Suspension device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9725130-B2
Application number	US-201314437892-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2013
Priority date	Oct 25, 2012
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

A suspension device includes two telescopic elements and achieves reduction in a size of a vehicle including the suspension device while securing rigidity sufficient to endure a load applied from a road surface to a wheel supported by the suspension device. A second outer member is smaller than a first outer member and is connected to the first outer member via a first connection portion and a second connection portion arranged in the extension/contraction direction of a second telescopic element, the second outer member is connected to the first outer member via a first connection portion and a second connection portion arranged in the extension/contraction direction of the second telescopic element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A suspension device comprising:
a first telescopic element including a first outer portion and a first inner portion of which one end portion is inserted into the first outer portion, and configured to extend/contract by relative movement of the first inner portion with respect to the first outer portion;
a second telescopic element including a second outer portion which is connected to the first outer portion and a second inner portion of which one end portion is inserted into the second outer portion and which is connected to the first inner portion, and being configured to extend/contract by relative movement of the second inner portion with respect to the second outer portion;
a wheel support portion configured to support a wheel on one of an outer element including the first outer portion, the second outer portion and an outer connection portion connecting the first outer portion and the second outer portion and an inner element including the first inner portion, the second inner portion and an inner connection portion connecting the first inner portion and the second inner portion; and
a vehicle body support portion including a side member support portion and the inner connection portion, and configured to support the other one of the outer element and the inner element, on the vehicle body of the vehicle; wherein
the second outer portion is smaller than the first outer portion and connected to the first outer portion via a plurality of the outer connection portions arranged in an extension/contraction direction of the second telescopic element;
the second inner portion has a size equal to or smaller than the first inner portion and connected to the first inner portion via at least one inner connection portion; and
the second telescopic element is configured such that:
when viewed from a rotation axis direction of the wheel supported on the wheel support portion, the second telescopic element is disposed at a position in which the extension/contraction direction of the second telescopic element is parallel or substantially parallel with the extension/contraction direction of the first telescopic element; and
when viewed from any one direction vertical with respect to the rotation axis of the wheel supported on the wheel support portion, the second telescopic element is disposed at a position in which the second telescopic element is overlapped with at least a portion of the first telescopic element.

2. The suspension device according to claim 1 , wherein the second outer portion is:
shorter than the first outer portion in the extension/contraction direction of the second telescopic element; and
connected to the first outer portion via the plurality of outer connection portions arranged in the extension/contraction direction of the second telescopic element.

3. The suspension device according to claim 1 , wherein
the second telescopic element is shorter than the first telescopic element; and
at least one of the first telescopic element and the second telescopic element includes a component support portion configured to support components in a concave portion that includes the first telescopic element and the second telescopic element as viewed from the rotation axis direction of the wheel supported on the wheel support portion.

4. The suspension device according to claim 3 , wherein the concave portion is provided in the outer element.

5. The suspension device according to claim 4 , wherein the inner connection portion connects the other end portion of the first inner portion to the other end portion of the second inner portion.

6. The suspension device according to claim 1 , wherein the wheel support portion is provided on the outer element and the vehicle body support portion is provided on the inner element.

7. The suspension device according to claim 6 , wherein
the inner connection portion connects the other end portion of the first inner portion to the other end portion of the second inner portion; and
the vehicle body support portion is provided on the inner connection portion.

8. The suspension device according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle body support portion is provided on the outer element.

9. The suspension device according to claim 8 , wherein the vehicle body support portion is provided on the first outer portion.

10. The suspension device according to claim 1 , wherein the inner connection portion connects the other end portion of the first inner portion to the other end portion of the second inner portion at the same position in the extension/contraction direction of the second telescopic element.

11. The suspension device according to claim 1 , wherein the second inner portion is smaller than the first inner portion in the direction vertical with respect to the extension/contraction direction of the second telescopic element as viewed from the rotation axis direction of the wheel supported on the wheel support portion and is also smaller than the first inner portion in the direction vertical with respect to the extension/contraction direction of the second telescopic element as viewed from any one direction vertical with respect to the rotation axis of the wheel supported on the wheel support portion.

12. The suspension device according to claim 1 , wherein the second outer portion is shorter than the first outer portion.

13. A vehicle having a vehicle body, a first front wheel disposed on a left side in a vehicle width direction and a second front wheel disposed on a right side in the vehicle width direction,
wherein the first front wheel is supported by a first suspension device and the second front wheel is supported by a second suspension device, each suspension device comprises:
a first telescopic element including a first outer portion and a first inner portion of which one end portion is inserted into the first outer portion, and configured to extend/contract by relative movement of the first inner portion with respect to the first outer portion;
a second telescopic element including a second outer portion which is connected to the first outer portion and a second inner portion of which one end portion is inserted into the second outer portion and which is connected to the first inner portion, and being configured to extend/contract by relative movement of the second inner portion with respect to the second outer portion;
a wheel support portion configured to support a wheel on one of an outer element including the first outer portion, the second outer portion and an outer connection portion connecting the first outer portion and the second outer portion and an inner element including the first inner portion, the second inner portion and an inner connection portion connecting the first inner portion and the second inner portion; and
a vehicle body support portion including a side member support portion and the inner connection portion, and configured to support the other one of the outer element and the inner element, on the vehicle body of the vehicle; wherein
the second outer portion is smaller than the first outer portion and connected to the first outer portion via a plurality of the outer connection portions arranged in an extension/contraction direction of the second telescopic element;
the second inner portion has a size equal to or smaller than the first inner portion and connected to the first inner portion via at least one inner connection portion; and
the second telescopic element is configured such that:
when viewed from a rotation axis direction of the wheel supported on the wheel support portion, the second telescopic element is disposed at a position in which the

Assignees

• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd
• Kayaba Industry Co Ltd
• Kyb Corp

Inventors

• Takano Kazuhisa
• Iizuka Toshio
• Hirayama Yosuke
• Yoshimoto Tsutomu
• Kitamura Yasuhiro

Classifications

• B62K5/10

  with means for inwardly inclining the vehicle body on bends · CPC title

• B62K21/02

  Front wheel forks or equivalent, e.g. single tine · CPC title

• B62K5/027

  Motorcycles with three wheels (specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/023) · CPC title

• B62K2005/001

  Suspension details for cycles with three or more main road wheels · CPC title

• B62K25/08 Primary

  for front wheel · CPC title