Valve Assembly For Bicycle Suspension System

• US 20160153515A1
• Filed: 12/02/2015
• Published: 06/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cycling Sports Group Incorporated (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cycling Sports Group Incorporated (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ebersbach, Wolfgang, Pelot, Sante, Dodman, Christopher Philip
• Application Number:
  US14/956,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20160153515A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2025/044 Suspensions with automatic adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2025/047 with suspension locking means
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2025/048 with suspension manual adjustment details
• 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: F16F 9/22 with one or more cylinders each having a single working space closed by a piston or plunger
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/34 Special valve constructions F16F9/44, F16F9/50 take precedence; filtering details F16F9/3285 ; valves in general F16K; Shape or construction of throttling passages
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/462 Rotary actuation means
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/467 using rotary valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/512 Means responsive to load action, i.e. static load on the damper or dynamic fluid pressure changes in the damper, e.g. due to changes in velocity F16F9/504, F16F9/516 take precedence; non-automatic damper adjustment from a distance using servo control, the servo pressure being created by the flow of damping fluid F16F9/465; self-pumping fluid springs in vehicle suspensions B60G17/044

Abstract

A valve assembly for a bicycle suspension system includes a housing, a rotary valve disposed within the housing, and a rotational electro mechanical actuator disposed within the housing. The housing is configured to house shock absorber fluid. The rotational electro mechanical actuator is disposed in operable communication with the rotary valve. The housing, the rotary valve and the rotational electro mechanical actuator define a plurality of fluid flow passages internal to the housing. The rotary valve and the rotational electro mechanical actuator are each subject to contact with or immersion in the shock absorber fluid in the housing when present.

Claims

1. A valve assembly for a bicycle suspension system, the valve assembly comprising:

a housing configured to house shock absorber fluid;

a rotary valve disposed within the housing;

a rotational electro mechanical actuator (REMA) disposed within the housing in operable communication with the rotary valve; and

wherein the rotary valve and the rotational electro mechanical actuator are each subject to contact with or immersion in the shock absorber fluid in the housing when present.

2. The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the housing, the rotary valve and the rotational electro mechanical actuator define a plurality of fluid flow passages internal to the housing.

3. The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the REMA is one of a plurality of REMAs.

4. The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the rotational electro mechanical actuator is responsive to at least one operational signal from a respective at least one sensor on a bicycle; and

the rotary valve is rotatable between open and closed positions via the rotational electro mechanical actuator being responsive to the operational signals.

5. The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the rotary valve is lockable in a closed position to provide for a stiff suspension to prevent bicycle “

bobbing”

, and is lockable in an open position to provide for a dampened suspension to provide a smooth ride over rough terrain.

6. The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the rotational electro mechanical actuator is a bi-stable rotational electro mechanical actuator;

the rotary valve has an open position and a closed position; and

the bi-stable rotational electro mechanical actuator does not receive electrical power to maintain the position of the rotary valve in the open and closed positions.

7. The valve assembly of claim 4, wherein:

a response time of the rotational electro mechanical actuator to an operational signal from the at least one sensor is equal to or less than about 5 milliseconds.

8. The valve assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

electrical supply wires disposed in electrical communication with the rotational electro mechanical actuator from a location external of the housing; and

a fluid flow path comprising an annular fluid flow path disposed within the housing and around the rotary valve, the annular fluid flow path having a fluid flow direction parallel to a common assembly axis;

wherein the electrical supply wires are disposed inside the housing and around an outside diameter of the annular fluid flow path in an axial direction.

9. The valve assembly of claim 8, further comprising:

a compression damping assembly disposed, configured and sized so as to fit within the fluid flow path.

10. The valve assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

electrical supply wires disposed in electrical communication with the rotational electro mechanical actuator from a location external of the housing; and

a compression damping assembly configured and disposed within the housing such that the electrical supply wires to the rotational electro mechanical actuator are disposed inside the housing and around an outside diameter of the compression damping assembly in an axial direction.

11. The valve assembly of claim 4, wherein:

the rotational electro mechanical actuator is responsive to at least one operational signal from a respective at least one sensor on a bicycle via a microprocessor based controller disposed locally on the bicycle; and

the controller is responsive to executable instructions which when executed by the controller facilitates a rapid change in a state of the rotary valve via the rotational electro mechanical actuator based at least in part on a movement of the bicycle.

12. The valve assembly of claim 11, wherein:

the rapid change in a state of the rotary valve occurs in less than or equal to 15 milliseconds.

13. The valve assembly of claim 4, wherein:

the at least one sensor comprises one or more of;

an acceleration sensor;

a brake-activation sensor;

a hydraulic fluid temperature sensor;

an ambient temperature sensor;

a pressure sensor;

a weight sensor;

a strain gage sensor;

an ambient air pressure sensor;

a speed sensor;

an inclination sensor; and

, a free-fall sensor.

14. The valve assembly of claim 13, wherein:

the hydraulic fluid temperature sensor is employed to sense fade of the hydraulic fluid and to facilitate a change in a damping rate of the bicycle suspension system.

15. The valve assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a flexible element disposed within the housing and disposed coaxially surrounding or partially surrounding the rotary valve to define an annular fluid flow path, the annular fluid flow path having a fluid flow direction parallel to a common assembly axis.

16. The valve assembly of claim 15, wherein:

during a compression event oil flows into a first end of the flexible element, and during a rebound event oil flows out of a second end of the flexible element.

17. The valve assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the rotary valve comprises a rotary spool portion disposed in rotational arrangement with a wall portion of the housing; and

at least one bearing disposed between the rotary spool portion and the wall portion.

18. The valve assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

electrical supply wires disposed in electrical communication with the rotational electro mechanical actuator from a location external of the housing;

wherein the housing is made out of molded plastic; and

wherein the electrical supply wires are molded into the housing.

19. The valve assembly of claim 11, wherein:

the controller comprises a wireless communication device configured and disposed to enable a user to adjust an adjustable control setting of the valve assembly via a remote wireless device.

20. The valve assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a shock absorber disposed in fluid communication with the valve assembly, the shock absorber comprising a dynamic piston disposed in operable communication with a damper shaft, the dynamic piston comprising a pressure sensitive valve disposed and configured to magnify a damping effect of the valve assembly.