Suspension electric controller

Abstract

To provide a suspension electric controller that can afterward be incorporated in a bicycle having a manually adjustable front suspension, and makes it possible to adjust or alter the characteristic of the front suspension even during riding the bicycle.SOLUTION: A suspension electric controller (100) includes a holder (110) that is attached to a crown (20) including a manipulation part (35) for use in adjusting a front suspension (30) of a vehicle, and an electric unit (130) fixed integrally to the holder (110). The electric unit (130) includes a retention part (190) integrated into the manipulation part (35), a gear assemblage (200) coupled integrally in order to move the retention part (190), and a motor (170) that moves the manipulation part (35) via the gear assemblage (200) and retention part (190).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric suspension control device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, an increasing number of bicycles have been equipped with a suspension pre-installed on the front fork (hereinafter referred to simply as the "front suspension"). This type of bicycle allows the user to adjust the hardness and damping characteristics of the front suspension as desired.

[0003] In addition, there are two types of front suspension: a manual type, in which the hardness and damping characteristics of the front suspension are adjusted by manually turning a dial, and an electric type, in which adjustment is made electrically. Both the manual type and the electric type are pre-installed on the bicycle (complete vehicle).

[0004] With a manual type front suspension, it is difficult for the user to turn the dial while riding the bicycle, so the user must turn the dial to set it in advance before riding.

[0005] Meanwhile, in the field of electric front suspensions, bicycles have been proposed that are equipped with bicycle control devices that can optimize the posture of the vehicle body by automatically changing the stiffness and damping amount according to road conditions and driving conditions (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Incidentally, this type of electric suspension is generally called an active suspension. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6798923 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, the bicycle in Patent Document 1 requires that a bicycle control device be installed in advance, and it is difficult to retrofit an electric suspension control device for adjusting the suspension stiffness and damping while riding a bicycle that does not have a bicycle control device installed in advance.

[0008] The electric suspension control device of the present invention can be retrofitted to a bicycle with a manually adjustable front suspension, and one example of an objective of the device is to enable the characteristics of the front suspension to be adjusted or changed even while the bicycle is being driven. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The suspension electric control device of the present invention comprises a holder attached to a crown provided with a manual operation unit for adjusting the front suspension of a vehicle, and an electric unit fixed integrally to the holder, the electric unit having a holding portion integrated with the manual operation unit, a gear portion integrally connected to move the holding portion, and a motor that moves the manual operation unit via the gear portion and the holding portion. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a front fork to which an electric suspension unit according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached; [Diagram 2] 1 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state in which an electric suspension unit according to an embodiment that is an example of the present invention is attached to a top cap; [Diagram 3] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of an electric suspension unit according to an embodiment that is an example of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1A is a perspective view showing a configuration of a holder of an electric suspension unit according to an embodiment that is one example of the present invention, as viewed from the front side, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing a configuration of the holder as viewed from the rear side. [Diagram 5] 1A is a perspective view showing the configuration of an electric unit of an electric suspension unit according to an embodiment that is one example of the present invention, as viewed from the front side, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the configuration of an electric unit of an electric suspension unit according to an embodiment that is one example of the present invention, as viewed from the rear side. [Figure 6] 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an electric unit of an electric suspension unit according to an embodiment that is an example of the present invention, as viewed from below; [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a connected state of a motor and a reducer with the upper case of an electric unit according to an embodiment of the present invention removed (A), an external configuration seen through the upper case of the electric unit (B), and an external configuration of the electric unit (C). [Figure 8] 1A, 1B, and 1C are perspective views illustrating a procedure for mounting an electric suspension unit according to an embodiment that is an example of the present invention to a front fork. [Figure 9] 1 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of an electric suspension unit according to an embodiment that is an example of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall structure of a front fork to which an electric suspension unit according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state in which the electric suspension unit according to the embodiment of the present invention is attached to a top cap.

[0012] Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of an electric suspension unit according to an embodiment which is an example of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration (A) of a holder of an electric suspension unit according to an embodiment which is an example of the present invention when viewed from the front side and the configuration (B) of the holder when viewed from the rear side. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the configuration (A) of an electric unit of an electric suspension unit according to an embodiment which is an example of the present invention when viewed from the front side and the configuration (B) of the electric unit when viewed from the rear side.

[0013] Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an electric unit of an electric suspension unit according to an embodiment of the present invention when viewed from below. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing (A) a coupled state of a motor and a reducer with an upper case of the electric unit removed, (B) an external configuration seen through the upper case of the electric unit, and (C) an external configuration of the electric unit.

[0014] Fig. 8 is a perspective view (A), (B) and (C) for explaining a procedure for mounting an electric suspension unit according to an embodiment of the present invention to a front fork. Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of the electric suspension unit according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, for the sake of convenience, the direction of arrow a is the upper side or one side, and the direction of arrow b is the lower side or the other side. Here, the direction of arrow ab is referred to as the up-down direction, and the upper side and the lower side are the vertical directions when the bicycle is traveling. The direction of arrow cd is referred to as the left-right direction, and the direction of arrow c when viewing the bicycle from the front side is referred to as the left side, and the direction of arrow d is referred to as the right side.

[0016] <Electric suspension unit> As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an electric suspension unit 100 serving as an electric suspension control device of the present invention is attached to a front suspension 30 of a front fork 1 of a bicycle when in use.

[0017] The electric suspension unit 100 has a steering tube 10, a fork crown 20 formed in a bifurcated shape, a front suspension 30 (an inner tube (stanchion) 31, an outer tube (slider) 32, and a claw 33), and a bridge (arch) 40. Note that in this embodiment, the front fork 1 of the bicycle will be mainly described, and descriptions of other parts will be omitted.

[0018] The steering tube 10 is fixed integrally to the handlebars (not shown) of the bicycle and rotates integrally with the left and right movement of the handlebars. The fork crown 20 is a bifurcated part that is integrally connected to the lower end of the steering tube 10 and a base 21 in the center of the fork crown 20.

[0019] The fork crown 20 has top caps 22 provided at the left and right ends (in the direction of arrow cd) from the base 21. In this case, a manual suspension adjustment dial 35 (FIGS. 3 and 8(A)) is attached as a manual operation part to the end portion on the upper side (in the direction of arrow a) of the top cap 22 on the left side (in the direction of arrow c).

[0020] The front suspensions 30 are provided at regular intervals in the left-right direction (in the direction of the arrow cd). The front suspension 30 has an inner tube (stanchion) 31 whose upper end (in the direction of the arrow a) is attached to the top cap 22 of the fork crown 20, an outer tube (slider) 32 that houses the inner tube 31 and holds it slidably, and a claw (not shown) that is provided at the tip of the lower side (in the direction of the arrow b) of the outer tube 32 and is used to attach a wheel.

[0021] The bridge (arch) 40 is a reinforcing member attached to prevent each outer tube 32 of the front suspension 30 from twisting relative to one another.

[0022] The electric suspension unit 100 is attached to one of the top caps 22 of the fork crown 20. In practice, the electric suspension unit 100 is attached to the top cap 22 on which the manual suspension adjustment dial 35 (FIG. 3) is present. Therefore, in FIGS. 1 and 2, the presence of the electric suspension unit 100 hides the suspension adjustment dial 35.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the electric suspension unit 100 is made up of a holder 110 that is attached to the top cap 22 of the fork crown 20, and an electric unit 130 that is attached to the holder 110.

[0024] <Holder> As shown in FIGS. 4(A) and (B), the holder 110 is a part that constitutes the electric suspension unit 100, and is attached integrally with the electric unit 130, which will be described later.

[0025] Holder 110 has an attachment main body 111 for attachment to cylindrical top cap 22, and a lower case fixing part 115 formed integrally with attachment main body 111 and on which lower case 140 (FIGS. 3, 5, and 6) of electric unit 130 is placed and fixed. Mounting main body 111 and lower case fixing part 115 of holder 110 are arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction (the direction of arrow ab).

[0026] The mounting body 111 of the holder 110 has a semi-cylindrical or approximately semi-cylindrical semi-cylindrical portion 111a corresponding to the cylindrical top cap 22, a U-shaped portion 111b formed so as to protrude outward in a concave manner from the semi-cylindrical portion 111a, and thin rectangular leg portions 111c protruding on both sides on the lower side (in the direction of arrow b) of the semi-cylindrical portion 111a so as to be perpendicular to the vertical direction (in the direction of arrow ab).

[0027] The semi-cylindrical portion 111a of the mounting body 111 is a semi-cylindrical portion extending vertically (in the direction of the arrow ab) so as to cover the top cap 22 from the outside, and has a semi-cylindrical inner space. As shown in Fig. 4(B), the semi-cylindrical portion 111a is widely open on the opposite side to the U-shaped portion 111b.

[0028] The U-shaped portion 111b of the mounting body 111 is a semi-cylindrical portion that extends vertically (in the direction of the arrow ab) and has a concave inner space. The inner space of the U-shaped portion 111b communicates with the inner space of the semi-cylindrical portion 111a.

[0029] The U-shaped portion 111b has two through holes 111bh formed in the vertical direction (arrow ab direction) at the upper end (arrow a direction) of the U-shaped portion 111b, which correspond to two screw holes 153h of an insertion piece 153 of a connecting plate 150 (FIG. 3) of the electric unit 130 described later. The U-shaped portion 111b and the insertion piece 153 of the connecting plate 150 are fixed to each other by two screws sc1.

[0030] The two legs 111c of the mounting body 111 are plate-like portions that are attached to a fixing plate 113 (Figure 4(B)) with the center curved outward, in a state in which the top cap 22 is sandwiched between the fixing plate 113 after the top cap 22 is accommodated through the opening of the semi-cylindrical portion 111a.

[0031] The leg 111c has two through holes 111ch (FIG. 4(A)) formed along the vertical direction (the direction of the arrow ab) corresponding to the two screw holes 113h of the fixing plate 113. The two leg parts 111c and the fixing plate 113 are fixed to each other by two screws sc2 in a state where the top cap 22 is sandwiched between them.

[0032] As a result, the holder 110 is fixed integrally with the top cap 22 sandwiched between the semi-cylindrical portion 111a of the mounting body 111 and the fixing plate 113. Incidentally, the top cap 22 is provided with a manual suspension adjustment dial 35 (FIGS. 3 and 8(A)) for adjusting the hardness and damping amount of the front suspension 30, and when the holder 110 is attached to the top cap 22 (FIG. 8(B)), the suspension adjustment dial 35 is exposed on the upper side (in the direction of the arrow a) of the semi-cylindrical portion 111a.

[0033] 4(A) and (B), lower case fixing part 115 of holder 110 is provided integrally with the side surface of mounting main body part 111, and has a box shape on which the bottom surface of lower case main body part 141 of lower case 140 can be placed and fixed. Lower case fixing part 115 has a partial opening on the upper side, and U-shaped fixing plate 116 is housed in the inner space of the opening.

[0034] The lower case fixing part 115 has through holes 115h at positions corresponding to two screw holes 116h provided in the fixing plate 116. Therefore, when the fixing plate 116 is housed in the inner space of the lower case fixing part 115, the through holes 115h of the lower case fixing part 115 and the screw holes 116h of the fixing plate 116 face each other and communicate with each other.

[0035] The bottom surface of the lower case main body 141 is placed on the lower case fixing portion 115 while being clamped by two legs 143 of the lower case 140 (Figures 5 and 6) described later, and the lower case fixing portion 115 can be fixed with screw sc3 via the through holes 143h (Figure 5(B)) of the two legs 143, the screw hole 116h (Figure 4(B)) of the fixing plate 116, and the through hole 115h (Figure 4(B)) of the lower case fixing portion 115.

[0036] <Electric unit> As shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, the electric unit 130 is a part that constitutes the electric suspension unit 100, and is attached integrally with the holder 110 in a state in which it is placed on the holder 110.

[0037] The electric unit 130 has a lower case 140 as a case, a connecting plate 150, an upper case 160 as a case, a motor 170, an adjustment dial holding cap 190 as a holding portion, a reducer 200 as a gear portion, an operation dial 300, and a control device 400.

[0038] <Lower case> The lower case 140 of the electric unit 130 is a component that is disposed below the upper case 160 and is joined to the upper case 160 to form the casing of the electric unit 130 .

[0039] The lower case 140 has a box-shaped lower case main body 141 that is rectangular in a plan view, and a thin plate-shaped cap support portion 142 (Figures 3, 5, and 6) that is rectangular in a plan view and extends from the upper end of the lower case main body 141 in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction (the direction of arrow ab).

[0040] The lower case main body 141 of the lower case 140 has a recessed space 141s (FIG. 3) for accommodating the motor 170 in its inner space. The lower case main body 141 also has two legs 143 extending downward (in the direction of arrow b) and arranged opposite to each other so as to be able to sandwich the lower case fixing part 115 of the holder 110.

[0041] The motor 170 housed in the lower case main body 141 is, for example, a stepping motor, and has an output shaft 171 (FIG. 3). However, the motor 170 is not limited to this, and various motors such as a DC motor and an AC motor can be used.

[0042] The cap support portion 142 (FIG. 3) of the lower case 140 has a thin plate-like arm portion 142a that is rectangular in a plan view, and a bottomless cylindrical storage wall portion 142b formed in the center of the arm portion 142a. The storage wall portion 142b is a low cylindrical wall erected in the vertical direction (the direction of the arrow ab), and has an inner diameter capable of storing an adjustment dial holding cap 190 (described later).

[0043] <Adjustment dial retaining cap> As shown in FIG. 3, the adjustment dial holding cap 190 is a holding portion that is attached integrally by being pushed over and covering the manual suspension adjustment dial 35 that is provided in advance on the top cap 22 of the front suspension 30.

[0044] The adjustment dial holding cap 190 has a disk-shaped cap body 191, a protruding portion 192, and a plurality of legs 193, and is placed over the suspension adjustment dial 35 to form an integrated unit.

[0045] The cap body 191 of the adjustment dial holding cap 190 has a cap shape that can be placed over the upper side (arrow a direction) of the suspension adjustment dial 35. The cap body 191 is also formed with a protruding portion 192 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that protrudes upward (arrow a direction) from the center of the upper side (arrow a direction).

[0046] This protruding portion 192 is a portion that is fitted and integrated with a lower protruding portion 202b of a second driven gear 202 of the reducer 200 described later. In other words, the adjustment dial holding cap 190 rotates integrally with the second driven gear 202 of the reducer 200 together with the suspension adjustment dial 35.

[0047] Furthermore, a plurality of legs 193 extending downward (in the direction of arrow b) from the circumferential edge of the cap body 191 of the adjustment dial holding cap 190 are formed. The plurality of legs 193 have elasticity like a leaf spring and are evenly spaced at regular intervals.

[0048] Therefore, when the adjustment dial holding cap 190 is pressed onto the suspension adjustment dial 35, the multiple legs 193 are pushed apart, so that the adjustment dial holding cap 190 is attached integrally with the suspension adjustment dial 35 covering it.

[0049] <Connecting plate> 3, a connecting plate 150 is attached to an output shaft 171 of a motor 170. In this case, the connecting plate 150 is placed on the motor 170, and is attached in a state in which the output shaft 171 of the motor 170 is inserted into a through hole of the connecting plate 150.

[0050] That is, the rotation of the output shaft 171 of the motor 170 is not transmitted to the connecting plate 150. This connecting plate 150 is sandwiched between the lower case 140 and the upper case 160 and is fixed integrally to the lower case 140 and the upper case 160 with screws or the like.

[0051] The connecting plate 150 is a thin metal member having a rectangular shape when viewed from above, and has a motor mounting plate 151 placed on the motor 170, a cap mounting plate 152 placed on the adjustment dial holding cap 190 and the accommodating wall portion 142b, and an insertion piece 153.

[0052] The motor mounting plate 151 of the connecting plate 150 is a thin plate-like portion that is approximately square in plan view and has a through hole at approximately the center for inserting the output shaft 171 of the motor 170. The cap mounting plate 152 of the connecting plate 150 is a thin plate-like portion that is approximately rectangular in plan view and is formed integrally with the motor mounting plate 151. The cap mounting plate 152 is placed on the adjustment dial holding cap 190 and the housing wall portion 142b of the lower case 140.

[0053] The cap mounting plate 152 of the connection plate 150 is placed on the adjustment dial holding cap 190 and the housing wall portion 142b, and is therefore formed at a higher position above (in the direction of arrow a) than the motor mounting plate 151.

[0054] A through hole (not shown) is formed in the cap mounting plate 152 of the connecting plate 150. The second driven gear 202 in the reducer 200 is mounted on the cap mounting plate 152 with the lower protruding portion 202b of the second driven gear 202 inserted into the through hole of the cap mounting plate 152.

[0055] The insertion piece 153 of the connecting plate 150 is a thin plate-like portion that is rectangular in plan view and extends downward (in the direction of the arrow b) from the edge of the cap mounting plate 152, and is inserted into the inner space of the U-shaped portion 111b of the lower case 140 during assembly. Two screw holes 153h are formed in the insertion piece 153 along the vertical direction (in the direction of the arrow ab).

[0056] When the insertion piece 153 of the connecting plate 150 is inserted into the inner space of the U-shaped portion 111b, the two screw holes 153h of the insertion piece 153 and the two through holes 111bh of the U-shaped portion 111b of the lower case 140 are positioned opposite each other, and in this state, it is fixed by two screws sc1.

[0057] <Reducer> The reducer 200 has a first driven gear 201 meshed with the output shaft 171 of the motor 170 and a second driven gear 202 meshed with the first driven gear 201, and is a gear mechanism that reduces the rotation of the output shaft 171 of the motor 170 at a predetermined reduction ratio. The output shaft 171 of the motor 170 has a pinion gear at its tip, and serves as a drive gear for transmitting the rotation of the motor 170.

[0058] The first driven gear 201 of the reducer 200 is a so-called two-stage gear, and has a first stage gear portion 201a having a larger outer diameter and a larger number of teeth than the pinion gear of the output shaft 171, and a second stage gear portion 201b having a smaller outer diameter and a smaller number of teeth than the first stage gear portion 201a. The first stage gear portion 201a of the first driven gear 201 meshes with the output shaft 171 of the motor 170.

[0059] The second driven gear 202 of the reducer 200 meshes with the second stage gear portion 201b of the first driven gear 201, and has a gear body 202a which has a larger outer diameter and a larger number of teeth than the second stage gear portion 201b of the first driven gear 201, a protrusion (hereinafter referred to as the "lower protrusion") 202b not shown which protrudes toward the lower side (in the direction of arrow b) of the gear body 202a, and a protrusion (hereinafter referred to as the "upper protrusion") 202c which protrudes toward the upper side (in the direction of arrow a) of the gear body 202a.

[0060] The lower protrusion 202b of the second driven gear 202 is a columnar portion extending downward (in the direction of arrow b) and has a bottomed fitting hole (not shown) into which the protrusion 192 of the adjustment dial holding cap 190 is fitted. In other words, the second driven gear 202 is integrated with the adjustment dial holding cap 190 and the suspension adjustment dial 35 via the lower protrusion 202b.

[0061] The upper protrusion 202c of the second driven gear 202 is a cylindrical portion extending upward (in the direction of arrow a) and has a screw hole formed at a predetermined length downward (in the direction of arrow b) with respect to the end face on the upper side (in the direction of arrow a).

[0062] <Upper case> The upper case 160 is a component that forms the case of the electric unit 130 by being placed on top of and connected to the lower case 140, and can accommodate the motor 170, connecting plate 150, reducer 200, etc. in its internal space.

[0063] Upper case 160 has a notch 162 at a position corresponding to insertion piece 153 of connecting plate 150, and when upper case 160 is attached to lower case 140, insertion piece 153 protrudes from notch 162 to the outside.

[0064] Furthermore, the upper case 160 has a through hole 161h that penetrates the upper wall portion 161 in the up-down direction (arrow a direction) at a position corresponding to the upper protruding portion 202c of the second driven gear 202 in the reduction gear 200 with respect to the upper side (arrow a direction) of the upper wall portion 161. The upper case 160 has an operation dial 300 attached thereto via the through hole 161h of the upper wall portion 161.

[0065] <Operation dial> The operation dial 300 is a disk-shaped member, and has a through-hole 300h that penetrates in the center along the up-down direction (the direction of the arrow ab).

[0066] The operation dial 300 is disposed so that a through hole 161h provided in the upper wall portion 161 of the upper case 160 and a through hole 300h of the operation dial 300 face each other. Then, the operation dial 300 is fixed via a screw hole formed in the upper protruding portion 202c of the second driven gear 202 in the reducer 200 by inserting a screw b1 into both the through hole 300h and the through hole 161h.

[0067] As a result, the operation dial 300 is integrated with the second driven gear 202, the adjustment dial holding cap 190, and the suspension adjustment dial 35. The operation dial 300 is a manual dial that can be operated in place of the suspension adjustment dial 35, which is hidden by the electric suspension unit 100 and cannot be operated by the user.

[0068] <Assembly of the electric unit> Next, a method of assembling the electric unit 130 will be described. As shown in Figures 7(A) to 7(C), the motor 170 is accommodated in the lower case main body 141 of the lower case 140, the output shaft 171 of the motor 170 is inserted into the through-hole of the connecting plate 150, the connecting plate 150 is attached, the reducer 200 and the output shaft 171 of the motor 170 are engaged, and then the second driven gear 202 of the reducer 200 is coupled to the adjustment dial holding cap 190 (Figure 3).

[0069] Then, as shown in FIG. 7(B), the upper case 160 is placed on the lower case 140 to which the motor 170, the connecting plate 150, the reducer 200, and the adjustment dial holding cap 190 are attached, and the lower case 140 and the upper case 160 are joined with screws or the like.

[0070] At this time, the upper protrusion 202c of the second driven gear 202 of the reducer 200 protrudes from the through hole 161h of the upper wall portion 161 of the upper case 160, and the upper protrusion 202c is inserted into the through hole 300h of the operation dial 300, and the second driven gear 202 and the operation dial 300 are fixed together with the screw b1. Thus, as shown in Fig. 7(C), the electric unit 130 (Figs. 5 and 6) is formed in which the lower case 140 and the upper case 160 are joined together.

[0071] Before being attached to the holder 110, the electric unit 130 has the lower case 140 and the upper case 160 joined together, with the motor 170, the connecting plate 150, and the reducer 200 housed in the internal space, but the insertion piece 153 of the connecting plate 150, the adjustment dial holding cap 190 (Figure 6), and the operation dial 300 (Figures 5 (A) and (B)) are exposed to the outside.

[0072] <Installation of the electric suspension unit to the front fork> As shown in FIGS. 8(A) to 8(C), in the electric suspension unit 100, first, the holder 110 is attached to the top cap 22 of the fork crown 20 of the bicycle.

[0073] In this case, the top cap 22 on which the suspension adjustment dial 35 is provided is the attachment target for the holder 110. In fact, the upper side (direction of arrow a) of the holder 110 is open, and when the holder 110 is attached to the top cap 22, the top cap 22 is concealed by the holder 110, but the suspension adjustment dial 35 is exposed (FIG. 8(B)).

[0074] Next, the insertion piece 153 of the electric unit 130 is inserted from above into the U-shaped portion 111b of the holder 110. At this time, the holder 110 and the electric unit 130 are correctly positioned via the insertion piece 153.

[0075] Therefore, when the lower case 140 of the electric unit 130 is pushed into the holder 110 from above (in the direction of the arrow a), the adjustment dial holding cap 190 is fitted over the suspension adjustment dial 35 from above and integrated.

[0076] Now that the lower case 140 of the electric unit 130 is positioned correctly relative to the holder 110, the U-shaped portion 111b of the holder 110 in the lower case 140 and the insertion piece 153 of the connecting plate 150 are fixed with a screw sc1, and the leg portion 111c of the holder 110 and the two leg portions 143 of the lower case 140 are fixed with a screw sc2. In this way, the electric suspension unit 100 can be retrofitted to the top cap 22 of the bicycle's front fork 1.

[0077] <Control device> As shown in FIG. 9, the electric suspension unit 100 is provided with a control device 400 which controls the rotation of the suspension adjustment dial 35 (FIGS. 3, 8(A) and (B)) via a motor 170, a speed reducer 200, and an adjustment dial holding cap 190, although these are not shown in FIG.

[0078] The control device 400 has a control unit 410, an input unit 420, a vibration sensor 430, an angle sensor 440, and a motor driver 450. The control device 400 has an internal battery (not shown) and supplies power to each circuit from the battery to operate them.

[0079] In this case, the control unit 410, the motor driver 450, and the like that constitute the control device 400 are functional units constituted by, for example, a program processing device, and are realized by software.

[0080] Specifically, in a program processing device (e.g., a microcontroller) having a configuration in which a processor such as a CPU, various storage devices such as RAM and ROM, and peripheral circuits such as a counter (timer), an A / D conversion circuit, a D / A conversion circuit, a clock generation circuit, and an input / output I / F circuit are connected to each other via a bus or dedicated lines, the CPU executes various arithmetic processing in accordance with programs stored in a memory such as the RAM, and performs control based on the results of the processing, thereby realizing the above-mentioned functional units.

[0081] The control unit 410 of the control device 400 is a functional unit that receives various signals sent from the input unit 420, the vibration sensor 430, and the angle sensor 440, and generates a drive control signal for controlling the drive of the motor 170. The control unit 410 also controls the entire control device 400, and supplies power from a battery (not shown) to each circuit to operate them.

[0082] The input unit 420 of the control device 400 has an operation screen such as an LCD, and is a functional unit that can switch between modes such as manual mode and automatic mode, and can switch the numbers (e.g., 1 to 5) displayed on the operation screen by a user's touch input. These numbers correspond to the dial numbers of the suspension adjustment dial 35 for switching the hardness and damping characteristics of the front suspension 30 into, for example, five levels.

[0083] The input unit 420 is attached to, for example, the handlebars of a bicycle. Since the input unit 420 is operated by a user while riding a bicycle, it is sufficient that the input unit 420 is attached to the handlebars of the bicycle or a location nearby within a range where the user can operate it, and it is not necessarily limited to the handlebars.

[0084] The input unit 420 and the control unit 410 are connected by wire or wirelessly, and a signal indicating the manual mode or automatic mode selected by the user and a signal indicating the dial number of the suspension adjustment dial 35 are sent from the input unit 420 to the control unit 410.

[0085] For example, the suspension adjustment dial 35 has dial numbers from 1 to 5, and the front suspension 30 is set to the softest at number 1, and the front suspension 30 is set to the hardest at number 5.

[0086] Therefore, the user can give a command to switch the dial number of the suspension adjustment dial 35 from 1 to 5 by switching the dial number displayed on the operation screen of the input unit 420 from 1 to 5 while riding the bicycle.

[0087] The vibration sensor 430 of the control device 400 is attached, for example, to the claws of the front suspension 30 that supports the bicycle axle, or to the handlebars, and is a sensor that detects vibrations (shaking) applied to the wheels or handlebars during riding based on physical quantities that represent vibrations, such as displacement, speed, and acceleration.

[0088] The vibration sensor 430 and the control unit 410 are connected by wire or wirelessly, and vibration data indicating vibrations detected by the vibration sensor 430 is sent to the control unit 410. The vibration sensor 430 can be attached to any part of the bicycle. However, it is preferable to attach the sensor to the handlebars where the user can easily feel vibrations directly while riding the bicycle, or to the pawl 33 near the axle that supports the wheel to which vibrations are directly transmitted.

[0089] The angle sensor 440 of the control device 400 is a magnetic or optical rotary encoder, potentiometer, or the like, attached to the second driven gear 202 of the reducer 200 in order to grasp the current position of the suspension adjustment dial 35 .

[0090] Specifically, the angle sensor 440 is, for example, an absolute type rotary encoder, which detects the amount of rotation of the second driven gear 202 and, based on the detection result, can detect the current position of the adjustment dial holding cap 190. The current position of the adjustment dial holding cap 190 and the current position of the suspension adjustment dial 35 are the same.

[0091] The angle sensor 440 and the control unit 410 are connected by wire or wirelessly, and a signal indicating the current position (dial number) of the suspension adjustment dial 35 detected by the angle sensor 440 is sent to the control unit 410.

[0092] The motor driver 450 receives a drive control signal provided by the control unit 410, and based on the drive control signal, outputs a motor drive signal to the motor 170 via the reducer 200 to rotate the adjustment dial holding cap 190 and the suspension adjustment dial 35.

[0093] The control unit 410 recognizes the dial number of the current position of the suspension adjustment dial 35 based on the signal from the angle sensor 440, and when it receives a signal representing the dial number selected by the user from the input unit 420, it generates a control signal for driving the motor 170 to rotate the suspension adjustment dial 35 a predetermined amount based on the current position (dial number) of the suspension adjustment dial 35 and the dial number selected by the user, and outputs the control signal to the motor driver 450.

[0094] For example, when the control unit 410 recognizes that the current position (dial number) of the suspension adjustment dial 35 is, for example, number 1 based on a signal from the angle sensor 440, and then recognizes that a command has been input via the input unit 420 from the user while riding the bicycle to change the dial number to, for example, number 5, the control unit 410 outputs a drive control signal to the motor driver 450 to rotate the dial number of the suspension adjustment dial 35 to the number 5 position.

[0095] As a result, in the control device 400, the dial number of the suspension adjustment dial 35 can be rotated to the number 5 position via the motor driver 450, the motor 170, the reducer 200, and the adjustment dial holding cap 190.

[0096] In this way, a user riding a bicycle can rotate the suspension adjustment dial 35 and adjust the front suspension 30 to the stiffness and damping characteristics desired by the user simply by inputting the value of the desired dial number via the input unit 420.

[0097] Furthermore, the control device 400 uses a vibration sensor 430 to detect vibrations while the bicycle is in motion, and if the magnitude of the vibration value exceeds a predetermined threshold, outputs a drive control signal to the motor driver 450 to change the hardness and damping characteristics of the front suspension 30 in order to reduce the vibration value below a predetermined level.

[0098] As a result, the control device 400 rotates the suspension adjustment dial 35 via the motor driver 450, the motor 170, the reducer 200, and the adjustment dial holding cap 190 to the dial number at which the vibration for the road surface conditions is below a predetermined level.

[0099] In this way, in the control device 400, in addition to allowing the user to arbitrarily adjust the hardness and damping characteristics of the front suspension 30 via the input unit 420, the road surface conditions (magnitude of vibration) are detected by the vibration sensor 430, so that the vibration level can be constantly controlled to be optimal according to the road surface conditions according to the detection results of the vibration sensor 430.

[0100] The control unit 410 of the control device 400 can select a manual mode in which the suspension adjustment dial 35 is manually set via the input unit 420. In this case, the control unit 410 can adjust the front suspension 30 to the hardness and damping characteristics corresponding to the dial number selected by the user, without using the detection results (vibration values) from the vibration sensor 430.

[0101] Furthermore, the control unit 410 of the control device 400 can select an automatic mode in which the suspension adjustment dial 35 is automatically set via the input unit 420. In this case, the control unit 410 can adjust the hardness and damping characteristics of the front suspension 30 so as to obtain an optimal vibration level in accordance with the road surface conditions, based only on the detection results (vibration values) from the vibration sensor 430.

[0102] In the above configuration, in the electric suspension unit 100, if a manual suspension adjustment dial 35 is provided for the front suspension 30 of the bicycle's front fork 1, the holder 110 and the electric unit 130 can be attached to the top cap 22 of the front suspension 30 as an after-market attachment.

[0103] Furthermore, by attaching a user-operable input unit 420 to the handlebars of the bicycle, the electric suspension unit 100 allows the user to operate the suspension adjustment dial 35 via the control device 400 even while the bicycle is in motion. In other words, the user can freely adjust the stiffness and damping characteristics of the front suspension 30 at any time they wish, without having to dismount from the bicycle.

[0104] Furthermore, since the electric suspension unit 100 has a vibration sensor 430 and an angle sensor 440, the front suspension 30 can be adjusted to suit the road conditions, even if the user does not manually input the dial number of the suspension adjustment dial 35 via the input unit 420.

[0105] Although the electric suspension control device of the present invention has been described above with reference to a preferred embodiment, the electric suspension control device of the present invention is not limited to the electric suspension unit 100 of the above embodiment.

[0106] For example, the electric suspension unit 100 as an electric suspension control device has been described as being attached to the front suspension 30 of the front fork 1 of a bicycle as a vehicle, but the electric suspension control device of the present invention may be applied to various other vehicles equipped with suspensions such as the front suspension or rear suspension of a motorcycle having a suspension adjustment dial 35, and is not limited to bicycles.

[0107] The control device 400 in the electric suspension unit 100 of the present invention has been described as receiving power from an internal battery, but the present invention is not limited to this. Instead of installing a battery, the control device may receive power wirelessly from an external battery, or may receive power wirelessly from a generator (dynamo) housed in the hub of the front or rear wheel while the bicycle is in motion.

[0108] In the control device 400 of the electric suspension unit 100 of the present invention, the input section 420, the vibration sensor 430, and the angle sensor 440 are used to adjust the hardness and damping characteristics of the front suspension 30. In the embodiment shown in FIG.

[0109] However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the stiffness and damping characteristics of the front suspension 30 may be adjusted in automatic mode using only the vibration sensor 430 and the angle sensor 440 without providing the input unit 420, or the stiffness and damping characteristics of the front suspension 30 may be adjusted only in manual mode based on input operations to the input unit 420 without providing the vibration sensor 430 and the angle sensor 440.

[0110] In addition, those skilled in the art can appropriately modify the suspension electric control device of the present invention and change the combination of various components according to conventional knowledge. As long as the configuration of the present invention is still provided even after such modifications, it is of course included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 1...front fork, 10...steering tube, 20...fork crown (crown), 21...base, 22...top cap, 30...front suspension, 31...inner tube (stanchion), 32...outer tube (slider), 35...suspension adjustment dial (manual operation part), 40...bridge (arch), 100...electric suspension unit, 110...holder, 111...mounting main body part, 111a...semi-cylindrical part, 111b...U-shaped part, 111c...leg part, 113...fixing plate, 115...lower case fixing part, 116...fixing plate, 130...electric unit, 140...lower case (case), 141...lower case main body part, 141s...recess space, 142...cap support part, 142a...arm part, 142b...accommodating wall part, 143...leg part, 150...connecting plate 151: motor mounting plate, 152: cap mounting plate, 153: insertion piece, 160: upper case (case), 161: upper wall portion, 161h: through hole, 162: notch portion, 170: motor, 171: output shaft, 190: adjustment dial holding cap (holding portion), 191: cap body, 192: protrusion portion, 193: leg portion, 200: reducer, 201: first driven gear, 201a ...First stage gear portion, 201b...Second stage gear portion, 202...Second driven gear, 202a...Gear body, 202b...Lower protrusion, 202c...Upper protrusion, 300...Operation dial, 300h...Through hole, 400...Control device, 410...Control unit, 420...Input unit, 430...Vibration sensor, 440...Angle sensor, 450...Motor driver, sc1, sc2, sc3...Screws, b1...Screws.

Claims

1. a holder attached to a crown provided with a manual operation unit for adjusting a front suspension of a vehicle; an electric unit fixed integrally to the holder; Equipped with The electric unit includes: A holding part integrated with the manual operation part; a gear portion integrally connected to the holding portion for moving the holding portion; a motor for driving the manual operation unit via the gear unit and the holding unit; An electric suspension control device having a

2. The holder is such that the manual operation unit is exposed even when the holder is attached to the top cap of the crown.

2. The suspension electric control device according to claim 1.

3. the electric unit has a case that houses the holding portion, the gear portion, and the motor, A manual operation dial coupled to the gear portion is provided on the outside of the case.

3. The suspension electric control device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The electric unit includes: an input unit for inputting options corresponding to operations on the manual operation unit; a control unit that drives and controls the motor in response to an input result from the input unit to move the manual operation unit; 2. The suspension electric control device according to claim 1.

5. The electric unit includes: A vibration sensor attached to a predetermined portion of the vehicle; a control unit that drives and controls the motor in response to a detection result from the vibration sensor to move the manual operation unit.

2. The suspension electric control device according to claim 1.

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