Vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9340249-B2
Application number	US-201314652835-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2013
Priority date	Dec 19, 2012
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

A vehicle includes a vehicle body frame that can lean, a right front wheel and a left front wheel, and an upper cross portion and a lower cross portion of a link mechanism each including a right end portion, a left end portion, and a middle portion supported on the vehicle body frame. The upper cross portion and the lower cross portion have different shapes. An upper right displacement and an upper left displacement that result when a rearward test force is exerted on an upper right bearing and an upper left bearing that support the upper cross portion with the lower cross portion removed are equal or substantially equal, and a lower right displacement and a lower left displacement that result when a rearward test force is exerted on a lower right bearing and a lower left bearing that support the lower cross portion with the upper cross portion removed are equal or substantially equal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle that is driven by power from a power source, the vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body frame;
a left front wheel and a right front wheel disposed in a left-and-right direction as seen from a front of the vehicle and that are steerable;
a right shock absorbing device that supports the right front wheel at a lower portion thereof and is configured to absorb an upward displacement of the right front wheel in an up-and-down direction of the vehicle body frame;
a left shock absorbing device that supports the left front wheel at a lower portion thereof and is configured to absorb an upward displacement of the left front wheel in the up-and-down direction of the vehicle body frame;
a link mechanism including:
a right side portion that supports an upper portion of the right shock absorbing device so as to turn about a right steering axis that extends in the up-and-down direction of the vehicle body frame;
a left side portion that supports an upper portion of the left shock absorbing device so as to turn about a left steering axis that is parallel or substantially parallel to the right steering axis;
an upper cross portion that includes a right end portion that supports an upper portion of the right side portion so as to turn about an upper right axis that extends in a front-and-rear direction of the vehicle body frame via an upper right bearing, a left end portion that supports an upper portion of the left side portion so as to turn about an upper left axis that is parallel or substantially parallel to the upper right axis via an upper left bearing, and a middle portion that is supported on the vehicle body frame so as to turn about an upper middle axis that is parallel or substantially parallel to the upper right axis and the upper left axis via an upper middle bearing; and
a lower cross portion that includes a right end portion that supports a lower portion of the right side portion so as to turn about a lower right axis that is parallel or substantially parallel to the upper right axis via a lower right bearing, a left end portion that supports a lower portion of the left side portion so as to turn abut a lower left axis that is parallel or substantially parallel to the upper left axis via a lower left bearing, and a middle portion that is supported on the vehicle body frame so as to turn about a lower middle axis that is parallel or substantially parallel to the upper middle axis via a lower middle bearing;

a steering shaft supported on the vehicle body frame between the right side portion and the left side portion in a left-and-right direction of the vehicle body frame, and including an upper end portion higher in the up-and-down direction of the vehicle body frame than the lower middle axis and that is turnable about a middle steering axis that extends in the up-and-down direction of the vehicle body frame;
a handlebar provided at the upper end portion of the steering shaft; and
a turn transfer mechanism configured to transfer a turning motion of the steering shaft according to an operation of the handlebar to the right shock absorbing device and the left shock absorbing device; wherein
with the lower cross portion removed and the upper cross portion mounted, an upper right displacement of the upper cross portion that results when a forward or rearward test force in relation to the upper right axis is exerted on the upper right bearing and an upper left displacement of the upper cross portion that results when a force that is equal or substantially equal in magnitude and direction as the test force is exerted on the upper left bearing are equal or substantially equal to each other;

with the upper cross portion removed and the lower cross portion mounted, a lower right displacement of the lower cross portion that results when a force that is equal or substantially equal in magnitude and direction as the test force is exerted on the lower right bearing and a lower left displacement of the lower cross portion that results when a force that is equal or substantially equal in magnitude and direction as the test force is exerted on the lower left bearing are equal or substantially equal to each other;
the upper right displacement of the upper cross portion and the lower right displacement of the lower cross portion are different from each other;
the upper left displacement of the upper cross portion and the lower left displacement of the lower cross portion are different from each other; and
a shape of the upper cross portion and a shape of the lower cross portion are different from each other.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the upper right displacement of the upper cross portion is larger than the lower right displacement of the lower cross portion;
the upper left displacement of the upper cross portion is larger than the lower left displacement of the lower cross portion; and
the shape of the upper cross portion is smaller than the shape of the lower cross portion.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the lower right displacement of the lower cross portion is larger than the upper right displacement of the upper cross portion;
the lower left displacement of the lower cross portion is larger than the upper left displacement of the upper cross portion; and
the shape of the lower cross portion is smaller than the shape of the upper cross portion.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a material of the upper cross portion is identical to a material of the lower cross portion.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a material of the upper cross portion is different from a material of the lower cross portion.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle body frame includes a link supporting portion configured to turnably support the upper cross portion and the lower cross portion; and
a shape of a front portion of the upper cross portion located farther forward in the direction of the upper right axis than the link supporting portion differs from a shape of a rear portion of the upper cross portion located rearward of the link supporting portion.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle body frame includes a link supporting portion configured to turnably support the upper cross portion and the lower cross portion; and
a shape of a front portion of the lower cross portion located farther forward in the direction of the lower right axis than the link supporting portion differs from a shape of a rear portion of the lower cross portion located rearward of the link supporting portion.

8. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle body frame includes a link supporting portion configured to turnably support the upper cross portion and the lower cross portion; and
the upper cross portion includes:
an upper front portion located farther forward in the direction of the upper right axis than the link supporting portion that is supported at the right end portion, the left end portion, and the middle portion; and
an upper rear portion located farther rearward in the direction of the lower right axis than the link supporting portion and that is supported at the right end portion, the left end portion, and the middle portion.

9. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle body frame includes a link supporting portion configured to turnably support the upper cross portion and the lower cross portion; and
the lower cross portion includes:
a lower front portion located farther forward in the direction of the lower right axis than the link supporting portion and that is supported at the right end portion, the left end portion, and the middle portion; and
a lower rear portion located farther rearward in the dir

Assignees

• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Takano Kazuhisa

Classifications

• B62K5/05

  characterised by a single rear wheel · CPC title

• B62K2202/00

  Motorised scooters · CPC title

• B62K5/08 Primary

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

• B62K5/10

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

• B62K5/027

  Motorcycles with three wheels (specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/023) · CPC title