JP3062272B2 - Front wheel drive vehicle - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle body structure of a front wheel drive vehicle particularly suitable for running on uneven terrain such as a four-wheel buggy.

[0002]

An example of the Prior Art front and rear wheel drive four-wheel buggy, real HirakiAkira 62-163136 Patent, Hei 2-1584
There is one described in JP-A-21. These are all provided around the portion where the front wheel drive system components including the propeller shaft are at the minimum ground clearance on the lower surface of the frame.

[0003]

By the way, when the front wheel drive system components are arranged at the above positions, the drive system components on the lower surface of the frame are likely to hit the ground due to unevenness of the running road surface (particularly off-road running). The same applies to the components of the front wheel steering system. The purpose of the present application is to solve such a problem.

[0004]

Means for Solving the Problems To solve the above problems,
Therefore, the front-wheel drive vehicle according to the present invention
Extends parallel to the right and supports the front and rear wheels at the front and rear ends
MainFront wheels depending on frame and engineWhatConvey power
Wheel drive system parts forFront differential gear
Installation, propeller shaft and, Front wheels for steering the front wheels
Steering system partsIs a steering gear boxWith
In the vehicle,The front part of the mainframe
Constructs an upper frame that tilts forward and upward
And the front wheel differential deviceas well asSteering wheel
Gear boxMainThe lowest part of the frame
AboveAnd below the upper frame.Was it
It is characterized by.At this time, the front wheel differential
Equipment, at least below each of the steering gear boxes
A frame reinforcing member can be provided to bend.
You.

[0005]

When a ground hit occurs, the ground contact point in the normal case is the lowest part of the frame above the ground. On the other hand,
Akira has a front part at the front of the main frame, which is diagonally forward.
Constructs an upper frame that slopes up
Above the ground clearance of the frame and upper
The front wheel differential , a front wheel drive system component, is located below the
Steering formic is Nsharu device and the front wheel steering system components
The front wheel differential
The gearbox and steering gearbox to the ground hitch.
It is hard to set and can be arranged. Furthermore, these front wheel drive systems and
If a guard is provided with a frame reinforcing member surrounding at least each lower part of the components constituting the front wheel steering system, it is more difficult to hit the ground. Also, the occupant should lean forward and diagonally.
Main frame which is the beginning of the upper frame part
Floor can be used for getting on and off
It is possible to secure good getting on and off without increasing the height.
Dynamic and front wheel steering components are located below the main frame
These parts may protrude above the mainframe.
The space for the footrest can be easily secured.

[0006]

1 to 8 show an embodiment constructed as a four-wheel buggy. First, the overall structure will be outlined with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a left side view of a main part of the entire vehicle body, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a view showing the planar shape with some parts omitted. In these figures, a ladder-type frame is formed by a pair of main frames 1 that are parallel in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body.
A front wheel 2 is supported by a front portion thereof via a double wishbone type front wheel suspension mechanism Sf, and is steered by a steering wheel 3. A rear wheel 4 is suspended from the rear. These front wheels 2
The rear wheel 4 is equipped with a known low-pressure balloon tire, and is suitable for running on uneven terrain. On each of the front wheel 2 and the rear wheel 4, a front fender Ff and a rear fender Fr are provided so as to protrude outward from the main frame 1 side (FIG. 3 omits one side of the vehicle body). The front portion of the main frame 1 forms an upper frame 5 whose front portion is inclined forward and obliquely upward. A seat S is provided at the center of the main frame 1 and on the rear side from the rising portion of the upper frame 5. On the back side of the sheet S, a pair of left and right rear roll bars 6 is provided so as to extend in the up-down direction.
The rear roll bar 6 is connected at the upper end thereof to a pair of left and right front roll bars 8 extending obliquely upward and rearward from a front end of the main frame 1 via a roof 7 to form a living space. An engine room 11 is provided on the rear side of the seat 5 by a substantially L-shaped reinforcing pipe 10 (FIG. 2) connecting the cross pipe 9 (FIG. 3) provided between the left and right rear roll bars 6 and the rear part of the main frame 1. It is formed. Engine room 1
The engine 12 is disposed horizontally in 1.

[0007] As can be seen most clearly in FIG.
A cooling fan 14 is disposed on the left side of the device with the radiator 13 interposed therebetween. The carrier 15 is located above the engine room 11.
On the right side of the engine 12, a battery 16 is provided on the main frame 1, and an air cleaner 17 is provided on the reinforcing pipe 10.
Each is supported. The engine 12 drives the front wheels 2 via a front propeller shaft 18, a front wheel differential device 19 and a front wheel axle 20. The upper part of the front wheel drive system components and the steering gear box 21 constituting the front wheel steering system are covered with a step floor 22. The step floor 22 is formed between the left and right main frames 1 in a range from the front end to the front of the seat S. In FIG. 3, the rear propeller shaft 23 is
The rear wheel 4 can be driven via the rear wheel 4 and the rear wheel axle 25.
Reference numeral 26 denotes an axle holder that supports an intermediate portion of the rear wheel axle 25, 27 denotes a rear cushion, 28 denotes a rear swing arm, and 29 denotes a rear wheel brake. The front ends of the transmission case 23a for accommodating the rear propeller shaft 23 and the rear swing arm 28 are supported by a pivot shaft P.
As shown in FIG. 1, the left and right ends of the pivot shaft P are pivot plates 1a provided at the corners connected to the rear ends of the reinforcing pipes 10 at the rear ends of the left and right main frames 1.
Each is supported.

Next, the front wheel suspension mechanism Sf will be described. FIG. 1 is an enlarged view in which a part of a front side surface of a vehicle body is partially omitted. FIG. It is a figure which shows the planar shape of the part of FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the upper frame 5 has an overall downwardly inclined slope toward the support portion of the seat S, but the inclination of the upper frame rear portion 5 a on the seat side is slightly steep, and the middle bent portion 5 b is sandwiched. The front upper frame portion 5c on the front side has a slightly gentle inclination. Arm brackets 30 are welded to the side surfaces of the upper frame 5 at the front and rear, as shown in FIGS.
As is apparent from FIG. 4, the upper arm 31 constituting the double wishbone type front wheel suspension mechanism Sf is connected, and the distal end thereof is connected to the knuckle arm 32 (FIG. 4). The knuckle arm 32 is also connected to the distal end of a lower arm 33 constituting a double wishbone type front wheel suspension mechanism Sf, and has a base portion between a pair of left and right lower frames 34 disposed in parallel between the left and right upper frames 5. It is connected to the front and rear cross members 35 mounted across. Both ends of the cross member 35 are also connected to the upper frame 5 by joint pipes 36, respectively. As is apparent from FIG. 4, the lower frame 34 extends substantially horizontally forward from below the upper frame 5 from a cross pipe 37 which is provided below the seat S and connects the left and right main frames 1, and has a sharp front end. It is bent upward at an angle and connected to the front cross pipe 38. The front ends of the left and right upper frames 5 are also connected to the front cross pipe 38, and both ends are connected to the lower part of the front roll bar 8 by forming rising portions 39. The rising portion 39 and the upper frame rear portion 5a are connected by an L-shaped pipe 40, and a front cushion 42 is connected between a cushion bracket 41 provided on a shoulder portion of the L-shaped pipe 40 and the knuckle arm 32.

FIG. 6 is a view traversing the front wheel suspension mechanism Sf. As is apparent from this figure, the front view shape formed by connecting a total of four points at both ends of the left and right arm brackets 30 and the cross member 35 has an inverted, equilateral trapezoidal shape. Therefore, upper arm 3 that constitutes a double wishbone structure
1 is shorter than the lower arm 33. Sign P _B in the drawing the brake pedal, the P _A is the accelerator pedal.

Next, the arrangement of the underbody parts will be described. As is apparent from FIG. 1, an undercarriage component accommodation space 43 that is substantially triangular in side view is formed between the upper frame 5 and the lower frame 34. This underbody part accommodation space 43
A front propeller shaft 18 of a front wheel drive system, a front wheel differential device 19, a front wheel axle 20, and a steering gear box 21 of a front wheel steering system are housed therein. As shown in FIG. 6, the left and right sides of these members are surrounded by the left and right upper frames 5, the lower frame 34, and the joint pipe 36.
4. The lower frame 34 is surrounded by an under cover 44 and a skid plate 45, and the front portion is surrounded by an upper rising portion 34a (FIG. 1) formed at the front of the lower frame 34 and the skid plate 45. The lower frame 34, the joint pipe 36, the under cover 44, and the skid plate 45 are frame reinforcing members in the present invention.
A lower portion of the front wheel differential device 19 is supported by front and rear cross members 35 and is surrounded by an under cover 44. Further, between the left and right lower frames 34, a portion from the lower portion of the front wheel differential device 19 to a portion of the front cross pipe 38 in the front is detachably covered with a skid plate 45. The lower part of the front wheel differential device 19 is the lowest part of the frame above the ground, and the accommodated members of the front wheel differential device 19 and the like are accommodated at positions higher than this.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the upper portion of the front wheel differential device 19 includes a bridge cross-mounted on an upper cross member 46 bridged between the left and right upper frames 5. It is supported by the rear end of the member 47. The upper cross member 46 is provided so as to cover the upper portions of the front wheel axle 20 and the front wheel differential device 19, and both ends are bolted to a bracket 48 welded to the inner surface of the upper frame 5. A raised portion 49 is formed at the center of the upper cross member 46 so as to escape the maximum outer portion of the front wheel differential device 19 upward, and the bridge member 47 is welded on the raised portion 49 and extends in the front-rear direction, and its front end is formed. Part 50
The rear part of the steering gear box 21 is supported by the steering wheel.
The front end of the steering gear box 21 is supported by a bracket 51 welded to the front cross pipe 38. As is apparent from FIG. 1, the steering gear box 21 is located in front of the front wheel differential device 19.

The front wheel steering system is clarified that as in FIG. 1, the steering gear box 21 the steering shaft 54 and the lower end to the gear shaft 53 of the steering gear 52 which is supported thereby are connected, a steering shaft 54
Is rotatably supported and includes a column shaft 57 and the handle 3 connected to the rising portion 39 side by stays 55 and 56, and a tie rod 59 apparent in FIG. The tie rod 59 is connected to the link plate 58 (FIGS. 1, 5) of the steering gear box 21 and the knuckle arm 32.
And intersect with the front wheel axle 20 (FIG. 4,
5). Reference numeral 60 in FIGS. 1 and 5 denotes a sector gear that meshes with the steering gear 52, and rotates coaxially with the link plate 58 and the shaft 61.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view showing how the step floor 22 is attached. As is clear from this figure, the step floor 22 is surrounded by walls 63 and 64 whose front ends and both sides are raised upward, and the bottom is sandwiched by a bent portion 65 corresponding to the bent portion 5b of the upper frame 5, A first floor 66 and a second floor 67 are formed along the upper frame rear portion 5a and the upper frame front portion 5c, respectively. The first floor 66 is a portion where the inclination is slightly steep, and mainly the occupant's foot F (FIG. 1) is placed when getting on and off. The second floor 67 is a portion where the inclination is slightly gentle and the foot F is mainly placed during running. A bead portion 68 projecting upward in the front-rear direction is formed at the center of the second floor 67. A hole 69 through which the steering shaft 54 and the like pass is formed in the front part of the bead part 68. A downwardly opening groove for receiving the front cross pipe 38 is formed in the wall 63, and the front cross pipe 3 is screwed through a screw through hole 70 provided on the top thereof.
8 on the nut 72. On the other hand, the rear end 73 of the first floor 66 is formed with a screw through hole 74 formed here.
It is screwed to a nut 76 provided on the cross member 37 with a threaded screw 75. In this mounting state, the wall portion 64 overlaps the inside of the upper frame 5 and the second floor 67 is lower than the upper surface of the upper frame 5 and the top of the bead portion 68, as apparent from FIG. A space for operating the foot F is formed on both sides of the pair 68. Incidentally, lower than the upper surface of but not how bright we FIGS first floor 66 side is likewise the upper frame 5. The bead portion 68 escapes the steering gear box 21 upward, and houses the steering gear box 21 inside. FIG. 8 shows the upper cross member 4
6 shows a cross-section of the main part along the line 6, and as can be seen in this figure, the back of the second floor 67 is
It is supported by. The bridge member 47 and the raised portion 49 of the upper cross member 46 are accommodated in a bead portion 68 which has escaped upward.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. As is clear from FIGS. 1 and 6, the front propeller shaft 18 and the front wheel differential device 1 constituting the front wheel drive system
9 and a steering gear box 21 (hereinafter referred to as “accommodated member”) constituting a front wheel steering system are disposed in a suspension space 43, and are surrounded on both sides by an upper frame 5 and a lower frame 34, and at the lowest level of the frame. It is at a position higher than the lowermost part of the lower frame 34 which is a high part. Therefore, these accommodated members are hardly hit by the ground. In addition, since the upper part is covered by the step floor 22 and the lower part is covered by the under cover 44 and the skid plate 45, it is even more difficult to hit the ground. Further, when the skid plate 45 is mounted for the purpose of actively guarding against a ground hit or being wet, the mounting becomes easy. In addition, compared to the case where the accommodated members are installed on the lower surface of the frame, these accommodated members are exposed by removing the step floor 22 covering the upper portion of the accommodated members, so that inspection and maintenance from above the vehicle body can be performed. It will be easier. In addition, the second floor 67 in front of the step floor 22 is high and the first floor 67 in the rear is
Of the seat S, the floor surface in front of the seat S can be made lowest, and the getting on / off property can be further improved. This is because, assuming that a step floor configured so that the foot is located above each component of the front wheel drive system and the front wheel steering system is provided substantially horizontally, in such a case, the second embodiment of the present embodiment will be described. It is clear that the height of the floor 67 is about the front end, so that the floor surface in front of the seat becomes considerably high, making it difficult to get on and off.

FIG. 9 shows another embodiment for further improving the getting-on / off property. The first floor 66 and the second floor 67 each have substantially the same inclination, and a step 77 is formed between the two. They are connected in steps. For this reason, the first floor 66 is further lowered, and the getting on and off property is further improved. Note that, of the parts common to the previous embodiment, the main parts are indicated by the same reference numerals in the drawing (the same applies hereinafter).

FIG. 10 shows still another embodiment, in which the position of the steering gear box 21 is offset to one side (the left side in the figure) from the vehicle center line C. In this way, one side of the steering shaft 54 (right side) shake - brake pedal P _B and can be arranged all operation system pedal of an accelerator pedal P _A. For this reason, the space around the undercarriage can be made larger.

[0017]

According to the present invention, the front wheel differential and the propeller shaft of the front wheel drive system and the steering gear box of the front wheel steering system are respectively disposed above the minimum ground clearance of the frame, and at least each of these lower parts is provided below. Are surrounded by a frame reinforcing member, it is possible to guard these parts of the front wheel drive system and the front wheel steering system so that they do not easily hit the ground. Further, it has become easier to attach a protective member such as a skid plate for more aggressive guarding. In addition, since the front wheel drive system and the like are arranged inside the frame, inspection and maintenance of these components from above the vehicle body can be easily performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged side view of a main part of a vehicle body according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an overall side view of the vehicle body according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a main part of the entire vehicle body according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a main part of the vehicle body according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a main part of the vehicle body according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a main part of the vehicle body according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of the vehicle body according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a main part of the vehicle body according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view according to a third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main frame 2 Front wheel 3 Handle 4 Rear wheel 5 Upper frame 18 Front propeller shaft 19 Front wheel differential device 21 Steering gear box (gear device for steering front wheels) 34 Lower frame

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Hiroyuki Kito 1-4-1 Chuo, Wako-shi, Saitama Pref. Inside of Honda R & D Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hiroshi Murata 1-4-1 Chuo, Wako-shi, Saitama Pref. Company Honda R & D Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kozo Yamada 8-18-4 Nobomu, Niiza-shi, Saio Pref. Honda Racing Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-U 1-1107689 (JP, U) JP-U 2 -5394 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B62D 21/18 B60K 17/16 B60K 17/22 B62D 3/02

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A vehicle that extends side by side in the front-rear direction of a vehicle body,
A main frame that supports the front and rear wheels at the front and rear ends,
Wheel differential device is a front wheel drive system parts for transmitting power to the front wheels by the engine, propeller shafts
And the front wheel steering system parts for steering the front wheels
A vehicle equipped with a tearing gear box ,
The front part of the main frame has its front part inclined forward and upward
Constitute an upper frame portion for obliquely, the main and the front wheel differential device and the steering gear box
Above the ground clearance portion in-frame, and the upper
A front-wheel drive vehicle, which is disposed below a frame portion . 2. The front wheel differential device,
At least below each of the ring gearboxes
Wherein a frame reinforcing member is provided.
2. The front-wheel drive vehicle according to 1.