Vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9738344-B2
Application number	US-201615279774-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2016
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

In a vehicle, a left cover attached to a left side member covers at least one of a left upper edge of an upper cross member, a left lower edge of the upper cross member, a left upper edge of a lower cross member, and a left lower edge of the lower cross member, from the left in a left-right direction of a body frame together with at least a portion of the left side member. A right cover attached to a right side member covers at least one of a right upper edge of the upper cross member, a right lower edge of the upper cross member, a right upper edge of an upper edge of the lower cross member, and a right lower edge of the lower cross member, from the right in the left-right direction of the body frame together with at least a portion of the right side member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a body frame;
a left front wheel and a right front wheel that are arranged side by side in a left-right direction of the body frame; and
a linkage disposed above the left front wheel and the right front wheel in an up-down direction of the body frame, and that changes positions of the left front wheel and the right front wheel relative to the body frame to cause the body frame to lean to left or right of the vehicle; wherein
the linkage includes an upper cross member, a lower cross member, a left side member, and a right side member;
the upper cross member, the lower cross member, the left side member, and the right side member are connected such that the upper cross member and the lower cross member maintain postures that are parallel to each other, and such that the left side member and the right side member maintain postures that are parallel to each other;
the vehicle further includes:
a left cover attached to the left side member; and
a right cover attached to the right side member;

the left cover covers at least one of:
a left upper edge defining a portion of an upper edge of the upper cross member, and overlapping the left side member as viewed from a front in a front-rear direction of the body frame;
a left lower edge defining a portion of a lower edge of the upper cross member, and overlapping the left side member as viewed from the front in the front-rear direction of the body frame;
a left upper edge defining a portion of an upper edge of the lower cross member, and overlapping the left side member as viewed from the front in the front-rear direction of the body frame; and
a left lower edge defining a portion of a lower edge of the lower cross member, and overlapping the left side member as viewed from the front in the front-rear direction of the body frame, and from a left in the left-right direction of the body frame together with at least a portion of the left side member; and

the right cover covers at least one of:
a right upper edge defining a portion of an upper edge of the upper cross member, and overlapping the right side member as viewed from the front in the front-rear direction of the body frame;
a right lower edge defining a portion of a lower edge of the upper cross member, and overlapping the right side member as viewed from the front in the front-rear direction of the body frame;
a right upper edge defining a portion of an upper edge of the lower cross member, and overlapping the right side member as viewed from the front in the front-rear direction of the body frame; and
a right lower edge defining a portion of a lower edge of the lower cross member, and overlapping the right side member as viewed from the front in the front-rear direction of the body frame, and from a right in the left-right direction of the body frame together with at least a portion of the right side member.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the left cover covers the left upper edge of the lower cross member and the left lower edge of the lower cross member from the left in the left-right direction of the body frame, and the right cover covers the right upper edge of the lower cross member and the right lower edge of the lower cross member from the right in the left-right direction of the body frame.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the left cover covers the left lower edge of the upper cross member from the left in the left-right direction of the body frame, and the right cover covers the right lower edge of the upper cross member from the right in the left-right direction of the body frame.

4. The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the lower cross member is connected to a lower intermediate connector so as to be able to turn about a lower intermediate connecting axis;
the lower cross member includes:
a front element disposed directly ahead of the lower intermediate connector in a direction along the lower intermediate connecting axis; and
a rear element disposed directly behind the lower intermediate connector in the direction along the lower intermediate connecting axis;

the left upper edge of the lower cross member includes:
a left upper edge defining a portion of an upper edge of the front element, and overlapping the left side member as viewed from the front in the front-rear direction of the body frame; and
a left upper edge defining a portion of an upper edge of the rear element, and overlapping the left side member as viewed from the front in the front-rear direction of the body frame;

the left lower edge of the lower cross member includes:
a left lower edge defining a portion of a lower edge of the front element, and overlapping the left side member as viewed from the front in the front-rear direction of the body frame; and
a left lower edge defining a portion of a lower edge of the rear element, and overlapping the left side member as viewed from the front in the front-rear direction of the body frame;

the right upper edge of the lower cross member includes:
a right upper edge defining a portion of the upper edge of the front element, and overlapping the right side member as viewed from the front in the front-rear direction of the body frame; and
a right upper edge defining a portion of the upper edge of the rear element, and overlapping the right side member as viewed from the front in the front-rear direction of the body frame; and

the right lower edge of the lower cross member includes:
a right lower edge defining a portion of the lower edge of the front element, and overlapping the right side member as viewed from the front in the front-rear direction of the body frame; and
a right lower edge defining a portion of the lower edge of the rear element, and overlapping the right side member as viewed from the front in the front-rear direction of the body frame.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a left suspension supporting the left front wheel and supported on the left side member; and
a right suspension supporting the right front wheel and supported on the right side member; wherein
the left cover at least partially covers the left suspension from the left in the left-right direction of the body frame; and
the right cover at least partially covers the right suspension from the right in the left-right direction of the body frame.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the left cover covers at least one of the left upper edge of the upper cross member, the left lower edge of the upper cross member, the left upper edge of the lower cross member, and the left lower edge of the lower cross member, from the front in the front-rear direction of the body frame; and
the right cover covers at least one of the right upper edge of the upper cross member, the right lower edge of the upper cross member, the right upper edge of the lower cross member, and the right lower edge of the lower cross member, from the front in the front-rear direction of the body frame.

7. The vehicle according to claim 6 , further comprising:
an exterior portion supported at a position between the left side member and the right side member as viewed from the front in the front-rear direction of the body frame; wherein
the left cover and the right cover overlap the exterior portion as viewed from the front in the front-rear direction when the vehicle is in an upright state.

8. The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of left attachments spaced apart from each other in a direction in which the left side member extends; and
a plurality of right attachments spaced apart from each other in a direction in which the right side member extends; wherein
the left cover is attached to the left side member

Assignees

• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hirakawa Nobuhiko

Classifications

• B60G2300/122

  Trikes · CPC title

• B62K5/08

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

• B60G21/026

  transversally · CPC title

• B62K2005/001

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

• B62K5/10 Primary

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