IP Library Granted Patent US 8,888,107
Granted Patent B2
US 8,888,107 · App. 13/799,091 · Granted Nov 18, 2014

Motorcycle

Inventors: Yosuke Murakami (Shizuoka, JP); Tadashi Hachisuka (Shizuoka, JP); Takahiro Kasuga (Tochigi, JP); Fumiaki Ishikawa (Tochigi, JP)
Assignee: Showa Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,888,107
App. No.
13/799,091
Granted
Nov 18, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

An object of the present invention is to stabilize a rider's driving position in spite of a change in vehicle height. Provided is a motorcycle 1 that adjusts a vehicle height by interlocking a rear-wheel-side vehicle height adjusting operation based on controllable actuation of a hydraulic jack 41 provided in a rear suspension 10 , with a front-wheel-side vehicle height adjusting operation based on controllable actuation of a hydraulic jack 141 provided in a front fork 110.

Claims (38)

1. A motorcycle comprising:

a rear suspension and a front fork, and

a hydraulic pump for the rear suspension and the front fork,

the rear suspension including a hydraulic jack with a plunger thrust by hydraulic oil discharged by the hydraulic pump and a suspension spring supported by the plunger of the hydraulic jack, the hydraulic jack being actuated in a controllable manner based on a detection result from rear-wheel-side vehicle height detection means attached to the rear suspension to thereby adjust a rear-wheel-side vehicle height,

the front fork including a hydraulic jack with a plunger thrust by hydraulic oil discharged by the hydraulic pump and a suspension spring supported by the plunger of the hydraulic jack, the hydraulic jack being actuated in a controllable manner based on a detection result from front-wheel-side vehicle height detection means attached to the front fork to thereby adjust a front-wheel-side vehicle height,

wherein a vehicle height of the whole of the motorcycle is adjusted by interlocking a rear-wheel-side vehicle height adjusting operation based on controllable actuation of the hydraulic jack provided in the rear suspension, with a front-wheel-side vehicle height adjusting operation based on controllable actuation of the hydraulic jack provided in the front fork,

wherein, in one of a front-wheel-side vehicle height adjustment device and a rear-wheel-side vehicle height adjustment device each having independent right and left pump functions, when one of the right and left pump functions fails, only the other of the pump functions performs control, and the failed pump function avoids performing control.

2. A motorcycle comprising:

a rear suspension and a front fork, and

a hydraulic pump for the rear suspension and the front fork,

the rear suspension including a hydraulic jack with a plunger thrust by hydraulic oil discharged by the hydraulic pump and a suspension spring supported by the plunger of the hydraulic jack, the hydraulic jack being actuated in a controllable manner based on a detection result from rear-wheel-side vehicle height detection means attached to the rear suspension to thereby adjust a rear-wheel-side vehicle height,

the front fork including a hydraulic jack with a plunger thrust by hydraulic oil discharged by the hydraulic pump and a suspension spring supported by the plunger of the hydraulic jack, the hydraulic jack being actuated in a controllable manner based on a detection result from front-wheel-side vehicle height detection means attached to the front fork to thereby adjust a front-wheel-side vehicle height,

wherein a vehicle height of the whole of the motorcycle is adjusted by interlocking a rear-wheel-side vehicle height adjusting operation based on controllable actuation of the hydraulic jack provided in the rear suspension, with a front-wheel-side vehicle height adjusting operation based on controllable actuation of the hydraulic jack provided in the front fork,

wherein when one of a front-wheel-side vehicle height adjustment mechanism and a rear-wheel-side vehicle height adjustment mechanism fails, vehicle height adjustment control is stopped, and the side where the vehicle height adjustment mechanism normally operates is fixed to one of a vehicle height increase state and a vehicle height reduction state.

3. A motorcycle comprising:

a rear suspension and a front fork,

the rear suspension including a hydraulic pump that performs a pumping operation in conjunction with telescopic motion of a piston rod to discharge hydraulic oil, a hydraulic jack with a plunger thrust by hydraulic oil discharged by the hydraulic pump, and a suspension spring supported by the plunger of the hydraulic jack, the hydraulic jack being actuated in a controllable manner based on a detection result from rear-wheel-side vehicle height detection means attached to the rear suspension to thereby adjust a rear-wheel-side vehicle height,

the front fork including a hydraulic pump that performs a pumping operation in conjunction with telescopic motion of a piston rod to discharge hydraulic oil, a hydraulic jack with a plunger thrust by hydraulic oil discharged by the hydraulic pump, and a suspension spring supported by the plunger of the hydraulic jack, the hydraulic jack being actuated in a controllable manner based on a detection result from front-wheel-side vehicle height detection means attached to the front fork to thereby adjust a front-wheel-side vehicle height,

wherein a vehicle height of the whole of the motorcycle is adjusted by interlocking a rear-wheel-side vehicle height adjusting operation based on controllable actuation of the hydraulic jack provided in the rear suspension, with a front-wheel-side vehicle height adjusting operation based on controllable actuation of the hydraulic jack provided in the front fork,

wherein in one of a front-wheel-side vehicle height adjustment device and a rear-wheel-side vehicle height adjustment device each having independent right and left pump functions, when one of the right and left pump functions fails, only the other of the pump functions performs control, and the failed pump function avoids performing control.

4. A motorcycle comprising:

a rear suspension and a front fork,

the rear suspension including a hydraulic pump that performs a pumping operation in conjunction with telescopic motion of a piston rod to discharge hydraulic oil, a hydraulic jack with a plunger thrust by hydraulic oil discharged by the hydraulic pump, and a suspension spring supported by the plunger of the hydraulic jack, the hydraulic jack being actuated in a controllable manner based on a detection result from rear-wheel-side vehicle height detection means attached to the rear suspension to thereby adjust a rear-wheel-side vehicle height,

the front fork including a hydraulic pump that performs a pumping operation in conjunction with telescopic motion of a piston rod to discharge hydraulic oil, a hydraulic jack with a plunger thrust by hydraulic oil discharged by the hydraulic pump, and a suspension spring supported by the plunger of the hydraulic jack, the hydraulic jack being actuated in a controllable manner based on a detection result from front-wheel-side vehicle height detection means attached to the front fork to thereby adjust a front-wheel-side vehicle height,

wherein a vehicle height of the whole of the motorcycle is adjusted by interlocking a rear-wheel-side vehicle height adjusting operation based on controllable actuation of the hydraulic jack provided in the rear suspension, with a front-wheel-side vehicle height adjusting operation based on controllable actuation of the hydraulic jack provided in the front fork,

wherein when one of a front-wheel-side vehicle height adjustment mechanism and a rear-wheel-side vehicle height adjustment mechanism fails, vehicle height adjustment control is stopped, and the side where the vehicle height adjustment mechanism normally operates is fixed to one of a vehicle height increase state and a vehicle height reduction state.

5. The motorcycle according to claim 1 , wherein as the hydraulic pump, a hydraulic pump which performs a pumping operation in conjunction with telescopic motion of a piston rod of the rear suspension to discharge hydraulic oil is used.

6. The motorcycle according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle height of the whole of the motorcycle is adjusted by synchronizing the rear-wheel-side vehicle height adjusting operation with the front-wheel-side vehicle height adjusting operation.

7. The motorcycle according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle height of the whole of the motorcycle is adjusted by performing an operation of reducing the rear-wheel-side vehicle height before performing an operation of reducing the front-wheel-side vehicle height.

8. The motorcycle according to claim 1 , wherein when one of a front-wheel-side vehicle height adjustment mechanism and a rear-wheel-side vehicle height adjustment mechanism fails, vehicle height adjustment control is stopped, and the side where the vehicle height adjustment mechanism normally operates is fixed to one of a vehicle height increase state and a vehicle height reduction state.

9. The motorcycle according to claim 2 , wherein as the hydraulic pump, a hydraulic pump which performs a pumping operation in conjunction with telescopic motion of a piston rod of the rear suspension to discharge hydraulic oil is used.

10. The motorcycle according to claim 2 , wherein the vehicle height of the whole of the motorcycle is adjusted by synchronizing the rear-wheel-side vehicle height adjusting operation with the front-wheel-side vehicle height adjusting operation.

11. The motorcycle according to claim 2 , wherein the vehicle height of the whole of the motorcycle is adjusted by performing an operation of reducing the rear-wheel-side vehicle height before performing an operation of reducing the front-wheel-side vehicle height.

12. The motorcycle according to claim 3 , wherein the vehicle height of the whole of the motorcycle is adjusted by synchronizing the rear-wheel-side vehicle height adjusting operation with the front-wheel-side vehicle height adjusting operation.

13. The motorcycle according to claim 3 , wherein the vehicle height of the whole of the motorcycle is adjusted by performing an operation of reducing the rear-wheel-side vehicle height before performing an operation of reducing the front-wheel-side vehicle height.

14. The motorcycle according to claim 3 , wherein when one of a front-wheel-side vehicle height adjustment mechanism and a rear-wheel-side vehicle height adjustment mechanism fails, vehicle height adjustment control is stopped, and the side where the vehicle height adjustment mechanism normally operates is fixed to one of a vehicle height increase state and a vehicle height reduction state.

15. The motorcycle according to claim 4 , wherein the vehicle height of the whole of the motorcycle is adjusted by synchronizing the rear-wheel-side vehicle height adjusting operation with the front-wheel-side vehicle height adjusting operation.

16. The motorcycle according to claim 4 , wherein the vehicle height of the whole of the motorcycle is adjusted by performing an operation of reducing the rear-wheel-side vehicle height before performing an operation of reducing the front-wheel-side vehicle height.

Assignments (1)
MERGER Recorded Feb 2, 2022
From: SHOWA CORPORATION
To: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
Reel/Frame 059682/0321 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2012-206161 · Sep 19, 2012 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20140077466A1 · Mar 20, 2014