JP2007030802A - Vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle capable of enhancing the turning performance, performing the consistent turn, reducing the burden of a driver, and ensuring the comfortability. <P>SOLUTION: The vehicle is controlled during the turn so that a turning inner wheel out of right and left wheels 12L, 12R is located on an upper side of a vehicle body 11 relative to a turning outer wheel, the vehicle height on the turning inner wheel side is lower than the vehicle height on the turning outer wheel side. Thus, during the turn, the vehicle body 11 is inclined to the turning inner wheel side (i.e., the vehicle height on the turning inner wheel side is smaller than the vehicle height on the turning outer wheel side), and the center of gravity of the vehicle body 11 can be moved to the turning inner wheel side, and accordingly, more weight of the vehicle body can be applied to the turning inner wheel. As a result, the resistance to the centrifugal force cf can be increased, the raise of the turning inner wheel can be prevented, and the turning performance can be enhanced. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle including a vehicle body on which an occupant can ride, left and right wheels provided on the vehicle body, and rotation driving means for applying a rotation driving force to the left and right wheels. The present invention relates to a vehicle that can perform a stable turn, reduce the burden on the driver, and ensure comfort.

  In recent years, in view of the problem of depletion of energy resources, there has been a strong demand for fuel saving of vehicles. On the other hand, the number of vehicle owners has increased due to the low price of vehicles, and one person tends to own one vehicle. Therefore, for example, there is a problem that energy is wasted when only one driver drives a four-seater vehicle.

  Therefore, various studies have been conducted to reduce the size of the vehicle and save fuel. The most efficient way to save fuel consumption by reducing the size of the vehicle is to configure the vehicle as a two-wheeled vehicle with one person.

As such a single-seat two-wheeled vehicle, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-75070 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-94898 disclose a type of vehicle in which a driver rides in a standing posture. On the other hand, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-145296 discloses a type of vehicle in which a driver gets in a sitting posture (Patent Documents 1 to 3).
JP-A-2005-75070 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-94898 JP 2005-145296 A

  However, in the above-described conventional vehicle (single-seat two-wheeled vehicle), the wheel tread must be made extremely narrow in order to reduce the size, and therefore, when turning, due to the lateral acceleration (centrifugal force) acting on the vehicle body, There is a problem that the turning inner wheel side tends to float (see FIG. 6B), and if the vehicle is not sufficiently decelerated, the vehicle rolls over.

  Therefore, at the time of turning, in order to suppress the lifting of the vehicle body due to the centrifugal force and the driver being thrown away from the vehicle by the centrifugal force, it is necessary for the driver himself to tilt the posture toward the turning inner wheel side to counter the centrifugal force. is there. As a result, a high driving skill is required, and the burden on the driver increases, resulting in a decrease in comfort.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and can improve the turning performance and perform stable turning, reduce the burden on the driver, and ensure comfort. It aims to provide a vehicle that can be used.

  To achieve this object, a vehicle according to claim 1 includes a vehicle body on which an occupant can ride, left and right wheels provided on the vehicle body, and rotation drive means for applying a rotation drive force to the left and right wheels. A left suspension means provided between the left wheel and the vehicle body and supporting the left wheel so as to be movable in a vertical direction of the vehicle body; the right wheel and the vehicle body; A right suspension means provided between the right suspension means for supporting the right wheel so as to be movable in the vertical direction; and a left suspension means for moving the left wheel in the vertical direction by applying a vertical driving force to the left suspension means. A driving means; a left driving means that applies a vertical driving force to the right suspension means to move the right wheel in the vertical direction; and a control means that controls the operation of the left driving means and the right driving means. Prepare at least when turning The left driving is performed so that the turning inner wheel of the left and right wheels is positioned above the vehicle body relative to the turning outer wheel, and the vehicle height on the turning inner wheel side is lower than the vehicle height on the turning outer wheel side. One or both of the means and the right drive means are controlled by the control means.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle according to the first aspect, the rotational driving means includes a driving source that generates a rotational driving force and a planet that transmits the rotational driving force generated by the driving source to the left and right wheels. The planetary gear mechanism includes a sun gear to which a rotational driving force from the driving source is input, and a rotational driving force that is connected to the sun gear and input from the sun gear to the left wheel. A left planetary gear for transmission, and a right planetary gear connected to the sun gear and transmitting a rotational driving force input from the sun gear to the right wheel, the left planetary gear for rotating the sun gear. And rotates around the sun gear as the left wheel moves in the vertical direction, and the right planetary gear rotates along with the rotation of the sun gear, Right car It is configured to revolve around the sun gear with the movement of the vertical direction.

  A vehicle according to claim 3 is the vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the clutch mechanism is provided between one of the left planetary gear and the left wheel or one of the right planetary gear and the right wheel. It is comprised so that rotation difference can be provided to the left and right wheels by the clutch mechanism.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle according to the second or third aspect, the sun gear is located on the front side in the traveling direction of the vehicle body with respect to the left planetary gear and the right planetary gear.

  The vehicle according to claim 5 is the vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the left and right wheels are located at the uppermost position in the up-down direction and the left drive means and the right drive when traveling straight ahead. The application of the vertical driving force to the left suspension means and the right suspension means by the means is turned off.

  The vehicle according to claim 6 is the vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the turning inner wheel is located at the uppermost position in the up-down direction and the left driving means or the right driving means corresponding to the turning outer wheel when turning. Only one of them is controlled by the control means.

  The vehicle according to claim 7 is the vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, an operation member operated by a driver to instruct turning, and an operation state detection means for detecting an operation state of the operation member. The control means controls the operation of one or both of the left drive means and the right drive means when the operation of the operation member is detected by the operation state detection means.

  The vehicle according to claim 8 is the vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising acceleration detecting means for detecting a lateral acceleration acting on the vehicle body, wherein the control means is the lateral acceleration. Is detected by the acceleration detecting means, one or both of the left driving means and the right driving means are controlled.

  According to the vehicle of the first aspect, when the rotational driving force is applied to the left and right wheels from the rotational driving means, the left and right wheels are rotationally driven and the vehicle body travels. In this case, when the left driving means is controlled by the control means, a vertical driving force is applied from the left driving means to the left suspension means, and the left wheel is moved in the vertical direction. As a result, the vehicle height on the left wheel side is increased or decreased. Similarly, when the right driving means is controlled by the control means, a vertical driving force is applied from the right driving means to the right suspension means, and the right wheel is moved in the vertical direction. As a result, the vehicle height on the right wheel side is increased or decreased.

  Here, according to the vehicle of the present invention, at least during turning, the turning inner wheel of the left and right wheels is positioned above the vehicle body relative to the turning outer wheel, and the vehicle height on the turning inner wheel side is on the turning outer wheel side. One or both of the left driving means and the right driving means are controlled by the control means so as to be lower than the vehicle height.

  As a result, when turning, the vehicle body is inclined toward the turning inner wheel side (that is, the vehicle height on the turning inner wheel side is lower than the vehicle height on the turning outer wheel side), and the center of gravity position of the vehicle body is moved to the turning inner wheel side. As a result, a greater amount of vehicle body weight can be applied to the turning inner wheel. As a result, the counter force against the centrifugal force can be increased, so that there is an effect that the turning inner ring can be prevented from being lifted and the turning performance can be improved. As a result, the vehicle can travel stably.

  In addition, if the posture of the vehicle body can be controlled in this way (the vehicle body can be tilted toward the turning inner wheel), it is possible to resist the centrifugal force only by the vehicle body posture control, so that the driver himself can stand up. There is an effect that it is not necessary to incline the posture toward the inner ring side while moving (moving the body). As a result, it is possible to drive the vehicle stably without using advanced driving skills, and to drive while in the sitting position, thus reducing the driver's operational burden and improving comfort. There is an effect that can be achieved.

  Furthermore, if the vehicle body is configured to tilt toward the inner wheel during turning, the tilt reduces the lateral centrifugal force component that tends to push the driver away from the vehicle, and the driver's hips are seated on the seat. Centrifugal force can be applied in the direction of pressing against the surface. As a result, the driver's burden and discomfort due to the centrifugal force component in the lateral direction can be reduced, and the vehicle can turn while maintaining the same posture as when driving straight ahead. There is an effect that further improvement can be achieved.

  Note that the posture control of the vehicle body of the present invention is not limited to turning. For example, when the traveling road surface is inclined in the left-right direction (for example, the traveling road surface is inclined upward from the left wheel side toward the right wheel side), the vehicle body posture control is performed as described above. It can be performed. As a result, problems such as the vehicle body being swung left and right due to the inclination of the traveling road surface can be suppressed, so that it is possible to improve the handling stability and the driver's comfort.

  According to the vehicle of the second aspect, in addition to the effect produced by the vehicle of the first aspect, the rotation driving means is constituted by the drive source and the planetary gear mechanism, and the planetary gear mechanism is constituted by the sun gear and the sun gear. Since the left planetary gear and the right planetary gear that transmit the input rotational driving force to the left and right wheels, respectively, the left and right wheels can be rotationally driven by one drive source.

  As a result, it is possible to reduce the number of parts and simplify the structure as compared with the conventional single-seat motorcycle described above, that is, the configuration in which the left and right wheels are rotationally driven by separate drive sources, respectively. In addition, the vehicle can be reduced in weight and fuel consumption can be reduced, and the parts and manufacturing costs can be reduced, and the product cost of the entire vehicle can be reduced.

  Further, according to the present invention, the left planetary gear is configured to rotate around the sun gear and to revolve around the sun gear as the left wheel moves up and down. The right planetary gear rotates with the rotation of the sun gear and revolves around the sun gear as the right wheel moves in the vertical direction. There is an effect that the left and right wheels can be independently moved in the vertical direction with a simple structure.

  That is, a structure in which the left and right wheels are driven to rotate by one drive source and the left and right wheels can be moved independently in the vertical direction, for example, the rotational driving force of the drive source is supplied from a differential device to a constant velocity joint. In general, the left and right wheels are distributed to the left and right wheels through a suspension, and the left and right wheels are supported by an independent suspension system (for example, a double wishbone type, a strut type, or a trailing arm type).

  However, such a structure has a problem that the structure becomes complicated with an increase in the number of parts, resulting in an increase in parts cost and assembly cost, an increase in weight, and a reduction in fuel consumption. In addition, in the structure in which the differential device and the left and right wheels are connected via the constant velocity joint, it is necessary to lengthen the constant velocity joint in order to ensure the vertical stroke (movable amount) of the left and right wheels. There is a problem that the wheel tread expands and the vehicle becomes larger.

  On the other hand, in the present invention, the rotational driving force of the drive source is configured to be transmitted to the left and right wheels by the planetary gear mechanism, so there is no need to support the left and right wheels by a complicated link mechanism, and the left suspension means and Since the structure of the right suspension means can be simplified, the number of parts and parts / manufacturing costs can be reduced, and fuel consumption can be reduced by reducing the weight. In addition, since connection by a constant velocity joint is not required, it is possible to prevent the wheel tread from becoming unnecessarily wide while ensuring the vertical stroke (movable amount) of the left and right wheels. Can be achieved.

  Here, according to the present invention, as described above, the left planetary gear and the right planetary gear are configured to revolve around the sun gear as the left and right wheels move in the vertical direction. Thus, for example, when the left or right wheel is moved up and down to tilt the vehicle body toward the turning inner wheel during turning, the rotation difference between the left and right wheels is maintained while the vertical movement is being performed. There is an effect that can be generated. As a result, there is an effect that the turning performance can be improved and the vehicle can be turned stably.

  According to the vehicle of the third aspect, in addition to the effect achieved by the vehicle of the second aspect, the vehicle is provided between one or both of the left planetary gear and the left wheel or between the right planetary gear and the right wheel. Since the clutch mechanism is provided, for example, there is an effect that a rotation difference can be given to the left and right wheels during turning. That is, even when the turning radius is relatively small and the traveling trajectory (turning radius) between the turning inner wheel and the turning outer wheel is greatly different, there is an effect that the rotational speed difference (rotation difference) between the two wheels can be absorbed. As a result, there is an effect that the turning performance can be improved and the vehicle can be turned stably.

  According to the vehicle of the fourth aspect, in addition to the effect achieved by the vehicle according to the second or third aspect, the sun gear is configured to be located on the front side in the traveling direction of the vehicle body with respect to the left planetary gear and the right planetary gear. Therefore, when turning, the left and right wheels are moved in the vertical direction of the vehicle body, and the vehicle body is inclined toward the turning inner wheel side (that is, the vehicle height on the turning inner wheel side is lower than the vehicle height on the turning outer wheel side). Has an effect that the tilt posture of the vehicle body during turning can be kept stable, and the turning performance and stability can be improved.

  According to the vehicle of the fifth aspect, in addition to the effect exhibited by the vehicle according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the left and right wheels are located at the uppermost position in the vertical direction of the vehicle body (that is, the ascent limit position) during straight traveling. And the left and right wheels are configured so that application of the vertical driving force to the left suspension means and the right suspension means by the left drive means and the right drive means is turned off. It is unnecessary to support or adjust by the vertical driving force of the right suspension means.

  Therefore, it is possible to reduce the energy required for driving the left driving means and the right driving means to reduce the size of the driving source (for example, a hydraulic / pneumatic pump or a hydraulic / electric motor) and to travel straight ahead. There is an effect that the operation control of the left driving means and the right driving means at the time is unnecessary, and the control burden on the control means can be reduced accordingly.

  According to the vehicle of the sixth aspect, in addition to the effect achieved by the vehicle of the fifth aspect, the left inner driving means corresponding to the outer turning wheel and the inner turning wheel is located at the top of the vehicle body in the vertical direction during turning. Since only one of the right drive means is controlled by the control means, only one of the two drive means of the left drive means and the right drive means needs to be controlled. There is an effect that it is unnecessary to control the operation of both of the driving means. As a result, there is an effect that the control burden on the control means can be reduced. Furthermore, since the drive source constituting the left drive means and the right drive means can be reduced in size, there is an effect that the vehicle can be reduced in size and weight accordingly.

  According to the vehicle of the seventh aspect, in addition to the effect produced by the vehicle according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the operation member operated by the driver to instruct turning and the operation state of the operation member are detected. Since the control means performs the operation control of one or both of the left drive means and the right drive means when the operation of the operation member is detected by the operation state detection means. When the operation of the operation member (for example, a joystick device) is detected by the operation state detection means, the vehicle attitude control (drive of one or both of the left drive means and the right drive means) can be started, and as a result There is an effect that it is possible to improve the operational feeling of the driver and suppress response delay.

  That is, according to the present invention, driving of one or both of the left driving means and the right driving means is started due to the operation of the operating member by the driver, and the attitude control of the vehicle is performed. A feeling can be given and the operational feeling can be improved. At the same time, since the posture of the vehicle is not changed unexpectedly regardless of the driver's will, the driver can predict the posture of the vehicle in advance, and as a result, the ride comfort (comfort) is improved. Can be achieved.

  Further, as in the present invention, if the configuration is such that the driving of one or both of the left driving means and the right driving means is started and the attitude of the vehicle is controlled due to the operation of the operating member by the driver, the vehicle turns. Before the lateral acceleration (centrifugal force) is applied, it is possible to control the vehicle posture to counter the lateral acceleration (centrifugal force) by predicting the turning radius based on the operation state of the operation member. . Therefore, response delay can be significantly suppressed as compared with the case where control is started after lateral acceleration (centrifugal force) due to turning actually acts on the vehicle.

  According to the vehicle of the eighth aspect, in addition to the effect produced by the vehicle according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, the vehicle includes acceleration detection means for detecting a lateral acceleration acting on the vehicle body, and the lateral acceleration. Is detected by the acceleration detecting means, the control means controls the operation of one or both of the left driving means and the right driving means, so that the driver is not instructed to turn (for example, Even when the operating member is not operated), when the acceleration in the left-right direction (lateral acceleration) of the vehicle is detected by the acceleration detecting means, driving of one or both of the left driving means and the right driving means is started. Therefore, in addition to improving the turning performance, there is an effect that the running stability of the vehicle can be ensured.

  For example, when a wind gust at the exit of a tunnel or a crosswind on a bridge along the coast is detected, the pressure (lateral acceleration) applied to the vehicle is detected and the vehicle attitude control is performed to counter the lateral acceleration. (Inclination of the vehicle body) can be performed, and as a result, traveling stability can be ensured. Further, as described above, even when the traveling road surface is inclined in the left-right direction (for example, the traveling road surface is inclined upward from the left wheel side to the right wheel side), The inclination of the road surface can be estimated from the acceleration, and the attitude control of the vehicle (inclination of the vehicle body) can be performed. As a result, traveling stability can be ensured. As a result, it is possible to improve the running stability and the comfort of the driver by suppressing problems such as the vehicle being swung left and right due to crosswinds and the inclination of the running road surface.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state where a driver P is seated on a seat 11b. Note that arrows UD, LR, and FB in FIG. 1 indicate the up-down direction, the left-right direction, and the front-rear direction of the vehicle body 11, respectively.

  First, a schematic configuration of the vehicle 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 applies a rotational driving force to a vehicle body 11 on which a driver P can ride, left and right wheels 12L and 12R provided on the vehicle body 11, and the left and right wheels 12L and 12R. The vehicle body 11 mainly includes a drive source (for example, an engine, an electric motor, or a hydraulic motor) 21 (see FIG. 3), and the vehicle height on the turning inner wheel side is lower than the vehicle height on the turning outer wheel side during turning. By controlling the posture of the vehicle (see FIG. 6), the turning performance can be improved.

  Next, the detailed configuration of each part will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle body 11 mainly includes a housing portion 11a and a seat 11b. The casing 11a is a part that forms the skeleton of the vehicle body 11, and is configured in a substantially box-like body having an internal space. A drive source 21, a planetary gear mechanism 22, and the like are disposed in the internal space. (See FIG. 3).

  As shown in FIG. 1, a sheet 11b is disposed on the upper surface side of the housing 11a. The seat 11b is a part for the driver P to be seated while the vehicle 1 is traveling. The seat 11b mainly includes a seating surface portion 11b1 that supports the bottom of the driver P and a back surface portion 11b2 that supports the back of the driver P. It is configured to prepare for.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of armrest portions 11 c for supporting the upper arm portion of the driver P is provided on the left and right sides (the arrow L side and the arrow R side) of the seat 11 b. A joystick device 51 is attached to one of the armrest portions 11c. The driver P operates the joystick device 51 to instruct the traveling state of the vehicle 1 (for example, the traveling direction, the traveling speed, the turning direction, or the turning radius).

  As shown in FIG. 1, a footrest part 11 d for supporting the foot part of the driver P is disposed on the front side of the housing part 11 a, and the foot part of the driver P contacts the ground during traveling. It is avoiding that. Further, left and right wheels 12L and 12R are supported on both the left and right sides of the housing 11a so as to be rotatable and movable in the vertical direction (arrow UD direction).

  Next, an electrical configuration of the vehicle 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the vehicle 1.

  The control device 70 is a control device for controlling each part of the vehicle 1, and includes a CPU 71, a ROM 72 and a RAM 73 as shown in FIG. 2, and these are connected to an input / output port 75 via a bus line 74. Yes. A plurality of devices such as a joystick device 51 are connected to the input / output port 75.

  The CPU 71 is an arithmetic unit that controls each unit connected by the bus line 74. The ROM 72 is a non-rewritable nonvolatile memory storing a control program executed by the CPU 71 (for example, a flowchart of the actuator driving process shown in FIG. 5) and fixed value data, and the RAM 73 is an execution of the control program. It is a memory for storing various work data, flags, etc. sometimes rewritable.

  As described above, the joystick device 51 is a device operated by the driver P when driving the vehicle 1, and an operation lever (see FIG. 1) operated by the driver P and an operation state of the operation lever. It mainly includes a front / rear sensor 51a and a left / right sensor 51b for detection, and a processing circuit (not shown) that processes detection results of the sensors 51a and 51b and outputs the result to the CPU 71.

  The front-rear sensor 51a is a sensor for detecting an operation state (operation amount) in the front-rear direction of the operation lever (arrow FB direction, see FIG. 1). The CPU 71 detects the detection result of the front-rear sensor 51a (operation lever The driving state of the driving source 21 (see FIG. 3) is controlled based on the amount of operation before and after. As a result, the vehicle 1 travels at the travel speed instructed by the driver P.

  The left / right sensor 51b is a sensor for detecting the operation state (operation amount) of the operation lever in the left / right direction (arrow LR direction, see FIG. 1). The CPU 71 detects the detection result (operation lever) of the left / right sensor 51b. , The driving state of the actuator device 52 is controlled. As a result, the vehicle 1 is turned at the turning radius instructed by the driver.

  That is, when the operating lever is operated in the left-right direction, the CPU 71 determines the turning direction and turning radius based on the detection result of the left-right sensor 51b, and turns inner wheel (one of the left and right wheels 12L, 12R). The actuator device 52 is driven and controlled so that is positioned on the upper side (arrow U direction side, see FIG. 1) of the vehicle body 11 relative to the turning outer wheel (the other of the left and right wheels 12L and 12R) (see FIG. 1). 4). As a result, the vehicle 1 has a posture in which the vehicle height on the turning inner wheel side is lower than the vehicle height on the turning outer wheel side (see FIG. 6), and improvement in turning performance is achieved.

  In addition, by controlling the vehicle height of the vehicle 1 and inclining the left and right wheels 12L and 12R with respect to the road surface in this way, camber thrust can be generated, and as a result, the vehicle 1 is turned. Can do. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the center lines of the left and right wheels 12L and 12R are held parallel to each other and are not steered to the left and right. However, a steering mechanism may be provided.

  As described above, the actuator device 52 is a drive device for moving the left and right wheels 12L, 12R in the vertical direction. The actuator device 52 applies an L actuator 52L for applying a vertical drive force to the left wheel 12L and the right wheel 12R. It mainly includes an R actuator 52R that applies vertical driving force, and a drive circuit and a drive source (both not shown) that drive and control each of the actuators 52L and 52R based on a command from the CPU 71. In the present embodiment, each actuator 52, 52R is constituted by a hydraulic cylinder.

  The acceleration sensor device 53 is a device for detecting the acceleration in the left-right direction (arrow LR direction, see FIG. 1) acting on the vehicle body 11 and outputting the detection result to the CPU 71. And a control circuit (not shown) for processing the detection result and outputting the result to the CPU 71. In the present embodiment, the lateral acceleration sensor 53a is configured as a piezoelectric sensor using a piezoelectric element.

  Examples of the other input / output device 35 shown in FIG. 2 include a display device (not shown) that displays the traveling state (traveling speed, traveling distance, etc.) of the vehicle 1.

  Next, the internal structure of the vehicle 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 is a top view of the internal structure of the vehicle 1 as viewed from the top surface side. 4 is a side sectional view of the internal structure of the vehicle 1 taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 3, and FIG. 4A shows a state in which the actuators 52L and 52R are both contracted to the shortest. 4 (b) shows a state in which the right actuator 52R is contracted to the shortest and the left actuator 52L is extended to the longest.

  In FIG. 3, the tooth traces are indicated by thin lines, and the tooth base lines and the pitch lines of the meshing portions are not shown. In FIG. 4, the tooth tip circle is indicated by a solid line, the pitch circle is indicated by a two-dot chain line, the tooth bottom line is indicated by a thin line, and the tooth profile is not shown. 3 and 4 are the same as those described with reference to FIG. 1, and thus description thereof is omitted.

  As described above, the drive source 21 is a drive device for applying a rotational drive force to the left and right wheels 12L, 12R, and is controlled by the control device 70. That is, when the driver P operates the joystick device 51 (see FIG. 2), the control device 70 controls the rotational speed of the drive source 21 according to the operation state.

  The drive source 21 is connected to the planetary gear mechanism 22 (sun gear 22a) via a transmission device (not shown), and the output (rotational driving force) of the drive source 21 is decelerated by the transmission device and the planetary gear mechanism 22. Then, it is transmitted to the left and right wheels 12L, 12R.

  The drive source 21 and the transmission device are supported and fixed to the housing portion 11a (see FIG. 1) of the vehicle body 11 via a vibration isolator made of a rubber-like elastic body.

  The planetary gear mechanism 22 is a transmission device for transmitting the rotational driving force generated by the drive source 21 to the left and right wheels 12L, 12R. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the sun gear 22a and the left planet A gear 22bL and a right planetary gear 22bR are mainly provided.

  As described above, the sun gear 22a is a spur gear to which the rotational driving force from the drive source 21 is input. As shown in FIG. 3, the sun gear 22a is rotatably supported on the subframe 33 via the sun shaft 31. Has been. The sub-frame 33 is fixed to the housing part 11a (see FIG. 1) of the vehicle body 11.

  The left planetary gear 22bL and the right planetary gear 22bR are spur gears for transmitting the rotational driving force input from the drive source 21 to the sun gear 22a to the left and right wheels 12L and 12R, respectively, and are shown in FIGS. In this way, the left and right wheels 12L and 12R are connected and fixed via the planetary shafts 32L and 32R, respectively. The planetary shafts 32L and 32R are pivotally supported by the left arm 23L and the right arm 23R, respectively.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a clutch mechanism 41 is disposed between the left planetary gear 22bL and the right planetary gear 22bR and the left and right wheels 12L and 12R. That is, the planetary shafts 32L and 32R and the left and right wheels 12L and 12R are connected to each other via the clutch mechanism 41.

  Thereby, for example, when turning, a difference in rotation can be given to the left and right wheels 12L, 12R. Therefore, even when the turning radius is relatively small and the traveling trajectory (turning radius) between the turning inner wheel and the turning outer wheel is greatly different. The rotational speed difference (rotational difference) between the two wheels can be absorbed by the clutch mechanism 41 to improve the turning performance. As a result, the vehicle 1 can be turned stably.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the clutch mechanism 41 is configured as an electronically controlled operation limiting differential device. However, for example, it may be a rotation-sensitive operation limiting differential device using shear resistance such as silicon oil, or a friction (mechanical) operation limiting differential device using gear resistance or a clutch plate. There may be.

  The left arm 23L and the right arm 23R are suspension devices for supporting the left and right wheels 12L, 12R so as to be movable in the vertical direction (arrow UD direction). As shown in FIGS. An end portion on the direction side (left side in FIG. 3) is rotatably supported on the sun shaft 31.

  Also, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, one end side (extensible rod side) of the L actuator 52L and the R actuator 52R is connected to the end of the left arm 23L, 23R on the arrow B direction side (right side in FIG. 3). At the same time, the other end side (main body case side) of the L actuator 52L and the R actuator 52R is connected to the vehicle body 11 (the casing portion 11a).

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, planetary shafts 32L and 32R are rotatably passed through substantially the center of each arm 23L and 23R in the longitudinal direction (arrow FB direction, right and left direction in FIG. 3). The planetary shafts 32L and 32R support the planetary gears 22bL and 22bR and the left and right wheels 12L and 12R with the arms 23L and 23R interposed therebetween.

  According to this configuration, when the rotational driving force of the drive source 21 is input to the sun gear 22a of the planetary gear mechanism 22 via a transmission device (not shown), the sun gear 22 is rotated around the sun shaft 31. As the sun gear 22 rotates, the left planetary gear 22bL and the right planetary gear 22bR rotate (spin).

  As a result, the rotational force of the left planetary gear 22bL and the right planetary gear 22bR is transmitted to the left and right wheels 12L and 12R via the planetary shafts 32L and 32R, and the left and right wheels 12L and 12R are rotated to drive the vehicle 1. Is done.

  4A, for example, when the L actuator 52L is driven to extend, the telescopic rod of the L actuator 52L is extended from the main body case, and the effective length of the L actuator 52L is extended. The other end side (arrow B direction side) end of the left arm 23L is pushed downward (arrow D direction).

  As a result, the left arm 23L is rotated about the sun shaft 31 as a rotation center, so that the left wheel 12L is moved downward (in the direction of arrow D), and as shown in FIG. The wheel 12 </ b> L is located on the upper side (arrow U direction side) of the vehicle body 11 (housing 11 a) relative to the right wheel R.

  In this case, the left planetary gear 22bL keeps in mesh with the sun gear 22a as the left wheel 12L (left arm 23L) moves downward (arrow D direction). Revolve around.

  On the other hand, when the L actuator 52L is driven to contract from the state shown in FIG. 4B, for example, the telescopic rod of the L actuator 52L is housed in the main body case, and the effective length of the L actuator 52L is shortened. The end of the other end side (arrow B direction side) of the left arm 23L is pulled upward (arrow U direction).

  As a result, the left arm 23L is rotated about the sun axis 31 as a rotation center, so that the left wheel 12L is moved upward (in the direction of the arrow U), and as shown in FIG. The relative positions of the right wheel 12L and the right wheel R are matched.

  Also in this case, the left planetary gear 22bL is engaged with the sun gear 22a as the left wheel 12L (left arm 23L) moves upward (in the direction of the arrow U) in the same manner as described above. Revolving around the sun gear 22a while maintaining.

  Note that when the R actuator 52R is driven to extend and contract, the right wheel 12R is moved in the vertical direction (arrow UD direction). However, the details are the same as those described above, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  Further, in the present embodiment, when the vehicle 1 travels straight, as shown in FIG. 4A, the left and right wheels 12L and 12R are positioned at the uppermost position in the movable range in the vertical direction (arrow UD direction). In addition, the application of the vertical driving force to the arms 23L and 23R by the L actuator 52L and the R actuator 52R is turned off.

  This makes it unnecessary to support the vertical positions of the left and right wheels 12L, 12R with the vertical driving force of the actuators 52L, 52R during straight traveling. Therefore, the energy required for driving the actuators 52L and 52R can be suppressed, the drive source (hydraulic pump) can be reduced in size, and the operation control of the actuators 52L and 52R during straight traveling is unnecessary. Therefore, the control burden on the control device 70 can be reduced.

  Further, in the present embodiment, at the time of turning, the turning inner wheel (for example, the right wheel 12R in FIG. 4B) is located at the top in the up / down direction (arrow UD direction) movable range, and turning. Only one of the actuator devices 52 corresponding to the outer ring (the left wheel 12L) (only the L actuator 52L) is controlled to operate.

  As a result, only one of the actuators 52L and 52R needs to be controlled, and simultaneous operation control of both (the actuators 52L and 52R) can be made unnecessary. As a result, the control burden on the control device 70 can be reduced, and the drive source for driving the actuators 52L and 52R can be reduced in size, so that the vehicle 1 can be reduced in size and weight. Can be planned.

  Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the sun gear 22a is positioned on the front side in the traveling direction (arrow F direction side) of the vehicle 1 with respect to the left planetary gear 22bL and the right planetary gear 22bR. Further, a planetary gear mechanism 22 is disposed.

  Thus, for example, when turning right (that is, when the right wheel 12R is a turning inner wheel and the left wheel 12L is a turning outer wheel, refer to FIG. 6), the left wheel 12L is moved downward (in the direction of arrow D). 4), as shown in FIG. 4B, the planetary shaft 32L (the turning inner wheel and the right wheel 12R) is moved by a distance W from the planetary shaft 32R (the turning outer wheel and the left wheel 12L). The vehicle 1 can be positioned on the front side in the traveling direction (arrow F direction side).

  Therefore, at the time of turning, the vehicle 1 can be easily inclined toward the turning inner wheel side, and the inclined posture of the vehicle 1 during turning can be kept stable, improving turning performance and stability. Can be achieved.

  Next, processing executed by the control device 70 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the actuator driving process.

  Here, the description of FIG. 5 will be made with reference to FIG. 6 as appropriate. FIG. 6A is a front view of the vehicle 1 and shows a state during a right turn. FIG. 6B is a front view of a conventional vehicle, and shows a state of turning right as in FIG.

  That is, both FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B show a state of turning forward toward the front side of the paper and turning toward the left side of the paper (that is, a state of turning right). Yes. In FIGS. 6A and 6B, the driver P, the seat 11b, and the like are not shown in order to simplify the drawings and facilitate understanding.

  The actuator driving process shown in FIG. 5 is a process that is repeatedly executed by the CPU 71 (for example, at intervals of 0.2 ms) while the power of the control device 70 is turned on. By making the vehicle height lower than the vehicle height on the turning outer wheel side, the center of gravity is moved to the turning inner wheel side to improve the turning performance.

  Regarding the actuator driving process, the CPU 71 first determines whether or not the joystick device 51 (operation lever) is operated by the driver P (S1), and if it is determined that the joystick device 51 is operated. Next, it is determined whether or not a turning instruction is being made, that is, whether or not the operating lever of the joystick device 51 has been operated in the left-right direction and the driver P has instructed turning (S2). .

  In the process of S2, if it is determined that a turning instruction is being made (S2: Yes), the turning instruction amount (that is, the turning direction and turning radius of the vehicle 1 instructed by the driver P) from the operating state of the joystick device 51. ) And the actuator device 52 is driven with a drive amount corresponding to the turn instruction amount (S3), and then the actuator drive process is terminated.

  Specifically, when the operation lever of the joystick device 51 is tilted, the CPU 71 first confirms the detection result of the left / right sensor 51b (see FIG. 2), and the operation state (operation direction and operation amount) of the operation lever. To get. Then, based on the acquired operation state, the turning direction and turning radius instructed by the driver P are calculated. In the present embodiment, the turning radius is calculated in a manner proportional to the tilting operation amount of the operation lever.

  Next, based on the calculated turning direction and turning radius, the CPU 71 is positioned above the vehicle body 11 relative to the wheel that is the turning inner wheel of the left and right wheels 12L and 12R as the turning outer wheel, The actuator device 52 is operated and controlled so that the vehicle height on the turning inner wheel side is lower than the vehicle height on the turning outer wheel side.

  For example, when the operation lever of the joystick device 51 is tilted to the right and the driver P instructs a right turn, the left wheel 12L becomes a turning outer wheel, and thus the left wheel 12L becomes the vehicle body 11. The left actuator 52L is driven to extend so as to be positioned on the upper side (arrow U direction side) (see FIG. 4B). In the present embodiment, the extension drive amount is determined in a manner proportional to the turning radius.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the vehicle height on the side of the turning inner wheel (right wheel 12R, left side of FIG. 6) is made lower than the vehicle height on the side of the turning outer wheel (left wheel 12L, right side of FIG. 6). 1 (vehicle body 11) can be inclined toward the turning inner wheel (right wheel 12R).

  Therefore, in the conventional vehicle, as shown in FIG. 7, the centrifugal force (arrow cf in FIG. 7) acts on the vehicle, and the turning inner wheel (the left wheel in FIG. 7) is lifted. According to the vehicle 1 of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 6, the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle 1 is moved to the turning inner wheel (right wheel 12R) side, so that a larger amount of vehicle body weight is increased. It is possible to act on the wheel 12R).

  As a result, the counter force against the centrifugal force (arrow cf in FIG. 6) can be increased. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the turning inner wheel (right wheel 12R) is prevented from rising and the turning performance is improved. And the vehicle can travel stably.

  On the other hand, in the process of S1, when it is determined that the joystick device 51 is not operated (S1: No), or when it is determined that the joystick device 51 is operated but is not instructing to turn. (S1: Yes, S2: No) Since the vehicle 1 is traveling straight (or stopped), the attitude control of the vehicle 1 by the process of S3 is not performed.

  However, in this case, it is confirmed whether or not the lateral acceleration is detected (S4), and when the lateral acceleration is detected (S4: Yes), the driving amount corresponding to the detected lateral acceleration is used. The actuator device 52 is driven (S5).

  That is, when the vehicle 1 is traveling straight ahead, the lateral acceleration is detected, for example, when a gust at the tunnel exit or a cross wind on a bridge along the coast, The case where it inclines in the direction etc. is assumed.

  Therefore, in this case, in order to counter the lateral acceleration (i.e., the lateral wind or the inclination of the road surface) by estimating the acting direction / pressure of the lateral wind and the inclination direction / inclination angle of the road surface from the detected lateral acceleration value. The attitude control of the vehicle 1 is performed (that is, the wheel on the side on which the cross wind acts or the side on which the road surface is inclined is moved upward) (S5).

  As a result, it is possible to improve the running stability and the comfort of the driver P by suppressing problems such as the vehicle 1 being swung to the left and right due to the crosswind or the inclination of the running road surface.

  On the other hand, when the left-right acceleration is not detected in the process of S4 (S4: No), it is confirmed whether or not the actuator device 52 (L actuator 52L and R actuator 52R) is turned off (S6).

  Here, in the process of S6, when it is determined that the actuator device 52 is not turned off (S6: No), during the previous execution of this actuator drive process, the vehicle is running straight (or stopped). The lateral acceleration is acting on the vehicle, and the actuator device 52 is driven to counter the lateral acceleration (S5), but the lateral acceleration is not acting on the vehicle 1 at this stage. It is.

  Therefore, in this case (S6: No), the actuator device 52 is turned off to obtain a normal straight traveling state (that is, a state where both the left and right wheels 2 are located at the uppermost position, see FIG. 4A). (S7), and this actuator driving process is terminated.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in the process of S6 that the actuator device 52 is turned off (S6: Yes), the vehicle 1 is traveling straight (or stopped), and the lateral acceleration is also detected. This means that both the left and right wheels 12L and 12R are located at the uppermost position (in a normal straight traveling state), and it is not necessary to execute the process of S7, so the process of S7 is skipped. Then, this actuator driving process is terminated.

  The present invention has been described above based on the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It can be easily guessed.

  For example, the numerical values given in the above embodiment are merely examples, and other numerical values can naturally be adopted.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where one drive source 21 is used as a drive device for rotationally driving the left and right wheels 12L and 12R has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and two motors are used for the left and right wheels 12L. , 12R may be configured as so-called in-wheel motors.

  As a result, the left and right wheels 12L and 12R can be independently driven to rotate, so that the clutch mechanism 41 can be dispensed with. Further, the left and right wheels 22 can be moved in the vertical direction without providing the planetary gear mechanism 22.

1 is a perspective view of a vehicle in an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a vehicle. It is a top view of the internal structure of a vehicle. FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the vehicle internal structure taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3, (a) showing a state during straight traveling, and (b) showing a state during turning. It is a flowchart which shows an actuator drive process. (A) is a front view of the vehicle in the right turn state, and (b) is a front view of the conventional vehicle in the right turn state.

Explanation of symbols

1 Vehicle 11 Car Body 11a Case (Part of Car Body)
11b Seat (part of the car body)
11c Armrest part (part of the car body)
11d Footrest (part of the car body)
12L Left wheel 12R Right wheel 21 Drive source (part of rotation drive means)
22 Planetary gear mechanism (part of rotation drive means)
22a Sun gear (part of planetary gear mechanism)
22bL Left planetary gear (part of planetary gear mechanism)
22bR Right planetary gear (part of planetary gear mechanism)
23L Left arm (left suspension means)
23R Right arm (right suspension means)
33 Subframe (part of the car body)
41 Clutch mechanism 51 Joystick device (operation member)
51b Left / right sensor (operation state detection means)
52L L actuator (left drive means)
52R R actuator (right drive means)
53 Acceleration sensor device (acceleration detection means)
53a Lateral acceleration sensor (part of acceleration detection means)
70 Control device (control means)
P Driver (Crew)
U Up direction D Down direction F Forward direction (forward direction of travel)

Claims (8)

In a vehicle comprising a vehicle body on which an occupant can ride, left and right wheels provided on the vehicle body, and rotation drive means for applying a rotation drive force to the left and right wheels,
Left suspension means provided between the left wheel and the vehicle body, and supporting the left wheel movably in the vertical direction of the vehicle body,
A right suspension means provided between the right wheel and the vehicle body for supporting the right wheel so as to be movable in the vertical direction;
Left driving means for applying a vertical driving force to the left suspension means and moving the left wheel in the vertical direction;
Left driving means for applying a vertical driving force to the right suspension means and moving the right wheel in the vertical direction;
Control means for controlling the operation of the left drive means and the right drive means,
At least during turning, the turning inner wheel of the left and right wheels is positioned above the vehicle body relative to the turning outer wheel so that the vehicle height on the turning inner wheel side is lower than the vehicle height on the turning outer wheel side. Further, one or both of the left driving means and the right driving means are controlled by the control means. The rotational drive means includes a drive source that generates a rotational drive force, and a planetary gear mechanism that transmits the rotational drive force generated by the drive source to the left and right wheels,
The planetary gear mechanism includes a sun gear to which a rotational driving force from the driving source is input, and a left planetary gear that is connected to the sun gear and transmits the rotational driving force input from the sun gear to the left wheel. A right planetary gear coupled to the sun gear and transmitting a rotational driving force input from the sun gear to the right wheel;
The left planetary gear is configured to rotate with the rotation of the sun gear, and to revolve around the sun gear with the movement of the left wheel in the vertical direction. 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle rotates around the sun gear and revolves around the sun gear as the right wheel moves in the vertical direction. .   A clutch mechanism provided on one or both of the left planetary gear and the left wheel or between the right planetary gear and the right wheel, and providing a rotational difference between the left and right wheels by the clutch mechanism; The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle is configured to be possible.   4. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the sun gear is located in front of the left planetary gear and the right planetary gear in the traveling direction of the vehicle body. 5.   During straight traveling, the left and right wheels are positioned at the top in the vertical direction, and the application of the vertical driving force to the left suspension means and the right suspension means by the left drive means and the right drive means is turned off. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a vehicle.   At the time of turning, the turning inner wheel is positioned at the uppermost position in the vertical direction, and only one of the left driving means and the right driving means corresponding to the turning outer wheel is controlled by the control means. The vehicle according to claim 5. An operation member operated by a driver to instruct turning, and an operation state detection means for detecting an operation state of the operation member,
7. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein when the operation of the operation member is detected by the operation state detection unit, the control unit performs operation control of one or both of the left driving unit and the right driving unit. The vehicle according to any one of the above. Acceleration detecting means for detecting lateral acceleration acting on the vehicle body,
8. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein when the acceleration in the left-right direction is detected by the acceleration detection unit, the control unit controls the operation of one or both of the left driving unit and the right driving unit. A vehicle according to any one of the above.

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