Damping device for a two-wheeled vehicle

• US 8,453,806 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2010
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dt Swiss Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dt Swiss Inc.
• Inventors: Battlogg, Stefan, Psel, Jrgen, Elsensohn, Gernot, Walhert, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Bradley
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rashid, Mahbubur
• Application Number:
  US12/839,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20110017555A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 188/267, 188/267.1, 188/2, 188/266, 188/3, 188/299, 188/1, 267/64.15, 267/64.26
• US Class Current: 188/267
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/46 allowing control from a distance , i.e. location of means for control input being remote from site of valves, e.g. on damper external wall attachment of valve units to cylinders F16F9/325
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/535 Magnetorheological [MR] fluid dampers springs comprising magnetorheological [MR] elastomers F16F1/361

Abstract

A damping device for a two-wheeled vehicle having a first and a second damper chamber which are coupled to one another through a flow connection. The flow connection includes at least one flow valve provided with a damping channel. A magneto-rheological fluid is provided in the damping channel of the flow valve wherein the flow valve includes at least one magnetic device such that the damping channel of the flow valve can be exposed to a magnetic field of the magnetic device. The flow valve further includes at least one spring device. The magnetic device of the flow valve is provided on a valve piston and the valve piston is received in a deflection chamber to resiliently deflect counter to a spring force of the spring device such that the magnetic field of the magnetic device effective in the damping channel depends on the resilient deflection of the valve piston.

Claims

1. A damping device for a two-wheeled vehicle, comprising:

at least one first damper chamber and at least one second damper chamber which are coupled to one another through at least one valve having at least one damping channel, and having a field generating device, wherein a fluid influenceable by a field is provided in the damping channel and the field generating device generates a field that influences in the damping channel;

at least one adjusting device configured to adjust at least a portion of a cross-section of the damping channel that is exposed to the field, said adjusting device including at least one rotary device, said at least one rotary device including a rotary unit for adjusting at least one damping channel for the rebound stage and a rotary unit for adjusting at least one damping channel for the compression stage, wherein the at least one rotary device for adjusting at least one damping channel for the rebound stage and the rotary unit for adjusting at least one channel for the compression stage are configured coaxially;

wherein optionally only part of the cross-section of the damping channel can be exposed to the field.

2. The damping device according to claim 1 wherein a volume portion of the damping channel exposed to the field is adjustable by means of the adjusting device.

3. The damping device according to claim 1, wherein the damping channel comprises at least one effective section exposed to the field or a bypass section that is not exposed to the field wherein at least one transition range is adjacent to the effective section or bypass section.

4. The damping device according to claim 3, wherein the transition range is adjustable.

5. The damping device according to claim 1, wherein the field generating device comprises a magnetic device for generating a magnetic field and wherein the fluid comprises a magneto-rheological fluid.

6. The damping device according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic device comprises at least one permanent magnet.

7. The damping device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one rotary device is provided approximately coaxially to a piston rod.

8. The damping device according to claim 1, wherein at least one rotary unit is provided on the exterior of a damper chamber.

9. The damping device according to claim 1, wherein at least one control valve is provided.

10. The damping device according to claim 1, wherein an auxiliary spring is provided which is in particular configured as a pneumatic spring and is disposed in a piston rod.

11. The damping device according to claim 10, wherein the auxiliary pneumatic spring in the piston rod is engaged by a user or automatically continuously or in increments in dependence on the temperature.

12. The damping device according to claim 1, wherein adjustment of the damping level occurs solely by the magnetic field.

13. The damping device according to claim 1, wherein the field and in particular the magnetic field is effective passing through the damper body.

14. The damping device according to claim 1, wherein shifting between preset stages occurs via an operating lever.

15. The damping device according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the damping channel not exposed to any field thus being effective as a bypass section, can be varied via an adjusting device.

16. The damping device according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the damping channel that is exposed to a partial field, which is the transition range from the weakest to the strongest range of the magnetic field, is variable.

17. The damping device according to claim 1, wherein sealing of the damper piston relative to the housing wall occurs by means of permanent magnets.

18. The damping device according to claim 1, wherein at least one adjustable mechanical shut-off valve for shutting off at least one damping channel is provided.

19. The damping device according to claim 1, further comprising

at least one bypass section and at least one transition range provided in the damping channel, wherein the field rises sharply over an area of the transition range while quasi being field-free in the bypass section such that optionally only part of the damping channel is exposed to a field of a specific strength.

20. The damping device according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting device comprises at least one longitudinally displaceable adjusting member.

21. The damping device according to claim 7, wherein a control rod is received on the piston rod.

22. The damping device according to claim 1, wherein a heat pipe device is provided having at least one heat pipe for dissipating a heat generated in damping.

23. The damping device according to claim 5, wherein multiple transition ranges in the damping channel can be generated by multiple pole pairs of the magnetic device.

24. The damping device according to claim 5, wherein the magnetic field is generated by a current-carrying coil.