Rolling motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11358672-B2
Application number	US-202017089078-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2020
Priority date	Dec 28, 2015
Publication date	Jun 14, 2022
Grant date	Jun 14, 2022

Abstract

This invention relates to a rolling motor vehicle with three or four wheels, comprising a frame 6 that extends from a forecarriage 8, which supports at least two front wheels 10′,10″, to a rear 12 which supports one or more rear wheels 14. The frame 6 defines an accommodating area 15 for a driver P. The forecarriage 8 in turn comprises: —a forecarriage frame 16; —at least one pair of front wheels 10′,10″ kinematically connected to each other and to the forecarriage frame 16 by means of a rolling kinematic mechanism 20 which enables the front wheels to roll in a synchronous and specular manner, each wheel 10′,10″ being connected to said rolling kinematic mechanism 20 by means of a respective axle journal 60, said axle journal 60 being mechanically connected to a rotation pin 68 of the wheel in order to support it rotatably around an axis of rotation R′-R′, R″-R″; —a roll control system 100 of the motor vehicle; —suspension means 90 which guarantee each axle journal 60 at least one spring suspension movement with respect to said rolling kinematic mechanism 20. The roll control system comprises a rod 110, which connects the two front wheels directly to each other at the respective axle journals 60 at its two ends by means of hinging means 72,73,74 which enable said rod 110 to passively follow the movements of the axle journals 60, the roll movements of the two front wheels and of the respective axle journals causing changes in the lying position of said rod 110 with respect to a vertical projection plane, which is transverse to a centre line plane M-M of the motor vehicle. The rod 110 is usable directly or indirectly by the driver P as a command element of the roll control system 100 to control the rolling movements of the two front wheels without having to put his feet on the ground, adjusting the lying position of the rod 110 itself with his own body. Said command element 110, 120 is disposed so as to be accessible and maneuverable by the driver P from the accommodating area 15.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A rolling motor vehicle with three or four wheels, comprising a frame extending from a forecarriage, which supports at least two front wheels, to a rear which supports one or more wheels, said frame defining an accommodating area conformed to accommodate a driver, said forecarriage in turn comprising:
a forecarriage frame,
at least one pair of front wheels kinematically connected to each other and to the forecarriage frame by means of a rolling kinematic mechanism which enables the front wheels to roll in a synchronous and specular manner, each wheel being connected to said rolling kinematic mechanism by means of a respective axle journal, said axle journal being mechanically connected to a rotation pin of the wheel in order to support it rotatably around an axis of rotation,
a roll control system of the motor vehicle,

wherein said roll control system comprises a rod, which interconnects the two front wheels to each other at the respective axle journals at its two ends by means of hinging means which enable said rod to passively follow the movements of the axle journals, the roll movements of the two front wheels and of the respective axle journals causing changes in the lying position of said rod with respect to a vertical projection plane, which is transverse to a centre line plane of the motor vehicle, said rod being usable directly or indirectly by the driver as a command element of the roll control system to control the rolling movements of the two front wheels without having to put his feet on the ground by adjusting the lying position of said rod with his body, wherein said command element is disposed so as to be accessible and maneuverable by the driver from said accommodating area.

2. The rolling motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said rod connects the two axle journals to each other at the same height from the ground.

3. The rolling motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the rod is coplanar or parallel to the rolling plane of the two front wheels defined by the rolling kinematic mechanism.

4. The rolling motor vehicle according to claim 1 , comprising a steering device which kinematically connects the axle journals to one another so as to command the rotation of the axle journals around respective steering axes of each front wheel, wherein said hinging means are placed at or near the steering axes of the respective axle journals.

5. The rolling motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said roll control system comprises a remote command element which is separate from the rod and is mechanically connected to said rod by means of a kinematical connecting structure so that said remote command element is suitable to move integrally with said rod reproducing at least said changes in the lying position of said rod, said remote command element being placed near or inside said area for accommodating the driver so as to be accessible to the driver of the motor vehicle, said driver being able to act directly on said remote command element to control the lying position of said rod and thus to control the rolling movements of the two front wheels without having to put his feet on the ground.

6. The rolling motor vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein said remote command element consists of a footboard so that it can be operated by the feet of the driver.

7. The rolling motor vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the kinematical connecting structure rigidly connects said remote command element to said rod.

8. The rolling motor vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein said kinematical connecting structure is connected to said rod in a cantilever way.

9. The rolling motor vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said remote command element consists of two elongated elements, each of which extends in a direction of main longitudinal extension parallel to a direction of main longitudinal extension of said rod.

10. The rolling motor vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein said two elongated elements are aligned with each other in a common longitudinal direction, said common longitudinal direction being transverse to the centreline plane of the motor vehicle and being parallel to the ground.

11. A rolling motor vehicle with three or four wheels, comprising a frame extending from a forecarriage, which supports at least two front wheels, to a rear which supports one or more wheels, said frame defining an accommodating area conformed to accommodate a driver, said forecarriage in turn comprising:
a forecarriage frame,
at least one pair of front wheels kinematically connected to each other and to the forecarriage frame by means of a rolling kinematic mechanism which enables the front wheels to roll in a synchronous and specular manner, each wheel being connected to said rolling kinematic mechanism by means of a respective axle journal, said axle journal being mechanically connected to a rotation pin of the wheel in order to support it rotatably around an axis of rotation,

wherein the rolling kinematic mechanism is constituted by an articulated quadrilateral, the articulated quadrilateral comprises a pair of cross-members hinged to the forecarriage frame in correspondence of middle hinges, the cross-members being connected to each other, in correspondence of opposite transverse ends by means of uprights pivoted to said transverse ends in correspondence of side hinges, so that the cross-members and the uprights define the articulated quadrilateral;
a roll control system of the motor vehicle comprising a rod that interconnects the two front wheels with each other through the axle journals of the wheels, so that by mechanically controlling the lying position of the rod, the axle journals are operated and consequently the rolling;

wherein said rod is parallel to the cross-members of the articulated quadrilateral.

12. The rolling motor vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein the rod is parallel to the rolling plane of the two front wheels defined by the articulated quadrilateral.

13. A rolling motor vehicle with three or four wheels, comprising a frame extending from a forecarriage, which supports at least two front wheels, to a rear which supports one or more wheels, said frame defining an accommodating area conformed to accommodate a driver, said forecarriage in turn comprising:
a forecarriage frame,
at least one pair of front wheels kinematically connected to each other and to the forecarriage frame by means of a rolling kinematic mechanism which enables the front wheels to roll in a synchronous and specular manner, each wheel being connected to said rolling kinematic mechanism by means of a respective axle journal, said axle journal being mechanically connected to a rotation pin of the wheel in order to support it rotatably around an axis of rotation,
a roll control system of the motor vehicle,

wherein said roll control system comprises a rod, which interconnects the two front wheels to each other at the respective axle journals at its two ends by means of hinging means which enable said rod to passively follow the movements of the axle journals, the roll movements of the two front wheels and of the respective axle journals causing changes in the lying position of said rod with respect to a vertical projection plane, which is transverse to a centre line plane of the motor vehicle, said rod being usable directly or indirectly by the driver as a command element of the roll control system to control the rolling movements of the two front wheels without having to put his feet on the ground by adjusting the lying position of said rod with his body, wherein said command element is disposed so as to be accessible an

Assignees

• Piaggio & C Spa

Inventors

• Raffaelli Andrea

Classifications

• B60G21/05

  between wheels on the same axle but on different sides of the vehicle, i.e. the left and right wheel suspensions being interconnected · CPC title

• B62D9/02

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

• B60G2300/122

  Trikes · CPC title

• B60G2300/45

  Rolling frame vehicles · CPC title

• B62K2005/001

  Suspension details for cycles with three or more main road wheels · CPC title