JP6063861B2 - Swing control system for swinging vehicle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a swing control system for a swing vehicle.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a front two-wheel swing vehicle is known in which a pair of left and right front wheels are grounded and can swing left and right in accordance with the left and right swing of a vehicle body (for example, Patent Documents). 1).
In the swing vehicle of Patent Document 1, a damping force generator that adds a damping force to the left and right swing of the vehicle body is provided in the swing mechanism that enables the vehicle body to swing left and right.
On the other hand, in a steering damper of a motorcycle, a technique for performing control to increase damping force in accordance with an increase in vehicle speed is also known.

JP 2011-195099 A JP 2005-219617 A

The damping force control of Patent Document 2 increases the damping force of the steering damper in the high vehicle speed region to suppress the influence of disturbance, and enables the light steering by reducing the damping force of the steering damper in the stop or low vehicle speed region. Is.
However, in a rocking vehicle, it is desirable to perform control that suppresses the fluctuation of the vehicle body when the vehicle is stopped or in a low vehicle speed range, and allows light and strong resistance to disturbance at a medium vehicle speed region or higher.

  Accordingly, the present invention provides a swing control system for a swing vehicle that can swing with a vehicle body while a pair of left and right wheels are grounded, and enables light and robust driving while suppressing fluctuations according to the vehicle speed. With the goal.

As a means for solving the above-mentioned problems, the invention described in claim 1 is adapted so that the pair of left and right wheels (2) and the pair of left and right wheels (2) are in contact with the left and right swings of the vehicle body. A swing mechanism (4) that swings left and right, a swing damper (38) that adds damping force to the left and right swing of the vehicle body, and the magnitude of the damping force generated by the swing damper (38) A swing control system for a swing vehicle (1) comprising a control device for controlling the vehicle speed and a vehicle speed sensor (2S) for detecting a vehicle speed, wherein the control device detects the vehicle speed sensor (2S). If the vehicle speed detection value is in the stop region, the damping force to the maximum value, when the vehicle speed detection value is in the low vehicle speed region, to reduce the value of the damping force as the vehicle speed detection value increases snow, in the case where the vehicle speed detection value is in the middle speed region, The serial damping force to the minimum value, when the vehicle speed detection value is in the high vehicle speed range, said Yuki increasing the value of the damping force as the vehicle speed detection value increases, the maximum value of the damping force and the minimum value It is characterized by being set to a value between.
The invention described in claim 2 is characterized in that the damping force in the high vehicle speed region is set to a minimum value side with respect to an intermediate value between the maximum value and the minimum value.
The invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that the control device reduces the power consumption as the damping force is reduced as compared with a case where the damping force is maintained high.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the control device includes a hydraulic circuit (90, 90 ') that controls generation of the damping force, and the hydraulic circuit (90, 90') is configured to swing the vehicle body. A control valve (100) capable of shutting off the flow of hydraulic oil is provided in an oil passage through which the hydraulic oil flows, and the control valve (100) has less electric power than that used for controlling the swing damper (38). The valve is actuated in the above-described manner, and the flow of the working oil in the oil passage is cut off in the stop area.
The invention described in claim 5 is characterized in that energization of the control valve (100) is stopped during parking operation.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the wobbling is likely to occur in the stop region, the swinging damping force is maximized to make it difficult to swing, and the wobbling is likely to occur in the low vehicle speed region, but turning or the like. In order to make it easier to perform, the swing damping force is lowered as the vehicle speed increases to make it easier to swing gradually. In addition, since it is difficult for wobbling to occur in the middle vehicle speed range, the damping force is minimized to facilitate swinging in order to improve lightness.In the high vehicle speed region, the damping force is increased again to suppress the influence of disturbance. Make it difficult to rock.
In this way, by applying an appropriate damping force according to the vehicle speed of the swinging vehicle, it is possible to realize a light and resistant to disturbance while suppressing fluctuations.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the self-steer function increases as the vehicle speed increases at high speeds. Therefore, in the high vehicle speed range, the damping force for making it difficult for the vehicle body to swing is suppressed, and the damping force is generated. Consumption of energy such as electric power can be suppressed.
According to the invention described in claim 3, it is possible to suppress power consumption during cruise traveling in a high vehicle speed region.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the oscillating vehicle is parked or stopped, the flow of the hydraulic oil in the oil passage can be blocked by the control valve with relatively low power consumption, and the vehicle body can be prevented from falling down.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, if power is shut down during parking, power consumption can be suppressed while rocking is locked.

It is a left view of a saddle-ride type vehicle in an embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view of the saddle riding type vehicle. It is a left view of the front two-wheel suspension apparatus of the saddle-ride type vehicle. It is a left view of the upper part of the said front two-wheel suspension apparatus. It is sectional drawing in the vehicle body left-right center of FIG. It is a perspective view of the periphery of the tie rod for front wheel steering of the saddle-ride type vehicle. It is a top view in alignment with the kingpin axis line of the said front two-wheel suspension, (a) is at the time of straight steering of the front two-wheel suspension, (b) is at the time of left steering of the front two-wheel suspension, and (c) is the front two-wheel suspension. Each shows right steering. It is a front view along the up-and-down swing axis | shaft of the said front two-wheel suspension apparatus, (a) is when the vehicle body is standing upright, (b) is when the vehicle body is swinging left, and (c) is when the vehicle body is swinging right. . It is a front view along the up-and-down swing axis | shaft of the said front two-wheel suspension apparatus, (a) is when the vehicle body is standing upright, (b) is when the vehicle body is swinging left, and (c) is when the vehicle body is swinging right. . It is a block diagram of 1st embodiment of the hydraulic circuit of the rocking | fluctuation damper of the said saddle riding type vehicle. It is a block diagram equivalent to FIG. 10 of the said hydraulic circuit in the state which the vehicle body rock | fluctuated to the left side. FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram corresponding to FIG. 10 of the hydraulic circuit in a state where the vehicle body swings to the right. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the electric current value which supplies with electricity to the control valve of the said hydraulic circuit, and a fall attenuation valve, and a vehicle speed. It is a wave form diagram which shows the change of the magnitude | size of the damping force which the said rocking | fluctuation damper generate | occur | produces with respect to the left-right rocking | fluctuation angle of a vehicle body. 5 is a flowchart showing automatic shift prohibiting control according to the swing angle of the vehicle body. It is a flowchart which shows damping force control according to ABS action. It is a block diagram equivalent to FIG. 10 of 2nd embodiment of the said hydraulic circuit.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the directions such as front, rear, left and right in the following description are the same as those in the vehicle described below unless otherwise specified. In addition, arrows FR indicating the front of the vehicle, an arrow LH indicating the left side of the vehicle, and an arrow UP indicating the upper side of the vehicle are shown at appropriate positions in the drawings used for the following description.

<Whole vehicle>
A saddle-ride type vehicle 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a pair of left and right front wheels (steering wheels) 2L and 2R symmetrically at the front of the vehicle body, and a single rear wheel (drive wheel) at the left and right center of the rear of the vehicle body. ) 3 and is configured as a front two-wheel swing vehicle in which the vehicle body can swing left and right (rolling motion). The saddle riding type vehicle 1 has a symmetrical configuration unless otherwise specified. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R are in a grounded state on a horizontal road surface R, and in the 1G state in which a load corresponding to the vehicle weight is applied to the front two-wheel suspension device 4 to be described later. A configuration when the vehicle body is in an upright state with a left-right swing angle of 0 degrees and in a straight-ahead steering state in which the steering angles of the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R are 0 ° will be described. In the present embodiment, the left-right code is distinguished from the left-hand code by adding “L” and the right-hand code is labeled “R”, but only the codes excluding “L” and “R” are distinguished. May also be shown.

  The vehicle body frame 5 of the saddle-ride type vehicle 1 includes a head pipe 12 that supports a bar-type steering handle 11 at the left and right center on the upper front side of the vehicle body, and rearward and rearward while branching left and right from the lower portion of the head pipe 12. The left and right main frames 13 extending from the top of the head pipe 12 to the left and right, the left and right gusset frames 13a extending rearward and downward at a steeper slope than the main frame 13 and joined to the middle portion of the left and right main frames 13, and the head pipe A left and right down frame 14 extending rearward and downward from the front end of the left and right main frame 13 near the main frame 13 in the vicinity of 12, and a left and right gusset pipe 13b extending between the left and right main frames 13 and an intermediate portion of the left and right down frames 14, The left and right sides of the left and right down frame 14 are curved forward inward while extending forward from the bottom of the left and right down frame 14. The arm frame 16, the lower arm bracket 15 supported by the front end portion of the left and right lower arm frame 16 below the head pipe 12, and the gusset 13 c that extends upward from the lower arm bracket 15 and below the front end portion of the left and right main frame 13. A connecting pipe 15a and a front suspension frame body 20 that is supported by a front end portion of the frame including the head pipe 12 and the lower arm bracket 15 and supports the front two-wheel suspension device 4 in front of them are provided.

  The lower arm bracket 15 and the left and right lower arm frames 16 constitute a branch lower frame 17 extending forward from the left and right down frames 14. A left and right pivot frame 18 extends downward from the rear end of the left and right main frame 13. From the upper part of the left and right pivot frame 18, a left and right seat frame 19 extends rearward and rearward.

An engine (internal combustion engine) 6 that is a prime mover of the saddle-ride type vehicle 1 is mounted below the main frame 13. A radiator 6 a is disposed in front of the engine 6. The rear wheel 3 driven by the power of the engine 6 is supported by the rear end portion of the swing arm 7. The front end portion of the swing arm 7 is supported by the left and right pivot frame 18 so as to be vertically swingable. A storage box 8 is disposed above the engine 6, a passenger seat 9 is disposed behind the storage box 8, and a fuel tank 10 is disposed below the seat 9.
Here, a transmission (not shown) connected to the engine 6 is an electronically controlled automatic transmission that performs automatic shifting according to a vehicle state such as a vehicle speed.

The head pipe 12 has its center axis (steering axis) C1 disposed on the left and right center line CL of the vehicle body as viewed from the front of the vehicle. The axis C1 is inclined so as to be located on the rear side toward the upper side with respect to the vertical direction in the vehicle side view.
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, a steering shaft 12 a is coaxially and rotatably inserted and supported by the head pipe 12. A bar-type steering handle 11 is attached to an upper end portion of the steering shaft 12a protruding above the head pipe 12. A bottom bracket 12b that connects the steering link 75 is attached to a lower end portion of the steering shaft 12a that protrudes below the head pipe 12.

  The front suspension frame 20 includes an upper support frame 21 that extends forward from the upper and lower intermediate portions of the head pipe 12, a lower support frame 22 that extends forward and forward from the front end of the lower arm bracket 15, and the upper and lower support frames 21. , 22 and a front sub-frame 23 that extends upward and downward so as to be located on the rear side as it extends upward.

The upper and lower support frames 21 and 22 are parallel to each other, and are arranged with an inclination angle with respect to the horizontal direction smaller than the direction orthogonal to the axis C1 of the head pipe 12 in a side view of the vehicle.
The front sub-frame 23 has a thick plate shape in which the axial direction of the upper and lower support frames 21 and 22 is the thickness direction, and is arranged with a smaller inclination angle with respect to the vertical direction than the head pipe 12 in a side view of the vehicle.

  A front end portion of an upper swing shaft 25 that passes through the left and right center of the integral upper arm 24 in the front two-wheel suspension device 4 is supported on the upper portion of the front subframe 23. At the lower part of the front sub-frame 23, the front end portions of the left and right lower swing shafts 27L, 27R that pass through the left and right inner ends of the left and right lower arms 26L, 26R of the front two-wheel suspension device 4 are supported. The vertical swing shafts 25 and 27 are parallel to each other and are also disposed in parallel with the vertical support frames 21 and 22.

  In the figure, symbol C2 indicates the center axis of the upper swing shaft 25, and symbols C3L and C3R indicate the center axes of the left and right lower swing shafts 27L and 27R, respectively. Referring also to FIG. 2, when viewed from the front of the vehicle, the center axis C2 of the upper swing shaft 25 is disposed on the left and right center line CL, and the center axes C3L and C3R of the left and right lower swing shafts 27L and 27R are the vehicle body. It is arranged offset from the left and right center line CL to the left and right.

  With reference to FIGS. 2 and 4, the upper arm 24 and the left and right lower arms 26 </ b> L and 26 </ b> R of the front two-wheel suspension device 4 extend to the left and right in front of the head pipe 12. At the left and right outer ends of the upper arm 24 and the left and right lower arms 26L and 26R, the upper portions of the left and right front fork units 28L and 28R that independently suspend the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R are parallel to the head pipe 12 in the vehicle side view and the head pipe 12 Further, it is supported so as to be steerable via left and right steering shafts (king pin shafts) 29L and 29R that are arranged offset further forward. Reference numerals C4L and C4R in the figure indicate the central axes (kingpin axes) of the left and right steering shafts 29L and 29R.

  The front two-wheel suspension device 4 allows the vehicle body including the vehicle body frame 5, the engine 6, the rear wheel 3 and the like to swing left and right while keeping the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R in contact with the ground, and in accordance with the left and right swing of the vehicle body. The left and right front fork units 28L and 28R and the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R are swung left and right. Conversely, the front two-wheel suspension device 4 alternately moves the left and right front fork units 28L and 28R and the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R up and down relative to the vehicle body.

  As shown in FIG. 8 (a), the upper and lower arm portions of the upper arm 24, the left and right lower arms 26L and 26R, and the upper portions of the left and right front fork units 28L and 28R in the axial direction of the vertical swing shafts 25 and 27 Including the frame 23, the vehicle body is arranged in parallel links on the left and right sides.

  That is, the axis C2 of the upper swing shaft 25, the axes C3L and C3R of the left and right lower swing shafts 27L and 27R, the axis C2aL of the left and right upper and outer support shafts 25aL and 25aR described later at the left and right outer ends of the upper arm 24, Quadrilaterals sq1L and sq1R that connect the left and right lower and outer support shafts 27aL and 27aR of later-described left and right lower and outer support shafts 27aL and 27aR on the left and right sides of the vehicle body at the left and right sides of the vehicle body are generally parallelograms. As a result, when the upper arm 24 and the left and right lower arms 26L and 26R swing, the left and right front fork units 28L and 28R and the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R move up and down substantially in parallel.

In addition, the left and right arm portions of the upper arm 24, the left and right tie rods 78L and 78R, and the upper portions of the left and right front fork units 28L and 28R, including the front subframe 23, can be It is arranged in a parallel link shape.
That is, the axis C2 of the upper swing shaft 25, the axes C2aL and C2aR of the left and right upper and outer support shafts 25aL and 25aR of the upper arm 24, and the swing centers 78acL, 78bcL, 78acR and 78bcR inside and outside the left and right tie rods 78L and 78R The quadrilaterals sq1L ′ and sq1R ′ connected with each other are substantially parallelograms. Accordingly, when the upper arm 24 and the left and right lower arms 26L and 26R are swung, the left and right tie rods 78L and 78R are also moved up and down substantially in parallel, and the influence on the steering angle of the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R is suppressed.

  2 and 4 together, the left and right upper and outer brackets 24aL and 24aR are connected to the left and right outer ends of the upper arm 24 via upper and lower support shafts 25aL and 25aR parallel to the vertical swing shafts 25 and 27, respectively. Are supported in a swingable manner. The upper left and right steering shafts 29L and 29R are supported by the left and right upper and outer brackets 24aL and 24aR, respectively. Center axes C2aL and C2aR of the upper and outer support shafts 25aL and 25aR are located on the inner side in the left-right direction of the vehicle body from the grounding points T1L and T1R of the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R. Reference symbol T2 in the figure indicates a grounding point of the rear wheel 3.

  The left and right lower outer brackets 26aL and 26aR are swingably supported on the left and right outer ends of the left and right lower arms 26L and 26R via lower outer support shafts 27aL and 27aR parallel to the vertical swing shafts 25 and 27, respectively. . The lower left and right outer brackets 26aL and 26aR support the lower ends of the left and right steering shafts 29L and 29R, respectively. The center axes C3aL and C3aR of the lower outer support shafts 27aL and 27aR are located on the left and right outer sides of the center axis lines C2aL and C2aR of the upper and outer support shafts 25aL and 25aR and on the inner sides of the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R. positioned. Therefore, the distance H2 between the left and right outer ends of the left and right lower arms 26L and 26R is longer than the distance H1 between the left and right outer ends of the upper arm 24.

  On the upper arm 24, a damper frame body 31 provided so as to straddle the left and right is fixed. The damper frame body 31 has an upwardly convex V-shape when viewed from the front of the vehicle, and includes a pair of left and right and front and rear frame pipes 32 extending along the left and right inclined sides, and left and right inner end portions of the left and right frame pipes 32. And a left and right fixing plate 34 fixed to the left and right outer ends of the left and right frame pipes 32. The left and right fixing plates 34 are fastened and fixed on the left and right outer ends of the upper arm 24.

Referring also to FIG. 5, at the front end portion of the top bracket 33, the upper end portion of the cylinder-type spring device (swinging reaction force generating device) 35 is parallel to the vertical swinging shafts 25 and 27. And it is slidably connected via a spherical bearing 35a.
The spring device 35 is a combination of a rod-type stroke guide and a coil spring, and in the upright state of the vehicle body, a center axis line (stroke axis line) C5 is disposed on the vehicle body left-right center line CL when viewed from the front of the vehicle. The lower end of the spring device 35 is positioned below the upper swing shaft 25 and above the lower swing shaft 27 in the front subframe 23, and has a lower connecting shaft 37 parallel to the vertical swing shafts 25, 27 and It is slidably connected via a spherical bearing 35b. Reference numerals C6 and C7 in the figure indicate the central axes of the upper and lower connecting shafts 36 and 37.

As shown in FIG. 8A, when the vehicle body is in an upright state, the spring device 35 is in the most extended state extending in the vertical direction at the left and right center of the vehicle body. The total length between the axes C6 and C7 in the spring device 35 at this time is L0.
On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 8B and 8C, when the vehicle body swings left and right from the upright state, the spring device 35 strokes to shorten from the most extended state. That is, the total lengths L1 and L2 of the spring device 35 in FIGS. 8B and 8C are shorter than the total length L0 in FIG. The force that the spring device 35 at this time tries to extend becomes a restoring force that attempts to return the vehicle body to an upright state and a reaction force against the rolling motion of the vehicle body.

  Since the spring device 35 is disposed on the left and right center of the vehicle body when the vehicle body is in an upright state, the amount of expansion and contraction with respect to the rolling motion of the vehicle body is the same when the vehicle body swings to the left or right, so The same restoring force can be obtained even when rocking.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 9, for example, the right frame pipe 32 of the damper frame 31 supports a rotary swing damper (swing damping device) 38 for damping the swing energy of the vehicle body. .
Referring also to FIG. 10, the swing damper 38 forms a fan-shaped oil chamber 91 in a rectangular parallelepiped housing 38 a and swings the vane 92 in the oil chamber 91 to obtain a damping force. The magnitude of the damping force of the swing damper 38 is controlled by a control device having a hydraulic circuit 90 as a main component. The hydraulic circuit 90 will be described in detail later.
A damper swing shaft 39 that swings integrally with the vane 92 projects forward from the front surface when the housing 38a is mounted on the vehicle body. The base end portion of the swing lever 41 is attached to the protruding portion of the damper swing shaft 39 so as to be swingable integrally.

The upper end of the link rod 42 is connected to the tip of the swing lever 41 via a link connecting shaft 42a so as to be swingable. The lower end portion of the link rod 42 is slidably connected via a damper connecting shaft 43 to a position at the lower right of the upper swing shaft 25 in the front subframe 23. That is, the damper swing shaft 39 is coupled to the vehicle body frame 5 via the link mechanism 41A including the swing lever 41 and the link rod 42.
The damper swing shaft 39, the link connection shaft 42a, and the damper connection shaft 43 are parallel to the vertical swing shafts 25 and 27. In the drawing, reference numeral C8 denotes the central axis of the damper swing shaft 39, reference C8a denotes the central axis of the link connecting shaft 42a, and reference C9 denotes the central axis of the damper connecting shaft 43.

As shown in FIG. 9A, the link mechanism 41A includes an offset portion 23a extending between an upper swing shaft 25 that supports the upper arm 24 in the front subframe 23 and a damper connection shaft 43 that connects the link rod 42. Are arranged in a parallel link shape.
That is, the quadrangle sq2 connecting the axis C2 of the upper swing shaft 25, the axis C8 of the damper swing shaft 39, the axis C8a of the link connecting shaft 42a, and the axis C9 of the damper connecting shaft 43 is substantially a parallelogram.

  As a result, as shown in FIGS. 9B and 9C, when the upper arm 24 and the front sub-frame 23 are relatively swung by a predetermined angle when the vehicle body is swung, the housing has an angle equivalent to this. The vane 92 in 38a swings, and a predetermined damping force is generated in the swing damper 38. The swing damper 38 and the link mechanism 41A are set to generate the same damping force when the vehicle body swings to the left or right.

  The swing damper 38 is an electronically controlled variable damper that changes the magnitude of the generated damping force in accordance with the vehicle speed of the saddle-ride type vehicle 1. The hydraulic circuit 90 of the swing damper 38 switches the oil path by operating a solenoid valve or the like based on vehicle speed information obtained from, for example, wheel speed sensors (vehicle speed sensors) 2S provided on the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R. Accordingly, the swing damper 38 appropriately changes the magnitude of the damping force and the like from when the saddle riding type vehicle 1 is stopped to when traveling at high speed.

  Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, a lock plate 44 that extends in an arc shape when viewed from the front of the vehicle is fixed to the rear portion of the damper frame 31 so as to follow the swing locus of the upper arm 24 with respect to the vehicle body frame 5. The lock plate 44 has a plate shape orthogonal to the axial direction of the vertical swing shafts 25 and 27, and a lock caliper 45 capable of clamping the lock plate 44 in the thickness direction is disposed at the upper end position of the lock plate 44. Is done. The lock caliper 45 is supported by a support bracket 21 a fixed on the upper support frame 21.

  The lock caliper 45 is a cable type, and one end of an operation cable (not shown) extending from an operation box 46 disposed on the left side of the front of the vehicle body is connected as shown in FIG. The other end of the operation cable is connected to an action end of a rocking lock lever 47 below the operation box 46. By operating the rocking lock lever 47, the lock caliper 45 is operated to clamp the lock plate 44, and the left-right rocking of the vehicle body can be locked. The operation box 46 has a parking brake lever 48 at the upper portion thereof, and an operation cable (not shown) extending from the operating end of the parking brake lever 48 is connected to a parking brake (not shown) provided near the rear wheel 3, for example. . Inside the operation box 46, a parking switch SWp for detecting the operating state of the parking brake lever 48 and a swing lock switch SWy for detecting the operating state of the swing lock lever 47 are provided.

  Between the left and right upper and outer brackets 24aL and 24aR supported by the upper arm 24 and the left and right lower outer brackets 26aL and 26aR supported by the left and right lower arms 26L and 26R, the upper portions of the left and right front fork units 28L and 28R are connected to the left and right steering shafts. The steering is supported via 29L and 29R.

  FIG. 3 shows the left front fork unit 28L with the left front wheel 2L and the hub h removed, but the right front fork unit 28R has a bilaterally symmetric configuration. Hereinafter, the left and right front fork units 28L and 28R will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The left and right front fork units 28L and 28R constitute a trailing link type front suspension 52A so as to be adjacent to the left and right inner sides of the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R. The left and right front fork units 28L and 28R are supported at their upper ends on the left and right outer ends of the upper arm 24 and the left and right lower arms 26L and 26R, and on the lower end of the fork body 51 so that the front end 52a can swing. The trailing arm 52, the cushion unit 54 extending between the rear part of the trailing arm 52 and the upper part of the fork main body 51, and the front wheel axle 57 provided on the rear end part 52b of the trailing arm 52 so as to be swingable integrally. A caliper bracket 58 that supports the brake caliper 62 via the support bracket 62a behind the front wheel axle 57 and is swingably supported by the front wheel axle 57, and a rear end 59b above the front wheel axle 57 is a caliper bracket. 58 and a front end portion 59a is connected to the fork body 5 in a swingable manner. Provided between the torque rod 59 is swingably connected to the lower, the.

  The front swing shaft 53 of the trailing arm 52 and the front and rear swing shafts 60 and 61 of the torque rod 59 are arranged in parallel with the front wheel axle 57. In the figure, reference numeral C11 denotes a central axis of the front swing shaft 53, reference signs C15 and C16 denote central axes of the front and rear swing shafts 60 and 61, and reference C12 denotes a central axis along the left-right direction of the front wheel axle 57.

The fork main body 51 has an upper bracket 65 supported via left and right steering shafts 29L and 29R between the left and right outer ends of the upper arm 24 and the left and right lower arms 26L and 26R, and a fork body 51 extending in front of the steering shaft 29 in the upper bracket 65. The fork pipe 66 has an upper portion inserted and fixed to the pipe insertion portion 65a to be taken out.
The upper portion of the fork pipe 66 is inserted into the pipe insertion portion 65a with an angle with respect to the vertical direction larger than that of the steering shaft 29 in a side view of the vehicle. The fork pipe 66 and the pipe insertion portion 65a are disposed on the left and right inner sides of the inner ends of the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R.

  The fork pipe 66 bends and extends forward and downward below the pipe insertion portion 65 a, and then curves and extends downward at a position in front of the front wheel axle 57. A pivot bracket 67 that supports the front end portion 52 a of the trailing arm 52 is fixed to the lower end portion of the fork pipe 66. The pivot bracket 67 is disposed in front of the front wheel axle 57 in a side view of the vehicle.

  An upper cushion bracket 68 that supports the upper end portion 54 a of the cushion unit 54 is fixed to the rear lower side of the middle portion of the fork pipe 66. A front rod bracket 69 that supports the front end portion 59 a of the torque rod 59 is fixed to the lower rear side of the fork pipe 66. An upper front gusset 70 is fixed on the front upper side of the middle portion of the fork pipe 66, and a lower rear gusset 71 is fixed on the rear inner peripheral side of the lower curved portion of the fork pipe 66. The upper rear gusset 72 is fixed.

  The trailing arm 52 is disposed so as to extend downward and rearward from the pivot bracket 67. From the rear end portion 52b of the trailing arm 52, the front wheel axle 57 projects outward in the left and right directions. A hub h of the front wheel 2 is attached to the front wheel axle 57 so as to be rotatable and cannot be dropped off. The center portion of the wheel w of the front wheel 2 is fastened to the left and right outer sides of the hub h by a plurality of wheel nuts n. A brake disc 63 that is clamped by the brake caliper 62 is attached to the outer periphery of the hub h.

  The cushion unit 54 includes a rod-type damper that is inclined so as to be located on the rear side as viewed from the side of the vehicle, and a coil spring that is wound around the damper. The upper end portion 54 a of the cushion unit 54 is supported by the upper cushion bracket 68 via the upper support shaft 55. A lower end portion 54 b of the cushion unit 54 is supported by a portion of the trailing arm 52 near the front wheel axle 57 via a lower support shaft 56. The vertical support shafts 55 and 56 are parallel to the front wheel axle 57. In the figure, reference numerals C13 and C14 denote center axes of the upper and lower support shafts 55 and 56, and reference numeral C17 denotes a center axis (stroke axis) of the cushion unit 54.

A sub tank 54c communicating with the damper is disposed on the upper front side of the cushion unit 54. The sub tank 54c has a cylindrical shape extending in parallel with the axis C17, and is disposed in a space between the fork main body 51 and the cushion main body including the damper and the coil spring.
The cushion unit 54 strokes along the axis C17 by the swinging of the trailing arm 52 due to the vertical movement of the front wheel 2, absorbs an impact input to the front wheel 2, and attenuates the vertical movement of the front wheel 2.

  The caliper bracket 58 includes a base portion 58a that is fitted on the front wheel axle 57 so as to be relatively rotatable, an upper arm portion 58b that extends rearward and upward of the base portion 58a, and a support plate portion 58c that extends rearward of the base portion 58a and the upper arm portion 58b. Have. A rear end portion 59b of the torque rod 59 that has passed through the left and right outer sides of the cushion unit 54 is connected to an upper end portion of the upper arm portion 58b via a rear swing shaft 61.

  The brake caliper 62 is disposed so as to sandwich the rear lower part of the brake disc 63 that rotates integrally with the front wheel 2 in the axle direction. The brake caliper 62 clamps the brake disc 63 by the hydraulic pressure supplied from a master cylinder (not shown) and brakes the rotation of the front wheel 2. The brake disc 63, the brake caliper 62, and the caliper bracket 58 are disposed inside a bowl-shaped wheel w that opens to the left and right inner sides of the front wheel 2.

  The front wheel brakes including the brake disc 63 and the brake caliper 62 are provided on the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R, respectively. A rear wheel brake having a similar configuration is provided on the single rear wheel 3. The supply of hydraulic pressure to the front wheel brake is mainly performed by operating a brake lever disposed on the right grip of the steering handle 11, for example. Thereby, the left and right front wheels 2L, 2R are braked simultaneously. The hydraulic pressure is supplied to the rear wheel brake mainly by operating a brake pedal disposed in the right step, for example. The front and rear wheel brakes may be individually operated with mutually independent operation inputs, and may be operated in conjunction with each other with at least one operation input.

  Here, the saddle-ride type vehicle 1 includes an anti-lock brake system (hereinafter referred to as ABS). The hydraulic pressure generated by operating the brake lever and the brake pedal is supplied to the front and rear wheel brakes via an ABS module (not shown). The ABS module controls to reduce the hydraulic pressure supplied to the corresponding caliper in order to avoid the slip (lock) during braking of the front and rear wheels.

  The torque rod 59 connects the upper end portion of the upper arm portion 58b of the caliper bracket 58 to the lower portion of the fork main body 51, so that the braking reaction force input from the brake caliper 62 to the caliper bracket 58 during front wheel braking is applied to the suspension frame. Input to a certain fork main body 51. During braking of the front wheels, the trailing arm 52 swings due to the braking reaction force to try to stroke the cushion unit 54. By inputting the braking reaction force to the fork main body 51 via the torque rod 59, the front wheel Pitching due to swinging of the trailing arm 52 during braking is suppressed.

The lower portion of the fork main body 51, the trailing arm 52, the caliper bracket 58, and the torque rod 59 are arranged in a parallel link shape in a vehicle side view.
That is, a quadrangle sq3 that connects the axis C11 of the front swing shaft 53, the axis C12 of the front wheel axle 57, and the axes C15 and C16 of the front and rear swing shafts 60 and 61 in a vehicle side view is substantially a parallelogram.

  The kingpin axes C4L and C4R of the left and right steering shafts 29L and 29R are inclined so as to be located on the rear side toward the upper side with respect to the vertical direction in a vehicle side view. In other words, the left and right kingpin axes C4L and C4R are inclined so as to be parallel to the steering axis C1. Further, the left and right kingpin axes C4L and C4R are inclined so as to be located on the left and right sides toward the upper side with respect to the vertical direction in the vehicle front view.

The downward extending portions of the left and right kingpin axes C4L and C4R in the vehicle front view reach the grounding points (grounding centers) T1L and T1R of the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R.
An intersection T1 ′ of the downward extension of the kingpin axis C4 in the vehicle side view and the road surface R is located in front of the ground contact point T1 of the front wheel 2 to generate a trail. The inclination angle of the kingpin axis C4 in the vehicle side view with respect to the vertical direction is a caster angle. The front wheel axle 57 is offset in front of the kingpin axis C4 in a side view of the vehicle.

  Each tire of the left and right front wheels 2L, 2R and the rear wheel 3 has a tread surface having an arcuate cross section. The left and right front wheels 2L and 2R are tilted in the same manner as the vehicle body by the action of the front two-wheel suspension device 4 during banking (rolling) of the vehicle body, and the grounding point of the tread surface is shifted from the center to the side. At this time, the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R are steered in a direction inclined by the action of the trail.

  4 to 6, the rear end portion of the steering link 75 is connected to the bottom bracket 12b attached to the lower end portion of the steering shaft 12a via a spherical bearing 75b. A front end portion of the steering link 75 is coupled to a first arm 76a of a bell crank member 76 supported on the rear surface side of the front subframe 23 via a spherical bearing 75a.

The bell crank member 76 is swingably supported at the left and right center of the vehicle body on the rear surface side of the front subframe 23 via a relay shaft 77 having a larger inclination in the vertical direction than the steering shaft 29 in a side view of the vehicle.
The left and right inner ends of the left and right tie rods 78L and 78R are connected to the second arm 76b of the bell crank member 76 via left and right spherical bearings 78aL and 78aR. The left and right outer ends of the left and right tie rods 78L and 78R are connected to the rear portion of the upper bracket 65 of the left and right fork main body 51 via left and right spherical bearings 78bL and 78bR, respectively (see FIG. 2).

  As a result, the steering handle 11 and the left and right front wheels 2L, 2R are linked, and when the steering handle 11 is steered left and right, the steering shaft 12a, the steering link 75, the bell crank member 76, and the left and right tie rods 78L, 78R are connected. Thus, the left and right front fork units 28L and 28R and the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R are steered left or right.

  The bell crank member 76 is disposed so as to overlap the upper portions of the left and right front fork units 28L and 28R in a side view of the vehicle. The left and right front fork units 28L and 28R and the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R are steered via left and right tie rods 78L and 78R extending from the bell crank member 76 substantially along the left and right direction.

  When left and right tie rods that are greatly inclined with respect to the left and right direction are extended and connected from the steering shaft 12a supported by the head pipe 12 to the left and right front fork units 28L and 28R that are offset to the front of the head pipe 12, It is difficult to make the steering angles of the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R the same as compared with the case where the left and right tie rods are extended and connected so as to be along.

  That is, after the rotation of the steering shaft 12a is converted into the rotation of the bell crank member 76 offset to the front of the head pipe 12, the left and right front fork units 28L and 28R are extended from the bell crank member 76 by extending the left and right tie rods 78L and 78R. It becomes easy to make the steering angle of the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R the same. The bell crank member 76 can be efficiently disposed between the left and right front fork units 28L and 28R.

FIG. 7 is a view taken in the direction of arrow VII in FIG. 4 (a view taken along the inclination of the kingpin axis C4 in the vehicle side view).
As shown in FIG. 7A, the bottom bracket 12b at the lower end of the steering shaft 12a, the steering link 75 connected thereto, and the first arm 76a of the bell crank member 76 are arranged in a parallel link shape.
That is, a quadrangle sq4 that connects the steering axis C1, the axis C18 of the relay shaft 77 (shown by a point for the sake of illustration), and the swing centers 75ac and 75bc of the spherical bearings 75a and 75b before and after the steering link 75 is substantially parallelogram. Is done. Thereby, the rotation angle of the steering handle 11 and the rotation angle of the bell crank member 76 become substantially the same (see FIGS. 7B and 7C).

In FIG. 7A, the upper part of the second arm 76b of the bell crank member 76, the left and right tie rods 78L and 78R, and the left and right front fork units 28L and 28R is horizontally long and has a pair of left and right four-way links. Form.
That is, the axis C18 of the relay shaft 77, the swing centers 78acL, 78bcL, 78acR, 78bcR of the spherical bearings 78aL, 78bL, 78aR, 78bR inside and outside the left and right tie rods 78L, 78R, and the left and right kingpin axes C4L, C4R are connected on the left and right sides of the vehicle body. The left and right squares sq5L and sq5R are formed such that the distance between the axis C18 and the left and right kingpin axes C4L and C4R is longer than the distance between the swing centers 78acL, 78bcL, 78acR, and 78bcR inside and outside the left and right tie rods 78L and 78R.

  Further, the straight line connecting the axis C18 and the swing centers 78acL and 78acR inside the left and right tie rods 78L and 78R is inclined so as to be positioned on the left and right outer sides as the rear side, and the left and right kingpin axes C4L and C4R , 78R, the straight line connecting the swing center 78bcL, 78bcR on the outside is arranged along the vehicle longitudinal direction. Also, the former straight line is made longer than the latter straight line.

  Such left and right four-bar links have the same effect as a so-called Ackerman mechanism, and when the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R are steered, the steering angle on the inner wheel side of the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R is determined from the steering angle on the outer wheel side. Also make it bigger. That is, when the left steering is performed as shown in FIG. 7B, the steering angle θ1L of the left front wheel 2L is larger than the steering angle θ1R of the right front wheel 2R, and when the right steering is performed as shown in FIG. Is larger than the steering angle θ2L of the left front wheel 2L.

As shown in FIG. 5, the inclination angles θ1 and θ2 in side view with respect to the horizontal plane (corresponding to the road surface R) of the vertical swing shafts 25 and 27 are the same, and are set to 20 degrees in the present embodiment.
Since the left and right swinging of the vehicle body is performed at the center of the front rising axis parallel to the vertical swinging shafts 25 and 27, if the vehicle body is swung left and right while the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R are grounded, the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R try to move alternately in the front-rear direction as the vehicle moves up and down. Therefore, by swinging the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R and making them stand still, this swinging is restricted even if the vehicle body is swung left and right.

In the front fork unit 28 in the 1G state shown in FIG. 3, if a straight line connecting the front and rear axes C11 and C12 of the trailing arm 52 in the vehicle side view is an arm length reference line 52c, a horizontal plane of the arm length reference line 52c ( The inclination angle θ3 in a side view with respect to the road surface R) is set to 20 degrees, which is the same as the inclination of the vertical swing shafts 25 and 27 in this embodiment.
When the trailing arm 52 is swung by stroking the cushion unit 54 from the 1G state, the front wheel 2 tends to move in the front-rear direction along with the vertical movement. Accordingly, the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R are braked to be stationary, thereby restricting the left and right swinging of the vehicle body caused by the left and right cushion units 54 separately stroked.

  Note that the tilt angles θ1 and θ2 of the vertical swing shafts 25 and 27 are not limited to 20 degrees, and if the angle exceeds 20 degrees, the amount of front-to-back movement of the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R increases, and therefore the left and right front wheels 2L and 2R The effect of limiting the vehicle body swing due to braking is increased. Similarly, the inclination angle θ3 of the trailing arm 52 is not limited to 20 degrees, and if the angle exceeds 20 degrees, the effect of restricting the vehicle body swinging is increased as described above.

<First embodiment of hydraulic circuit of swing damper>
As shown in FIG. 10, the rocking damper 38 forms a hydraulic circuit 90 including a fan-shaped oil chamber 91 in a rectangular parallelepiped housing 38a.
FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the hydraulic circuit 90 together with the damper swing shaft 39, the swing lever 41, the vane 92, and the oil chamber 91 viewed from the same direction as FIG.
The fan-shaped oil chamber 91 is divided into two oil chambers by a vane 92 that swings integrally with the damper swing shaft 39. Hereinafter, the oil chamber defined on the left side of the vane 92 in the drawing is referred to as a counterclockwise oil chamber 91a, and the oil chamber defined on the right side in the drawing is referred to as a clockwise oil chamber 91b.

  The hydraulic circuit 90 includes a first oil passage 93a and a second oil passage 93b whose base ends are respectively connected to both ends of the fan-shaped circumferential direction of the oil chamber 91, and three-way valves to which the tip ends of the respective oil passages are respectively connected. First rotary valve 94a and second rotary valve 94b, a first series of oil passages 95 between one of the two ports opened and closed by each rotary valve 94a, 94b, and each rotary valve 94a. , 94 b between the other ports, the second communication oil passage 96, the falling upstream oil passage 97 whose base end is connected to the first series oil passage 95, and the base end connected to the second communication oil passage 96. A rising upstream oil passage 98, a falling upstream oil passage 97, and a falling attenuation circuit 101 and a raising attenuation circuit 105 extending between the leading ends of the rising upstream oil passage 98.

Each rotary valve 94a, 94b accommodates a valve body in a cylindrical body so as to be rotatable.
The first rotary valve 94a is connected to a first oil passage 93a, a first series of oil passages 95, and a second communication oil path 96, and the first oil passage 93a and the first series of oil passages 95 are rotated by the rotation of the valve body. And either one of the second communication oil passages 96 is selectively communicated.
A second oil passage 93b, a first series of oil passages 95, and a second communication oil path 96 are connected to the second rotary valve 94b, and the second oil passage 93b and the first series of oil passages 95 are rotated by the rotation of the valve body. And either one of the second communication oil passages 96 is selectively communicated.

  The fall attenuation circuit 101 includes a fall attenuation oil passage 102 including a fall attenuation valve 102a as a solenoid valve and a check valve 102b, and a relief oil passage 103 including a relief valve 103a in parallel. The fall damping valve 102a is a control valve that generates a damping force (resistance force) against swinging when the vehicle body is tilted to the left or right by narrowing the flow path or the like and makes this damping force variable. The check valve 102b and the relief valve 103a are check valves that rise from the fallen upstream oil passage 97 and allow the working oil to flow to the upstream oil passage 98, but not vice versa.

The raising damping circuit 105 includes a raising damping oil passage 106 including a raising damping valve 106a as a solenoid valve and a check valve 106b, and a relief oil passage 107 including a relief valve 107a in parallel. The wake damping valve 106a is a control valve that generates a damping force (resistance force) against the swinging of the vehicle body that has fallen to the left or right by narrowing the flow path or the like and makes this damping force variable. The check valve 106b and the relief valve 107a are check valves that allow the working oil to flow from the raised upstream oil passage 98 to fall and flow to the upstream oil passage 97, but not reversely.
Reference numeral 99 in the figure indicates an accumulator connected to the raised upstream oil passage 98, for example, and absorbs a change in capacity due to expansion and contraction of hydraulic oil in the hydraulic circuit 90.

  One of the first oil passage 93a and the second oil passage 93b (the first oil passage 93a in the figure) is provided with a control valve 100 that allows the flow of hydraulic oil to be interrupted. The control valve 100 is a normally open solenoid valve (spool valve), which makes it impossible to distribute the hydraulic oil in the first oil passage 93a by stroking the valve body against the urging force of the internal spring by energizing the solenoid. Then, when the energization to the solenoid is stopped, the valve body is stroked by the urging force of the spring to allow the hydraulic oil to flow through the first oil passage 93a. Referring to FIG. 13, the energization power I1 to the normally open control valve 100 is set lower than the power I2 used by the falling damping valve 102a at a vehicle speed V1 (for example, 5 km / h) or less.

  When the control valve 100 is closed, the damping force generated by the swing damper 38 is maximized.

<Operation of First Embodiment>
Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described.
When the rocking lock switch SWy detects that the rocking lock has been made (stopped), the control valve 100 is not energized.
When the swing lock is released, the normally open control valve 100 in the first oil passage 93a is energized, and the flow of hydraulic oil in the first oil passage 93a is interrupted.

  In this state, when the vehicle body of the swing vehicle tries to swing left or right, the swing lever 41 and the damper swing shaft 39 are also rotated in the same direction to swing the vane 92 in the oil chamber 91. In the distribution of the hydraulic oil between the counterclockwise oil chamber 91a and the clockwise oil chamber 91b partitioned by the vane 92, all the distribution paths through the hydraulic circuit 90 include the first oil path 93a as described above. In the state where the flow of the hydraulic oil in the one oil passage 93a is blocked, the flow of the hydraulic oil between the counterclockwise oil chamber 91a and the clockwise oil chamber 91b is all through the gap between the vane 92 and the oil chamber wall. Made. At this time, the damping force of the swing damper 38 is maximized and acts as a resistance force against the swing of the vehicle body.

When shifting from a stop area (for example, 5 km / h or less) to a low vehicle speed area, energization to the control valve 100 of the first oil passage 93a is stopped, and the first oil passage 93a is opened and the flow of hydraulic oil is stopped. It becomes possible. And at this transition timing, it switches to the energization to the fall attenuation valve 102a.
In this state, when the vehicle body of the swinging vehicle falls to the left side (see FIG. 9B), as shown in FIG. 11, the swinging lever 41 and the damper swinging shaft 39 are turned counterclockwise (clockwise in the figure). The counterclockwise oil chamber 91a is narrowed by rotating and rotating the vane 92. As a result, as indicated by an arrow F1 in the figure, the hydraulic oil in the counterclockwise oil chamber 91a reaches the first rotary valve 94a from the first oil passage 93a, and reaches the second rotary valve 94b through a plurality of oil passages. Thereafter, the oil returns from the second oil passage 93b into the clockwise oil chamber 91b.

  In the above, in the first rotary valve 94a, the valve body interlocked with the damper swinging shaft 39 rotates in the same direction to block the communication between the first oil passage 93a and the second communication oil passage 96, and The oil passage 93a and the first series oil passage 95 are communicated. At this time, since the second rotary valve 94b similarly blocks the communication between the second oil passage 93b and the first series oil passage 95 by the rotation of the valve body interlocked with the damper swing shaft 39, All the hydraulic oil from the one oil passage 93 a to the first series oil passage 95 falls down and flows into the upstream oil passage 97.

Of the two damping circuits connected to the fallen upstream oil passage 97, the raising damping circuit 105 falls from the upstream oil passage 97 by two check valves and prohibits the flow of hydraulic oil to the upstream oil passage 98. The hydraulic oil from the fallen upstream oil passage 97 flows through the fallen damping circuit 101 and reaches the upstream oil passage 98.
The fall attenuation oil passage 102 of the fall attenuation circuit 101 circulates hydraulic oil through the check valve 102b and the fall attenuation valve 102a. At this time, the flow resistance of the hydraulic oil is changed by the operation of the fallen damping valve 102a, so that the damping force generated by the swing damper 38 is variable.

The hydraulic oil that has risen through the fall attenuation circuit 101 and reaches the upstream oil passage 98 returns to the clockwise oil chamber 91b from the second communication oil passage 96 through the second rotary valve 94b and the second oil passage 93b.
The fall damping valve 102a increases or decreases the damping force generated by the swing damper 38 within a range that does not exceed the damping force when the control valve 100 closes the first oil passage 93a.
If for some reason it falls and the damping oil passage 102 is closed, the hydraulic oil falls by opening the relief valve 103 a of the relief oil passage 103 and flows from the upstream oil passage 97 to the upstream oil passage 98.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle body falls to the right side in the middle vehicle speed region of the swing vehicle (see FIG. 9C), as shown in FIG. ) And the clockwise oil chamber 91b is narrowed by the swing of the vane 92. As a result, as indicated by an arrow F2 in the figure, the hydraulic oil in the clockwise oil chamber 91b reaches the second rotary valve 94b from the second oil passage 93b, and reaches the first rotary valve 94a through a plurality of oil passages. Then, it returns in the counterclockwise oil chamber 91a from the 1st oil path 93a.

  In the above, in the second rotary valve 94b, the valve body interlocked with the damper swinging shaft 39 rotates in the same direction to cut off the communication between the second oil passage 93b and the second communication oil passage 96, and the second The oil passage 93b and the first series oil passage 95 are communicated. At this time, the first rotary valve 94a blocks the communication between the first oil passage 93a and the first series of oil passages 95 by the rotation of the valve body that is also interlocked with the damper swing shaft 39. All of the hydraulic oil from the second oil passage 93 b to the first oil passage 95 falls down and flows to the upstream oil passage 97.

  In the same manner as described above, all of the hydraulic fluid that has flowed into the fallen upstream oil passage 97 flows through the fallen damping circuit 101 and reaches the upstream oil passage 98, and at that time, a damping force is generated. The hydraulic oil that has risen to the upstream oil passage 98 returns from the second communication oil passage 96 to the counterclockwise oil chamber 91a through the first rotary valve 94a and the first oil passage 93a.

  In addition, referring to FIG. 11, when the vehicle body of the swinging vehicle tries to get up to the right side from the state where the body of the swinging vehicle has fallen to the left side, the swinging lever 41 and the damper swinging shaft 39 rotate clockwise (in the leftward direction in the figure) The clockwise oil chamber 91b is narrowed by the swing of the vane 92. As a result, as indicated by an arrow R1 in the figure, the hydraulic oil in the clockwise oil chamber 91b reaches the second rotary valve 94b from the second oil passage 93b, and reaches the first rotary valve 94a through a plurality of oil passages. Then, it returns to the counterclockwise oil chamber 91a from the 1st oil path 93a.

  In the above description, while the vehicle body is tilted to the left, the second rotary valve 94b blocks the communication between the second oil passage 93b and the first series oil passage 95, and the second oil passage 93b and the second oil passage 93b. The communication oil passage 96 is in communication with the first rotary valve 94a and the communication between the first oil passage 93a and the second communication oil passage 96 is blocked. Therefore, all of the hydraulic fluid that has reached the second communication oil passage 96 from the second oil passage 93 b through the second rotary valve 94 b is raised and flows to the upstream oil passage 98.

Of the two damping circuits connected to the raising upstream oil passage 98, the falling damping circuit 101 is caused by two check valves, and falls down from the upstream oil passage 98 to prohibit the flow of hydraulic oil to the upstream oil passage 97. All of the hydraulic oil from the raised upstream oil passage 98 flows up through the damping circuit 105 and falls down to the upstream oil passage 97.
The raising damping oil passage 106 of the raising damping circuit 105 allows the working oil to flow through the check valve 106b and the raising damping valve 106a. At this time, the flow resistance of the hydraulic oil is changed by the operation of the raising damping valve 106a, so that the damping force generated by the swing damper 38 is variable.

The hydraulic oil that has fallen through the raising damping circuit 105 and reaches the upstream oil passage 97 returns to the counterclockwise oil chamber 91a through the first series oil passage 95, the first rotary valve 94a, and the first oil passage 93a.
The damping force generated by the operation of the raising damping valve 106a is made sufficiently smaller than the damping force generated by the operation of the falling damping valve 102a.
When the damping oil passage 106 is closed for some reason, the hydraulic oil is raised by opening the relief valve 107 a of the relief oil passage 107 and falls from the upstream oil passage 98 and flows to the upstream oil passage 97.

  On the other hand, referring to FIG. 12, when the vehicle body of the swinging vehicle tries to get up from the state where it falls to the right side, the swinging lever 41 and the damper swinging shaft 39 rotate counterclockwise (clockwise in the figure) As the vane 92 swings, the counterclockwise oil chamber 91a is narrowed. As a result, as indicated by an arrow R2 in the figure, the hydraulic oil in the counterclockwise oil chamber 91a reaches the first rotary valve 94a from the first oil passage 93a, and reaches the second rotary valve 94b through a plurality of oil passages. Then, it returns to the clockwise oil chamber 91b from the second oil passage 93b.

  In the above description, while the vehicle body is tilted to the right side, the first rotary valve 94a blocks communication between the first oil passage 93a and the first series oil passage 95, and the first oil passage 93a and the second oil passage 93a. The communication oil passage 96 is in communication with the second rotary valve 94 b and the communication between the second oil passage 93 b and the second communication oil passage 96 is blocked. Therefore, all of the hydraulic oil that has reached the second communication oil passage 96 from the first oil passage 93 a through the first rotary valve 94 a is raised and flows to the upstream oil passage 98.

  In the same manner as described above, all the hydraulic oil that has flowed into the raised upstream oil passage 98 flows up through the damping circuit 105 and falls down to the upstream oil passage 97, and a damping force is generated at that time. The hydraulic oil that has fallen to the upstream oil passage 97 returns to the clockwise oil chamber 91b from the first series oil passage 95 through the second rotary valve 94b and the second oil passage 93b.

<Setting of damping force>
When the swing lock switch SWy is turned on, the swing damper 38 stops energizing the control valve 100 and the damping valves 102a and 106a, so that the energized power is in a minimum state.
The swing damper 38 energizes only the control valve 100 when the swing lock switch SWy is turned off, and closes the control valve 100 when the saddle-ride type vehicle 1 is in the stop region (0-5 km / h). Thus, the flow of hydraulic oil in each damping circuit is eliminated, and the flow resistance of the hydraulic oil and thus the damping force is maximized to suppress the swing of the vehicle body. In this embodiment, it is determined that the vehicle is stopped up to 5 km / h including the detection error of the vehicle speed sensor.

Further, when the saddle-ride type vehicle 1 is in the low vehicle speed range (5-30 km / h), the swing damper 38 first opens the control valve 100 in a non-energized state when it exceeds 5 km / h and opens each damping circuit. The flow of hydraulic oil is generated, and the magnitude of the damping force when the vehicle body falls particularly falls to the operation of the damping valve 102a.
Further, when the saddle-ride type vehicle 1 is in the medium vehicle speed range (30-70 km / h), the swing damper 38 swings the vehicle body with a minimum damping force with respect to the control in the low vehicle speed range. Make it lightest.
Furthermore, when the saddle-ride type vehicle 1 is in the high vehicle speed range (over 70 km / h), the swing damper 38 reduces the flow resistance of the hydraulic oil as the vehicle speed increases compared to the control in the medium vehicle speed range. Increase the damping force, especially when the body is falling, gradually increasing the damping force to suppress the impact of the disturbance on the body.

The fall damping valve 102a increases or decreases the flow resistance of the hydraulic oil, and hence the damping force, approximately in proportion to the energization amount. That is, the fall damping valve 102a increases the damping force as the energization amount increases, and decreases the damping force as the energization amount decreases.
FIG. 13 is a graph showing the relationship between the current value applied to the control valve 100 and the fall attenuation valve 102a and the vehicle speed. The upper stage shows the energization amount for the fall attenuation valve 102a, and the lower stage shows the energization amount for the control valve 100. . In addition, this graph is an example which shows the tendency of damping force, and there exists a part which is different from the tendency of damping force of the above-mentioned rocking damper 38.

When the rocking lock switch SWy is off and the vehicle speed is 0-5 km / h, the control valve 100 is energized with a relatively small amount of electric power I1 and the collapsed damping valve 102a is de-energized to maximize the damping force and cause the vehicle to wobble Contributes to control (independence). Then, at the timing when the vehicle speed exceeds 5 km / h, the control valve 100 is de-energized and switched to energization to the fallen damping valve 102a to maximize the damping force. Immediately thereafter, the current to the fallen damping valve 102a is switched to The value is sharply decreased to avoid the sense of restraint of the roll (left-right swing). In addition, after the vehicle speed exceeds 5 km / h, energization to the control valve 100 remains cut off.
Thereafter, the falling damping valve 102a gradually reduces the current value until the vehicle speed reaches 20 km / h, and the current value is kept at a constant low value (low damping force) between 20 km / h and 40 km / h. By maintaining, a damping force for reducing wobbling is added to the extent that rollability is not accompanied while improving maneuverability.

  Further, the fall attenuation valve 102a reduces the current value in accordance with the increase in the vehicle speed when the vehicle speed is between 40 km / h and 50 km / h. Further, between 50 km / h and 60 km / h, the current value is set to the minimum (0), thereby minimizing the damping force in the vehicle speed range where the maneuverability is important. Thereafter, when the vehicle speed is between 60 km / h and 70 km / h, the current value is increased in accordance with the increase in the vehicle speed. Further, the current value is kept higher than the current value between 20 km / h and 40 km / h between 70 km / h and 80 km / h. Further, when the vehicle speed is between 80 km / h and 100 km / h, the current value is gradually increased according to the increase in the vehicle speed.

In the range exceeding 100 km / h, the current value is maintained at a value higher than the current value between 70 km / h and 80 km / h, and a damping force is added while giving a predetermined maneuverability. Contributes to the calmness of the roll. The current value (and hence the damping force) at this time may be a value smaller than an intermediate value between the maximum value and the minimum value.
The above-described damping force is controlled by controlling the operation of the control valve 100 and the damping valves 102a and 106a by a damper ECU (electric control unit, hereinafter the same) attached to the housing 38a of the swing damper 38.

FIG. 14 is a waveform diagram showing changes in the magnitude of the damping force generated by the swing damper 38 with respect to the left and right swing angle of the vehicle body.
When the vehicle body swings so that the vehicle body tilts in the left or right direction from an upright state with a swing angle of 0 degrees, the swing damper 38 has a steeply maximum damping force that resists the tilting immediately after the start of swinging. Start up and maintain this damping force until the body collapses.
Thereafter, when the vehicle body rises, the damping force that resists the collapse is canceled immediately after the start of the rocking motion, and the almost minimum damping force that resists the rising motion is generated. Maintain until near zero.

In the saddle-ride type vehicle 1, for example, the swing damper 38 is provided with a swing angle sensor that electrically detects the left-right swing angle of the vehicle body. Based on the detected value of the swing angle sensor, control is performed to change the damping force of the swing damper 38 in accordance with the left and right swing angle of the vehicle body.
Here, the detected value of the swing angle sensor is also used for automatic shift control of a transmission attached to the engine of the saddle-ride type vehicle 1. Specifically, referring to FIG. 15, in a vehicle speed range that is equal to or higher than the middle vehicle speed range, the ECU that controls the operation of the transmission, for example, has a vehicle body swing angle of a predetermined angle (based on the detected value of the swing angle sensor). For example, it is determined whether or not it is 30 degrees or more. If this determination is YES, automatic shift control is prohibited. In the low vehicle speed region, it is preferable to perform the control from the middle vehicle speed region without performing the automatic shift prohibiting control.

  Further, the saddle riding type vehicle 1 increases the damping force when the vehicle body is tilted down to, for example, a maximum value regardless of the vehicle speed and the swing angle when the brake is depressurized by ABS. Specifically, referring to FIG. 16, the damper ECU determines whether or not the brake pressure reducing operation by the ABS is being performed based on the ABS operation signal obtained from the brake ECU, and when this determination is YES. Maximizes the amount of energization of the fall damping valve 102a to maximize the damping force against the fall.

As described above, the above embodiment includes a pair of left and right front wheels 2, and a front two-wheel suspension device 4 that swings left and right according to the left and right swing of the vehicle body in a state where the left and right front wheels 2 are grounded, A swing damper 38 that applies a damping force to the left and right swing of the vehicle body, a control device that includes a hydraulic circuit 90 that controls the magnitude of the damping force generated by the swing damper 38, and a wheel speed that detects the vehicle speed. A swing control system for a swing vehicle including a sensor 2S, wherein the control device is configured to detect the vehicle speed detected by the wheel speed sensor 2S when the vehicle speed detection value is in a stop region (0-5 km / h). When the damping force is the maximum value and the vehicle speed detection value is in the low vehicle speed range (5-30 km / h), the damping force value is decreased as the vehicle speed detection value increases, and the vehicle speed detection value becomes medium. In the vehicle speed range (30-70 km / h) In this case, the damping force is set to the minimum value, and when the vehicle speed detection value is in the high vehicle speed range (over 70 km / h), the damping force is set to a value between the maximum value and the minimum value. It is.
According to this configuration, since the wobbling is likely to occur in the stop area, the swing damping force is maximized so that the wobbling is difficult. In the low vehicle speed area, the wobbling is likely to occur. As the vehicle speed increases, the swing damping force is lowered to make it easier to swing gradually. In addition, since it is difficult for wobbling to occur in the middle vehicle speed range, the damping force is minimized to facilitate swinging in order to improve lightness, and in the high vehicle speed region, the damping force is increased again to suppress the influence of disturbance. And make it difficult to rock.
In this way, by applying an appropriate damping force according to the vehicle speed of the swinging vehicle, it is possible to realize a light and resistant to disturbance while suppressing fluctuations.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the damping force of the said high vehicle speed area | region is set to the minimum value side rather than the intermediate value between the said maximum value and minimum value, A self-steer function improves, so that vehicle speed becomes high at high speed. Therefore, in the high vehicle speed region, it is possible to suppress the damping force for making it difficult to swing the vehicle body, and to suppress the consumption of energy such as electric power for generating the damping force.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, compared with the case where the said damping device maintains the said damping force high, electric power consumption at the time of the cruise driving | running | working in a high vehicle speed area | region is reduced by using less electric power, so that the said damping force is reduced. Can be suppressed.

In the above embodiment, the hydraulic circuit 90 of the control device has the control valve 100 capable of blocking the flow of the hydraulic oil in the first oil passage 93a through which the hydraulic oil flows when the vehicle body swings. Reference numeral 100 denotes a valve that operates with less electric power than that used to control the swing damper (38). In the stop area, the flow of hydraulic oil in the first oil passage 93a is cut off, thereby When the vehicle is parked or stopped, the control valve 100 with relatively low power consumption can block the flow of the hydraulic oil in the first oil passage 93a, thereby suppressing the falling of the vehicle body.
Further, by stopping energization of the control valve 100 during parking operation, if power is shut down during parking, power consumption can be suppressed while rocking is locked.

<Second Embodiment of Hydraulic Circuit of Swing Damper>
Next, a second embodiment of the hydraulic circuit will be described with reference to FIG.
The hydraulic circuit 90 ′ of the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that it has a raising oil passage 106 ′ including only a check valve 106b instead of the raising damping circuit 105. The same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In the second embodiment, when the control valve 100 is energized and the first oil passage 93a is open and the vehicle body of the swinging vehicle falls to the left or right, the hydraulic oil is the same as in the first embodiment. Falls through the fallen attenuation oil passage 102 of the fallen attenuation circuit 101. At this time, the flow resistance of the hydraulic oil is changed by the operation of the fallen damping valve 102a, so that the damping force generated by the swing damper 38 is variable.

  Further, when the vehicle body of the swinging vehicle gets up from a state where it has fallen to the left or right, hydraulic oil is raised and flows through a raising oil passage 106 ′ instead of the damping circuit 105. At this time, the swing damper 38 does not actively generate a damping force.

  In the second embodiment, in addition to the same effects as the first embodiment, the hydraulic circuit 90 ′ generates a damping force only in the oil passage (falling damping oil passage 102) through which hydraulic oil flows when the vehicle body falls. By having the fall damping valve 102a for this purpose, it is possible to eliminate damping means such as a valve from the oil passage through which the working oil flows when the vehicle body is raised, and to attenuate the swinging of the vehicle body when the vehicle body falls with a small configuration.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, in the first and second embodiments of the hydraulic circuit, the control valve 100 may be provided in the second oil passage 93b.
In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the present invention is applied to a swinging tricycle having a pair of left and right front wheels at the front of the vehicle body and a single rear wheel at the rear of the vehicle body. The present invention may also be applied to a swinging tricycle having a pair of left and right rear wheels at the rear of the vehicle body, or a swinging four-wheeled vehicle having a pair of left and right front wheels at the front of the vehicle body and a pair of left and right rear wheels at the rear of the vehicle body.
The configuration in the above embodiment is an example of the present invention, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention, such as replacing the component of the embodiment with a known component.

1 Saddle-ride type vehicle (swinging vehicle)
2 Front wheels
2S Wheel speed sensor (vehicle speed sensor)
4 Front two-wheel suspension system (swing mechanism)
38 Swing damper 90, 90 'Hydraulic circuit 100 Control valve

Claims (5)

A pair of left and right wheels (2);
A swing mechanism (4) that swings the left and right wheels (2) to the left and right according to the left and right swings of the vehicle body in a state where the pair of left and right wheels (2) are grounded;
A swing damper (38) for adding damping force to the left and right swing of the vehicle body;
A control device for controlling the magnitude of the damping force generated by the swing damper (38);
A swing control system for a swing vehicle (1), comprising a vehicle speed sensor (2S) for detecting a vehicle speed,
When the vehicle speed detection value detected by the vehicle speed sensor (2S) is in a stop area, the control device sets the damping force as a maximum value,
When the vehicle speed detection value is in the low vehicle speed region, Yuki reduces the value of the damping force as the vehicle speed detection value increases,
When the vehicle speed detection value is in the middle vehicle speed region, the damping force is the minimum value,
When the vehicle speed detection value is in a high vehicle speed range, the value of the damping force is increased as the vehicle speed detection value increases, and the damping force is set to a value between the maximum value and the minimum value. A swing control system for a swing vehicle characterized by the above.   The swing control system for a swing vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the damping force in the high vehicle speed region is set to a minimum value side with respect to an intermediate value between the maximum value and the minimum value.   3. The swing control system for a swing vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control device uses less power as the damping force is reduced than when the damping force is maintained high. . The control device includes a hydraulic circuit (90, 90 ′) for controlling the generation of the damping force,
The hydraulic circuit (90, 90 ′) has a control valve (100) capable of blocking the flow of hydraulic oil in an oil passage through which hydraulic oil flows when the vehicle body swings.
The control valve (100) is a valve that operates with less power than the power used to control the swing damper (38), and blocks the flow of hydraulic oil in the oil passage in the stop area. A swing control system for a swing vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   5. The swing control system for a swing vehicle according to claim 4, wherein energization of the control valve is stopped when the parking operation is performed.

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