Methods and apparatus for suspension adjustment

• US 10,036,443 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2011
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fox Factory Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Fox Factory Incorporated
• Inventors: Galasso, Mario, Franklin, Joseph, Laird, Andrew, Fox, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Bradley T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsiao, James K
• Application Number:
  US13/022,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20110202236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,731 Days
• Field of Search: 267218, 267195, 267175, 267177, 267221, 267 34, 701 37
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 25/04 for mounting axles resiliently on cycle frame or fork for sidecars, forecars or the like B62K27/06
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 25/286 the shock absorber being connected to the chain-stay via a linkage mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 2228/08 pre-stressed
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/3264 Arrangements for indicating, e.g. fluid level; Arrangements for checking dampers F16F9/3292 takes precedence; testing of vehicle damping G01M17/04

Abstract

Methods and apparatus of a system for vehicles comprising a vehicle suspension, a sensor operable to measure an operational characteristic of the vehicle suspension, and a processor in communication with the sensor that is operable to suggest an operational setting of the vehicle suspension in response to an input from the sensor corresponding to the operational characteristic. A method for adjusting a suspension of a vehicle may comprise receiving suspension data with a processor, calculating a suspension setting suggestion with the processor, communicating the suspension setting suggestion to a user interface device, and adjusting the suspension based on the suspension setting suggestion.

Claims

1. A system for a vehicle, comprising:

a rear vehicle suspension;

a first sensor positioned proximate a rear axle of the vehicle, the first sensor to sense changes in a terrain, said first sensor comprising;

a piezoelectric high frequency exciter coupled to a telescopic tube of said rear vehicle suspension, said piezoelectric high frequency exciter configured such that it substantially continuously induces impacts to said telescopic tube;

a second sensor coupled with the rear vehicle suspension, the second sensor to measure suspension operational characteristics of the rear vehicle suspension, said second sensor comprising;

a piezoelectric accelerometer coupled to said telescopic tube, said piezoelectric accelerometer configured such that it monitors vibration of said telescopic tube; and

a processor in communication with the first sensor and the second sensor, the processor operable to suggest an operational setting of the rear vehicle suspension in response to an input from the first sensor and the second sensor corresponding to a sensed change in terrain and the rear vehicle suspension operational characteristics, respectively, the suggested operational setting to enable the rear vehicle suspensions to achieve target level rear vehicle suspension capabilities over a given terrain, wherein the suggested operational setting is displayed on a device in communication with the processor as at least an instruction via an alphanumeric command prompt to a user.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a front vehicle suspension; and

a third sensor coupled with the front vehicle suspension the third sensor to measure suspension operational characteristics of the front vehicle suspension.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor includes a position sensor, and wherein the suspension operational characteristics of the rear vehicle suspension include a position of the rear vehicle suspension.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the position of the rear vehicle suspension corresponds to a stroke of the rear vehicle suspension during compression or rebound.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the suspension system includes a damper valve, and the suspension operational characteristics of the rear vehicle suspension is a position of the damper valve between a full open setting and a full closed setting.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is in communication with the first sensor and the second sensor via at least one of wired communication and wireless communication.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second sensor is operable to measure a plurality of suspension operational characteristics of the rear vehicle suspension, wherein the plurality of suspension operational characteristics of the rear vehicle suspension include position, velocity, and acceleration.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second sensor comprises a GPS.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the device coupled with the processor is at least one of a computer system and a communication device, each operable to communicate with the processor and display data corresponding to the operational characteristic measured by the sensor.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one computer system and communication device includes at least one of a personal desktop computer, a laptop computer, and a hand-held personal computing device.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one computer system and communication device is operable to adjust the rear vehicle suspension to the operational setting suggested by the processor.

12. A system for a vehicle, comprising:

a first sensor position proximate a rear axle of the vehicle, the first sensor to sense changes in a terrain;

a second sensor coupled with a front vehicle suspension, the second sensor to measure suspension operational characteristics of the front vehicle suspension, said second sensor comprising;

a piezoelectric high frequency exciter coupled to a telescopic tube of said front vehicle suspension, said piezoelectric high frequency exciter configured such that it substantially continuously induces impacts to said telescopic tube; and

a piezoelectric accelerometer coupled to said telescopic tube, said piezoelectric accelerometer configured such that it monitors vibration of said telescopic tube;

a processor operable to receive data from the first sensor and the second sensor corresponding to the suspension operational characteristics of the front vehicle suspension; and

a communication device operable to receive data from the processor and display, on a device coupled with the processor, information regarding the suspension operational characteristics of the front vehicle suspension, wherein the information comprises a suggested operational setting of the front vehicle suspension, the suggested operational setting to enable the front vehicle suspension to achieve target level front vehicle suspension capabilities over a given terrain, wherein the suggested operational setting is displayed on a device in communication with the processor as at least an instruction via an alphanumeric command prompt to a user.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the communication device includes a software program operable to generate the information based on the data received from the processor.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor include a position sensor, and wherein the suspension operational characteristics of the front vehicle suspension includes an initial sag, compression, or rebound setting of the front vehicle suspension.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is in communication with at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor via at least one of wired communication and wireless communication.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is in communication with the communication device via at least one of wired communication and wireless communication.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising a computer system operable to receive the data from the processor and display the data corresponding to the suspension operational characteristics of the front vehicle suspension.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the communication device is operable to adjust the suspension operational characteristics of the front vehicle suspension to a recommended setting.

19. A method for adjusting a vehicle suspension of a vehicle, comprising:

receiving vehicle suspension data with a processor, wherein the vehicle suspension data comprises;

sensor data from a first sensor comprising a piezoelectric high frequency exciter coupled to a telescopic tube of said vehicle suspension, said piezoelectric high frequency exciter substantially continuously inducing impacts to said telescopic tube, the first sensor to sense changes in a terrain;

sensor data from a second sensor coupled with a rear vehicle suspension, said second sensor comprising a piezoelectric accelerometer coupled to said telescopic tube, said piezoelectric accelerometer configured such that it monitors vibration of said telescopic tube, the second sensor to measure suspension operational characteristics of the rear vehicle suspension;

sensor data from a third sensor coupled with a front vehicle suspension, the set of sensors third sensor to measure suspension operational characteristics of the front vehicle suspension;

calculating a vehicle suspension setting suggestion with the processor, the vehicle suspension setting suggestion to enable the rear vehicle suspension and the front vehicle suspension to achieve target level vehicle suspension capabilities over a given terrain, wherein the vehicle suspension setting suggestion is at least an instruction via an alphanumeric command prompt to a user;

communicating the vehicle suspension setting suggestion to a user interface device;

receiving user input in accordance with the vehicle suspension setting suggestion, wherein the user input comprises an adjustment to a feature of the vehicle; and

adjusting at least one of the rear vehicle suspension and the front vehicle suspension based on the user input.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising obtaining the suspension data with at least one of the second sensor and the third sensor and communicating the suspension data to the processor via at least one of wired communication and wireless communication.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising inputting the suspension data into the user interface device, and communicating the suspension data to the processor via at least one of wired communication and wireless communication.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising communicating the suspension setting suggestion to the user interface device via at least one of wired communication and wireless communication.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising manually adjusting at least one of the rear vehicle suspension and the front vehicle suspension based on the vehicle suspension setting suggestion.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising creating a profile, entering the vehicle suspension data into the profile using the user interface device, and communicating the vehicle suspension data to the processor.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising obtaining the vehicle suspension data and communicating the vehicle suspension data to the processor while operating the vehicle.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising creating an electronic file with the user interface device, and tracking the vehicle suspension data and the vehicle suspension setting suggestion using the electronic file.

27. A suspension system, comprising:

a rear vehicle suspension;

a first sensor positioned proximate a rear axle of the vehicle, the first sensor to sense changes in a terrain, said first sensor comprising;

a piezoelectric high frequency exciter coupled to a telescopic tube of said rear vehicle suspension, said piezoelectric high frequency exciter configured such that it substantially continuously induces impacts to said telescopic tube;

a second sensor coupled with the rear vehicle suspension, the second sensor to measure suspension operational characteristics of the rear vehicle suspension, said second sensor comprising;

a piezoelectric accelerometer coupled to said telescopic tube, said piezoelectric accelerometer configured such that it monitors vibration of said telescopic tube;

a processor operable to make vehicle suspension setting suggestions, the processor having an operative communication link with the first sensor and the second sensor and having an operative communication link with a computer readable medium, the vehicle suspension setting suggestions to enable the rear vehicle suspension to achieve target level rear vehicle suspension capabilities over a given terrain, wherein the vehicle suspension setting suggestions are displayed on a device in communication with the processor and is at least an instruction via an alphanumeric command prompt to a user;

a transmitter having an operative communication link with the processor; and

a graphical user interface having an operative communication link with the transmitter.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the operative communication link with at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor comprises a wire.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein operative communication with the transmitter comprises a wireless protocol.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein the operative communication link with the first sensor and the second sensor transfers information at a first data rate and the operative communication link with the transmitter transfers information at a second data rate and the first data rate is greater than the second data rate.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein the feature comprises at least one of state of compression, velocity, internal pressure and temperature.

32. The system of claim 27, wherein the computer readable medium stores a first amount of information related to real time performance of the rear vehicle suspension and the graphical user interface receives a second amount of information related to the rear vehicle suspension performance and the first amount is greater than the second amount.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein at least some of the information related to real time performance is retrieved by the processor, via the operative communication link with the computer readable medium, and is transformed by the processor into the information related to the rear vehicle suspension performance.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the transmitter transmits at least some of the information related to the rear vehicle suspension performance to the graphical user interface via the operative communication link with the transmitter.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the graphical user interface includes a program for receiving information via the operative communication link with the transmitter.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the program includes a template format for the graphical user interface into which format received data may be displayed.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the graphical user interface further processes the at least some of the information related to the rear vehicle suspension performance and displays a result within the template format.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the result comprises a suggestion to alter a set up condition of the rear vehicle suspension.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein the result comprises rear vehicle suspension usage efficiency data that illustrates an adequacy, or lack thereof, of a state of at least one initial set up condition.