Back to results
US 10,604,207 B2Granted
System and method for adjusting spring rate of a coil spring in a bike suspension
OwnerCarl Winefordner, Frank Hermanseninventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for easily adjusting spring rate of a rear shock for mountain bikes or motorcycles without changing an actual overall spring length. The system may include a coil spring a body sized and structured to engage with the coil spring. The spring rate may be adjusted by selectively placing the body between adjacent coils of the spring to deactivate up to one spring coil adjacent the end of the spring.
Claims23
An adjustment system for use with a damper of a bike suspension, the adjustment system comprising:
- a coil spring engageable with the damper and extending about a spring axis, the coil spring having:
- an end coil;
- an adjacent coil extending helically away from the end coil to define a gap between the end coil and the adjacent coil in a direction parallel to the spring axis;
- and
- a first engagement element formed on at least one of the end coil and the adjacent coil;
- and
- an insert having a second engagement element engageable with the first engagement element, the insert occupying a portion of the gap and contacting the end coil and the adjacent coil to mitigate compression of the adjacent coil toward the end coil when the second engagement element is engaged with the first engagement element.
4 more elements
An adjustment system for use with a damper of a bike suspension, the adjustment system comprising:
- a coil spring engageable with the damper, the coil spring having a first end portion and a helical body including a plurality of coils, the coil spring being associated with a base spring rate;
- a base engageable with the first end portion of the coil spring;
- and
- a collar rotatable relative to the coil spring, the collar having a peripheral wall, and a body extending from the peripheral wall and contacting an adjacent pair of the plurality of coils to mitigate compression of the adjacent pair of the plurality of coils to define an effective spring rate equal to or greater than the base spring rate, the body being moveable along the helical body as the collar is rotated relative to the coil spring, the effective spring rate being adjustable by movement of the body relative to the plurality of coils;
- the collar being rotatable relative to the base and transitional between a first position and a second position, the collar having an abutment portion contacting the base when the collar is in the first position, the abutment portion of the collar moving out of contact with the base as the collar is transitioned from the first position toward the second position.
2 more elements
An adjustment system for use with a damper of a bike suspension, the adjustment system comprising:
- a coil spring engageable with the damper, the coil spring having helical body including a plurality of coils, the coil spring being associated with a base spring rate;
- a wedge insert engageable with the coil spring;
- and
- a body engageable with the coil spring and moveable relative to the coil spring and the wedge insert, the body contacting adjacent coils on the coil spring to mitigate compression of the coils to generate an effective spring rate of the coil spring greater than the base spring rate, the body being moveable relative to the coil spring between a first position and a second position, the effective spring rate increasing as the body moves from the first position toward the second position;
- wherein the body and the wedge insert include complementary engagement elements to facilitate selective incremental adjustment of the body relative to the wedge insert.
2 more elements
An adjustment system for use with a damper of a bike suspension, the adjustment system comprising:
- a coil spring engageable with the damper, the coil spring having helical body including a plurality of coils, the coil spring being associated with a base spring rate;
- and
- a collar rotatable relative to the coil spring, the collar having a peripheral wall, and a body extending from the peripheral wall and contacting an adjacent pair of the plurality of coils to mitigate compression of the adjacent pair of the plurality of coils to define an effective spring rate equal to or greater than the base spring rate, the body being moveable along the helical body as the collar is rotated relative to the coil spring, the effective spring rate being adjustable by movement of the body relative to the plurality of coils;
- the peripheral wall being sized to completely circumnavigate the coil spring when the collar is engaged with the coil spring.
1 more element
An adjustment system for use with a damper of a bike suspension, the adjustment system comprising:
- a coil spring engageable with the damper, the coil spring having a first end portion and helical body including a plurality of coils, the coil spring being associated with a base spring rate;
- a base extending around a main axis, the base having a first surface generally perpendicular to the main axis and a second surface angled relative to the first surface and contacting the coil spring when the base is engaged with the coil spring;
- and
- a collar rotatable relative to the coil spring, the collar having a peripheral wall, and a body extending from the peripheral wall and contacting an adjacent pair of the plurality of coils to mitigate compression of the adjacent pair of the plurality of coils to define an effective spring rate equal to or greater than the base spring rate, the body being moveable along the helical body as the collar is rotated relative to the coil spring, the effective spring rate being adjustable by movement of the body relative to the plurality of coils;
- the collar having a first surface and a second surface, both the first and second surfaces being generally perpendicular to the main axis, the collar being rotatable relative to the base and transitional between a first position and a second position, the collar moving in a direction parallel to the main axis as the collar transitions between the first and second position.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.