Front fork and bicycle

Abstract

The utility model relates to a front fork and a bicycle. The front fork comprises an extension part and a fork tube which are connected with each other, the front fork is provided with an axis extending in the first direction and penetrating through the extending part, and the fork pipe is located on one side of the axis in the second direction; the first direction intersects with the second direction; each fork pipe comprises a pipe body and a thickening part, and the pipe body is connected with the extension part; in the second direction, the thickening part is arranged on the pipe wall of at least one end of the pipe body in a protruding mode, the thickening part extends in the extending direction of the pipe body, and the wall thickness of the position, provided with the thickening part, of the fork pipe is larger than that of other portions. By arranging the thickening part, the wall thickness of the pipe wall of at least one end of the fork pipe in the second direction is increased, namely, the rigidity of the two ends of the front fork in the left-right direction is increased, and the risk that the left side and the right side of the front fork deform in the treading process can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of bicycles, in particular to a front fork and a bicycle. Background Art

[0002] Bicycles, also known as bicycles or bikes, are usually two-wheeled land vehicles. Bicycles can not only be used as environmentally friendly means of transportation for travel, but also as fitness equipment for riding and traveling, becoming an important travel and fitness tool in people's daily lives.

[0003] A bicycle includes a frame, pedals, and a front fork. The front fork is connected to the vertical tube of the frame and is used to mount the front wheel. The pedals are connected to the five-way joint of the frame. The bicycle is driven forward by pedaling. As the bicycle moves forward, the left and right pedals are pedaled one after the other by the rider's feet, and the bicycle sways left and right. The harder the rider pushes, the more obvious the sway. As the bicycle swings left and right, the left and right sides of the front fork are subjected to significant force and are prone to deformation. Utility Model Content

[0004] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a front fork and a bicycle that reduce the risk of deformation of the left and right sides of the front fork in order to address the problem that the left and right sides of the front fork are prone to deformation.

[0005] A front fork comprises an extension portion and a fork tube connected to each other; the front fork has an axis extending along a first direction and passing through the extension portion, and the fork tube is located on one side of the axis in a second direction; the first direction intersects with the second direction;

[0006] The fork tube includes a tube body and a thickened portion, and the tube body is connected to the extension portion; in the second direction, the thickened portion is protruding on the tube wall of at least one end of the tube body, and the thickened portion extends along the extension direction of the tube body. The wall thickness of the part of the fork tube having the thickened portion is greater than the wall thickness of other parts without the thickened portion.

[0007] In one embodiment, the front fork includes two fork tubes, the two fork tubes are respectively located on both sides of the axis in the second direction, each fork tube includes the tube body and the thickened portion, and the two fork tubes are spaced apart in the second direction; or

[0008] The front fork includes a fork tube.

[0009] In one embodiment, the fork tube includes an arc-shaped transition section and a straight extension section, the arc-shaped transition section is disposed between the extension portion and the straight extension section, and the straight extension section extends along the first direction;

[0010] The axis is the central axis of the front fork, and the two fork tubes are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the axis.

[0011] In one embodiment, the thickened portion has the same extension length as the tube body; and / or

[0012] The thickened portions of the two fork tubes have equal widths extending in the third direction, and each of the thickened portions is an axisymmetric structure with a center line extending along the first direction as an axis of symmetry; the first direction, the second direction and the third direction intersect each other.

[0013] In one embodiment, the thickened portion and the tube body are made of different materials, and the stiffness of the material of the thickened portion is greater than the stiffness of the material of the tube body; or

[0014] The material of the thickened portion is the same as that of the tube body.

[0015] In one embodiment, the tube body is made of metal material, and the thickened portion is made of carbon fiber material.

[0016] In one of the embodiments, in the second direction, both ends of the tube body are provided with the thickened portion, and the inner wall and the outer wall of both ends of the tube body are convexly provided with the thickened portion; and / or

[0017] The thickened portion is integrally formed with the tube body. In one embodiment, the front fork further comprises a front axle mounting portion, and the front axle mounting portion is connected to an end of the fork tube away from the extension portion.

[0018] In one embodiment, the cross-section of the tube is annular; or

[0019] The cross-sectional shape of the tube body is an elliptical ring, and the minor axis direction of the elliptical ring is parallel to the second direction.

[0020] A bicycle comprises a frame and the front fork as described above, wherein the front fork is connected to the frame.

[0021] The above-mentioned front fork and bicycle increase the wall thickness of the fork tube at at least one end in the second direction by providing a thickened portion, that is, increase the stiffness of the front fork at both ends in the left and right directions, and can reduce the risk of deformation of the left and right sides of the front fork during pedaling. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 A structural diagram of a front fork provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A side view of the front fork shown in;

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 1A front view of the front fork shown in;

[0025] Figure 4 A structural diagram of a front fork provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A side view of the front fork shown in;

[0027] Figure 6 for Figure 3 AA section view of the front fork shown in;

[0028] Figure 7 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a section of a front fork shown in .

[0029] Description of reference numerals:

[0030] 100, front fork; 10, extension portion; 20, fork tube; 21, tube body; 22, thickened portion; 23, arc-shaped transition section; 24, straight extension section; 30, front axle mounting portion; L, axis line; X, first direction; Y, second direction; Z, third direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the utility model more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the utility model are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the utility model. However, the utility model can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the connotation of the utility model, so the utility model is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0032] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0033] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present utility model, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0034] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0035] In the present utility model, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" or "above" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0036] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be a central element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be a central element at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be the only implementation method.

[0037] See also Figure 1-Figure 3An embodiment of the present application provides a front fork 100, comprising an extension portion 10 and a fork tube 20, wherein the fork tube 20 is connected to the extension portion 10. The extension portion 10 is used to connect to the frame, and the fork tube 20 is used to install the front wheel. Specifically, the front fork 100 includes two fork tubes 20, one end of each fork tube 20 is connected to the extension portion 10, and the other end extends in a direction away from the extension portion 10. The front fork 100 extends along a first direction X. It should be noted that when the front fork 100 is mounted on the frame and the bicycle is in a normal riding state, generally, the first direction X is inclined relative to the vertical direction, and the first direction X has a smaller inclination angle with the vertical direction.

[0038] In some embodiments, the extension portion 10 is a vertical tube. Of course, in other embodiments, the structure of the extension portion 10 is not limited, such as the extension portion may not be a tubular structure.

[0039] It should be noted that the extension portion 10 and the fork tube 20 may be an integrally formed structure, or the extension portion 10 and the front fork 20 may be independently processed and manufactured and then connected, such as by welding, which is not limited here.

[0040] The front fork 100 has an axis L extending along a first direction X and passing through the extension portion 10. Two fork tubes 20 are distributed on both sides of the axis L and are spaced apart from each other in a second direction Y to provide an installation space for installing the front wheel. The first direction X intersects with the second direction Y. Specifically, the first direction X is perpendicular to the second direction Y. When the front fork 100 is installed on the frame and the bicycle moves forward straight, the second direction Y is parallel to the left-right direction of the bicycle.

[0041] It is conceivable that in some other embodiments, see Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the front fork 100 may also include only one fork tube 20. When the front fork 100 includes only one fork tube 20, the fork tube 20 is located on one side of the axis L in the second direction Y.

[0042] See also Figure 6 and Figure 7 Each fork tube 20 includes a tube body 21 and a thickened portion 22, and the tube body 21 is connected to the extension portion 10. In the second direction Y, the thickened portion 22 is protruding from the tube wall of at least one end of the tube body 21. The thickened portion 22 extends along the extension direction of the tube body 21, and the wall thickness of the portion of the fork tube 20 having the thickened portion 22 is greater than the wall thickness of other portions. By providing the thickened portion 22, the wall thickness of the tube wall of at least one end of the fork tube 20 in the second direction Y is increased, that is, the rigidity of the two ends of the front fork 100 in the left and right directions is increased, and the risk of deformation of the left and right sides of the front fork 100 during pedaling can be reduced.

[0043] It should be noted that the left-right direction mentioned above means that when a rider rides a bicycle, the left-right direction of the rider is parallel to the axis of the five-way bracket of the frame. It should also be noted that stiffness refers to the ability of a material or structure to resist deformation, that is, the ability of a material or structure to resist elastic deformation or displacement when subjected to external forces. Generally, the greater the stiffness, the greater the stress required for deformation. In other words, within the stiffness range of a material or structure, deformation will not occur easily. Generally, the stiffness of a material is related to its thickness. The thicker the thickness, the greater its stiffness.

[0044] In some embodiments, the front fork 100 has two fork tubes 20, and the axis L is the central axis L of the front fork 100. In this case, the extension portion 10 is an axisymmetric structure symmetrical about the central axis L. It is conceivable that in some other implementations, the extension portion 10 may also be a non-axisymmetric structure, which is not limited here.

[0045] Continue reading Figure 1 , the fork tube 20 includes an arcuate transition section 23 and a straight extension section 24. The arcuate transition section 23 is arranged between the extension portion 10 and the straight extension section 24, and the arcuate transition section 23 plays the role of intermediate transition. Further, the two fork tubes 20 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the axis L. In this case, the front fork 100 is an axisymmetric structure symmetrically arranged about the axis L. In this way, when the front fork 100 with an axisymmetric structure is installed on the frame, it helps to balance the force on the left and right sides of the frame. It is conceivable that in other embodiments, the entire front fork 100 can also be a non-axisymmetric structure.

[0046] Specifically, the straight extension section 24 extends along the first direction X. It should be noted that the extension direction of the extension portion 10 may be parallel to the first direction X, or may have a small inclination angle with the first direction X.

[0047] Furthermore, the front fork 100 further includes a front axle mounting portion 30, which is connected to one end of the fork tube 20 away from the extension portion 10. Specifically, there are two front axle mounting portions 30, and the two front axle mounting portions 30 are respectively connected to the two fork tubes 20. The front axle mounting portion 30 is provided to facilitate the installation of the front wheel of the bicycle. It should be noted that when the front fork 100 includes the front axle mounting portion 30, the entire front fork 100 is an axisymmetric structure that is symmetrical about the axis L.

[0048] In some embodiments, see Figure 6 In the second direction Y, both ends of the tube body 21 are provided with thickened portions 22, and both the inner wall and the outer wall of both ends of the tube body 21 are convexly provided with thickened portions 22. In this way, the wall thickness of the tube wall at both ends of the fork tube 20 in the second direction Y is increased, the rigidity of both ends of the front fork 100 in the left-right direction can be increased, and the risk of deformation of the left and right sides of the front fork 100 can be reduced during pedaling.

[0049] In some specific embodiments, the cross-sectional shape of the tube body 21 is annular, and the annular tube body 21 is provided with thickened portions 22 at both ends in the second direction Y. In other specific embodiments, the cross-sectional shape of the tube body 21 is formed into an elliptical ring, the minor axis direction of the elliptical ring is parallel to the second direction Y, and the elliptical ring-shaped tube body 21 is provided with thickened portions 22 at both ends in the second direction Y. It should be understood that in other embodiments, the cross-sectional shape of the tube body 21 is not limited.

[0050] It is conceivable that in other embodiments, a thickened portion 22 may be provided at one end of the tube body 21 in the second direction Y. In this case, the rigidity of the fork tube 20 at both ends in the second direction Y can also be increased, which is not limited here.

[0051] In some embodiments, continue to refer to Figure 1 The extension length of the thickened portion 22 is equal to that of the tube body 21. This arrangement can increase the rigidity of the left and right sides of the fork tube 20 at all locations in the extension direction, and can reduce the risk of deformation of the left and right sides of the front fork 100 during pedaling.

[0052] It is conceivable that in other embodiments, the relationship between the extension length of the thickened portion 22 and the extension length of the tube body 21 is not limited. For example, the extension length of the thickened portion 22 may be set to be smaller than the extension length of the tube body 21 .

[0053] In some embodiments, the widths of the thickened portions 22 of the two fork tubes 20 extending in the third direction Z are equal. In this way, the two fork tubes 20 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the axis L, which helps to evenly bear the force on the left and right sides of the frame when the front fork 100 is installed on the frame. Among them, the first direction X, the second direction Y and the third direction Z intersect each other. Specifically, the first direction X, the second direction Y and the third direction Z are perpendicular to each other. When the cross section of the tube body 21 is an elliptical ring, the major axis direction of the elliptical ring is parallel to the third direction Z.

[0054] Furthermore, each thickened portion 22 is an axisymmetric structure with a center line extending along the first direction X as a symmetry axis. For example, when the cross section of the tube body 21 is an elliptical ring, the center line passes through the center of the tube body 21, and both ends of each thickened portion 22 in the third direction are symmetrically arranged about the center line. Such an arrangement not only facilitates the processing and manufacturing of the fork tube 20, but also helps to balance the rigidity of the two ends of the fork tube 22 in the third direction.

[0055] Of course, in some other embodiments, the width of the thickened portions 22 of the two fork tubes 20 in the third direction Z is not limited.

[0056] In some embodiments, the material of the thickened portion 22 is different from that of the tube body 21, and the stiffness of the material used in the thickened portion 22 is greater than the stiffness of the material used in the tube body 21. This arrangement ensures that the thickened portion 22 can play a role in strengthening the stiffness of the fork tube 20.

[0057] In some specific embodiments, the tube body 21 is made of metal material, and the thickened portion 22 is made of carbon fiber material. Specifically, the thickened portion 22 is convexly provided on the tube body 21 by pasting. Of course, in other embodiments, the materials of the tube body 21 and the thickened portion 22 are not limited.

[0058] In some other specific implementations, the material of the thickened portion 22 is the same as that of the tube body 21 , such as aluminum.

[0059] Furthermore, the thickened portion 22 is integrally formed with the tube body 21 to facilitate processing and manufacturing. Of course, the thickened portion 22 can also be provided separately from the tube body 21, which is not limited here.

[0060] Another embodiment of the present application further provides a bicycle including the above-mentioned front fork 100. Since the above-mentioned front fork 100 has beneficial effects, the bicycle including the above-mentioned front fork 100 has the same beneficial effects, which will not be described in detail herein.

[0061] The technical features of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0062] The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the utility model, and the description is relatively specific and detailed, but it cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the utility model patent. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this field, several modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the utility model, which all belong to the protection scope of the utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of the utility model patent shall be based on the attached claims.

Claims

1. A front fork, characterized in that: The front fork comprises an extension portion (10) and a fork tube (20) connected to each other; the front fork has an axis (L) extending along a first direction (X) and passing through the extension portion (10); the fork tube (20) is located on one side of the axis (L) in a second direction (Y); the first direction (X) intersects with the second direction (Y); The fork tube (20) comprises a tube body (21) and a thickened portion (22), wherein the tube body (21) is connected to the extension portion (10); in the second direction (Y), the thickened portion (22) is protruding from the tube wall of at least one end of the tube body (21), and the thickened portion (22) extends along the extension direction of the tube body (21); the wall thickness of the portion of the fork tube (20) having the thickened portion (22) is greater than the wall thickness of other portions not having the thickened portion (22).

2. The front fork according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front fork comprises two fork tubes (20), the two fork tubes (20) are respectively located on both sides of the axis (L) in the second direction (Y), each fork tube (20) comprises the tube body (21) and the thickened portion (22), and the two fork tubes (20) are spaced apart in the second direction (Y); or The front fork comprises a fork tube (20).

3. The front fork according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The fork tube (20) comprises an arc-shaped transition section (23) and a straight extension section (24), wherein the arc-shaped transition section (23) is arranged between the extension portion (10) and the straight extension section (24), and the straight extension section (24) extends along the first direction; The axis (L) is the central axis (L) of the front fork, and the two fork tubes (20) are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the axis (L).

4. The front fork according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The thickened portion (22) has the same extension length as the tube body (21); and / or The thickened portions (22) of the two fork tubes (20) have equal widths extending in the third direction (Z), and each of the thickened portions (22) is an axisymmetric structure with a center line extending along the first direction (X) as a symmetry axis; the first direction (X), the second direction (Y) and the third direction (Z) intersect each other.

5. The front fork according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickened portion (22) and the tube body (21) are made of different materials, and the stiffness of the material of the thickened portion (22) is greater than the stiffness of the material of the tube body (21); or The material of the thickened portion (22) is the same as that of the tube body (21).

6. The front fork according to claim 5, characterized in that: The tube body (21) is made of metal material, and the thickened portion (22) is made of carbon fiber material.

7. The front fork according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the second direction (Y), both ends of the tube body (21) are provided with the thickened portion (22), and the inner wall and the outer wall of both ends of the tube body (21) are convexly provided with the thickened portion (22); and / or The thickened portion (22) and the tube body (21) are integrally formed.

8. The front fork according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front fork further comprises a front axle mounting portion (30), wherein the front axle mounting portion (30) is connected to an end of the fork tube (20) away from the extension portion (10).

9. The front fork according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cross-sectional shape of the tube body (21) is annular; or The cross-sectional shape of the tube body (21) is an elliptical ring, and the minor axis direction of the elliptical ring is parallel to the second direction (Y).

10. A bicycle, characterized in that: It comprises a frame and a front fork as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the front fork is connected to the frame.

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