Leaning vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9981708-B2
Application number	US-201615279754-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2016
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

In a vehicle, a portion of an upper cross member and a portion of a lower cross member at least temporarily overlap each other without coming into contact with each other when a body frame of the vehicle is caused to lean from an upright state to the left or the right with a maximum angle, as viewed from a front in a direction along a lower intermediate connecting axis.

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, disposed behind a front end of the left front wheel and a front end of the right front wheel in a front-rear 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; 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 is connected to the body frame so as to be able to turn about an upper intermediate connecting axis;
the lower cross member is connected to the body frame so as to be able to turn about a lower intermediate connecting axis;
a left portion of the upper cross member is connected to an upper portion of the left side member so as to be able to turn about an upper left connecting axis;
a right portion of the upper cross member is connected to an upper portion of the right side member so as to be able to turn about an upper right connecting axis;
a left portion of the lower cross member is connected to a lower portion of the left side member so as to be able to turn about a lower left connecting axis;
a right portion of the lower cross member is connected to a lower portion of the right side member so as to be able to turn about a lower right connecting axis; and
a portion of the upper cross member and a portion of the lower cross member at least temporarily overlap each other without coming into contact with each other when the body frame is caused to lean from an upright state to the left or to the right at a maximum angle, as viewed from a front of the vehicle in a direction along the lower intermediate connecting axis.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the portion of the upper cross member and the portion of the lower cross member overlap each other when the body frame is caused to lean to the left or to the right of the vehicle at the maximum angle, as viewed from the front of the vehicle in the direction along the lower intermediate connecting axis.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a portion of the lower cross member that is positioned directly above the lower intermediate connecting axis overlaps the upper cross member, as viewed from the front of the vehicle in the direction along the lower intermediate connecting axis.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a portion of a front surface of the upper cross member faces a portion of a rear surface of the lower cross member when the portion of the upper cross member overlaps the portion of the lower cross member.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein a front surface of the lower cross member includes a first portion that corresponds to the rear surface, and a second portion that does not correspond to the rear surface; and
the first portion is positioned ahead of the second portion in the direction along the lower intermediate connecting axis.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a maximum width of the upper cross member in the up-down direction of the body frame is smaller than a maximum width of the lower cross member in the up-down direction of the body frame.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the left front wheel is able to turn about a left steering axis extending in a direction along the left side member;
the right front wheel is able to turn about a right steering axis extending in a direction along the right side member;
the left portion of the upper cross member is connected to the upper portion of the left side member via an upper left connecting portion;
the right portion of the upper cross member is connected to the upper portion of the right side member via an upper right connecting portion;
the left portion of the lower cross member is connected to the lower portion of the left side member via a lower left connecting portion;
the right portion of the lower cross member is connected to the lower portion of the right side member via a lower right connecting portion;
a distance in a direction along the lower left connecting axis between the left steering axis and an end portion of the lower left connecting portion that is farthest from the left steering axis is longer than a distance in the direction along the upper left connecting axis between the left steering axis and an end portion of upper left connecting portion that is farthest from the left steering axis; and
a distance in a direction along the lower right connecting axis between the right steering axis and an end portion of the lower right connecting portion that is farthest from the right steering axis is longer than a distance in the direction along the upper right connecting axis between the right steering axis and an end portion of upper right connecting portion that is farthest from the right steering axis.

8. The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a left suspension supporting the left front wheel and supported by the left side member so as to be able to turn relative to the left side member;
a right suspension supporting the right front wheel and supported by the right side member so as to be able to turn relative to the right side member;
an upper left side bearing holding the left suspension at the upper portion of the left side member;
a lower left side bearing holding the left suspension at the lower portion of the left side member;
an upper right side bearing holding the right suspension at the upper portion of the right side member; and
a lower right side bearing holding the right suspension at the lower portion of the right side member; wherein
a lowermost end of the lower left side bearing and a lowermost end of the lower right side bearing are positioned below a lower end of the lower cross member when the body frame is in the upright state.

Assignees

• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ohno Kohsuke

Classifications

• B62K11/04

  characterised by the engine being between front and rear wheels · CPC title

• B62K5/08 Primary

  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

• B62K2005/001

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

• B60G2300/122

  Trikes · CPC title