Motorcycle Front Fork Valve for Braking Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shock-absorbing front fork assemblies do not effectively adjust spring supporting force in response to braking conditions, affecting riding comfort and safety.
Innovation Solution
A control valve is integrated between the front fork and pressure buffering cylinder, electrically connected to the brake system, switching between open and closed states to adjust air or oil communication, thereby altering the spring supporting force based on braking conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the spring supporting force is kept constant, then the front fork provides stable support, but the riding comfort and safety deteriorate during braking due to insufficient support adjustment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic adjustment mechanism where the spring supporting force changes based on braking conditions. The control valve switches between open and closed states according to brake system operation, dynamically altering the air pressure in the air chamber and consequently the spring supporting force. This resolves the contradiction by making the system adaptive rather than static.
Solution Approach 2:
The control valve is electrically connected to the brake system to receive feedback signals about braking status. When the brake system is activated, the control valve closes to increase spring supporting force; when braking is released, the valve opens to reduce the force. This feedback mechanism ensures the front fork responds appropriately to braking conditions, improving both safety and comfort.
2Reliability
If the spring supporting force is increased during braking, then the running safety is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the control valve and electrical connection
Solution Approach 1:
The control valve serves multiple functions: it controls air pressure adjustment, responds to brake system signals, and integrates with the existing shock-absorbing mechanism. By making this single component multi-functional, the patent reduces the need for additional separate systems, thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity while achieving the safety improvement.
Solution Approach 2:
The control valve acts as an intermediary between the brake system and the air chamber. Instead of directly modifying the brake system or the spring mechanism, the control valve mediates the interaction by regulating air pressure based on brake status. This intermediary approach allows for simple integration with minimal structural changes.
3Ease of operation
If the control valve is in the open state during normal riding, then the spring supporting force is softer for comfort, but the running safety deteriorates during unexpected braking
Solution Approach 1:
The control valve operates periodically based on braking events rather than maintaining a constant state. During normal riding, it remains open for comfort; upon detecting brake activation, it closes to provide harder support. This periodic state change ensures the system prioritizes comfort during normal operation while automatically switching to safety mode when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The control valve is pre-configured to close and increase spring supporting force when braking is detected, counteracting the potential safety issue of a soft suspension during braking. This preliminary anti-action prepares the system in advance for the increased demands of braking by automatically adjusting the supporting force before the braking effect fully manifests.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution increases riding comfort and enhances running safety by adjusting the spring supporting force to be softer during normal riding and harder during braking.
Implementation Method 1
the first air chamber (28) for storing high-pressure air... When the control valve is in the open state, the first and second air chambers communicate with each other. When the control valve is in the close state, the first and second air chambers are blocked from communicating with each other.
Implementation Method 2
The control valve (40) is electrically connected with a brake system (14) in a way that the control valve is switched between an open state and a close state according to the operation of the brake system.
Data Source
AI summary
A shock-absorbing front fork assembly of a motorcycle includes a front fork, a pressure buffering cylinder and a control valve disposed between the front fork and the pressure buffering cylinder and electrically connected with a brake system to control the communication between the front fork and the pressure buffering cylinder according to the operation of the brake system. When the brake system is not actuated, the control valve is open to make the front fork communicate with the pressure buffering cylinder, thereby making the spring supporting force relatively smaller. When the brake system is actuated, the control valve is close to make the front fork not communicate with the pressure buffering cylinder, thereby making the spring supporting force relatively larger. Therefore, the spring supporting force is adjusted by the brake operation, that raises the riding comfort and safety.