Abstract:
Single adjustable air suspension shocks with built-in damper device and coil assist, apparatus, system and method for motorcycles. Air suspension systems, devices, apparatus, and methods for allowing motorcycle drivers to increase and decrease compressed air supplies in air suspension devices. Deflating interior air springs/airbags (bladders) inside the devices allows for springs and pistons on shock absorbers in the devices to expand outward separating lower front and rear frame portions which effectively lowers the motorcycle to the ground surface and for the driver to have a firmer ride. Inflating the air springs/airbags (bladders) allows for the springs and the pistons on the shock absorbers in the devices to retract into the devices so that the devices have a more shock absorbing effect giving the rider a smoother ride, which also raises the motorcycles above the ground surface.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a Continuation In Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/966,678 filed Dec. 11, 2015, which is incorporated by reference in its&#39; entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates to air suspension and dampers, in particular to single adjustable air suspension shocks with built-in damper device and coil assist, apparatus, system and method for motorcycles. 
     BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART 
     Conventional, stock, and after-market suspension products such as air shocks and air springs are generally preset to a specific maximum weight accommodation level. This preset suspension does not always provide the best ride or handling for the riders. Additionally, motorcycles are known to have harsh rides that are not comfortable for many riders such as the elderly, overweight individuals, and women. 
     Current springs used in motorcycles can be progressive in that their lifespan and use deteriorate over time. For example, as the spring compresses, the spring weakens over time, making the ride less desirable for the riders. 
     Conventional air suspension systems often result in nonsmooth and uncomfortable rides, coupled with undesirable vehicle ride performance. 
     Various types of air suspension systems have been proposed over the years. U.S. Pat. No. 6,648,309 to Beck describes a piston rod with low/high pressure chambers. U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,966 to Lillbacka describes a piston rod that moves within the chamber and is surrounded by an outer chamber with sealing gaskets. An o-ring seals isolate compartment from environment outside of shock absorber; compressible fluid in inner chamber; coil spring provided about piston rod; air inlet, a fluid, i.e. air, pumped into elastomeric tube so that the inflated elastomeric tube acts as air spring to enhance shock absorbing ability of shock absorber. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,398 to Girvin describes a shock absorber with a shaft that extends into a reservoir housing which includes a hydraulic reservoir and gas chamber. The chamber seal includes an o-ring to separate the gas chamber from the hydraulic reservoir. There are springs on the shaft, a piston, and shim washers at the end of the piston, a reservoir cap, reservoir seal, and a bumper. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,036 to Gillespie describes an airbag in a reservoir of a cylinder, a piston assembly disposed within an inner cylinder and mounted to a piston rod. The piston rod comprising of piston assembly piston, check valve, a seal ring, seal ring carrier, bypass spring, spring abutment plate, and an end outer cylinder sealed plate with threaded mounting member. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,219 to Anderson describes a piston; reservoir containing gas cells. U.S. Pat. No. 5,172,794 to Ward describes a gas bag; piston assembly disposed within inner cylinder; piston rod that moves within piston assembly and extends into rebound chamber; outer cylinder with end cap; seal ring; ring; spring; and an end cap. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,234 to Wight; U.S. Pat. No. 4,566,565 to Wicke et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,042 to Sell et al.; each describe self pressurized dampers. U.S. Pat. No. 3,024,875 to Stultz describes a shock absorber. U.S. Pat. No. 2,571,279 to Nils O. Mykestad describes a cylinder that defines a fluid reservoir containing a sack where air is introduced to a piston rod with sealing means and springs bear against it. And U.S. Pat. No. 2,324,058 to A. Boor et al. describes a hydraulic shock absorber structure. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 8,113,322 to Arnott, which has the same assignee as the subject invention, which is incorporated by reference in its&#39; entirety, describes a motorcycle air suspension system and method that requires the use of two identical air suspension devices  1 ,  FIG. 14  mounted side by side to provide adjustable air suspension for the rider. 
       FIG. 13  shows another prior art side cross-sectional view of a current shock that combines both air suspension through a spring and oil damping in one housing. Similar to Arnott &#39;322, this combined air shock with damping would also be used in a pair arrangement as shown by  FIG. 14  of the Arnott &#39;322 patent. 
       FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view of a prior art air suspension device with an internal damper  470 . In the prior art, assembly  470 , includes an oil filled chamber  80  with an internal fixed damping piston  490  having a fixed damping piston shaft  500 . Oil metering pass-through holes  510  are through the head of the piston  490 . A ring attachment  520  secures the oil filled assembly to a bike frame or suspension member. Inside the air suspension device with internal damper  470  can be an airbag  530 , top end  540 , housing  550  and spring  560 . 
     Combining both liquid damping with the air shock requires extra seals to keep fluid from leaking out of the housing and also contaminating the air suspension components in the same housing. As such, there can be reliability issues by combining both air suspension and the liquid damping effects in the same housing. 
     The prior art discloses various types of air suspension systems and their respective components. However, none of the cited references overcomes the problems with the prior art described above. More particularly none of the prior art describes an easily adjustable system for use with motorcycles that allows the rider to have an adjustable ride based on the air suspension cylinders on those motorcycles. 
     Thus, the need exists for solutions to the above problems with the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A primary objective of the present invention is to provide adjustable air suspension shock with built-in damper and coil assist, system, device, apparatus, and method for motorcycles which is less expensive (lower cost) than existing air shocks with damping capability. 
     A secondary objective of the present invention is to provide adjustable air suspension shock with built-in damper and coil assist system, device, apparatus, and method for motorcycles which have less friction than existing air shocks with damping capability. 
     A third objective of the present invention is to provide adjustable air suspension shock with built-in damper and coil assist system, device, apparatus, and method for motorcycles which uses less parts than existing air shocks with damping capability. 
     A fourth objective of the present invention is to provide adjustable air suspension shock with built-in damper and coil assist system, device, apparatus, and method for motorcycles which eliminates lipped seals with a damper case and reduces or eliminates leaky air seals, than existing air shocks with damping capability. 
     A fifth objective of the present invention is to provide adjustable air suspension shock with built-in damper and coil assist system, device, apparatus, and method for motorcycles which is more reliable than existing air shocks with damping capability. 
     A sixth objective of the present invention is to provide adjustable air suspension shock with built-in damper and coil assist system, device, apparatus, and method for motorcycles to allow the rider to adjust the suspension to accommodate their personal weight as well as any cargo weight with a smoother ride base on a smoother and comfortable ride with suspension, adjustable suspension height, and adjustable suspension stiffness. 
     A seventh objective of the present invention is to provide adjustable air suspension shock with built-in damper and coil assist system, device, apparatus, and method for motorcycles so that an increase of air will stiffen the ride and raise the suspension, while a release of air will soften the ride and lower the suspension. 
     An eighth objective of the present invention is to provide adjustable air suspension shock with built-in damper and coil assist system, device, apparatus, and method for motorcycles to allow the shock absorber(s) to act as an extendable and retractable rod to lower or raise the vehicle. 
     A ninth objective of the present invention is to provide adjustable air suspension shock with built-in damper and coil assist system, device, apparatus, and method for motorcycles where tuning air suspension is done to individual tastes and usually reduced to a few minutes via onboard adjustability. 
     A tenth objective of the present invention is to provide adjustable air suspension shock with built-in damper and coil assist system, device, apparatus, and method for motorcycles where air suspension can be instantly set to specific driving conditions, resulting in improved drive handling. 
     An eleventh objective of the present invention is to provide adjustable air suspension shock with built-in damper and coil assist system, device, apparatus, and method for motorcycles where adjustability can be customized between various settings that are smooth and comfortable, firm and rigid, or somewhere in the middle. Vehicle rider&#39;s performance can be based on the rider&#39;s desired settings, with existing components on the motorcycle. 
     A twelfth objective of the present invention is to provide adjustable air suspension shock with built-in damper and coil assist system, device, apparatus, and method for motorcycles where adjustability can be based on the riders height, weight, desired ride comfort levels, and other customizations. 
     The air shock includes an air bag (rolling diaphragm) air shocks, which includes the addition of a coil helper spring. The helper spring helps extend the shock so that the required air pressure in the air bag can be lower to support a given load. Unlike shocks that combine air &amp; a spring together, there are none that use an air bag coupled with a spring. Some shocks use a lipped seal that seals against the damper case. Those designs have much more friction in the system &amp; are prone to leaky air seals. The invention design does not have those problems. 
     Unlike factory installed air suspension shocks, the invention allows the user to raise or lower the rear shocks through the full range of the suspension travel. This gives the rider the flexibility of setting the height of the rear suspension based on the rider&#39;s weight, height, and preference, helping ensure both safety and comfort through enhanced control and stability. 
     The invention can be manufactured to be used in motorized or non-motorized vehicles. This invention uses an inflatable air spring or rubber/elastomeric airbag/bladder, a shock absorber, a coil spring along with an hydraulic damper. 
     The benefits of this invention are a smoother suspension, adjustable suspension height, and adjustable suspension stiffness. A practical application of this invention would be on any motorcycle configuration as well as on other vehicles. The end user of the product can adjust the suspension to accommodate their personal weight as well as any cargo weight. This adjustability of the suspension is what improves the ride characteristics of the motorcycle for each individual user. 
     Conventional, stock, and after-market suspension are preset to a specific maximum weight accommodation level. This preset suspension does not always provide the best ride or handling. The invention allows the user to adjust the suspension levels of the vehicle according to their preference. By allowing the user to adjust the suspension level, the adjustable invention provides a comfortable ride, which in turn provides a more enjoyable ride experience. The suspension will absorb the right amount of shock or energy to prevent jerky handling, and adjusting the invention to the appropriate setting will allow the vehicle to handle safer than with a conventional or stock suspension. Air is pumped into and fills the air spring/airbag/bladder, which enables this adjustability; an increase of air will stiffen the ride and raise the suspension, while a release of air will soften the ride and lower the suspension. 
     The coil spring may or may not be used in some assemblies. Acting as a lift helper, the coil spring is used to decrease the amount of air pressure that would be needed to lift a load. It keeps the vehicle at a somewhat standard level, so that adjusting the lift level is not entirely dependent upon air pressure. In fact, with this invention, a minimal amount of air pressure is needed. 
     The invention combines a shock absorber with inflatable air spring/airbag/bladder and spring along with O-rings and other components. 
     Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments which are illustrated schematically in the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of motorcycle frame with and adjustable air shock device with built-in damper and coil assist mounted thereon. 
         FIG. 1A  is an enlarged view of a handlebar control panel shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 1B  is a perspective view of the adjustable air shock device with built-in damper and coil assist from  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective enlarged view of the novel adjustable air shock device with built-in damper and coil assist assembly shown in  FIG. 1   
         FIG. 3  is a top perspective view of the adjustable air shock device with built-in damper and coil assist assembly of  FIGS. 1 and 2  with reciprocating piston assembly extended. 
         FIG. 4  is another top perspective view of the assembly of  FIG. 3  with damper/spring/air spring compressed. 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of the shock assembly of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of the shock assembly of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a left end view of the shock assembly of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 8  is a right end view of the shock assembly of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 9A  is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the  FIG. 3  shock assembly with damper/helper spring/air spring assembly extended. 
         FIG. 9B  is a cross-sectional view of the shock assembly with extended assembly of  FIG. 9A . 
         FIG. 10A  is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the  FIG. 4  shock assembly with damper/helper spring/air spring assembly compressed. 
         FIG. 10B  is a cross-sectional view of the shock assembly with the compressed w damper/helper spring/air spring assembly of  FIG. 10A . 
         FIG. 11  is an exploded perspective view of the adjustable air shock device with built-in damper and coil assist shown in the preceding figures. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Before explaining the disclosed embodiments of the present invention in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its applications to the details of the particular arrangements shown since the invention is capable of other embodiments. Also, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. 
     In the Summary above and in the Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments and in the accompanying drawings, reference is made to particular features (including method steps) of the invention. It is to be understood that the disclosure of the invention in this specification does not include all possible combinations of such particular features. For example, where a particular feature is disclosed in the context of a particular aspect or embodiment of the invention, that feature can also be used, to the extent possible, in combination with and/or in the context of other particular aspects and embodiments of the invention, and in the invention generally. 
     In this section, some embodiments of the invention will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout, and prime notation is used to indicate similar elements in alternative embodiments. 
     This application is a Continuation In Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/966,678 filed Dec. 11, 2015, entitled: Decoupled Damper and Air spring Suspension System, Device, Apparatus and Method for Motorcycles, which is incorporated by reference in its&#39; entirety. 
     A list of the components will now be described.
       10  Shock device with assist coil.     20  Fixed end ring attachment     30  Reciprocating end ring attachment.     40  Reciprocating damper assembly.     50  Air bag can.     60  Compressed air inlet.     70  Fixed end attachment point on motorcycle (prior art).     80  Reciprocating end attachment point on motorcycle rear wheel mount frame     90  Motorcycle assembly     100  Air suspension control mounted on motorcycle handlebar.     105  Motorcycle handlebar (prior art).     110  Battery (prior art).     120  Air compressor.     130  Motorcycle rear wheel/tire assembly     140  Pivoting rear wheel frame     150  Pivot axis for rear wheel frame     160  Motorcycle frame.     170  Control button adds compressed air to the shock assembly and lifts the back of the bike.     180  Set button can lock the compressed air valve after the desired pressure is attained.     190  Air gauge shows air pressure in shock assembly.     200  Control button bleeds compressed air from shock assembly and drops the back of the bike.     210  Control lines from air suspension control.     220  damper assembly     222  Damper shaft.     223  Damper piston.     224  Damper cylinder.     227  inner step     228  Bumper     229  shaft O-ring in Groove     230  Air Bag.     240 A Upper Crimp ring.     240 B Lower Crimp ring.     250  Coil spring.     255  Top of shock assembly.     260  External thread on top of shock.     267  Second inside step     270  Internal thread on air bag can.     280  Piston sleeve. Fits over purchased damper assembly.     284  Spring seat/shelf     285  Groove in purchased damper assembly for retaining ring.     290  Retaining ring. Fits into groove on purchased damper assembly to secure piston sleeve.     300  O-ring seals.     310  Set screw. Threads into top of shock and secures rod end of damper assembly.     320  Road surface.   

       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of motorcycle assembly  90  with an adjustable air shock device  10  with built-in damper and coil assist mounted thereon with air suspension control panel  100 .  FIG. 1A  is an enlarged view of a handlebar control panel  100  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 1B  is a perspective view of the adjustable air shock device  10  with built-in damper and coil assist from  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective enlarged view of the novel adjustable air shock device  10  with built-in damper and coil assist assembly shown in  FIG. 1  The shock device  10  extended is shown in solid lines in this view. The motorcycle rear wheel  130 , and wheel frame  140  are also shown in solid lines and rotated fully clockwise as would be their position with the shock device  10  full extended. The compressed shock device  10  is shown in dashed lines in this view. The wheel  130  and wheel frame  140  rotated fully counter-clockwise, as they would be with the shock device  10  compressed, are also shown in dashed lines. 
       FIG. 3  is a top perspective view of the adjustable air shock device  10  with built-in damper and coil assist assembly of  FIGS. 1 and 2  with reciprocating piston assembly  40  extended. 
       FIG. 4  is another top perspective view of the device  10  of  FIG. 3  with piston assembly  40  compressed.  FIG. 5  is a top view of the shock device  10  with compressed piston assembly  40  of  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 6  is a front view of the shock device  10  with compressed piston assembly  40  of  FIG. 5 .  FIG. 7  is a left end view of the shock device  10  of  FIG. 5 .  FIG. 8  is a right end view of the shock device  10  of  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 9A  is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the  FIG. 3  shock device  10  with damper assembly  40  extended.  FIG. 9B  is a cross-sectional view of the shock device  10  with extended damper assembly  40  of  FIG. 9A . 
       FIG. 10A  is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the  FIG. 4  shock device  10  with damper assembly  40  compressed.  FIG. 10B  is a cross-sectional view of the shock device  10  with compressed damper assembly  40  of  FIG. 10A . 
       FIG. 11  is an exploded perspective view of the adjustable air shock device  10  with built-in damper and coil assist shown in the preceding figures. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1, 1B and 2-11 , the shock device  10  with assist coil  250 , can include a fixed end ring attachment  20  which can pivotally attach to an upper fixed end attachment point  70  on motorcycle  90 . Shock device  10  with assist coil  250  can have an opposite end with reciprocating end ring attachment  30  attached to a reciprocating end attachment point  80  on a lower portion on a pivoting rear wheel frame  140  on the motorcycle  90 , where rear wheel frame  140  can pivot relative to a pivot axis  150  point on the rear frame  140 . 
     The air shock device  10  with assist coil  250  can include a top  255  with a compressed air inlet  60  with an air bag can  50  having a cylindrical shape. The air bag can  50  being threadably attached to the top  255  by external thread  260  and internal thread  270  ( FIGS. 9A, 10A ). An upper end of damper piston shaft  222  can be held inside of top  255  by a set screw  310  that screws into side O-ring  229  in groove  255 , with O-ring seals  300  sealing about the upper end of the shaft  222  while an enlarged end of  228  is about the piston shaft  222  abuts against an inner step  227  inside the top  225 . 
     A lower end of damper piston shaft  222  can include a damper piston  223  with a larger diameter than the shaft  222 . Damper piston  223  allows for damper cylinder  224  which is part of damper assembly  220  to slide up and down relative to the damper piston  223 . Damper assembly  220  with the reciprocating piston shaft  222 , that can function as a hydraulic shock absorber, such as, but not limited to the hydraulic shock absorber shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,856,035 to Rohacs, which is incorporated by reference. 
     Inside the air bag can  50  can include an air bag  230  having an upper end held in place by a crimp ring  240 A against an upper inner wall of the air bag can  50 . The air bag  230  can have a lower end held in place by another crimp ring  240 B locked about an upper portion of piston sleeve  280 . 
     A coil spring  250  can have an upper end abutting against a second step  267  inside the top  255  of the shock device  10 . Coil spring  250  can have a lower end that abuts against an upper surface of shelf  284 .which extends outward from piston sleeve  280 . A retaining ring  290  in groove  285  and additional seals  300  allow for sealing the air chamber. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-11 , a control panel  100  can be mounted on the motorcycle handlebars  105 , with a battery  110  powering an air compressor  120  mounted on the motorcycle  90 . 
     An airline can be attached between the air compressor  120  and the air inlet  60  on the shock device  10 , and allows air to be injected into the air inlet  60  into the interior chamber inside the air bag  230  inside of the air bag can  50 . 
     On the panel  100 , switches  170 ,  200  can be push button switches which either add compressed air to the air shock assembly  10  by depressing button  170 , or remove air from the air shock assembly  10  by pressing on button  200 . 
     Control button  170  adds compressed air to the air bag  250  in shock device  10  and can lift the back of the motorcycle  90 . Control button  200  when pressed can bleed compressed air from air bag  230  in shock device  10  which results in dropping the back of the motorcycle  90 . 
     Set button  180  can lock the compressed air valve after the selected pressure in the air bag  230  is reached. 
     Air gauge  190  displays air pressure in PSI inside the shock device  10 . 
     The depressible buttons  170 ,  200  allow for instant inflation and deflation of the airbag (air bladder)  230  within the air shock assembly  10 , and allow the driver to achieve desired operating conditions of the air shock assembly  10  in seconds. 
     The air shock assembly  10  can operate similar to the combined air suspension device  1 , shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,113,322 to Arnott, which is incorporated by reference in its&#39; entirety. 
     Here, an operating gauge  190  can show in real-time the pressure of compressed air in air shock assembly  10 , which can run from approximately 0 PSI (pounds per square inch) for minimum pressure level to as much as approximately 250 PSI for maximum pressure loads. A set button  180  can be preset to different pressure levels so that the operator can immediately depress to various pre-programmed pressure states for settings such as but not limited to states that are smooth and comfortable, firm and rigid, or somewhere in the middle. The rider can further make adjustments to the air suspension devices  1  based on their height, weight, and any other customized conditions as desired. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1, 1A, 9A, 9B, 10A, 10B , as compressed air is pumped into compressed air inlet  60 , airbag  230  expands downward (inflates) within can  50 , while allowing spring  250  to naturally expand to a normal coil expanded state. While in a compressed air state with the airbag (bladder) inflated, the more air added, the firmer the ride is for the rider on the motorcycle. 
     Removing Compressed Air (Deflating Airbag (Bladder)) 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1, 1A, 9A, 9B, 10A, 10B  as compressed air is released outward from air inlet  60 , airbag  230  retracts (deflates) within airbag can  50 , while compressing spring  250  to a compressed state. While in an uncompressed air state with the airbag (bladder) deflated, the more air removed, the smoother the ride is for the rider on the motorcycle. The greater amount of shock cushion effect results in a smoother ride. 
     While the figures show the novel combination of air shock assembly  10  and damper assembly  20  mounted in one arrangement, the air shock assembly  10  and damper assembly  20  can be oppositely mounted to the motorcycle. 
     Although the preferred embodiment shows the air shock device  10  mounted in a vertical orientation, the novel air shock device  10  can be mounted horizontally on motorcycles where the existing shocks/springs are mounted. 
     While the preferred embodiment describes the invention as being attached to two wheeled vehicles, such as motorcycles, the invention can be applied to and used with other vehicles. 
     Although the invention describes use of the air shock device with air, the invention can be used with other fluids, such as but not limited to other types of gases, liquids, and the like. 
     While the invention has been described, disclosed, illustrated and shown in various terms of certain embodiments or modifications which it has presumed in practice, the scope of the invention is not intended to be, nor should it be deemed to be, limited thereby and such other modifications or embodiments as may be suggested by the teachings herein are particularly reserved especially as they fall within the breadth and scope of the claims here appended.