Land vehicles – Wheeled – Occupant propelled type
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-15
2002-11-26
Boehler, Anne Marie (Department: 3611)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Occupant propelled type
C280S275000, C280S277000, C280S279000, C280S286000, C403S054000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06485043
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a front suspension structure for a motorcycle or the like, in which a shock absorber and a front fork are separated.
Description of Background Art
As a motorcycle front suspension structure, a shock absorber is not assembled inside a front fork, but is arranged independently, as shown in FIG.
6
. With this front suspension structure, a steering stem
101
is attached to a head pipe
100
so as to be capable of rotation, a top bridge
102
is provided on an upper end of the steering stem
101
while a bottom bridge
103
is provided on a lower end, a front fork
104
is supported by the top bridge
102
and the bottom bridge
103
, the lower end of the front fork
104
and an axle
105
of the front wheel are linked by an axle support shaft
106
, an upper end of a shock absorber
107
is attached to a cushion upper bracket
113
arranged on a lower end of the top bridge
102
, a lower end of the shock absorber
107
is attached to a cushion arm
108
having one end pivoted at the bottom bridge
103
, the cushion arm
108
and the axle support shaft
105
are linked by a push rod
109
, and the vibration of the axle support shaft
105
is conveyed to the shock absorber
108
through the push rod
109
and the cushion arm
108
.
It is possible to adjust the length of the push rod
109
, making it possible to easily change the setting of the damping characteristics, and a lower end section of the push rod
109
has a two-legged section
110
, as shown in
FIG. 7
, with a bearing section
111
of the axle support arm being fitted inside the two-legged section and joined from the side using a bolt
112
.
A related structure is disclosed in Japanese Patent laid-open No. Hei. 6-47396, wherein a shock absorber is arranged between an axle support arm and a front fork without a push rod being provided. Vibrations of the axle support arm are conveyed to the shock absorber directly.
Regardless of the way in which the vibrations of the axle support shaft are conveyed to the shock absorber, the lower end of a shock absorber or push rod connecting to the axle support arm has a two-legged section
110
, as described above. Therefore, if the axle support arm vibrates, the relationship between the two-legged section
110
and the axle support arm
105
is as shown in FIGS.
8
(
a
)-(
c
).
Accordingly, in order to prevent interference between the two-legged section
110
and the axle support arm
105
it is necessary to make both sides
111
a
,
111
a
of sections that provide a bearing section
111
of the axle support arm in a hollowed out shape. In order to endow the axle support arm with the necessary rigidity for these conditions, the axle support arm must be made thick, which increases the weight.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the above described problems, the present invention provides a front suspension structure for a motorcycle, having an axle support arm linking between a lower end of a front fork and a front wheel axle, with the rotation of the axle support arm being conveyed to a shock absorber either directly or through a push rod, wherein indented sections opening upwards are formed in the axle support arm, a lower end of the push rod or a lower end of the shock absorber is fitted into the indented section, and is rotatably linked to a shaft from a side direction via a bearing.
In this way, by making the shape of the axle support arm like an arc or a chevron, there is no need to consider avoiding interference between the axle support arm and the lower end of the pushrod or the lower end of the shock absorber, and the degree of freedom with regard to the shape is increased, making it possible to achieve the necessary rigidity without any accompanying increase in weight.
Also, by using a bolt as a shaft for rotatably supporting a lower end of the push rod or a lower end of the shock absorber, and positioning a head section of this bolt at a front wheel side, the bolt head section is not externally exposed, improving the external appearance.
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.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3954284 (1976-05-01), Phillips et al.
patent: 4180280 (1979-12-01), Doveri
patent: 4775163 (1988-10-01), McGowan et al.
patent: 4776609 (1988-10-01), Pan et al.
patent: 5186274 (1993-02-01), Hegman
patent: 6152472 (2000-11-01), Woodside
patent: 6155370 (2000-12-01), Iwai et al.
patent: 6164675 (2000-12-01), Pickering
patent: 6336647 (2002-01-01), Iwai et al.
patent: 2001/0019197 (2001-09-01), Ito et al.
patent: 2687976 (1993-09-01), None
patent: 2106843 (1983-04-01), None
patent: 2647396 (1994-06-01), None
Ito Shinji
Iwai Toshiyuki
Boehler Anne Marie
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Yeagley Daniel
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