JP2022160841A - bicycle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a bicycle that includes two wheels juxtaposing in the width direction of a vehicle body, and includes a swing function to the width direction of the vehicle body, in which the falling when in stopping is prevented.SOLUTION: A bicycle includes: twin wheel support members 60, 60 for supporting two wheels W, W juxtaposed in the width direction of a vehicle body in a freely-rolling manner; twin side posts 50, 50 for supporting twin wheel support members 60, 60; a first link mechanism 10 provided between the twin side posts 50, 50 and a center post 4 of a frame 1; and a suspension mechanism 30 arranged between the side posts 50, 50 and the center post 4. The first link mechanism 10 includes: an upper link bar 11 and a lower link bar 12 for connecting between the twin side posts 50, 50; swing connection parts 11a, 12a for connecting them with he center post 4 swingably; and a locking mechanism 20 for locking the relative movement to the vehicle body width direction with the upper link bar 11 and the lower link bar 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a bicycle having two wheels arranged side by side in the width direction of the vehicle body on the front wheel and/or the rear wheel.

There are front two-wheeled bicycles having two wheels arranged side by side in the width direction of the vehicle body as the front wheels, and two-wheeled rear bicycles having two wheels arranged side by side in the width direction of the vehicle body as the rear wheels.

For example, in the front two-wheeled bicycle of Patent Document 1, a steering shaft 27 connected to a steering handlebar 28 is rotatably supported on a handlebar post 21 . Left and right side posts 29L and 29R are connected to the handle post 21 via a link mechanism 45. As shown in FIG. Left and right front forks 30L, 30R for rotatably supporting the left and right front wheels WFL, WFR are connected to the lower ends of the left and right side posts 29L, 29R. same.).

The link mechanism 45 consists of a four-bar link mechanism, and is arranged below the upper link 35U which is connected to the left and right front forks 30L and 30R and whose both ends are pin-coupled to the left and right side posts 29L and 29R. A lower link 35D having both ends pin-connected to the left and right side posts 29L, 29R is provided. A central portion of the upper link 35U and a central portion of the lower link 35D are rotatably connected to the handle post 21. As shown in FIG. Further, the left and right side posts 29L, 29R are arranged at an angle so that the distance between the side posts 29L, 29R becomes smaller toward the upper side.

The front two-wheeled bicycle of Patent Document 2 includes a handlebar shaft 7 rotatably supported by a frame post 2 for steering, left and right fork bars 11L and 11R rotatably supporting left and right front wheels 9L and 9R, respectively, The upper and lower link bars 12U and 12D connecting the left and right fork bars 11L and 11R to form a four-joint link mechanism (parallel link), and the handle shaft 7 are swingable at the central portions of the upper and lower link bars 12U and 12D. Connecting parts 19, 22, and spring means 13L, 13R that apply a restoring force in a direction to prevent a change in the height position between the left and right front wheels 9L, 9R provided between the parallel link and the handle shaft 7. is composed of

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-337779 (see claim 1, FIGS. 2 and 9, etc.) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-042710 (Claim 1, see FIGS. 1 and 2, etc.)

The bicycles described in Patent Literatures 1 and 2 include a four-bar link mechanism between a fork member supporting left and right wheels or a side post supporting the fork member and a handle post supporting a steering handle. As a result, the vehicle body can be swung in the width direction (horizontal direction) of the vehicle body together with the wheels. Furthermore, the bicycle of Patent Document 2 has a suspension function that reduces the impact acting on the vehicle body from the road surface, in addition to the swing function in the width direction of the vehicle body.

However, a bicycle with a swing function as described above can run smoothly by inclining the body when passing through an intersection or a curve. However, with a bicycle having a swing function, for example, if the driver loses balance while the bicycle is stopped with one foot on the ground, there is a risk that the vehicle body will tilt greatly and the bicycle will fall over.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to prevent overturning when the bicycle is stopped in a bicycle having two wheels arranged side by side in the width direction of the vehicle body in the front wheel or the rear wheel or both of them and having a swing function in the width direction of the vehicle body. That is.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a bicycle having two wheels arranged side by side in the width direction of the vehicle body on either the front wheel or the rear wheel or both, comprising a frame, a center post provided on the frame, and a vehicle body. A pair of wheel support members for rollingly supporting the two wheels arranged in parallel in the width direction of the vehicle, and a swing function provided between the pair of wheel support members and the center post to exhibit a swing function in the vehicle width direction. a first link mechanism; and a suspension mechanism having an elastic member disposed between a pair of wheel support members and the center post for absorbing impact from the wheel to the frame, wherein the first link mechanism includes an upper link bar, a lower link bar provided below the upper link bar, and a rocker that swingably connects the central portion of the upper link bar and the central portion of the lower link bar to the center post. The bicycle includes a dynamic coupling portion and a locking mechanism that stops the swing function by locking the relative movement of the upper link bar and the lower link bar in the width direction of the vehicle body.

Here, a configuration is adopted in which a pair of side posts are provided for respectively supporting the pair of wheel support members, and both ends of the upper link bar and the lower link bar are pin-coupled between the pair of side posts. be able to.

Further, the center post is a handle post that supports a handle shaft that supports a steering handle so as to be rotatable around the axis, and a second link that exerts a steering function between the pair of side posts and the handle shaft. A configuration with a mechanism can be employed.

A receiving member is disposed between the upper link bar and the lower link bar and is pivotally connected to the center post, and the elastic member is disposed between the lower link bar and the receiving member. and the locking mechanism may be provided between the center post and the receiving member.

In each of these aspects, the center post is provided with a detachable central member, and the central portion of the upper link bar and the central portion of the lower link bar are pivotably connected to the central member by the pivot connecting portion. can be adopted.

Further, the upper link bar may be composed of a first upper link bar arranged on one side in the width direction of the vehicle body and a second upper link bar arranged on the other side of the center post.

The elastic members are provided at both ends of the lower link bar, and the receiving member is a single member provided continuously between the pair of side posts along the lower link bar. can be done.

To prevent overturning at a stop in a bicycle provided with two wheels arranged side by side in the width direction of the vehicle body as the front wheel and/or the rear wheel, and provided with a swing function in the width direction of the vehicle body.

1 is an enlarged perspective view of a main portion showing a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. Front view of Figure 1 Right side view of Fig. 2 Plan view of FIG. A plan view showing a state in which the steering handle is turned to the left in the traveling direction from the state in FIG. A front view showing a state in which there is a difference in height between the road surfaces on which the left and right wheels are placed. Sectional view showing the locked state of the lock mechanism Sectional view showing the unlocked state of the lock mechanism The bottom view which shows the locked state of the locking mechanism of a modification. The side view which shows the locked state of the locking mechanism of a modification. The front view which shows the locked state of the lock mechanism of a modification. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the operating portion of the lock mechanism; Sectional view showing the operation part of the lock mechanism Sectional view showing the operation part of the lock mechanism Front view showing a modification of the first link mechanism Sectional view showing how to attach and detach the wheel support unit to and from the frame of the bicycle Sectional view showing how to attach and detach the wheel support unit to and from the frame of the bicycle Side view showing how to attach and detach the wheel support unit to and from the frame of the bicycle A plan view showing how to attach and detach the wheel support unit to and from the frame of the bicycle. Overall view of the bicycle FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a main portion showing a second embodiment of the present invention; Front view of FIG. 21 Right side view of FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of a main portion showing a third embodiment of the present invention; Front view of FIG. 24 Right side view of FIG.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. 1 to 21 show the first embodiment and its modification, FIGS. 22 to 23 show the second embodiment, and FIGS. 24 to 26 show the third embodiment. In the first embodiment, the present invention will be described by taking as an example a front two-wheeled bicycle having two wheels W, W parallel to the front wheel F in the width direction of the vehicle body. The present invention will be described by taking as an example a rear two-wheeled bicycle provided with two wheels W, W arranged side by side in the width direction of the vehicle body.

As shown in FIG. 20, the basic configuration of the bicycle 80 includes a frame 1 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, wheels W (front wheels F) attached to the front end of the frame 1 via wheel support units 70, and It has a saddle 5 attached to the middle of the direction so that it can be raised and lowered via a seat post, wheels W (rear wheels R) attached to the rear end of the frame 1, and the like.

A cylindrical center post 4 extending vertically is provided at the front end of the frame 1 . The center post 4 is provided so as to protrude from the bottom bracket portion that rotatably supports a crankshaft with pedals to the front end of the main frame that is provided so as to incline upward toward the front. A handle shaft 3 having a circular cross section is inserted through the center post 4, and the handle shaft 3 is rotatably supported via a bearing. The steering handle 2 is connected to the upper end 3a of the handle shaft 3 by a clamp member. A driver grasps the grip portions 2a at both ends of the steering handle 2 to operate. Brake levers for adjusting the braking force applied to the front wheels F and rear wheels R are provided at both ends of the steering handle 2 . Hereinafter, the center post 4 will be referred to as the handle post 4 in this first embodiment.

In a general bicycle 80, the handle shaft 3 protrudes downward from the handle post 4 and a fork member 60 is attached to the lower portion thereof to support the wheel W so that it can roll. A general fork member 60 has a single shaft on the side of the handle shaft 3, and is bifurcated on the side of the wheel W to support both ends of the hub shaft of the wheel W at the ends thereof. On the other hand, in the present invention, the handle shaft 3 is formed of a short member extending to the vicinity of the lower end of the handle post 4 in order to attach the wheel W to the frame 1 via the wheel support unit 70 .

The wheel support unit 70 of the first embodiment includes a central member 14 fitted and fixed to the handlebar post 4, as shown in FIGS. In this embodiment, the central member 14 is a separate member from the handle post 4, and the central member 14 is detachable from the handle post 4. 4 may be integrated by welding or the like, or the handle post 4 itself may be used as the central member 14 .

Further, the wheel support unit 70 includes a pair of wheel support members 60, 60 for rollingly supporting two wheels W, W arranged in parallel in the width direction of the vehicle body, a pair of wheel support members 60, 60, and a central member 14. A first link mechanism (swing mechanism) 10 that is provided between the pair of wheel support members 60, 60 and the handle post 4 and exerts a swing function in the vehicle width direction, and the pair of wheel support members 60, 60 and a suspension mechanism 30 having an elastic member 31 arranged between the handlebar post 4 and absorbing the impact from the wheels W, W to the frame 1. - 特許庁In this embodiment, fork members are employed as the pair of wheel support members 60, 60, respectively. The fork member, like the above-mentioned general one, is composed of a single shaft on the upper side, and is divided into two on the wheel W side, and has a structure in which both ends of the hub shaft of the wheel W are supported at the ends thereof. .

The upper ends of the pair of wheel support members 60, 60 are inserted into the pair of cylindrical side posts 50, 50 and supported by the pair of side posts 50, 50, respectively. The left wheel support member 60 is axially rotatably supported by the left side post 50 , and the right wheel support member 60 is axially rotatably supported by the right side post 50 . The plane including the rotation center plane of the left and right wheels W and the width direction center line of the rim portion that holds the tire is located at a position that includes the axis of each of the left and right side posts 50, or at a position that is parallel to the axis of the side post 50. are placed. The axes of the left and right side posts 50, 50 may be parallel to each other, or may be slightly cambered so that they gradually approach upward.

The first link mechanism 10 includes an upper link bar 11 , a lower link bar 12 provided below the upper link bar 11 , and central members 14 that connect the central portions of the upper link bar 11 and the central portions of the lower link bar 12 respectively. relative movement of the upper link bar 11 and the lower link bar 12 in the width direction of the vehicle body. and a lock mechanism 20 for stopping the function.

In this embodiment, both ends of the upper link bar 11 and the lower link bar 12 are pin-coupled between a pair of side posts 50, 50, respectively, and the joints are pivotable about the axis of the pin. The upper link bar 11 and the side posts 50, 50 are connected via pins 17, respectively. Also, the lower link bar 12 and the side posts 50, 50 are connected via pins 18, respectively. The axes of the pins 17 and 18 are set so as to face the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and perpendicular to the axes of the side posts 50 and 50 . Further, the swing connecting portions 15 and 16 for swingably connecting the central portion of the upper link bar 11 and the central portion of the lower link bar 12 to the central member 14 are also formed of pins. The axial directions of the pins of the portions 15 and 16 are arranged parallel to the pins 17 and 18 .

A second link mechanism (steering mechanism) 40 is provided between the pair of side posts 50 , 50 and the handle shaft 3 to perform a steering function. The second link mechanism 40, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, is provided at a laterally extending central connecting piece 46 connected to the lower end 3b of the handle shaft 3 and at the front end portion 41 of the central connecting piece 46. It has a connecting shaft 41a in the vertical direction. The handle shaft 3 and the central connection piece 46 are fixed by fitting, and as shown in FIGS. and the central connecting piece 46 are fixed so as to be tightened from the outside.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the upper ends of the pair of wheel support members 60 are provided with connection pieces 44 projecting forward, and the front ends of the connection pieces 44 are provided with vertical support shafts 44a. . A steering link bar 42 connects the support shaft 44a of the connection piece 44 extending from the right wheel support member 60 as viewed from the driver and the connection shaft 41a of the central connection piece 46 . Also, the support shaft 44a of the connection piece 44 extending from the wheel support member 60 on the left side as seen from the driver and the connection shaft 41a of the central connection piece 46 are connected by the same link bar 43 for steering. Both ends of each of the steering link bars 42 and 43 are swingable about the support shaft 44a and the connection shaft 41a, respectively. When the driver turns the steering wheel 2 from the state shown in FIG. 4 to the state shown in FIG. , and the wheels W, W rotate in the same direction. The steering angle of each wheel W, W with respect to the straight-ahead direction can be adjusted by the turning amount of the steering handle 2 . This allows turning when passing intersections and curves. Although the dashed line in FIG. 5 indicates a state of turning to the left, turning to the opposite direction to the right is also possible.

The suspension mechanism 30 is arranged between the upper link bar 11 and the lower link bar 12 and includes a receiving member 13 swingably connected to the central member 14 , that is, swingably connected to the center post 4 . The elastic member 31 is composed of a coil spring arranged between the lower link bar 12 and the receiving member 13 . As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lower end of the elastic member 31 is held in contact with both ends of the lower link bar 12, and the upper end of the elastic member 31 is held in contact with both ends of the receiving member 13. ing. Reference numeral 32a in the drawing indicates an upper spring bearing, and reference numeral 32c indicates a lower spring bearing. A concave portion indicated by reference numeral 32 b is a relief portion for preventing interference with the upper link bar 11 .

In this embodiment, the upper link bar 11 includes a first upper link bar 11a arranged on one side in the vehicle body width direction (on the right side as viewed from the driver) across the central member 14, and a first upper link bar 11a arranged on the other side (on the right side as viewed from the driver). It is divided into the second upper link bar 11b arranged on the left side as seen), which is composed of one member that is continuous over the entire length, as shown in the modified example of FIG. 6, for example. You may Likewise, the lower link bar 12 is divided into a first lower link bar 12a arranged on one side in the vehicle body width direction across the central member 14 and a second lower link bar 12b arranged on the other side. However, as shown in the modified example of FIG. 6, it may be composed of one member continuous over the entire length. As for the receiving member 13, since the elastic members 31 are arranged on both the left and right sides, it is desirable to construct the receiving member 13 with one member that is continuous over the entire length without dividing the member on the left and right.

The lock mechanism 20 is provided between the central member 14 and the receiving member 13, as shown in FIG. FIG. 6 shows a state where there is a difference in height between the road surfaces on which the left and right wheels W are placed. indicates a substantially tilted swing state. The lock mechanism 20 includes a lock piece 22 protruding downward from the center of the receiving member 13, an engagement hole 22a formed in the lock piece 22, and a retractable engagement member provided in the central member 14. (engagement pin) 21 and the like are provided.

The engagement pin 21 is housed within a casing 26 provided in the central member 14, as shown in FIGS. A wire 23 is connected to the engagement pin 21, and the wire 23 is guided to an operation portion 25 provided near the grip portion 2a of the steering handle 2, as shown in FIG. A retainer portion (ball) 23a at the front end of the wire 23 is located in a housing recess 21a of the engagement pin 21 to retain it. Further, the casing 26 accommodates an engaging elastic member 24 made of a coil spring that biases the engaging pin 21 in the direction of protruding toward the lock piece 22 . When the driver operates the operating portion 25 to pull the wire 23, the engaging pin 21 is pulled into the casing 26 against the biasing force of the engaging elastic member 24 (see FIG. 8). When the driver operates the operation portion 25 to release the tension of the wire 23, the engaging pin 21 projects out of the casing 26 by the biasing force of the engaging elastic member 24 (see FIG. 7).

The locking piece 22 is fixed so as not to change its orientation in the left-right direction connecting both ends of the receiving member 13 . In this embodiment, the lock piece 22 faces downward in the left-right direction connecting the two ends of the receiving member 13 (in this embodiment, the lock piece 22 is engaged with the axial center of the pin 19 that is the fixing portion of the lock piece 22 in the left-right direction). The direction connecting the center of the joint hole 22a is perpendicular to the downward direction). Therefore, in the normal straight running state shown in FIG. 22a and the position of the engagement pin 21 on the side of the central member 14 match. Therefore, when the engaging pin 21 protrudes and enters the engaging hole 22a of the locking piece 22, the swing function stops and the vehicle body does not tilt. Further, when the engaging pin 21 retreats and is released from the engaging hole 22a of the lock piece 22, the swing function can be exhibited. Therefore, the angle formed by the left-right direction of the receiving member 13 with respect to the axial direction of the central member 14 (the axial direction of the handlebar post 4) changes depending on the shift of the driver's load and the actual driving conditions (other than orthogonal). state), it is possible to tilt the vehicle body. FIG. 2 shows a swing-prohibited state in which the engagement pin 21 has entered the engagement hole 22a of the lock piece 22. As shown in FIG. FIG. 6 shows a swingable state in which the engagement pin 21 is disengaged from the engagement hole 22a of the lock piece 22. FIG.

9 to 11 show modifications of the locking mechanism 20. FIG. In this modified example, as the engaging member 21 on the side of the central member 14, instead of the engaging pin 21 that can freely move back and forth, an engaging piece 21 that can swing around the axis is adopted. The engagement piece 21 is housed in a casing 26 provided in the central member 14 and is capable of swinging about a swing shaft 21c supported by the casing 26. As shown in FIG. Further, the engaging piece 21 is urged in a direction protruding toward the locking piece 22 by an engaging elastic member 24 made of a torsion coil spring. Further, a retaining portion (ball) 23a at the front end of the wire 23 is located in the receiving recess 21a of the engaging pin 21 and retained therein. When the driver operates the operating portion 25 to pull the wire 23, the engaging piece 21 is drawn into the casing 26 against the biasing force of the engaging elastic member 24 and is released from the engaging hole 22a (see FIG. 1). 10 dashed lines). When the driver operates the operation portion 25 to release the tension on the wire 23, the engagement pin 21 projects out of the casing 26 by the biasing force of the engagement elastic member 24 and enters the engagement hole 22a (broken line in FIG. 10). condition). The configuration of the lock mechanism 20 that switches between the swing-prohibited state and the swing-enabled state is not limited to the example of the lock piece 22 shown in the embodiment and the engagement member 21 (engagement pin 21 or engagement piece 21) engaged therewith. Various other forms can be adopted.

12 to 15 show the operating portion 25 of the lock mechanism 20. FIG. The operating portion 25 includes three annular members, a first member 25a, a second member 25b, and a third member 25c, which are inserted into the steering handle 2 near the grip portion 2a. The first member 25a is a dial member that is rotated by the driver. The first member 25a is fitted around the outer circumference of the second member 25b and integrally rotatable along the circumferential direction. The second member 25b is arranged axially adjacent to the third member 25c. The third member 25c is fastened and fixed to the steering handle 2 by bolts 25j.

The first member 25a and the second member 25b are relatively rotatable along the circumferential direction with respect to the third member 25c. A retainer portion (ball) 23b at the rear end of the wire 23 is retained in a housing recess 25f of the second member 25b. Also, the wire 23 is pulled out from the second member 25b to the lock mechanism 20 side via the third member 25c. When the first member 25a and the second member 25b are relatively rotated to one side in the circumferential direction with respect to the third member 25c (in the figure, the driver turns the dial member forward), the wire 23 is pulled ( See Figure 14). Also, if the first member 25a and the second member 25b are rotated in the other circumferential direction relative to the third member 25c (in the figure, if the driver turns the dial member forward), the wire 23 is pulled. is released (see FIG. 13). The relative rotation between the second member 25b and the third member 25c is guided by the movement of the protrusion 25d provided on the second member 25b in the circumferential groove 25e provided on the third member 25c. The range of relative rotation is restricted by contact with the end wall of the directional groove 25e. A ball plunger mechanism including an elastic body 25g made of a coil spring, a ball 25h, and two spherical concave portions 25i is arranged between the second member 25b and the third member 25c. Relative rotational positioning with the member 25c is achieved. As a result, when the relative orientation between the second member 25b and the third member 25c reaches the swing prohibited state or the swingable state, the ball 25h enters one of the spherical concave portions 25i. It can be grasped by the sound of a click or the vibration of the member.

FIG. 15 shows an example of how the wire 23 is routed from the lock mechanism 20 to the operating portion 25. As shown in FIG. 15, the length of the receiving member 13 in the left-right direction is slightly shortened, and the position of the elastic member 31 is changed slightly inside the both ends of the lower link bar 12. As shown in FIG. Thus, the position of the elastic member 31 can be freely set.

The lock mechanism 20 of this embodiment is provided between the central member 14 (handle post 4) and the receiving member 13. It is sufficient to stop the swing function by locking the relative movement in the width direction of the vehicle body, and aspects other than this embodiment can also be adopted. For example, the locking piece 22 may be fixed upward (preferably in a direction perpendicular to the upward direction) with respect to the left-right direction connecting both ends of the receiving member 13 . Also, the lock mechanism 20 may be provided between the central member 14 (handle post 4 ) and the upper link bar 11 or between the central member 14 (handle post 4 ) and the lower link bar 12 . Specifically, the locking piece 22 may be provided at the central portion of the upper link bar 11 , or the locking piece 22 may be provided at the central portion of the lower link bar 12 . At this time, when the lock piece 22 is provided on the upper link bar 11, the projecting direction of the lock piece 22 is upward (preferably a direction perpendicular to the upward direction) or downward (preferably a direction orthogonal to the upward direction) with respect to the horizontal direction connecting both ends of the upper link bar 11. A direction orthogonal to the downward direction is desirable). When the lock piece 22 is provided on the lower link bar 12, the projecting direction of the lock piece 22 is upward (preferably a direction orthogonal to the upward direction) or downward (the same preferably perpendicular to the downward direction). However, since it is desirable that the engagement hole 22a provided in the lock piece 22 is positioned between the upper link bar 11 and the lower link bar 12, the lock piece 22 when provided in the upper link bar 11 protrudes downward, The lock piece 22 when provided on the lower link bar 12 preferably protrudes upward.

Further, in this embodiment, the central member 14 of the wheel support unit 70 is detachable from the handle post 4, so that the front one-wheeled bicycle can be modified into the front two-wheeled bicycle. As shown in FIGS. 16-19, the central member 14 can be fitted and fixed to the cylindrical handle post 4 . As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the central member 14 has a shape in which the upper portion of a cylindrical member is partially cut away. The central member 14 has a cylindrical portion 14d extending over the entire circumference at its lower portion and a C-shaped cross-sectional portion 14e having an opening 14c on the rear side with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body at its upper portion. The cylindrical portion 14d of the central member 14 is fitted onto the lower end of the handle post 4 from below, and then, while lifting the central member 14, the C-shaped section portion 14e is fitted so as to press against the handle post 4. As shown in FIG. A central connection piece 46 of the second link mechanism 40 connected to the lower end of the central member 14 is fitted to the lower end 3b of the handle shaft 3 via a cylindrical sleeve 45. As shown in FIG. Then, the wheel support unit 70 is attached to the handle post 4 from the rear side in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. The wheel support unit 70 includes a main body block 71 having a through hole 71 a extending in the front-rear direction, a bolt 72 and a nut 73 . The central member 14 is fixed to the handle post 4 by inserting the bolt 72 inserted through the through hole 71 a of the main body block 71 into the bolt hole 14 b of the support portion 14 a on the central member 14 side and tightening the nut 73 . Further, the wheel support unit 70 is provided with a rotation stopping means 77 . As shown in FIGS. 17 and 19, the rotation stopping means 77 is composed of two screw holes 74 provided in the body block 71 and bolts 75 screwed into the screw holes 74, respectively. A bolt 75 is screwed into a screw hole 74, and the tip of the bolt 75 protruding downward from the body block 71 sandwiches the main frame of the frame 1 from both left and right sides immediately behind the handle post 4, thereby preventing rotation of the central member 14. It is carried out.

A second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 21 to 23. FIG. This embodiment applies the present invention to a rear two-wheeled bicycle. In the following, the difference from the first embodiment will be mainly described. In the wheel support unit 70 of the second embodiment, the steering function is not required for the rear wheels. Therefore, the handlebar post 4 in the first embodiment is read as the center post 4 . The center post 4 is provided at one location near the rear end of the frame 1 at the center in the width direction of the vehicle body. Also, the second link mechanism 40 that exerts the steering function is omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 22 and 23, the pair of side posts 50 are arranged symmetrically to the rear of the center post 4 with respect to the center line of the vehicle body. The wheel support member 60 is not a so-called fork member, but cantilevers the hub axle A of the wheel W from the inside (from the vehicle body centerline side). Reference numeral 6 in the figure is a rear sprocket. The rear sprocket 6 is provided only on the axle A of one of the left and right wheels W, W, and the driving force is transmitted to the one wheel W only. Reference numeral 7 in the figure denotes a brake disc (brake pads, brake calipers, etc. are not shown). Brake discs 7 are provided on the axles A of both wheels W, W respectively.

Similarly in this embodiment, the upper link bar 11 includes a first upper link bar 11a arranged on one side (right side as seen from the driver) in the vehicle body width direction across the central member 14, and a first upper link bar 11a arranged on the other side (as seen from the driver). Although it is divided into the second upper link bar 11b arranged on the left side), it may be constructed by one member that is continuous over the entire length in the left-right direction. Likewise, the lower link bar 12 is divided into a first lower link bar 12a arranged on one side in the vehicle body width direction across the central member 14 and a second lower link bar 12b arranged on the other side. However, it may be composed of one member that is continuous over the entire length in the left-right direction. This also applies to the third embodiment, which will be described later. As for the receiving member 13, since the elastic members 31 are arranged on both the left and right sides, it is desirable to construct the receiving member 13 with one member that is continuous over the entire length without dividing the member on the left and right sides. The first link mechanism 10, the lock mechanism 20, the suspension mechanism 30, and other configurations are the same as those of the above-described first embodiment, so description thereof will be omitted.

A third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 24 to 26. FIG. In each of the embodiments described above, both ends of the upper link bar 11 and the lower link bar 12 are pin-coupled between the pair of side posts 50, 50, respectively. However, in this embodiment, installation of the side posts 50 is omitted. Therefore, it is easier to apply to the rear wheels R that do not require a steering function than to the front wheels F that require a steering function. In the third embodiment, the elastic member 31 constituting the suspension mechanism 30 is composed of a coil spring, and the coil springs are connected to both ends of the upper link bar 11 and the lower link bar 12 via pins 32 and 33, respectively. are pivotably connected to each other.

As described above, in the general bicycle 80, the handlebar shaft 3 protrudes downward from the handlebar post 4, and the fork member 60 that supports the wheel W so as to roll freely is attached to the lower portion thereof. On the other hand, in the present invention, the fork member 60 is not connected to the lower end of the handle shaft 3, and the handle shaft 3 is composed of a short member extending to the vicinity of the lower end of the handle post 4. Therefore, when an existing one-wheeled front bicycle is modified into a two-wheeled front bicycle using the wheel support unit 70 of the present invention, the handle shaft 3 provided with the fork member 60 is replaced with the handle shaft 3 without the fork member 60 . will be replaced with

As described above, in the first embodiment, the front two-wheeled bicycle having the front wheel F and the two wheels W arranged side by side in the width direction of the vehicle body will be described as an example of the present invention, and the second and third embodiments will be described. The present invention has been described by taking as an example a rear two-wheeled bicycle having two wheels W, W arranged side by side on the rear wheel R in the width direction of the vehicle body. However, the wheel support unit 70 of each embodiment can be applied to both the front wheel F and the rear wheel R. However, the wheel support unit 70 used for the front wheel F needs to be provided with the second link mechanism (steering mechanism) 40 interlocking with the rotation of the handle shaft 3 . Also, in order to apply the wheel support unit 70 to the rear wheel R, the center post 4 is required near the rear end of the frame 1 . When modifying an existing rear one-wheeled bicycle into a rear two-wheeled bicycle, if there is no center post 4 near the rear end of the frame 1, the center post 4 can be attached to the frame 1 by welding or the like.

1 Frame 2 Steering Handle 3 Handle Shaft 4 Center Post 10 First Link Mechanism (Swing Mechanism)
11 Upper link bar 11a First upper link bar 11b Second upper link bar 12 Lower link bar 13 Receiving member 14 Central members 15, 16 Pivoting connecting part 20 Locking mechanism 21 Locking member (engaging pin, engaging piece)
22 lock piece 30 suspension mechanism 31 elastic member 40 second link mechanism (steering mechanism)
50 side post 60 wheel support member (fork member)
70 wheel support unit 80 bicycle

Claims (7)

A bicycle equipped with two wheels (W, W) arranged side by side in the width direction of the vehicle body on the front wheel (F) and/or the rear wheel (R),
A frame (1), a center post (4) provided on said frame (1), and a pair of wheel support members ( 60, 60), and a first link mechanism (10) provided between the pair of wheel support members (60, 60) and the center post (4) and exhibiting a swing function in the width direction of the vehicle body; An elastic member (31) is provided between a pair of wheel support members (60, 60) and the center post (4) to absorb impact from the wheels (W, W) to the frame (1). a suspension mechanism (30),
The first link mechanism (10) includes an upper link bar (11), a lower link bar (12) provided below the upper link bar (11), and a central portion of the upper link bar (11). and swing connecting portions (15, 16) for swingably connecting the central portions of the lower link bars (12) to the center post (4), the upper link bar (11) and the lower link bar ( 12) and a lock mechanism (20) for stopping the swing function by locking relative movement in the vehicle width direction;
A bicycle with a pair of side posts (50, 50) respectively supporting the pair of wheel support members (60, 60);
The bicycle according to claim 1, wherein both ends of said upper link bar (11) and said lower link bar (12) are respectively pinned between said pair of side posts (50, 50). The center post (4) is a handle post that rotatably supports the handle shaft (3) that supports the steering handle (2). 3), comprising a second linkage (40) for steering function. a receiving member (13) arranged between the upper link bar (11) and the lower link bar (12) and pivotably connected to the center post (4);
The elastic member (31) is a coil spring arranged between the lower link bar (12) and the receiving member (13),
The bicycle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the locking mechanism (20) is provided between the center post (4) and the receiving member (13). A central member (14) detachable from the center post (4),
A central portion of the upper link bar (11) and a central portion of the lower link bar (12) are pivotally connected to the central member (14) by the pivot connecting portions (15, 16). 5. Bicycle according to any one of 1 to 4. The upper link bar (11) includes a first upper link bar (11a) arranged on one side in the vehicle body width direction across the center post (4) and a second upper link bar (11b) arranged on the other side. ), and the bicycle according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The elastic members (31) are provided at both ends of the lower link bar (12), and the receiving members (13) extend along the lower link bar (12) to the pair of side posts (50, 50). 5. The bicycle according to claim 4, which is one member continuously provided therebetween.

Images