Traveling vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11319015-B2
Application number	US-202016947295-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2020
Priority date	Jul 30, 2019
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

A traveling vehicle includes a vehicle body, a left swing part, a right swing part, and an interlocking link mechanism. The left swing part and the right swing part are supported on the vehicle body so as to be swingable in the up-down direction, respectively. A left support part supporting a left front wheel is provided on a front part of the left swing part so as to be rotatable about a left steering shaft. A right support part supporting a right front wheel is provided at a front part of the right swing part so as to be rotatable about a right steering shaft. The interlocking link mechanism rotates one of the left support part and the right support part in conjunction with the other. The interlocking link mechanism is provided between the left support part and the right support part.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A traveling vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle body;
a left swing part which is arranged on one side in a vehicle width direction, which is provided so as to extend forward from the vehicle body, and which is supported on the vehicle body so as to be swingable in an up-down direction;
a right swing part which is arranged on the other side in the vehicle width direction, which is provided so as to extend forward from the vehicle body, and which is supported on the vehicle body so as to be swingable in the up-down direction;
a left support part which is provided on a front part of the left swing part so as to be rotatable about a left steering shaft;
a left front wheel which is rotatably supported by the left support part and which is configured to change an orientation of the left front wheel by rotation of the left support part about the left steering shaft,
a right support part which is provided at a front part of the right swing part so as to be rotatable about a right steering shaft;
a right front wheel which is rotatably supported by the right support part and which is configured to change an orientation of the right front wheel by rotation of the right support part about the right steering shaft;
a steering operation part to be gripped by a driver which is swingable in the up-down direction along with the left and right front wheels; and
an interlocking link mechanism which is configured to rotate one of the left support part and the right support part in conjunction with the other when the other of the left support part and the right support part rotates,
wherein the interlocking link mechanism is provided between the left support part and the right support part.

2. The traveling vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the interlocking link mechanism includes:
a rotation base portion which is supported on the vehicle body at a center of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction so as to be rotatable about a first rotary shaft extending in the up-down direction;
a first left coupling portion which is provided on a left part of the rotation base portion so as to be rotatable about a second rotary shaft extending in the up-down direction;
a second left coupling portion which is rotatable integrally with the left support part about the left steering shaft;
a left rod that extends in a front-back direction and couples the first left coupling portion and the second left coupling portion so that the rotation base portion and the left support part are interlocked with each other;
a first right coupling portion which is provided on a right part of the rotation base portion so as to be rotatable about a third rotary shaft extending in the up-down direction;
a second right coupling portion which is rotatable integrally with the right support part about the right steering shaft; and
a right rod that extends in the front-back direction and couples the first right coupling portion and the second right coupling portion so that the rotation base portion and the right support part are interlocked with each other.

3. The traveling vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the first rotary shaft is arranged at the center of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction.

4. The traveling vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein a rear part of the left rod is coupled to the first left coupling portion so as to be rotatable about a first coupling shaft extending in a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction, wherein a front part of the left rod is coupled to the second left coupling portion so as to be rotatable about a second coupling shaft extending in the up-down direction, wherein a rear part of the right rod is coupled to the first right coupling portion so as to be rotatable about a third coupling shaft extending in the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction, and wherein a front part of the right rod is coupled to the second right coupling portion so as to be rotatable about a fourth coupling shaft extending in the up-down direction.

5. The traveling vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the left swing part is supported on the vehicle body about a left swing shaft extending in the vehicle width direction, wherein the left swing shaft is arranged coaxially with the first coupling shaft in in a steering neutral state, wherein the right swing part is supported on the vehicle body about a right swing shaft extending in the vehicle width direction, and wherein the right swing shaft is arranged coaxially with the third coupling shaft in the steering neutral state.

6. The traveling vehicle according to claim 2 , further comprising:
an extension extending in a direction away from the rotation base portion, wherein the steering operation part is provided on the extension.

7. The traveling vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a left extension extending in a direction away from the left support part with respect to the left front wheel;
a left steering operation portion of the steering operation part is provided on the left extension and which can be gripped by the driver;
a right extension extending in a direction away from the right support part with respect to the right front wheel; and
a right steering operation portion of the steering operation part is provided on the right extension and which can be gripped by the driver.

8. The traveling vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein each of the left swing part and the right swing part includes:
a swing support part supported on the vehicle body so as to be swingable;
a first protrusion part protruding forward from the swing support part; and
a second protrusion part which is arranged below the first protrusion part and which protrudes forward from the swing support part,
wherein the left support part is attached to the first protrusion part and the second protrusion of the left swing part, and
wherein the right support part is attached to the first protrusion part and the second protrusion part of the right swing part.

9. The traveling vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the steering operation part swings in the up-down direction when the left swing part or the right swing part swings.

10. The traveling vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the interlocking link mechanism comprises:
a left rod which is swingable about a shaft arranged coaxially with a shaft which the left swing part swings; and
a right rod which is swingable about a shaft arranged coaxially with a shaft which the right swing part swings.

11. The traveling vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the left rod is located between an upper side and a lower side of the left swing part and the right rod is located between an upper side and a lower side of the right swing part.

12. The traveling vehicle according to claim 1 , where each of the left swing part and the right swing part includes:
a swing support part supported on the vehicle body so as to be swingable;
a first protrusion part protruding forward from the swing support part; and
a second protrusion part protruding forward from the swing support part.

13. The traveling vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein the first protrusion part and the second protrusion part are branched from the swing support part.

14. The traveling vehicle according to claim 12 , further comprises:
a left extension extending in a direction away from the left support part with respect to the left front wheel;
a left steering operation portion of the steering operation part is provided on the left extension and which can be gripped by the driver;
a right extension extending in a direction away from the right suppo

Assignees

• Kawasaki Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Iwamoto Taro
• Ishii Hiroshi
• Nakajima Takeshi
• Nagasaka Kazuya
• Inaba Taichi

Classifications

• B62K5/08

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

• B62J25/00

  Foot-rests; Knee grips; Passenger hand-grips · CPC title

• B62K25/16

  for front wheel · CPC title

• B60G2300/122

  Trikes · CPC title

• B60G3/20

  all arms being rigid · CPC title