This one covers two patents, one centered totally on controlling a automobile’s movement, and the opposite creating an electronically totally energetic (predictive, even!) suspension that makes Dwell Valve look prehistoric.
I’ll begin with the straightforward stuff…
Why we’d like good, electronically managed suspension
Technically, Dwell Valve is a really primary compression damping adjustment that switches between “open” and “closed”. There’s no center floor, however you may make some handbook changes to how tender the Open mode is, and you’ll choose between a number of preset packages.
The issue with this method (which is hardly a grievance, the Dwell Valve system could be very spectacular!) is that there’s no nuance. It will possibly’t adapt to different terrain, or differentiate between massive and small or quick and sluggish impacts.
Admittedly, there may be NO present mechanical damping system that may, both. Certain, there are Excessive- and Low-pace damping circuits, however these are “dumb” passive programs which have to attend for an affect to begin transferring the suspension by it’s journey. By the point they’re doing one thing, the body (your bike) and thus you could have already felt a few of that affect.
Electronically managed “good” suspension can do significantly better at minimizing the quantity of affect acceleration transferred to bike and physique. And Fox has two moderately exceptional options in thoughts…
Fox’s Adjustable Suspension Dampers
The less complicated of the 2 appears centered primarily on controlling physique tilt (i.e. pitch & roll). This patent was an absolute bear to learn, so I’ll summarize closely: By placing an digital sensor on the body and suspension members (fork, and close to the rear axle), Fox can detect impacts sooner than any mechanical system, even when geared up with an Inertia Valve (bear in mind their Brass Mass-equipped Terralogic forks?).
To date, that’s Dwell Valve, which makes use of a Latch Solenoid to open and shut a port, thus adjusting oil movement by the compression damping circuit.
This newest patent submitting provides some adjustability to that by permitting the system to additionally electronically management extra ports that transfer fluid out and in of a secondary chamber that adjusts strain on the compression shim stack.
So, along with an Open/Shut resolution, it could additionally alter the shim stack’s habits in real-time based mostly on affect forces. Or, additionally, based mostly on physique roll.
Which means if you happen to brake arduous, the sensor on the body can detect the deceleration AND ahead pitch, then agency up the fork to take care of a degree bike. Speed up arduous and it could agency up the rear suspension. On four-wheeled autos, it could do the identical to stop physique roll.
The sensors would work in tandem in order that the system balances suspension motion with body stability. And, the entrance suspension can talk to the rear, so it’s could be prepared for the affect earlier than it even reaches the rear tire. The purpose being to take care of a degree experience that minimizes any affect forces from reaching your physique.
In addition they say that, as a result of there at the moment are each hydraulic and digital/magnetic forces performing upon the system, it could open or shut a valve in as little as 4ms, which is far sooner than the ~20ms speeds of present programs. Principally, it could react and alter in actual time.
If that sounds cool, it’s youngster’s play in comparison with…
Fox Lively Valve is totally energetic suspension administration
This patent is wild. It was first noticed on The Lunch Trip, examine their story for extra particulars and extra dialogue of proposed app updates.
This one is a bit simpler for example, however it’s a much more superior system. Principally, Lively Valve makes use of extra sensors on the bike and parts to speak extra info to the suspension’s management middle.
With extra sensors on wheels, handlebar, stem, dropper put up, and cranks, it’s ready to make use of knowledge on pace, cadence, energy, your using type, and extra to supply the system with extra info. They even point out transducers to detect piston rod velocity contained in the fork and shock, so it is aware of how briskly your suspension is compressing and rebounding.
All these further knowledge factors let it extra actively handle the suspension. A quick cadence or extra watts suggests a dash, so it might agency up the suspension. Dropping the seatpost signifies a descent, so it could open it again up. An excessive amount of acceleration on the handlebar means it could wish to open up excessive pace compression a bit extra. And so forth.
Right here’s the way it might do this: Relatively than a easy Open/Closed change like Dwell Valve, the Lively Valve idea makes use of a number of micro-reservoirs (452) to maneuver fluid (455) out and in of a chamber (407) behind a piston (405). That piston presses towards a spring (415) that presses towards a needle (412) that strikes in or out of the compression damping movement port (402).
By controlling the quantity of fluid (455) going out and in of the chamber (407) with pistons (465) pushed by electronically managed pistons (465) and rods (475), they’ve granular management over that damping circuit…in actual time, with full adjustment vary anyplace between open and closed. An exterior adjustment (408) provides the rider management over the firmest place, so you may nonetheless tune the minimal damping setting.
And the patent suggests this may very well be performed for any circuit…excessive, low, rebound, compression, and many others. That means full and whole energetic digital suspension management.
However wait, there’s extra…
Predictive terrain sensing? Bike-to-Bike signaling?
In addition they point out terrain sensing sensors, starting from lasers to radar to ultrasound. By pointing one thing just a few toes in entrance of the bike, the suspension might know what’s coming upfront and alter the damping earlier than you ever hit it. Or drop into it…it might work for holes and unfavourable house, too. It’s about as near a real “hover bike” as we will get, till, you recognize, we even have a hover bike.
After which there’s bike-to-bike communication, permitting the lead rider’s suspension to speak to the rider behind them so their bike is prepared for what’s coming, too.
Far fetched? Overkill? Ridiculous? Sure, however take into account Fox builds superior Dwell Valve suspension for some very costly motor autos (just like the Ford Raptor and Polaris quads), and all of this know-how is relevant there, too. The essential factor to notice is that mountain biking is the one sport that (at present, anyway, please don’t mess with this UCI!) that enables energetic suspension administration in competitors.
