Vehicle reinforcing member and vehicle

Abstract

To provide a vehicle reinforcing member which can inhibit small deformation and vibration occurring in a vehicle body when a vehicle travels and change setting of a damping force according to preference of an occupant, and to provide a vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle reinforcing member 10 comprises a cylinder 12, a free piston 14 that partitions the inside of the cylinder 12 into a gas chamber G and an oil chamber H, a piston 16 that partitions the oil chamber H into a first oil chamber H1 and a second oil chamber H2, a piston rod 30 attached to the piston 16, damping force generating parts 24a, 24b provided at the piston 16, and a damping force adjustment part 62. The damping force adjustment part 62 includes: a housing part 64 provided at the cylinder 12; a bypass oil passage 66 that is provided inside the housing part 64 and that allows communication between the first oil chamber H1 and the second oil chamber H2 at the outside of a sliding range T of the piston 16; and an adjustment valve 68 that changes a flow passage area of the bypass oil passage 66. The vehicle reinforcing member 10 is attached between two points on a vehicle body of a two-wheeled vehicle 100 or a four-wheeled vehicle 200.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle reinforcement member and a vehicle, and more particularly to a vehicle reinforcement member that is attached between two points on a vehicle body, and a vehicle equipped with the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, dampers that are attached between two points on the vehicle body and utilize viscous damping force have been proposed in order to improve vehicle handling stability, ride comfort, etc. Furthermore, for such dampers, there is a demand for the damping force to be able to be changed according to the preferences of the passenger, rather than having the damping force be fixed.

[0003] As an example of this type of prior art, a steering damper is disclosed in Patent Document 1. This steering damper includes a cylinder body, a rod body connected to the cylinder body so as to be able to appear and disappear, a piston body connected to the rod body and slidably housed in the cylinder body and having a damping means, one chamber and another chamber defined in the cylinder body by the piston body, a bypass passage that allows communication between the one chamber and the other chamber by bypassing the damping means of the piston body, and a control means provided in the bypass passage for adjusting the flow rate of hydraulic oil passing through the bypass passage. The damping force of the damping means can be set by adjusting the flow rate of hydraulic oil passing through the bypass passage. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4972603 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the damper disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a steering damper that is attached between a head pipe on the body frame side of a motorcycle and a fork bracket on the handlebar side, and is intended to improve the feeling when the handlebars of the motorcycle are in a neutral state where they are not steered relative to the body frame. To achieve this, in this damper, when the handlebars are in a neutral state, the piston body closes the bypass path, making the damping force in the neutral state greater than the damping force in states other than neutral. This makes it possible to prevent the handlebars from reacting to small vibrations of the front wheel of a traveling motorcycle due to shimmying or the like, improving the steering feeling of the handlebars.

[0006] Thus, in Patent Document 1, the bypass passage must be closed by the piston body when the handle is in the neutral position, and there is no disclosure of a configuration in which the bypass passage is always open to allow hydraulic oil to flow regardless of the position of the handle or the piston body. Furthermore, Patent Document 1 does not disclose any mention of suppressing minute deformations and vibrations that occur in the vehicle body other than the handle when the vehicle is traveling.

[0007] Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle reinforcement member and a vehicle equipped with the same that can suppress minute deformations and vibrations that occur in the vehicle body when the vehicle is traveling and that allows the damping force setting to be changed according to the passenger's preference. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, there is provided a vehicle reinforcement member comprising: a cylinder; a free piston accommodated in the cylinder so as to divide the inside of the cylinder into a gas chamber in which gas is sealed and an oil chamber filled with hydraulic oil; a piston accommodated in the cylinder so as to divide the oil chamber into a first oil chamber and a second oil chamber sandwiched between the gas chamber and the first oil chamber and slidable in the axial direction of the cylinder; a piston rod attached to the piston and extending through the first oil chamber to the outside of the cylinder; a damping force generating unit provided on the piston for generating a damping force by flowing hydraulic oil between the first oil chamber and the second oil chamber; and a damping force adjusting unit for adjusting the damping force, wherein the damping force adjusting unit includes a housing unit provided in the cylinder; a bypass oil passage provided within the housing unit communicating between the first oil chamber and the second oil chamber outside the sliding range of the piston; and an adjusting valve for changing the flow path area of ​​the bypass oil passage to adjust the flow rate of hydraulic oil in the bypass oil passage.

[0009] In this invention, the damping force is generated by flowing hydraulic oil between the first oil chamber and the second oil chamber through the damping force generating unit provided in the piston in the cylinder. Furthermore, the first oil chamber and the second oil chamber are communicated with each other through a bypass oil passage provided in the housing of the damping force adjusting unit. The flow area of ​​the bypass oil passage is changed by the adjusting valve, and the flow rate of the hydraulic oil in the bypass oil passage is adjusted, thereby increasing or decreasing the damping force. This allows the damping force setting to be changed according to the rider's preference. That is, when the bypass oil passage is closed by the adjusting valve, the hydraulic oil passes through the damping force generating unit provided in the piston to generate a large damping force, but when the bypass oil passage is opened by the adjusting valve, a part of the hydraulic oil flows into the bypass oil passage, so that the damping force can be changed according to the opening amount of the adjusting valve. In addition, the bypass oil passage communicates the first oil chamber and the second oil chamber outside the sliding range of the piston, so that the piston does not block the bypass oil passage regardless of the position of the piston in the cylinder, and the bypass oil passage is always open to allow the hydraulic oil to flow. Therefore, when the vehicle is traveling, minute deformations and vibrations occurring in the vehicle body can be constantly suppressed by the damping force set by the damping force adjustment unit. For example, when the vehicle reinforcement member according to the present invention is mounted on a motorcycle, straight-line stability can be improved, and the degree of straight-line stability can be set according to the rider's preference by the damping force adjustment unit.

[0010] Preferably, the bypass oil passage includes a first passage connected to the first oil chamber, a second passage connected to the second oil chamber, and a third passage connecting the first passage and the second passage, the first passage and the second passage intersect with the oil chamber at a right angle to the axial direction, the third passage is parallel to the axial direction, and the adjustment valve is provided in the housing portion to change the flow path area between the first passage and the third passage or between the second passage and the third passage. In this case, it is sufficient to form the first passage and the second passage so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the cylinder, and to form the third passage so as to extend parallel to the axial direction, so that the third passage can be easily formed from the first passage.

[0011] Also preferably, the bypass oil passage includes a first passage connected to the first oil chamber and a second passage connected to the second oil chamber, the first passage intersects with the first oil chamber at an obtuse angle with respect to the axial direction, the second passage intersects with the second oil chamber at an acute angle with respect to the axial direction and communicates with the first passage, and the adjusting valve includes a rotary valve provided in the housing portion for changing the flow path area between the first passage and the second passage. In this case, by forming the first passage to intersect with the axial direction of the cylinder at an obtuse angle and forming the second passage to intersect with the axial direction at an acute angle, the oil passage length of the bypass oil passage can be shortened and the housing portion provided in the cylinder can be made small. Also, the flow path area between the first passage and the second passage can be easily adjusted by rotating the rotary valve.

[0012] More preferably, the housing portion has an opening, the bypass oil passage includes a first passage connected to the first oil chamber and a second passage connected to the second oil chamber, the first passage communicating the opening with the first oil chamber, the second passage communicating the opening with the second oil chamber, and the adjusting valve is provided in the housing portion to close the opening and change the flow path area between the first passage and the second passage. In this case, both the first passage and the second passage can be easily processed from one opening of the housing portion. Also, since the opening of the housing portion is closed by the adjusting valve, no separate plug is required, and the number of parts can be reduced.

[0013] Preferably, both the first path and the second path intersect with the oil chamber at an obtuse angle with respect to the axial direction, or both the first path and the second path intersect with the oil chamber at an acute angle with respect to the axial direction. In this case, since both the first path and the second path are formed to intersect with the axial direction of the cylinder at an obtuse angle or an acute angle, the housing portion provided in the cylinder can be made small.

[0014] In addition, there is provided a vehicle including a vehicle body and the above-mentioned vehicle reinforcement member attached between two points of the vehicle body. The vehicle reinforcement member according to the present invention can be suitably used in vehicles such as two-wheeled vehicles and four-wheeled vehicles.

[0015] In the present invention, the angles of the first and second paths with respect to the axial direction correspond to angles with respect to the axial direction when the first oil chamber side is swung around the gas chamber side as a fulcrum. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a vehicle reinforcing member that suppresses minute deformations and vibrations that occur in the vehicle body when the vehicle is traveling and enables the damping force setting to be changed according to the passenger's preference, and a vehicle equipped with the same. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a vehicle reinforcement member according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a piston, a damping force generating portion and their vicinity. FIG. [Diagram 3] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, (a) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a bypass oil passage is closed by an adjustment valve, and (b) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the bypass oil passage is opened by the adjustment valve. [Figure 4] 2A and 2B are schematic diagrams showing the flow of hydraulic oil in the embodiment of FIG. 1, where FIG. 2A shows a case where a bypass oil passage is closed, and FIG. 2B shows a case where the bypass oil passage is opened. [Diagram 5] 1 is a diagram showing a two-wheeled vehicle in which a vehicle reinforcing member according to the present invention is used; [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a four-wheeled vehicle in which a vehicle reinforcing member according to the present invention is used; [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a vehicle reinforcement member according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] In the embodiment of FIG. 7, (a) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the bypass oil passage is closed by an adjustment valve, and (b) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the bypass oil passage is opened by the adjustment valve. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a vehicle reinforcing member according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10]In the embodiment of FIG. 9, (a) is a diagram showing a state in which the bypass oil passage is closed by an adjustment valve, and (b) is a diagram showing a state in which the bypass oil passage is opened by the adjustment valve. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a vehicle reinforcement member according to still another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] 1, a vehicle reinforcement member 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention is a single-tube hydraulic shock absorber. The vehicle reinforcement member 10 includes a cylinder 12 that is open at one end. A free piston 14, a piston 16, and a guide rod housing 18 are housed in the cylinder 12.

[0020] The free piston 14 divides the inside of the cylinder 12 into a gas chamber G in which gas is sealed and an oil chamber H in which hydraulic oil is filled. An inert gas such as high-pressure nitrogen gas is sealed in the gas chamber G. An O-ring 15 is provided between the free piston 14 and the cylinder 12.

[0021] Referring also to FIG. 2, the piston 16 is slidable in the axial direction X of the cylinder 12, and divides the oil chamber H into a first oil chamber H1 and a second oil chamber H2. The second oil chamber H2 is sandwiched between the gas chamber G and the first oil chamber H1. The stroke S of the piston 16 is short. In other words, the sliding range T of the piston 16 is not very large. In this embodiment, the stroke S of the piston 16 is 1 mm or less, and the sliding range T of the piston 16 is about 10 mm. A piston ring 20 is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the piston 16, and an O-ring 22 is provided between the piston 16 and the piston ring 20.

[0022] The piston 16 is provided with an extension-side damping force generating portion 24a and a compression-side damping force generating portion 24b in order to generate a damping force by causing hydraulic oil to flow between the first oil chamber H1 and the second oil chamber H2.

[0023] The extension-side damping force generating section 24a includes an oil passage 26a and a damping valve 28a. The oil passage 26a penetrates the piston 16 to communicate the first oil chamber H1 and the second oil chamber H2. The damping valve 28a is configured by stacking a plurality of annular valve plates, and is provided on the main surface of the piston 16 on the second oil chamber H2 side so as to be able to open and close the oil passage 26a. The damping force generating section 24a functions when the piston 16 moves toward the first oil chamber H1 and the vehicle reinforcement member 10 extends. In this case, when the hydraulic oil in the first oil chamber H1 flows toward the second oil chamber H2 through the oil passage 26a, the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic oil in the first oil chamber H1, which is greater than the elastic biasing force of the damping valve 28a, elastically deforms and opens the damping valve 28a. Then, the hydraulic oil flows through the opened oil passage 26a while receiving elastic resistance from the damping valve 28a. This flow of hydraulic oil generates a damping force, which reduces the impact force.

[0024] Similarly, the compression-side damping force generating section 24b includes an oil passage 26b and a damping valve 28b. The oil passage 26b penetrates the piston 16 to communicate the first oil chamber H1 and the second oil chamber H2. The damping valve 28b is configured by stacking a plurality of annular valve plates, and is provided on the main surface of the piston 16 on the first oil chamber H1 side so as to be able to open and close the oil passage 26b. The damping force generating section 24b functions when the piston 16 moves toward the second oil chamber H2 and the vehicle reinforcement member 10 performs a compression operation. In this case, when the hydraulic oil in the second oil chamber H2 flows toward the first oil chamber H1 through the oil passage 26b, the damping valve 28b is elastically deformed and opened by the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic oil in the second oil chamber H2, which is greater than the elastic biasing force of the damping valve 28b. Then, the hydraulic oil flows through the opened oil passage 26b while receiving an elastic resistance force from the damping valve 28b. This flow of hydraulic oil generates a damping force, which reduces the impact force.

[0025] One end of a piston rod 30 is attached to the piston 16 and fixed with a nut 32. Here, a control washer 34 and a plain washer 36 are interposed between the damping valve 28b and the piston rod 30 on the first oil chamber H1 side of the piston 16, and a control washer 38 and a plain washer 40 are interposed between the damping valve 28a and the nut 32 on the second oil chamber H2 side of the piston 16.

[0026] The guide rod housing 18 is provided near the open end in the cylinder 12 to guide the piston rod 30. The piston rod 30 attached to the piston 16 passes through the first oil chamber H1 and is inserted into the guide rod housing 18 to extend to the outside of the cylinder 12. A slide metal 42 is interposed between the guide rod housing 18 and the piston rod 30. This allows the piston rod 30 to slide relative to the guide rod housing 18. A rod seal 44, a static seal 46, and a seal retainer 48 are provided on the first oil chamber H1 side of the guide rod housing 18, which seals between the cylinder 12 and the piston rod 30 to prevent oil from leaking from the first oil chamber H1. Circlips 50 and 52 are provided in the cylinder 12, which fix the guide rod housing 18, the rod seal 44, the static seal 46, and the seal retainer 48 at predetermined positions in the cylinder 12. A dust seal 54 is provided on the outer main surface of the guide rod housing 18, which prevents foreign matter from entering the cylinder 12 from the outside. A spring 56 for canceling gas reaction force is provided between the plain washer 36 and the seal retainer 48 in the first oil chamber H1.

[0027] The other end of the piston rod 30 is screwed with a locking nut 58 and is screwed into a joint 60 .

[0028] The vehicle reinforcement member 10 further includes a damping force adjusting unit 62 that adjusts the damping force. The damping force adjusting unit 62 includes a housing portion 64 provided in the cylinder 12, a bypass oil passage 66 that is provided in the housing portion 64 and communicates between the first oil chamber H1 and the second oil chamber H2 outside the sliding range T of the piston 16, and an adjustment valve 68 that changes the flow path area of ​​the bypass oil passage 66 to adjust the flow rate of the hydraulic oil in the bypass oil passage 66.

[0029] The housing portion 64 is formed integrally with the open end side of the cylinder 12 .

[0030] The bypass oil passage 66 includes a first passage 70 connected to the first oil chamber H1, a second passage 72 connected to the second oil chamber H2, and a third passage 74 connecting the first passage 70 and the second passage 72. The first passage 70 and the second passage 72 connect to the first oil chamber H1 and the second oil chamber H2, respectively, outward in the axial direction X from the sliding range T. The first passage 70 intersects with the first oil chamber H1 at a right angle to the axial direction X, the second passage 72 intersects with the second oil chamber H2 at a right angle to the axial direction X, and the third passage 74 is parallel to the axial direction X. The ends of the first passage 70 and the second passage 72 are blocked by plugs 76 and 78, respectively.

[0031] The adjusting valve 68 is provided in the housing part 64 in order to change the flow passage area between the first passage 70 and the third passage 74. An O-ring 80 is fitted to the tip of the adjusting valve 68. A circlip 82 for preventing the adjusting valve 68 from coming off is attached near the head of the adjusting valve 68 in the housing part 64. Furthermore, a control handle 86 is fixed to the head of the adjusting valve 68 by a set screw 84, and the position of the adjusting valve 68 can be adjusted by the control handle 86. By moving the adjusting valve 68 back and forth, the bypass oil passage 66 is closed as shown in FIG. 3(a), or the bypass oil passage 66 is opened as shown in FIG. 3(b).

[0032] When the bypass oil passage 66 is closed, as shown in Fig. 4(a), the hydraulic oil moves between the first oil chamber H1 and the second oil chamber H2 only through the damping force generating parts 24a, 24b provided in the piston 16. This provides a large damping force.

[0033] On the other hand, when the bypass oil passage 66 is opened, as shown in Fig. 4(b), the hydraulic oil moves between the first oil chamber H1 and the second oil chamber H2 not only through the damping force generating parts 24a, 24b provided in the piston 16 but also through the bypass oil passage 66. This makes it possible to reduce the damping force compared to when the bypass oil passage 66 is closed.

[0034] 5, the vehicle reinforcement member 10 is applied to a motorcycle 100. The motorcycle 100 includes a vehicle body 102 and two wheels 104 provided on the vehicle body 102. The vehicle body 102 includes a frame 106 that is substantially U-shaped in a plan view and is provided between the two wheels 104. In this embodiment, two points on a front part of the frame 106, two points on one side part (left side) of the frame 106, and two points on the other side part (right side) of the frame 106 are respectively connected by the vehicle reinforcement member 10. In this manner, the vehicle reinforcement member 10 is attached between two points of the vehicle body 102.

[0035] 6, the vehicle reinforcement member 10 is applied to a four-wheeled vehicle 200. The four-wheeled vehicle 200 includes a vehicle body 202 and four wheels 204 provided on the vehicle body 202. The vehicle body 202 includes a pair of side members 206, 208 extending in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the front ends of the side members 206, 208 are connected to each other and the rear ends of the side members 206, 208 are connected to each other by the vehicle reinforcement member 10. In this manner, the vehicle reinforcement member 10 is attached between two points of the vehicle body 202.

[0036] According to the vehicle reinforcement member 10, the hydraulic oil flows between the first oil chamber H1 and the second oil chamber H2 through the damping force generating parts 24a and 24b provided in the piston 16 in the cylinder 12, thereby generating a damping force. Furthermore, the first oil chamber H1 and the second oil chamber H2 are communicated with each other through a bypass oil passage 66 provided in the housing part 64 of the damping force adjusting part 62. The flow area of ​​the bypass oil passage 66 is changed by the adjusting valve 68, and the flow rate of the hydraulic oil in the bypass oil passage 66 is adjusted, thereby increasing or decreasing the damping force. This allows the damping force setting to be changed according to the rider's preference. That is, when the bypass oil passage 66 is closed by the adjusting valve 68, the hydraulic oil passes through the damping force generating parts 24a and 24b provided in the piston 16 to generate a large damping force, but when the bypass oil passage 66 is opened by the adjusting valve 68, a part of the hydraulic oil flows into the bypass oil passage 66, so that the damping force can be changed according to the opening amount of the adjusting valve 68. In addition, since the bypass oil passage 66 communicates the first oil chamber H1 and the second oil chamber H2 outside the sliding range T of the piston 16, the piston 16 does not block the bypass oil passage 66 regardless of the position of the piston 16 in the cylinder 12, and the bypass oil passage 66 is always open to allow the hydraulic oil to flow. Therefore, when the vehicle reinforcement member 10 is attached to the two-wheeled vehicle 100 or the four-wheeled vehicle 200, minute deformations and vibrations occurring in the vehicle bodies 102, 202 can be suppressed at all times during traveling of the vehicle by the damping force set by the damping force adjustment unit 62. In addition, when the vehicle reinforcement member 10 is attached to the two-wheeled vehicle 100, straight-line stability can be improved, and the degree of straight-line stability can be set by the damping force adjustment unit 62 according to the rider's preference.

[0037] The first passage 70 and the second passage 72 are formed to extend in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction X of the cylinder 12, and the third passage 74 is formed to extend parallel to the axial direction X, so that the first passage 70 to the third passage 74 can be easily formed.

[0038] The vehicle reinforcement member 10 can be suitably used in vehicles such as a two-wheeled vehicle 100 and a four-wheeled vehicle 200 .

[0039] A vehicle reinforcement member 10a according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 7. The vehicle reinforcement member 10a has the same structure as the vehicle reinforcement member 10, except that it includes a damping force adjustment portion 62a instead of the damping force adjustment portion 62.

[0040] The damping force adjustment unit 62a includes a housing portion 64a provided in the cylinder 12, a bypass oil passage 66a provided within the housing portion 64a and communicating between the first oil chamber H1 and the second oil chamber H2 outside the sliding range T (see Figure 2) of the piston 16, and an adjustment valve 68a that changes the flow area of ​​the bypass oil passage 66a to adjust the flow rate of hydraulic oil in the bypass oil passage 66a.

[0041] The housing portion 64a is integrally formed with the cylinder 12 at approximately the center thereof.

[0042] The bypass oil passage 66a includes a first passage 70a connected to the first oil chamber H1 and a second passage 72a connected to the second oil chamber H2. The first passage 70a and the second passage 72a are connected to the first oil chamber H1 and the second oil chamber H2, respectively, outward in the axial direction X from the sliding range T. The first passage 70a intersects with the first oil chamber H1 at an obtuse angle with respect to the axial direction X, and the second passage 72a intersects with the second oil chamber H2 at an acute angle with respect to the axial direction X and communicates with the first passage 70a. The ends of the first passage 70a and the second passage 72a are blocked by plugs 76a and 78a, respectively.

[0043] The adjusting valve 68a is a rotary valve provided in the housing portion 64a to change the flow path area between the first path 70a and the second path 72a. The adjusting valve 68a is provided to extend in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction X. By rotating the adjusting valve 68a, the bypass oil path 66a is closed as shown in FIG. 8(a) or opened as shown in FIG. 8(b).

[0044] Other configurations of the vehicle reinforcing member 10a are similar to those of the vehicle reinforcing member 10, so duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0045] According to the vehicle reinforcement member 10a, the first passage 70a is formed to intersect with the first oil chamber H1 at an obtuse angle with respect to the axial direction X of the cylinder 12, and the second passage 72a is formed to intersect with the second oil chamber H2 at an acute angle with respect to the axial direction X, thereby making it possible to shorten the oil passage length of the bypass oil passage 66a and reduce the size of the housing portion 64a provided in the cylinder 12. In addition, the flow path area between the first passage 70a and the second passage 72a can be easily adjusted by rotating the adjustment valve 68a consisting of a rotary valve.

[0046] A vehicle reinforcement member 10b according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 9. The vehicle reinforcement member 10b has the same configuration as the vehicle reinforcement member 10, except that the cylinder 12 and the damping force adjustment portion 62 are replaced by a cylinder 12b and a damping force adjustment portion 62b.

[0047] The cylinder 12b and the cylinder 12 are slightly different in shape and size, but are substantially similarly configured.

[0048] The damping force adjustment unit 62b includes a housing portion 64b provided in the cylinder 12b, a bypass oil passage 66b provided within the housing portion 64b and communicating between the first oil chamber H1 and the second oil chamber H2 outside the sliding range T (see Figure 2) of the piston 16, and an adjustment valve 68b that changes the flow area of ​​the bypass oil passage 66b to adjust the flow rate of hydraulic oil in the bypass oil passage 66b.

[0049] The housing portion 64b is integrally formed with the cylinder 12b from the center toward the open end. The housing portion 64b has an opening 88b.

[0050] The bypass oil passage 66b includes a first passage 70b connected to the first oil chamber H1 and a second passage 72b connected to the second oil chamber H2. The first passage 70b and the second passage 72b connect to the first oil chamber H1 and the second oil chamber H2, respectively, outward in the axial direction X from the sliding range T. The first passage 70b connects the opening 88b to the first oil chamber H1, and the second passage 72b connects the opening 88b to the second oil chamber H2. The first passage 70b intersects with the first oil chamber H1 at an obtuse angle with respect to the axial direction X, and the second passage 72b intersects with the second oil chamber H2 at an obtuse angle with respect to the axial direction X.

[0051] The adjusting valve 68b is provided in the housing part 64b to close the opening 88b and change the flow passage area between the first passage 70b and the second passage 72b. An O-ring 80b is fitted to the adjusting valve 68b. A circlip 82b for preventing the adjusting valve 68b from coming off is attached near the head of the adjusting valve 68b in the housing part 64b. Furthermore, a control handle 86b is fixed to the head of the adjusting valve 68b by a set screw 84b, and the position of the adjusting valve 68b can be adjusted by the control handle 86b. By moving the adjusting valve 68b back and forth, the bypass oil passage 66b is closed as shown in FIG. 10(a) or the bypass oil passage 66b is opened as shown in FIG. 10(b).

[0052] Other configurations of the vehicle reinforcing member 10b are similar to those of the vehicle reinforcing member 10, so a duplicated description will be omitted.

[0053] According to the vehicle reinforcement member 10b, both the first passage 70b and the second passage 72b can be easily processed from one opening 88b of the housing portion 64b. In addition, since the opening 88b of the housing portion 64b is closed by the adjustment valve 68b, a separate plug is not required, and the number of parts can be reduced.

[0054] Since both the first passage 70b and the second passage 72b are formed so as to intersect with the oil chamber H at an obtuse angle with respect to the axial direction X of the cylinder 12b, the housing portion 64b provided in the cylinder 12b can be made small.

[0055] A vehicle reinforcement member 10c according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 11. The vehicle reinforcement member 10c has the same configuration as the vehicle reinforcement member 10b, except that it includes a damping force adjustment portion 62c instead of the damping force adjustment portion 62b.

[0056] The damping force adjustment unit 62c includes a housing portion 64c provided in the cylinder 12b, a bypass oil passage 66c provided within the housing portion 64c and communicating between the first oil chamber H1 and the second oil chamber H2 outside the sliding range T (see Figure 2) of the piston 16, and an adjustment valve 68c that changes the flow area of ​​the bypass oil passage 66c to adjust the flow rate of hydraulic oil in the bypass oil passage 66c.

[0057] The housing portion 64c is integrally formed with the cylinder 12b from the center toward the open end. The housing portion 64c has an opening 88c.

[0058] The bypass oil passage 66c includes a first passage 70c connected to the first oil chamber H1 and a second passage 72c connected to the second oil chamber H2. The first passage 70c and the second passage 72c are connected to the first oil chamber H1 and the second oil chamber H2, respectively, outward in the axial direction X from the sliding range T. The first passage 70c connects the opening 88c to the first oil chamber H1, and the second passage 72c connects the opening 88c to the second oil chamber H2. Both the first passage 70c and the second passage 72c intersect with the oil chamber H at an acute angle with respect to the axial direction X.

[0059] The adjusting valve 68c is provided in the housing part 64c to close the opening 88c and change the flow passage area between the first passage 70c and the second passage 72c. An O-ring 80c is fitted to the adjusting valve 68c. A circlip 82c for preventing the adjusting valve 68c from coming off is attached near the head of the adjusting valve 68c in the housing part 64c. Furthermore, a control handle 86c is fixed to the head of the adjusting valve 68c by a set screw 84c, and the position of the adjusting valve 68c can be adjusted by the control handle 86c. The bypass oil passage 66c is opened and closed by moving the adjusting valve 68c back and forth.

[0060] Other configurations of the vehicle reinforcing member 10c are similar to those of the vehicle reinforcing member 10b.

[0061] According to the vehicle reinforcement member 10c, both the first passage 70c and the second passage 72c can be easily processed from one opening 88c of the housing portion 64c. In addition, since the opening 88c of the housing portion 64c is closed by the adjustment valve 68c, a separate plug is not required, and the number of parts can be reduced.

[0062] Since both the first passage 70c and the second passage 72c are formed so as to intersect with the oil chamber H at an acute angle with respect to the axial direction X of the cylinder 12c, the housing portion 64c provided in the cylinder 12c can be made small.

[0063] The vehicle reinforcing members 10a to 10c can also be suitably used in vehicles such as two-wheeled vehicles and four-wheeled vehicles.

[0064] 1, the adjusting valve 68 is provided in the housing part 64 in order to change the flow area between the first path 70 and the third path 74, but is not limited to this. The adjusting valve may be provided in the housing part in order to change the flow area between the second path and the third path.

[0065] 9, both the first path 70b and the second path 72b are configured to intersect with the oil chamber H at an obtuse angle with respect to the axial direction X, but are not limited to this. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 9, the damping force adjustment portion may be modified so that the first path intersects with the first oil chamber H1 at an obtuse angle with respect to the axial direction X, and the second path intersects with the second oil chamber H2 at an acute angle with respect to the axial direction X. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 10, 10a, 10b, 10c Reinforcement member for vehicle 12,12b Cylinder 14 Free piston 16 Piston 24a, 24b Damping force generating section 30 Piston rod 62, 62a, 62b, 62c Damping force adjustment section 64, 64a, 64b, 64c Housing part 66, 66a, 66b, 66c Bypass oil passage 68, 68a, 68b, 68c Regulating valve 70,70a,70b,70c 1st road 72,72a,72b,72c 2nd road 74 3rd road 88b,88c opening 100 Motorcycles 102,202 Body 106 Frames 200 four-wheeled vehicle 206,208 Side member G Gas chamber H oil chamber H1 1st oil chamber H2 2nd oil chamber S Piston stroke T Piston sliding range X-axis direction

Claims

1. A cylinder; a free piston accommodated in the cylinder so as to divide the interior of the cylinder into a gas chamber filled with gas and an oil chamber filled with hydraulic oil; a piston accommodated in the cylinder so as to divide the oil chamber into a first oil chamber and a second oil chamber sandwiched between the gas chamber and the first oil chamber, and slidable in the axial direction of the cylinder; a piston rod attached to the piston and extending to the outside of the cylinder through the first oil chamber; a damping force generating section provided in the piston for generating a damping force by causing the hydraulic oil to flow between the first oil chamber and the second oil chamber; a damping force adjusting unit that adjusts the damping force, the damping force adjuster includes a housing portion provided in the cylinder, a bypass oil passage provided in the housing portion and communicating the first oil chamber with the second oil chamber outside the sliding range of the piston, and an adjustment valve that changes a flow path area of ​​the bypass oil passage to adjust a flow rate of hydraulic oil in the bypass oil passage, the bypass oil passage includes a first passage connected to the first oil chamber and a second passage connected to the second oil chamber, the first passage intersects with the first oil chamber at an obtuse angle with respect to the axial direction, and the second passage intersects with the second oil chamber at an acute angle with respect to the axial direction and communicates with the first passage; The regulating valve includes a rotary valve provided in the housing portion for changing a flow area between the first passage and the second passage.

2. A cylinder; a free piston accommodated in the cylinder so as to divide the interior of the cylinder into a gas chamber filled with gas and an oil chamber filled with hydraulic oil; a piston accommodated in the cylinder so as to divide the oil chamber into a first oil chamber and a second oil chamber sandwiched between the gas chamber and the first oil chamber, and slidable in the axial direction of the cylinder; a piston rod attached to the piston and extending to the outside of the cylinder through the first oil chamber; a damping force generating section provided in the piston for generating a damping force by causing the hydraulic oil to flow between the first oil chamber and the second oil chamber; a damping force adjusting unit that adjusts the damping force, the damping force adjuster includes a housing portion provided in the cylinder, a bypass oil passage provided in the housing portion and communicating the first oil chamber with the second oil chamber outside the sliding range of the piston, and an adjustment valve that changes a flow path area of ​​the bypass oil passage to adjust a flow rate of hydraulic oil in the bypass oil passage, the housing portion has an opening; the bypass oil passage includes a first passage connected to the first oil chamber and a second passage connected to the second oil chamber, the first passage communicates the opening with the first oil chamber; the second passage communicates the opening with the second oil chamber, Both the first path and the second path intersect with the oil chamber at an obtuse angle with respect to the axial direction, or both the first path and the second path intersect with the oil chamber at an acute angle with respect to the axial direction, The adjustment valve is provided in the housing portion to close the opening and change the flow area between the first path and the second path.

3. The car body and A vehicle comprising the vehicle reinforcing member according to claim 1 or 2 attached between two points on the vehicle body.

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