Abstract:
An improved stabilizer for the steering of a vehicle. The stabilizer comprises a housing containing one or more sector-shaped chambers with a wiper rotatably mounted in the housing. For each chamber a paddle extends from the rotor of the wiper into the chamber. The wiper moves sealingly past the housing. For each paddle a bypass channel allows fluid on one side of the paddle to move to the other side of the paddle. A valve in the bypass channel controls the degree of damping produced by the stabilizer. The valve has a control shaft in the center of the rotor, and on the shaft there is a continuous indentation around such shaft with there being no indentation in a first area of the shaft and then the indentation commencing and having an increasingly larger cross-sectional area as the indentation progress around the control shaft.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/062,278, filed on Feb. 17, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,510,063 which is a continuation-in-part of copending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/166,498, filed on Jun. 10, 2002, and which is also a continuation-in-part of copending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/801,626, filed on Mar. 15, 2004. It is also a continuation-in-part of copending U.S. application Ser. No. 11/787,922, filed on Apr. 17, 2007. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to a device that uses a fluid to dampen a force which tends to move the plane of rotation of a steerable wheel or wheels of a vehicle having a shaft used to steer such wheel or wheels away from being generally parallel to the frame of such vehicle. It also relates to such a device for any steering mechanism, such as a ski of a snowmobile or the exhaust jet of a personal watercraft, that uses a shaft of the like and a handlebar or the like in the steering process. For convenience, the term “motorcycle” will be used herein; this term includes, through, not only a traditional motorcycle but also any vehicle using a steering mechanism as discussed in the preceding sentence. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Dampening devices of the type subject to the present invention are those which contain a rotatable wiper (also called a vane) in a housing having a channel (or circuit) running from a portion of the housing on or near a first side of the wiper to a portion of the housing on or near a second side of the wiper so that when the housing is filled with fluid, as the wiper is moved, it forces fluid through the channel (or circuit). Such devices are herein termed either dampeners or stabilizers with the two terms being considered synonymous with one another. 
   Examples of such devices are those of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,773,514; 6,401,884; U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 10/801,626; and 11/062,278. 
   Generally, some form of valve is placed within the channel (or circuit) in order to control the degree of dampening. This is usually accomplished by varying the effective cross-sectional area of the channel (or circuit). 
   In the rotary damper of U.S. Pat. No. 6,899,208 the wiper consists of two types of elements—at least two paddle 13, 14 extend outward from a rotor 11. An orifice 27 on each side of each wiper 13, 14 proceeds linearly into the hollow center of the rotor 11, the orifices 27 and the hollow center of the rotor 11 thereby creating the channel (or circuit) within the rotor 11 portion of the wiper, rather than having the channel (or circuit) within the housing, or proceeding from the internal chamber of the housing through the housing into tubes leading from and subsequently returning back to the housing (as is done in U.S. Pat. No. 6,802,519 and in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/062,278). 
   The valve in the rotary damper of U.S. Pat. No. 6,899,208 is, according to lines 30 through 39 of column 2, simply a plug that is screwed up or down to increase the volume within the hollow center of the rotor 11: “The preferred embodiment contemplates a centrally located flow regulator 29 can be adjusted vertically by means of a threaded shaft 30 that is turned by a knob 31 on top of the damper. The shaft 30 is sealed by means of an o-ring at 32. The regulator 29 has a cylindrical surface on its circumference at 33 that will move vertically up and down blocking a portion and therefore reducing or increasing the size of the orifices 27 thereby causing variation in the damping effect.” 
   In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/166,498, which was filed on Jun. 10 2002; United Kingdom patent no. 2 389 637, the application for which was filed on Jun. 10, 2002; U.S. Pat. No. 6,802,519, the application for which was filed on Sep. 9, 2002; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/062,278, which was filed on Feb. 17, 2005, the valve is in a channel (or circuit) within the housing, or proceeding from the internal chamber of the housing through the housing into tubes leading from and subsequently returning back to the housing and comprises a shaft with a groove of increasing cross-sectional area, preferably created by the groove increasing in depth linearly as the groove proceeds around the shaft, which exists only part of the way around the shaft. The valve, therefore, depending upon the rotational position of the shaft, either completely or partially occludes the channel (or circuit) thereby varying and, hence, controlling the flow of fluid and, consequently, the damping created by the stabilizer. 
   Movement of the wiper relative to the housing is achieved by connecting the housing to the handlebars or to the shaft through which the handlebars turn the form wheel of a motorcycle or other steering mechanism, as discussed above, while rotatably attaching the wiper to the frame of the motorcycle. An arm is generally connected to the wiper. This arm may have the traditional aperture through which a pin rigidly attached to the frame of the motorcycle extends or may be of a pinless variety that has no aperture but is held within a yoke. This latter version is described in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/700,994. 
   Finally, a ball detent is a well-known mechanism for controlling the rotation of a wheel or know. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The stabilizer of the present invention is similar to the stabilizer of U.S. Pat. No. 6,899,208 in that the channel (or circuit) enters the rotor on one side of a paddle and exits the rotor on the other side of the paddle. The valve, however, differs from the valve in U.S. Pat. No. 6,899,208; the valve is similar to the valve of the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/166,498, which was filed on Jun. 10, 2002; United Kingdom patent no. 2 389 637, the application for which was filed on Jun. 10, 2002; U.S. Pat. No. 6,802,519, the application for which was filed on Sep. 9, 2002; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/062,278, which was filed on Feb. 17, 2005, since the valve comprises a shaft with a groove of increasing cross-sectional area, preferably created by the groove increasing in depth linearly as the groove proceeds around the shaft, which exists only part of the way around the shaft. 
   An additional distinction between the stabilizer of the present invention and the only other stabilizer with a valve that is within the wiper, i.e., the stabilizer of U.S. Pat. No. 6,899,208, is that the channel (or circuit) in the wiper does not proceed linearly into the hollow center of the rotor; rather, on at least one side of the valve, and preferably on both sides of the valve, the channel (or circuit) is non linear, most preferably containing a bend of substantially ninety degrees. 
   Additionally the knob on the upper end of the shaft for the valve has a top which bevels upward near the outer circular edge of the knob and contains visible indicators thereon. The amount of the beveling is selected such that only one such indicator will be clearly visible to a rider of a motorcycle when the rider has the rider&#39;s head in the traditional motorcycle racing position. The indicators are coordinated with the position of the shaft and thereby inform the rider of the current degree of damping. And, using a well-known ball detent, the knob can be rotated in fixed documents. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
       FIG. 1  provides a perspective view for a preferred embodiment of the Improved Stabilizer. 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view for the embodiment of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  shows the embodiment of  FIG. 1  with the cover removed. 
       FIG. 4  is a lateral view of a preferred embodiment of the wiper. 
       FIG. 5  is a cutaway view of the preferred embodiment of the wiper taken along line  5 - 5  in  FIG. 4  looking in the direction of the arrows. 
       FIG. 6  is a lateral view of a preferred embodiment of the control shaft, which has been inserted into the preferred embodiment of the wiper of  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 7  is a lateral view of the preferred embodiment of the control shaft from  FIG. 6  without the control shaft being inserted into the wiper. 
       FIG. 8  is a cutaway view of the preferred embodiment of the control shaft from  FIG. 6  and the preferred embodiment of the wiper from  FIG. 4  taken along the line  8 - 8  in  FIG. 6  looking in the direction of the arrows. 
       FIG. 9  is a cutaway view of the preferred embodiment of the control shaft from  FIG. 6  and the preferred embodiment of the wiper from  FIG. 4  taken along the line  9 - 9  in  FIG. 7  looking in the direction of the arrows. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The preferred embodiment of the Improved Stabilizer of the present invention comprises—as shown in  FIG. 1 , in  FIG. 2  (in exploded form), and in FIG.  3 —a housing  1  having a generally sector-shaped chamber  2  with a first side wall  3 , a second side wall  4 , a peripheral wall  5 , a bottom  6 , and a rotatably mounted wiper  7 . Preferably, faceplate  8  is sealingly mounted to the housing  1  to constitute the top of the housing  1 , although the top of the housing  1  could be integral with the housing  1  so long as the wiper  7  can be introduced into the housing  1  with any means know in the art. And, as discussed above, the wiper  7  has dimensions such that it sealingly move past the faceplate  8 , the housing  1  at the bottom  6  of the chamber  2 , and the peripheral wall  5  of the housing  1 . 
   The wiper  7  comprises, as seen in  FIGS. 2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6  and  8 , a rotor  9  and a paddle  10  extending outward from the rotor  9 . Furthermore, the rotor  9  has, as depicted in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , a cylindrically shaped hollow interior  11  running from the top  12  to the bottom  13  of the rotor  9 . 
   A control shaft  14 , portrayed in  FIGS. 2 ,  6 , and  7 , is sealingly and rotatably mounted within the interior  11  of the rotor  9  with a knob  15  preferably at the top  16  of the control shaft  14  above the top  12  of the rotor  9 . 
   On a first side  17  of the paddle  10 , either within the paddle  10 , itself, or within the rotor  9  (as illustrated in  FIGS. 4 ,  5 ,  6 , and  8 ), a first segment  18  of a channel (or circuit)  19  provides fluid communication between (a) the first side  20  of the chamber  2  of the housing  1  within which the wiper  7  is located, the wiper  7  dividing, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the chamber  2  into the first side  20  and a second side  21 , and (b) the interior  11  of the rotor  9 . Similarly, a second segment  22  of the channel (or circuit)  19  provides fluid communication between (c) the second side  21  of the chamber  2  and (d) the interior  11  of the rotor  9 . 
   A continuous indentation  23  commences and has an increasingly larger cross-sectional area, preferably by becoming deeper as it progresses around the shaft  14  until continuous indentation  23  stops upon reaching the first area  24 . 
   The control shaft  14  is so aligned with the first segment  18  and the second segment  22  of the channel (or circuit)  19  that the first segment  18 , the second segment  22 , and the continuous indentation  23  form the complete channel (or circuit)  19 , as can be seen in  FIGS. 6 and 8 . The control shaft  14 , therefore, completely blocks the bypass channel (or circuit)  19  when the first area  24  has been rotated into the bypass channel (or circuit)  19 ; preferably leaves the bypass channel (or circuit)  19  substantially completely open when the area  25  immediately preceding the area  24  where the continuous indentation  23  ends, i.e., the area  25  with the largest cross section (preferably, as a result of being the area with the deepest point of the indentation  23 ) has been rotated into the by pass channel (or circuit)  19 ; and continuously varies the percentage of opening of the bypass channel (or circuit)  19  when areas between area  24  and area  25  are rotated into the bypass channel (or circuit)  19 . Dampening is of course maximized when the bypass channel (or circuit)  19  is completely closed and minimized when the bypass channel (or circuit)  19  is completely opened. 
   Surprisingly, when both the first segment  18  of the bypass channel (or circuit)  19  and the second segment  22  or the channel (or circuit) where linear, as in the case of the orifices 27 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,899,208, the present inventor discovered that the stabilizer worked, but only to such a limited extent that damping was significantly less than that attainable with traditional stabilizers, even when the segments  18 ,  22  were made extremely small. Consequently, the present inventor has concluded that at lest one of the first and second segments  18 ,  22  should be nonlinear, as illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 8 . And when the present inventor constructed a stabilizer wherein the first and second segment  18 ,  22  each contained a bend of substantially ninety degrees, as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 8 , the stabilizer provided damping equivalent to that of a traditional stabilizer. (It should be noted, however, that although the present inventor believes that only one of the segments  18 ,  22  need to be nonlinear and that the degree of nonlinearity can be less than a bend of substantially ninety degrees, the present inventor has not constructed either a stabilizer with only one of the segments  18 ,  22  being nonlinear or a stabilizer where the nonlinearity is less than a bend of substantially ninety degrees.) Having both the first and second segments  18 ,  22  contain a bend of substantially ninety degrees is, therefore, the inventor&#39;s most preferred embodiment. 
   As indicated above and shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the top  26  of the knob  15  preferably bevels upward near the outer circular edge  27  of the knob  15  (A scalloped outer edge  28  actually exists outward from the outer circular edge  27  in order to facilitate gripping the knob  15  but is immaterial to the beveling and its function.), causing the outer circular edge  27  to be higher than the central portion  29 . (Alternatively, but less preferably, the beveling could be done in reverse, i.e., the central portion  29  could be higher than the outer circular edge  27 .) Indicators  30 , such as numbers, designate the position of the knob  15  and, consequently, the rotational position of the control shaft  14  and, consequently, the continuous indentation  23  so that a rider will know the resultant degree of damping which has been selected. These numbers are placed on the beveled portion  31  of the top  26  of the knob  15 , and the amount of beveling is selected such that only one such indicator  30  will be clearly visible to a rider of a motorcycle when the rider has the rider&#39;s head in the traditional motorcycle racing position. 
   Furthermore, using, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , a well-known ball detent  32  with the spring  33  of the ball detent  32  located within a cavity  34  in the rotor  9  and the ball  35  projecting from such cavity  34  and pressing against detents  36  in the bottom  37  of the knob  15  enables the knob  15 , and, consequently, the control shaft  14  to be turned in known increments. 
   Preferably, a first cavity  38  runs, as depicted in  FIGS. 4 through 6 , on the first side  17  of the paddle  10  from near the free end  39  of the paddle  10  to the first segment  18  of the bypass channel (or circuit)  19  that provides fluid communication between (a) the first side  20  of the chamber  2  of the housing  1  within which the wiper  7  is located and (b) the interior  11  of the rotor  9 . This facilitates the flow of fluid into first segment  18  of the bypass channel (or circuit)  19  when the first side  17  of the paddle  10  nears the first side wall  3  of the chamber  2 . Similarly and preferably, a second cavity  40  runs on the second side  41  of the paddle  10  from near the free end  39  of the paddle  10  to the second segment  22  of the bypass channel (or circuit)  19  that provides fluid communication between (a) the second side  21  of the chamber  2  of the housing  1  within which the wiper  7  is located and (b) the interior  11  of the rotor  9 . This facilitates the flow of fluid into the second segment  22  of the bypass channel (or circuit)  19  when the first side  17  of the paddle  10  nears the second side wall  4  of the chamber  2 . 
   In order to prevent the leakage of fluid from the chamber  2  a number of seals of the type known in the art are employed. Such a seal is placed in the upper groove  42  of the housing  1  near the periphery  43  of the chamber  2 ; in the groove  44  within the inner edge  45  of the bottom  6  of the chamber  2  surrounding an aperture  46  into which the lower portion  47  of the rotor  9  fits, such seal preferably being a traditional o-ring; in the groove  48  within the inner edge  49  of the faceplate  8  surrounding an aperture  50  into which the upper portion  51  of the rotor  9  fits, such seal preferably being a traditional o-ring; in the groove  52  near the top  16  or the control shaft  14 , such seal preferably being a traditional o-ring; in the groove  53  above and near the continuous indentation  23 , such seal preferably being a traditional o-ring; and in the groove  54  below and near the continuous indentation  23 . 
   A groove  55  for a keeper ring is located near the bottom  56  of the control shaft  14 . Just above and also below the groove  55  for the keeper ring the control shaft  14  is, as illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 6 , narrower than it is above, creating a shelf  57  which is removably located above an inward projection  58  from the interior wall  59  of the rotor  9  which surrounds the hollow interior  11  of the rotor  9 . Consequently, since the knob  15  is preferably wider than the hollow interior  11  of the rotor  9 , both the knob  15 , in conjunction with the rotor  9 , itself, and the inward projection in conjunctions with the shelf  57  preclude the control shaft  14  from falling out the bottom  13  of the rotor  9 . Similarly, having in the groove  55  any keeper ring that is well known in the art precludes the control shaft  14  form being removed from the top  12  of the rotor  9 . 
   Also, preferably the vertically middle portion  60  of the exterior side  61  of the rotor  9  extends, as portrayed in  FIG. 4 , outward a sufficient distance that it is past the inner edge  45  of the bottom  6  of the chamber  2  and also past the inner edge  49  of the faceplate  8  in order to enhance the effect of the paddle  10  in precluding the rotor  9  form passing through either (a) the aperture  46  in the bottom  6  of the chamber  2  into which the lower portion  47  of the rotor  9  fits or (b) the aperture  50  in the faceplate into which the upper portion  51  of the rotor  9  fits. 
   Preferably, screws  62  are, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , utilized to attach the faceplate  8  to threaded channels  63  in the housing  1  and also to connect the arm  64  to threaded channels  65  in the bottom  13  of the rotor  9 . Similarly, as shown in  FIGS. 5 and 8 , a threaded plug  66  is preferably utilized both (a) to close the threaded aperture  67  in the rotor that is created by the preferred method, i.e., drilling, of making the innermost portion  68  of the first segment  18  of the bypass channel (or circuit)  19  and the innermost portion  69  of the second segment  22  of the bypass channel (or circuit)  19  and (b) to close the apertures  70 ,  71  in the bottom  6  of the chamber  2  that server as an alternate to removing the faceplate  8  for filling the chamber  2  with fluid. 
   Also preferably, there is one chamber  2 . There can, however, be more than one chamber  2  provided that a paddle  10  is attached to the rotor  9  in each chamber  2 , as described above for a single chamber  2 . When there is more than one, chamber  2  there must also be a first segment  18  and a second segment  22  of a bypass channel (or circuit)  19  for each chamber  2 , although the portion  72  of the bypass channel (or circuit)  19  which is adjacent to the continuous indentation  23  in the control shaft  14  may be common (communicating with the segments  18 ,  22  for all chambers  2 ). It is, though, preferable to have a vertically separated portion  72  for each chamber  2 . 
   Any fluid that is known in the art for use in steering stabilizers may be utilized in the present invention. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, motor oil and transmission fluid. 
   As used herein, the term “substantially” indicates that one skilled in the art would consider the value modified by such terms to be within acceptable limits for the stated value. Also as used herein the term “preferable” or “preferably” means that a specified element or technique is more acceptable than another but not that such specified element or technique is a necessity.