Vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9862448-B2
Application number	US-201615279751-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2016
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

In a vehicle, a left shock absorber is disposed such that a left telescopic axis is positioned on the left of a left steering axis in a left-right direction of a body frame when a vehicle in which the body frame is standing upright is viewed from a front in a front-rear direction of the body frame. A right shock absorber is disposed such that a right telescopic axis is positioned on the right of a right steering axis in the left-right direction of the body frame when the vehicle in which the body frame is standing upright is viewed from the front in the front-rear direction of the body frame.

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;
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 the left or to the right of the vehicle;
a left telescopic suspension that supports the left front wheel and attenuates or absorbs a displacement of the left front wheel toward the linkage in the up-down direction of the body frame; and
a right telescopic suspension that supports the right front wheel and attenuates or absorbs a displacement of the right front wheel toward the linkage in the up-down direction of the body frame; wherein
the linkage includes:
an upper cross member;
a lower cross member disposed below the upper cross member in the up-down direction of the body frame;
a left side member disposed above the left front wheel in the up-down direction of the body frame and that supports the left telescopic suspension such that the left telescopic suspension is able to turn about a left steering axis extending in the up-down direction of the body frame;
a right side member disposed above the right front wheel in the up-down direction of the body frame and that supports the right telescopic suspension such that the right telescopic suspension is able to turn about a right steering axis extending in the up-down direction of the body frame; wherein
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 left telescopic suspension includes:
a left shock absorber including a left inner portion and a left outer portion that are movable relative to each other along a left telescopic axis extending in the up-down direction of the body frame; and
a left turn restrictor including a left guide portion and a left guided portion that are movable relative to each other in a direction parallel to the left telescopic axis and that restrict relative turning of the left inner portion and the left outer portion; wherein
one of the left inner portion and the left outer portion supports the left front wheel;
the other one of the left inner portion and the left outer portion is supported by the left side member;
one of the left guide portion and the left guided portion is connected to the left inner portion;
the other one of the left guide portion and the left guided portion is connected to the left outer portion;

the right telescopic suspension includes:
a right shock absorber including a right inner portion and a right outer portion that are movable relative to each other along a right telescopic axis extending in the up-down direction of the body frame; and
a right turn restrictor including a right guide portion and a right guided portion that are movable relative to each other in a direction parallel to the right telescopic axis and that restrict relative turning of the right inner portion and the right outer portion; wherein
one of the right inner portion and the right outer portion supports the right front wheel;
the other one of the right inner portion and the right outer portion is supported by the right side member;
one of the right guide portion and the right guided portion is connected to the right inner portion;
the other one of the right guide portion and the right guided portion is connected to the right outer portion;

a distance between the left steering axis and a left end of the lower cross member in the left-right direction of the body frame is shorter than a distance between the left steering axis and the right steering axis in the left-right direction of the body frame when the vehicle in which the body frame is standing upright is viewed from a front in a front-rear direction of the body frame;
a distance between the right steering axis and a right end of the lower cross member in the left-right direction of the body frame is shorter than a distance between the left steering axis and the right steering axis in the left-right direction of the body frame when the vehicle in which the body frame is standing upright is viewed from the front in the front-rear direction of the body frame;
the left shock absorber is disposed such that the left telescopic axis is positioned on the left of the left steering axis in the left-right direction of the body frame when the vehicle in which the body frame is standing upright is viewed from the front in the front-rear direction of the body frame;
the right shock absorber is disposed such that the right telescopic axis is positioned on the right of the right steering axis in the left-right direction of the body frame when the vehicle in which the body frame is standing upright is viewed from the front in the front-rear direction of the body frame.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the lower cross member is axisymmetric with a left edge of the left telescopic suspension relative to the left steering axis when the body frame is caused to lean to the left at a maximum angle; and
the lower cross member is axisymmetric with a right edge of the right telescopic suspension relative to the right steering axis when the body frame is caused to lean to the right at a maximum angle.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a left portion of the lower cross member is supported on a lower portion of the left side member such that the left portion of the lower cross member is able to turn about a lower left connecting axis extending in the front-rear direction of the body frame;
a right portion of the lower cross member is supported on a lower portion of the right side member such that the right portion of the lower cross member is able to turn about a lower right connecting axis extending in the front-rear direction of the body frame;
the lower cross member includes a left recess at a left peripheral edge that is positioned on the left of the lower left connecting axis in the left-right direction of the body frame;
the lower cross member includes a right recess at a right peripheral edge that is positioned on the right of the lower right connecting axis in the left-right direction of the body frame;
a portion of the right telescopic suspension is able to enter the right recess at least when the body frame is caused to lean from an upright state thereof to the left at a maximum angle; and
a portion of the left telescopic suspension is able to enter the left recess at least when the body frame is caused to lean from the upright state thereof to the right at a maximum angle.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein an upper end of the left recess and an upper end of the right recess in the up-down direction of the body frame are positioned above a straight line connecting the lower left connecting axis and the lower right connecting axis in the up-down direction of the body frame.

5. The vehicle according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a steering member that is able to turn about a turn axis relative to the body frame; and
a steering force transmission that causes the left telescopic suspension and the right telescopic suspension to turn in a direction that the steering member is turned; wherein
the portion of the left telescopic suspension in the left recess is movable within the left recess in accordance with the turning of the left telescopic suspension about the left steering axis;
the left recess is structured such that a

Assignees

• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hirakawa Nobuhiko
• Takano Kazuhisa

Classifications

• B60G13/005

  characterised by the mounting on the axle or suspension arm of the damper unit · CPC title

• B62K5/027

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

• B62K21/18

  Connections between forks and handlebars or handlebar stems · CPC title

• B62K2005/001

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

• B60G2300/122

  Trikes · CPC title