Shock absorber with compliant members

摘要

The present invention provides a shock absorber with compliant members. Shock absorption is provided by the bending and rebound of curved, flexible arms. The deflection and the damping capabilities of the shock absorber are determined by the dimensions, curvature, and material modulus of elasticity of these compliant members. The shock absorber with compliant members technology may be applied to a bicycle front fork shock absorber and a rear shock absorber, both described herein. The benefits of a shock absorber with compliant members are that it is light-weight, it is simple in design, it has few movable joints, it can be designed to have precise flexion and damping characteristics, and it is resilient in harsh conditions.

主权项

1. A compliant shock absorber apparatus, comprising:
a bow-shaped compliant member, said member having a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal axis passing through the first end and the second end, where said member is shaped to a predefined length and curvature based on a predetermined amount of flexion and damping for a dynamic mechanical system; a first mounting block, to which said first end of said member is mounted, and a second mounting block, to which said second end of said member is mounted, wherein said first mounting block and said second mounting block are shaped to connect to said dynamic mechanical system; and a stabilization structure having a lengthwise axis, said stabilization structure being mounted to said first mounting block and to said second mounting block, wherein said stabilization structure restricts flexion at said ends of said compliant member in a direction perpendicular to said lengthwise axis.