JP2010058682A - Vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To maintain stability of a vehicle body by varying a clearance of left and right wheels fitting to the traveling condition by operating an actuator for adjusting tread width even if the traveling condition is varied, to enhance turning performance, and to attain the stable traveling state with sufficient riding comfortability. <P>SOLUTION: The vehicle has a vehicle body; a pair of left and right rotatable wheels mounted to the vehicle body; a link mechanism 30 provided with a pair of left and right vertical link unit for supporting the respective wheels and arranged in parallel to an advancement direction of the vehicle body and a pair of front and rear lateral link units for connecting front ends and rear ends of the respective vertical link units; and the actuator device for varying the clearance of the wheels by bending a connection portion of the link mechanism 30. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle that uses posture control of an inverted pendulum that includes a pair of wheels and a link mechanism that supports the pair of wheels.

  In particular, the present invention relates to a vehicle that can improve turning performance, perform stable turning, reduce the burden on an occupant, 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. The most efficient way to save fuel consumption by reducing the size of the vehicle is to configure the vehicle as a single-seater motorcycle.

  Therefore, a technique relating to a vehicle using posture control of an inverted pendulum has been proposed. For example, a technology has been proposed for a vehicle or the like that has two drive wheels arranged on the same axis and that drives by sensing a change in the posture of the vehicle body caused by the movement of the center of gravity of the driver.

However, depending on the running state, the stability of the vehicle may decrease. Therefore, it is conceivable to improve the stability of the vehicle by changing the distance between the two drive wheels, that is, the tread width in accordance with the running state (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-5205

  However, in the conventional vehicle, it is impossible to improve the stability of the vehicle by applying the structure of a wheel suspension in a four-wheeled vehicle such as a normal passenger car due to the structural difference of the entire vehicle body. .

  The present invention solves the problems of the conventional vehicle, and operates the tread width adjusting actuator to change the distance between the left and right wheels in accordance with the traveling condition, so that the vehicle body It is an object of the present invention to provide a highly safe vehicle that can maintain stability, can improve turning performance, has a good riding comfort, and can realize a stable traveling state.

  Therefore, in the vehicle of the present invention, the vehicle body, a pair of left and right rotatable wheels attached to the vehicle body, and a pair of left and right wheels that support each wheel and are arranged in parallel to the traveling direction of the vehicle body. And a pair of front and rear horizontal link units that connect the front end and the rear end of each vertical link unit, and an actuator that changes the distance between the wheels by refracting the connecting portion of the link mechanism. Device.

  In another vehicle of the present invention, the actuator device further includes an extendable actuator that changes a length of the vertical link unit, and a rotary actuator that changes an angle between the vertical link unit and a link member of the horizontal link unit. including.

  In yet another vehicle of the present invention, the distance on the front side in the traveling direction of the vehicle body is changed before the rear side in the traveling direction during traveling.

  In still another vehicle of the present invention, the actuator device is a telescopic actuator that changes a length of the lateral link unit.

  In still another vehicle of the present invention, the actuator device further permits rotation between a rotary actuator that changes an angle between the vertical link unit and a link member of the horizontal link unit and a link member of the horizontal link unit. Including on / off actuators to be disallowed.

  In yet another vehicle of the present invention, the distance on the front side in the traveling direction of the vehicle body is changed before the rear side in the traveling direction during traveling.

  In still another vehicle of the present invention, the actuator device further includes: an expansion / contraction actuator that changes an interval between the horizontal link units; and a rotary actuator that changes an angle between the vertical link unit and a link member of the horizontal link unit; including.

  According to the structure of Claim 1, since the space | interval of a right-and-left wheel can be changed according to the change of driving conditions, the stability of a vehicle body can be maintained. Moreover, turning performance can be improved. Therefore, the ride comfort is good and a stable running state can be realized.

  According to the structure of Claim 2 and 3, a tread width | variety can be changed, without applying a burden to a wheel and without losing energy.

  According to the structure of Claim 4, although it is a simple structure, the space | interval of a right-and-left wheel can be arbitrarily changed so that driving | running | working conditions may be adapted.

  According to the structure of Claim 5 and 6, the space | interval of a left-right wheel can be changed arbitrarily, without using an expansion-contraction actuator.

  According to the structure of Claim 7, although it is a simple structure, the space | interval of the wheel on either side can be changed arbitrarily.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a front view showing the configuration of the vehicle in the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a left side view showing the configuration of the vehicle in the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. It is a front view which shows the attitude | position in turning of the vehicle in 1 embodiment.

  In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes a vehicle according to the present embodiment, which includes a body portion 20 of a vehicle body, a riding portion 11 on which an occupant rides, a left wheel 12L and a right wheel 12R, and left and right wheels 12L and 12R. It has a link mechanism 30 to be supported and a tilting actuator device 25 as an actuator for operating the link mechanism 30, and controls the posture of the vehicle body in the front-rear direction by using the posture control of the inverted pendulum. That is, the vehicle 10 can tilt the vehicle body forward and backward.

  When turning, as shown in FIG. 3, the angle of the left and right wheels 12L and 12R with respect to the road surface 18, that is, the camber angle is changed, and the vehicle body including the riding portion 11 and the main body portion 20 is inclined toward the turning inner wheel. By doing so, it is possible to improve the turning performance and ensure the comfort of the passenger. That is, the vehicle 10 can tilt the vehicle body in the lateral direction (left and right direction).

  The link mechanism 30 includes a left vertical link unit 61L that supports a left rotation drive device 51L including a left wheel 12L and an electric motor that applies driving force to the wheel 12L, a right wheel 12R, and the wheel 12R. A right vertical link unit 61R that supports a right rotation drive device 51R made of an electric motor or the like that applies a driving force to the upper side, and an upper horizontal link unit 31U that connects the upper ends of the left and right vertical link units 61L and 61R; The lower horizontal link unit 31D that connects the lower ends of the left and right vertical link units 61L and 61R. The left and right vertical link units 61L and 61R and the upper and lower horizontal link units 31U and 31D are rotatably connected. When the left and right wheels 12L and 12R, the left and right rotation driving devices 51L and 51R, the left and right vertical link units 61L and 61R, and the upper and lower horizontal link units 31U and 31D are described in an integrated manner, The rotation drive device 51, the vertical link unit 61, and the horizontal link unit 31 will be described.

  The tilting actuator device 25 is a rotary electric actuator including an electric motor or the like, and includes a cylindrical body as a stator and a rotating shaft as a rotor rotatably attached to the body. The body is fixed to the horizontal link unit 31U on the upper side of the link mechanism 30, and the rotation shaft is fixed to the central vertical member 23 of the main body portion 20. The body may be fixed to the central vertical member 23 and the rotation shaft may be fixed to the upper horizontal link unit 31U. When the tilt actuator device 25 is driven to rotate the rotation shaft with respect to the body, the central vertical member 23 rotates relative to the upper horizontal link unit 31U, and the link mechanism 30 bends and stretches.

  The main body 20 of the vehicle body includes a lateral longitudinal member 21 extending in the longitudinal direction on both the left and right sides, a central longitudinal member 23 extending in the longitudinal direction at the center of the left and right, and a lateral longitudinal member extending in the lateral direction. 21 and the horizontal member 22 that connects the upper ends of the central vertical member 23, the lower member 24 that connects the lower ends of the lateral vertical member 21 and the central vertical member 23, and a guide attached to the upper ends of the left and right lateral vertical members 21. Rail 14. The lower ends of the lateral vertical member 21 and the central vertical member 23 are integrally connected to the lower member 24 in an assembled state.

  The central vertical member 23 is rotatably connected to the left and right central portions of the horizontal link unit 31U on the upper side of the link mechanism 30 at an intermediate portion thereof, and the lower member 24 is connected to the lower side link of the link mechanism 30. The unit 31D is rotatably connected to the left and right central portions. The rotational axis of the tilting actuator device 25 is coaxial with the rotational axis of the connecting portion between the central vertical member 23 and the upper horizontal link unit 31U. As a result, the link mechanism 30 can be bent and extended to incline the main body 20.

  The riding section 11 is the same as a seat used for automobiles such as passenger cars and buses, and includes a seat surface section, a backrest section, a headrest, an armrest, and the like, and a guide rail of the main body section 20 via the seat bracket 13. 14 is slidable in the front-rear direction along 14. The riding section 11 is moved forward or backward along the guide rail 14 by a front / rear actuator device 17 attached to the main body section 20 in order to mainly maintain a balance in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10. The front / rear actuator device 17 may be, for example, a hydraulic motor, a linear motor, or the like, or may be a combination of a rotary electric motor and a ball screw device.

  The armrest can be provided with a joystick device as a control device. In this case, the occupant operates the joystick device to instruct the traveling state of the vehicle 10 (for example, the traveling direction, traveling speed, turning direction, turning radius, etc.). It should be noted that other devices such as a jog dial, a touch panel, and a push button can be used as the control device instead of the joystick device as long as the device can be operated by the occupant to instruct the traveling state.

  Further, when the vehicle 10 is steered by remote control, a receiving device that receives a traveling command from a controller in a wired or wireless manner can be used as the steering device instead of the joystick device. In addition, when the vehicle 10 automatically travels according to predetermined travel command data, a control device is used instead of the joystick device as a data reading device that reads travel command data stored in a storage medium such as a semiconductor memory or a hard disk. Can be used as

  Further, a battery device (not shown) is disposed behind or below the riding section 11. The battery device is a drive source for the rotation drive device 51, the tilt actuator device 25, and the front / rear actuator device 17. Further, a control device, various sensor devices, an inverter device and the like (not shown) are accommodated behind or below the riding section 11.

  Next, the structure of the link mechanism 30 will be described in detail.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the link mechanism in the first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, (a) is a top view and (b) is a front view.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, the upper lateral link unit 31U includes an upper front lateral link unit 31UF located in the front and an upper rear lateral link unit 31UB located in the rear. Similarly to the upper horizontal link unit 31U, the lower horizontal link unit 31D also includes a lower front horizontal link unit 31DF positioned in the front and a lower rear horizontal link unit 31UB positioned in the rear. Only the lateral link unit 31DF is shown.

  In FIG. 4A, the lower side is the front in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10, and the upper side is the rear in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10.

  Here, L included in the reference numerals assigned to the wheels 12, the vertical link unit 61 and the horizontal link unit 31, and their respective members indicates the left side, R indicates the right side, and U is It indicates that it is the upper side, D indicates that it is the lower side, F indicates that it is the front side, and B indicates that it is the rear side. When the members are described in an integrated manner, the left, right, up, down, and front and rear words given to the names are appropriately omitted, and the symbols L, R, U, D, F, and B are appropriately omitted. .

  In the present embodiment, the left and right vertical link units 61L and 61R include vertical link length expansion and contraction actuators 62L and 62R as actuator devices that change the length of the vertical link units 61L and 61R. The longitudinal link long telescopic actuators 62L and 62R are provided with longitudinal link front telescopic rods 63LF and 63RF extending forward and longitudinal link rear telescopic rods 63LB and 63RB extending rearward, and longitudinal link front telescopic rods 63LF and 63RF. The telescopic rods 63LB and 63RB after the vertical link can be expanded and contracted independently. The vertical link length expansion / contraction actuator 62 may be of any type as long as it can expand and contract the front and rear vertical link expansion / contraction rods 63F and 63B independently of each other. A motor or the like may be used, or a rotary electric motor may be combined with a ball screw device.

  And the upper and lower sides of the front ends (lower ends in FIG. 4A) of the left and right vertical link front telescopic rods 63LF and 63RF and the upper and lower sides of the rear ends (upper ends in FIG. 4A) of the left and right vertical link rear telescopic rods 63LB and 63RB. Is provided with a link angle adjustment actuator 64 as an actuator device. The link angle adjusting actuator 64 is an electric rotary actuator including an electric motor or the like, and includes a cylindrical body as a stator and a rotating shaft as a rotor rotatably attached to the body. It is fixed to one link member to which the body is connected, and is fixed to the other link member to which the rotation shaft is connected, and the angle formed by the two link members that rotate around the rotation shaft is adjusted. To do.

  The upper front horizontal link unit 31UF includes an upper front horizontal central link member 32UF located at the center, and upper front horizontal side link members 33UFL and 33UFR connected to the left and right of the upper front horizontal central link member 32UF. Prepare. The upper front lateral center link member 32UF and the upper front lateral side link members 33UFL and 33UFR are rotatably connected to each other via left and right upper front lateral link joints 34UFL and 34UFR including pins, bushes, and the like. ing. The outer ends of the upper front side link members 33UFL and 33UFR are connected to the front ends of the left and right vertical link front telescopic rods 63LF and 63RF via the link angle adjusting actuator 64.

  Further, the upper rear lateral link unit 31UB includes an upper rear lateral central link member 32UB located at the center, and upper rear lateral side link members 33UBL and 33UBR connected to the left and right of the upper rear lateral central link member 32UB. Prepare. The upper rear lateral center link member 32UB and the upper rear lateral side link members 33UBL and 33UBR are rotatably connected to each other via left and right upper rear lateral link joint portions 34UBL and 34UBR including pins, bushes, and the like. ing. The outer ends of the upper rear lateral link members 33UBL and 33UBR are connected to the rear ends of the left and right vertical link rear telescopic rods 63LB and 63RB via the link angle adjusting actuator 64.

  Note that a stator or a rotor of the tilting actuator device 25 is fixed to a central portion of the front and rear upper and horizontal central link members 32UF and 32UB.

  The lower front horizontal link unit 31DF includes a lower front horizontal central link member 32DF located at the center, and lower front horizontal side link members 33DFL and 33DFR connected to the left and right of the lower front horizontal central link member 32DF. Prepare. The lower front lateral center link member 32DF and the lower front lateral side link members 33DFL and 33DFR are rotatably connected to each other via left and right lower front lateral link joint portions 34DFL and 34DFR having pins, bushes, and the like. ing. The outer ends of the lower front lateral side link members 33DFL and 33DFR are connected to the front ends of the left and right vertical link front telescopic rods 63LF and 63RF via the link angle adjusting actuator 64.

  Note that the lower rear horizontal link unit 31DB has substantially the same configuration as the lower front horizontal link unit 31DF, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  Since the link mechanism 30 in the present embodiment has such a configuration, by operating the longitudinal link length extension / contraction actuator 62 and the link angle adjustment actuator 64 as necessary, the distance between the left and right wheels 12L and 12R, That is, the tread width can be changed.

  Next, the operation of the vehicle 10 configured as described above will be described. Here, only the operation of changing the tread width by the link mechanism 30 will be described.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic top view showing the operation of the link mechanism in the first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, (a) shows a state where the tread width is minimized, and (b) shows a state where the tread width is maximized.

  First, when narrowing the tread width, as shown in FIG. 5 (a), the longitudinal link long telescopic actuator 62 is operated to contract both the front and rear longitudinal link telescopic rods 63F and 63B. At the same time, the link angle adjustment actuator 64 is actuated to make the angle formed by the upper horizontal side link member 33U and the vertical link telescopic rod 63 larger than 90 degrees. Thereby, the angle formed by the upper horizontal central link member 32U and the upper horizontal side link member 33U, that is, the bending angle of the horizontal link unit 31, becomes smaller than 180 degrees. Therefore, the distance between the left and right vertical link units 61L and 61R is narrowed, and the distance between the left and right wheels 12L and 12R, that is, the tread width is narrowed.

  When the tread width is widened, as shown in FIG. 5 (b), the longitudinal link length expansion / contraction actuator 62 is actuated to extend both the longitudinal link expansion / contraction rods 63F and 63B. At the same time, the link angle adjusting actuator 64 is operated to reduce the angle formed by the upper horizontal side link member 33U and the vertical link telescopic rod 63 to approach 90 degrees. As a result, the angle formed by the upper horizontal center link member 32U and the upper horizontal side link member 33U, that is, the bending angle of the horizontal link unit 31, increases, and is close to 180 degrees. Therefore, the distance between the left and right vertical link units 61L and 61R is increased, and the distance between the left and right wheels 12L and 12R, that is, the tread width is increased.

  Since the lower side link unit 31D operates in the same manner as the upper side link unit 31U, the description thereof is omitted.

  The state shown in FIG. 5A is a state where the tread width is minimized, and the state shown in FIG. 5B is a state where the tread width is maximized. Actually, the vertical link length expansion / contraction actuator 62 and the link angle adjustment actuator 64 are appropriately controlled so that the length of the vertical link expansion / contraction rod 63 and the angle formed by the lateral side link member 33 and the vertical link expansion / contraction rod 63 are appropriately adjusted. By adjusting, the tread width can be set to a desired value between the minimum value and the maximum value.

  As described above, the vehicle 10 according to the present embodiment changes the length of the vertical link unit 61 of the link mechanism 30 that supports the left and right wheels 12L and 12R by the vertical link length expansion / contraction actuator 62 and the left and right vertical link units. By changing the bending angle of the lateral link unit 31 connected to the front and rear ends of 61L and 61R by the link angle adjusting actuator 64, the tread width can be changed as necessary.

  Thereby, since the tread width can be arbitrarily changed so as to conform to the traveling condition of the vehicle 10, even if the traveling condition changes, it is possible to travel stably and comfortably.

  For example, when the vehicle speed is high, it is desirable to widen the tread width in order to maintain the stability of the vehicle body. Also, when turning left and right, it is desirable to widen the tread width in order to maintain the stability of the vehicle body. Furthermore, it is desirable to increase the tread width in order to maintain the stability of the vehicle body even when traveling on a road surface inclined to the left and right.

  On the other hand, for example, when an obstacle or the like exists and the vehicle travels in a location where the travelable range is narrow, the tread width is desirably narrowed so as not to contact the obstacle or the like.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In addition, about the thing which has the same structure as 1st Embodiment, the description is abbreviate | omitted by providing the same code | symbol. The description of the same operation and the same effect as those of the first embodiment is also omitted.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic top view showing the operation of the link mechanism in the second embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, (a) shows a state where the front tread width is maximized and the rear tread width is minimized, and (b) shows a state where the front tread width is minimized and the rear tread width is maximized. Indicates.

  In the first embodiment, the tread width is changed simultaneously on the front side and the rear side of the wheel 12. However, if the tread width is changed simultaneously on the front side and the rear side of the wheel 12 while the vehicle 10 is traveling, a load is applied to the wheel 12 and energy is lost.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the vehicle 10 is traveling, first, the tread width is changed on one of the front side or the rear side of the wheel 12, and then the tread width is changed on the other side. . That is, the tread width on the traveling direction side of the wheel 12 is changed in advance. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the timing for extending and retracting the front and rear vertical link telescopic rods 63 is shifted, and the timing for rotating the rotation shaft of the front and rear link angle adjusting actuator 64 is shifted.

  Specifically, when the tread width is widened when the vehicle 10 is moving forward, first, the tread on the front side of the wheel 12 is widened as shown in FIG. Spread the tread. When the tread width is narrowed when the vehicle 10 is moving forward, first, as shown in FIG. 6B, the tread on the front side of the wheel 12 is narrowed, and then the rear side of the wheel 12 is Narrow the tread.

  On the other hand, when the tread width is widened when the vehicle 10 is moving backward, first, as shown in FIG. 6 (b), the tread on the rear side of the wheel 12 is widened, and then the tread on the front side of the wheel 12 is widened. spread. When the tread width is narrowed when the vehicle 10 is moving backward, first, as shown in FIG. 6A, the tread on the rear side of the wheel 12 is narrowed, and then the front side of the wheel 12 is narrowed. Narrow the tread.

  6A and 6B is a state in which the tread width on the front side and the rear side of the wheel 12 is maximized and minimized for convenience of explanation. Actually, the vertical link length expansion / contraction actuator 62 and the link angle adjustment actuator 64 are appropriately controlled so that the length of the vertical link expansion / contraction rod 63 and the angle formed by the lateral side link member 33 and the vertical link expansion / contraction rod 63 are appropriately adjusted. By adjusting, the tread width can be set to a desired value between the minimum value and the maximum value.

  Other configurations and operations are the same as those in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  Thus, the vehicle 10 in the present embodiment is configured to change the tread width on the traveling direction side of the wheel 12 in advance. Therefore, even when the vehicle 10 is traveling, the tread width can be changed without placing a burden on the wheels 12 and without losing energy.

  Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In addition, about the thing which has the same structure as 1st and 2nd embodiment, the description is abbreviate | omitted by providing the same code | symbol. Also, the description of the same operations and effects as those of the first and second embodiments is omitted.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the link mechanism in the third embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, (a) is a top view and (b) is a front view.

  In FIG. 7A, the lower side is the front in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10, and the upper side is the rear in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10.

  The left and right vertical link units 61L and 61R in the present embodiment do not include the vertical link length extension / contraction actuator 62 and the link angle adjustment actuator 64 described in the first and second embodiments.

  On the other hand, the upper and lower and front and rear horizontal link units 31UF, 31DF, 31UB, and 31DB include horizontal link length expansion / contraction actuators 35UF, 35DF, 35UB, and 35DB as actuator devices located at the center. Note that the lower rear lateral link unit 31DB and the lower rear lateral link length extendable actuator 35DB are not shown. Each lateral link length expansion / contraction actuator 35 includes lateral link expansion / contraction rods 36L and 36R extending left and right, and the lateral link expansion / contraction rods 36L and 36R can be expanded and contracted. The lateral link length expansion / contraction actuator 35 may be of any kind as long as it is an expansion / contraction actuator that can expand / contract the lateral link expansion / contraction rod 36, for example, a hydraulic cylinder, a linear motor, or the like. Alternatively, a rotary electric motor may be combined with a ball screw device.

  The outer ends of the left and right horizontal link telescopic rods 36 are rotatably connected to the vertical link unit 61 via a vertical link joint 65 having pins, bushes, and the like.

  Since the link mechanism 30 in the present embodiment has such a configuration, the distance between the left and right wheels 12L and 12R, that is, the tread width is changed by operating the lateral link length expansion / contraction actuator 35 as necessary. Can be made.

  Since the configuration and operation of other points are the same as those in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

  As described above, the link mechanism 30 in the present embodiment can change the tread width by changing the length of the horizontal link unit 31 by the horizontal link length expansion / contraction actuator 35. Thus, the tread width can be arbitrarily changed so as to conform to the traveling conditions of the vehicle 10 with a simple configuration.

  Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In addition, about the thing which has the same structure as the 1st-3rd embodiment, the description is abbreviate | omitted by providing the same code | symbol. Explanation of the same operations and effects as those of the first to third embodiments is also omitted.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the link mechanism in the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, (a) is a top view and (b) is a front view.

  In the present embodiment, the vertical link unit 61 does not include the vertical link length expansion / contraction actuator 62 described in the first and second embodiments, and the horizontal link unit 31 includes the third embodiment. The lateral link length expansion / contraction actuator 35 described in the embodiment is not provided. That is, the link mechanism 30 in the present embodiment does not include a link length expansion / contraction actuator.

  On the other hand, the top and bottom of the front ends (lower ends in FIG. 8A) and the top and bottom of the rear ends (upper ends in FIG. 8A) of the left and right vertical link units 61L and 61R are the same as those in the first embodiment. A link angle adjustment actuator 64 is provided. The link angle adjusting actuator 64 is connected to the lateral link joint portion 34 of the lateral link unit 31 as in the first embodiment.

  Further, between the horizontal central link member 32 and the horizontal side link member 33 of the horizontal link unit 31, the horizontal side auxiliary link member 37 is interposed via an on / off actuator as an actuator device that permits or disallows rotation. Are connected. Specifically, the lateral side auxiliary link member 37 is connected to the left and right ends of the lateral central link member 32 via a lateral link joint portion 38 with an ON-OFF brake that can be switched between a rotatable state and a non-rotatable state. One end is coupled, and the other end of the lateral side auxiliary link member 37 is coupled to the lateral side link member 33 via the lateral link joint 34 similar to that of the first embodiment.

  Since the configuration of other points is the same as that of the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

  Since the link mechanism 30 in the present embodiment has such a configuration, the link angle adjusting actuator 64 is operated by making the lateral link joint portion with an ON-OFF brake rotatable so that the left and right sides can be operated as necessary. The distance between the wheels 12L and 12R, that is, the tread width can be changed.

  Next, the operation of the vehicle 10 in the present embodiment will be described. Here, only the operation of changing the tread width by the link mechanism 30 will be described.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic top view showing the operation of the link mechanism in the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, (a) shows a state where the tread width is minimized, and (b) shows a state where the tread width is maximized.

  First, when the tread width is narrowed, as shown in FIG. 9A, the link angle adjusting actuator 64 is operated so that the angle formed by the lateral side link member 33 and the vertical link unit 61 is 90 degrees or more. Also make it bigger. At the same time, the brake of the lateral link joint portion 38 with the ON-OFF brake is turned off, and the lateral center link member 32 and the lateral side auxiliary link member 37 are allowed to rotate. Thereby, the angle formed by the lateral center link member 32 and the lateral side auxiliary link member 37 and the angle formed by the lateral side auxiliary link member 37 and the lateral side link member 33, that is, the bending angle of the lateral link unit 31 are determined. It becomes smaller than 180 degrees. Therefore, the distance between the left and right vertical link units 61L and 61R is narrowed, and the distance between the left and right wheels 12L and 12R, that is, the tread width is narrowed.

  When the tread width reaches a desired value, the link angle adjusting actuator 64 is deactivated, and the brake of the lateral link joint portion 38 with the ON-OFF brake is turned on. The part auxiliary link member 37 is brought into a non-rotatable state. Thereby, the change of the tread width is fixed.

  When the tread width is widened, as shown in FIG. 9B, the link angle adjusting actuator 64 is operated to reduce the angle formed between the lateral side link member 33 and the vertical link unit 61. It approaches 90 degrees. At the same time, the brake of the lateral link joint portion 38 with the ON-OFF brake is turned off, and the lateral center link member 32 and the lateral side auxiliary link member 37 are allowed to rotate. Thereby, the angle formed by the lateral center link member 32 and the lateral side auxiliary link member 37 and the angle formed by the lateral side auxiliary link member 37 and the lateral side link member 33, that is, the bending angle of the lateral link unit 31 are determined. Increases and approaches 180 degrees. Therefore, the distance between the left and right vertical link units 61L and 61R is increased, and the distance between the left and right wheels 12L and 12R, that is, the tread width is increased.

  When the tread width reaches a desired value, the link angle adjusting actuator 64 is deactivated, and the brake of the lateral link joint portion 38 with the ON-OFF brake is turned on. The part auxiliary link member 37 is in a non-rotatable state. Thereby, the change of the tread width is fixed.

  The state shown in FIG. 9A is a state where the tread width is minimized, and the state shown in FIG. 9B is a state where the tread width is maximized. Actually, the vertical link length expansion / contraction actuator 62 and the link angle adjustment actuator 64 are appropriately controlled so that the length of the vertical link expansion / contraction rod 63 and the angle formed by the lateral side link member 33 and the vertical link expansion / contraction rod 63 are appropriately adjusted. By adjusting, the tread width can be set to a desired value between the minimum value and the maximum value.

  The other operations are the same as those in the first and second embodiments, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  As described above, in the link mechanism 30 in the present embodiment, the bending angle of the lateral link unit 31 is variable by the lateral link joint portion 38 with the ON-OFF brake, and the bending angle of the lateral link unit 31 is changed by the link angle adjusting actuator 64. By changing the tread width, the tread width is changed. Thus, the tread width can be arbitrarily changed so as to conform to the traveling conditions of the vehicle 10 with a simple configuration.

  Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In addition, about the thing which has the same structure as 1st-4th embodiment, the description is abbreviate | omitted by providing the same code | symbol. Explanation of the same operations and effects as those of the first to fourth embodiments is also omitted.

  FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the link mechanism in the fifth embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, (a) is a top view and (b) is a front view.

  In the present embodiment, the vertical link unit 61 does not include the vertical link length extension / contraction actuator 62 and the link angle adjustment actuator 64 described in the first and second embodiments.

  On the other hand, a central telescopic actuator 67 as an actuator device is disposed between the front and rear lateral link units 31F and 31B. The central telescopic actuator 67 includes central telescopic rods 68F and 68B extending forward and backward, and the central telescopic rods 68F and 68B can be expanded and contracted. The central telescopic actuator 67 may be of any type as long as it can expand and contract the central telescopic rods 68F and 68B. For example, the central telescopic actuator 67 includes a hydraulic cylinder, a linear motor, or the like. Alternatively, a rotary electric motor may be combined with a ball screw device.

  Further, the upper and lower and front and rear lateral center link members 32UF, 32DF, 32UB and 32DB have a V-shape, and the central portion of the upper front lateral central link member 32UF and the central portion of the lower front lateral central link member 32DF It is fixed to the front center connecting portion 39F, and the central portion of the upper rear horizontal central link member 32UB and the central portion of the lower rear horizontal central link member 32DB are fixed to the rear central connecting portion 39B. The front and rear central connecting portions 39F and 39B are connected to the center of the central telescopic rods 68F and 68B, and the central telescopic rods 68F and 68B are expanded and contracted to change the distance between the front and rear central connecting portions 39F and 39B. Can be made.

  Furthermore, the upper and lower ends of the front ends (lower ends in FIG. 10A) and the rear ends (upper ends in FIG. 10A) of the left and right vertical link units 61L and 61R are ON− in the fourth embodiment. The link joint part 66 with ON-OFF brake similar to the side link joint part 38 with OFF brake is provided. The lateral side link member 33 of the lateral link unit 31 is connected to the longitudinal link unit 61 via the link joint portion 66 with the ON-OFF brake.

  In the present embodiment, when the tread width is narrowed, the central telescopic actuator 67 is operated to extend the central telescopic rod 68, and the distance between the front and rear central connecting portions 39F and 39B is increased. At the same time, the brake of the link joint portion 66 with the ON-OFF brake is turned off, and the lateral side link member 33 and the vertical link unit 61 are brought into a rotatable state. Thereby, the angle formed by the lateral center link member 32 and the lateral side link member 33, that is, the bending angle of the lateral link unit 31 becomes smaller than 180 degrees. Therefore, the distance between the left and right vertical link units 61L and 61R is narrowed, and the distance between the left and right wheels 12L and 12R, that is, the tread width is narrowed.

  When the tread width reaches a desired value, the central telescopic actuator 67 is deactivated and the brake of the link joint portion 66 with the ON-OFF brake is turned on, and the lateral side link member 33 and the vertical link unit are turned on. 61 is in a non-rotatable state. Thereby, the change of the tread width is fixed.

  When the tread width is widened, the central telescopic actuator 67 is operated to contract the central telescopic rod 68, thereby reducing the distance between the front and rear central connecting portions 39F and 39B. At the same time, the brake of the link joint portion 66 with the ON-OFF brake is turned off, and the lateral side link member 33 and the vertical link unit 61 are brought into a rotatable state. As a result, the angle formed by the lateral center link member 32 and the lateral side link member 33, that is, the bending angle of the lateral link unit 31 increases, and is close to 180 degrees. Therefore, the distance between the left and right vertical link units 61L and 61R is increased, and the distance between the left and right wheels 12L and 12R, that is, the tread width is increased.

  When the tread width reaches a desired value, the central telescopic actuator 67 is deactivated and the brake of the link joint portion 66 with the ON-OFF brake is turned on, and the lateral side link member 33 and the vertical link unit are turned on. 61 is in a non-rotatable state. Thereby, the change of the tread width is fixed.

  Since the configuration and operation of other points are the same as those in the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

  As described above, in the link mechanism 30 in the present embodiment, the bending angle of the lateral link unit 31 is variable by the link joint portion 66 with the ON-OFF brake, and the distance between the front and rear central connection portions 39F and 39B by the central telescopic actuator 67. By changing the length of the horizontal link unit 31, the tread width can be changed. Thus, the tread width can be arbitrarily changed so as to conform to the traveling conditions of the vehicle 10 with a simple configuration.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, It can change variously based on the meaning of this invention, and does not exclude them from the scope of the present invention.

1 is a front view showing a configuration of a vehicle in a first embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a left side view showing a configuration of a vehicle in a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view which shows the attitude | position in turning of the vehicle in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the link mechanism in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a model top view which shows operation | movement of the link mechanism in the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a model top view which shows operation | movement of the link mechanism in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the link mechanism in the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the link mechanism in the 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a model top view which shows operation | movement of the link mechanism in the 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the link mechanism in the 5th Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

10 Vehicle 12L, 12R Wheel 30 Link mechanism 31D, 31DF, 31U, 31UB, 31UF Horizontal link unit 35DB, 35DF, 35UB, 35UF Horizontal link long telescopic actuator 61L, 61R Vertical link unit 62L, 62R Vertical link long telescopic actuator 64LBU, 64LFD , 64LFU, 64RBU, 64RFD, 64RFU Link angle adjustment actuator 67 Central telescopic actuator

Claims (7)

The car body,
A pair of left and right rotatable wheels attached to the vehicle body;
A pair of left and right vertical link units that support each wheel and are arranged parallel to the traveling direction of the vehicle body, and a pair of front and rear horizontal link units that connect the front end and the rear end of each vertical link unit. A link mechanism;
A vehicle comprising: an actuator device that refracts a connecting portion of the link mechanism to change a distance between the wheels.   The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the actuator device includes a telescopic actuator that changes a length of the vertical link unit, and a rotary actuator that changes an angle between the vertical link unit and a link member of the horizontal link unit.   The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the distance between the front side of the vehicle body in the traveling direction is changed before the rear side in the traveling direction during traveling.   The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the actuator device is a telescopic actuator that changes a length of the lateral link unit.   The actuator device includes: a rotary actuator that changes an angle between the vertical link unit and a link member of the horizontal link unit; and an on / off actuator that permits or disallows rotation between the link members of the horizontal link unit. Vehicle described in.   The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the distance between the front side in the traveling direction of the vehicle body is changed before the rear side in the traveling direction during traveling.   The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the actuator device includes a telescopic actuator that changes an interval between the horizontal link units, and a rotary actuator that changes an angle between the vertical link unit and a link member of the horizontal link unit.

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