JPS5851609Y2 - Vehicle body tilting device - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a vehicle body tilting device for a vehicle that uses power to tilt the vehicle body from side to side by a driver's operation that is performed separately from the steering operation.

When a vehicle turns, the centrifugal force generated during the turn causes the vehicle body to tilt toward the outside of the turn, which impairs ride comfort and, in severe cases, may cause the vehicle to overturn.

In order to compensate for these drawbacks, various ideas have been proposed in the past to incline the vehicle body toward the inside of the turn to improve ride comfort and vehicle stability when turning.

For example, the first method is to mount the vehicle body in a pendulum hole in the chassis, and swing the bottom of the vehicle body in the direction of centrifugal force, that is, toward the outside of the turn, thereby tilting the entire vehicle body toward the inside of the turn.

However, in this case, depending on the situation of the occupants and cargo, the vehicle body may lean to the left or right in the neutral state, and when turning, the center of gravity moves to the outside of the turn, and the extension line of the vertical axis of the vehicle body and the ground Since the intersection point is shifted to the outside of the turn and tilted, the apparent gravity (combined force of gravity and centrifugal force) acting along this vertical axis will be applied more to the wheels on the outside of the turn, making it more likely to roll over. It does little to improve stability.

In the first case mentioned above, there is also the disadvantage that the width of the vehicle must be widened to eliminate the risk of rollover.

Second, there is a vehicle that uses power to tilt the vehicle body toward the inside of a turn in conjunction with the steering operation of the steering bundle.

However, in this case, the amount of body lean is determined in part by the amount of steering operation, so even if the vehicle speed is slow and there is little centrifugal force, large steering operations (
For example, when the vehicle is parked in a garage, etc.), the vehicle body tilts significantly, which actually worsens ride comfort and maneuverability.

Thirdly, a centrifugal force sensing device such as a weight detects the direction and magnitude of the centrifugal force caused by turning, and based on this, hydraulic cylinders installed on the underside of the car body are activated as appropriate to automatically move the car body. There is one that is tilted towards the inside of the turn.

However, in this case, there is a slight delay in the activation of the vehicle after the detection device is activated, and the driver cannot predict the tilting speed and amount because the tilting force of the vehicle is performed dynamically. There is a possibility that you will make a mistake in maneuvering.

Furthermore, the automation mechanism becomes complicated, increasing the cost of the vehicle itself.

As described above, all of the various conventional devices have certain drawbacks and are insufficient to improve the ride comfort and stability of a vehicle when turning.

The present invention was developed to eliminate the various drawbacks mentioned above, and while it prevents the vehicle body from tilting due to the situation of passengers and cargo in the neutral state, it also has a simple structure that prevents the driver's conscious effort from tilting. To provide a vehicle body tilting device which can be operated simultaneously with or separately from a steering operation, and which can improve safety against rollover by moving the center of gravity to the inside of the vehicle body tilt.

Embodiments of a vehicle body tilting device for a vehicle according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 1, an operating knob 1 is rotatably attached to the upper end of a bundle shaft 2 in the downward direction on the road in place of a pin 3.

This operation handle 1 is also used as a steering handle for steering the vehicle, and can be operated on a different shaft 1 from the steering operation.

In other words, in Fig. 1, the steering operation can be performed by rotating in a substantially horizontal plane instead of the handle shaft 2, and the steering operation can be performed by rotating in the vertical direction opposite to the left and right around the bottle 3 in a plane perpendicular to this plane. By moving it, you can control the vehicle body tilt.

In addition, in FIG. 1, the present invention is shown as a bar end, but the present invention is not limited to this, and can be similarly applied to a round end. There is.

This detection device 4 detects the operating angle of the operating handle 1 and controls the operation of a drive body 6, which will be described later.The operating angle is determined by an operating rod 5 connected to the operating bundle 1. It transmits electrical or fluid (hydraulic or pneumatic) operating signals.

The drive body 6 is operated under the control of the signal from the detection device 4.

The drive body 6 is an electric motor, a hydraulic cylinder, a piston, etc., and one end of the drive body 6 is rotatably attached to an appropriate position of the vehicle body 7 with a pin 8, and an operation rod 9 projects from the other end.
This is for supplying power to a vehicle body tilting mechanism 10, which will be described later.

A vehicle body tilting mechanism 10 is provided at the tip of the operating rod 9 of the drive body 6.

The vehicle body tilting mechanism 10 may be of any type as long as it can tilt the vehicle body 7 to the left or right in conjunction with the operation of the operation bundle 1.

For example, a pair of driving bodies 6, 6 may be provided at both left and right ends between the axle and the vehicle body 7, and the interaction between these bodies may cause the vehicle body to tilt only to the left or right. It is preferable that the wheel swinging mechanism comprises an appropriate link mechanism that can be tilted in the same direction as the vertical axis of the wheel.

In addition, in order to prevent the vehicle body 7 from tilting excessively beyond the amount of operation of the steering wheel 1, the detection device 4 is equipped with a mechanism that stops the operation of the drive body 6 when the vehicle body 7 tilts by the amount of the operation. It is desirable to provide a feedback device for correcting the signal from the detection device 4.

Next, a specific example will be described in which the hydraulic pressure shown in FIG. 2 is used as the operating source.

The detection device 4 in this case is a hydraulic control pulp, and includes the valve housing 11, the spool valve 12, and the oil passage 13.1.
It consists of 4.

The drive body 6 is a hydraulic actuator and includes an actuation cylinder 15 and a piston 16.

Hydraulic pressure is supplied through a reservoir 17, an engine-driven hydraulic pump 18, an accumulator 19, and piping '20.2.
Do this with 1.

Since the operation bundle 1 serves both as a steering operation using the bundle shaft 2 and a vehicle body tilting operation using the bin 31,
In order to tilt the vehicle body while steering the vehicle, the detection device 4 is attached below the axis of the steering shaft 2.

That is, for operation, an operating rod 5 extends downward from one side of the handle 1, and the lower end of the operating rod 5 is an intermediate portion of a lever 23 that protrudes from the tip of an arm 22 provided at the lower end of the handle shaft 2. A rod 24 that extends downward from the tip of the lever 23 on the axis of the handle shaft 2 is connected to the shaft 26 of the spool valve 12 of the detection device 4 via a swivel joint 25.

On the other side of the handle 1, a pansy spring 27 and a trim actuator 28 are installed in a straight line between the other end of the arm 22 at the lower end of the handle shaft 2.

The pansy spring 27 is an artificial sensing device that artificially creates the weight of bundle operation using the elastic force of the spring.

The trim actuator 28 adjusts the protruding length of the shaft 29 through the rotation of an electric motor, thereby adjusting the neutral position of the operating knob 1 (the position where no operating force is applied to the knob).

By adjusting the trim actuator 28, it becomes possible to set the vehicle body horizontally at the neutral position of the steering wheel 1, regardless of the conditions of the occupants, the cargo, or the inclination of the road surface.

Note that the operation from the steering wheel 1 to the front wheel steering mechanism is performed via a connecting portion 30 provided in the middle of the steering wheel shaft 2.

The vehicle body tilting mechanism 10 includes an upper arm 31, 31',
Lower arm 32.32', axle 33°33', spring with damper 34.34', bell crank 35
It consists of

The above upper arm 31, 31' and lower arm 32
．． 32' has its base end connected to the vertical shaft 42 (
(see FIG. 1), and the other ends extend parallel to each other toward the wheels 36, 36'.

The upper and lower ends of the vertical portion of the axle 33.33' are pivotally connected to the other ends of the upper arm 3L31' and the lower arm 32.32'.

The bell crank 35 is attached to the upper arm 31°31'.
It is rotatably attached to the vehicle body by a pin 37 located above the vertical axis 42 of the vehicle body 7 (see FIG. 1).

The damper-equipped spring 34° 34' has its lower end rotatably pivoted to the middle part of the lower arm 32, 32'.
Its upper end is connected to the left and right arms 38, 39 of the bell crank 35.
It is rotatably attached to the tip of the

The upper end of the vertical arm 40 of the bell crank 35 is rotatably attached to the operating rod 9 of the drive body 6.

Therefore, by extending and contracting the operating rod 9 from side to side in FIG. 2, the bell crank 35 rotates in relation to the pin 37, causing the left and right wheels 36, 36' to vertically swing in opposite directions. , so the vehicle body can be tilted to the left or right.

The bell crank 35 of the vehicle body tilting mechanism 10 and the detection device 4
A feedback device 41 is provided between the valve housing 11 and the valve housing 11 .

This feedback device M41 includes the bell crank 35
The valve casing 11 is moved appropriately as the spool valve 12 rotates to close the oil path formed by the spool valve 12, and the operation...
This is to prevent the vehicle body from tilting excessively beyond the steering operation of steering wheel 1.

Note that the feedback device 41 may be connected to the operating rod 9.

Next, the operation of the vehicle body tilting device according to the present invention will be explained.

When turning to the right in Figure 2, operate steering wheel 1 to the right, and tilt the vehicle by pushing the right side and lifting the left side, as shown by arrows 44 and 45 in the figure. .

At this time, the operating rod 5 is lifted upward, and the rod 24 and the shaft 26 of the detection device 4 are lifted upward.

Therefore, the spool valve 12 moves upward, and the oil passages 13 and 14 of the detection device 4 are opened, as shown by the chain arrow.
Hydraulic oil flows from the piping 20 through the oil passage 13 to the drive body 6.
flows into the working cylinder 15, pushes the piston 16, and pulls the working rod 9 to the left.

At this time, the hydraulic oil flowing out from the working cylinder 15 flows back to the reservoir 17 through the oil passage 14 and the piping 21.

When the actuating rod 9 is pulled to the left, the bell crank 35 rotates counterclockwise (arrow 46) relative to the pin 37, lifts the right damper-equipped spring 34', and lifts the left damper-equipped spring 34'. Press down.

Therefore, the right lower arm 32' is lifted, the left lower arm 32 is pushed down, and the right wheel 36'
The left wheel 36 swings upward and the left wheel 36 swings downward.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle body 7 as a whole is tilted to the right with the right side closer to the ground and the left side away from the ground.

At this time, as shown in FIG.
1 is pushed up by the right arm 39 of the bell crank 35 (arrow 47) and moves the valve housing 11 of the detection device 4 upward.

Then, the oil passage 13 is located at the upper part of the valve housing 11.
The spool valve 12, which was open 14, moves relatively downwards and closes the oil passage 13,14.

Therefore, the flow of hydraulic oil into the driving body 6 is stopped, the operating rod 9 stops, and the vehicle body 7 is also tilted at that position.

That is, the vehicle body 7 is tilted to the desired tilt angle that was initially set by operating the operating handle 1.

In FIG. 2, in order to tilt the vehicle to the left, the operating handle 1 is operated in the opposite direction to that described above, and the entire vehicle body operates in the opposite direction and the vehicle body tilts to the left.

In any of the above cases, when the operating handle 1 is returned to the neutral position, the vehicle body 7 returns to the horizontal position.

Furthermore, as is clear from FIG.
2. The shaft attachment point of the base end of 32' to the vehicle body 7 and the pin 37 of the Hibel crank 35 are always on the vertical axis 42 of the vehicle body 7,
Since the wheels 36 and 36' also tilt inward in the turn together with the vehicle body 7, the extension line of the vertical axis 42 of the vehicle body 7 is aligned with the left and right wheels 36.
, 36', the center of gravity of the vehicle body 7 moves to the inside of the turn.

Further, the apparent gravity R consisting of the resultant force of the gravity W and the centrifugal force Fc acting on the centers of gravity C and G is always the vertical axis 4 of the vehicle body 7.
2 along the center between the left and right wheels 36° and 36'.

4 to 6 are a front view, a top view, and a left side view showing a state in which the vehicle body tilting device according to the present invention is applied to a sports car.

The vehicle is of a three-wheel type, with the front two wheels 36, 36' serving as steering wheels and the rear wheels 43 serving as driving wheels, and the vehicle body tilting mechanism 10 according to the present invention is incorporated in the front two wheels 36, 36'.

The seats are parallel and straddle-type, and the front and rear positions of the left and right seats are slightly staggered to reduce the width of the vehicle.

In addition, in the case of a four-wheel type with two wheels in both the front and rear, it can be implemented in the same way if the vehicle body tilting mechanism 10 according to the present invention is incorporated in both the front two wheels and the rear two wheels.

Moreover, it can be applied not only to sports cars but also to various other vehicles.

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, the vehicle body 7 can be tilted by the driver's conscious operation independently of the steering operation of the steering wheel 1.

Therefore, when the driver feels it necessary to tilt the vehicle body 7, the vehicle body 7 can be tilted immediately by simply operating the handle 1, so that the vertical axis 42 of the vehicle body is aligned in the apparent direction of gravity R. This can be done without any delay in operation.

In addition, since it is activated by the driver's conscious operation, the tilting speed and amount of the vehicle body 7 can be predicted, making it easy to maneuver.

Furthermore, when turning at low speeds, when little centrifugal force acts, the vehicle can be driven without tilting the vehicle body 7.

Furthermore, irrespective of whether the vehicle is turning or not, if you want to tilt the vehicle body 7 due to road conditions or other circumstances when driving straight or when stopped, use the operation... The vehicle body 7 can be tilted in any direction by only operating the vehicle.

In addition, the center of gravity C9G of the vehicle body 7 always moves to the inside of the vehicle body's inclination, and the apparent gravity R acting on the centers of gravity C and G during turning
The left and right wheels 36.36 always move along the vertical axis 42 of the vehicle body 7.
'Because it hangs over the center between the left and right wheels 36.36'
The load is applied evenly to the wheels, making it difficult for the vehicle to roll over while turning, increasing stability.

Since the load is applied equally to the left and right wheels 36, 36', the vehicle width can be made narrower without increasing the vehicle width to deal with rollover accidents as in conventional vehicles.

Furthermore, since the left and right wheels 36, 36' tilt in the same direction as the vehicle body 7 tilts, maneuverability and maneuverability similar to those of a two-wheeled vehicle can be obtained.

For example, it is possible to perform a so-called spin turn by tilting the vehicle body 7 to either side while the vehicle is stopped, accelerating the engine, and sliding the rear wheels 43 outward. 7 to the inside of the stoichiometric direction, the steering angle of the steering wheel can be made small.

Furthermore, the inclination of the bell crank 35 is determined by the operation bundle 1.
Therefore, when the steering wheel 1 is in the neutral position, the vehicle body 7 can maintain a substantially horizontal state even if the conditions of the occupants and cargo change.

At this time, strictly speaking, if there is a shift in the center of gravity of the vehicle body, the difference in repulsive force between the left and right springs with dampers 34° 34' causes the vehicle body 7 to lean at position 1, which corresponds to the amount of shift in the center of gravity. The operation is performed by the operation of the trim actuator 28.
Since the neutral position of the handle 1 can be changed, the above-mentioned inclination caused by a shift in the center of gravity can be corrected.

In addition, even when driving straight on a road that slopes to the side, the trim actuator 28 can be operated to operate the trim actuator 28.
The vehicle body 7 can also be maintained horizontally when the vehicle body 7 is set to the neutral position.

Furthermore, since an automated mechanism for automatically tilting the vehicle body by the action of centrifugal force is not required, the structure is simple and can be manufactured at low cost.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of the vehicle body tilting device according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment in which hydraulic pressure is used as the operating source, and Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation when the vehicle body is tilted. Figure 4 is a front view showing the state in which it is applied to a sports car.
FIG. 5 is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 6 is a left side view thereof. 1... Operation bundle, 2... Bundle axis, 3...
Pin, 4...Detection device, 5...Operating rod, 6...Driver, 7...Vehicle body, 9...Operating rod, 10...Vehicle body tilting mechanism, 3L31'...Upper Arm, 32.3
2'...lower arm, 33.33'...axle, 3
4.34'... Suffling with damper, 35... Bell crank, 36, 36'... Wheels, 41... Feedback device.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] Steering: An operation that is also used as a steering wheel and operates around an axis different from the steering operation.The steering wheel, this operation, a detection device that detects the steering angle of the steering wheel, and a drive body that is operated under the control of this detection device. and a vehicle body tilting mechanism for tilting the vehicle body to the left or right in conjunction with the operation of the operation bundle using the power of the drive body.