JPH0342388A - Running vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To lower the position of the center of gravity of a car body and to increase tank capacity by a method wherein, in a scooter type running vehicle in which a drive unit for driving a rear wheel is vertically rockably mounted to a car body, a fuel tank is disposed in front of a pivotally coupling part between the drive unit and the car body. CONSTITUTION:A motor tricycle is formed with a front car body 2 being of low floor type structure similar to that of the car body of a scooter and a rear car body 3 vertically rockably coupled to a rear subframe 17 located on the under surface of the rear of the front car body 2 and extended rearwardly. In the motor tricycle, the rear car body 3 has a rear fork 18 pivotally mounted to a rear subframe 17 by means of a pin 19. A drive unit 22 formed with a case 21 in which an engine 20, a crank case, and a transmission and reduction mechanism are mounted is mounted on the rear fork 18 to drive left and right rear wheels 23. In this case, a protrusion part 132 formed in boxform shape in cross section and having a given width is formed on the central part, in the direction of the width of a floor part 6, of the front car body 2, and a fuel tank 26 and a battery 30 are contained therein.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention provides a vehicle body equipped with front wheels and a low-floor footrest.
The present invention relates to the arrangement structure of a fuel tank in a traveling vehicle such as a motorcycle or a tricycle, which has a rear wheel and is pivotally connected to a drive unit integrated with an engine so as to be able to swing vertically.

[Prior art] In this type of motorcycles and three-wheeled vehicles, conventional technology
As known from Publication No. 3-123750, etc., the low floor type Yi
Generally, a drive unit integrated with the engine is pivoted to the vehicle body behind the C21 section so as to be able to swing vertically, and a seat and a fuel tank are disposed above the drive unit.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] However, when the fuel tank is placed above the drive unit, the fuel tank and the drive unit, especially the rear wheels, etc., protrude upward to prevent interference with vertical swinging of the drive unit. It was difficult to increase tank capacity and lower the center of gravity because sufficient space had to be left between large parts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a traveling vehicle in which the fuel tank of this type of motorcycle, three-wheeled vehicle, etc. can be increased in tank capacity by lowering the center of gravity of the vehicle body and not moving closer to the drive unit of the rear wheels. There is a particular thing.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has a vehicle body equipped with a front wheel and a low-floor footrest, and a rear wheel that moves the drive unit integrated with the machine up and down. The traveling vehicle is pivotably connected to each other in a swingable manner, and is characterized in that a fuel tank is disposed in front of a pivotally connected portion of the drive unit to the vehicle body.

[Function] Since the fuel tank is located forward of the pivot connection between the rear wheel drive unit and the vehicle body, the center of gravity of the vehicle can be lowered, and the position where the rear wheel drive unit is connected to the vehicle body can be lowered. Since the amount of dynamic displacement is small, the rear surface of the tank can be brought closer to the engine side, thus increasing the tank capacity.

[Example] Examples will be described below based on the accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an example of a running vehicle to which the present invention is applied.
In the figure, the traveling vehicle is a tricycle 1, which consists of a front body 2 and a rear body 3.

The front body 2 has a low-floor structure similar to that of a scooter, and has a front fender section 4 at the very front. It has a front part 5 that slopes diagonally rearward and downward from the rear end, and a floor part 6 that extends flatly rearward at a low position from the rear end. The floor part 6 is configured to rest the left and right feet, and a box-shaped raised wall part 7 is provided at the rear of the floor part 6 so as to cross the widthwise part. prevent movement,
It functions as a foot guard to prevent feet from interfering with the swinging rear vehicle body 3.

A support post 9 for a front fork 8 is installed on the front part 5 of the front vehicle body 2, and the front fork 8 is installed longitudinally on this support post 9. A front wheel 10 forming one steering wheel is supported. A bar handle 11 is provided at the upper end of the upwardly extending portion of the support post 9 of the front fork 8, and a case 12 for storing and supporting a headlight and instruments is provided at this portion. Further, a seat post 13 is provided upright on the central portion of the vaginal wall 7 at the rear of the front vehicle body 2, and a seat 14 for a passenger is placed on the post 13.

A rear subframe 17 extends rearward on the rear lower surface of the front vehicle body 2, and a rear fork 1 is attached to this rear subframe 17.
8 and 19 are pivotally connected to each other so that they can freely swing up and down using a pivot pin 19 as a fulcrum. And on the rear fork 18 is the engine 2.
0. A case 21 containing a crankcase, transmission, and deceleration mechanism is installed, and a drive unit 22 including these is arranged between rear wheels 23 and 23 forming two drive wheels. The drive unit 22 is housed within the outline of the rear wheel 23, and is therefore hidden from the side by the rear wheel 23. The muffler 24 is also housed within the outline of the rear wheel, and furthermore, above the left and right rear wheels 23.23. A rear fender member 25 is provided to cover the upper side of the drive unit 22.

A convex portion 132 having a box-shaped cross section and a predetermined width is provided in the widthwise central portion of the floor portion 6 of the front vehicle body 2 in the longitudinal direction. Footrests 106, 106 are formed on the left and right sides of this convex portion 132, and the width of the footrests 106106 is set to a width necessary and sufficient to place the feet. Further, the front part of the footrest part 106 is
As shown in the figure, it is inclined forward and upward along the front part 5 of the vehicle body. The front part of the footrest section 106, which is tilted upward, allows the occupant to stretch out his or her feet and place them thereon, thereby improving the footrest.

A battery 30 is placed in front of the box-shaped space of a convex portion 132 formed in a bulge in the center of the floor portion 6 between the left and right footrests 106, 106, as shown in the figure. A fuel tank 26 is housed at the rear. By housing the fuel tank 26 in the box-shaped space of the convex part 132 formed in the center of the floor part 6 between the left and right footrests 106, 106, the fuel tank 26 can be protected from above. Of course, protection is also provided from both left and right forces.

Here, the fuel cap 27 of the fuel tank 26 has a convex portion 1
The injection cap 27 protrudes upward from the upper surface 132a of the seat 32, and the injection cap 27 is positioned close to the vaginal wall 7 so as to face below the front end of the seat 14.

By the way, the convex portion 132 has a structure as shown in a cross-sectional view in FIG. 3. That is, FIG. 3 shows that the front vehicle body 2 is constructed of a pipe frame 202, and the pipe frame 202 has left and right pipe elements 202a, 202a spaced apart from each other to the left and right and extends in the front-rear direction, and left and right plate-shaped parts are mounted on the pipe frame 202. Footrests 206°206 are provided, and a space 2 is provided between them.
33 is formed. A fuel tank 26 is disposed within this space 233, and a lower portion of the fuel tank 26 protrudes below the pipe elements 202a, 202a. and an undercover 234 that covers the space 233 from below.
This under cover 234 is provided with a footrest 206.
, 206 to connect both ends of the left side to the pipe elements 202a, 2.
02a is sandwiched between them. Furthermore, an upper cover 235 is provided to cover the space 233 from above. Further, the front part of the undercover 234 is inclined upwardly toward the front along the front part 5 of the vehicle body, as shown in FIG. This undercover 234 protects the fuel tank 26 etc. from the road surface, and the undercover 234 is inclined upward in the front.
The front section also protects the vehicle from obstacles on the road, from climbing over curbs, and from flying stones.

As described above, the tricycle l to which the present invention is applied has rear wheels 23
Since the fuel tank 26 is disposed on the floor portion 6 side in front of the pivot connection portion of the drive unit 22 with the front vehicle body 2, that is, the connection portion of the rear fork 18 to the rear subframe 17 by the pivot pin 19, Since the center of gravity of the vehicle has been lowered and the amount of rocking displacement of the connection position of the rear wheel drive unit 22 on the vehicle body side is small, the rear surface of the tank 26 is connected to the engine 2.
It is also possible to increase the tank capacity by moving closer to the 0 side.

In addition, since the fuel tank 26 is attached to the rear part of the floor part 6, the front vehicle body zv that connects and supports the rear wheel drive unit 22
Rigidity near section k is also improved.

In the embodiments, an example of application to a three-wheeled motor vehicle has been described, but it goes without saying that the present invention can also be applied to a two-wheeled motor vehicle.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, a drive unit having a rear wheel and integrated with an engine is pivotally mounted to a vehicle body having a front wheel and a low-floor footrest so as to be able to swing vertically. In a connected running vehicle, the fuel tank is placed forward of the pivot joint between the rear wheel drive unit and the vehicle body, which lowers the center of gravity of the vehicle body. Since the amount of rocking displacement at the connection position is small, the rear surface of the tank can be brought closer to the engine side, thus making it possible to increase the size of the tank.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a tricycle as an example of a traveling vehicle to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 2 is an open plan view, and FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional front view of a footrest in a portion where a fuel tank is provided. In addition, in 1 drawing, 2 is the car body (front car body), 6 is the floor part, 10
14 is a front wheel, 14 is a seat, 18 is a carrier fork, 19 is a pivot pin, 20 is an engine, 22 is a drive unit, 23 is a rear wheel, 26 is a fuel tank, and 106.206 is a footrest.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A traveling vehicle in which a drive unit having a rear wheel and integrated with an engine is pivotally connected to a vehicle body having front wheels and a low-floor footrest so as to be able to swing vertically, wherein the vehicle body of the drive unit and A traveling vehicle characterized in that a fuel tank is disposed in front of a pivot joint.