JPH05155372A - Motor tricycle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enhance steering performance and stability at the time of cornering by making the lean characteristic of a car body frame laterally uniform at the time of cornering, and concurrently preventing the reaction of a shock absorber from disturbing the lean of the car body frame. CONSTITUTION:A car body frame 2 is provided with a first joint unit 15 located above the plane center line A of a motor tricycle 1, and with a second joint section 16 located to the side of the first joint unit 15 while being apart from the unit, the first joint unit 15 is connected to the front part of a power unit 11, and a third joint unit 21 located on the plane center line A is provided for the rear part of the power unit 11, so that the third joint unit 21 is connected to the second joint unit 16 with a tension rod 22. The upper end 28a of a shock absorber 28 is connected to the car body frame 2 while being located on the plane center line A, and its lower end 28b is connected to the power unit 11 in such a way that the lower end coincides with a lean axis B passing through the first joint unit 15 and the third joint unit 21.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a three-wheeled motor vehicle with improved steering and stability during cornering.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Most of three-wheeled motor vehicles have a power unit (an engine and a power transmission device integrally formed) in which a pair of left and right rear wheels are pivotally supported on a body frame that steerably supports front wheels. The power unit is connected through joints, and the power unit can be swung around the joints together with the left and right rear wheels, so that shocks from the road surface can be absorbed.

Further, since the body frame is capable of leaning laterally about the joints with the front wheels and seating seats while the rear wheels of the left and right are grounded, the automatic three-wheeled vehicle is automatically operated at cornering. Like the two-wheeled vehicle, the body frame can be leaned to the inside of the curve to smoothly turn.

A power unit for such a motorcycle is basically for a two-wheel scooter. A shock absorber is installed between the rear portion of the power unit and the body frame, and a shock from the rear wheel is provided like the two-wheel scooter. Is absorbed.

[0005]

However, as described above, since the power unit of the motorcycle is basically for the two-wheel scooter, the entire power unit is offset laterally (generally left side) of the motorcycle. There is. Therefore, unless careful consideration is given to the structure of the joint that connects the vehicle body frame and the power unit, left and right imbalances occur in the lean characteristics of the vehicle body frame, and there is a difficulty in maneuverability during cornering, which significantly deteriorates stability.
The riding sensation is also impaired.

Further, when leaning the vehicle body frame during cornering, the leaning of the vehicle body frame may not be performed smoothly due to the reaction force of the shock absorber, which also causes a loss of steering stability during cornering. ..

Further, in order to quickly restore the vehicle body frame to the upright position at the end of cornering, a restoring mechanism is provided in the joint portion. However, the restoring force provided by this restoring mechanism and the reaction force of the shock absorber interfere with each other. Therefore, it is impossible to give proper characteristics to the restoring mechanism and the shock absorber, which makes it difficult to design the vehicle body.

The present invention has been made to solve these problems, and makes the lean characteristics of the vehicle body frame even during cornering, while preventing the reaction force of the shock absorber from interfering with the leanness of the vehicle body frame. It is an object of the present invention to improve steering performance and stability during cornering, and to provide an automatic three-wheeled vehicle whose body design is easy without the restoring force of the restoring mechanism and the reaction force of the shock absorber interfering with each other. ..

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, a three-wheeled motor vehicle according to the present invention has a body frame supporting a front wheel in a steerable manner, and a power unit having a pair of left and right rear wheels pivotally supported at a joint portion. In the automatic three-wheeled vehicle connected via the first vehicle body frame, the vehicle body frame is provided with a first joint portion located on the plane centerline of the motorcycle and a second joint portion located laterally apart from the first joint portion. One joint part is connected to the front part of the power unit, a third joint part located on the plane center line is provided at the rear part of the power unit, and the third joint part and the second joint part are connected by a tension rod. Is characterized by.

Further, the upper end of the shock absorber interposed between the body frame and the power unit is located on the center line of the plane of the motorcycle and connected to the body frame, and the lower ends are the first joint portion and the third joint portion. It is connected to the power unit so that it matches the lean axis passing through.

Further, a restoring mechanism such as a Nyquid mechanism is incorporated in the third joint portion, the rotor of the restoring mechanism is axially supported in the width direction of the vehicle body, and the tension rod is connected to the rotor.

[0012]

[Operation] By configuring the motorcycle in this way,
The power unit can swing with the rear wheels evenly to the left and right with respect to the body frame, and the lean characteristics of the body frame during cornering are kept evenly to the left and right.

Further, the lean of the vehicle body frame does not change the overall length of the shock absorber, and the vehicle body frame can be leaned without receiving a reaction force from the shock absorber.

Furthermore, the restoring force of the restoring mechanism that tries to rebuild the lean vehicle body and the reaction force of the shock absorber do not interfere with each other.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a motorcycle according to the present invention,
2 is a right side view, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view seen from the rear right side. These drawings show only the most basic components of the motorcycle, and the seating seat, frame cover, engine accessories, electrical components, etc. are all omitted.

The motorcycle 3 is equipped with, for example, an underbone type vehicle body frame 2, and the vehicle body frame 2 includes a head pipe 6 which supports a front fork 4 on which a front wheel 3 is pivotally supported together with a handle bar 5 so as to be steerable. A down tube 7 extending from the head pipe 6 to the lower rear,
Horizontal pipe 8 fixed to the rear end of the down tube 7.
And a rear frame 9 which extends from both ends of the horizontal pipe 8 to the upper rear portion and supports a seat (not shown).

A power unit 11 having the same basic structure as that of a general two-wheel scooter is offset and connected to the left side at the rear portion of the vehicle body frame 2, and a pair of left and right rear wheels is provided at the rear portion of the power unit 11. 12, 13 are pivotally supported by a rear axle shaft 14.

The horizontal pipe 8 of the vehicle body frame 2 is provided with a first joint portion 15 and a second joint portion 16 which can be bent and twisted in all directions via stays 17 and 18, respectively. .. Ball joints, for example, are used for the joint portions 15 and 16. The first joint portion 15 is provided so as to be located on the plane centerline A of the motorcycle 3 as shown in FIG. 1, and the second joint portion 16 is located on the side of the first joint portion 15 (on the right side in this embodiment). Direction) and are provided at the same height.

On the other hand, an arm 19 extending forward is provided at the front of the power unit 11, and the arm 19 is connected to the first joint 15. Also, the power unit 1
A third joint portion 21 is installed at the rear of the first portion so as to be located on the plane center line A.
The joint portion 16 is connected by a tension rod 22.

The third joint portion 21 has a casing 23 as shown in FIG. 4, and as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, a general Neidhart mechanism 24 is incorporated therein as a restoring mechanism. The rotor 25 of the above-mentioned Neidhart mechanism 24 is
The tension rod 22 is pivotally supported in the width direction of the vehicle body and the tension rod 22 is connected to the rotor 25.

The rotor 25 is integrally rotated with the cam 26 in the casing 23, and an elastic roller 27 made of rubber or the like is inserted between the cam 26 and the casing 23. Therefore, when the rotor 25 rotates, the elastic roller 27 is compressed and deformed between the cam 26 and the casing 23, and a restoring force for returning the cam 26 to its original position acts.

A shock absorber 28 is interposed between the vehicle body frame 2 and the power unit 11. An upper end 28a of the shock absorber 28 is located on the center line A of the plane and connected to the rear frame 9, and a lower end 28b thereof. Is connected to the power unit 11 so as to coincide with the lean axis B (see FIG. 2) passing through the first joint portion 15 and the third joint portion 21. In this embodiment, the shock absorber 28 includes the rear frame 9 and the power unit 1.
1 is connected to the rearmost part of the first joint part 1
You may install in the middle of 5 and the 3rd joint part 21.

In the motorcycle 3 thus constructed, the power unit 11 can swing about the swing axis C connecting the first joint portion 15 and the second joint portion 16 together with the rear wheels 12 and 13, and the power unit 11 can swing on the road surface. Shock from the shock absorber 28
Buffered by expansion and contraction.

The vehicle body frame 2 can lean to the left and right around the lean axis B while the rear wheels 12 and 13 are kept in contact with the ground, and at the time of cornering, the vehicle body frame 2 is inclined to the inside of the curve together with the occupants for smooth running. can do.

The tension rod 22 is used for the body frame 2
Is held in the neutral position (0) shown in FIG. 4 when the vehicle is in the upright position, and when the vehicle body frame 2 leans, it pivots in the vertical direction (+, −) about the third joint 21 as a fulcrum. At this time, since the Nytehardt mechanism 24 incorporated in the third joint portion 21 tries to restore the tension rod 22 to the neutral position (0), the reaction force of the vehicle body frame 2 tilted during cornering to return to the upright position. Thus, the vehicle body frame 2 can be quickly restored to the upright position at the end of cornering.

In the present invention, since the first joint portion 15 and the third joint portion 21 for connecting the power unit 11 to the vehicle body frame 2 are provided on the plane center line A of the motorcycle 1, the present embodiment Even in a mode in which the power unit 11 is offset to one side as in the example, the power unit 11 and the rear wheels 12 and 13 can swing uniformly to the left and right with respect to the vehicle body frame 2. Therefore, the lean characteristics of the vehicle body frame 2 during cornering are maintained evenly on the left and right.

The vehicle body frame 2 leans around the lean axis B passing through the first joint portion 15 and the third joint portion 21, but since the lower end 28b of the shock absorber 28 is aligned with the lean axis B, the vehicle body frame 2 The entire length of the shock absorber 28 does not change regardless of the angle at which 2 leans, and the body frame 2 can lean smoothly without being affected by the reaction force of the shock absorber 28. This effect is
Combined with the lean characteristic of the body frame 2 on the left and right sides, the steerability and stability of the motorcycle 1 during cornering are dramatically improved.

In the present embodiment, the lean axis B overlaps the plane center line A in FIG. 1, but even if the lean axis B does not overlap the plane center line A, the shock absorber 2
By aligning the lower end 28b of 8 with the lean axis B,
Similarly, the body frame 2 can be smoothly leaned.

Furthermore, since the restoring force of the restoring mechanism (Nighthart mechanism 24) for raising the vehicle body frame 2 to the upright position and the reaction force of the shock absorber 28 do not interfere with each other, the characteristics of the restoring mechanism and the shock absorber 28 are improved. Since it can be set individually and appropriate characteristics can be given to each, the vehicle body design becomes easy.

[0031]

As described above, in the motorcycle according to the present invention, the vehicle body frame for supporting the front wheels is steerable.
In a motorcycle including a power unit in which a pair of left and right rear wheels are pivotally supported via a joint portion, a first joint portion located on a plane centerline of the motorcycle on a body frame, and a side portion of the first joint portion. A second joint portion that is spaced apart is provided, the first joint portion is connected to the front portion of the power unit, and a third joint portion that is located on the plane center line is provided at the rear portion of the power unit. Part and the second
The feature is that the joint is connected with a tension rod.

Therefore, the power unit can swing with the rear wheels evenly to the left and right with respect to the vehicle body frame, and the lean characteristic of the vehicle body frame during cornering can be kept evenly to the left and right. Therefore, even if the power unit is offset with respect to the center line of the plane of the vehicle body, the maneuverability at the time of cornering is not affected, and stable cornering performance is obtained.

The upper end of the shock absorber interposed between the body frame and the power unit is located on the center line of the plane of the motorcycle and is connected to the body frame, and the lower ends are the first joint portion and the third joint portion. Since it is connected to the power unit so as to match the lean axis passing through, the total length of the shock absorber does not change when leaning the body frame, and the body frame can be smoothly leaned without receiving the reaction force from the shock absorber, A motorcycle can perform stable cornering.

Further, in the present invention, a restoring mechanism such as a Nytehardt mechanism is incorporated in the third joint portion, the rotor of this restoring mechanism is axially supported in the width direction of the vehicle body, and the tension rod is connected to the rotor. The restoring force of the shock absorber and the reaction force of the shock absorber do not interfere with each other, the characteristics of the restoring mechanism and the shock absorber can be set individually, and each can have an appropriate characteristic.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a motorcycle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a right side view of the motorcycle.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the motorcycle as viewed from the rear right side.

FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of a third joint section.

5 is a cross-sectional view of a third joint portion taken along the line VV of FIG.

6 is a view on arrow VI-VI of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Auto Tricycle 2 Body Frame 3 Front Wheel 9 Rear Frame 11 Power Unit 12, 13 Rear Wheel 14 Rear Axle Shaft 15 First Joint 16 Second Joint 17, 18 Stay 19 Arm 21 Third Joint 22 Tension Rod 24 Restoration Mechanism Nighthart mechanism 25 Rotor 28 Shock absorber 28a Upper end of shock absorber 28b Lower end of shock absorber A Plane center line of a motorcycle B Lean axis C Swing axis

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. In an automatic tricycle in which a power unit in which a pair of left and right rear wheels are pivotally supported is connected to a vehicle body frame that steerably supports front wheels through joints, the vehicle body frame is positioned on a plane centerline of the automatic tricycle. The first joint part to
A second joint portion that is spaced apart from the first joint portion is provided, the first joint portion is connected to the front portion of the power unit, and a third portion that is located on the plane centerline is provided at the rear portion of the power unit. A three-wheeled motor vehicle characterized in that a joint portion is provided, and the third joint portion and the second joint portion are connected by a tension rod. 2. An upper end of a shock absorber interposed between a body frame and a power unit is located on a center line of a plane of the motorcycle and connected to the body frame, and lower ends thereof are the first joint portion and the third joint portion. The three-wheeled motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the three-wheeled motor vehicle is connected to the power unit so as to coincide with a lean axis passing through. 3. A restoring mechanism such as a Knighthardt mechanism is incorporated in the third joint portion, the rotor of the restoring mechanism is axially supported in the width direction of the vehicle body, and the tension rod is connected to the rotor. The three-wheeled motor vehicle according to item 1.