JP2022070637A - vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To facilitate a carriage of a vehicle without the vehicle being covered with a large-size seat cover.SOLUTION: A vehicle is configured to be able to change a posture between a running posture and a non-running posture (folded posture, standing-upright posture). This vehicle includes: a front wheel 1 and rear wheels; a fender 25 which covers a first region AR1 in the running posture within an outer circumferential surface including the first region AR1 and a second region AR2 in the circumferential direction of the front wheel 1, and which is provided so as to expose the second region AR2; and a cover 250 provided so as to cover the second region AR2 in the non-running posture.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle having front wheels and rear wheels.

As a vehicle of this type, there is conventionally known an electric vehicle configured to be foldable and to be erected and transported in a folded state (see, for example, Patent Document 1). A foldable bicycle is also known (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

US Pat. No. 7,654,356 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-220799

However, in the vehicle described in Patent Document 1, when the user folds and transports the vehicle, there is a possibility that the wheels may come into contact with hands, clothes, or the like and become dirty. On the other hand, the bicycle described in Patent Document 2 is configured to cover the entire folded bicycle with a seat cover. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare a large seat cover separately, and it is troublesome to manage the seat cover.

One aspect of the present invention is a vehicle configured to be able to change its posture between a running posture and a non-running posture, and has a front wheel and a rear wheel, and a first region in the circumferential direction of at least one of the front wheel and the rear wheel. Of the outer peripheral surfaces having the second region, a fender provided so as to cover the first region in the running posture and expose the second region, and a cover provided so as to cover the second region in the non-running posture. It is equipped with a department.

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the wheels from being soiled by touching the wheels when the vehicle is transported or the like without separately preparing a large seat cover or the like.

It is a perspective view which shows the whole structure of the vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and is the figure which looked at the vehicle from the diagonally left front. It is a perspective view which shows the whole structure of the vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and is the figure which looked at the vehicle from the left oblique rear. The figure which shows the schematic structure of the Knighthardt rubber spring provided in the rocking part of the vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows the schematic structure of the rotation support part of the vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which shows the folding posture of the vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which shows the standing posture of the vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The cross-sectional view which shows the schematic structure of the fender provided in the vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VII-VII of FIG. The figure explaining the characteristic operation of the vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a modification of the vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and is the side view which shows the schematic structure around the front wheel in a traveling posture. It is a figure which shows the modification of the main part of the vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and is the side view which shows the schematic structure around the front wheel in the standing posture. FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X-X. The figure which shows the other modification of the main part of the vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1A to 11. The vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention is a three-wheeled vehicle having a single front wheel and a pair of left and right rear wheels, and is configured so that the user can ride in a standing posture.

1A and 1B are perspective views showing the overall configuration of the vehicle 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, respectively, and show the traveling posture of the vehicle 100 when the vehicle is used, that is, the traveling posture. The posture in which the vehicle cannot run is called a non-running posture. Hereinafter, as shown in the figure, the front-rear direction (length direction), the left-right direction (width direction), and the up-down direction (height direction) of the vehicle 100 are defined, and the configuration of each part will be described according to this definition. FIG. 1A is a view of the vehicle 100 viewed diagonally from the front left, and FIG. 1B is a view of the vehicle 100 viewed diagonally from the rear.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the vehicle 100 has a front wheel 1 and a rear wheel 2, and a frame FL constituting the skeleton of the vehicle 100, and a center line CL1 (FIG. 1) passing through the center of the vehicle 100 in the left-right direction. The whole is composed symmetrically with respect to 1B). More specifically, the front wheels 1 are arranged along the center line CL1, and the left and right rear wheels 2 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line CL1. The front wheel 1 has the same diameter as the rear wheel 2. The front wheel 1 may have a smaller diameter or a larger diameter than the rear wheel 2. The frame FL includes a main frame 10 extending from the front wheels 1 to the rear wheels 2 and a vertical frame 20 erected above the front wheels 1.

The main frame 10 has a front frame 11 extending from above the front wheels 1 to the rear, and a rear frame 12 extending to the front frame 11 and extending to the rear wheels 2. The front frame 11 is formed in a substantially arc shape from above to the rear of the front wheel 1 along the outer peripheral surface of the front wheel 1, and is substantially wider in the left-right direction than the front wheel 1 from the arc portion 111 and the rear end portion of the arc portion 111. It has a flat plate portion 112 that extends rearward horizontally (strictly, inclined with a gentle downward slope toward the rear). A substantially cylindrical pipe support portion 113 penetrating in the vertical direction is provided at the front end portion of the arc portion 111.

The vertical frame 20 has a substantially cylindrical vertical pipe 21 that is inclined and extends along the axis CL2 (FIG. 1A) so that the upper end portion is located behind the lower end portion. The vertical pipe 21 penetrates the pipe support portion 113 and is rotatably supported by the front end portion of the main frame 10 around the axis CL2. A handle 23 is attached to the upper end of the vertical pipe 21, and a front fork 24 is fixed to the lower end.

The rotation shaft 1a of the front wheel 1 is rotatably supported by a pair of left and right front forks 24. The front wheel 1 is steered by the rotation operation (steering) of the steering wheel 23. The handle 23 is a bar handle extending substantially linearly in the left-right direction, and resin or rubber grips 23a gripped by the user are provided at both left and right ends of the handle 23. Inside the pair of left and right front forks 24, a substantially arcuate front fender (also simply referred to as a fender) 25 is arranged from above to the rear of the front wheel 1 so as to cover the periphery of the front wheel 1. The fender 25 is supported by the lower end of the vertical pipe 21 or the front fork 24. In order to prevent the fender 25 from being damaged, the fender 25 is provided so that the front end portion thereof is located behind the front end portion of the front wheel 1.

Although detailed illustration is omitted, the traveling motor 4 (in-wheel motor) and the brake unit 5 are housed inside the front wheel 1. For example, the traveling motor 4 is arranged on the left side and the brake unit 5 is arranged on the right side. The vehicle 100 is configured as an electric vehicle that travels by being driven by a traveling motor 4. The brake unit 5 is configured as, for example, a drum brake unit constituting a drum brake. The rear wheel 2 is also provided with the brake unit 5. These brake units 5 are operated by operating a brake lever 23b provided in front of the grip 23a of the steering wheel 23, and braking force is applied to the front wheels 1 and the rear wheels 2. The traveling motor 4 as an electric motor may be provided not in the front wheel 1 but in the rear wheel 2, or in both the front wheel 1 and the rear wheel 2. Thereby, the traction ability and the climbing ability of the vehicle 100 can be improved.

A vertically elongated battery 6 is supported on the rear surface of the vertical pipe 21 via a holder. The battery 6 is a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery that stores electric power supplied to the traveling motor 4, and the battery 6 is connected to the traveling motor 4 via a power line passing through the vertical frame 20. The electric power supplied from the battery 6 to the traveling motor 4 is controlled by a power control unit (not shown). The battery 6 may be arranged inside the vertical pipe 21 or may be arranged around other structural members such as the main frame 10.

Although not shown, the steering wheel 23 is provided with a starter switch for instructing on / off of the main power supply, a turn signal switch for notifying a right / left turn, an accelerator lever for inputting a traveling command, and the like so as to be operable by the user. It is also possible to provide a display unit for displaying vehicle information such as the remaining battery capacity and the set vehicle speed. Below the handle 23, a pair of left and right turn signal lamps 26 that blink by operating the turn signal switch are provided. A headlight 27 is provided at the upper end of the vertical pipe 21.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the rear frame 12 has a substantially cylindrical central frame 121 extending substantially parallel to the flat plate portion 112, that is, having a slightly upward slope in the front and extending in the front-rear direction, and left and right of the central frame 121. It has a pair of left and right support frames 122 in the shape of a substantially plate, which are joined to the side surfaces and extend substantially horizontally in the left-right direction. A pair of left and right side frames extending in the front-rear direction, more specifically, an inner side frame 123 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction and an outer side frame 124 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction are joined to the upper surfaces of the left and right support frames 122. ..

The right rear wheel 2 is arranged between the right inner side frame 123 and the outer side frame 124, and the rotation shaft 2a of the right rear wheel 2 is rotatably supported by these side frames 123 and 124. Similarly, the left rear wheel 2 is arranged between the left inner side frame 123 and the outer side frame 124, and the rotation shaft 2a of the left rear wheel 2 is rotatably supported by these side frames 123 and 124. ..

Steps (foot rests) 13, which are substantially rectangular plates extending in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, are arranged on the left and right sides of the central frame 121, respectively. The left and right steps 13 are arranged on the side frames 123 and 124, respectively, and are supported by the side frames 123 and 124. The left and right steps 13 form a mounting portion on which the user PS in a standing posture rests both feet, and the upper surface (mounting surface) of the step 13 is configured as a horizontal plane parallel to the road surface. In step 13, the length in the front-rear direction and the width in the left-right direction are defined so that the entire sole of the user can be placed.

Behind the left and right steps 13, rear fenders (also simply referred to as fenders) 14 are arranged so as to cover the periphery of the rear wheels 2 from the front to the upper side of the rear wheels 2. The fender 14 is supported by a pair of left and right stands 15 projecting above and behind the rear wheel 2. The length from the right end surface of the right fender 14 to the left end surface of the left fender 14 is shorter than the length from the right end to the left end of the handle 23, and the maximum width of the vehicle 100 is defined by the handle 23.

A connecting plate 16 is interposed between the left and right fenders 14. The connecting plate 16 extends in the left-right direction, and both left and right ends thereof are fixed to the fender 14. A brake lamp 17 that lights up when the brake unit 5 is operated is provided at the center of the rear surface of the connecting plate 16 in the left-right direction. A pair of left and right winker lamps 18 that blink by operating a winker switch are provided at the rear ends of the left and right fenders 14.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the front frame 11 and the rear frame 12 of the main frame 10 are connected via a swing portion 30. That is, the front frame 11 is connected to the rear frame 12 so as to be swingable in the left-right direction via the swing portion 30. The swinging portion 30 has a Knighthardt rubber spring 31 fixed to the bottom surface of the flat plate portion 112 of the front frame 11.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a Knighthardt rubber spring 31 provided in the swing portion 30. As shown in FIG. 2, the Knighthardt rubber spring 31 is built in a case 311 having a substantially rectangular frame-shaped cross section fixed to the bottom surface of the flat plate portion 112. Inside the case 311 is a shaft 312 that is provided integrally with the central frame 121 of the rear frame 12 and extends along the center line CL3 of the central frame 121. The front end portion of the central frame 121 may be used as the shaft 312. The Nithhardt rubber spring 31 is a substantially rhombic cam block 313 spline-coupled to the shaft 312 so as to be rotatable integrally with the shaft 312, and a rubber roller arranged to face each of the concavely formed surfaces of the cam block 313. It has 314 and.

FIG. 2 shows an initial state in which the front frame 11 is not swinging. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the vertical frame 20 is not tilted and the vehicle 100 is in the reference posture. When torque acts on the case 311 from this initial state and the case 311 rotates about the center line CL3, the rubber roller 314 is pressed between the case 311 and the cam block 313 to be elastically deformed, and the rubber roller 314 is elliptical. become. At this time, the front frame 11 swings together with the vertical frame 20, and the vehicle 100 is in an inclined posture. In this case, as the rotation angle of the case 311 increases, the rotation resistance with respect to the case 311 increases. When the torque acting on the case 311 becomes 0, the rubber roller 314 returns to its original shape due to the elastic force, and the front frame 11 returns to the reference posture.

By providing the front frame 11 of the main frame 10 so as to be swingable via the swing portion 30, the user who rides on the vehicle 100 in a standing posture can easily turn the vehicle 100 in the left-right direction. can. For example, when the user turns the vehicle 100 in the left-right direction, the user slightly bends the knees and ankles and tilts the upper body to the left and right. As a result, while the step 13 integrated with the rear frame 12 is kept horizontal, the vertical frame 20 is swung integrally with the front frame 11 in a stable posture with both feet placed on the step 13, and the front wheel 1 is moved to the left and right. Can be tilted. As a result, the vehicle 100 can be turned smoothly, and the turning performance is improved.

Further, since the Knighthardt rubber spring 31 is provided in the swing portion 30, when the front frame 11 is swung left and right from the reference posture, a restoring force acts on the front frame 11 to swing the front frame 11. It can be suppressed well. The restoring force may be applied to the front frame 11 by an elastic member such as a coil spring instead of the Knighthardt rubber spring 31. That is, the structure of the damper member is not limited to the Knighthardt rubber spring 31.

Although not shown, the load point acting on step 13 due to the weight of the user in the standing posture (the center point of the load acting from the sole of the foot) is the ground contact point of the front wheel 1 and the pair of left and right rear wheels 2 in a plan view. It is located within the triangular area connecting each grounding point. As a result, the user can get on the vehicle 100 in a stable posture regardless of whether the vehicle is running or stopped.

The vehicle 100 according to the present embodiment is provided so as to be foldable. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1A, in the vertical pipe 21, the upper portion of the vertical pipe 21 (referred to as the upper pipe portion 211) is the lower portion of the vertical pipe 21 (lower pipe portion 212) above the pipe support portion 113. A rotation support portion 40 that rotatably supports the rear is provided.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the rotation support portion 40. As shown in FIG. 3, a bracket 211a is projected rearward from the lower end portion of the upper pipe portion 211, and the bracket 211a extends in the left-right direction to the rear end portion of the upper end portion of the lower pipe portion 212. It is rotatably supported in the front-rear direction with the pin 41 as a fulcrum. Further, a lever 43 is supported at the lower end of the upper pipe portion 211 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction with a pin 42 extending in the left-right direction as a fulcrum at the rear end portion above the bracket 211a. A rear end portion of a rod 45 extending in the front-rear direction is connected to the lower end portion of the lever 43 with a pin 44 extending in the left-right direction as a fulcrum. The rod 45 is provided so as to be movable in the front-rear direction between the lower end portion of the upper pipe portion 211 and the upper end portion of the lower pipe portion 212.

At the front end of the rod 45, a convex portion 45a that engages with the engaging recess 212a provided on the front surface of the upper end of the lower pipe portion 212 is projected rearward. As shown by the solid line in FIG. 3, in the initial state in which the lever 43 is rotated upward so as to approach the rear surface of the upper pipe portion 211, the rod 45 is pulled backward and the convex portion 45a becomes the engaging recess 212a. Engage. At this time, the rearward rotation of the upper pipe portion 211 with the pin 41 as the fulcrum is prevented (locked state). Therefore, the vertical pipe 21 is fixed in an upright state along the axis CL2 of FIG. 1A, and the vehicle 100 is in a traveling posture.

From this rotation locked state, as shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 3, when the lever 43 is rotated downward (in the direction of arrow A), the pin 44 moves forward and the rod 45 is pushed forward. Will be done. As a result, the engagement between the convex portion 45a of the rod 45 and the engaging concave portion 212a is released (unlocked state). As a result, the upper pipe portion 211 can rotate rearward (in the direction of arrow B) with the pin 41 as a fulcrum, and the vehicle 100 can be in the folded posture.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the vehicle 100 in the folded posture. The front-back direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction of FIG. 4 coincide with the directions shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The folding posture is included in the non-running posture of the vehicle 100. As shown in FIG. 4, in the folded posture, the upper pipe portion 211 is rotated backward to the maximum with the rotation support portion 40 as a fulcrum, and the upper pipe portion 211 and the main frame 10 (front frame 11, rear frame 12). ) Is almost parallel. More precisely, the upper pipe portion 211 is inserted between the left and right rear wheels 2, and the tip portion (rear end portion in FIG. 4) of the upper pipe portion 211 is located below the base end portion (pin 41). The upper pipe portion 211 inclines toward the rear with a gentle downward slope.

At this time, the left and right grips 23a abut on the upper surfaces of the left and right fenders 14, respectively. This makes it possible to prevent the grip 23a from becoming dirty in the folded posture. Further, when the vehicle 100 is in the folded posture, the user grips the grip 23a and moves the handle 23 to the vicinity of the fender 14, but the rear wheel 2 is covered with the fender 14. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the user's hand from touching the surface of the rear wheel 2 when the vehicle 100 is placed in the folded posture. Although not shown, the folded handle 23 is connected to the fender 14, the stand 15, or the connecting plate 16 by a hook member, a binding band, or the like.

A handle 114 is arranged above the front wheel 1. The handle 114 has a grip portion 114a extending in the left-right direction and a pair of left and right stays 114b extending rearward from both left and right ends of the grip portion 114a, and the entire handle has a substantially U-shape in a plan view. The rear end portion of the stay 114b is fixed to the left and right side surfaces of the front end portion of the front frame 11 by bolts or the like. The vehicle 100 in the folded posture can stand up with the rear wheel 2 as a fulcrum and stand up by grasping the handle 114 and lifting the front wheel 1 side upward.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the vehicle 100 in an upright posture. The front-back direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction of FIG. 5 coincide with the directions shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The standing posture is included in the non-running posture of the vehicle 100. Further, in the standing posture, the vehicle 100 is in a folded state, and the standing posture is included in the folded posture. As shown in FIG. 5, in the standing posture, the left and right rear wheels 2 and the tips (grounding portions 151) of the left and right stands 15 behind the rear wheels 2 are in contact with the ground G, and the vehicle 100 has four points. Stand up with support. At this time, the main frame 10 is erected in a substantially vertical direction, and the front wheels 1 are located vertically above the rear wheels 2. On the other hand, the vertical frame 20 is located behind the main frame 10, and the center of gravity of the vehicle 100 is behind the ground contact position of the rear wheels 2. Therefore, by providing the stand 15 so as to project behind the rear wheel 2 as shown in the figure, the vehicle 100 can be stably held in the upright posture.

When transporting the vehicle 100, the user grips the handle 114 of the vehicle 100 in an upright posture and tilts the vehicle 100 forward (in the direction of arrow A) with the rear wheel 2 as a fulcrum. As a result, the ground contact portion 151 of the stand 15 is separated from the ground G, and the user can easily carry the vehicle 100 forward while rolling the rear wheel 2.

By the way, when the handle 114 is gripped for transporting the vehicle 100, the user's hand may touch the front wheel 1 and the user's hand may become dirty. Alternatively, if the vehicle 100 is held in an upright posture, the user's hands or objects (clothes, etc.) may come into contact with the front wheel 1 and become dirty. In order to prevent this, if a seat cover that covers the entire vehicle or the entire front wheel is separately provided, it is necessary to manage the seat cover separately, which is troublesome. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the cover is configured as follows so that the periphery of the front wheel 1 can be easily covered as needed.

Hereinafter, as shown in FIG. 5, among the regions of the outer peripheral surface of the front wheel 1, the region covered by the fender 25 is referred to as a first region AR1, and the region exposed to the outside is referred to as a second region AR2. The first region AR1 is a region from the rear to the bottom in the standing posture, and the second region AR2 is a region from the front to the top.

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the fender 25, and is a cross-sectional view taken along a cut surface extending in the radial direction from the rotation axis 1a of the front wheel 1. In FIG. 6, the vertical pipe 21, the front fork 24, the front frame 11, etc. are not shown. As shown in FIG. 6, guides 25a are provided at both left and right ends of the fender 25 having a substantially arcuate cross section so as to project inward in the radial direction and inward in the left-right direction. A cover 250 is provided in the radial inner side of the fender 25 and in the inner region of the guide 25a so as to be movable along the inner peripheral surface of the fender 25 and the guide 25a.

The cover 250 has a radial outer and inner outer cover 251 and an inner cover 252 made of a resin material. The outer cover 251 and the inner cover 252 are each formed in a substantially arc shape corresponding to the fender 25, and have substantially the same length in the circumferential direction as the fender 25. The fender 25 and the cover 250 are provided with a pair of left and right stoppers SP1 and SP2 for limiting the sliding movement of the outer cover 251 with respect to the fender 25 and the sliding movement of the inner cover 252 with respect to the outer cover 251. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VII-VII of FIG. 6 showing a schematic configuration of the stoppers SP1 and SP2.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, guide grooves 25b are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the fender 25 at two positions of the stoppers SP1 on the left and right along the circumferential direction centered on the rotation shaft 1a. The guide groove 25b is formed up to the limiting portion 25c at one end in the circumferential direction of the fender 25 (the upper end in the standing posture of FIG. 5). A protrusion 251a to be inserted into the guide groove 25b is provided at one end of the outer peripheral surface of the outer cover 251 in the circumferential direction. As shown in FIG. 7, the stopper SP1 has a protrusion 251a and a limiting portion 25c, and the protrusion 251a abuts on the limiting portion 25c to limit the movement of the outer cover 251 with respect to the fender 25 on one side in the circumferential direction. Will be done.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, guide grooves 251b are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the outer cover 251 at two positions of the stoppers SP2 on the left and right along the circumferential direction centered on the rotation shaft 1a. The guide groove 251b is formed up to the limiting portion 251c at one end in the circumferential direction of the outer cover 251. A protrusion 252a to be inserted into the guide groove 251b is provided at one end of the outer peripheral surface of the inner cover 252 in the circumferential direction. As shown in FIG. 7, the stopper SP2 has a protrusion 252a and a limiting portion 251c, and when the protrusion 252a abuts on the limiting portion 251c, the inner cover 252 moves on one side in the circumferential direction with respect to the outer cover 251. Be restricted.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the cover 250, and is a side view schematically showing the configuration of the fender 25 and the cover 250 in the standing posture. As shown in FIG. 8, the fender 25 is provided over a predetermined range in the circumferential direction. More specifically, the fender 25 is provided over a predetermined range of angles (eg, about 120 °) greater than 90 ° and less than 180 °.

As shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 8, immediately after the vehicle 100 is put into the upright posture, the cover 250 is stored inside the fender 25 as in the running posture (FIG. 1A). Therefore, like the fender 25, the cover 250 covers the first region AR1 on the outer peripheral surface of the front wheel 1, and both one end and the other end of the cover 250 in the circumferential direction are more circumferential than the circumferential end of the fender 25. Located inside. In this state, the second region AR2 of the front wheel 1, that is, the front and the upper side of the front wheel 1 is exposed. The position of the cover 250 in this case is referred to as a first position P1.

From this state, the user grips the tip of the cover 250 inside the fender 25 and pulls the cover 250 out of the fender 25. For example, a finger is hooked on the recess 252b provided at the tip of the inner peripheral surface of the inner cover 252, and the cover 250 is pulled in the circumferential direction (arrow A direction). When the cover 250 is pulled to the maximum in the circumferential direction, as shown in FIG. 7, the protrusion 251a of the outer cover 251 abuts on the limiting portion 25c of the fender 25, and the protrusion 252a of the inner cover 252 limits the outer cover 251. It abuts on the portion 251c.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, the cover 250 is covered to a position covering the second region AR2 on the outer peripheral surface of the front wheel 1 on the outer side of the fender 25 in the circumferential direction while the movement of the cover 250 in the circumferential direction is restricted by the stoppers SP1 and SP2. The 250 can be pulled out to the maximum. As a result, the entire circumferential direction of the front wheel 1 can be covered by the fender 25 and the cover 250. The position of the cover 250 in this case is referred to as a second position P2. Although not shown, a connecting portion 253 to which the tip end portion of the inner cover 252 is connected may be provided at the end portion of the fender 25, and the cover 250 may be fixed to the second position P2 via the connecting portion 253. good.

As described above, the slidable telescopic cover 250 is provided inside the fender 25 so as to cover the entire circumferential direction of the front wheel 1, so that the handle 114 does not touch the front wheel 1 with hands or clothes. Can be easily carried by gripping the vehicle 100. When the cover 250 is moved from the second position P2 to the first position P1 in order to put the vehicle 100 in the traveling posture, the cover 250 may be pushed in and slid to the inside of the fender 25.

According to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The vehicle according to the present embodiment is configured so that the posture can be changed into a running posture and a non-running posture (folding posture, standing posture) (FIGS. 1A, 4 and 5). The vehicle 100 covers the first region AR1 in the traveling posture and is the second of the outer peripheral surfaces having the front wheels 1 and the rear wheels 2 and the first region AR1 and the second region AR2 in the circumferential direction of the front wheels 1. A fender 25 provided so as to expose the region AR2 and a cover 250 provided so as to cover the second region AR2 in a non-traveling posture are provided (FIGS. 6 to 8).

Thereby, for example, in the standing posture, the entire circumferential direction of the front wheel 1 can be covered by the fender 25 and the cover 250. Therefore, the user can easily carry the vehicle 100 without accidentally touching the front wheel 1 of the vehicle 100 in the upright posture with his / her hand, clothes, or the like, and the vehicle 100 is easy to handle. Since the cover 250 is provided integrally with the fender 25, the cover 250 can be easily managed. That is, for example, if the cover 250 is provided as a separate member of the vehicle 100, it is necessary to manage the cover separately, which is troublesome, but in the present embodiment, such management is unnecessary.

(2) In the non-traveling posture, the rear wheel 2 is grounded and the front wheel 1 is arranged above the rear wheel 2, and the vehicle 100 can be carried. It includes a posture in which the ground contact portion 151 of the stand 15 is lifted from the ground G by tilting in the A direction (FIG. 5). The cover 250 is provided so as to cover the second region AR2 in the transport posture. This makes it possible to prevent the front wheel 1 from being exposed during transportation of the vehicle 100.

(3) The vehicle 100 is provided on the frame FL that rotatably supports the front wheels 1 and the rear wheels 2, and is arranged on the radial outer side of the fender 25, and is gripped by the user when the vehicle 100 is transported. A handle 114 is further provided (FIGS. 1A and 5). When the handle 114 is provided in the vicinity of the front wheel 1 in this way, the user's hand, clothes, or the like can easily touch the front wheel 1 when the handle 114 is gripped and the vehicle 100 is transported. It is possible to reliably prevent the front wheel 1 from being touched by a hand, clothes, or the like.

(4) The cover 250 is provided on the fender 25 so as to be slidable in the circumferential direction from the first position P1 that exposes the second region AR2 to the second position P2 that covers the second region AR2 (FIGS. 6 to 8). That is, the cover 250 is configured as a slide member. As a result, the cover 250 can be easily moved from the first position P1 to the second position P2 with a simple configuration. When the cover 250 is moved to the second position, it can cover the entire circumference of the front wheel 1 together with the fender 25.

The above embodiment can be changed to various forms. Hereinafter, some modification examples will be described. In the above embodiment, the cover 250 is composed of the outer cover 251 and the inner cover 252. That is, although the cover 250 is composed of a pair of radially laminated stretchable slide members, the cover portion may be configured by three or more radially laminated stretchable slide members. The angle of the fender 25 may be larger than 180 °, and in this case, the cover portion may be formed by a single slide member.

In the above embodiment, the stoppers SP1 and SP2 that limit the movement of the cover 250 in the circumferential direction are provided at two locations in the circumferential direction, but may be provided at one location in the circumferential direction or at three or more locations in the circumferential direction. In the above embodiment, the fender 25 and the cover 250 cover the entire circumference of the front wheel 1, but the cover portion may cover a part of the area that is easily touched by hands, clothes, or the like instead of the entire circumference. A slidable cover portion may be provided on the outside of the fender 25 instead of the inside of the fender 25.

In the above embodiment, the cover 250 is moved from the first position P1 to the second position P2 along the fender 25 to cover the second region AR2 on the outer peripheral surface of the front wheel 1, but the fender itself is moved. The second region AR2 may be covered. Hereinafter, this point will be described with reference to FIGS. 9A, 9B and 10. 9A and 9B are side views showing a schematic configuration around the front wheel 1 in the running posture and the standing posture, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 9A, the fender 25 includes an arc portion 254 formed in an arc shape facing the outer peripheral surface of the front wheel 1, a disc portion 255 provided around the rotation shaft 1a of the front wheel 1, and the front wheel 1. On both the left and right sides of the above, the arc portion 254 and the connecting portion 256 connecting the disk portion 255 are provided. The connecting portions 256 are provided at two locations in the circumferential direction, for example.

The disc portion 255 is arranged on both left and right sides of the wheel 1b of the front wheel 1. Of the left and right disk portions 255, at least one disk portion (for example, the left disk portion) 255 is provided with lock holes 255a and 255b at two locations in the circumferential direction so as to be separated from each other by a predetermined angle (for example, about 180 °). That is, the first lock hole 255a and the second lock hole 255b are provided. In the traveling posture, the lock pin 257 is fitted into the first lock hole 255a.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX of FIG. 9A. As shown in FIG. 10, the disk portion 255 is rotatably supported with respect to the rotating shaft 1a via a bearing 259. Thereby, the relative position of the fender 25 with respect to the front fork 24 can be changed. The lock pin 257 is slidably supported by the front fork 24 in the left-right direction. More specifically, the lock pin 257 has a large diameter portion 257a and a small diameter portion 257b penetrating the front fork 24, and the stopper 257c is integrally attached to the small diameter portion 257b.

A recess 24a is provided on the right side of the front fork 24, and the stopper 257c is accommodated in the recess 24a. A spring (for example, a coil spring) 258 is housed in the recess 24a in contact with the bottom surface of the recess 24a and the end surface of the stopper 257c. As a result, the lock pin 257 is always urged to the right by the spring 258, and the lock pin 257 is fitted into the first lock hole 255a. As a result, the relative position of the fender 25 with respect to the front fork 24 is fixed to the first position P1 shown in FIG. 9A in the traveling posture. At the first position P1, the circumferential end portion 254a (front end portion) of the arc portion 254 of the fender 25 is located behind the front end portion of the front wheel 1. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the front end portion of the fender 25 from being damaged during traveling.

In the standing position, the user pulls the lock pin 257 to the left against the urging force of the spring 258 and detaches the lock pin 257 from the first lock hole 255a. Next, the fender 25 is rotated about the rotation shaft 1a to the second position P2 shown in FIG. 9B, and the lock pin 257 is fitted into the second lock hole 255b by the urging force of the spring 258. As a result, the fender 25 can be fixed to the second position P2 in the standing posture.

When the fender 25 is located at the second position P2, the circumferential end portion 254a (lower end portion) of the arc portion 254 of the fender 25 is located behind the frontmost portion of the front wheel 1, and the circumferential end portion of the arc portion 254 is located. The portion 254b (upper end portion) is located below the uppermost portion of the front wheel 1. As a result, the entire second region AR2 from the front to the upper side of the outer peripheral surface of the front wheel 1 is covered by the fender 25. Therefore, the user can easily carry the vehicle 100 without touching the front wheel 1 with a hand or an object.

As described above, in the modification shown in FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 10, the vehicle 100 covers the first region AR1 and covers the second region AR2 from the first position P1 that exposes the second region AR2. A support portion (fender support portion) that supports the fender 25 so as to be movable in the circumferential direction toward the second position P2 that exposes the first region AR1, that is, a disk portion 255 or a lock pin provided with lock holes 255a and 255b. It is equipped with 257 and the like. The cover portion that covers the second region AR2 is composed of the fender 25 located at the second position P2. As a result, it is not necessary to separately provide a cover portion, the number of parts can be reduced, and management of the cover portion is not required.

A cover portion that covers the front wheel 1 may be detachably provided. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a configuration around the front wheel 1 which schematically shows an example thereof. Note that FIG. 11 corresponds to the standing posture of the vehicle 100. In FIG. 11, the fender 25 is made of a magnetic material such as iron. The vertical pipe 21 is also made of a magnetic material. It should be noted that only both ends of the fender 25 in the circumferential direction may be made of a magnetic material.

The cover portion is composed of a substantially strip-shaped waterproof sheet 50 having flexibility, and mounting portions 25A and 25B to which the waterproof sheet 50 is attached are provided at one end and the other end in the circumferential direction of the fender 25. More specifically, permanent magnets 51 are attached to both ends of the waterproof sheet 50 in the longitudinal direction, and the waterproof sheet 50 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the fender 25 via the permanent magnets 51. The width of the waterproof sheet 50 is substantially equal to the width of the front wheel 1.

As a result, the entire outer peripheral surface of the front wheel 1 can be covered with the fender 25 and the waterproof sheet 50, and it is possible to prevent the user's hand, clothes, or the like from touching the front wheel 1 when the vehicle 100 is transported. Since the waterproof sheet 50 has a permanent magnet 51, the waterproof sheet 50 can be easily attached and detached. The waterproof sheet 50 removed from the fender 25 in the traveling posture can be wound around the vertical pipe 21 and held in a state of being attached to the vertical pipe 21 by a magnetic force. This makes it easy to manage the waterproof sheet 50. In the traveling posture, the waterproof sheet 50 may be mounted at another position of the vehicle 100.

As described above, in the modified example of FIG. 11, the cover portion is formed by the band-shaped waterproof sheet 50 covering the second region AR2 on the outer peripheral surface of the front wheel 1, and the fender 25 is waterproofed at one end and the other end in the circumferential direction, respectively. Mounting portions 25A and 25B to which one end and the other end in the circumferential direction of the sheet 50 are attached are provided. As a result, it is possible to prevent the front wheel 1 from being exposed during transportation of the vehicle 100 with a simple configuration.

It should be noted that the mounting portion may be provided on the inner peripheral surface of the fender 25 instead of the outer peripheral surface, and the cover portion may be mounted on the inner peripheral surface of the fender. Instead of providing permanent magnets at both ends of the waterproof sheet 50, for example, engaging portions may be provided at both ends (mounting portions) of the fender 25 so that the sheet member can be attached via the engaging portions. Therefore, the configuration of the seat member is not limited to that described above.

In the above embodiment, the front wheels 1 are arranged above the rear wheels 2 in the standing posture as the non-running posture, but the non-running posture is not limited to this. For example, the posture may be such that the rear wheel 2 is arranged above the front wheel 1. In the above embodiment, the vertical pipe 21 is provided with the rotation support portion 40 so that the vertical pipe 21 can be rotated, but the vehicle 100 may be configured to be foldable at another position. In the above embodiment, the handle 114 is provided at the end of the frame FL (main frame 10) so as to be arranged radially outside the fender 25, but the configuration of the grip portion provided on the frame is not limited to that described above. ..

In the above embodiment and the modified example, a cover 250 (FIG. 8), a fender 25 (FIG. 9B), a waterproof sheet 50 (FIG. 11), and the like are covered around the front wheel 1 so as to cover the second region AR2 in a non-traveling posture. Although the portion is provided, a cover portion may be provided around the rear wheel 2 instead of the front wheel 1, or on both the front wheel 1 and the rear wheel 2. That is, a cover portion may be provided so as to cover the second region of the outer peripheral surface of at least one of the front wheel and the rear wheel. It should be noted that providing the cover portion around the rear wheels is particularly effective when the rear wheels are arranged above the front wheels in a non-driving posture with the front wheels in contact with the ground.

In the above embodiment, the vehicle 100 is configured to have a single front wheel 1 and a pair of left and right rear wheels 2, but a single front wheel and a single rear wheel, or a pair of front wheels and a single rear wheel. The vehicle can also be configured to have and. The single front wheel also includes, for example, a pair of front wheels provided at one place, that is, a pair of front wheels.

The above description is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications as long as the features of the present invention are not impaired. It is also possible to arbitrarily combine one or a plurality of the above-described embodiments and the modified examples, and it is also possible to combine the modified examples.

1 front wheel, 2 rear wheel, 10 main frame, 25 fender, 250 cover, 50 tarpaulin, 100 vehicle, 114 handle, 255 disk part, 257 lock pin, FL frame, AR1 1st area, AR2 2nd area, P1 1st 1st position, P2 2nd position

Claims (6)

It is a vehicle configured so that the posture can be changed between a running posture and a non-running posture.
Front and rear wheels,
Of the outer peripheral surfaces having the first region and the second region in the circumferential direction of at least one of the front wheel and the rear wheel, the first region is covered and the second region is exposed in the traveling posture. With the fender provided like
A vehicle including a cover portion provided so as to cover the second region in the non-traveling posture. In the vehicle according to claim 1,
The non-running posture is a transport posture in which one of the front wheels and the rear wheels is grounded and the other wheel is arranged above the one wheel so that the vehicle can be carried. Including
The vehicle is characterized in that the cover portion is provided so as to cover the second region in the transport posture. In the vehicle according to claim 2.
A frame that rotatably supports the front wheels and the rear wheels,
A vehicle provided on the frame and further provided with a grip portion which is arranged on the radial outer side of the fender and is gripped by a user when the vehicle is transported. In the vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The vehicle is characterized in that the cover portion is a slide member provided on the fender so as to be slidable in the circumferential direction from a first position that exposes the second region to a second position that covers the second region. In the vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The fender can be moved in the circumferential direction from the first position that covers the first region and exposes the second region to the second position that covers the second region and exposes the first region. Further equipped with a fender support to support the
The vehicle is characterized in that the cover portion is composed of the fender located at the second position. In the vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The cover portion is a band-shaped seat member that covers the second region on the outer peripheral surface of the wheel.
The vehicle is characterized in that the fender has a mounting portion to which one end and the other end of the seat member are attached to one end and the other end in the circumferential direction, respectively.

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