IP Library Granted Patent US 11,697,317
Granted Patent B2
US 11,697,317 · App. 17/184,512 · Granted Jul 11, 2023

Modular electronic damping control

Inventor: Ivan Tong (San Diego, CA)
Assignee: Fox Factory, Inc.
B60G17/0165B60G13/08B60G17/018B60G17/01908B60G17/08F16F9/19F16F9/46F16F9/5126B60G2202/24B60G2204/61B60G2206/011B60G2206/99B60G2300/07B60G2300/124B60G2300/27B60G2400/82B60G2400/84B60G2401/142B60G2500/10B60G2600/042B60G2600/084B60G2600/182B60G2600/184B60G2600/1877B60G2600/20B60G2600/21B60G2600/704B60G2800/87
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,697,317
App. No.
17/184,512
Granted
Jul 11, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A modular electronic damping control system is described and includes a damping component located at a vehicle suspension location. The modular electronic damping control system also includes a control system configured to control the damping component, and determine the type of damping component present. Also, the control system is configured to automatically tune a vehicle's suspension based on the type of damping component present, and automatically monitor the damping component and determine when a change has been made to the damping component so that the control system can then automatically re-tune the vehicle's suspension based on the change to the damping component.

Claims (30)

1. A modular electronic damping control system comprising:

at least one damping component located at a vehicle suspension location;

a piggyback reservoir fluidically coupled with said at least one damping component, said piggyback reservoir comprising:

a reservoir configured to receive damping fluid from and transfer said damping fluid to said at least one damping component;

a fluid volume; and

a floating piston moveably separating said reservoir and said fluid volume; and

a control system configured to control said at least one damping component located at said vehicle suspension location, said control system configured to determine a type of at least one damping component, said control system configured to automatically tune a vehicle suspension for a vehicle based on a determined type of said at least one damping component, and wherein said control system is further configured to automatically monitor said at least one damping component and determine when a change has been made to said at least one damping component, and said control system configured to automatically re-tune said vehicle suspension based on said change to said at least one damping component.

2. The modular electronic damping control system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a graphical user interface (GUI) for presenting damping configuration and operation information in a user interactive format.

3. The modular electronic damping control system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a human machine interface (HMI) configured to present vehicle suspension setting information in a user interactive format on a display, said HMI comprising:

a touch input capability configured to receive an input from a user via a user interaction with said HMI.

4. The modular electronic damping control system of claim 3 , wherein said vehicle suspension setting information comprises:

a plurality of vehicle suspension mode configurations; and

an identification of which of said vehicle suspension mode configurations is currently active on said vehicle.

5. The modular electronic damping control system of claim 4 , wherein said plurality of vehicle suspension mode configurations is user-selectable.

6. The modular electronic damping control system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a human machine interface (HMI) configured to present damping configuration information in a user interactive format on a display, said HMI comprising:

a touch input capability to receive an input from a user via a user interaction with said HMI.

7. The modular electronic damping control system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a human machine interface (HMI) configured to present rebound configuration information and vehicle suspension setting information in a user interactive format on a display, said HMI comprising a touch input capability to receive an input from a user via a user interaction with said HMI.

8. The modular electronic damping control system of claim 1 , wherein said control system is configured to automatically adjust said at least one damping component based on external conditions selected from the group consisting of: weather, terrain, and ground type.

9. The modular electronic damping control system of claim 1 , wherein said control system is configured to automatically adjust said at least one damping component based on one or more sensor inputs received from the group consisting of: an inertial gyroscope, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a steering wheel turning sensor, a single-spectrum camera, and a multi-spectrum camera.

10. The modular electronic damping control system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one damping component is selected from the group consisting of: an in-line damper, a compression adjust only damper, a rebound adjust only damper, an independent compression and rebound adjust damper, and a dependent compression and rebound adjust single-valve damper.

11. The modular electronic damping control system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one damping component comprises:

a remotely-adjustable valve.

12. The modular electronic damping control system of claim 11 , wherein said remotely-adjustable valve includes a component selected from the group consisting of: a stepper motor, a fast-acting solenoid, a flow control solenoid, and a pressure control solenoid.

13. The modular electronic damping control system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one damping component is selected from the group consisting of: a manual damper, an active damper and a passive damper.

14. The modular electronic damping control system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one damping component further comprises:

a bottom out feature.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 5, 2022
From: FOX FACTORY, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 059616/0435 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 24, 2021
From: TONG, IVAN
To: FOX FACTORY, INC.
Reel/Frame 055397/0582 →