Methods and apparatus for suspension adjustment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10036443-B2
Application number	US-201113022346-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2011
Priority date	Mar 19, 2009
Publication date	Jul 31, 2018
Grant date	Jul 31, 2018

Abstract

Methods and apparatus of a system for vehicles comprising a vehicle suspension, a sensor operable to measure an operational characteristic of the vehicle suspension, and a processor in communication with the sensor that is operable to suggest an operational setting of the vehicle suspension in response to an input from the sensor corresponding to the operational characteristic. A method for adjusting a suspension of a vehicle may comprise receiving suspension data with a processor, calculating a suspension setting suggestion with the processor, communicating the suspension setting suggestion to a user interface device, and adjusting the suspension based on the suspension setting suggestion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for a vehicle, comprising:
a rear vehicle suspension;
a first sensor positioned proximate a rear axle of the vehicle, the first sensor to sense changes in a terrain, said first sensor comprising:
a piezoelectric high frequency exciter coupled to a telescopic tube of said rear vehicle suspension, said piezoelectric high frequency exciter configured such that it substantially continuously induces impacts to said telescopic tube;

a second sensor coupled with the rear vehicle suspension, the second sensor to measure suspension operational characteristics of the rear vehicle suspension, said second sensor comprising:
a piezoelectric accelerometer coupled to said telescopic tube, said piezoelectric accelerometer configured such that it monitors vibration of said telescopic tube; and

a processor in communication with the first sensor and the second sensor, the processor operable to suggest an operational setting of the rear vehicle suspension in response to an input from the first sensor and the second sensor corresponding to a sensed change in terrain and the rear vehicle suspension operational characteristics, respectively, the suggested operational setting to enable the rear vehicle suspensions to achieve target level rear vehicle suspension capabilities over a given terrain, wherein the suggested operational setting is displayed on a device in communication with the processor as at least an instruction via an alphanumeric command prompt to a user.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a front vehicle suspension; and
a third sensor coupled with the front vehicle suspension the third sensor to measure suspension operational characteristics of the front vehicle suspension.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor and the second sensor includes a position sensor, and wherein the suspension operational characteristics of the rear vehicle suspension include a position of the rear vehicle suspension.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the position of the rear vehicle suspension corresponds to a stroke of the rear vehicle suspension during compression or rebound.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the suspension system includes a damper valve, and the suspension operational characteristics of the rear vehicle suspension is a position of the damper valve between a full open setting and a full closed setting.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is in communication with the first sensor and the second sensor via at least one of wired communication and wireless communication.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second sensor is operable to measure a plurality of suspension operational characteristics of the rear vehicle suspension, wherein the plurality of suspension operational characteristics of the rear vehicle suspension include position, velocity, and acceleration.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second sensor comprises a GPS.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the device coupled with the processor is at least one of a computer system and a communication device, each operable to communicate with the processor and display data corresponding to the operational characteristic measured by the sensor.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one computer system and communication device includes at least one of a personal desktop computer, a laptop computer, and a hand-held personal computing device.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one computer system and communication device is operable to adjust the rear vehicle suspension to the operational setting suggested by the processor.

12. A system for a vehicle, comprising:
a first sensor position proximate a rear axle of the vehicle, the first sensor to sense changes in a terrain;
a second sensor coupled with a front vehicle suspension, the second sensor to measure suspension operational characteristics of the front vehicle suspension, said second sensor comprising:
a piezoelectric high frequency exciter coupled to a telescopic tube of said front vehicle suspension, said piezoelectric high frequency exciter configured such that it substantially continuously induces impacts to said telescopic tube; and
a piezoelectric accelerometer coupled to said telescopic tube, said piezoelectric accelerometer configured such that it monitors vibration of said telescopic tube;

a processor operable to receive data from the first sensor and the second sensor corresponding to the suspension operational characteristics of the front vehicle suspension; and
a communication device operable to receive data from the processor and display, on a device coupled with the processor, information regarding the suspension operational characteristics of the front vehicle suspension, wherein the information comprises a suggested operational setting of the front vehicle suspension, the suggested operational setting to enable the front vehicle suspension to achieve target level front vehicle suspension capabilities over a given terrain, wherein the suggested operational setting is displayed on a device in communication with the processor as at least an instruction via an alphanumeric command prompt to a user.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the communication device includes a software program operable to generate the information based on the data received from the processor.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first sensor and the second sensor include a position sensor, and wherein the suspension operational characteristics of the front vehicle suspension includes an initial sag, compression, or rebound setting of the front vehicle suspension.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the processor is in communication with at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor via at least one of wired communication and wireless communication.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the processor is in communication with the communication device via at least one of wired communication and wireless communication.

17. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a computer system operable to receive the data from the processor and display the data corresponding to the suspension operational characteristics of the front vehicle suspension.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the communication device is operable to adjust the suspension operational characteristics of the front vehicle suspension to a recommended setting.

19. A method for adjusting a vehicle suspension of a vehicle, comprising:
receiving vehicle suspension data with a processor, wherein the vehicle suspension data comprises:
sensor data from a first sensor comprising a piezoelectric high frequency exciter coupled to a telescopic tube of said vehicle suspension, said piezoelectric high frequency exciter substantially continuously inducing impacts to said telescopic tube, the first sensor to sense changes in a terrain;
sensor data from a second sensor coupled with a rear vehicle suspension, said second sensor comprising a piezoelectric accelerometer coupled to said telescopic tube, said piezoelectric accelerometer configured such that it monitors vibration of said telescopic tube, the second sensor to measure suspension operational characteristics of the rear vehicle suspension;
sensor data from a third sensor coupled with a front vehicle suspension, the set of sensors third sensor to measure suspension operational characteristics of the front vehicle suspension;

calculating a vehicle suspension setting suggestion with the processor, the vehicle suspension setti

Assignees

• Galasso Mario
• Franklin Joseph
• Laird Andrew
• Fox Robert C
• Fox Factory Inc

Inventors

• Galasso Mario
• Franklin Joseph
• Laird Andrew
• Fox Robert C

Classifications

• F16F9/3264 Primary

  Arrangements for indicating, e.g. fluid level; Arrangements for checking dampers (F16F9/3292 takes precedence; testing of vehicle damping G01M17/04) · CPC title

• F16F2228/08

  pre-stressed · CPC title

• B62K25/286

  the shock absorber being connected to the chain-stay via a linkage mechanism · CPC title

• B62K25/04

  for mounting axles resiliently on cycle frame or fork (for sidecars, forecars or the like B62K27/06) · CPC title