Vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9452803-B2
Application number	US-201314652871-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2013
Priority date	Dec 18, 2012
Publication date	Sep 27, 2016
Grant date	Sep 27, 2016

Abstract

A right front fender and a left front fender are displaceable relative to a vehicle body frame in accordance with an operation of a link mechanism. At least a portion of the right front fender is disposed above a center in the up-down direction of the vehicle body frame between an upper end of a right front wheel and a lower edge of the link mechanism or a steering mechanism directly above the right front wheel, as seen from a front in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state. At least a portion of the left front fender is disposed above a center in the up-down direction of the vehicle body frame between an upper end of a left front wheel and a lower edge of the link mechanism or the steering mechanism directly above the left front wheel, as seen from the front in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body frame;
a handlebar configured to turn relative to the vehicle body frame;
a vehicle body cover, at least a portion of which covers the vehicle body frame;
a right front wheel and a left front wheel arranged side by side in a left-right direction of the vehicle body frame;
a steering mechanism configured to transmit a turning motion of the handlebar to the right front wheel and the left front wheel;
a link mechanism disposed above the right front wheel and the left front wheel, and configured to cause the vehicle body frame to lean relative to a vertical direction by changing positions of the right front wheel and the left front wheel relative to the vehicle body frame; and
a power unit supported by the vehicle body frame and including a drive source; wherein
the vehicle body cover includes:
a link cover portion covering at least a portion of the link mechanism, configured to not be displaced relative to the vehicle body frame, including a front portion disposed forward of rear ends of the right front wheel and the left front wheel in a front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame, and as seen from a front in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame when the vehicle body frame is in an upright state, configured such that a right lower edge of the front portion directly above the right front wheel is disposed above a lower end of the link mechanism or the steering mechanism in an up-down direction of the vehicle body frame, and such that a left lower edge of the front portion directly above the left front wheel is disposed above a lower end of the link mechanism or the steering mechanism in the up-down direction of the vehicle body frame;
a right aerodynamic portion configured to be displaced relative to the vehicle body frame in accordance with an operation of the link mechanism, configured to reduce wind pressure received during travelling of the vehicle by at least one of a portion of the link mechanism, a portion of the steering mechanism, a portion of the vehicle body frame, a portion of the vehicle body cover, and a portion of the power unit, any one of which is located between an upper edge of the right front wheel and the right lower edge of the front portion of the link cover portion, and is located above a center in the up-down direction of the vehicle body frame between an upper end of the right front wheel and a lower edge of the link mechanism or the steering mechanism directly above the right front wheel as seen from the front in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state; and
a left aerodynamic portion configured to be displaced relative to the vehicle body frame in accordance with the operation of the link mechanism, configured to reduce wind pressure received during travelling of the vehicle by at least one of a portion of the link mechanism, a portion of the steering mechanism, a portion of the vehicle body frame, a portion of the vehicle body cover, and a portion of the power unit, any one of which is located between an upper edge of the left front wheel and the left lower edge of the front portion of the link cover portion, and is located above a center in the up-down direction of the vehicle body frame between an upper end of the left front wheel and a lower edge of the link mechanism or the steering mechanism directly above the left front wheel as seen from the front in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state.

2. The vehicle as set forth in claim 1 , wherein a front edge of the right aerodynamic portion is inclined such that at least one of an upper end thereof and a lower end thereof is located behind a front end thereof as seen from a side of the vehicle body frame when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state; and
a front edge of the left aerodynamic portion is inclined such that at least one of an upper end thereof and a lower end thereof is located behind a front end thereof as seen from the side of the vehicle body frame when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state.

3. The vehicle as set forth in claim 1 , wherein a front edge of the right aerodynamic portion is inclined such that at least one of a right end thereof and a left end thereof is located behind a front end thereof as seen from above the vehicle body frame when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state; and
a front edge of the left aerodynamic portion is inclined such that at least one of a right end thereof and a left end thereof is located behind a front end thereof as seen from above the vehicle body frame when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state.

4. The vehicle as set forth in claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the right aerodynamic portion is disposed behind a front end of the right front wheel in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state; and
at least a portion of the left aerodynamic portion is disposed behind a front end of the left front wheel in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state.

5. The vehicle as set forth in claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the right aerodynamic portion is disposed farther forward of the front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame than at least one of portion of the link mechanism, a portion of the steering mechanism, a portion of the vehicle body frame, a portion of the vehicle body cover, and a portion of the power unit, any one of which is located between the upper edge of the right front wheel and the right lower edge of the front portion of the link cover portion, and is located above the center in the up-down direction of the vehicle body frame between an upper end of the right front wheel and a lower edge of the link mechanism or the steering mechanism directly above the right front wheel as seen from the front in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state; and
at least a portion of the left aerodynamic portion is disposed forward of at least one of a portion of the link mechanism, a portion of the steering mechanism, a portion of the vehicle body frame, a portion of the vehicle body cover, and a portion of the power unit, any one of which is located between the upper edge of the left front wheel and the left lower edge of the front portion of the link cover portion, and is located above the center in the up-down direction in the vehicle body frame between an upper end of the left front wheel and a lower edge of the link mechanism or the steering mechanism directly above the left front wheel as seen from the front in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state.

6. The vehicle as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the steering mechanism includes:
a right shock absorber supporting the right front wheel at a lower portion thereof, and configured to buffer displacement of the right front wheel in the up-down direction of the vehicle body frame relative to an upper portion thereof;
a left shock absorber supporting the left front wheel at a lower portion thereof, and configured to buffer displacement of the left front wheel in the up-down direction of the vehicle body frame relative to an upper portion thereof;
a right bracket to which the upper portion of the right shock absorber is fixed;
a left bracket to which the upper portion of the left shock absorber is fixed;
a steering shaft to which the handlebar is attached; and
a transmission mechanism configured to transmit a turning motion of steering shaft to the right bracket and the left bracket; wherein
the right aerodynamic portion is

Assignees

• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sasaki Kaoru
• Ohta Mitsuaki

Classifications

• B62D9/02

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

• B60G2300/122

  Trikes · CPC title

• B60G2200/144

  with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram · CPC title

• B62K5/027 Primary

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

• B62J15/00 Primary

  Mud-guards for wheels · CPC title