JP6723036B2 - vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle including a front vehicle body that supports a plurality of front wheels, and a rear vehicle body that is coupled to the front vehicle body so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the front-rear direction and that supports at least one rear wheel. ..

Conventionally, as a vehicle as described above, for example, a vehicle described in Patent Document 1 below is known.

JP, 2001-0110577, A

The vehicle body includes a front vehicle body that rotatably supports two front wheels spaced apart from each other in the width direction, a rear vehicle body connected to the front vehicle body so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis extending in the front-rear direction, and the rear vehicle body. One rear wheel that is rotatably supported at the rear end portion and tilts together with the rear vehicle body in a state of being in contact with the ground when the rear vehicle body rotates about the rotation axis, and is rotatable to the rear vehicle body. A steering shaft that is supported and has a handle attached to the upper end, steering means that transmits the rotation of the steering shaft to the front wheels to steer the front wheels, and the rear body and the rear wheels are interlocked with the rotation of the steering shaft. By interlocking means for tilting together and the front vehicle body and the rear vehicle body while being bridged between the front vehicle body and the rear vehicle body, an elastic restoring force based on the tilting of the rear vehicle body is auxiliary provided to the rear vehicle body. , Two return springs for swinging and returning the rear vehicle body so as to stand upright with respect to the ground.

However, in such a conventional vehicle, a relatively large centrifugal force acts on the driver and the vehicle when shifting from a state where the vehicle is turning at a high speed or a medium speed to a straight traveling, so there is not much problem. It is possible to shift from turning to straight running, but when shifting from a state where the vehicle is turning at a low speed to straight running, the centrifugal force acting on the driver and the vehicle is small, and the return spring described above is used. Since the elastic restoring force of is not sufficient, there was a problem that smooth transition to straight running was difficult. It is also conceivable for the driver to largely move the position of the own weight during turning to return to the straight-ahead running by moving the position of its own weight far outside the turning axis of the rear body, but doing so causes the rear body to rock rapidly. As a result, the rear vehicle body wobbles and stability deteriorates. Further, when the two return springs are arranged in a V-shape as described above, it is necessary to avoid interference between these return springs and the front wheels and peripheral members. As a result, when applied to a bicycle, etc. There was also a problem that the width of the above became too wide to be practical.

An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle that can smoothly shift from a low-speed turning traveling to a straight-ahead traveling and can easily narrow the width thereof.

Such an object is to provide a narrow front vehicle body that rotatably supports a plurality of front wheels spaced apart in the width direction, and a rear vehicle body that is connected to the front vehicle body so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis Z extending in the front-rear direction. And at least one rear wheel that is rotatably supported at the rear end of the rear vehicle body and tilts together with the rear vehicle body while being in contact with the ground S when the rear vehicle body rotates about the rotation axis Z. A rotatable steering shaft having a handle attached to an upper end thereof, steering means for transmitting the rotation of the steering shaft to the front wheels to steer the front wheels, and the rear body and the rear wheels interlocked with the rotation of the steering shaft. And the interlocking means for tilting together, and is rotatably connected to the front vehicle body on both sides in the width direction of the rotation axis Z so as to be swingable in a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis Z and above the swing center. At least a pair of long links intersecting with each other, a connecting member in which both ends in the width direction are rotatably connected to the upper ends of the long links, a lower end is fixed to the center of the connecting member, and a seat is provided at the upper end. The outer end in the width direction is rotatably connected to the attached mounting body and the long link below the intersecting position where the pair of long links intersect each other , and the inner ends in the width direction are rotatably connected to each other. A vehicle having at least a pair of short links and supporting a connecting portion between the short links on a rear vehicle body so as to be movable along a plane L including a widthwise center of a rear wheel and a rotation axis Z. You can

In order to shift the vehicle from low-speed turning to straight-ahead running, the center of gravity of the driver sitting on the seat is moved to the outside of the turn, and the connecting member generates a rotational moment in the direction in which the outside end of the turn descends. Let As a result, a swinging force is applied from the connecting member to the pair of long links, and the long links swing about the connecting point with respect to the front vehicle body so that the upper end portion of the long link is directed toward the outer side of the turning, but such swinging is short. This is transmitted to the link, and the connecting portion of the short links moves along the plane L while moving toward the inside of the turning. At this time, since the connecting portion is supported by the rear vehicle body, the rear vehicle body tilts so as to return to the upright state. Even when shifting from low-speed turning with low centrifugal force to straight running, the rear body can be easily returned to the upright state simply by moving the center of gravity of the driver, and is arranged in a V shape. Since the two return springs described above are unnecessary, it can be applied to a vehicle with a narrow width such as a bicycle without any problem.

Further, according to the second aspect, the swinging force applied from the connecting member can be increased and transmitted to the short links, and the rear vehicle body can be easily returned to the upright state. Further, according to the third aspect, it is possible to easily avoid the interference with the rear vehicle body when the long link swings. Further, according to the fourth aspect, it is possible to easily avoid the interference between the short link and the ground and provide a large restoring force from the long link to the short link. Further, according to the fifth aspect, since the steering shaft does not tilt even during turning, the driver only needs to exert force on the arm while gripping the steering wheel to adjust the center of gravity of the vehicle to that of the vehicle. It can be easily and appropriately moved in the width direction.

It is a top view in the upright state which shows Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is the partially broken side view. It is a rear view near the long and short links. It is a rear view of the long and short links vicinity at the time of rocking. It is explanatory drawing explaining the rotation moment and the state of force at the time of return.

Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 and 2, reference numeral 11 denotes a vehicle, here a three-wheeled bicycle having two front wheels and one rear wheel. The vehicle 11 has a front body 12 made of a rigid body at the front thereof. Here, in the description of this embodiment, the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions mean the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions as viewed by the driver facing the front of the vehicle body. Reference numeral 13 denotes a front end portion of the front body 12, and a pair of knuckle bodies rotatably supported at left and right end portions of the front body 12 through kingpins 14 extending in a substantially vertical direction. A plurality of rotatable front wheels 15 (two in this case) are supported apart from each other in the width direction of the vehicle 11. The front wheels 15 are grounded at one location on the circumference. As a result, the pair of front wheels 15 are supported while maintaining an upright state with respect to the ground S (the rotating shaft does not tilt relative to the horizontal even when the vehicle 11 is turning and is supported by the front vehicle body 12). It is possible to swing to the left and right while maintaining the upright state centering around. The distance between the pair of front wheels 15 is not as wide as the distance between the pair of rear wheels in a three-wheel buggy, but is relatively narrow, and as a result, a large lateral force such as a centrifugal force is applied to the vehicle 11. If it works, stable driving becomes difficult as compared with a three-wheel buggy.

In the present invention, the above-mentioned three front wheels may be provided, and the front wheels may be tilted in the same direction in synchronization with the rear wheels described later. Reference numeral 18 denotes a pair of horizontal swing links of equal length. The front end portions of these swing links 18 are rotatably connected to the front vehicle body 12 so as to be spaced apart from each other in the width direction. Both ends of a synchronization link 19 extending in the width direction are rotatably connected to the central portion. Reference numeral 20 denotes a pair of equal length tie rods whose inner ends are connected to the rear ends of the swing links 18 by ball joints, and the outer ends of these tie rods 20 are respectively connected to the knuckle body 13 by ball joints. Has been done. As a result, when the swing links 18 swing in the same direction in the horizontal plane, the swing of these swing links 18 is transmitted to the knuckle body 13 via the tie rod 20, and the knuckle body 13 is centered around the kingpin 14. The pair of front wheels 15 swing in the same direction at the same angle in synchronization with each other.

The front vehicle body 12 has a horizontal extending portion 12a extending in the front-rear direction on the rear side, and a pillar body 23 extending parallel to the extending portion 12a is installed above the extending portion 12a. A connecting pin 25 provided in the extending portion 12a and extending in the front-rear direction is inserted into the front end portion of the strut body 23, while the connecting pin provided in the extending portion 12a is provided in the rear end portion of the strut body 23. A connecting pin 26, which is coaxial with 25, is inserted. As a result, the pillar body 23 is connected to the front vehicle body 12 so as to be rotatable about the central axes of the connecting pins 25 and 26. A pair of support bodies 27 extending in the front-rear direction are fixed to the rear ends of the support columns 23, and the support bodies 27 are arranged parallel to each other and separated from each other in the width direction. The pillar body 23 and the support body 27 described above as a whole constitute a rear vehicle body 28 connected to the front vehicle body 12 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis Z extending in the front-rear direction, that is, about the central axes of the connecting pins 25 and 26. To do. 31 is at least one rear wheel rotatably supported by the rear end portion of the rear vehicle body 28, specifically, the rear end portion of the support member 27, here one rear wheel, and the rear wheel 31 is between the support members 27. In addition to the front wheel 15, one location on the circumference is in contact with the ground S as with the front wheel 15.

In the present invention, two rear wheels may be provided like the front wheel 15 described above, and in this case, it is preferable that the distance between the rear wheels is the same as the distance between the front wheels 15. As described above, since the pillar body 23 is rotatably supported by the front vehicle body 12 which is upright, the rear vehicle body 28 rotates about the rotation axis Z described above. When the vehicle rotates about the rotation axis Z, the rear wheel 31 tilts together with the rear vehicle body 28 while being in contact with the ground S. A crankshaft, to which the base ends of a pair of cranks 34 are connected, is rotatably supported at the central portion in the longitudinal direction (front-back direction) of the column body 23, and a pedal 35 is rotatably supported at the tip of these cranks 34. ing. A front gear 36 (crank sprocket) is fixed to the crankshaft, and a rear gear 37 (rear sprocket) is fixed to the rear wheel 31, and a chain 38 is hung between the front gear 36 and the rear gear 37. It has been passed.

Here, the midway of the chain 38 is successively stretched over a plurality of guide gears 40 which are rotatably supported by a bracket 39 fixed to the rear end of the column body 23, so that the extending portion 12a, It is guided so as to run below the column body 23, thereby avoiding a situation in which the chain 38 interferes with other members such as the front vehicle body 12 (extension portion 12a) even when the rear vehicle body 28 tilts. ing. When the driver depresses the pedal 35 to rotate the crankshaft, the rotation of the crankshaft is transmitted to the rear gear 37 via the front gear 36 and the chain 38, and the rear wheel 31 is rotated to move the vehicle 11 forward. Let The crankshaft, the crank 34, the pedals 35, the front gear 36, the rear gear 37, and the chain 38 described above as a whole constitute a propulsion means 41 for imparting propulsive force to the vehicle 11 which is a three-wheeled bicycle to drive the vehicle 11. In the present invention, the propulsion means may be composed of a power source such as an engine or an electric motor, and a power unit including a mission device. In this case, the vehicle is a motorcycle or a scooter.

Reference numeral 43 denotes a steering shaft whose lower portion is rotatably supported by the front vehicle body 12. The steering shaft 43 is inclined rearward as it goes from the lower end to the upper end, and the steering handle is provided at the upper end. 44 is installed. The steering shaft 43 and the steering wheel 44 are located at the neutral position when the vehicle 11 travels straight ahead. A transmission member 45 extending rearward is fixed to the lower end of the steering shaft 43 (see FIG. 2 ), and a ball joint is attached to the rear end of the swing link 18 whose outer end is on the right side. The inner end portion of the transmission rod 46 connected via the above is connected via a ball joint. As a result, when the steering shaft 43 rotates and the transmission rod 46 is pulled or pushed to move in the longitudinal direction, the swing link 18 swings in the left-right direction and the front wheel 15 swings. The swing link 18, the synchronization link 19, the tie rod 20, the transmission member 45, and the transmission rod 46 described above collectively constitute steering means 47 that transmits the rotation of the steering shaft 43 to the front wheels 15 and steers the front wheels 15. .. In the present invention, as the steering means, a well-known worm roller type or rack and pinion type steering means may be used.

A longitudinal center portion of a transmission plate 50 extending in the left-right direction is fixed to the steering shaft 43 above the front vehicle body 12, and a pair of end portions of the transmission plate 50 extending in the front-rear direction via ball joints. The front ends of the transmission rods 51 are connected to each other. Reference numeral 52 denotes a pair of triangular plates installed apart from each other in the width direction of the vehicle 11. The first apex portion of these triangular plates 52 rotates on the upper end of the front vehicle body 12 via a pin 53 extending in the left-right direction. The rear end of the transmission rod 51 is connected to the second apex via ball joints. Reference numeral 54 denotes a pair of connecting blocks protruding in the left-right direction from the front end portion of the column body 23, and the upper end portions of a pair of connecting rods 55 whose lower end portions are respectively connected to the front end portions of these connecting block 54 via ball joints. , And the third vertex of the triangular plate 52 via ball joints.

As a result, when the steering shaft 43 rotates clockwise or counterclockwise from the neutral position, the rotation of the steering shaft 43 is transmitted to the triangular plate 52 via the transmission plate 50 and the transmission rod 51, and either one of the triangles is rotated. The plate 52 swings upward about the pin 53 and the other triangular plate 52 swings downward about the pin 53 in the opposite directions by the same angle. At this time, since the swing of the triangular plate 52 described above is transmitted to the connecting block 54 via the connecting rod 55, the rear vehicle body 28 rotates about the rotation axis Z by a predetermined angle. The wheels 31 both tilt inwardly (on the side where the turning center exists) in conjunction with the rotation of the steering shaft 43, and the vehicle 11 shifts from straight running to turning running. The transmission plate 50, the transmission rod 51, the triangular plate 52, the connecting block 54, and the connecting rod 55 as a whole constitute an interlocking means 58 for inclining the rear vehicle body 28 and the rear wheel 31 together with the rotation of the steering shaft 43. To do.

Here, the ratio of the rotation angle of the steering shaft 43 and the tilt angle of the rear vehicle body 28 described above is determined by what kind of driver is driving, what kind of road is traveling, and Decide in consideration of whether to drive at such a speed. In the present invention, the interlocking means may be constituted by a bevel gear, a belt, etc. installed between the steering shaft and the vehicle body. Here, the steering shaft 43 is rotatably supported by the front vehicle body 12 as described above.However, with this configuration, the steering shaft 43 stays upright together with the front vehicle body 12 even when the rear vehicle body 28 is tilted. Since the driver does not maintain and tilt, the driver's own weight (center of gravity) can be easily and accurately moved in the width direction of the vehicle 11 simply by exerting force on the arm while holding the steering wheel 44, This facilitates the return of the rear vehicle body 28 to the upright state. In the present invention, the steering shaft may be rotatably supported by a tiltable rear vehicle body. In this case, the amount of twist of the driver's body at the time of turning is reduced, so that the operation feeling is good. Become.

In FIGS. 1 to 4, reference numerals 61 and 62 denote at least a pair, here, a pair of equal-length long links extending substantially vertically in the longitudinal (front-rear direction) central portion of the rear vehicle body 28. 62 is provided at the rear end of the front vehicle body 12 (extension part 12a), and support pins 63 and 64 respectively arranged on both outer sides of the rotation axis Z in the width direction are inserted into the lower ends thereof, The front vehicle body 12 is rotatably connected to both sides of the rotation axis Z in the width direction. Since the support pins 63 and 64 extend parallel to the rotation axis Z, the long links 61 and 62 can swing about the support pins 63 and 64 in a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis Z. Become. Further, the long links 61, 62 intersect in an X shape above the swing center (center axes of the support pins 63, 64), but the recesses 65, 66 are formed near the intersecting position K. By sliding the bottom walls of the recesses 65 and 66 into contact with each other, the long links 61 and 62 can be swung on the same vertical plane with respect to the rotation axis Z. When the rear vehicle body 28 is in the upright state, the long links 61, 62 are inclined in the opposite direction at the same angle with respect to the vertical line. In the present invention, two or more pairs of long links may be provided separately in the front-rear direction.

69 is a substantially horizontal connecting member whose both ends in the width direction are rotatably connected to the upper ends of the long links 61 and 62 via connecting pins 70 and 71 extending parallel to the rotation axis Z, respectively. 69 connects the upper ends of the long links 61, 62 to each other. Since the connecting pins 70 and 71 described above extend parallel to the rotation axis Z, the connecting member 69 swings in a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis Z when the long links 61 and 62 swing. can do. 72 and 73 are reinforcing members whose lower ends are fixed to central portions in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) of the long links 61 and 62, and whose upper ends are rotatably connected to both ends of the connecting member 69 in the width direction. The members 72 and 73 prevent the connecting member 69 from being deformed. A lower end portion of a mounting body 74 is fixed to a central portion of the connecting member 69, and a seat 75 on which a driver is seated is provided at an upper end portion of the mounting body 74. When the rear vehicle body 28 is in the upright state, the center of gravity (self-weight) of the driver is normally located right above the center of the seat 75 in the width direction.

78 and 79 are parallel to the rotation axis Z at the lower ends of the long links 61 and 62 below the crossing position K of the long links 61 and 62, here the long links 61 and 62 located below the support pins 63 and 64. Are at least a pair of short links (the same number of pairs as the long links 61 and 62, here, a pair) whose outer ends in the width direction are rotatably connected via connecting pins 80 and 81 extending to the short links 78. , 79 are provided at the inner ends in the width direction with connecting pins 82 that extend parallel to the rotation axis Z and rotatably connect the short links 78, 79 to each other. Reference numeral 83 denotes a long hole formed at the rear end of the column body 23 and extending along a plane L connecting the center of the rear wheel 31 in the width direction and the rotation axis Z, and the connection pin 82 slides in the long hole 83. It is movably inserted. As a result, when the short links 78, 79 swing around the connecting pins 80, 81, the connecting portion between the short links 78, 79 supported by the rear vehicle body 28, here the connecting pin 82 is inserted into the long hole 83. You can move along.

In the present invention, the widthwise outer ends of the short links are rotatably connected to the long links 61, 62 between the crossing position K between the long links 61, 62 and the support pins 63, 64. Good. Further, in the present invention, instead of the long hole 83, a guide groove extending in the same direction as the long hole 83 is formed in the rear vehicle body 28, or the connecting pin 82 slides in the long hole 83 or the guide groove. Alternatively, a rectangular parallelepiped slide block may be fixed. When the driver rotates the steering shaft 43 in order to shift the vehicle 11 from straight running to turning running, the rotation of the steering shaft 43 is transmitted to the rear vehicle body 28 through the interlocking means 58, and the rear vehicle body 28 is rotated. Tilt 28 inward. On the other hand, when shifting the vehicle 11 from the turning traveling to the straight traveling, the driver rotates the steering shaft 43 in the opposite direction to the above, but the rotation of the steering shaft 43 is applied to the rear body 28 through the interlocking means 58 as a weak restoring force. The rear body 28 is transmitted and tilts toward the upright state.

At this time, the driver sitting on the seat 75 moves the whole body to the outside of the turn or inclines the trunk toward the outside of the turn to adjust the action position of the driver's own weight (center of gravity) to the seat 75. The seat 75 is moved from the center in the width direction toward the outside of the turn. As a result, a large restoring force toward the upright state is applied to the rear vehicle body 28. The rear body 28 smoothly returns to the upright state by the combination of the returning forces described above. As a result, the rear vehicle body 28 can be easily returned to the upright state only by moving the driver's own weight (center of gravity) even when shifting from low speed turning traveling with small centrifugal force to straight traveling, and Since two return springs arranged in a square shape are unnecessary, the present invention can be applied to a narrow vehicle such as a bicycle without any problem. Further, as described above, the means for returning the rear vehicle body 28 to the upright state is arranged immediately below the seat 75, so that the entire vehicle 11 can be compactly integrated, and the seat 75 and the steering shaft 43 can be integrated. A wide space can be secured between the and, and operability is improved.

Here, the mechanism of generation of the restoring force due to the movement of the driver's own weight (center of gravity) W will be described with reference to FIG. When the rear body 28 is tilted to the left as viewed from the rear by the vehicle 11 turning left, the driver moves the own weight W to the outside of the turn (right side), so that the own weight is applied to the right end in the width direction of the seat 75. When W acts, the rotation moment M (couple) in the clockwise direction to the connecting position of the mounting body 74 and the connecting member 69, that is, the direction in which the turning outer end of the connecting member 69 descends due to its own weight W is applied. appear. The rotational force based on the rotational moment M is received by the long links 61 and 62, and the upper end portions (the coupling pins 70 and 71) of the long links 61 and 62 have a force F in a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the coupling member 69. Works. When the force F acts on the upper ends (connecting pins 70, 71) of the long links 61, 62 in this way, a swinging force is applied to the pair of long links 61, 62, whereby the long links 61, 62 are The upper end swings around the connection point (support pins 63, 64) with respect to the front vehicle body 12 (extension part 12a) toward the outside of the turn. At this time, the crossing angle between the long links 61, 62 increases, while the swing is transmitted from the long links 61, 62 to the short links 78, 79 via the connecting pins 80, 81.

As a result, the force G in the direction orthogonal to the long links 61, 62 acts on the short links 78, 79. At this time, the force G acting on the short links 78 pulls the short links 78 outward in the width direction. The force G acting on the short link 79 pushes the short link 79 inward in the width direction. As a result, the connecting portion (connecting pin 82) between the short links 78 and 79 moves toward the inner side of the turning and moves downward along the plane L. At this time, since the connecting portion (connecting pin 82) is connected to the rear vehicle body 28, the rear vehicle body 28 and the rear wheel 31 tilt together so as to return to the upright state. At this time, by adjusting the amount of movement of the driver's own weight (center of gravity) W while observing the rotation of the steering shaft 43 and the degree of tilting of the rear body 28, the rear body 28 and the rear wheels 31 can be smoothly adjusted. Can be restored.

Here, the distance B from the swing center of the long links 61, 62 (support pins 63, 64) to the connecting point (connecting pins 70, 71) between the long links 61, 62 and the connecting member 69 is the long link. It is set to be larger than the distance C from the swing center of 61, 62 to the connecting point (connecting pins 80, 81) between the long links 61, 62 and the short links 78, 79. The reason is that, as described above, the force applied from the connecting member 69 to the long link 61 or the long link 62 can be increased and transmitted to the short link 78 or the short link 79, which causes tilting. This is because the rear body 28 can be easily returned to the upright state. Further, in this embodiment, the swing centers (support pins 63, 64) of the long links 61, 62 are located at the same height as the rotation axis Z (the same height from the ground S). The position may be lower than the height position of the rotation axis Z. Here, when the swing center of the long links 61, 62 is above the height position of the rotation axis Z, when the long links 61, 62 swing and the rear body 28 tilts, the long links 61, 62 are tilted. , 62 may come into contact with the rear vehicle body 28, for example, the column body 23. However, as described above, the swing center of the long links 61, 62 should be located at the same height as the rotation axis Z or below it. For example, it is possible to easily avoid interference with the rear vehicle body 28 when the long links 61 and 62 swing.

Further, in this embodiment, the connecting portion (connecting pin 82) between the short links 78 and 79 is connected to the connecting point (connecting pin 80) between the long link 61 and the short link 78 and between the long link 62 and the short link 79. The whole of the short links 78, 79 is bent upward in a mountain shape by arranging it above the straight line D connecting the two connecting points of the connecting points (connecting pin 81) (see FIG. 3). In the above, the connecting point between the short links 78 and 79 is located below the straight line D connecting the two connecting points (connecting pins 80 and 81), and the entire short links 78 and 79 are formed in a valley shape downward. You may make it bend. With the configuration of the former, it is possible to easily avoid the interference between the short links 78 and 79 and the ground S as compared with the latter, and moreover, the long link 61 when the rear body 28 is tilted. Since it is possible to give a large restoring force from the long link 61 to the short link 78 by increasing the intersection angle between the short link 78 and the short link 78, it is preferable to configure the former. When the long links 61, 62 swing so much that the connecting pins 70, 71 are both positioned on one side of the vertical plane including the center axes of the support pins 63, 64, the long links 61, 62 are moved by the weight W. Since a large swinging force may be applied to the rear vehicle body 28 to accelerate the tilting of the rear vehicle body 28, the front vehicle body 12 (extension portion 12a) is provided with a stopper for restricting the excessive swinging of the long links 61 and 62, and is connected. It is preferable to restrict the pins 70 and 71 so as to be located on both sides of a vertical plane including the central axes of the support pins 63 and 64, respectively.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described.
It is assumed that the vehicle 11 is now traveling straight ahead. At this time, the rear vehicle body 28 is kept upright with respect to the ground S, the steering wheel 44 and the steering shaft 43 are in the neutral position, and the front wheels 15 and the rear wheels 31 face forward. When the vehicle 11 turns in this state, for example, turns to the left, the driver rotates the steering wheel 44 and the steering shaft 43 counterclockwise when viewed from above. It is transmitted to the swing link 18 via the transmission member 45 and the synchronization link 19, and swings these swing links 18 counterclockwise. This swing is transmitted to the knuckle body 13 via the tie rod 20, but at this time, the knuckle body 13 turns left about the kingpin 14 and the front wheels 15 are steered.

At this time, the rotation of the steering shaft 43 is transmitted to the pair of triangular plates 52 through the transmission plate 50 and the transmission rod 51, and among the triangular plates 52, the triangular plate 52 on the inner side (left side) of the turning moves downward about the pin 53. On the other hand, the triangular plate 52 on the outer side (right side) of the swing swings upward around the pin 53. Such swing of the triangular plate 52 is transmitted to the connecting block 54 and the rear vehicle body 28 through the connecting rod 55 to rotate the rear vehicle body 28 counterclockwise about the rotation axis Z by a predetermined angle. Both the vehicle body 28 and the rear wheel 31 tilt inward (turning center side) while interlocking with the rotation of the steering shaft 43, and the vehicle 11 shifts from straight running to turning running. At this time, the tilting of the rear vehicle body 28 is transmitted to the short links 78, 79 via the connecting portion (connecting pin 82) between the short links 78, 79, and these short links 78, 79 are moved to the outside of the turning. As a result, the long links 61, 62 swing counterclockwise about the support pins 63, 64. At this time, while the crossing angle of the long links 61, 62 is reduced, the seat 75 is laterally slid to the inside of the turn and is rotated counterclockwise.

Next, when returning the vehicle 11 from the above-described turning traveling toward the left side to the straight traveling, the driver rotates the gripped handlebar 44 clockwise to return the steering shaft 43 to the neutral position. The rotation of the steering shaft 43 is transmitted to the knuckle body 13 via the steering means 47 as described above, and the front wheels 15 are steered to face forward. At this time, the rotation of the steering shaft 43 described above is transmitted to the rear vehicle body 28 as a restoring force through the interlocking means 58. In addition, at this time, the driver turns the whole body to the outside of the turn or inclines the trunk toward the outside of the turn so that the action position of the own weight W on the seat 75 turns from the center of the seat 75 in the width direction. Move it to the outside. As a result, a clockwise rotational moment M is applied to the connecting member 69 from the seat 75 and the mounting body 74, and a force F is applied from the connecting member 69 to the pair of long links 61, 62 based on such rotational moment M. Granted. These forces F act on the long links 61, 62 as a swinging force, so that the long links 61, 62 swing clockwise about the connection point (support pins 63, 64) with respect to the front vehicle body 12. , The crossing angle between the long links 61, 62 becomes large.

When the long links 61, 62 swing in this way, a force G is applied from the long links 61, 62 to the short links 78, 79, and the connecting portion (connecting pin 82) between the short links 78, 79 turns inside. It moves toward and also moves downward along the long hole 83 (plane L). At this time, since the connecting portion (connecting pin 82) is supported by the rear vehicle body 28, a restoring force that directs the rear vehicle body 28 from the connecting portion to the upright state is applied. The rear body 28 is returned to the upright state by combining the two return forces. As a result, even when the centrifugal force acting on the driver is small, such as when the vehicle 11 moves from low-speed turning to straight running, the rear vehicle body can be easily moved only by moving the driver's own weight (center of gravity). 28 can be returned to the upright position.

The present invention can be applied to the industrial field of vehicles in which the rear wheels and the rear vehicle body can tilt.

11... Vehicle 12... Front body
15... front wheel 28... rear body
31...Rear wheel 43...Steering shaft
44... Steering wheel 47... Steering means
58…Interlocking means 61, 62…Long link
69... Connecting member 74... Mounting body
75… Seats 78, 79… Short links

Claims (5)

A narrow front vehicle body that rotatably supports a plurality of front wheels distant from each other in the width direction, a rear vehicle body connected to the front vehicle body so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis Z extending in the front-rear direction, and a rear vehicle body of the rear vehicle body. When the rear vehicle body is rotatably supported on the rear end portion and rotates around the rotation axis Z, at least one rear wheel that tilts together with the rear vehicle body while being in contact with the ground S is provided with a handle at the upper end portion. An attached rotatable steering shaft, steering means for transmitting the rotation of the steering shaft to the front wheels to steer the front wheels, and interlocking means for tilting the rear body and the rear wheels together with the rotation of the steering shaft. And at least one pair of rotatably connected to the front vehicle body on both sides in the width direction of the rotation axis Z, swingable in a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis Z, and intersecting each other above the swing center. A long link, a connecting member in which both ends in the width direction are rotatably connected to the upper end of the long link, a lower end is fixed to the central part of the connecting member, and a mounting body provided with a seat seat at the upper end, At least a pair of short links in which the widthwise outer ends are rotatably connected to the long links below the intersecting position where the pair of long links intersect with each other , and the widthwise inner ends are rotatably connected to each other. A vehicle comprising: a rear vehicle body, wherein the connecting portion between the short links is supported by a rear vehicle body so that the connecting portion can move along a plane L including a widthwise center of a rear wheel and a rotation axis Z. The distance B from the swing center of the long link to the connecting point between the long link and the connecting member is larger than the distance C from the swing center of the long link to the connecting point between the long link and the short link. The vehicle described in 1. The vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the swing center of the long link is located at the same height as or lower than the rotation axis Z. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the connecting portion of the short links is located above a straight line D connecting the connecting points of the long links and the short links. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the steering shaft is rotatably supported by a front vehicle body.

Images