Leaning vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9527543-B2
Application number	US-201414898432-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2014
Priority date	Jun 14, 2013
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

A leaning vehicle has a frame, a motor, a shock tower pivotally connected to the frame about a frame leaning axis, front left and right ground engaging members connected to the shock tower via front left and right suspension assemblies, a steering assembly, a rear suspension assembly, and at least one rear ground engaging member. The front left and right suspension assemblies each include a lower suspension arm having a first end pivotally connected about a pivoting axis to the lower end of the shock tower and a second end pivotally connected about a tilting axis to its corresponding front ground engaging member, and a shock absorber having an upper end connected to the upper end of the shock tower and a lower end connected to the lower suspension arm. The frame is pivotable about the frame leaning axis relative to the pivoting axes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A leaning vehicle comprising:
a frame having a front portion and a rear portion;
a shock tower having an upper end and a lower end, the lower end of the shock tower being pivotally connected to the frame about a frame leaning axis about which the frame can pivot to a right side and to a left side relative to the shock tower;
a front left ground engaging member and a front right ground engaging member connected to the shock tower via a front left suspension assembly and a front right suspension assembly respectively;
a steering assembly having a rotatable steering column supported by the frame and being operatively connected to the front left ground engaging member and the front right ground engaging member;
a rear suspension assembly connected to the rear portion of the frame;
at least one rear ground engaging member connected to the rear suspension assembly; and
a motor operatively connected to at least one of the ground engaging members;
the front left suspension assembly including:
a lower left suspension arm having a first end and a second end, the first end being pivotally connected about a left pivoting axis to the lower end of the shock tower and the second end being pivotally connected about a left tilting axis to the front left ground engaging member; and
a left shock absorber having an upper end connected to the upper end of the shock tower and a lower end connected to the lower left suspension arm, the front right suspension assembly including:
a lower right suspension arm having a first end and a second end, the first end being pivotally connected about a right pivoting axis to the lower end of the shock tower and the second end being pivotally connected about a right tilting axis to the front right ground engaging member; and
a right shock absorber having an upper end connected to the upper end of the shock tower and a lower end connected to the lower right suspension arm, the frame being pivotable about the frame leaning axis relative to the left and right pivoting axes.

2. The leaning vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the front left ground engaging member is a front left wheel, the front right ground engaging member is a front right wheel, and the at least one rear ground engaging member is at least one rear wheel.

3. The leaning vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the at least one rear wheel is a single rear wheel.

4. The leaning vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the left pivoting axis is a lower left pivoting axis, the left tilting axis is a lower left tilting axis, the right pivoting axis is a lower right pivoting axis, and the right tilting axis is an lower right tilting axis;
wherein the front left suspension assembly further includes an upper left suspension arm having a first end and a second end, the first end being pivotally connected about an upper left pivoting axis to the frame and the second end being pivotally connected about an upper left tilting axis to the front left ground engaging member;
wherein the front right suspension assembly further includes an upper right suspension arm having a first end and a second end, the first end being pivotally connected about an upper right pivoting axis to the frame and the second end being pivotally connected about an upper right tilting axis to the front right ground engaging member; and
wherein the upper left and right pivoting axes are pivotable about the frame leaning axis with the frame.

5. The leaning vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a lock selectively preventing relative movement between the frame and the shock tower about the frame leaning axis.

6. The leaning vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the left pivoting axis is disposed to a left of the frame leaning axis; and
wherein the right pivoting axis is disposed to a right of the frame leaning axis.

7. The leaning vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the left and right pivoting axes are disposed closer to the upper end of the shock tower than the frame leaning axis.

8. The leaning vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first end of the lower left suspension arm and the first end of the lower right suspension arm are each pivotally connected to the shock tower by a pin; and
further comprising at least one bushing disposed between each pin and the first end of its corresponding lower suspension arm.

9. The leaning vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the left and right pivoting axes are parallel to each other.

10. The leaning vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the left and right pivoting axes are parallel to the frame leaning axis.

11. The leaning vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a line passing through the left and right pivoting axes remains horizontal regardless of a position of the frame relative to the shock tower.

12. The leaning vehicle of claim 3 , wherein an axis of rotation of the rear wheel defines a first plane, the first plane being parallel to a second plane containing the left and right pivoting axes when the frame is in an upright position, and the first plane intersects the second plane when the frame is pivoted to one of the right side and the left side relative to the shock tower.

13. The leaning vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a first plane containing the frame leaning axis and passing through a center of the steering column is disposed at an acute angle to a second plane containing the left and right pivoting axes when the frame is pivoted to one of the right side and the left side relative to the shock tower.

Assignees

• Bombardier Recreational Products Inc

Inventors

• Mercier Daniel

Classifications

• B62K5/08

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

• B62K5/05

  characterised by a single rear wheel · CPC title

• B62K5/10 Primary

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

• B62K2005/001

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

• B62K5/027

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