SHOCK ABSORBER MOUNTING ASSEMBLY

Abstract

A shock absorber mounting assembly for an off-road vehicle is provided. The shock absorber mounting assembly may provide A-arm brackets dimensioned and adapted to interconnect body and wheel framing of the off-road vehicle, wherein the lower bracket adjustably engages a lower portion of the shock absorber. The present invention also enables any model year shock absorber to be adapted to operatively associate with the steering system of any off-road vehicle of the same make and model, regardless of model year, through a shock absorber adapter bracket assembly that attaches to the original equipment manufacturer A-arms of the off-road vehicle adding the non-model year shock absorbers. The brackets may be of unitary construction.

Claims

1. A shock absorber mounting assembly, comprising: a bracket having two arms, each arm extending from a proximal end to a distal end, wherein said distal ends are joined; each proximal end having a straight ball joint; and said joined distal end having an angled ball joint.

2. The shock absorber mounting assembly of claim 1, further comprising: a top hole journaled through said joined distal end, wherein the angled ball joint comprises: a ball joint post dimensioned to be threaded through the top hole; and a connector post.

3. The shock absorber mounting assembly of claim 2, wherein an operative angle between the ball joint post and the connector post is between one hundred and five and one hundred and twenty-five degrees.

4. The shock absorber mounting assembly of claim 3, wherein the operative angle is selectively adjustable.

5. The shock absorber mounting assembly of claim 3, further comprising one or more shock forks between the two arms.

6. A system for mounting a shock absorber for a machine, the system comprising: an upper shock absorber adapter bracket, comprising: two upper arms, each upper arm extending from a proximal end to a distal end, wherein said distal ends are joined; each proximal end having a straight ball joint; and said joined distal end having an angled ball joint; and a lower shock absorber adapter bracket, comprising: two lower arms, each lower arm extending from a proximal end to a distal end, wherein said distal ends are joined; each proximal end having a straight ball joint; said joined distal end having an angled ball joint; and one or more shock forks between the two lower arms.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said angled ball joints couple to two attachment points, respectively, of a wheel frame of the machine, and wherein a lower portion of said shock absorber operatively associates with the one or more shock forks.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising: a top hole journaled through said joined distal end of each bracket; wherein each angled ball joint comprises: a ball joint post dimensioned to be threaded through the top hole; and a connector post.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein for each angled ball joint, an operative angle between the ball joint post and the connector post is between one hundred and five and one hundred and twenty-five degrees.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the operative angle is selectively adjustable.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the upper and lower straight ball joints operatively associated with an upper and lower frame, respectively, of the machine.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the upper and lower operative angles are supplementary.

13. A method of mounting a first shock absorber to an off-road vehicle, the method comprising: providing the system of claim 10; operatively associating the upper and lower straight ball joints with an upper and lower frame, respectively, of the second off-road vehicle; operatively associating the angled ball joints to two attachment points of a wheel frame of the second off-road vehicle; and operatively associating a lower portion of the first shock absorber with the one or more shock forks.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising selectively adjusting the operative angle of at least one of said angled ball joints.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the upper and lower operative angles are selectively adjusted to be supplementary.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0014] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] FIG. 4 is a section view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, take along line 4-4 in FIG. 1;

[0017] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, shown in an installed condition;

[0018] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] FIG. 9 is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] FIG. 10 is a top plan view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

[0023] FIG. 11 is a side elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

[0025] Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a shock absorber mounting assembly for an off-road vehicle. The shock absorber mounting assembly may provide A-arm brackets dimensioned and adapted to interconnect body and wheel framing of the off-road vehicle, wherein the lower bracket adjustably engages a lower portion of the shock absorber. The present invention also enables any model year shock absorber to be adapted to operatively associate with the steering system of any off-road vehicle of the same make and model, regardless of model year, through a shock absorber adapter bracket assembly that attaches to the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) A-arms of the off-road vehicle adding the non-model year shock absorbers. The brackets may be of unitary construction.

[0026] It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the use of directional terms such as upward (e.g., “upper”, “top”, etc.) and downward (e.g., “lower”) (inner) and the like are used in relation to the illustrative embodiments as they are depicted in the figure: specifically, the upward direction being toward the top margin of FIG. 5 for all corresponding figures, and the downward direction being toward the bottom of FIG. 5 for all corresponding section figures.

[0027] Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 11, the present invention may include a shock absorber adapter bracket assembly 100. The shock absorber adapter bracket assembly 100 may include an upper bracket 10 and a lower bracket 32 interconnecting an upper frame 54 and lower frame 52 of a machine, respectively, to a wheel frame 56 at two different attachment points, as illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0028] Each bracket 10 and 32 provides two arms 11 and 33, respectively, that extend from a proximal end of the brackets 10 and 32 and converge at a distal end of the brackets 10 and 32, forming a V-shape, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Accordingly, both arms 11 or 33 together may be referred to as “A-arms”. The lower bracket may have reinforcement between two arms 33 to, among other things, support a pair of shock forks 34. The upper bracket 10 may have a face hole 48 along an upper face of one of the arms 11. Each shock fork 34 may provide an interface 36 or hole dimensioned and adapted to operatively associate with the shock absorber 50, as illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0029] Each proximal end of the bracket's two arms 11 and 33 have arm holes 14 and 40, respectively. Each distal end of the bracket two arms 11 and 33 have a top hole 12 and 38, respectively.

[0030] Each top hole 12 and 38 enable a ball joint assembly 60 to couple to the distal end. Specifically, each top hole 12 and 38 may be journaled entirely through their respective distal end. Each ball joint assembly 60 provides an angled ball joint 16 operatively associated with a ball joint post 22. The ball joint post 22 is dimensioned to thread entirely through the respective distal end, by way of the top hole 12 or 38, so that a nut or other equivalent fastener 24 can secure the ball joint port 22 on each side of the distal end, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. In certain embodiments, this angle of incidence, A, may be adjustable, and may be from fifteen to thirty-five degrees. The angle of incidence, A, facilitates the adaptability of the “all-year” shock absorber 50 to any machine of the same make and model, regardless of model year.

[0031] Each angled ball joint 16 may provide a threaded connector post 20 dimensioned and adapted to connect to the wheel frame 56. The connector post 20 may be a bearing stud that may be tapered and threaded or otherwise adapted to fit a hole provided by the wheel frame 56, for instance in a steering knuckle of the wheel frame 56. The angled ball joint 16 enables adjustability in this connection through allowing a limited range of smooth movement in all directions. The angled ball joint 16 may have a ball joint grease fitting 18 (or “grease nipple”) for greasing the ball joint when needed. The angled ball joint 16 may have an angle of incidence ('A′ in FIG. 4) of the ball joint post 22 and a horizontal axis (parallel with the supporting surface of the vehicle/machine). Accordingly, in FIG. 4, it can be seen that an operative angle between the ball joint post 22 and the connector post 20 for the upper bracket 10 is between 105 and 125 degrees, while the operative angle between the ball joint post 22 and the connector post 20 for the lower bracket 10 is between 85 and 65 degrees. Whereby, the upper and lower operatively angles may be ‘supplementary’.

[0032] Turning to the proximal end of the brackets 10 and 32, in particular, the arm holes 14 or 40 that are dimensioned and adapted to operatively associate with a respective straight ball joint assembly 70. Each straight ball joint assembly 70 may include a straight ball joint 26 operatively associated with a threaded straight ball joint post 30. Each straight ball joint 26 also may have a grease fitting 28 (or “grease nipple”). The straight ball joint 26 may be dimensioned and adapted to slidably receive an elongated fastener of the upper and lower frames 54 and 52, respectively, as illustrated in FIG. 5. The straight ball joint post 30 is dimensioned to thread entirely through the respective proximal end, by way of the top hole 14 or 40, so that a nut or other equivalent fastener 24 can secure the straight ball joint post 30 on each side of the respective proximal end, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0033] A method of making and using the present invention may include the following. The shock absorber adapter bracket assembly 100 disclosed above may be provided through accommodating for the tolerance the relevant shock absorber 50 to be operatively associated with the machine, and that machine's suspension system, dimensions and the like.

[0034] A method of installing the shock absorber adapter bracket assembly 100 may include, but not be limited to, removing the lower part of the pre-existing shock absorber and brackets, followed by installing the lower bracket 32. The ball joints may be screwed in and adjusted to the upper A-arm bracket 10 that is then fitted to the frame 54 and 56 by the bolts, nuts, and washers. Likewise, the ball joints may be screwed in and adjusted to the lower A-arm bracket 32 that is then fitted to the frame 52 and 56 by the bolts, nuts, and washers, without tightening the fasteners. The ball joints are used for mounting the A-arms brackets to the frames 52 and 54 as well as fitting to the steering system of the wheel frame 56. The adjustable ball joints can be shuffled between the different left-or right-side A-arms including upper or lower side A-arms.

[0035] Then install the lower part of the “all-year” shock absorber 50 into place on the lower bracket 32 and fastening it to its pair of shock forks 34 by sliding a fastener through the fork holes 36 and mounted to the appropriate fitment. Once assembly is complete, the fasteners 20, 30, 22, and 24 may be tightened.

[0036] The present invention may embody an extended A-arm kit using the same components that are assembled and use as described herein. Alternatively, the shock absorber adaptor bracket 90 (see FIG. 6) can be attached directly to OEM A-Arms, as opposed to the A-arms shown in FIGS. 1-5.

[0037] It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.