Patent Description:
In the motorcycle field, it is known that a swing arm suspension is used in the forecarriage of the motorcycle. A swing arm suspension, which may be either a single-sided fork or a double-sided fork, generally comprises a rigid arm, also called a steering arm, on which a swing arm is articulated and ends on the front-wheel axle. A single-sided swing arm suspension is described for example in European Patent <CIT>. Another prior art front suspension is disclosed in <CIT>, which discloses all the features of the preamble of independent claim <NUM>.

In known swing arm suspensions, the steering arm is mechanically connected to the motorcycle's steering handlebar. Moreover, the shock absorber group, typically comprising a spring and a damper, is attached to the swing arm. The shock absorber group mechanically connects the steering arm to the front wheel axle.

Usually, the shock absorber group is rigidly joined to the front wheel axle: typically, the attachment foot, or lower end of the shock absorber group, is connected to the wheel axle by means of a rigid bracket. However, solutions are known, such as the one described in European patent <CIT>, wherein the attachment foot is joined to the front wheel axle in a non-rigid manner.

In the swing arm front suspensions of the prior art, it is known to fix a disc brake caliper to the attachment foot of the shock absorber group so that the disc brake caliper is fixed with respect to the attachment foot. To avoid interference with the swing arm, the swing arm and disc brake caliper are normally arranged on opposite sides of the attachment foot of the shock absorber group.

The front swing arm suspensions of the prior art described above have several drawbacks.

A first drawback is a possible excessive sinking during braking. In effect, during braking, as an effect of the load transfer on the front of the vehicle due to deceleration, the shock absorber group tends to compress and therefore to 'sink' more than would be the case from the static weight of the vehicle with the driver and any other suspended masses (such as the passenger, baggage and the like).

The sinking of the front axle, possibly linked to reaching the limit stop in compression, has as a direct result the significant modification of the attitude of the vehicle.

In effect, if one thinks, for example, of a two-wheeled motorcycle, however the same phenomenon also applies to different types of vehicles with more wheels, in the compression phase of the shock absorber group the trail of the vehicle is in particular reduced. Modifying the trail changes the sensitivity and responsiveness of the handlebar perceived by the driver. Moreover, following a poorly controlled and/or excessive sinking, an extension of the rear suspension is generally obtained, which is in turn poorly controlled with consequent lightening of the rear axle until reaching at the limit the condition of detachment of the rear wheel from the ground which may cause the loss of control of the trajectory taken by the driver.

It should be noted that the change of attitude during the sinking phase does not necessarily have negative effects a priori. In other words, on the one hand, an excessive sinking is certainly negative, since it involves a change in dynamic attitude that may put the vehicle and the driver in crisis; on the other hand, a controlled sinking of the front suspension may even facilitate and improve the drivability and driving feeling.

In effect, the driver, due also to the extent of the sinking of the front suspension, is able to perceive the dynamic behavior of the vehicle as well as notice, in advance, that the tire's grip limit has been reached. In addition, a controlled sinking of the front axle allows a better descent into a bend to take a curve both because it facilitates the lowering of the front axle and because reducing the trail increases the responsiveness and therefore the sensitivity of the driver.

As one may deduce from the above, the sinking of the front suspension, called 'dive', determines, depending on its magnitude, a substantial modification of the dynamic trim of the vehicle. A controlled type of sinking is not only not harmful but improves the drivability and maneuverability of the vehicle.

A second drawback of the front swing arm motorcycle suspensions of the prior art is that the arrangement of the parts close to the front wheel hub and brake disc is not very compact. In effect, in such known suspensions, on one side there is the swing arm, in a substantially central position there is the attachment foot of the shock absorber group, and on the other side there is the brake caliper. This lack of compactness leads to both lower cooling efficiency of the brake disc and a lack of aesthetic cleanliness.

The general object of the present description is to provide a front swing arm motorcycle suspension that is capable of resolving, in full or in part, the aforesaid drawbacks.

This object is achieved by a motorcycle front suspension as generally defined in claim <NUM>. Preferred and advantageous embodiments of the aforesaid motorcycle suspension are defined in the accompanying dependent claims.

The invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of the particular embodiments thereof made by way of example and, therefore, in no way limiting, with reference to the accompanying drawings briefly described in the subsequent paragraph.

In the accompanying figures, identical or similar elements have been indicated at the same numerical references.

The accompanying figures show an embodiment of a transport vehicle and, in particular, of a motorcycle <NUM>. In the particular example represented in the figures, the motorcycle <NUM> is conceived, without thereby introducing any limitation, as a moped, comprising a front wheel <NUM> and a rear wheel <NUM>, a drive motor <NUM>, a support frame <NUM>, a saddle <NUM>, a steering handlebar <NUM> rotatably fixed to the support frame <NUM> so as to be able to rotate about a steering axis.

For the purposes of the present description, the term 'motorcycle' is to be considered in the broad sense, comprising any motorcycle having at least two wheels, i.e., a front wheel <NUM> and a rear wheel <NUM>. Such definition includes, therefore, also motorcycles having three wheels, including for example two paired steering wheels on the front axle and one drive wheel on the rear axle, but also motorcycles comprising a single steering wheel on the front axle and two drive wheels on the rear axle. Finally, also included in the definition of a motorcycle are so-called quadricycles, which have two wheels on the front axle and two wheels on the rear axle.

As is well known, the motorcycle <NUM> further comprises a steering tube <NUM> fixed to the steering handlebars <NUM> so as to rotate integrally with the latter about a steering axis.

The motorcycle <NUM> further comprises a motorcycle front suspension <NUM> adapted and configured to secure the front wheel <NUM> to the steering tube <NUM>, so that this front suspension <NUM> is operatively interposed between the steering tube <NUM> and the front wheel <NUM>.

The drive motor <NUM> is directly or indirectly operatively connected to a drive wheel of the motorcycle <NUM>, in the example, to the rear wheel <NUM>. According to a possible embodiment, the drive motor <NUM> is an internal combustion engine. According to an alternative embodiment, the drive motor <NUM> is an electric or hybrid motor.

Although in the particular example represented and described the motorcycle front suspension <NUM> is a single-arm front suspension, cantilevered on one side of the front wheel <NUM>, it should be noted that the teachings of the present patent application are also applicable to double-arm suspensions, i.e. fork suspensions.

The motorcycle front suspension <NUM> comprises a steering arm <NUM>, mechanically connected or suitable to be mechanically connected to the steering handlebar <NUM> of the motorcycle <NUM>. In the particular non-limiting example shown in the figures, the steering arm <NUM> has a portion of its upper end connected to the steering tube <NUM>, so that it may rotate integrally with the latter about the steering axis. Note that the steering arm <NUM> and the steering tube <NUM> may be two separate, mechanically coupled pieces but may also form between them a single piece.

The motorcycle front suspension <NUM> further comprises a swing arm <NUM>,<NUM> having a first connection portion <NUM> which rotatably connects the swing arm <NUM>,<NUM> to the steering arm <NUM> and a second connection portion <NUM> adapted and configured to connect the swing arm <NUM>,<NUM> to the associable front wheel <NUM>. Moreover, the motorcycle front suspension <NUM> comprises a shock absorber group <NUM> extending from an attachment head <NUM>, mechanically connected to the steering arm <NUM>, to an attachment foot <NUM>, rotatably joined to the swing arm <NUM>,<NUM>. Furthermore, the motorcycle front suspension <NUM> comprises a disc brake caliper <NUM> fixed to the swing arm <NUM>, <NUM> between the first connection portion <NUM> and the second connection portion <NUM>. For example, the disc brake caliper <NUM> is part of a braking device <NUM>,<NUM> of the motorcycle <NUM> comprising, in addition to the caliper <NUM>, a disc <NUM> for a disc brake fixed to the front wheel <NUM> so that it may rotate together with the latter. The attachment of the caliper <NUM> to the swing arm <NUM>,<NUM> advantageously makes it possible to reduce the sinking of the motorcycle front suspension <NUM> during braking and to make the suspension <NUM> particularly tidy and compact in the vicinity of the hub of the front wheel <NUM>.

In accordance with one embodiment, the first connection portion <NUM> is a first end of the swing arm <NUM>,<NUM> and the second connection portion <NUM> is a second end of the swing arm <NUM>,<NUM> opposite to said first end. The first connection portion <NUM> is rotatably joined to the steering arm <NUM>, for example rotatably hinged to the steering arm <NUM>, and the second connection portion <NUM> carries a rotation pin <NUM> of the associable front wheel <NUM>. This rotation pin <NUM> defines an axis of rotation X-X for the front wheel <NUM>. Preferably, the rotation pin <NUM> of the front wheel <NUM> has a forcedly engaged and interference-locked end portion in a locking seat defined within the second end portion of the swing arm <NUM>,<NUM>. More preferably, the rotation pin <NUM> is tightened within the aforesaid locking seat so as to prevent a relative rotation between the rotation pin <NUM> and the swing arm <NUM>,<NUM>.

In accordance with a particularly advantageous embodiment, the disc brake caliper <NUM> is a floating brake caliper and comprises a caliper body <NUM> and a support bracket <NUM> to which the caliper body <NUM> is slidably constrained and the swing arm <NUM>,<NUM> is, or comprises, the support bracket <NUM>. This expedient further increases the compactness of the proposed solution. The general structure of a floating brake caliper is generally known to a person skilled in the art, and for this reason it will not be further detailed in the present description. For example, it is known to a person skilled in the art that the floating brake calipers comprise a structural element, called the support bracket <NUM>, which slidably supports the caliper body <NUM> so that the caliper body <NUM> may slide in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the support bracket <NUM> when the braking device <NUM> is activated and deactivated.

In accordance with a possible embodiment, the swing arm <NUM>,<NUM> comprises a first half-arm <NUM> and a second half-arm <NUM> arranged side by side, wherein one of said half-arms <NUM>,<NUM> is the support bracket <NUM> of the floating brake caliper <NUM>. For the purposes of the present description, 'side by side' means that the two half-arms <NUM>,<NUM> are arranged so as to be side by side, without necessarily implying that the two half-arms are necessarily in contact with each other, since the two half-arms may also be spaced or even simultaneously partly in contact with each other and partly spaced. The particular aforementioned solution allows the mechanical coupling to the swing arm <NUM>,<NUM> of the steering arm <NUM> of the shock absorber group <NUM> to be simplified considerably. For example, according to a particular and non-limiting embodiment, the half-arms <NUM>,<NUM> are configured and arranged in such a way that the attachment foot <NUM> of the shock absorber group <NUM> is arranged between them. For example, the two half-arms <NUM>,<NUM> are arranged and shaped so as to be relatively closer together, e.g. adjacent, at the rotation pin <NUM> of the front wheel <NUM> and relatively further apart at the attachment foot <NUM> of the shock absorber group <NUM>. For example, the two half-arms <NUM>,<NUM>, starting from the rotation pin <NUM> of the front wheel <NUM> towards the attachment foot <NUM> of the shock absorber group <NUM>, diverge progressively so that, at the attachment foot <NUM>, they are spaced apart in order to be able to interpose the attachment foot <NUM> between them. Preferably, therefore, the attachment foot <NUM> is interposed between the two half-arms <NUM>,<NUM> and is rotatably hinged thereto, for example, by means of a cylindrical hinge. In the example shown in the figures, without introducing any limitation, the aforesaid cylindrical hinge has a hinge axis defined by a pin <NUM> that penetrates and/or is engaged in three aligned openings defined respectively in the half-arm <NUM>, in the attachment head <NUM> and the half-arm <NUM>.

According to an embodiment, the steering arm <NUM> comprises a main body and a connection arm <NUM> projecting from the main body. The first connection portion <NUM> of the swing arm <NUM>, <NUM> rotatably connects the swing arm <NUM>,<NUM> to the steering arm <NUM> in correspondence of the connection arm <NUM>. For example the connection arm <NUM> has a free end portion, and the first connection portion <NUM> of the swing arm <NUM>,<NUM> is rotatably joined, for example rotatably hinged, to said free end portion of the connection arm <NUM>. Preferably, the connection arm <NUM> projects from one end of the main body of the steering arm <NUM>. According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the connection arm <NUM> is a curved arm. The main body of the steering arm is preferably a tubular body, for example with a circular or more preferably quadrangular cross-section and even more preferably rectangular.

In the case wherein, as already explained previously, the swing arm <NUM>,<NUM> comprises two half-arms <NUM>,<NUM>, it is advantageous to provide for the aforesaid half-arms <NUM>,<NUM> to be configured and arranged in such a way that the free end portion of the connection arm <NUM> is placed between them. For example, it is possible to provide for the free end portion of the connection arm <NUM> to be interposed and rotatably hinged between the two half-arms <NUM>,<NUM> by means of, for example, a hinge pin <NUM> that penetrates it and that for example penetrates both and/or is engaged in both half-arms <NUM>,<NUM>.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the swing arm <NUM>,<NUM> is a curved or non-rectilinear arm. This makes it easier to connect the attachment foot <NUM> to the swing arm <NUM>,<NUM>, as it is possible, for example, to reduce the length of the attachment foot <NUM>. In addition, it is possible to provide for the swing arm <NUM>,<NUM> to comprise a main arm <NUM> and a reinforcement arm <NUM> rigidly joined together, e.g. as a single piece. In this case, preferably, between the main arm <NUM> and the reinforcement arm <NUM> there is defined a through opening that allows the mass of the swing arm <NUM>,<NUM> to be reduced. The above applies preferably to each of the two half-arms <NUM>,<NUM> of the swing arm.

In accordance with an advantageous embodiment, the swing arm <NUM>,<NUM> comprises a third connection portion <NUM> which, in a resting condition of the shock absorber group <NUM>, is arranged at a level higher than the first connection portion <NUM> and the second connection portion <NUM> of the swing arm <NUM>,<NUM>. The attachment foot <NUM> of the shock absorber group <NUM> is joined to the third connection portion <NUM> of the swing arm <NUM>,<NUM>. Also this expedient makes it easier to connect the attachment foot <NUM> to the swing arm <NUM>,<NUM>, as it is possible, for example, to reduce in this way the length of the attachment foot <NUM>. It should be noted that the third connection portion <NUM> is radially interposed between the first connection portion <NUM> and the second connection portion <NUM>. The term "radially" means along one or more directions perpendicular to the axis of rotation X-X of the front wheel <NUM>.

In accordance with an advantageous embodiment, the steering arm <NUM> is internally hollow, e.g. tubular, and houses at least part of the shock absorber assembly <NUM> therein. This expedient has the advantage of reducing the exposure of the shock absorber group <NUM> to dirt and weather.

In accordance with an advantageous embodiment, the shock absorber group comprises a silent block <NUM> operatively interposed between the attachment head <NUM> and the steering arm <NUM>. In this way, the shock absorber group <NUM> may rotate inside the shock absorber group <NUM> to allow and follow the rotation of the swing arm <NUM>,<NUM> with respect to the steering arm <NUM>. For example, the silent block is engaged in a through opening defined in the steering arm <NUM> and penetrated by the attachment head <NUM>.

According to a preferred embodiment, in the motorcycle front suspension <NUM>, the shock absorber group <NUM> comprises a spring <NUM> and a damper <NUM>,<NUM>, and the spring <NUM> is entirely housed in the steering arm <NUM>. The spring <NUM> is, for example, a helical spring interposed between the attachment head <NUM> and the attachment foot <NUM> of the shock absorber group <NUM> in order to exert an elastic thrust force that tends to move the attachment head <NUM> and the attachment foot <NUM> apart. The spring <NUM> preferably surrounds the damper <NUM>.

Preferably the damper comprises a stem <NUM> and a sheath <NUM>, wherein the stem <NUM> is adapted and configured to slide inside the sheath <NUM> and is housed in the steering arm <NUM>. Also, this expedient has the advantage of reducing the exposure of the shock absorber group <NUM>, and in particular the stem <NUM>, to dirt and weather.

On the basis of what has been explained above, it is thus possible to understand how a motorcycle front suspension of the type described above may achieve the objects mentioned above with reference to the prior art. In effect, as explained above, this suspension is able to counteract excessive sinking during braking, is particularly compact, is characterized by a low aesthetic impact, leaves a significant portion of the disc of the disc brake exposed and ensures greater cleanliness and protection of the shock absorber group.

Claim 1:
A motorcycle front suspension (<NUM>) comprising:
- a steering arm (<NUM>) mechanically connected, or adapted to be mechanically connected, to a steering handlebar (<NUM>) of a motorcycle (<NUM>), wherein the steering arm (<NUM>) comprises a main body and a connection arm (<NUM>) which projects from the main body;
- a swing arm (<NUM>,<NUM>) having a first connection portion (<NUM>) which rotatably connects the swing arm (<NUM>,<NUM>) to the steering arm (<NUM>) in correspondence of said connection arm (<NUM>) and a second connection portion (<NUM>) adapted and configured to connect the swing arm (<NUM>,<NUM>) with an associable front wheel (<NUM>);
- a shock absorber group (<NUM>) extending from an attachment head (<NUM>), mechanically connected to the steering arm (<NUM>), to an attachment foot (<NUM>), rotatably joined to the swing arm (<NUM>,<NUM>);
characterised in that
the motorcycle front suspension (<NUM>) comprises a disc brake caliper (<NUM>) fixed to the swing arm (<NUM>,<NUM>) between the first connection portion (<NUM>) and the second connection portion (<NUM>).