Lightweight vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12077213-B2
Application number	US-202318518350-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2023
Priority date	Apr 12, 2019
Publication date	Sep 3, 2024
Grant date	Sep 3, 2024

Abstract

A lightweight vehicle includes a first wheel assembly including a first wheel rotatable about an axis, a second wheel assembly including a second wheel rotatable about the axis, a platform including a chassis and a rear suspension assembly coupling the first wheel assembly and the second wheel assembly to the chassis, a first seat coupled to the chassis, and a second seat coupled to the chassis rearward of the first seat. At least a portion of the chassis has a planar shape. The second seat includes a bottom and a back. The back is positioned rearward of at least a portion of the bottom such that the second seat defines a forward-facing seating. At least a portion of the bottom of the second seat is positioned longitudinally rearward of a plane extending vertically upward from the axis about which the first wheel and the second wheel are rotatable.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lightweight vehicle comprising:
a rear axle defining a first axis;
a first rear wheel assembly coupled to the rear axle, the first rear wheel assembly including a first rear wheel rotatable about the first axis, the first rear wheel having a rearmost portion;
a second rear wheel assembly coupled to the rear axle, the second rear wheel assembly including a second rear wheel rotatable about the first axis;
a first front wheel assembly including a first front wheel having a frontmost portion;
a second front wheel assembly including a second front wheel;
a chassis, wherein at least a portion of the chassis has a planar structure;
a front suspension coupling the first front wheel assembly and the second front wheel assembly to the chassis; and
a rear suspension coupling the first rear wheel assembly and the second rear wheel assembly to the chassis, the rear suspension including a pair of leaf springs having forward ends coupled to interfaces positioned beneath the planar structure of the chassis;
a front seat configured to accommodate a plurality of front occupants, the front seat including a front seat bottom, a front seat back, and a pedestal supporting the front seat bottom, the pedestal coupled to the chassis and spaced inward from lateral edges of the planar structure;
a rear seat configured to accommodate a plurality of rear occupants, the rear seat coupled to the chassis rearward of the front seat, the rear seat comprising a rear seat bottom and a rear seat back, the rear seat back positioned rearward of at least a portion of the rear seat bottom such that the rear seat defines a forward-facing seating, wherein at least a portion of the rear seat bottom of the rear seat is positioned longitudinally rearward, in a side plan view of the lightweight vehicle, of a second axis extending vertically and through the first axis of the rear axle;
a floorboard coupled to the planar structure, the floorboard providing a first footwell in front of the front seat for feet of the plurality of front occupants and a second footwell between the front seat and the rear seat for feet of the plurality of rear occupants, wherein the first footwell and the second footwell are coplanar, and wherein the front seat bottom and the rear seat bottom are positioned at different heights above the floorboard; and
a drivetrain coupled to the rear axle and positioned beneath the rear seat bottom, the drivetrain including an electric motor and a transaxle;
wherein the floorboard has a lateral width of between 42 inches and 52 inches;
wherein a longitudinal length between the frontmost portion of the first front wheel and the rearmost portion of the first rear wheel is equal to or less than 106 inches; and
wherein the frontmost portion of the first front wheel is positioned longitudinally forward, in the side plan view of the lightweight vehicle, of a front end of the chassis.

2. The lightweight vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the rear seat is cantilevered past a rear end of the chassis.

3. The lightweight vehicle of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the rear seat back of the rear seat extends rearward of the rearmost portion of the first rear wheel.

4. The lightweight vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the floorboard is fixed relative to the chassis.

5. A lightweight vehicle comprising:
a rear axle defining a first axis;
a first rear wheel assembly coupled to the rear axle, the first rear wheel assembly including a first rear wheel rotatable about the first axis, the first rear wheel having a rearmost portion;
a second rear wheel assembly coupled to the rear axle, the second rear wheel assembly including a second rear wheel rotatable about the first axis;
a first front wheel assembly including a first front wheel having a frontmost portion;
a second front wheel assembly including a second front wheel;
a chassis, wherein at least a portion of the chassis has a planar structure;
a front suspension coupling the first front wheel assembly and the second front wheel assembly to the chassis; and
a rear suspension coupling the first rear wheel assembly and the second rear wheel assembly to the chassis, the rear suspension including a pair of leaf springs having forward ends coupled to interfaces positioned beneath the planar structure of the chassis;
a front seat configured to accommodate a plurality of front occupants, the front seat including a front seat bottom, a front seat back, and a pedestal supporting the front seat bottom, the pedestal coupled to the chassis and spaced inward from lateral edges of the planar structure;
a rear seat configured to accommodate a plurality of rear occupants, the rear seat coupled to the chassis rearward of the front seat, the rear seat comprising a rear seat bottom and a rear seat back, the rear seat back positioned rearward of at least a portion of the rear seat bottom such that the rear seat defines a forward-facing seating, wherein at least a portion of the rear seat bottom of the rear seat is positioned longitudinally rearward, in a side plan view of the lightweight vehicle, of a second axis extending vertically and through the first axis of the rear axle;
a floorboard coupled to the planar structure, the floorboard providing a first footwell in front of the front seat for feet of the plurality of front occupants and a second footwell between the front seat and the rear seat for feet of the plurality of rear occupants, wherein the first footwell and the second footwell are coplanar; and
a drivetrain coupled to the rear axle and positioned beneath the rear seat bottom, the drivetrain including an electric motor and a transaxle;
wherein the floorboard has a lateral width of between 42 inches and 52 inches;
wherein a longitudinal length between the frontmost portion of the first front wheel and the rearmost portion of the first rear wheel is equal to or less than 106 inches; and
wherein the frontmost portion of the first front wheel is positioned longitudinally forward, in the side plan view of the lightweight vehicle, of a front end of the chassis.

6. The lightweight vehicle of claim 5 , wherein a portion of the rear seat is cantilevered past a rear end of the chassis.

7. The lightweight vehicle of claim 5 , wherein at least a portion of the rear seat back of the rear seat extends rearward of the rearmost portion of the first rear wheel.

8. The lightweight vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the floorboard is fixed relative to the chassis.

9. The lightweight vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the front seat bottom and the rear seat bottom are positioned at different heights above the floorboard.

10. The lightweight vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the front seat bottom and the rear seat bottom are positioned at the same height above the floorboard.

11. A lightweight vehicle comprising:
a rear axle defining a first axis;
a first rear wheel assembly coupled to the rear axle, the first rear wheel assembly including a first rear wheel rotatable about the first axis, the first rear wheel having a rearmost portion;
a second rear wheel assembly coupled to the rear axle, the second rear wheel assembly including a second rear wheel rotatable about the first axis;
a first front wheel assembly including a first front wheel having a frontmost portion;
a second front wheel assembly including a second front wheel;
a chassis, wherein at least a portion of the chassis has a planar structure;
a front suspension coupling the first front wheel assembly and the second front wheel assembly to the chassis; and
a rear suspension coupling the first rear wheel assembly and the second rear wheel assembly to the chassis;
a front seat configured to accommo

Assignees

• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Hammond Jr Donny Lee
• Smith Sam Dean
• Roebuck Trevor Douglas
• Ball Landon Niles

Classifications

• B62D25/20 Primary

  Floors or bottom sub-units {(sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions B62D21/11; drip trays F16N31/006)} · CPC title

• B62D63/025

  Modular vehicles (superstructures for busses having modular sections B62D31/025) · CPC title

• B60G3/06

  the arm being rigid · CPC title

• B60G2300/50

  Electric vehicles; Hybrid vehicles · CPC title

• B60G11/04

  arranged substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle · CPC title