Support us! Bikerumor may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Learn More
Fox Factory has filed a patent titled “ Methods And Apparatus For Lubricating Suspension Components ” detailing the use of bushing-housed ball bearings coupled to a self-lubrication system. The patent gives us some insight into how Fox’s long-travel mountain bike forks such as the 36, 38, and 40 may evolve in the future, with the inventions described working to reduce binding at ever-slacker head angles, while also continuously lubricating the wiper seals during use.
Tucked away inside that very same patent document is a description of a coil sprung fork, travel-adjustable over its full 80-125mm range, indicating the possibility of a new XC/Downcountry fork on the Horizon from Fox, or more likely their sister-brand, Marzocchi.
Images adapted by Cory Benson Fox Self-Lubricating Fork
This latest patent from Fox (US 11566682 B2) describes what we imagine to be the inner workings of the lower leg channels that can be seen on the Fox 38 suspension fork. Basically, a reservoir of lubrication oil sits in a reservoir situated in the lower leg, and that oil is forced into a “fluid conduit”, or channel, when the fork is pushed into compression. The channel sends that lubrication oil up the leg to the wiper seal region, dropping it back into, or nearby the foam ring.
This self-lubricating system works to ensure the foam ring is always saturated with lubrication oil, such that the wiper seal and the fork’s stanchions […]
Continue reading the original article at: bikerumor.com