Abstract: A suspension device interposed between a vehicle body and a wheel includes a shock absorber, a suspension spring, a tube member accommodating the shock absorber and the suspension spring, a sealing member closing a one-side opening of the tube member and holding a piston rod of the shock absorber, a damping force adjustment portion, which includes a coil generating a magnetic field in a passage and a wiring penetrating the piston rod and the sealing member and conducting the coil, electrically adjusting resistance caused when an operating fluid, which is a magnetic viscous fluid whose viscosity changes by a magnetic field's action, passes through the passage allowing two chambers defined and formed by a piston in a cylinder to communicate with each other in the shock absorber, and a reaction force adjustment portion, which is mounted on the sealing member, for adjusting a reaction force of the suspension spring.

Abstract: A vehicle height adjustment device includes a jack chamber for supporting a spring receiver supporting a suspension spring's one-side end portion and a fluid-pressure driving unit for supplying/discharging an operating fluid into/out of the jack chamber and elevating up/down the spring receiver. The fluid-pressure driving unit includes a pump for selectively supplying the operating fluid to a first or second channel and a tank connected to the first or second channel not receiving an operating fluid's supply from the pump. The vehicle height adjustment device further includes a jack channel allowing the first channel and the jack chamber to communicate with each other, a valve body closing the jack channel, capable of opening/closing, a spring for urging the valve body in a direction for shutting off the jack channel, and a pilot line for having a second channel's pressure act on the valve body so the jack channel is opened.

Abstract: Damper is provided with damper main body including cylinder, piston being slidably inserted into cylinder to partition interior of cylinder into extension and compression chambers, and piston rod being inserted into cylinder to be coupled to piston, and damping force adjustment mechanism including flow path permitting passage of fluid only during either extension or contraction, valve seat being provided at intermediate position of flow path, valve body being movable back and forth relative to valve seat, and motor driving and moving valve body back and forth relative to valve seat to adjust flow path area of flow path. Damper energizes motor to move valve body distance, which is two-fold or more of distance from separated position where valve body is separated from valve seat to seated position where valve body is seated on valve seat, when flow path is blocked by moving valve body from separated position to seated position.

Abstract: A shock absorber includes a damping force adjustment mechanism having a flow passage that allows the fluid from a cylinder, a valve seat, a valve body, and a stepper motor that adjusts a flow passage area by driving the valve body. A valve body position in which step-out may occur in the stepper motor if the valve body is moved further toward the valve seat therefrom is set as a step-out boundary position, a zone between a seated position in which the valve body is seated on the valve seat and the step-out boundary position is set as a step-out zone, and when the valve body is to be moved to the seated position through the step-out zone, the stepper motor is energized to move the valve body by a distance that is at least twice a distance to the seated position.

Abstract: A front fork includes a pair of dampers standing on both sides of a wheel. One of the pair of dampers is a magnetic viscous fluid damper configured to use a magnetic viscous fluid whose viscosity is changed by an action of a magnetic field as a working fluid, while the other of the pair of dampers is a liquid-pressure damper configured to use a liquid such as oil, water, an aqueous solution and the like as the working fluid.

Abstract: A vehicle height adjustment device includes a jack chamber for supporting a spring receiver supporting a suspension spring's one-side end portion and a fluid-pressure driving unit for supplying/discharging an operating fluid into/out of the jack chamber and elevating up/down the spring receiver. The fluid-pressure driving unit includes a pump for selectively supplying the operating fluid to a first or second channel and a tank connected to the first or second channel not receiving an operating fluid's supply from the pump. The vehicle height adjustment device further includes a jack channel allowing the first channel and the jack chamber to communicate with each other, a valve body closing the jack channel, capable of opening/closing, a spring for urging the valve body in a direction for shutting off the jack channel, and a pilot line for having a second channel's pressure act on the valve body so the jack channel is opened.

Abstract: A damping valve includes an annular valve seat, a valve body, an actuator for driving the valve body and a valve case including a valve hole into which the valve body is slidably inserted. The valve body includes a valve main body and a shaft for transmitting a thrust force of the actuator to the valve main body. The valve main body includes a flange partitioning the interior of the valve hole into a valve seat side chamber and an opposite valve seat side chamber, a shaft portion extending from the flange and a valve head to be seated on and lifted from the valve seat. The valve seat side chamber and the opposite valve seat side chamber communicate via a communication passage and the valve seat side chamber and the flow path communicate via a throttle passage.

Abstract: A vehicle height adjusting apparatus includes: an annular movable spring receiver in sliding contact with a guide surface formed on an outer periphery of an outer tube of a damper, the movable spring receiver being configured to support one side end of a suspension spring, the suspension spring biasing the damper in an expansion direction; a driving mechanism configured to drive the movable spring receiver in an axial direction of the damper; an auxiliary spring configured to bias the movable spring receiver to the suspension spring side; and a dust cover configured to cover a portion on the guide surface, the movable spring receiver being in sliding contact with the guide surface in the portion. The dust cover is held on the outer tube by means of a spring force of the auxiliary spring.

Abstract: A vehicle height adjusting device includes an annular movable spring bearing mounted on the outer periphery of an outer tube of a shock absorber, the movable spring bearing being configured to support one side end of a suspension spring for biasing the shock absorber in an extending direction, a driving mechanism configured to drive the movable spring bearing in an axial direction of the shock absorber, an auxiliary spring configured to bias the movable spring bearing toward the suspension spring, and a stopper member mounted on the outer periphery of the outer tube of the shock absorber, the stopper member being configured to restrict a movement of the movable spring bearing toward the suspension spring.

Abstract: A suspension device interposed between a vehicle body and a wheel includes a shock absorber, a suspension spring, a tube member accommodating the shock absorber and the suspension spring, a sealing member closing a one-side opening of the tube member and holding a piston rod of the shock absorber, a damping force adjustment portion, which includes a coil generating a magnetic field in a passage and a wiring penetrating the piston rod and the sealing member and conducting the coil, electrically adjusting resistance caused when an operating fluid, which is a magnetic viscous fluid whose viscosity changes by a magnetic field's action, passes through the passage allowing two chambers defined and formed by a piston in a cylinder to communicate with each other in the shock absorber, and a reaction force adjustment portion, which is mounted on the sealing member, for adjusting a reaction force of the suspension spring.

Abstract: A suspension device interposed between a vehicle body and a wheel, including a magnetic viscous fluid shock absorber in which a magnetic viscous fluid is sealed, a tube member composed of an outer tube connected to the vehicle body side and an inner tube connected to the wheel side and going into/out of the outer tube and accommodating the magnetic viscous fluid shock absorber, a lubricant liquid stored in the tube member, and a seal member closing a space between the inner tube and the magnetic viscous fluid shock absorber and preventing intrusion of the lubricant liquid to the wheel side.

Abstract: A damping valve includes an annular valve seat, a valve body, an actuator for driving the valve body and a valve case including a valve hole into which the valve body is slidably inserted. The valve body includes a valve main body and a shaft for transmitting a thrust force of the actuator to the valve main body. The valve main body includes a flange partitioning the interior of the valve hole into a valve seat side chamber and an opposite valve seat side chamber, a shaft portion extending from the flange and a valve head to be seated on and lifted from the valve seat. The valve seat side chamber and the opposite valve seat side chamber communicate via a communication passage and the valve seat side chamber and the flow path communicate via a throttle passage.

Abstract: A front fork includes a body side tube, an axle side tube, a damper, a reservoir, a damping force adjusting flow passage, and a solenoid valve including a spool housing portion provided at an intermediate position of the damping force adjusting flow passage, a spool valve inserted into the spool housing portion movably in an axial direction, and a solenoid that drives the spool valve in an axial direction, and configured to adjust a flow passage area of the damping force adjusting flow passage. Pressure receiving areas on opposite axial sides of the spool valve on which a pressure in an upstream side of the damping force adjusting flow passage acts are made equal. An upper arrangement passage which is arranged at least higher than the upper end of the spool housing portion is provided in a downstream side of the damping force adjusting flow passage.

Abstract: A shock absorber includes a damping force adjustment mechanism having a flow passage that allows the fluid from a cylinder, a valve seat, a valve body, and a stepper motor that adjusts a flow passage area by driving the valve body. A valve body position in which step-out may occur in the stepper motor if the valve body is moved further toward the valve seat therefrom is set as a step-out boundary position, a zone between a seated position in which the valve body is seated on the valve seat and the step-out boundary position is set as a step-out zone, and when the valve body is to be moved to the seated position through the step-out zone, the stepper motor is energized to move the valve body by a distance that is at least twice a distance to the seated position.

Abstract: A front fork includes a damper that generates a damping force, a cylinder body that houses the damper, a reservoir formed on an exterior of the cylinder body, a rod body that is inserted into the cylinder body to be capable of advancing and retreating, a piston portion that defines an upper chamber and a lower chamber within the cylinder body, a through hole allows a working fluid to flow from the cylinder body into the reservoir, a flow rate control mechanism that is disposed in the vehicle body side tube to face an upper end opening of the through hole, and applies a resistance to a flow of the working fluid flowing toward the reservoir from the rod body, and a driving mechanism that drives the flow rate control mechanism to adjust an expansion side damping force and a contraction side damping force generated by the damper.

Abstract: A front fork includes a body side tube, an axle side tube, a damper, a reservoir, a damping force adjusting flow passage, and a solenoid valve including a spool housing portion provided at an intermediate position of the damping force adjusting flow passage, a spool valve inserted into the spool housing portion movably in an axial direction, and a solenoid that drives the spool valve in an axial direction, and configured to adjust a flow passage area of the damping force adjusting flow passage. Pressure receiving areas on opposite axial sides of the spool valve on which a pressure in an upstream side of the damping force adjusting flow passage acts are made equal. An upper arrangement passage which is arranged at least higher than the upper end of the spool housing portion is provided in a downstream side of the damping force adjusting flow passage.

Abstract: In a front fork which is capable of adjusting a spring force of a suspension spring housed in a fork main body by driving a jack mechanism housed in the fork main body to raise and lower an upper end position of the suspension spring, the jack mechanism defines a pressure chamber by means of a cap member that closes an upper end opening of a vehicle body side tube and a piston member. By supplying and discharging a pressure oil to and from the pressure chamber, the piston member ascends and descends, thereby raising and lowering the upper end position of the suspension spring.

Abstract: A front fork includes a damper that generates a damping force, a cylinder body that houses the damper, a reservoir formed on an exterior of the cylinder body, a rod body that is inserted into the cylinder body to be capable of advancing and retreating, a piston portion that defines an upper chamber and a lower chamber within the cylinder body, a through hole allows a working fluid to flow from the cylinder body into the reservoir, a flow rate control mechanism that is disposed in the vehicle body side tube to face an upper end opening of the through hole, and applies a resistance to a flow of the working fluid flowing toward the reservoir from the rod body, and a driving mechanism that drives the flow rate control mechanism to adjust an expansion side damping force and a contraction side damping force generated by the damper.

Abstract: Damper is provided with damper main body including cylinder, piston being slidably inserted into cylinder to partition interior of cylinder into extension and compression chambers, and piston rod being inserted into cylinder to be coupled to piston, and damping force adjustment mechanism including flow path permitting passage of fluid only during either extension or contraction, valve seat being provided at intermediate position of flow path, valve body being movable back and forth relative to valve seat, and motor driving and moving valve body back and forth relative to valve seat to adjust flow path area of flow path. Damper energizes motor to move valve body distance, which is two-fold or more of distance from separated position where valve body is separated from valve seat to seated position where valve body is seated on valve seat, when flow path is blocked by moving valve body from separated position to seated position.

Abstract: A displaceable spring seat (2) supporting one end of a vehicle suspension spring (S) is supported by a fluid pressure of an operation chamber (J). A screw pump (P) supplying a working fluid to the operation chamber (J) includes a pump chamber (L) defined within a cylinder (10) by a piston (11, a nut (13) formed integrally with the piston (11), and a screw shaft (14) screwed into the nut (13). A guide member (16) fixed to the cylinder (10) is fitted onto an outer circumference of the nut (13) or the piston (11) such that when the screw shaft (14) is driven to rotate, the piston (11) is fed via the nut (13). The guide member (16) formed from a non-metallic, low-friction material, reduces a driving resistance of the piston (11) and improves a durability of a screw portion between the nut (13) and the screw shaft (14).