Vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9545967-B2
Application number	US-201314652832-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2013
Priority date	Dec 19, 2012
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

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. An upper right displacement and an upper left displacement that result when a rearward test force is exerted individually on a lower right portion and a lower left portion that support the lower cross portion with the lower cross portion removed are larger than a lower right displacement and a lower left displacement that result when a force that is equal or substantially equal in magnitude and direction as the forces exerted on the lower right and left portions is exerted individually on an upper right portion and a upper left portion that support the upper cross member with the upper cross portion removed.

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 side by side in a left-and-right direction as seen from a front of the vehicle and that are configured to be steered;
a right shock absorbing device that supports the right front wheel at a lower portion thereof and 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 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 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 thereof 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 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 about a lower left axis that is parallel or substantially parallel to the upper left axis via a lower left bearing, and a middle portion 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 the left-and-right direction of the vehicle body frame, and including an upper end portion above the lower middle axis in the up-and-down direction of the vehicle body frame 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 turning transmission mechanism configured to transfer a turning motion of the steering shaft to the right shock absorbing device and the left shock absorbing device according to an operation of the handlebar; 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 a direction of the lower right axis is exerted on the lower portion of the right side portion 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 lower portion of the left side portion 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 upper portion of the right side portion 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 upper portion of the left side portion are equal or substantially equal to each other;
the upper right displacement of the upper cross portion is larger than the lower right displacement of the lower cross portion; and
the upper left displacement of the upper cross portion is larger than the lower left displacement of the lower cross portion.

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

3. The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein a shape of the upper cross portion is smaller than a shape of the lower cross portion.

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

5. The vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein a volume of the upper cross portion is smaller than a volume of the lower cross portion.

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

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

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

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

10. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle body frame includes a link supporting portion that turnably supports the upper cross portion and the lower cross portion; and
the upper cross portion includes an upper front portion located forward of the link supporting portion in the direction of the upper right axis and an upper rear portion located rearward of the link supporting portion in the direction of the upper right axis.

11. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle body frame includes a link supporting portion that turnably supports the upper cross portion and the lower cross portion; and
the lower cross portion includes a lower front portion located forward of the link supporting portion in the direction of the lower right axis and a lower rear portion located rearward of the link supporting portion in the direction of the lower right axis.

12. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the vehicle body frame includes a link supporting portion that turnably supports the upper cross portion and the lower cross portion; and
the upper cross portion or the lower cross portion is provided only either forward of or rearward of the link supporting portion and is not provided both forward of and rearward of the link supporting portion.

13. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a front end of the upper cross portion and a front end of the lower cross portion are arra

Assignees

• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Takano Kazuhisa

Classifications

• B62K5/10 Primary

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

• B62K21/00

  Steering devices · CPC title

• B62K5/027

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

• B62K5/08

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

• B62K2202/00

  Motorised scooters · CPC title