Air pressure type shock absorption system

Abstract

The utility model relates to an air pressure type shock absorption system which comprises an outer pipe, a shaft rod arranged in the outer pipe in a sliding mode and a spacing plug body arranged at the top end of the shaft rod, so that a positive air chamber and a negative air chamber are formed in the outer pipe. The spacing plug body can selectively block a gas flow channel between the positive gas chamber and the negative gas chamber, a sliding sleeve is sleeved on the shaft rod and can be linked with the floating piston, and a wave spring is arranged between the spacing plug body and the sliding sleeve and is used for delaying non-return action, so that the reaction of the floating piston can be delayed through the wave spring, and the non-return action of the floating piston can be delayed. And excessive or rapid migration of gas is prevented, so that the compression response is gradually enhanced, out-of-control impact is avoided, and the reliability of the buffering effect is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a pneumatic shock absorption system, which is mainly applied in the field of shock absorption system technology. Background Technology

[0002] Bicycles have always been a popular mode of transportation, and with the rise of environmental awareness in recent years, bicycles and electric bicycles have become even more popular. Furthermore, advancements in technology and improvements in road quality have led to continuous improvements in bicycle speed and performance. Because bicycles vibrate due to road conditions, shock absorbers are typically installed in different parts of the bicycle to mitigate these vibrations. For example, the handlebars, which control the direction of travel, are usually located on the front fork connecting the handlebars and the front wheel.

[0003] The common approach involves installing a pneumatic shock absorber on each side of the top tube of the fork and between the two fork legs connected to the front wheel axle. This utilizes the air flow in the positive and negative chambers of the pneumatic shock absorber to achieve a cushioning effect. The stiffness and stroke of the pneumatic shock absorber are adjusted via grooves in the piston valve. However, this groove design presents significant manufacturing challenges, affecting production consistency and increasing costs. Furthermore, the traditional design has several practical problems. Firstly, it exhibits poor sensitivity during the initial stroke under pressure, failing to provide adequate support. Secondly, during the mid-stroke, the support becomes unstable, resulting in a loss of weight and lack of impact. Finally, at the end of the stroke, the bottoming resistance is weak, leading to a violent impact and ultimately, the overall cushioning and shock absorption effect is unsatisfactory.

[0004] In other words, the design of existing pneumatic shock absorber systems has shortcomings, which directly affect their manufacturing difficulty and the sensitivity of their stroke response, and also cause problems with poor cushioning support. Therefore, further improvements are needed. Utility Model Content

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a pneumatic shock absorption system that can achieve dynamic smoothing by using a check mechanism design to optimize the transmission of gas pressure, improve the overall buffering effect, and effectively enhance its practicality. At the same time, it can further simplify the manufacturing difficulty and components, reduce the overall cost, and overcome the shortcomings of the prior art.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a pneumatic shock absorption system, comprising: an outer tube, a shaft, a spacer, a floating piston, and a wave spring; the outer tube has an upper plug at the top and a lower plug at the bottom, the top of the outer tube can be fixed to an upper fixing object; one end of the shaft extends through the lower plug and can be fixed to a lower fixing object, the shaft can slide axially relative to the outer tube; the spacer is located at one end of the shaft inside the outer tube, used to separate a positive air chamber and a negative air chamber inside the outer tube; the floating piston can pass axially through the spacer and can selectively block a gas flow channel between the positive air chamber and the negative air chamber; a sliding sleeve is sleeved on the shaft, the sliding sleeve is linked with the floating piston to actuate it relative to the spacer; the wave spring is disposed between the spacer and the sliding sleeve.

[0007] Preferably, the floating piston is provided with a sealing element that can seal tightly with an inner hole of the spacer body to block the gas flow path.

[0008] Preferably, the shaft has a first mounting hole, the floating piston has a second mounting hole, and the sliding sleeve has a shaft hole and a third mounting hole in its radial direction, through which a mounting rod can be inserted to connect with the floating piston and the shaft.

[0009] Preferably, the diameter of the second mounting hole is approximately equal to the diameter of the third mounting hole, while the diameters of the second and third mounting holes are smaller than the diameter of the first mounting hole.

[0010] Preferably, the bottom of the floating piston extends to form a sliding rod segment, which passes through the spacer body and extends into an inner sliding hole inside the shaft.

[0011] Preferably, the bottom end of the inner hole of the spacer plug is provided with a second mounting portion for connecting with a first mounting portion of the shaft.

[0012] Preferably, the gas flow channel is formed between the spacer, the shaft and the floating piston inside it, and the gas flow channel can be selectively opened or blocked by the movement of the floating piston relative to the spacer.

[0013] Preferably, a balancing element is provided below the sliding sleeve on the shaft.

[0014] Preferably, the air-pressure shock absorption system can be installed on a bicycle front fork, the front fork includes a top tube and two fork legs connected to both sides of the top tube, and the air-pressure shock absorption system is disposed between the two sides of the top tube and the two fork legs, wherein the top end of the outer tube is fixed to the two sides of the top tube, and the bottom end of the axle can be fixed to the two fork legs.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: Through the aforementioned technical means, this invention utilizes the wave spring installed between the spacer plug and the sliding sleeve, and in conjunction with its design to actuate the floating piston to form a check mechanism, so that in the initial compression stage of the pneumatic shock absorber system, the floating piston of the check mechanism remains closed, maintaining a lower pressure in the negative air chamber to enhance the sensitivity to small bumps. When entering the middle stroke, the pressure difference overcomes the resistance of the wave spring, allowing the gas to transfer controllably between the positive and negative air chambers. As for the final impact stroke, the wave spring can be used to delay the floating piston's response, preventing excessive or rapid gas migration, ensuring that the compression response gradually increases, preventing uncontrolled impact to the bottom, improving the reliability of the buffering effect, greatly enhancing its practicality, and further increasing its added value and economic benefits.

[0016] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a 3D schematic diagram of the air-pressure shock absorption system applied to a bicycle front fork.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional exploded view of the pneumatic shock absorption system of this creation.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional exploded diagram of the pneumatic shock absorption system from another perspective.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a side view sectional diagram of the pneumatic shock absorption system of this invention.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a partially enlarged cross-sectional schematic diagram of the check mechanism in the pneumatic shock absorber system of this invention.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a partially enlarged cross-sectional schematic diagram of the initial stroke of the check mechanism in the pneumatic shock absorber system of this invention during use.

[0023] Figure 7 This is a partially enlarged cross-sectional schematic diagram of the check mechanism in the middle stroke of the pneumatic shock absorber system during use.

[0024] Figure 8 This is a partially enlarged cross-sectional schematic diagram of the check mechanism in the final stage of its travel during use in the pneumatic shock absorber system of this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0025] This invention relates to a pneumatic suspension system, which can be used in bicycle components, such as... Figure 1As shown, it is installed on a front fork 10 of a bicycle. The front fork 10 includes a top tube 11 and two fork legs 15 connected to both sides of the top tube 11. A pneumatic shock absorption system 20 is installed between the two sides of the top tube 11 and the two fork legs 15 to provide a cushioning and shock absorption function.

[0026] For a detailed description of the pneumatic shock absorption system 20, please refer to the following: Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, an upper plug 22 is provided at the top of an outer tube 21, and the protrusion of the upper plug 22 can be locked at one end of the upper tube 11. A lower plug 23 is provided at the bottom of the outer tube 21, and a shaft 24 with its bottom end protruding from the lower plug 23 is slidably provided inside the outer tube 21. The bottom end of the shaft 24 can be locked on the fork leg 15. A spacer plug 25 for guiding gas flow is provided at the top of the shaft 24 inside the outer tube 21, so that a positive air chamber 201 and a negative air chamber 202 are formed inside the outer tube 21, so that the outer tube 21 can use the gas flow between the positive and negative air chambers (201, 202) to generate a stretching and buffering effect relative to the shaft 24.

[0027] The distinctive feature of this invention is that the spacer 25 of the pneumatic shock absorber system 20 has a check valve mechanism, such as... Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the check mechanism has a floating piston 26 connected to the shaft 24 at the center of the spacer body 25. The floating piston 26 is selectively actuated by a sliding sleeve 27 located below the spacer body 25, so that the floating piston 26 can selectively block the gas flow in the positive and negative gas chambers (201, 202) relative to the spacer body 25. A wave spring 29 is used between the spacer body 25 and the sliding sleeve 27 to generate a delay effect, so as to control the gas flow speed through the check mechanism, so that the gas flow in the positive and negative gas chambers (201, 202) can reach dynamic balance, and effectively optimize the buffering effect of the overall stroke.

[0028] For its detailed composition, please refer to the following: Figure 5As shown, the shaft 24 has a first mounting portion 240 at its top end, and an upward-opening inner sliding hole 241 inside the shaft 24 for the floating piston 26 to partially slide through. A first mounting hole 242, radially penetrating the inner sliding hole 241, is formed on the outer edge of the shaft 24 below the first mounting portion 240. The spacer 25 has an inner hole 251 at its top center for the floating piston 26 to pass through from top to bottom. The spacer 25 has a second mounting portion 250 at the bottom end of the inner hole 251 for the first mounting portion 240 of the shaft 24 to engage with. The first and second mounting portions (240, 250) can be opposing internal and external threaded sections. The bottom end of the floating piston 26 extends into a sliding rod section 260 through which the spacer 25 and the shaft 24 can pass. A gas flow channel 265 is formed between the floating piston 26, the inner hole 251 of the spacer 25, and the inner sliding hole 241 of the shaft 24. A radially penetrating second mounting hole 261 is formed near the bottom end of the sliding rod section 260, wherein the diameter of the first mounting hole 242 is larger than the diameter of the second mounting hole 261. Furthermore, a sealing member 262 is provided on the sliding rod section 260 of the floating piston 26. The floating piston 26 can use the sealing member 262 to selectively block the gas flow channel 265 relative to the inner hole 251 of the spacer 25 (e.g., Figure 5 As shown), the sliding sleeve 27 has a shaft hole 270 through which the shaft 24 slides, and the outer diameter of the sliding sleeve 27 has a third mounting hole 271 that radially penetrates the shaft hole 270, wherein the third mounting hole 271 is approximately equal in diameter to the second mounting hole 261 and smaller than the diameter of the first mounting hole 242, and the sliding sleeve 27 has a mounting rod 28 that passes through the third mounting hole 271, the second mounting hole 261 and the first mounting hole 242, wherein the mounting rod 28 is slightly smaller than the second and third mounting holes (2). (61, 271) This allows the sliding sleeve 27 to selectively actuate the floating piston 26. Furthermore, the wave spring 29, which supports the bottom surface of the spacer 25 and the top surface of the sliding sleeve 27, delays the action of the check mechanism to prevent rapid gas migration between the positive and negative gas chambers (201, 202) of the outer tube 21. Additionally, a balance member 30 is provided below the sliding sleeve 27 on the shaft 24 to ensure the sliding sleeve 27 can be smoothly pushed, preventing the floating piston 26 from jamming due to tilting. Thus, the floating piston 26 can be actuated by the sliding sleeve 27 and the wave spring 29, creating a check mechanism relative to the spacer 25 to optimize the overall buffer stroke, thereby forming a pneumatic shock absorber system with actively adjustable gas transmission.

[0029] Through the aforementioned structural design, in actual use, when the pneumatic shock absorption system 20 is not under stress, such as Figure 5As shown, the sliding sleeve 27 is in its original position due to the undeformed action of the wave spring 29. At this time, the sliding sleeve 27 can use the upper edge of the third mounting hole 271 to press the mounting rod 28 downward, so that the mounting rod 28 presses against the lower edge of the second mounting hole 261 of the floating piston 26, and simultaneously drives the sealing member 262 of the floating piston 26 to press against the inner hole 251 of the spacer plug 25, thereby blocking the gas flow channel 265 and preventing the gas in the positive and negative gas chambers (201, 202) in the outer tube 21 from flowing.

[0030] When the pneumatic shock absorber system 20 is in its initial stroke with relatively small impact force, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, since the air pressure in the positive air chamber 201 of the pneumatic shock absorber system 20 is less than the elastic coefficient of the wave spring 29 located in the negative air chamber 202, the floating piston 26 will not be lifted and displaced. This keeps the seal 262 of the floating piston 26 in a state of blocking the gas flow channel 265 of the spacer 25, making its shock absorption response more sensitive and smooth, and preventing it from failing due to rapid gas flow between the positive and negative air chambers (201, 202) as in the prior art.

[0031] When the pneumatic shock absorber system 20 is in the middle of its travel with a large impact force, such as Figure 7 As shown, at this time, the outer tube 21 of the air-pressure shock absorption system 20 is compressed relative to the spacer 25 of the shaft 24 under force, which increases the gas pressure in the positive air chamber 201. At the same time, the floating piston 26 is pressed by the greater pressure of the positive air chamber 201, which is slightly greater than the restoring preload of the wave spring 29. This allows the floating piston 26 to push the sliding sleeve 27 through the mounting rod 28 to press the wave spring 29 to partially deform, thereby causing the seal 262 of the floating piston 26 to disengage from the inner hole 251 of the spacer 25. This allows the gas in the positive air chamber 201 to enter the negative air chamber 202 through the gas flow channel 265, so that the gas flow in the positive and negative air chambers (201, 202) achieves dynamic balance. The wave spring 29 delays the gas flow, thereby improving the buffer support force in the middle stroke, preventing excessive compression during intense riding, and effectively optimizing the middle-stroke buffering effect.

[0032] When the pneumatic shock absorber system 20 is in the final stage of its stroke when the impact force is greatest, such as Figure 8As shown, at this time, the outer tube 21 of the pneumatic shock absorber system 20 is subjected to the maximum downward pressure and is compressed relative to the spacer 25 of the shaft 24, which increases the gas pressure in the positive air chamber 201. This causes the floating piston 26 to be pressed by the maximum pressure of the positive air chamber 201, which is greater than the restoring preload of the wave spring 29. As a result, the floating piston 26 can push the sliding sleeve 27 through the mounting rod 28 to press the wave spring 29 to deform completely. This keeps the seal 262 of the floating piston 26 out of the inner hole 251 of the spacer 25, allowing the gas in the positive air chamber 201 to enter the negative air chamber 202 through the gas flow channel 265. The deformation action of the wave spring 29 makes the gas flow in the positive and negative air chambers (201, 202) achieve dynamic balance. This allows the wave spring 29 to ensure sufficient resistance in the final stroke through a gradually increasing force curve, thereby reducing the bottoming-out buffer force in the final stroke and preventing rapid loss of resistance.

[0033] As can be seen from the aforementioned structural and operational descriptions, the pneumatic shock absorber system 20 of this invention utilizes the wave spring 29 designed between the spacer 25 and the sliding sleeve 27, and in conjunction with the floating piston 26, to form a check mechanism. This design allows the floating piston 26 of the check mechanism to remain closed during the initial compression phase, maintaining a lower pressure in the negative air chamber 202 to enhance the sensitivity to small bumps. When entering the middle stroke, the pressure difference overcomes the resistance of the wave spring 29, allowing the gas to transfer controllably between the positive and negative air chambers (201, 202). During the final impact stroke, the wave spring 29 can be used to delay the response of the floating piston 26, preventing excessive or rapid gas migration, ensuring that the compression response gradually increases, preventing uncontrolled impact to the bottom, improving the reliability of the buffering effect, and significantly enhancing its practicality.

Claims

1. A pneumatic suspension system, comprising: An outer tube, a shaft, a spacer, a floating piston, and a wave spring; characterized in that: the outer tube has an upper plug at its top and a lower plug at its bottom, the top of the outer tube being fixed to an upper fixture; the shaft has one end extending through the lower plug and being fixed to a lower fixture, the shaft being axially slidable relative to the outer tube; the spacer is located at one end of the shaft inside the outer tube, used to separate a positive gas chamber and a negative gas chamber formed inside the outer tube; the floating piston is axially inserted through the spacer and can selectively block a gas flow path between the positive and negative gas chambers; a sliding sleeve is sleeved on the shaft, the sliding sleeve being linked to the floating piston to cause it to move relative to the spacer; the wave spring is disposed between the spacer and the sliding sleeve.

2. The gas pressure shock absorbing system of claim 1 wherein: The floating piston is equipped with a seal that can seal tightly with an inner hole of the spacer body to block the gas flow path.

3. The gas pressure shock absorbing system of claim 1 wherein: The shaft has a first mounting hole, the floating piston has a second mounting hole, and the sliding sleeve has a shaft hole and a third mounting hole in its radial direction, through which a mounting rod can be inserted to connect with the floating piston and the shaft.

4. The gas pressure shock absorbing system of claim 3, wherein: The diameter of the second mounting hole is approximately equal to the diameter of the third mounting hole, while the diameters of the second and third mounting holes are smaller than the diameter of the first mounting hole.

5. The gas pressure shock absorbing system of claim 1 wherein: The bottom of the floating piston extends to form a sliding rod section that passes through the spacer body and extends into an inner sliding hole inside the shaft.

6. The gas pressure suspension system of claim 2 wherein: The bottom end of the inner hole of the spacer plug is provided with a second mounting part for connecting with a first mounting part of the shaft.

7. The gas pressure suspension system of claim 1 wherein: The gas flow channel is formed between the spacer, the shaft and the floating piston inside it, and the gas flow channel can be selectively opened or blocked by the movement of the floating piston relative to the spacer.

8. The gas pressure suspension system of claim 1 wherein: A balancing component is provided below the sliding sleeve on the shaft.

9. The pneumatic shock absorption system as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The air-pressure shock absorption system can be installed on a bicycle front fork, which includes a top tube and two fork legs connected to both sides of the top tube. The air-pressure shock absorption system is located between the two sides of the top tube and the two fork legs. The top end of the outer tube is fixed to both sides of the top tube, and the bottom end of the axle can be fixed to the two fork legs.

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