Rolling type vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9855807-B2
Application number	US-201615016760-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2016
Priority date	Feb 10, 2015
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

In a rolling type vehicle including a pair of left and right front wheels wherein a vehicle body is capable of rolling, the spacing between left and right front wheels is maintained as a small spacing while providing an actuator for controlling the inclination angle (lean angle) of a vehicle body. The rolling type vehicle includes left and right upper arms, and lower arms for supporting the left and right front wheels on the vehicle body with a shock absorber support arm swingably supported by the vehicle body and connected to the left and right lower arms through shock absorber units. An actuator is capable of controlling the swinging of the shock absorber support arm. The actuator forms a front suspension frame body of a closed structure together with a vehicle body side frame.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rolling vehicle having left and right front wheels and having a vehicle body capable of rolling, the rolling vehicle comprising:
left and right arm members supported in a swingable manner by the vehicle body on inner sides in a transverse direction and which respectively support the left and right front wheels on outer sides in the transverse direction, respectively;
a shock absorber support arm supported by the vehicle body at a transversely central portion thereof, said shock absorber support arm being connected to the left and right arm members through shock absorber units on outer sides in the transverse direction, respectively;
an actuator applying torque to the shock absorber support arm for controlling the swinging of the shock absorber support arm;
a first swing arm extending upwardly from the actuator; and
a second swing arm extending upwardly from the shock absorber support arm, the first swing arm coupled to the second swing arm,
wherein the actuator is continuously operable to apply torque to the shock absorber support arm.

2. The rolling vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator is disposed upwardly of the left and right arm members in a central area in the transverse direction.

3. The rolling vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the left and right arm members each include an upper arm and a lower arm,
wherein the vehicle body side frame includes an opening portion opening to an upper side, wherein the actuator is connected to the vehicle body side frame so as to straddle and close the opening portion upwardly of the opening portion, and
wherein the upper arms are supported in the opening portion.

4. The rolling vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein each upper arm has an end portion supported by the vehicle body side frame, the end portion branched into a front base portion and a rear base portion, and wherein the rear base portions of the upper arms are supported in the opening portion.

5. The rolling vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator has an output portion coaxial with a shaft support portion of the shock absorber support arm.

6. The rolling vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator is an electric motor.

7. The rolling vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a load sensor between the first swing arm and the second swing arm, the load sensor measuring a load transmitted between the first swing arm and second swing arm.

8. The rolling vehicle according to claim 7 , further comprising a control unit receiving a signal from the load sensor regarding the load transmitted between the first swing arm and second swing arm and controlling the actuator.

9. The rolling vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a load sensor between the actuator and the shock absorber support arm, the load sensor measuring the load transmitted between the actuator and the shock absorber support arm.

10. A suspension system for a vehicle comprising:
left and right arm members supported in a swingable manner by a vehicle body on inner sides in a transverse direction for supporting left and right front wheels on outer sides in the transverse direction, respectively;
a shock absorber support arm supported by the vehicle body at a transversely central portion thereof, said shock absorber support arm being connected to the left and right arm members through shock absorber units on outer sides in the transverse direction, respectively; and
an actuator for controlling the swinging of the shock absorber support arm, said actuator being continuously operable to apply torque to the shock absorber support arm,
wherein the left and right arm members each include an upper arm and a lower arm,
wherein each lower arm includes a rear arm and a longitudinal beam extending rearwardly from the rear arm toward the shock absorber support arm,
wherein the longitudinal beam has an end connected to one of the shock absorber units, and
wherein the actuator is disposed between of the arm members and the shock absorber support arm.

11. The suspension system for a vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the actuator is disposed upwardly of the left and right arm members in a central area in the transverse direction.

12. The suspension system for a vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the left and right arm members each include an upper arm and a lower arm;
wherein the vehicle body side frame includes an opening portion opening to an upper side, wherein the actuator is connected to the vehicle body side frame so as to straddle and close the opening portion upwardly of the opening portion, and
wherein the upper arms are supported in the opening portion.

13. The suspension system for a vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein each upper arm has an end portion supported by the vehicle body side frame, the end portion branched into a front base portion and a rear base portion, and
wherein the rear base portions of the upper arms are supported in the opening portion.

14. The suspension system for a vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the actuator has an output portion coaxial with a shaft support portion of the shock absorber support arm.

15. The suspension system for a vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the actuator is an electric motor.

16. The suspension system for a vehicle according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a first swing arm extending from the actuator;
a second swing arm extending from the shock absorber support arm, the first swing arm coupled to the second swing arm.

17. The suspension system for a vehicle according to claim 16 , further comprising a load sensor between the first swing arm and the second swing arm, the load sensor measuring a load transmitted between the first swing arm and second swing arm.

18. The suspension system for a vehicle according to claim 17 , further comprising a control unit receiving a signal from the load sensor regarding the load transmitted between the first swing arm and second swing arm and controlling the actuator.

19. The suspension system for a vehicle according to claim 10 , further comprising a load sensor between the actuator and the shock absorber support arm, the load sensor measuring the load transmitted between the actuator and the shock absorber support arm.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Mori Yotaro

Classifications

• B62K5/027

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

• B62D9/02 Primary

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

• B62J45/4151

  for sensing lateral inclination of the cycle · CPC title

• B62K5/08

  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