Leaning vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10471799-B2
Application number	US-201815913260-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2018
Priority date	Mar 7, 2017
Publication date	Nov 12, 2019
Grant date	Nov 12, 2019

Abstract

A linkage includes a lower cross member supported by a link support and provided with a rear element turnable about a turning axis behind the link support. The body frame includes an upper frame, a lower frame and a coupling frame. The upper frame and the lower frame extend rearward from the link support to intersect areas respectively located directly above and below a turning range of the rear element. A longitudinal direction of the coupling frame extends in an up-down direction of the body frame. The coupling frame couples the upper and lower frames at a location behind the rear element. A majority of a front edge of the coupling frame extends along the longitudinal direction as viewed from a left-right direction of the body frame when the leaning vehicle is in an upright condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A leaning vehicle comprising:
a body frame that leans leftward when the leaning vehicle turns leftward in a left-right direction and leans rightward when the leaning vehicle turns rightward;
a left front wheel and a right front wheel arranged side by side in a left-right direction of the body frame;
a left suspension that supports the left front wheel;
a right suspension that supports the right front wheel; and
a linkage that changes positions of the left front wheel and the right front wheel relative to the body frame to cause the body frame to lean leftward or rightward; wherein
the linkage includes:
an upper cross member;
a lower cross member disposed below the upper cross member in an up-down direction of the body frame;
a left side member disposed above the left front wheel in the up-down direction of the body frame, and that supports the left suspension turnably about a left steering axis extending in the up-down direction of the body frame; and
a right side member disposed above the right front wheel in the up-down direction of the body frame, and that supports the right suspension turnably about a right steering axis extending in the up-down direction of the body frame;

the upper cross member, the lower cross member, the left side member, and the right side member are turnably connected with one another such that the upper cross member and the lower cross member maintain postures that are parallel to each other, and such that the left side member and the right side member maintain postures that are parallel to each other;
the body frame includes a link support that supports the linkage;
at least one of the upper cross member and the lower cross member includes:
a front element turnable about a turning axis extending in a front-rear direction of the body frame at a location ahead of the link support in the front-rear direction of the body frame; and
a rear element turnable about the turning axis at a location behind the link support in the front-rear direction of the body frame;

the body frame further includes:
an upper frame extending from the link support rearward in the front-rear direction of the body frame so as to intersect an area located directly above a turning range of the rear element in the up-down direction of the body frame;
a lower frame extending from the link support rearward in the front-rear direction of the body frame so as to intersect an area located directly below the turning range of the rear element in the up-down direction of the body frame; and
a coupling frame extending in a longitudinal direction corresponding to the up-down direction of the body frame, and that couples the upper frame and the lower frame together at a location behind the link support in the front-rear direction of the body frame; and

a majority of a front edge of the coupling frame extends in the longitudinal direction as viewed from the left-right direction of the body frame when the leaning vehicle is in an upright condition.

2. The leaning vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the front edge of the coupling frame directly faces a surface of the rear element that faces rearward in the front-rear direction of the body frame.

3. The leaning vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein an angle between the longitudinal direction of the coupling frame and the up-down direction of the body frame as viewed from the left-right direction of the body frame when the leaning vehicle is in the upright condition has a value that is between:
an angle between a longitudinal direction of the link support and the up-down direction of the body frame as viewed from the left-right direction of the body frame when the leaning vehicle is in the upright condition; and
an angle between a plane perpendicular to the turning axis and the up-down direction of the body frame as viewed from the left-right direction of the body frame when the leaning vehicle is in the upright condition.

4. The leaning vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein an angle between the longitudinal direction of the coupling frame and the up-down direction of the body frame is smaller than an angle between a longitudinal direction of the link support and the up-down direction of the body frame, as viewed from the left-right direction of the body frame when the leaning vehicle is in the upright condition.

5. The leaning vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the upper frame and the lower frame includes a branch member including:
a proximal end connected to the link support;
a first branch branching from the proximal end and supporting the rear element; and
a second branch branching from the proximal end and connected with one end of the coupling frame.

6. The leaning vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the upper frame includes:
a left upper frame extending from the link support leftward in the left-right direction of the body frame and rearward in the front-rear direction of the body frame; and
a right upper frame extending from the link support rightward in the left-right direction of the body frame and rearward in the front-rear direction of the body frame;

the lower frame includes:
a left lower frame extending from the link support leftward in the left-right direction of the body frame and rearward in the front-rear direction of the body frame; and
a right lower frame extending from the link support rightward in the left-right direction of the body frame and rearward in the front-rear direction of the body frame; and

the coupling frame includes:
a left coupling frame coupling the left upper frame and the left lower frame together; and
a right coupling frame coupling the right upper frame and the right lower frame together.

7. The leaning vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein
the upper frame includes an upper branch member including:
an upper proximal end connected to the link support;
a left upper branch branching from the upper proximal end and defining a portion of the left upper frame; and
a right upper branch branching from the upper proximal end and defining a portion of the right upper frame;

the lower frame includes a lower branch member including:
a lower proximal end connected to the link support;
a left lower branch branching from the lower proximal end and defining a portion of the left lower frame; and
a right lower branch branching from the lower proximal end and defining a portion of the right lower frame;

the left coupling frame couples the left upper branch and the left lower branch; and
the right coupling frame couples the right upper branch and the right lower branch.

Assignees

• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Mitsuoka Ryuta
• Hirakawa Nobuhiko

Classifications

• B62K19/32

  Steering heads (bearings therefor B62K21/06) · CPC title

• B62K5/10

  with means for inwardly inclining the vehicle body on bends · CPC title

• B62K5/08

  with steering devices acting on two or more wheels · CPC title

• B62K5/05

  characterised by a single rear wheel · CPC title

• B62K5/02

  Tricycles (children's tricycles B62K9/02) · CPC title