actuating hydraulic cylinder arranged to be pressurized by reaction torques to said braking torque, said adjustment means including a piston located in the telescopic suspension strut, and hydraulic line being connected between said cylinder and the strut, the arrangement being such that variations of pressure within said cylinder causes the piston to move to thereby compress said spring.
The hydraulic system could have a facility for being pre-charged with hydraulic pressure so that no initial movement of the master cylinder is spent in bringing the system to operating pressure. Further, this facility could be employed to provide a means of adjusting the suspension pre-load, by pumping up the system to increase the initial spring pre-load.
Preferably further, the brake comprises a disc brake and the arrangement is such that said hydraulic cylinder is engaged by the brake caliper or pad in the disc brake. Where the brake comprises a drum brake the hydraulic cylinder is engaged by the brake shoes.
The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a front suspension and brake of a motorcycle,
FIGS. 2 and 3 are more detailed views of parts of the suspension shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 illustrates part of a suspension and brake system for a motorcycle. It comprises a telescopic suspension strut 2 comprising a lower tubular portion 4, the lower end of which is connected to the bearing assembly (not shown) for the wheel. The strut includes an upper tubular portion 6 which is telescopically mounted within the portion 4 and located within the portion 6 is a compression spring 8. Normally th
REFERENCES:
patent: 3989261 (1976-11-01), Kamaguchi
patent: 4159105 (1979-06-01), Vander Laan et al.
patent: 4159123 (1979-06-01), Petty
patent: 4295658 (1981-10-01), Kashima
patent: 4367882 (1983-01-01), Alexander et al.
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