JP4554793B2 - Front fork for motorcycle - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a front fork for a two-wheeled vehicle in which an electric actuator provided in an expansion / contraction cylinder supporting a front wheel is operated to switch performance such as load bearing force and generation damping characteristics, etc. It is related with the handling structure of the harness for operation of the electric actuator extended toward the direction.
[0002]
[Prior art and its problems]
Conventionally, an operation harness 9 extending from an electric actuator 8 for switching load bearing force, generated damping characteristics, and the like in a front fork 1b of this type of motorcycle toward a hand operating portion of a handle can be seen in FIG. As described above, generally, the electric actuator 8 is guided along the outer peripheral surface of the steering box 5 at the front of the vehicle body toward the hand operating portion of the handle.
[0003]
Therefore, assuming that the front fork 1b is turned to the left and right around the axis with respect to the vehicle body, the operation of the electric actuator 8 extending from the electric actuator 8 on the front fork 1b side toward the hand operation portion on the handle side is performed each time. The harness 9 is subjected to a tensile force, a twisting force, etc., thereby not only reducing the life of the harness 9 but also causing an early breakage by hooking the harness 9 from the outside. In particular, since the harness 9 is greatly exposed, there is an inconvenience that the appearance is not clean.
[0004]
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to reduce the service life by applying a tensile force or a twisting force to the operation harness extending from the front fork side electric actuator to the handle side hand operation part at the time of steering, This type of front fork for motorcycles that has no risk of causing electrical disconnection at an early stage by hooking the harness from the outside, and that can be refreshed by reducing the appearance of the harness as much as possible. It is to be.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the means of the present invention includes a pair of left and right extension cylinders that support the front wheels, an under bracket that joins the upper and outer circumferences of the extension cylinders in parallel, and upward from the center of the under bracket. A pipe-like steering shaft extending in the direction, and an electric actuator is attached to at least one of the telescopic cylinders, and the performance of the load supporting force and the generated damping characteristic is switched while the electric actuator is operated from the hand with a harness. In a front fork for a motorcycle, an operation harness extending from an upper end portion of the electric actuator is guided from a through hole provided in the under bracket to a hand operating portion of a handle through the steering shaft. To do.
[0006]
Thus, when the steering wheel is operated to the left or right during steering, the steering shaft to which the steering wheel is attached, the under bracket coupled to the lower end of the steering shaft, and the telescopic cylinder fixed to the left and right of the under bracket are integrated into the front part of the vehicle body. Thus, turning is performed by turning the front wheels supported between the telescopic cylinders to the left and right.
[0007]
As a result, the operating harness of the electric actuator that extends from the electric actuator to the handle side through the under bracket and the steering shaft operates integrally without applying a tensile force or a torsional force when turning, Therefore, the life as a harness is not reduced.
[0008]
In addition, by wiring the harness for operating the electric actuator through the handle part, there is no danger of hooking the harness from the outside and causing electrical disconnection at an early stage, as well as exposing the harness. Since it is reduced as much as possible, it is possible to make the appearance clean.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, in describing an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in the embodiment, in addition to a motorcycle, such as a motorcycle, a front fork for a bicycle (as described below, Needless to say, these are also applicable to motorcycles including bicycles.
[0010]
FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section of an embodiment of a main part of a motorcycle front fork 1 according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a motorcycle front fork 1a according to a reference example . .
[0011]
The two-wheeled front forks 1 and 1a shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are coupled to a pair of left and right suspension expansion cylinders 2 and 2 that straddle the front wheel at the lower end and the outer periphery of the upper ends of these expansion cylinders 2 and 2. The under bracket 3 held in parallel and the pipe-like steering shaft 4 extending upward from the center of the under bracket 3 constitute a main part.
[0012]
The steering shaft 4 is pivoted left and right around the axis with the bearings 6 and 7 sandwiched between the front fork 1 and 1a for the motorcycle thus configured and the upper and lower portions of the steering box 5 provided at the front of the vehicle body. It is freely supported.
[0013]
Although not shown in the drawings, a handle is attached and attached to a portion projecting outward from the upper end portion of the steering box 5 on the vehicle body side in the same manner as this type of two-wheeled vehicle so far. By operating the front fork 1 and 1a to rotate around the axis between the steering shaft 4 and the steering box 5 with respect to the vehicle body, the front wheel supported between the left and right telescopic cylinders 2 and 2 is turned left and right. And steer it.
[0014]
On the other hand, the upper end opening of the telescopic cylinders 2 and 2 (one of the telescopic cylinders 2 in the present embodiment) is closed and directed to the inside, so that the load support force and the generated damping characteristics of the front forks 1 and 1a, etc. The electric actuator 8 for switching the performance is inserted and installed.
[0015]
In this way, when the harness 9 for operating the electric actuator 8 protrudes from the upper end of the electric actuator 8 as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 10 is pulled out below the steering shaft 4, and is pulled out from the lower end opening of the steering shaft 4 to the inside of the steering shaft 4 and to the hand operating section through the handle.
[0016]
On the other hand, in the reference example of FIG. 2, when the harness 9 for operating the electric actuator 8 is taken out through the side wall of the telescopic cylinder 2, it is directly along the lower surface of the under bracket 3. The steering shaft 4 and the steering wheel 4 are pulled out to the hand operating unit.
[0017]
The spring 11 housed in the telescopic cylinder 2 without the electric actuator 8 is used for suspension for elastically supporting the vehicle body with respect to the front wheels in cooperation with the gas pressure in the pair of telescopic cylinders. It is a metal spring.
[0018]
As a result, when the steering wheel is operated to the left or right during steering, the steering shaft 4 to which the steering wheel is attached, the under bracket 3 coupled to the lower end thereof, and the telescopic cylinders 2 and 2 fixed to the left and right of the under bracket 3 are provided. The steering wheel 5 provided in the front part of the vehicle body is integrally rotated through the bearings 6 and 7 in the left-right direction around the axis, and the front wheel supported between the telescopic cylinders 2 and 2 is thus turned left and right. Steering is performed by operation.
[0019]
As a result, a tensile force, a twisting force, or the like is not applied to the harness 9 extending from the electric actuator 8 through the through hole 10 of the under bracket 3 and the inside of the steering shaft 4 to the handle side in turn. Therefore, the life of the harness 9 is not reduced.
[0020]
In addition, wiring the harness 9 of the electric actuator 8 through the handle also eliminates the possibility of causing an electrical disconnection at an early stage by hooking the harness 9 from the outside. Since it is reduced as much as possible, the appearance will be refreshed.
[0021]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the operating harness extending from the electric actuator for switching the performance such as the load bearing force and the generated damping characteristic to the hand operating portion is provided in the steering shaft. In this way, there is no tension or torsional force applied to the harness for operating the electric actuator during steering, and the harness is hooked from the outside and quickly electricized. The fear of causing disconnection can also be prevented, and the life of the harness can be significantly extended.
[0022]
[0023]
[Brief description of the drawings]
1 is a main part longitudinal sectional front view of a motorcycle front fork according to an exemplary embodiment shown the installation configuration example of an operation for the harness of the electric actuator.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional front view of a main part of a front fork for a motorcycle according to a reference example showing an installation configuration example of an operation harness for an electric actuator.
FIG. 3 is a partially longitudinal front view of a front fork for a motorcycle showing a conventional installation structure of an operating harness for an electric actuator.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Front fork 2 Telescopic cylinder 3 Under bracket 4 Steering shaft 5 Steering box 8 Electric actuator 9 Harness 10 Through hole

Claims (1)

A pair of left and right telescopic cylinders that support the front wheels, an under bracket that joins the upper and outer circumferences of the telescopic cylinders in parallel, and a pipe-like steering shaft that extends upward from the center of the under bracket. In a front fork for a motorcycle in which an electric actuator is attached to at least one of the cylinders, and the performance of the load bearing force and the generated damping characteristic is switched while operating the electric actuator from a hand with a harness, from the upper end portion of the electric actuator. A front fork for a two-wheeled vehicle characterized in that an extending operating harness is guided from a through hole provided in the under bracket to the hand operating portion of the steering wheel through the steering shaft.

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