, Description:The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which do not limit the scope and ambit of the invention. The description provided is purely by way of example and illustration.
Figure 1 illustrates a sectional view of one fork leg of front fork assembly in the prior art and is generally indicated by reference numeral 500. The fork as shown in Figure 1 is in extended position and has an inner tube/fork pipe 10 placed inside an outer tube/bottom case 90. A dust seal 30 (for preventing dust to enter inside the suspension system), oil seal 60 and oil seal stopper 40 (for preventing the leakage of oil from the suspension system) along with washer 70, guide bush 80 and slide bush 170 (for proper positioning of adjoining components) is placed between the inner tube/fork pipe 10 and outer tube/bottom case 90. The inner tube/fork pipe 10 comprises a main spring 20 coiled around a piston rod 50 and a piston assembly comprising a piston 150, support plate 160, tap split 140, rebound spring 130 and a DU bush 120. The cartridge tube 110 having piston 150 along with piston assembly is placed in the outer tube/bottom case 90. The cartridge tube 110 is supported by adapter bush 100 towards the direction of piston rod 50 and by base tap 190 along the direction of outer tube/bottom case 90. A cap oil lock 180 with a circlip 200 is placed around the cartridge tube 110. The cartridge tube 110 is fixed to the outer tube/bottom case 90 with a copper washer 210 (for preventing oil leakage) and a bolt 220. This assembly is filled with hydraulic fluid. The present figure 1 only shows sectional view of one fork leg of the front fork assembly in an extended position whereas the same construction and components are present in the other leg of the front fork assembly.
Figure 2 illustrates an exploded sectional view of one fork leg of front fork assembly in the prior art and is generally indicated by reference numeral 500. The exploded sectional view illustrate the same components as depicted in Figure 1 and are herein incorporated by reference.
Figure 3 illustrates a sectional view of one fork leg of front fork assembly in the proposed invention and is generally indicated by reference numeral 1000. The fork as shown in Figure 3 is in extended position and comprises an inner tube/fork pipe 10 placed inside an outer tube/bottom case 90. A dust seal 30 (for preventing dust to enter inside the suspension system), oil seal 60 and oil seal stopper 40 (for preventing the leakage of oil from the suspension system) along with washer 70, guide bush 80 and slide bush 170 (for proper positioning of adjoining components) is placed between the inner tube/fork pipe 10 and outer tube/bottom case 90. The inner tube/fork pipe 10 comprises of a main spring 20 coiled around a piston rod 50 and a piston assembly comprising of piston 150, support plate 160, tap split 140, rebound spring 130 and a DU bush 120. In the present invention an integrated cap-oil-lock-cartridge-tube 115 is provided. The integrated cap-oil-lock-cartridge-tube 115 combines the features of a cartridge tube and a cap oil lock as described in Figure 1(indicated by reference numeral 110 and 180 respectively). The integrated cap-oil-lock-cartridge tube 115 is having piston 150 along with piston assembly and is placed in the outer tube/bottom case 90. The integrated cap-oil-lock-cartridge tube 115 is supported by adapter bush 100 towards the direction of piston rod 50 and by base tap 190 along the direction of outer tube/bottom case 90. A circlip 200 is placed around the integrated cap-oil-lock-cartridge tube 115. The integrated cap-oil-lock-cartridge tube 115 is fixed to the outer tube/bottom case 90 with a copper washer 210 (for preventing oil leakage) and a bolt 220. This assembly is filled with hydraulic fluid. The present figure 3 only shows sectional view of one fork leg of the front fork assembly in an extended position whereas the same construction and components are present in the other leg of the front fork assembly.
Figure 4 illustrates an exploded sectional view of one fork leg of front fork assembly in accordance with the present invention and is generally indicated by reference numeral 1000. The exploded sectional view comprises of the same components as depicted in Figure 3 and are herein incorporated by reference.
Figure 5 illustrates a sectional view of one fork leg of front fork assembly in the proposed invention and is generally indicated by reference numeral 1000. The fork as shown in Figure 5 is in compressed position. In Figure 5 a fork pipe/inner tube 10 is compressed inside outer tube/bottom case 90. The piston assembly comprising of piston 150, support plate 160, tap split 140, rebound spring 130 and a DU bush 120 is attached to the piston rod 50 and is placed inside the integrated-cap-oil-lock-cartridge-tube 115. A slide bush 170 is placed between the inner tube/fork pipe 10 and the outer tube/bottom case 90. The integrated-cap-oil-lock-cartridge-tube 115 is attached to base tap 190 and a circlip 200 along the direction of outer tube/bottom case 90. The integrated cap-oil-lock-cartridge tube 115 is fixed to the outer tube/bottom case 90 with a copper washer 210 (for preventing oil leakage) and a bolt 220. This assembly is filled with hydraulic fluid. The present figure 5 only shows sectional view of one fork leg of the front fork assembly in a compressed position whereas the same construction and components are present in the other leg of the front fork assembly.
Figure 6A, 6B and 6C illustrates a front view, top view and perspective view of the proposed integrated-cap-oil-lock-cartridge-tube 115 respectively. As shown in the figure the integrated-cap-oil-lock-cartridge-tube 115 is having a uniform outer diameter x from point A to point B; from point B to point C the outer diameter changes proportionately and from point C to point D again there is uniform outer diameter x1 of the cartridge tube. The proportionate change in diameter from point B to point C is provided so as to integrate the features of a cap oil lock and provide additional damping effect at the end of the compression stroke. The cartridge tube has a pair of orifices A1. The diameter of each orifice is y. The orifices provides a passage for the flow of hydraulic fluid inwards and outwards of the cartridge tube during suspension strokes (compression and expansion respectively). The dimension of the orifices can be changed according to the required damping force
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERAL
10-Fork Pipe/Inner Tube
20-Main Spring
30-Dust Seal
40-Oil Seal Stopper
50-Piston Rod
60-Oil Seal
70-Washer
80-Guide Bush
90-Bottom Case/Outer Tube
100-Adaptor Bush
110-Cartridge Tube
115-Integrated Cap Oil Lock Cartridge Tube
120-DU Bush
130-Rebound Spring
140-Tap Split
150-Piston
160-Support Plate
170-Slide Bush
180-Cap Oil Lock
190-Base Tap
200-Circlip
210-Copper Washer
220-Bolt
Claims:We Claim:
1. A front fork comprising a fork pipe/inner tube 10, a bottom case/outer tube 90, a main spring 20, a piston rod 50, a support plate 160, piston 150, integrated cap oil lock cartridge tube 115, slide bush 170 wherein said integrated cap oil lock cartridge tube 115 creates a hydraulic lock with the fork pipe/inner tube 10 at the end of compression stroke.
2. The front fork as claimed in claim 1, wherein said integrated cap oil lock cartridge tube 115 has at least two uniform internal sectional diameters (AB, CD) and a varying internal sectional diameter (BC).
3. The front fork as claimed in claim 1, wherein said integrated cap oil lock cartridge tube 115 has at least one oil flow orifice (A1) of a predetermined dimension.
4. The front fork as claimed in claim 1, wherein said integrated cap oil lock cartridge tube 115 has integrated cartridge tube and cap oil lock.
5. The front fork as claimed in claim 1, wherein the integrated cap oil lock cartridge tube 115 is having said piston 150 along with a piston assembly and is placed in the bottom case /outer tube 90.