Straddle vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11225300-B2
Application number	US-201916517864-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2019
Priority date	Jul 30, 2018
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

A straddle vehicle of the present invention includes: a vehicle body frame member; a rotatably supporting member supporting a front wheel; a support arm supporting the rotatably supporting member, the support arm extending rearward from the rotatably supporting member; a pair of upper and lower link members pivotally connected to the support arm at two locations on a rear portion of the support arm at least on one side of the vehicle body in a vehicle width direction, the two locations being spaced in the upward-downward direction, the pair of upper and lower link members extending rearward from the support arm, each of the link members having a rear portion pivotally connected to the vehicle body frame member; a handle; and a handle supporting member removably coupled to the vehicle body frame member and supporting the handle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A straddle vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body frame member;
a front wheel;
a rear wheel;
a rotatably supporting member supporting the front wheel in such a manner that the front wheel is rotatable about a front wheel axis thereof;
a support arm supporting the rotatably supporting member in such a manner that the rotatably supporting member is angularly movable about a steering axis extending in an upward-downward direction, the support arm extending rearward from the rotatably supporting member;
a pair of upper and lower link members pivotally connected to the support arm at two locations on a rear portion of the support arm, the two locations being spaced in the upward-downward direction, the pair of upper and lower link members extending rearward from the support arm, each of the link members having a rear portion pivotally connected to the vehicle body frame member;
a handle to be held by a rider assuming a riding posture;
a handle supporting member removably coupled to the vehicle body frame member and supporting the handle; and
a drive source disposed between the front wheel and the rear wheel and configured to generate a drive power for travel of the vehicle, wherein
the vehicle body frame member comprises: a rear wheel supporting portion supporting the rear wheel; a front wheel supporting portion connected to the pair of link members; and a front-rear coupling portion disposed separately from the drive source, the front-rear coupling portion extending in a forward-rearward direction from the front wheel supporting portion and being continuous with the rear wheel supporting portion.

2. The straddle vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the front wheel supporting portion and the front-rear coupling portion are disposed in a region below a center of the drive source in the upward-downward direction, and
in the region below the center of the drive source in the upward-downward direction, the front-rear coupling portion extends in the forward-rearward direction from the front wheel supporting portion to the rear wheel supporting portion.

3. The straddle vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the front-rear coupling portion extends rearward through a region lying between respective rear ends of the paired link members in the upward-downward direction.

4. The straddle vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the front wheel supporting portion has a base portion whose dimension in the upward-downward direction decreases from front to rear.

5. The straddle vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the pair of link members and the front-rear coupling portion are disposed on each of opposite sides of the vehicle body in a vehicle width direction,
the front-rear coupling portions disposed on the opposite sides of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction are inclined inwardly in the vehicle width direction in such a manner that a distance between the front-rear coupling portions in the vehicle width direction decreases from front to rear, and
the front-rear coupling portions are coupled in the vehicle width direction at rear portions thereof.

6. The straddle vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the front-rear coupling portion extends in the forward-rearward direction through a region outward of the drive source in the vehicle width direction, the region being inward of an outermost side surface of the drive source in the vehicle width direction.

7. A straddle vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body frame member;
a front wheel;
a rotatably supporting member supporting the front wheel in such a manner that the front wheel is rotatable about a front wheel axis thereof;
a support arm supporting the rotatably supporting member in such a manner that the rotatably supporting member is angularly movable about a steering axis extending in an upward-downward direction, the support arm extending rearward from the rotatably supporting member;
a pair of upper and lower link members pivotally connected to the support arm at two locations on a rear portion of the support arm, the two locations being spaced in the upward-downward direction, the pair of upper and lower link members extending rearward from the support arm, each of the link members having a rear portion pivotally connected to the vehicle body frame member;
a handle to be held by a rider assuming a riding posture; and
a handle supporting member removably coupled to the vehicle body frame member and supporting the handle, wherein
the support arm comprises an arm main portion extending in a forward-rearward direction and a holding portion holding the rotatably supporting member, the holding portion being provided separately from the arm main portion and being removably attached to the arm main portion.

8. A straddle vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body frame member;
a front wheel;
a rotatably supporting member supporting the front wheel in such a manner that the front wheel is rotatable about a front wheel axis thereof;
a support arm supporting the rotatably supporting member in such a manner that the rotatably supporting member is angularly movable about a steering axis extending in an upward-downward direction, the support arm extending rearward from the rotatably supporting member;
a pair of upper and lower link members pivotally connected to the support arm at two locations on a rear portion of the support arm, the two locations being spaced in the upward-downward direction, the pair of upper and lower link members extending rearward from the support arm, each of the link members having a rear portion pivotally connected to the vehicle body frame member;
a handle to be held by a rider assuming a riding posture; and
a handle supporting member removably coupled to the vehicle body frame member and supporting the handle, wherein
the vehicle body frame member comprises a frame main portion and an attachment portion provided separately from the frame main portion and removably attached to the frame main portion, and
the pair of link members is connected to the attachment portion.

9. A straddle vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body frame member;
a front wheel;
a rear wheel;
a rotatably supporting member supporting the front wheel in such a manner that the front wheel is rotatable about a front wheel axis thereof;
a support arm supporting the rotatably supporting member in such a manner that the rotatably supporting member is angularly movable about a steering axis extending in an upward-downward direction, the support arm extending rearward from the rotatably supporting member;
a handle to be held by a rider assuming a riding posture;
a handle supporting member removably coupled to the vehicle body frame member and supporting the handle; and
a drive source disposed between the front wheel and the rear wheel and configured to generate a drive power for travel of the vehicle, wherein
the vehicle body frame member comprises: a rear wheel supporting portion supporting the rear wheel; a connection portion connected directly or indirectly to the support arm; and a front-rear coupling portion disposed separately from the drive source, the front-rear coupling portion extending in a forward-rearward direction from the connection portion and being continuous with the rear wheel supporting portion,
the connection portion and the front-rear coupling portion are disposed in a region below a center of the drive source in the upward-downward direction, and
in the region below the center of the drive source in the upward-downward direction, the front-rear coupling portion extends in the forward-rearward direction from the connection portion to the rear wheel supporting portion.

Assignees

• Kawasaki Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Kogirima Masato
• Ishii Hiroshi
• Ichikawa Kazuhiro
• Iwamoto Faro

Classifications

• B62K25/24 Primary

  for front wheel · CPC title

• B60G2200/44

  steerable · CPC title

• B62K11/04

  characterised by the engine being between front and rear wheels · CPC title

• B62K21/16

  having adjustable parts therein · CPC title

• B62K21/005

  Steering pivot axis arranged within the wheel, e.g. for a hub center steering arrangement · CPC title