Method for manufacturing blade for suspension

Abstract

To provide a method for manufacturing a blade that is recyclable in a quick and inexpensive manner.SOLUTION: There is provided a method for manufacturing a blade (1) for a vehicle suspension, in which the blade (1) has a curved profile in a rest state and is made of a thermoplastic material. The method executes: a winding step in which an intermediate element is formed by continuously winding a thermoplastic strip around a support body; a heating step in which the intermediate element is arranged and then heated in a heating device; a placement step in which the heated intermediate element is arranged in molding dies (T1 and T2); and a thermoforming step in which a second part (T1) of the molding dies (T1 and T2) is closed on a first part (T2) so as to obtain the blade (1).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of vehicle suspensions, particularly to the field of bicycle suspensions, and more specifically, to a method for manufacturing a blade for a suspension and a blade obtained by the manufacturing method.

Background Art

[0002] The purpose of a vehicle suspension is to reduce the impact of road surface deformation during vehicle travel on wear and comfort.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a suspension system provided with an elastic blade that assumes a curved shape in a stationary state and a maximum extended shape in which the blade extends linearly. The elastic blade is formed of a composite material having fibers continuously wound around a metal insert as a base material.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for a method for manufacturing a blade that is rapid, inexpensive, and allows for recycling of the blade.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One embodiment relates to a method for manufacturing a blade for a vehicle suspension. The blade extends along an elongation axis between a first end and a second end, and the blade is elastically deformable between a stationary (rest) state in which it has a shape curved along the elongation axis and an extended state in which the first end and the second end are spaced apart from each other relative to the stationary state. The blade is formed of a thermoplastic material. And in this method, a winding step of continuously winding a thermoplastic strip around a support to form an intermediate element such that the intermediate element has a closed contour defining at least one internal space, the strip being wound in the elongation direction of the strip; a heating step of placing the intermediate element in a heating device and heating it; a placement step of placing the heated intermediate element on a first part of a molding die such that a first end point and a second end point of the intermediate element along the elongation axis of the intermediate element are spaced apart from each other by a distance equal to the distance between the first end and the second end of the blade in the stationary state; a thermoforming step of obtaining the blade by closing the first part with a second part of the molding die is performed.

[0007] The blade according to the present invention is configured to be incorporated into a suspension of a vehicle such as a bicycle. For this reason, the blade includes at least one first fixing point located at the first end and a second fixing point located at the second end.

[0008] The blade is elastically deformable between a stationary state and an extended state. Thus, when the suspension is pressurized, a tensile force is applied to the blade between two points of the suspension fixed to two fixing points of the suspension in a direction in which the two points of the suspension move away from each other.

[0009] The blade is formed of a single member in which the bending stiffness when both ends of the blade extend is much smaller than the tensile stiffness along its elongation axis.

[0010] Furthermore, the blade has a non-zero radius of curvature in the stationary state. This radius of curvature may be constant, may vary along the elongation axis, may have a shape with a plurality of radii of curvature (the blade has a corrugated shape), or may have a secondary shape in which a plurality of small waves depict a large wave.

[0011] The blade is formed of a thermoplastic material, which softens when heated but has the property of re-hardening when cooled to maintain the shape obtained during heating. The thermoplastic material is recyclable.

[0012] In one embodiment, the thermoplastic material is a polymer.

[0013] This method includes a winding step. During this step, the thermoplastic strip is continuously wound around the support in its elongation direction. The support has the same shape as the shape of the intermediate element obtained by winding.

[0014] In one embodiment, the intermediate element extends along an elongation axis corresponding to the winding direction of the strip, i.e., the elongation direction of the strip.

[0015] In one embodiment, the elongation axis of the intermediate element corresponds to the elongation axis of the blade.

[0016] The intermediate element has a closed contour (outer shape) that defines at least one internal space.

[0017] In one embodiment, the intermediate element is convex in a cross-section in a plane in which the elongation axis of the intermediate element extends.

[0018] In one embodiment, the intermediate element has a single internal space.

[0019] The intermediate element has a first end point and a second end point located at each end along the elongation axis of the intermediate element.

[0020] During the heating step, the intermediate element softens and becomes deformable. The intermediate element is heated by a heating device such as a furnace or a heating passage.

[0021] In the placement step, the hot intermediate element is moved and placed on the first part of the molding die. Inside this die, the intermediate element is placed such that the distance between the first end point and the second end point is equal to the distance between the first end and the second end of the blade which is the final product. In other words, during the thermoforming step, the first end point and the second end point are fixed with respect to the first part of the die.

[0022] In the thermoforming step, by closing the first part of the die having the intermediate element with the second part, the intermediate element is deformed to obtain the desired blade.

[0023] Therefore, by this manufacturing method, it becomes possible to mass-produce recyclable blades inexpensively.

[0024] The subject of the present disclosure may optionally comprise one or more of the following features, either alone or in combination.

[0025] In one embodiment, the thermoplastic strip contains fibers extending in the elongation direction of the strip.

[0026] In one embodiment, these fibers are continuous fibers.

[0027] Therefore, the strip is a thermoplastic strip of a composite material. The fibers are continuous fibers different from discontinuous short fibers or long fibers.

[0028] Since the fibers extend in the elongation direction of the strip, when the strip is wound around a support, the fibers do not break. Therefore, in this method, the mechanical strength characteristics of preferably continuous fibers are retained.

[0029] In one embodiment, during the winding step, the thermoplastic strip is wound around itself to form at least two layers.

[0030] In one embodiment, the thermoplastic strip is wrapped around itself to form between a plurality of layers, for example between 5 and 50 layers.

[0031] Thus, it is possible to achieve the desired thickness of the final blade, which is the thickness measured along an axis perpendicular to the thermoplastic strip.

[0032] In one embodiment, at least two layers of the thermoplastic strip are compressed and / or heated together by rollers.

[0033] The heating is performed, for example, using a laser.

[0034] The laser can locally and precisely heat and soften the layers of the thermoplastic strip to be wound and adhere them to the underlying layer.

[0035] Pressure can be applied to the thermoplastic strip by rollers to adhere the wound thermoplastic strip to the underlying layer.

[0036] In this way, the layers of the thermoplastic strip are overlapped and held together.

[0037] In one embodiment, an intermediate element is removed from the support before the heating step.

[0038] Thus, the support is not heated. Only the intermediate element is heated.

[0039] Therefore, during the heating step, an initial deformation of the intermediate element can be performed.

[0040] In one embodiment, during the heating step, a first end point and a second end point of the intermediate element are located away from each other.

[0041] In other words, during the heating step, a tensile force is applied to the intermediate element so as to extend the intermediate element along its elongation axis.

[0042] In certain embodiments, during the heating step, a tensile force is applied to the first end point and the second end point.

[0043] This tensile force is used to maintain the fibers of the strip along the elongation axis of the intermediate element.

[0044] In certain embodiments, the method further includes a positioning step of disposing at least one insert into the internal space of the intermediate element following the winding step.

[0045] With this insert, when attaching the blade to the vehicle suspension, the blade and the suspension can be reliably connected.

[0046] In certain embodiments, at least one insert is disposed before the heating step.

[0047] Thereby, at least one insert is at least partially incorporated into the intermediate element during deformation. Therefore, the positioning of the insert is determined.

[0048] In certain embodiments, at least one insert is made of metal or plastic.

[0049] In certain embodiments, a first insert is disposed at the first end point of the intermediate element and a second insert is disposed at the second end point.

[0050] In certain embodiments, the intermediate element is deformed using a deforming device during the placement step.

[0051] The deforming device applies pressure to the intermediate element so as to deform the intermediate element before the thermoforming step. This deformation aims to retain the internal structure of the intermediate element, in other words, to retain the arrangement (alignment structure) of the fibers of the strip and the elongation axis of the intermediate element.

[0052] The deforming device may be in contact with the intermediate element or may apply pressure remotely, such as by means of a reduced pressure (vacuum).

[0053] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a blade for a vehicle suspension obtained by implementing the method according to the present invention.

[0054] The present invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of a plurality of embodiments according to the present invention, given as non-limiting examples with the aid of the attached schematic drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0055]

Figure 1

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Figure 8

Figure 9

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0056] Only those elements necessary for understanding the present invention are shown, and to facilitate reading of the drawings, identical elements are given the same reference numerals between the drawings.

[0057] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a blade 1 for a vehicle suspension, as exemplified in FIG. 9, and to a blade 1 obtained by said method.

[0058] The blade 1 extends along an axis of elongation between a first end 3 and a second end 4. The blade 1 is formed from a single element whose bending stiffness when the ends 3, 4 of the blade 1 are elongated is much less than its tensile stiffness along the axis of elongation.

[0059] The blade 1 according to the invention is designed to be integrated into the suspension of a vehicle, for example a bicycle, and for this purpose it has at least one first fastening point located at a first end 3 and one second fastening point located at a second end 4. In the embodiment shown, each fastening point is provided with an insert 2.

[0060] The blade 1 is made of a thermoplastic material, which has the property of softening when heated but hardening again when cooled while maintaining the shape acquired at high temperature. Thermoplastic materials are recyclable.

[0061] In some embodiments, the thermoplastic material is a polymer.

[0062] At rest, the blade 1 has a curved shape along its axis of extension, and the radius of curvature may be constant, as illustrated in Figure 9, or may vary along its axis of extension, and may have multiple radii of curvature (i.e., the blade is wavy), or may have a secondary shape where multiple smaller waves form a larger wave.

[0063] The blade 1 is elastically deformable between a stationary state and an extended state in which the first end 3 and the second end 4 are separated from each other with respect to the stationary state. Therefore, when the suspension is pressurized (compressed), the blade 1 receives a tensile force between the two points of the suspension fixed to the two fixed points of the blade 1, and the two points of the suspension move away from each other.

[0064] The method according to the present invention particularly has a winding step of forming the intermediate element 10.

[0065] The intermediate element 10 extends along an extension axis corresponding to the extension axis of the blade 1 which is a finished product.

[0066] The intermediate element 10 has a closed contour defining at least one internal space 11. In the figure, the intermediate element has a single internal space 11.

[0067] In one embodiment, the intermediate element 10 has a convex shape in a cross-section in a plane including the extension axis of the intermediate element 10.

[0068] The intermediate element 10 has a first end point 13 and a second end point 14 located at each of both ends of the intermediate element 10 along its extension axis.

[0069] The intermediate element is obtained by continuously winding a thermoplastic strip around a support in the extension direction of the strip. The support has the same shape as the shape of the intermediate element 10 obtained by winding.

[0070] In one embodiment, the intermediate element 10 extends along an extension axis corresponding to the winding direction of the strip, that is, the extension direction of the strip.

[0071] In one embodiment, the thermoplastic strip includes fibers extending in the extension direction of the strip. The fibers are preferably continuous fibers.

[0072] Therefore, the strip is a thermoplastic strip of composite material. The fibers can be carbon fibers or glass fibers.

[0073] Since the fibers extend in the elongation direction of the strip, the fibers will not break when the strip is wound around the support. Therefore, in this method, the mechanical strength characteristics of the fibers are maintained.

[0074] Therefore, the fibers extend along the elongation axis of the intermediate element 10 and ultimately along the elongation axis of the blade 1.

[0075] In one embodiment, during the winding step, the thermoplastic strip is wound around itself to form at least 2 layers, preferably a plurality of layers, for example, from 5 to 50 layers.

[0076] Therefore, it is possible to achieve the required thickness of the final product, the blade 1, which is measured along an axis perpendicular to the thermoplastic strip.

[0077] In one embodiment, at least 2 layers of the thermoplastic strip are compressed together and / or heated by rollers.

[0078] The heating is carried out, for example, using a laser.

[0079] By means of the laser, the layers of the thermoplastic strip during winding can be locally and accurately heated and softened to adhere to the lower layer.

[0080] By means of the rollers, pressure can be applied to the thermoplastic strip to adhere the thermoplastic strip during winding to the lower layer.

[0081] In this way, the layers of the thermoplastic strip are held in contact with each other.

[0082] Next, the intermediate element 10 is removed from the support.

[0083] This method has a positioning step of then placing at least one insert 2 in the internal space 11 of the intermediate element 10. More specifically, a first insert 2 is placed at the first end point 13, and a second insert 2 is placed at the second end point 14 of the intermediate element 10.

[0084] In certain embodiments, at least one insert 2 is made of metal or plastic.

[0085] The insert 2 enables reliable connection between the blade and the suspension of the vehicle when attaching the blade to the suspension of the vehicle. This insert functions as a fixing point for the blade.

[0086] The method according to the present invention then includes a heating step in which the intermediate element 10 is placed and heated in a heating device such as a furnace or a heating passage as shown in FIG. 1.

[0087] In the heating device, the intermediate element 10 is placed on a support having an upper element F1 movable relative to a lower element F2. During operation of the furnace, the upper element F1 is placed above the lower element F2.

[0088] The intermediate element 10 is placed within the upper element F1. More specifically, the intermediate element 10 is held within the upper element F1 by a holding extension (holding extension portion) inserted into the insert 2.

[0089] During the heating step, the intermediate element 10 becomes soft and deformable. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the first end point 13 and the second end point 14 of the intermediate element 10 move away from each other. In other words, during the heating step, a tensile force is applied to the intermediate element 10 along its elongation axis by the holding extension, and the intermediate element 10 elongates.

[0090] Therefore, the heated intermediate element 10' is deformed with respect to the intermediate element 10 by the holding extensions. Thereby, the insert 2 is at least partially incorporated into the heated intermediate element 10'. This determines the positioning of the insert.

[0091] Due to this tensile force, the fibers of the thermoplastic strip can be held along the elongation axis of the heated intermediate element 10'.

[0092] Next, the method includes an arranging step of arranging the heated intermediate element 10' on the first part T2 of the molding dies T1, T2.

[0093] To achieve this, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the upper element F1 of the support is separated from the lower element F2 and arranged on the first part T2 of the molding dies T1, T2.

[0094] Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the heated intermediate element 10' is moved along its elongation axis. At this time, the heated intermediate element 10' remains in the same shape without change, and the length (distance) between the inserts 2 is not changed. By this movement, the position of the holding extensions with respect to the upper element F1 can be changed, so that those holding extensions can be brought closer to each other later.

[0095] Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the holding extensions still inserted into the insert 2 are brought closer to each other and moved towards the first part T2 of the molding dies T1, T2. During this movement shown in FIG. 6, the heated intermediate element 10' is deformed into a deformed intermediate element 10''.

[0096] After this movement, the deformed intermediate element 10'' comes into contact with the first part T2 of the molding dies T1, T2.

[0097] The first end point 13 and the second end point 14 of the deformed intermediate element 10'' are separated from each other by a distance equal to the distance between the first end 3 and the second end 4 of the blade 1 in the stationary state.

[0098] The intermediate deformation element 10’’ has a deformation corner located substantially at the center of the intermediate deformation element 10’’.

[0099] In certain embodiments, the heated intermediate element 10’ is deformed by a deformation device that applies pressure to the heated intermediate element 10’. This deformation aims to maintain the internal structure of the heated intermediate element 10’, in other words, the arrangement (alignment structure) of the fibers of the thermoplastic strip and the elongation axis of the intermediate element 10.

[0100] The deformation device may be in contact with the heated intermediate element 10’ or may apply pressure remotely, such as by reducing pressure (vacuum).

[0101] When the intermediate deformation element 10’’ contacts the first part T2 of the molding dies T1, T2, the upper element F1 of the support can be removed as shown in FIG. 7.

[0102] This method then includes the thermoforming steps shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, in which the second part T1 of the molding dies T1, T2 closes (clamps) the first part T2 and thus the intermediate deformation element 10’’ to obtain the desired blade 1.

[0103] During the thermoforming step, the first end point 13 and the second end point 14 of the intermediate deformation element 10’’ are fixed with respect to the first part T2 of the molding dies T1, T2.

[0104] When the thermoforming step is completed, the molding dies T1, T2 are opened and the blade 1 is removed.

[0105] Therefore, by this manufacturing method, recyclable blades can be mass-produced at low cost.

[0106] Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent that modifications and changes can be made to these examples without departing from the overall scope of the invention as defined by the claims. In particular, the individual features of the various illustrated / described embodiments can be combined to form further embodiments. Accordingly, the description and drawings are to be interpreted in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense.

[0107] It is also apparent that all features described with respect to the method can be applied to the apparatus, alone or in combination, and conversely, all features described with respect to the apparatus can be applied to the method, alone or in combination.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a blade (1) for a vehicle suspension, wherein the blade (1) extends along an elongation axis between a first end (3) and a second end (4), and the blade (1) is elastically deformable between a stationary state in which it has a shape curved along the elongation axis and an extended state in which the first end (3) and the second end (4) are spaced apart from each other with respect to the stationary state, and the blade (1) is formed of a thermoplastic material, The method comprises: A winding step of continuously winding a thermoplastic strip around a support to form an intermediate element (10), such that the intermediate element (10) has a closed contour defining at least one internal space (11), the winding step of winding the strip in the elongation direction of the strip; A heating step of placing the intermediate element (10) in a heating device and heating it; An arranging step of placing the heated intermediate element (10') on a first part (T2) of a forming die (T1, T2), such that a first end point (13) and a second end point (14) of the intermediate element (10) along the elongation axis of the intermediate element (10) are spaced apart from each other by a distance equal to the distance between the first end (3) and the second end (4) of the blade (1) in the stationary state; A thermoforming step of obtaining the blade (1) by closing the first part (T2) with a second part (T1) of the forming die (T1, T2); A method of carrying out.

2. In the method according to claim 1, The method wherein the thermoplastic strip comprises fibers extending in the elongation direction of the strip.

3. In the method according to claim 1 or 2, The method wherein during the winding step, the thermoplastic strip is wound around itself to form at least two layers.

4. In the method according to claim 3, The method wherein at least two layers of the thermoplastic strip are compressed and / or heated against each other by rollers.

5. In the method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The method wherein the intermediate element (10) is removed from the support before the heating step.

6. In the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The method wherein during the heating step, a first end point (13) and a second end point (14) of the intermediate element (10) are arranged to be spaced apart from each other.

7. In the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, A method further comprising a positioning step of arranging at least one insert (2) in the internal space (11) of the intermediate element (10) following the winding step.

8. In the method according to claim 7, A method in which a first insert (2) is arranged at the first end point (13) of the intermediate element (10) and a second insert (2) is arranged at the second end point (14).

9. In the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, A method of deforming the intermediate element using a deforming device during the arranging step.

10. A blade (1) for a vehicle suspension obtainable by implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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