Vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12575984-B2
Application number	US-202318374701-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2023
Priority date	Apr 2, 2021
Publication date	Mar 17, 2026
Grant date	Mar 17, 2026

Abstract

A vehicle includes at least three wheels including a steered wheel, at least one drive source to drive at least two of the wheels, and a front suspension including an upper arm and a lower arm supporting the steered wheel. In a state where the vehicle is stationary on a level road surface, an anhedral angle of the lower arm is larger than an anhedral angle of the upper arm, and a difference between the anhedral angle of the lower arm and the anhedral angle of the upper arm is 5 degrees or more.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle comprising:
at least three wheels including a steered wheel; at least one drive source to drive at least two of the wheels; and a suspension including an upper arm and a lower arm supporting the steered wheel; wherein in a state where the vehicle is stationary on a level road surface, an anhedral angle of the lower arm is larger than an anhedral angle of the upper arm, and a difference between the anhedral angle of the lower arm and the anhedral angle of the upper arm is 5 degrees or more.

2 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the difference between the anhedral angle of the lower arm and the anhedral angle of the upper arm is 5 degrees or more and 9 degrees or less.

3 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein an amount of change in a camber angle of the steered wheel relative to a wheel stroke of the suspension is 5 degrees or more.

4 . The vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the amount of change in the camber angle of the steered wheel relative to the wheel stroke of the suspension is 5 degrees or more and 10 degrees or less.

5 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
when the suspension moves in a bound stroke, the camber angle of the steered wheel has a negative camber; and when the suspension moves in a rebound stroke, the camber angle of the steered wheel has a positive camber.

6 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein, in a state where the vehicle is stationary on a level road surface, the anhedral angle of the upper arm is 15 degrees or more, and the anhedral angle of the lower arm is 20 degrees or more.

7 . The vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein, in a state where the vehicle is stationary on a level road surface, the anhedral angle of the upper arm is 15 degrees or more and 20 degrees or less, and the anhedral angle of the lower arm is 20 degrees or more and 25 degrees or less.

8 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a swing angle of the upper arm and a swing angle of the lower arm are each 30 degrees or more.

9 . The vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the swing angle of the upper arm and the swing angle of the lower arm are each 30 degrees or more and 60 degrees or less.

10 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a wheel stroke of the suspension is 60 mm or more.

11 . The vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the wheel stroke of the suspension is 60 mm or more and 150 mm or less.

12 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a wheel stroke of the suspension is 0.5 times or more of a length in a longitudinal direction of each of the upper arm and the lower arm.

13 . The vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein the wheel stroke of the suspension is 0.5 times or more and 0.8 times or less of a length in the longitudinal direction of each of the upper arm and the lower arm.

14 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the steered wheel includes an inner wheel and an outer wheel; a maximum value of a steering angle of the inner wheel is 50 degrees or more; and a maximum value of a steering angle of the outer wheel is 35 degrees or more.

15 . The vehicle according to claim 14 , wherein
the maximum value of the steering angle of the inner wheel is 50 degrees or more and 80 degrees or less; and the maximum value of the steering angle of the outer wheel is 35 degrees or more and 80 degrees or less.

16 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a minimum turning radius of the vehicle is 2.5 times or less of a tread width of the steered wheel.

17 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a minimum turning radius of the vehicle is 1400 mm or less.

18 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein an outer diameter of the steered wheel is 0.26 times or more of a total length of the vehicle.

19 . The vehicle according to claim 18 , wherein an outer diameter of the steered wheel is 0.26 times or more and 0.4 times or less of an overall length of the vehicle.

20 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein an outer diameter of the steered wheel is 0.43 times or more of a wheelbase of the vehicle.

21 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein an outer diameter of the steered wheel is 0.43 times or more and 0.67 times or less of a wheelbase of the vehicle.

22 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the vehicle is an electric wheelchair including a handle to be steered by a passenger; and the vehicle further includes a seat on which the passenger is to be seated.

Assignees

• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nagasawa Kenta
• Kawamura Masayuki
• Yoshihara Masanori

Classifications

• A61G5/1097

  Camber- or toe-adjusting means for the drive wheels · CPC title

• A61G5/1051

  Arrangements for steering · CPC title

• B60G2200/44

  steerable · CPC title

• B60G2200/46

  camber angle · CPC title

• B60G2200/144

  with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram · CPC title