Bicycle shock absorber structure and bicycle

Abstract

A bicycle shock absorber structure and a bicycle, the bicycle shock absorber structure comprising a gas tube housing, a cover seat, a shaft rod and a ring-shaped gasket. The cover seat covers the gas tube housing and comprises a fixed part and a fixed groove. The fixed part is arranged on the side of the cover seat facing the gas tube housing. The fixed groove is arranged on the fixed part. The shaft rod is connected to the fixed part in the axial direction. The ring-shaped gasket comprises a radial opening, an inner hole and a protruding part. The inner hole is communicated with the radial opening and is sleeved on the fixed part. At least one protruding part is arranged on the inner edge of the inner hole. Wherein, after the ring-shaped gasket is sleeved on the shaft rod and moved to be sleeved on the fixed part, the protruding part protrudes into the fixed groove, and the ring-shaped gasket is rotated relative to the cover seat to make the protruding part interfere with the fixed groove. Thus, the convenient installation and removal effect is achieved.

Description

Bicycle shock absorber structure and bicycle Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a bicycle shock absorber structure and a bicycle, and more particularly to a bicycle shock absorber structure and a bicycle with adjustable shock damping. Background Technology

[0002] Bicycles have a wide range of users and uses; besides commuting, more and more people are viewing cycling as a leisure or competitive activity. To enable different types of cyclists to ride comfortably, various types of bicycle suspension systems were invented. Simultaneously, to address the varying road surfaces with different smoothness, adjustable damping suspension systems were also invented. Later, systems that adjusted the initial air chamber volume using spacers to accommodate different rider weights were developed; however, the ease of adjusting and replacing these spacers remained a challenge.

[0003] Conventional methods for adjusting the initial volume of a shock absorber's air chamber involve adding a shim to the chamber to adjust its volume and control the air spring's pressure profile, thus conforming to the rider's weight. For stable shock absorption, the shim needs to fit snugly into other components, which makes shim installation and removal difficult for the user. Therefore, improving the structure to facilitate easy adjustment of the air spring's pressure profile in bicycle shock absorbers is a problem that needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This disclosure provides a bicycle shock absorber structure and a bicycle, wherein the air pressure curve of the shock absorber is adjustable by means of a fixing part and an annular pad, and the function of adjusting the air pressure curve of the shock absorber is easy by means of a fixing groove and a protrusion.

[0005] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, a bicycle shock absorber structure is provided, including an air tube housing, a cover, a shaft, and an annular washer. The cover covers the air tube housing, defining an internal space between the cover and the air tube housing. The cover includes a fixing portion and at least one fixing groove. The fixing portion is disposed on the side of the cover facing the air tube housing. At least one fixing groove is disposed on the fixing portion. The shaft is axially connected to the fixing portion. The annular washer includes a radial opening, an inner hole, and at least one protrusion. The inner hole communicates with the radial opening and is fitted onto the fixing portion. At least one protrusion is disposed on the inner edge of the inner hole and is adapted to move along at least one fixing groove. After the annular washer is fitted onto the shaft through the radial opening and moved to fit onto the fixing portion, at least one protrusion protrudes into at least one fixing groove. The annular washer is rotated relative to the cover, causing at least one protrusion to interfere with at least one fixing groove.

[0006] According to the bicycle shock absorber structure of the aforementioned embodiment, at least one fixing groove may include at least one axial limiting groove and at least one circumferential limiting groove, and the at least one circumferential limiting groove is connected to the at least one axial limiting groove.

[0007] According to the bicycle shock absorber structure of the aforementioned embodiment, the depth of at least one axial limiting groove may be greater than the depth of at least one circumferential limiting groove.

[0008] According to the bicycle shock absorber structure of the aforementioned embodiment, the ratio of the depth of at least one axial limiting groove to the depth of at least one circumferential limiting groove may be between 1.18 and 1.9.

[0009] According to the bicycle shock absorber structure of the aforementioned embodiment, the surface of at least one protrusion, the surface of at least one axial limiting groove, and the surface of at least one circumferential limiting groove may have curvature.

[0010] According to the bicycle shock absorber structure of the aforementioned embodiment, at least one fixing groove may include at least one helical limiting groove.

[0011] In the bicycle shock absorber structure according to the aforementioned embodiment, at least one protrusion may have a steel ball structure.

[0012] In the bicycle shock absorber structure according to the aforementioned embodiment, the number of at least one fixing slot may be greater than or equal to two.

[0013] According to the bicycle shock absorber structure of the aforementioned embodiment, the cover includes an air valve that controls the entry and exit of gas into the internal space.

[0014] The bicycle shock absorber structure according to the aforementioned embodiment further includes an inner tube housing connected to the air tube housing, and the inner tube housing moves axially relative to the air tube housing.

[0015] According to one embodiment of this disclosure, a bicycle is provided, including a frame, two wheels, and a bicycle shock absorber structure according to the aforementioned embodiment. The two wheels and the bicycle shock absorber structure are disposed on the frame.

[0016] In the bicycle according to the aforementioned embodiment, the depth of at least one fixing groove near the axle may be greater than the depth of the other part of the at least one fixing groove away from the axle. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 is a side view schematic diagram illustrating a bicycle shock absorber structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 2 is an exploded view illustrating the structure of a bicycle shock absorber according to the embodiment of Figure 1;

[0019] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the annular pad illustrating the structure of a bicycle shock absorber according to the embodiment of Figure 1;

[0020] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the cover of a bicycle shock absorber structure according to the embodiment of Figure 1;

[0021] Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the assembly of the cover and the annular gasket of the bicycle shock absorber structure according to the embodiment of Figure 1;

[0022] Figure 6 is another assembled cross-sectional view of the cover and annular gasket of the bicycle shock absorber structure according to the embodiment of Figure 1;

[0023] Figure 7 is a perspective view of a cover for a bicycle shock absorber structure according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 8 is a perspective view of a cover for a bicycle shock absorber structure according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Figure 9 is a side view of a bicycle according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] [Symbol Explanation]

[0027] 100,440: Bicycle shock absorber structure

[0028] 110: Tracheal shell

[0029] 120, 220, 320: Cover / Seat

[0030] 122,222,322: Fixing part

[0031] 123,323: Surface

[0032] 124, 224: Axial limiting groove

[0033] 324: Spiral limiting groove

[0034] 126, 226, 326: Circumferential limiting groove

[0035] 128: Air valve

[0036] 130: Shaft

[0037] 140: Circular gasket

[0038] 142: Radial opening

[0039] 144:Inner hole

[0040] 145: Inner Edge

[0041] 146: Protrusion

[0042] 150: Inner tube shell

[0043] 400: Bicycle

[0044] 410: Chassis

[0045] 412: Rear Upper Fork

[0046] 414: Lower pipe

[0047] 420: Wheel

[0048] 430: Seat Cushion

[0049] R: Zhou Xiang

[0050] X: Axial axis Detailed Implementation

[0051] Please refer to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a side view of a bicycle shock absorber structure 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is an exploded view of the bicycle shock absorber structure 100 according to the embodiment of Figure 1. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the bicycle shock absorber structure 100 includes an air tube housing 110, a cover 120, a shaft 130, and an annular gasket 140. The cover 120 covers the air tube housing 110 and defines an internal space between the cover 120 and the air tube housing 110. The cover 120 includes a fixing portion 122 and at least one fixing groove (in the embodiment of Figure 1, the at least one fixing groove includes at least one axial limiting groove 124 and at least one circumferential limiting groove 126). The fixing portion 122 is disposed on the side of the cover 120 facing the air tube housing 110. At least one axial limiting groove 124 and at least one circumferential limiting groove 126 are disposed on the fixing portion 122. A shaft 130 is connected to a fixing portion 122 along an axial direction X. An annular washer 140 may be elastic and includes a radial opening 142, an inner bore 144, and at least one protrusion 146. The inner bore 144 communicates with the radial opening 142 and is fitted onto the fixing portion 122. At least one protrusion 146 is provided at the inner edge 145 of the inner bore 144 (shown in Figures 5 and 6). By fitting the annular washer 140 onto the fixing portion 122, the volume of the internal space defined between the cover 120 and the air tube housing 110 is adjustable, thereby adjusting the shock absorber damping curve of the bicycle shock absorber structure 100.

[0052] The bicycle shock absorber structure 100 disclosed herein is, for example, a monotube shock absorber or a twin-tube shock absorber. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the bicycle shock absorber structure 100 further includes an inner tube housing 150 connected to the air tube housing 110, and the inner tube housing 150 is movable relative to the air tube housing 110 along the axial direction X. Since the internal structure and operating principle of the bicycle shock absorber structure 100 are known and not the focus of the improvement in this disclosure, they will not be described in detail.

[0053] The cover 120 and the annular gasket 140 of this embodiment are further described in detail below. Please refer to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the annular gasket 140 of the bicycle shock absorber structure 100 according to the embodiment of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the cover 120 of the bicycle shock absorber structure 100 according to the embodiment of Figure 1. In this embodiment, the fixing part 122 is generally a columnar structure, and the number of at least two fixing grooves is opposite to each other. As shown in Figure 4, the number of at least two axial limiting grooves 124 is opposite to each other, and the number of at least two circumferential limiting grooves 126 is opposite to each other; the annular gasket 140 is generally a C-shaped ring structure, the inner diameter of the radial opening 142 is smaller than the inner diameter of the inner hole 144, and the number of at least two protrusions 146 is opposite to each other. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, one circumferential limiting groove 126 communicates with one axial limiting groove 124, and the other circumferential limiting groove 126 communicates with the other axial limiting groove 124. The shape and size of the protrusion 146 are matched with the width of the axial limiting groove 124 and the width of the circumferential limiting groove 126, making the protrusion 146 suitable for moving along the axial limiting groove 124 and also suitable for moving along the circumferential limiting groove 126. In this embodiment, the surfaces of the protrusion 146, the axial limiting groove 124, and the circumferential limiting groove 126 are curved. By creating the curvature on the surfaces of the protrusion 146, the axial limiting groove 124, and the circumferential limiting groove 126, the protrusion 146 can move more easily in the axial limiting groove 124 and the circumferential limiting groove 126.

[0054] Furthermore, in the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 4, the protrusion 146 may be integrally formed on the inner edge 145 of the inner hole 144 of the annular gasket 140 (shown in Figures 5 and 6). For example, the protrusion 146 may be integrally formed on the inner edge 145 of the inner hole 144 of the annular gasket 140 made of rubber, so that there is no structural interface between the protrusion 146 and the inner edge 145 of the inner hole 144, and the annular gasket 140 may be made of any elastic material, not limited to rubber. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the protrusion may have a steel ball structure and be fixed to the inner edge of the inner hole. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the annular gasket may be made of a rigid material (such as metal) and not elastic, and may be combined with an elastic protrusion.

[0055] Please refer to Figures 2, 5, and 6. The following describes the installation method of the annular washer 140 in the bicycle shock absorber structure 100. Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the assembly of the cover 120 and the annular washer 140 of the bicycle shock absorber structure 100 according to the embodiment of Figure 1. Figure 6 is another schematic cross-sectional view showing the assembly of the cover 120 and the annular washer 140 of the bicycle shock absorber structure 100 according to the embodiment of Figure 1. The annular washer 140 is fitted into the shaft 130 with a radial opening 142 and moves axially X to be fitted onto the fixing part 122. Two protrusions 146 protrude into two axial limiting grooves 124 respectively. The annular washer 140 is rotated so that the two protrusions 146 enter the two circumferential limiting grooves 126 respectively and interfere with each other.

[0056] Conventional adjustable shock absorbers lack additional mechanisms for securing the annular washer and the mounting portion; they rely solely on the contact surface between the inner edge of the annular washer and the surface of the mounting portion to hold the annular washer in place. This requires considerable force from the cyclist to install or remove the annular washer. By using a protrusion 146 that extends into the axial limiting groove 124, and by rotating the annular washer 140 so that the protrusion 146 enters the circumferential limiting groove 126 and creates interference, the cyclist can more easily engage or disengage the annular washer 140 from the cover 120, achieving a more convenient adjustment.

[0057] In this embodiment, the depth of the axial limiting groove 124 is greater than the depth of the circumferential limiting groove 126. As can be seen from Figures 5 and 6, when the protrusion 146 of the annular gasket 140 is located in the axial limiting groove 124 (as shown in Figure 5), there is a gap between the inner edge 145 of the inner hole 144 of the annular gasket 140 and the surface of the axial limiting groove 124, and there is also a gap between the inner edge 145 of the inner hole 144 of the annular gasket 140 and the surface 123 of the fixing part 122 of the cover 120; after the annular gasket 140 is rotated, the protrusion 146 is located in the circumferential limiting groove 126 (as shown in Figure 6). Since the depth of the circumferential limiting groove 126 is less than the depth of the axial limiting groove 124, interference occurs between the circumferential limiting groove 126 and the annular gasket 140. Because the annular gasket 140 is elastic, when the circumferential limiting groove 126 applies force to the protrusion 146, the annular gasket 140 deforms near the protrusion 146 and generates a restoring force, causing the annular gasket 140 to press tightly against the fixing part 122. At this time, there is no gap between the protrusion 146 of the annular gasket 140 and the surface of the circumferential limiting groove 126, and the inner edge 145 of the inner hole 144 of the annular gasket 140 is close to or fits against the surface 123 of the fixing part 122 of the cover 120. Therefore, the user can easily insert the annular gasket 140 into the fixing part 122, and fix the annular gasket 140 to the fixing part 122 by simply rotating it. When the user wants to remove the annular gasket 140, they only need to reverse the operation.

[0058] To achieve the functions described above, the depths of the axial limiting groove 124 and the circumferential limiting groove 126 can be designed. In one embodiment, the ratio of the depth of the axial limiting groove 124 to the depth of the circumferential limiting groove 126 is between 1.18 and 1.9.

[0059] In addition to changing the air pressure profile of the bicycle shock absorber structure 100 by adjusting the volume of the air chamber (the internal space between the cover 120 and the air tube housing 110), the stiffness of the bicycle shock absorber structure 100 can also be changed by adjusting the air pressure inside the air chamber. In the embodiments of Figures 1 to 6, the cover 120 includes an air valve 128, which controls the entry and exit of gas into the internal space.

[0060] Please refer to Figure 7. The following describes a cover 220 of a bicycle shock absorber structure according to another embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 7 is a perspective view illustrating a cover 220 of a bicycle shock absorber according to another embodiment of this disclosure. The cover 220 of this embodiment is similar to the cover 120 of the embodiment in Figure 1, except that a circumferential limiting groove 226 surrounds the fixing portion 222 to form an annular circumferential limiting groove 226, and communicates with at least one axial limiting groove 224. In actual production and application, the length of the circumferential limiting groove 226 extending along the circumferential R (shown in Figure 8) of the fixing portion 222 can be designed according to requirements.

[0061] Please refer to Figure 8. The following describes a cover 320 of a bicycle shock absorber structure according to another embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 8 is a perspective view illustrating a cover 320 of a bicycle shock absorber according to another embodiment of this disclosure. The cover 320 of this embodiment is similar to the cover 120 of the embodiment in Figure 1, except that at least one fixing groove includes at least one helical limiting groove 324. At least one helical limiting groove 324 extends along the axial direction X and the circumferential direction R on the surface 323 of the fixing portion 322. In this embodiment, the fixing groove includes two helical limiting grooves 324 and two circumferential limiting grooves 326, wherein one helical limiting groove 324 communicates with one of the circumferential limiting grooves 326, and the other helical limiting groove 324 communicates with the other circumferential limiting groove 326.

[0062] In the three different embodiments described above, the number of protrusions 146 of the annular gasket 140 is two, and the number of fixing grooves of the cover seats 120, 220, and 320 is two each. In other embodiments not shown in this disclosure, the annular gasket may include only one protrusion, the cover seat may include only one fixing groove, or the annular gasket may include two or more protrusions, and the cover seat may include two or more fixing grooves.

[0063] Please refer to Figure 9, which is a side view of a bicycle 400 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 9 illustrates the installation position of the bicycle shock absorber structure 440 on the bicycle 400, using the bicycle shock absorber structure 440 as an example of a rear shock absorber. As shown in Figure 9, the bicycle 400 includes a frame 410, two wheels 420, and a bicycle shock absorber structure 440. The two wheels 420 and the bicycle shock absorber structure 440 are disposed on the frame 410. The cover and inner tube housing of the bicycle shock absorber structure 440 are respectively fixed to the rear seat fork 412 and the down tube 414 of the frame 410. By providing the bicycle shock absorber structure 440 between the rear seat fork 412 and the down tube 414, the vibration generated by the wheel 420 when riding on uneven roads can be partially or completely absorbed by the bicycle shock absorber structure 440, reducing the vibration amplitude transmitted to the saddle 430 and improving the comfort of the cyclist when riding the bicycle 400.

[0064] In this embodiment, the bicycle shock absorber structure 440 may be, for example, the bicycle shock absorber structure 100 of Figures 1 to 8. Therefore, the depth of at least one fixing groove of the cover of the bicycle shock absorber structure 440 near the axle may be greater than the depth of the other part of the at least one fixing groove away from the axle.

[0065] In other embodiments, the bicycle shock absorber structure may be, for example, a front fork shock absorber, and may be located in different positions on the bicycle, without limitation.

[0066] Although the present disclosure has been presented above with reference to embodiments, it is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Anyone skilled in the art may make some modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present disclosure shall be determined by the scope defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A bicycle shock absorber structure, characterized in that, The device comprises: a tracheal shell; a cover seat covering the tracheal shell, defining an internal space between the cover seat and the tracheal shell; the cover seat comprising: a fixing portion disposed on the side of the cover seat facing the tracheal shell; and at least one fixing groove disposed on the fixing portion; a shaft connected to the fixing portion along an axial direction; and an annular gasket comprising: a radial opening; an inner hole communicating with the radial opening and for fitting onto the fixing portion; and at least one protrusion disposed on the inner edge of the inner hole, the at least one protrusion being adapted to move along the at least one fixing groove; wherein, after the annular gasket is fitted onto the shaft through the radial opening and moved to fit onto the fixing portion, the at least one protrusion protrudes into the at least one fixing groove, and the annular gasket is rotated relative to the cover seat to cause the at least one protrusion to interfere with the at least one fixing groove.

2. The bicycle shock absorber structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The at least one fixed groove includes: at least one axial limiting groove; and at least one circumferential limiting groove, which communicates with the at least one axial limiting groove.

3. The bicycle shock absorber structure as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The depth of the at least one axial limiting groove is greater than the depth of the at least one circumferential limiting groove.

4. The bicycle shock absorber structure as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The ratio of the depth of the at least one axial limiting groove to the depth of the at least one circumferential limiting groove is between 1.18 and 1.

9.

5. The bicycle shock absorber structure as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The surfaces of the at least one protrusion, the at least one axial limiting groove, and the at least one circumferential limiting groove are curved.

6. The bicycle shock absorber structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The at least one fixed groove includes at least one spiral limiting groove.

7. The bicycle shock absorber structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, At least one of the protrusions has a steel ball structure.

8. The bicycle shock absorber structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The number of at least one fixed slot is greater than or equal to two.

9. The bicycle shock absorber structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cover includes a valve that controls the flow of gas into and out of the interior space.

10. The bicycle shock absorber structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes: an inner tube housing connected to the tracheal housing, and the inner tube housing being movable relative to the tracheal housing along the axial direction.

11. A bicycle, characterized in that, It comprises: a frame; two wheels disposed on the frame; and a bicycle shock absorber structure as described in claim 1, disposed on the frame.

12. The bicycle as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that, The depth of the at least one fixing groove near a portion of the shaft is greater than the depth of the at least one fixing groove away from another portion of the shaft.

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