(51)
Int.Cl.7:
G
01 B 13/00
B
62 K 25/04
B
62 J 39/00
(19) Federal
Republic of Germany
[emblem]
German
Patent and Trademark Office
(12) Offenlegungsschrift
[=
Published Patent Application]
(10) DE
198 56 200 A1
(21) Application number: 196 56 200.4
(22) Filing date: December 5, 1998
(43) Disclosure date: June 8, 2000
(71) Applicant: Volz,
Marco, 76137 Karlsruhe, DE
(72) Inventors: Volz, Marco, 76137
Karlsruhe, DE; Volz, Steffen, 76137 Karlsruhe, DE
The following information was derived from the documents,
submitted by the applicant.
(54) Device for Displaying the Length
Variations in a Spring Suspension Unit
(57) To date
spring suspension units have been set purely subjectively by the cyclist. The
new device shall enable a continuous measurement and display of the states of
the spring suspension unit during the trip.
To this
end an attachment (8) of the cable (7) and an attachment (9) of the sleeve (10)
are mounted on the fork bridge (2) and the upright tube (4) respectively. The
display (14) consists of sliders (12) and/or (13) for displaying the minimum or
maximum deflection. The sliders are grasped and displaced by a deflection of
the display ram (11).
This
device can give all of the data that are necessary for an optimal setting of
the spring suspension unit. Thus, the individual adjustment options of the
spring suspension unit may be changed and adapted to the current external
conditions.
[see
figure]
DE 198 56 200 A1
Federal
Printing Office 04.00 002 023/465/1
15
Description
It is well-known that to date there
was no continuous measurement of the length variation of spring suspension
units on spring-suspended two wheelers.
The invention, disclosed in patent
claim 1, is based on the problem of providing information for adjusting
specifically a spring suspension unit with respect to the different operating
conditions, for example, the weight of the cyclist, the course profile, the
ambient temperature.
This problem is solved with the
features, disclosed in patent claim 1.
The advantages to be gained with
this invention lie especially in the ability to read the information that is
necessary for adjusting the spring suspension unit, such as a negative spring
excursion while standing still and/or the current minimum and maximum length
variation of the spring suspension unit while travelling. The adjustable
properties of the spring suspension unit, for example, the shock absorption,
spring preload, may be tuned on site; and then the changes may be checked for
their effectiveness.
Other advantages lie in the custom
adjustment of the device to the varying spatial geometries, owing to the
flexibility of the sleeve/cable system, the low weight, the ease of assembly
and disassembly, e.g. velcro-type fastener, adhesive tape, cable ties, as well
as the different possibilities of mounting the display in the viewing field of
the observer, e.g. the handle bars.
One embodiment of the invention is
shown in the drawing with the aid of a commercially available telescopic
suspension fork.
A telescopic fork comprises a fork
shaft (1), which is connected to the two immersion tubes (3) by means of the
fork bridge (2). Upon compression, the immersion tubes (2) slide into the
upright tubes (4). On the bottom end of the upright tubes there is the hub (5)
of the front wheel (6).
The cable (7) is fastened to the
upright tubes (4) with a fastener (8). The sleeve (10) is mounted on the fork
bridge (2) with the fastener (9).
The current display of the spring
excursion is achieved with the display ram (11). The sliders (12) and/or (13)
for displaying the minimum or maximum spring excursion are gasped and pushed by
a deflection of the display ram (11).
Patent
Claims
1. Device for displaying the length
variation of a spring suspension unit by mechanical means, by means of a
flexible sleeve and a flexible internal cable, in particular for spring
suspended two wheelers.
2. Device for displaying, as claimed in
claim 1, with the use of a linkage.
3. Device for displaying, as claimed in
claim 1, with the use of a rigid sleeve.
4. Device for displaying, as claimed in
claim 1, with the use of guide bushings.
5. Device for displaying, as claimed in
claim 1, wherein the length variation of the spring suspension unit is
displayed by means of a display ram, fastened to the end of a cable.
6. Device for displaying, as claimed in
claim 1, wherein in addition to the current length variation of the spring
suspension unit, the minimum and maximum length variation of the spring
suspension unit is displayed by means of two sliders.
7. Device for displaying, as claimed in
claim 1, wherein in order to improve the display, the cable movement is stepped
up or down by means of a mechanism.
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DE 198 56 200 A1
Int.
Cl.7: G 01 B 13/00
Disclosure
date: June 8, 2000
[see figure]