WO2024058271A1

WO2024058271A1 - Front double-wheel leaning vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2024058271A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/033708
Authority: WO
Inventors: 宗光江口
Original assignee: ヤマハ発動機株式会社
Priority date: 2022-09-16
Filing date: 2023-09-15
Publication date: 2024-03-21

Abstract

A front double-wheel leaning vehicle 1 comprises a handle deformation mechanism 100 and a vehicle occupying space deformation suppression mechanism 130. The handle deformation mechanism 100 deforms a steering shaft 652 between a vehicle used state, in which the front double-wheel leaning vehicle 1 is used, and a vehicle unused state, in which the front double-wheel leaning vehicle 1 is not used, such that the projected area of the space occupied by the front double-wheel leaning vehicle 1 as viewed in a prescribed direction in the vehicle unused state is smaller than the projected area of the occupied space as viewed in said direction in the vehicle used state. In the vehicle unused state, the vehicle occupying space deformation suppression mechanism 130 suppresses deformation of the space occupied by the front double-wheel leaning vehicle 1, by restricting inclination of a vehicle body frame 21 to the right and left that is achieved with a link mechanism 5.

Description

Front 2 wheel lean vehicle

The present invention relates to a front two-wheel lean vehicle that has a left front wheel and a right front wheel, and leans to the left when turning left and to the right when turning right.

Small electric mobility is being considered as a vehicle for traveling the last mile.

As a type of electric compact mobility as described above, a two-wheel front lean vehicle is known that has a left front wheel and a right front wheel, and leans to the left when turning left and to the right when turning right. As such a vehicle, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a vehicle body frame, a left front wheel and a right front wheel that are arranged in a left-right direction when viewed from the front of the vehicle, and a structure in which the body frame is tilted to the left or right of the vehicle. A front two-wheel lean vehicle is disclosed, which is provided with a link mechanism.

The vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a handle height that is a distance in the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame from the midpoint between the left front wheel and the right front wheel in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame to the gripping portion; Alternatively, a steering wheel adjustment mechanism is provided that is capable of adjusting at least one of the offset amounts of the steering wheel with respect to the rotational axis of the steering shaft with respect to the left foot resting section and the right foot resting section in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame. We are prepared.

Additionally, a stand-up type two-wheeled electric scooter is known as another type of small electric mobility. In the field of stand-up type two-wheeled electric scooters, a structure having a foldable handle as shown in Non-Patent Document 1 is known.

International Publication No. 2020/111255

By the way, in the front two-wheel lean vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1, the height of the steering wheel can be adjusted, but storage of the vehicle is not taken into consideration.

On the other hand, in the field of stand-up type two-wheeled electric scooters, a structure having a foldable handle as shown in the above-mentioned Non-Patent Document 1 is known as described above. However, the two-wheel electric scooter disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1 does not have a link mechanism like the front two-wheel lean vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1. Therefore, when the foldable handle of the two-wheel electric scooter disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1 is applied to the front two-wheel lean vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1, the link mechanism of the front two-wheel lean vehicle is There is a possibility that the deformation may reduce the degree of freedom in storing the front two-wheel lean vehicle.

For this reason, there is a need to improve the degree of freedom in storage in the two-wheel front lean vehicle.

An object of the present invention is to provide a front two-wheel lean vehicle that has a link mechanism and can improve the degree of freedom in storage.

The inventors of the present invention have intensively studied a front two-wheel lean vehicle that has a link mechanism and can improve the degree of freedom in storage, and have come up with the following configuration.

A front two-wheel lean vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention is a front two-wheel lean vehicle that leans to the left when turning to the left and leans to the right when turning to the right. The front two-wheel lean vehicle includes a vehicle body frame, a left front wheel located to the left of the vehicle body frame in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame, and a right front wheel located to the right of the vehicle body frame in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame. a steering wheel having a grip portion that is gripped by a driver riding the front two-wheel lean vehicle; and a steering shaft that is connected to the steering wheel and rotates together with the steering wheel about a rotation axis to steer the left front wheel and the right front wheel. a head pipe located at the front of the vehicle body frame and rotatably supporting the steering shaft about the rotation axis; a rear wheel located behind the left front wheel and the right front wheel; a link mechanism supported at the front part of the vehicle body frame and allowing the vehicle body frame to tilt to the left and right in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame; The projected area when the occupied space of the two-wheeled lean vehicle is viewed in one direction among the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, or the up-down direction is the projected area of the occupied space in the one direction when the front two-wheeled lean vehicle is used. A steering wheel deformation mechanism that deforms at least one of the steering shaft or the head pipe in a vehicle use state in which the front two-wheel lean vehicle is used and in the vehicle non-use state so that the projected area is smaller than the projected area when visually recognized. and a vehicle occupied space deformation suppressing mechanism that suppresses deformation of the occupied space of the front two-wheel lean vehicle by regulating the left and right inclinations of the vehicle body frame by the link mechanism when the vehicle is not in use. and has.

When the vehicle is not in use, when the front two-wheel lean vehicle is not in use, the steering wheel deformation mechanism can deform at least one of the steering shaft or the head pipe so that the space occupied by the front two-wheel lean vehicle becomes smaller. Thereby, the front two-wheel lean vehicle can be stored or transported in a compact manner when the vehicle is not in use.

Moreover, the vehicle occupied space deformation suppression mechanism restricts the left and right inclinations of the body frame caused by the link mechanism when the vehicle is not in use, thereby suppressing deformation of the space occupied by the front two-wheel lean vehicle. be done. Therefore, for example, when the vehicle is not in use, the vehicle can be moved with at least one of the steering shaft and the head pipe deformed. Moving the vehicle with at least one of the steering shaft or the head pipe deformed is not limited to moving the front two-wheel lean vehicle along the ground, but also when moving the front two-wheel lean vehicle along the ground. This also includes cases where it is changed relative to. Thereby, the degree of freedom in storing the front two-wheel lean vehicle can be improved.

According to another point of view, it is preferable that the front two-wheel lean vehicle includes the following configuration. The handle deformation mechanism is provided above the link mechanism and on the head pipe or steering shaft.

Thereby, the head pipe and the steering shaft can be deformed by the handle deformation mechanism without deforming the link mechanism. Therefore, it is possible to realize a lean vehicle with two front wheels that can be stored or transported compactly when the vehicle is not in use, without complicating the configuration of the handle deformation mechanism. Therefore, the degree of freedom in storing the front two-wheel lean vehicle can be improved.

According to another point of view, it is preferable that the front two-wheel lean vehicle includes the following configuration. The handle deformation mechanism deforms at least one of the steering shaft and the head pipe so that the handle is located away from a movable range of the link mechanism when the vehicle is not in use.

This can prevent the handle from interfering with the link mechanism when at least one of the steering shaft or the head pipe is deformed by the handle deformation mechanism when the vehicle is not in use. Therefore, the front two-wheel lean vehicle can be transformed into a compact state when the vehicle is not in use, without being affected by the operating state of the link mechanism. Therefore, the degree of freedom in storing the front two-wheel lean vehicle can be improved.

According to another point of view, it is preferable that the front two-wheel lean vehicle includes the following configuration. The steering wheel deformation mechanism is configured to adjust the steering shaft so that a relative distance between the left front wheel or the right front wheel and a moving portion of at least one of the steering shaft or the head pipe that moves due to deformation of the handle deformation mechanism changes. and deforming the head pipe.

Thereby, the steering wheel deformation mechanism can deform at least one of the steering shaft or the head pipe so that the front two-wheel lean vehicle becomes more compact. Therefore, the degree of freedom in storing the front two-wheel lean vehicle can be improved.

According to another point of view, it is preferable that the front two-wheel lean vehicle includes the following configuration. The vehicle further includes a saddle, a seat post that connects the saddle to the vehicle body frame, and a saddle deformation mechanism that deforms the seat post so as to change the position of the saddle.

As a result, the space occupied by the front two-wheel lean vehicle is deformed due to the deformation of the saddle. Therefore, even in a front two-wheel lean vehicle having a saddle, the degree of freedom in storing the front two-wheel lean vehicle can be improved.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of defining specific embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the invention.

As used herein, "and/or" includes all combinations of one or more of the associated listed constructs.

As used herein, the use of "including," "comprising," or "having" and variations thereof refers to the described features, steps, operations, elements, components, and and/or specifying the existence of equivalents thereof, which may include one or more of the steps, acts, elements, components, and/or groupings thereof.

As used herein, "attached," "connected," "coupled," and/or their equivalents are used in a broad sense, including "direct and indirect" attachment; Includes both connections and combinations. Additionally, "connected" and "coupled" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections or couplings, but can include direct or indirect electrical connections or couplings.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs.

Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be construed to have meanings consistent with the relevant art and their meanings in the context of this disclosure, and unless explicitly defined herein, , not to be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense.

It is understood that in the description of the present invention, a number of techniques and steps are disclosed. Each of these has individual benefits and can also be used with one or more, or in some cases all, of the other disclosed techniques.

Therefore, for the sake of clarity, the description of the invention refrains from unnecessarily repeating all possible combinations of individual steps. However, the specification and claims should be read with the understanding that all such combinations are within the scope of the invention.

In this specification, an embodiment of a front two-wheel lean vehicle according to the present invention will be described.

In the following description, numerous specific examples are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific examples.

Accordingly, the following disclosure should be considered as illustrative of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments illustrated in the drawings or description below.

[Lean vehicle with two front wheels]
In this specification, a front two-wheel lean vehicle is a vehicle that turns in an inclined position. Specifically, the front two-wheel lean vehicle is a vehicle that leans to the left when turning to the left and leans to the right when turning to the right in the left-right direction of the vehicle. The front two-wheel lean vehicle may be a one-seater vehicle, or may be a vehicle that can accommodate a plurality of people. Note that the front two-wheel lean vehicle includes all vehicles that turn in an inclined position, such as a three-wheel vehicle or a four-wheel vehicle.

[handle]
In this specification, the handle includes a bar-shaped bar handle and a separate left and right handle. Further, the handle may include a steering wheel type, a stick-like control stick type, a control stick type gripping part with a steering wheel, and the like.

[Link mechanism]
In this specification, the link mechanism is a mechanism that relatively displaces the left front wheel and the right front wheel in the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame. The link mechanism can tilt the vehicle body frame to the left or right by relatively displacing the left front wheel and the right front wheel as described above. The link mechanism includes, for example, a plurality of links and a joint that connects the plurality of links. The link mechanism may include various structures such as a parallelogram type, a double wishbone type, and a leading arm type.

[Moving range of link mechanism]
In this specification, the movable range of the link mechanism means the range in which the components of the link mechanism can move when the left front wheel and the right front wheel are relatively displaced by the link mechanism. Note that the movable range of the link mechanism differs depending on the structure of the link mechanism.

[Vehicle usage status]
In this specification, the vehicle usage state means, for example, a state in which a driver is riding in a vehicle with two lean front wheels, or a state in which the driver can immediately drive a vehicle with two lean front wheels. The vehicle usage state includes a state where the front two-wheel lean vehicle is running at an extremely low speed and a vehicle stopped state. The vehicle stopped state means a state where the speed of the two front wheels lean vehicle is zero. The extremely low speed refers to a speed at which the front two-wheel lean vehicle is turned by steering operation rather than by tilting the front two-wheel lean vehicle to the left or right. Even if the driver has gotten off the vehicle with two front lean wheels, as long as the driver can immediately drive the lean vehicle with two front wheels, the vehicle is included in the vehicle usage state. The state in which the driver can immediately drive the front two-wheel lean vehicle is, for example, a state in which the driver is not in a deformed state for parking, storing, or storing the front two-wheel lean vehicle. That is, it means a state in which the front two-wheel lean vehicle does not need to be transformed into a state in which it can run.

[Vehicle not in use]
In this specification, the vehicle non-use state means a state in which the driver cannot immediately drive the front two-wheel lean vehicle. Therefore, the state in which the vehicle is not in use includes, for example, a state in which a portion of the vehicle body is deformed in order to park, store, or store the front two-wheel lean vehicle. Furthermore, when the vehicle is not in use, the driver has gotten off the vehicle with two front lean wheels, and the driver and other persons are towing or transporting the lean vehicle with two front wheels in a deformed state. This includes a state in which the front two wheels of the vehicle are being moved. In addition, the movement may include changing the posture of the front two-wheel lean vehicle (for example, placing the front two-wheel lean vehicle in a posture such that its longitudinal direction coincides with the vertical direction with respect to the ground). This includes the action of turning a lean vehicle upside down or leaning it against a wall.

[Occupied space]
In this specification, the occupied space means the space occupied by the front two-wheel lean vehicle. That is, the occupied space includes a space defined by the outer shape of the front two-wheel lean vehicle. The occupied space may include a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped space defined by dimensions of the front two-wheel lean vehicle in the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction.

[Transformation of occupied space]
In this specification, deformation of the occupied space means that the projected area of the occupied space of the front two-wheel lean vehicle when viewed from any one of the front-rear direction, left-right direction, or up-down direction changes. The deformation of the occupied space means, for example, a deformation in which the outer shape of the front two-wheel lean vehicle changes. From another point of view, the deformation of the occupied space means that the front two wheels are lean with respect to the space (for example, a rectangular parallelepiped space) defined by the longitudinal, lateral, and vertical dimensions of the vehicle with the front two wheels lean. This includes cases where the proportion of the space defined by the vehicle's external shape changes.

[Projected area of the space occupied by the front two-wheel lean vehicle viewed from a certain direction]
In this specification, the projected area of the occupied space of the front two-wheel lean vehicle viewed from a certain direction is obtained by projecting the occupied space onto a plane orthogonal to the viewing direction, which is the direction in which the occupied space is viewed. It means the area of the projection surface.

[Relative distance between the left front wheel or right front wheel and the moving part of at least one of the steering shaft or head pipe that moves due to deformation of the handle deformation mechanism]
In this specification, the relative distance between the left front wheel or the right front wheel and the moving part of at least one of the steering shaft or the head pipe that moves due to the deformation of the handle deformation mechanism refers to the distance between the left front wheel or a part of the right front wheel and the steering shaft. Alternatively, it means the shortest distance between at least one of the head pipes and a part of the moving part that moves due to the deformation of the handle deformation mechanism. For example, the left front wheel or a part of the right front wheel may be the left axle of the left front wheel or the right axle of the right front wheel, or the upper end portion of the vehicle body frame in the vertical direction on the outer peripheral portion of the left front wheel or the right front wheel. Alternatively, it may be a portion of the left front wheel or right front wheel that makes contact with the ground. A portion of the left front wheel or the right front wheel may be any part of the left front wheel or the right front wheel. The part of the moving part of at least one of the steering shaft or the head pipe that moves due to deformation of the handle deformation mechanism may be a part of the steering shaft or a part of the head pipe. Alternatively, it may be a connecting portion between the steering shaft and the handle. Further, a portion of the movable portion of at least one of the steering shaft and the head pipe may be a portion farthest from a portion of the left front wheel or the right front wheel. Further, a portion of the movable portion of at least one of the steering shaft and the head pipe may be a longitudinally intermediate portion of the steering shaft.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to provide a front two-wheel lean vehicle that has a link mechanism and can improve the degree of freedom in storage.

FIG. 1 is a left side view schematically showing the overall configuration of a front two-wheel lean vehicle according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the configuration of the front portion of the front two-wheel lean vehicle when viewed from the front. FIG. 3 is a top view showing a schematic configuration of a front two-wheel lean vehicle. FIG. 4 is a rear view showing a schematic configuration of the front two-wheel lean vehicle. FIG. 5 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a lean vehicle with two front wheels tilted to the left. FIG. 6 is a rear view showing a schematic configuration of a front two-wheel lean vehicle tilted to the left. FIG. 7 is a front view of a lean vehicle with two front wheels schematically showing how the vertical position of the handlebar is changed. FIG. 8 is a left side view of the front two-wheel lean vehicle schematically showing how the vertical positions of the handlebar and the saddle are changed. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which the steering shaft and seat post are folded. FIG. 10 is an external view of the front two-wheel lean vehicle showing the handle deformation mechanism before and after deformation. FIG. 11A is an enlarged view of the X1 portion shown in FIG. FIG. 11B is an enlarged view of the X2 portion shown in FIG. 9. FIG. FIG. 12 is a left side view showing a schematic configuration of a front two-wheel lean vehicle according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the steering shaft and seat post are folded in the front two-wheel lean vehicle according to the second embodiment. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a state in which the front two-wheel lean vehicle according to the second embodiment is placed vertically. FIG. 15 is a left side view showing a schematic configuration of a front two-wheel lean vehicle according to the third embodiment. FIG. 16 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a front two-wheel lean vehicle according to the third embodiment. FIG. 17 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a front two-wheel lean vehicle according to the third embodiment. FIG. 18 is a left side view of a front two-wheel lean vehicle in which a luggage storage section is provided at the front of the vehicle. FIG. 19 is a front view of the front two-wheel lean vehicle, which is provided with a luggage storage section at the front of the vehicle and is tilted to the left, as seen from the front.

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each figure, the same parts are given the same reference numerals, and the description of the same parts will not be repeated. Note that the dimensions of the constituent members in each figure do not faithfully represent the actual dimensions of the constituent members and the dimensional ratios of each constituent member.

Arrow F in the figure indicates the forward direction of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1. Arrow B in the figure indicates the rearward direction of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1. An arrow U in the figure indicates an upward direction of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1. Arrow D in the figure indicates the downward direction of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1. Arrow R in the figure indicates the right direction of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1. An arrow L in the figure indicates the left direction of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1. Further, the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 are respectively the front-rear direction with respect to the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 when viewed from a driver riding in the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1. , means the horizontal direction and the vertical direction.

The front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 of this embodiment turns with the vehicle body frame 21 tilted in the left-right direction with respect to the vertical direction. Therefore, in addition to the direction based on the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 described above, the direction based on the vehicle body frame 21 is determined as follows. Arrow FF in the figure indicates the front direction of the vehicle body frame 21. An arrow FB in the figure indicates the rear direction of the vehicle body frame 21. Arrow FU in the figure indicates the upward direction of the vehicle body frame 21. An arrow FD in the figure indicates the downward direction of the vehicle body frame 21. An arrow FR in the figure indicates the right direction of the vehicle body frame 21. An arrow FL in the figure indicates the left direction of the vehicle body frame 21. Further, the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction of the vehicle body frame 21 are respectively the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction with respect to the vehicle body frame 21 when viewed from the driver riding the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1. means.

[Embodiment 1]
(overall structure)
FIG. 1 is a left side view schematically showing the overall configuration of a front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 1, for the sake of explanation, the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 is shown with the cover etc. removed. The front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 includes a vehicle body 2, a pair of left and right front wheels 3, a rear wheel 4, a link mechanism 5, a steering mechanism 6, a load transmission mechanism 8, a saddle 9, and a handle deformation mechanism 100. , a vehicle occupied space deformation suppressing mechanism 130, and a saddle deforming mechanism 140. That is, the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 in this embodiment is a tricycle having a pair of left and right front wheels 3. Further, the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 is a vehicle that leans to the left when turning left, and leans to the right when turning right.

Note that the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 is not provided with a rear arm that supports the rear wheels 4. The rear wheels 4 of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 are supported by a vehicle body frame 21, which will be described later. Furthermore, the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 is not provided with a shock absorber that elastically supports the front wheels 3 and the rear wheels 4 in a movable manner. Front wheels 3 and rear wheels 4 of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 are supported by a vehicle body frame 21, which will be described later, without using a shock absorber.

The vehicle body 2 includes a vehicle body frame 21 and a power unit 22. In FIG. 1, the vehicle body frame 21 is in an upright state. In the following description, when referring to FIG. 1, it is assumed that the vehicle body frame 21 is in an upright state. Note that the upright state of the vehicle body frame 21 means a state in which the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame 21 is the same as the vertical direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle body frame 21 supports the power unit 22 and the like. The vehicle body frame 21 includes a head pipe 211 and a main frame 212.

The head pipe 211 is located at the front of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1. When looking at the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 from the left, the upper part of the head pipe 211 is located behind the lower part of the head pipe 211 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21. A link mechanism 5 is arranged around the head pipe 211. A steering shaft 652, which will be described later, is rotatably inserted into the head pipe 211.

The main frame 212 is connected to the head pipe 211. The main frame 212 is located behind the head pipe 211 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame 21. Main frame 212 supports power unit 22. The rear end portion of the main frame 212 supports the rear wheel 4 rotatably about a wheel shaft 41 (rotation shaft).

The main frame 212 includes an upper frame 213 and an under frame 214.

The upper frame 213 extends from the head pipe 211 toward the rear wheel 4, behind the vehicle body frame 21 in the longitudinal direction, and below the vehicle body frame 21 in the vertical direction, when the vehicle body frame 21 is viewed from the left. The rear end portion of the upper frame 213 is branched into two parts located on the left and right sides of the rear wheel 4, respectively. That is, the upper frame 213 has an upper frame left rear end portion 213 a located to the left of the rear wheel 4 and an upper frame right rear end portion 213 b located to the right of the rear wheel 4 . The upper frame left rear end 213a and the upper frame right rear end 213b support the rear wheel 4 together with an underframe left rear end 214c and an underframe right rear end 214d, which will be described later. Power unit 22 is supported by upper frame 213.

The underframe 214 has an underframe front part 214a and an underframe rear part 214b. The underframe front portion 214a extends from the head pipe 211 to the rear of the vehicle body frame 21 in the longitudinal direction and below the vehicle body frame 21 in the vertical direction, when the vehicle body frame 21 is viewed from the left. A front end portion of the underframe front portion 214a is connected to the head pipe 211.

The underframe rear portion 214b extends rearward from the rear end of the underframe front portion 214a in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21. The rear end portion of the underframe rear portion 214b is branched into two parts located on the left and right sides of the rear wheel 4, respectively. That is, the underframe rear portion 214b has an underframe left rear end portion 214c located to the left of the rear wheel 4 and an underframe right rear end portion 214d located to the right of the rear wheel 4.

The left rear end portion 214c of the under frame is connected to the left rear end portion 213a of the upper frame. By connecting the under frame left rear end portion 214c and the upper frame left rear end portion 213a in this manner, the main frame left rear end portion 212a is configured. The right rear end portion 214d of the under frame is connected to the right rear end portion 213b of the upper frame. By connecting the under frame right rear end portion 214d and the upper frame right rear end portion 213b in this manner, the main frame right rear end portion 212b is configured. The main frame left rear end 212a and the main frame right rear end 212b support the rear wheel 4.

In this way, since the main frame 212 has the upper frame 213 and the under frame 214, the strength and rigidity of the main frame 212 can be improved. Note that when the height of the main frame in the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame is lowered, the main frame may include only an under frame.

The power unit 22 generates a driving force that causes the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 to travel. As shown in FIG. 1, the power unit 22 is located in front of the wheel axle 41 of the rear wheel 4 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21. Power unit 22 includes a battery 221 and a motor 222. In this embodiment, the motor 222 is disposed within the wheel 4a of the rear wheel 4. Electric power is supplied to the motor 222 from a battery 221 fixed to the upper frame 213 of the vehicle body frame 21 via a controller (not shown). The battery 221 also supplies power to electrical components such as lamps.

The controller controls the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 and controls the power supply from the battery 221 to the motor 222. That is, the controller has a vehicle control function and an inverter function. The controller controls the drive of the motor 222 when the driver operates a forward throttle device or a reverse operation button switch (not shown) provided on the handlebar 651, for example. Note that the controller may control the driving of electrical components of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the front portion of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 viewed from the front in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21. FIG. 4 is a rear view of the rear part of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 viewed from behind in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21. In FIGS. 2 and 4, the vehicle body frame 21 is in an upright state. In the following description, when referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, it is assumed that the vehicle body frame 21 is in an upright state.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pair of left and right front wheels 3 are located below the head pipe 211 and the link mechanism 5 in the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame 21. The pair of left and right front wheels 3 are supported by a left suspension section 61 and a right suspension section 62, which will be described later.

The rear wheel 4 is located between the left front wheel 31 and the right front wheel 32 when looking at the vehicle body frame 21 in the front-rear direction, and is located behind the left front wheel 31 and the right front wheel 32 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame 21. do. In this embodiment, the outer diameter of the rear wheel 4 is the same as or smaller than the outer diameter of the pair of left and right front wheels 3. The outer diameter of the rear wheel 4 may be larger than the outer diameter of the pair of left and right front wheels 3.

As shown in FIG. 2, the pair of left and right front wheels 3 includes a left front wheel 31 and a right front wheel 32. The left front wheel 31 is located to the left of a head pipe 211 that is a part of the vehicle body frame 21 in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 21 . The right front wheel 32 is located to the right of the head pipe 211 in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 21. That is, the left front wheel 31 and the right front wheel 32 are located side by side in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 21.

The left front wheel 31 is connected to the left suspension section 61. Specifically, the left front wheel 31 is connected to the lower part of the left suspension section 61. The left front wheel 31 is rotatably supported by the left suspension part 61 around a left axle 311 (rotation shaft). The left axle 311 is disposed below the left suspension portion 61 so as to extend in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 21 .

The front right wheel 32 is connected to the right suspension section 62. Specifically, the right front wheel 32 is connected to the lower part of the right suspension section 62. The right front wheel 32 is rotatably supported by the right suspension section 62 about a right axle 321 (rotation shaft). The right axle 321 is disposed below the right suspension part 62 so as to extend in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 21.

The link mechanism 5 is a parallel four-bar link (also called parallelogram link) type link mechanism.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the link mechanism 5 is located below the handlebar 651 in the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame 21. The link mechanism 5 is located above the left front wheel 31 and the right front wheel 32 in the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame 21.

The link mechanism 5 includes an upper cross portion 51, a lower cross portion 52, a left side portion 53, and a right side portion 54. The link mechanism 5 is not interlocked with the rotation of the steering shaft 652 about the intermediate steering axis Z as the handlebar 651 is operated. That is, the link mechanism 5 does not rotate relative to the vehicle body frame 21 about the intermediate steering axis Z. The configuration of the link mechanism 5 is similar to the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1 (International Publication No. 2020/111255). Therefore, detailed explanation of the link mechanism 5 will be omitted.

The part located on the left side of the link mechanism 5 is the left part. For example, the left portion includes a left side portion 53. The part located on the right side of the link mechanism 5 is the right part. For example, the right portion includes a right side portion 54 .

Similar to the link mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1, in the link mechanism 5 of this embodiment, the upper cross portion 51, the lower cross portion 52, the left side portion 53, and the right side portion 54 are connected to the upper cross portion 51 and the lower cross portion. It is supported by the vehicle body frame 21 so that the cross portion 52 maintains a mutually parallel posture, and the left side portion 53 and the right side portion 54 maintain a mutually parallel posture.

As shown in FIG. 2, the steering mechanism 6 includes a left suspension section 61, a right suspension section 62, a left bracket 63, a right bracket 64, a steering member 65, and a steering force transmission mechanism 66. Note that the configuration of the steering mechanism 6 is similar to that of the steering mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1. Therefore, a detailed description of the structure of the steering mechanism 6 will be omitted. Therefore, the steering operation of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 using the steering mechanism 6 is also similar to the steering operation disclosed in Patent Document 1, and therefore detailed explanation will be omitted.

The left suspension part 61 supports the left front wheel 31 with respect to the link mechanism 5. The left suspension portion 61 extends in the direction in which the intermediate steering axis Z extends. A lower end portion of the left suspension portion 61 supports the left front wheel 31. The upper end of the left suspension section 61 is fixed to the left bracket 63.

The right suspension part 62 supports the right front wheel 32 with respect to the link mechanism 5. The right suspension portion 62 extends in the direction in which the intermediate steering axis Z extends. A lower end portion of the right suspension portion 62 supports the right front wheel 32. The upper end of the right suspension section 62 is fixed to the right bracket 64.

The steering member 65 includes a handlebar 651 and a steering shaft 652.

The handlebar 651 is a rod-shaped member that extends in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 21. In the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 21, a central portion of the handlebar 651 is connected to an upper portion of a steering shaft 652. The handlebar 651 has a left grip part 651a and a right grip part 651b. The left grip portion 651a is located on the handlebar 651 to the left of the center of the vehicle body frame 21 in the left-right direction. The right grip portion 651b is located on the handlebar 651 to the right of the center of the vehicle body frame 21 in the left-right direction. The handlebar 651 is a handle of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1. The left grip part 651a and the right grip part 651b are grip parts.

The handlebar 651 is provided with a front wheel brake lever 114 and a rear wheel brake lever 124. That is, the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 has a front wheel brake lever 114 and a rear wheel brake lever 124. The front wheel brake lever 114 is provided on the left grip portion 651a. The rear wheel brake lever 124 is provided on the right grip portion 651b.

Although not particularly illustrated, the pair of front wheels 3 are provided with front wheel brakes that are activated by operating a front wheel brake lever 114. Further, although not particularly shown in the drawings, the rear wheel 4 is provided with a rear wheel brake that is activated by operating a rear wheel brake lever 124.

A portion of the steering shaft 652 is rotatably supported by the head pipe 211. The steering shaft 652 rotates about an intermediate steering axis Z (rotation axis) in accordance with the operation of the handlebar 651 by the driver.

As shown in FIG. 1, the steering shaft 652 includes a lower steering shaft portion 652a, a bent steering shaft portion 652b, and an upper steering shaft portion 652c.

A portion of the lower steering shaft 652a is rotatably supported by the head pipe 211, and extends from the head pipe 211 upward in the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame 21 and toward the rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21. That is, the lower part 652a of the steering shaft extends from the head pipe 211 located at the front of the vehicle body frame 21 in the direction in which the head pipe 211 extends. The direction in which the lower portion of the steering shaft 652a extends is the axial direction of the intermediate steering axis Z (see FIG. 8).

The upper steering shaft 652c extends from the upper end of the lower steering shaft 652a toward the front in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21 and toward the top in the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame 21. A handlebar 651 is connected to the upper end of the steering shaft upper portion 652c.

The steering shaft bent portion 652b is located between the upper end of the lower steering shaft 652a and the lower end of the upper steering shaft 652c. That is, the steering shaft bent portion 652b is a portion that is bent toward the front in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21 and upward in the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame 21 with respect to the steering shaft lower portion 652a.

The steering shaft 652 also includes an inner pipe 653 that constitutes a part of the steering shaft upper part 652c, and an outer pipe 654 that constitutes the remainder of the steering shaft upper part 652c, the steering shaft bent part 652b, and the steering shaft lower part 652a.

The upper part of the inner pipe 653 is connected to the handlebar 651. The lower part of the inner pipe 653 is located within the upper part of the outer pipe 654. As shown in FIG. 8, the lower portion of the outer pipe 654 constituting the lower steering shaft 652a extends in the direction in which the intermediate steering axis Z extends when the vehicle body frame 21 is viewed from the left. The upper part of the outer pipe 654 constituting the remainder of the steering shaft upper part 652c extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame 21 when the vehicle body frame 21 is viewed from the left. That is, the upper part of the outer pipe 654 is bent toward the front of the vehicle body frame 21 relative to the lower part of the outer pipe 654 when the vehicle body frame 21 is viewed from the left. A portion of the lower portion of the outer pipe 654 is rotatably supported by the head pipe 211.

The inner pipe 653 and the outer pipe 654 are fixed by the fixing member 131 with the lower part of the inner pipe 653 positioned within the outer pipe 654. This fixing member 131 is located at the upper end of the outer pipe 654. That is, the fixing member 131 is located at the upper part of the steering shaft 652c. The fixing member 131 holds the inner pipe 653 within the outer pipe 654 by applying a tightening force to the upper end of the outer pipe 654 in the radial direction.

Note that the configuration of the fixing member 131 may be such that the tightening force is generated by fastening a bolt, or may be configured to generate the tightening force using the principle of lever operation. That is, the fixing member 131 may have any configuration as long as it can fix the inner pipe 653 to the outer pipe 654.

In the steering shaft 652 having the above configuration, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, by changing the position of the inner pipe 653 with respect to the outer pipe 654 in the direction in which the inner pipe 653 extends, the length of the upper part 652c of the steering shaft can be changed. Can be changed. That is, the steering shaft 652 has a handle adjustment mechanism 13 that can adjust the position of the handlebar 651 by expanding and contracting the steering shaft upper part 652c in the direction in which the inner pipe 653 extends. In FIGS. 7 and 8, the direction in which the height of the handlebar 651 is changed is indicated by an outline arrow. Note that the steering shaft 652 does not need to include the handle adjustment mechanism 13.

Since the steering shaft 652 has the handlebar adjustment mechanism 13 in this way, the height of the handlebar 651 relative to the ground can be adjusted to the midpoint between the left front wheel 31 and the right front wheel 32 in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 21, as shown in FIG. The handle height H, which is the distance from M to the left grip part 651a (or right grip part 651b) of the handlebar 651 in the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame 21, can be changed. Note that the handle height H is the distance from the midpoint M to the upper end of the left grip portion 651a (or right grip portion 651b) in the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame 21. The midpoint M is on a line connecting the rotation centers of the left front wheel 31 and the right front wheel 32 when looking at the vehicle body frame 21 from the front with the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 standing upright, and on the left front wheel in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 21. 31 and the tread center T2 of the right front wheel 32, respectively.

Furthermore, since the steering shaft 652 has the handlebar adjustment mechanism 13 as described above, the offset amount of the handlebar 651 with respect to the intermediate steering axis Z of the steering shaft 652 can be adjusted in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21, as shown in FIG. Can be changed. This offset amount is the distance I between the upper end of the left grip portion 651a (or right grip portion 651b) and the extension line of the intermediate steering axis Z when the vehicle body frame 21 is viewed from the left. Note that the amount of offset of the handlebar with respect to the intermediate steering axis of the steering shaft may not be provided in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame. That is, the handlebar may be located on an extension of the intermediate steering axis of the steering shaft.

When the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 is stopped, the driver balances the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 in the left-right direction by moving the handlebar 651 in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 21. Movement of the handlebar 651 in the left and right direction is affected by the handle height H. Therefore, by adjusting the handle height H, it is possible to change the feeling of operating the handle bar 651 when moving the handle bar 651 in the left-right direction when the vehicle is stopped.

Furthermore, when the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 is running at an extremely low speed, the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 may be turned by rotating the handlebar 651 of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1. The rotation of the handlebar 651 is affected by the offset amount (distance I) of the handlebar 651 with respect to the steering shaft 652 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21. Therefore, by adjusting the offset amount, it is possible to change the operating feeling of the handlebar 651 when rotating the handlebar 651 while the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 is running at an extremely low speed.

The operation in which the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 tilts to the left or right is also similar to the tilt operation disclosed in Patent Document 1 mentioned above. Therefore, a detailed explanation of the operation in which the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 leans to the left or right will be omitted.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 viewed from above in the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame 21. In FIG. 3, the vehicle body frame 21 is in an upright state. In the following description, when referring to FIG. 3, it is assumed that the vehicle body frame 21 is in an upright state.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the load transmission mechanism 8 includes a left foot load transmission section 81, a right foot load transmission section 82, and a left and right connecting member 83.

The left foot load transmitting section 81 has a left foot resting section 811 and a left connecting section 812. At least a portion of the left foot rest part 811 is located behind the left front wheel 31.

The left foot rest part 811 has a left foot rest surface 811a on which the left foot of a standing driver is placed. The left connecting portion 812 connects the left foot resting portion 811 and the left side portion 53 of the link mechanism 5. As shown in FIG. 1 , the left connecting portion 812 extends from the left side portion 53 to the rear of the vehicle body frame 21 in the longitudinal direction and to the bottom of the vehicle body frame 21 in the vertical direction. A rear end portion of the left connecting portion 812 is connected to the left foot resting portion 811. The left foot load transmission section 81 is configured to be able to transmit the driver's load input via the left foot placement section 811 to the left side section 53 . Note that the left connecting portion may be integrated with the left side portion.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the right foot load transmitting section 82 includes a right foot resting section 821 and a right connecting section 822. At least a portion of the right foot rest 821 is located behind the right front wheel 32.

The right foot rest part 821 has a right foot rest surface 821a on which the right foot of the standing driver is placed. The right connecting portion 822 connects the right foot resting portion 821 and the right side portion 54 of the link mechanism 5. The right connecting portion 822 extends from the right side portion 54 to the rear of the vehicle body frame 21 in the longitudinal direction and to the bottom of the vehicle body frame 21 in the vertical direction. A rear end portion of the right connecting portion 822 is connected to the right foot resting portion 821. The right foot load transmitting section 82 is configured to be able to transmit the driver's load input through the right foot resting section 821 to the right side section 54 . Note that the right connecting portion may be integrated with the right side portion.

With the above configuration, the load applied to the left foot rest part 811 through the driver's left foot and the load applied to the right foot rest part 821 through the right foot of the driver are individually adjusted. The inclination of the can be controlled.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when the vehicle body frame 21 tilts to the left of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1, the left side portion 53 is located above the right side portion 54 in the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame 21. do. FIG. 5 is a front view of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 in a state where the body frame 21 is tilted to the left, viewed from the front of the body frame 21. FIG. 6 is a rear view of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 in a state where the body frame 21 is tilted to the left, as seen from behind the body frame 21. In addition, in FIGS. 5 and 6, the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 is shown with the cover etc. removed for the sake of explanation.

When a load is applied to the left side part 53 by the left foot through the left foot rest part 811, a force is applied to the left side part 53 to displace the vehicle body frame 21 downward. Thereby, in the left-right direction of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1, it is possible to suppress the vehicle body frame 21 from tilting to the left.

Conversely, when the vehicle body frame 21 leans to the right of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1, the right side portion 54 is located above the left side portion 53 in the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame 21. When a load is applied by the right foot to the right side portion 54 through the right foot rest portion 821, a force that causes the vehicle body frame 21 to be displaced downwardly acts on the right side portion 54. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the vehicle body frame 21 from tilting to the right in the left-right direction of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1.

When the vehicle body frame 21 tilts to the left or right from an upright state, the normal direction of the left foot rest part 811 to the resting surface and the normal direction of the right foot rest part 821 to the resting surface change. However, the angle between the direction in which the head pipe 211 extends (the direction in which the intermediate steering axis Z extends) and the placement surface of the left foot placement section 811 and the placement surface of the right foot placement section 821 does not change. That is, the normal direction of the left foot rest part 811 to the resting surface and the normal direction of the right foot rest part 821 to the resting surface are always the same as the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame 21.

The left-right connecting member 83 connects the left foot rest part 811 and the right foot rest part 821 in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 21 below the vehicle body frame 21. In the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 21 , the center portion of the left-right connecting member 83 is rotatably supported around the under frame 214 by a rotation support portion (not shown) fixed to the lower part of the under frame 214 of the vehicle body frame 21 . ing. Therefore, the left-right connecting member 83 tilts in the vertical direction in accordance with the vertical movement of the left foot rest 811 and the right foot rest 821 in the up-down direction of the vehicle body frame 21 .

As a result, the left foot rest part 811 and the right foot rest part 821 move up and down in conjunction with each other according to the load input of the left foot to the left foot rest part 811 or the load input of the right foot to the right foot rest part 821. Therefore, by inputting the load of the left foot to the left foot rest part 811 or the load of the right foot to the right foot rest part 821 as described above, it is possible to easily suppress the left or right inclination of the vehicle body frame 21.

Although not particularly shown, the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 may have a tilt suppression mechanism that suppresses the left and right tilts of the link mechanism 5. The tilt suppression mechanism includes, for example, a member connected to the vehicle body frame 21 and a member connected to the link mechanism 5, and is configured to suppress relative movement of both members. The tilt suppression mechanism may be provided at the front, center, or rear of the vehicle body frame 21, or may be provided at the link mechanism 5. The tilt suppression mechanism is switched between an operating state in which the link mechanism 5 is prevented from tilting to the left and right, and a non-operating state in which the link mechanism 5 is allowed to tilt to the left and right, for example, by the driver's operation of an operator. It will be done.

Since the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 has the above-mentioned inclination suppression mechanism, when the driver gets on the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1, the left and right inclinations of the link mechanism 5 can be suppressed by the inclination suppression mechanism. Can be done. Therefore, the driver can easily place his left foot on the left foot rest part 811 of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1, and can also easily place his right foot on the right foot rest part 821.

By operating the operator of the tilt suppression mechanism, at least one of the front wheel brake or the rear wheel brake (not shown) may also be activated. Thereby, the operator also functions as a parking brake operator. Note that the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 may have a separate parking brake operator. Further, another operator in the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 may function as a parking brake operator.

(saddle)
Below, the configuration of the saddle 9 will be explained in detail using FIGS. 1 and 8.

The saddle 9 is connected to the main frame 212 by a seat post 91. That is, one end of the seat post 91 is connected to the saddle 9. The other end of the seat post 91 is connected to the main frame 212 via a base portion 95.

The seat post 91 is configured to be able to expand and contract in length in the direction of the axis P. Specifically, the seat post 91 includes an inner pipe 911 and an outer pipe 912. One end of the outer pipe 912 is connected to the main frame 212. One end of the inner pipe 911 is connected to the saddle 9. The other end of the inner pipe 911 is inserted into the other end of the outer pipe 912.

The inner pipe 911 is movable in the axial direction with respect to the outer pipe 912 while being inserted into the outer pipe 912. By adjusting the axial position of the inner pipe 911 with respect to the outer pipe 912, the position of the saddle 9 with respect to the main frame 212 can be adjusted. Thereby, the height position of the saddle 9 can be adjusted.

The inner pipe 911 and the outer pipe 912 are fixed by a fixing member (not shown) with the lower part of the inner pipe 911 positioned within the outer pipe 912. This fixing member is located, for example, at the upper end of the outer pipe 912. The fixing member holds the inner pipe 911 within the outer pipe 912, for example, by applying a tightening force to the upper end of the outer pipe 912 in the radial direction.

Note that the configuration of the fixing member may be such that the tightening force is generated by fastening a bolt, or may be configured to generate the tightening force using the principle of lever operation. That is, the fixing member may have any configuration as long as it can fix the inner pipe 911 to the outer pipe 912.

Furthermore, the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 has a saddle deformation mechanism 140 that can deform the seat post 91 so as to change the position of the saddle 9. As shown in FIG. 8, the seat post 91 is mounted in the front or rear direction of the vehicle body frame 21 as shown by a dashed-dotted line arrow R96 via a hinge portion 96 having a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 21. It is rotatably connected to the base portion 95. The saddle 9 is rotated in the direction in which the front portion 9a of the saddle 9 approaches the seat post 91, or the saddle 9 The front portion 9a of the seat is connected to the seat post 91 so as to be rotatable in the direction of moving away from the seat. The hinge portion 96 and the rotation mechanism 97 constitute a saddle deformation mechanism 140.

Details of the saddle deformation mechanism 140 will be described later.

(Handle deformation mechanism)
In addition to FIGS. 1 and 9, the handle deformation mechanism 100 will be described using FIGS. 10, 11A, and 11B. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which the steering shaft 652 and the seat post 91 are folded in the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1. FIG. 10 is an external view of the front two-wheel lean vehicle showing the handle deformation mechanism 100 before and after deformation. 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating details of the handle deforming mechanism 100 before and after deformation. Specifically, FIG. 11A is an enlarged view of the X1 portion shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 11B is an enlarged view of the X2 portion shown in FIG. 9. In addition, in FIG. 10, the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 in the vehicle non-use state after transformation is shown by a solid line, and the steering shaft 652, saddle 9, etc. of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 in the vehicle non-use state before transformation are indicated by one point. Indicated by chain lines.

The steering wheel deformation mechanism 100 is a mechanism for folding the steering shaft 652. By folding the steering shaft 652 using the steering wheel deformation mechanism 100, the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 shifts from the vehicle use state shown by the dashed line in FIG. 10 to the vehicle non-use state shown by the solid line in FIG.

The vehicle usage state is, for example, a state in which the steering shaft 652 is not folded, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. That is, the vehicle usage state is a state in which a driver is riding on the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1, or a state in which the driver is ready to drive the front two-wheel lean vehicle.

The vehicle non-use state is, for example, a state in which the steering shaft 652, which is a part of the vehicle body 2, is folded, as shown in FIG. That is, the vehicle non-use state means a state in which the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 cannot be driven immediately. The vehicle non-use state thus includes a state in which a portion of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 is deformed for parking, storage, or storage of the front two-wheel lean vehicle. In addition, in such a deformed state, it is also possible to move the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 by towing or transporting the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1.

The steering wheel deformation mechanism 100 is provided at the lower part of the steering shaft 652a. The handle deformation mechanism 100 is provided between the lower part 105 of the lower steering shaft 652a and the upper part 106 of the lower steering shaft 652a.

The lower part 105 of the lower steering shaft 652a is supported by the head pipe 211. The upper part 106 of the steering shaft lower part 652a is located above the lower part 105 in the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame 21.

The handle deformation mechanism 100 includes a first member 101, a second member 102, a hinge portion 103, and a lock member 104.

The first member 101 is connected to the lower part 105 of the steering shaft lower part 652a.

The second member 102 is connected to the upper part 106 of the lower part 652a of the steering shaft. In the case of a vehicle use state in which the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 is used, the second member 102 is located above the first member 101 in the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame 21. The first member 101 and the second member 102 are connected via a hinge portion 103 having a rotation axis P1. That is, the first member 101 and the second member 102 are relatively rotatable about the rotation axis P1 extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 21. In this way, the first member 101, the second member 102, and the hinge portion 103 constitute a hinge mechanism of the handle deforming mechanism 100.

The second member 102 rotates relative to the first member 101 around the rotation axis P1 of the hinge portion 103 in a direction that moves the upper portion 106 of the lower steering shaft 652a from the back to the front in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21. (the direction of the dashed-dotted line arrow R11 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11A). The second member 102 also moves the upper part 106 of the steering shaft lower part 652a from the front to the rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21 with respect to the first member 101 about the rotation axis P1 of the hinge part 103. (in the direction of the dashed-dotted line arrow R12 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11A).

The moving parts of the steering shaft 652 that are moved by the operation of the hinge mechanism are the upper part 106 of the lower steering shaft 652a, the bent part 652b of the steering shaft, and the upper part 652c of the steering shaft.

In the following, a state in which the lower part 105 and the upper part 106 of the steering shaft lower part 652a are aligned on the intermediate steering axis Z of the steering shaft 652 as shown in FIG. ” As shown in the figure, when the hinge mechanism is closed, the lower part 105 and the upper part 106 of the lower part 652a of the steering shaft are also aligned on the intermediate steering axis Z of the steering shaft 652.

Furthermore, a state in which the second member 102 is moved to a position off the intermediate steering axis Z of the steering shaft 652 due to rotation of the second member 102 as shown in FIG. 11B is expressed as a "state in which the hinge mechanism is open". do.

When the vehicle is in use, the hinge mechanism described above is in a closed state. Further, when the hinge mechanism is in the closed state, the rotation of the first member 101 and the second member 102 can be restricted by the lock member 104. Thereby, the state in which the lower part 105 and the upper part 106 of the steering shaft lower part 652a are aligned on the intermediate steering axis Z of the steering shaft 652 can be maintained.

Further, when the second member 102 rotates in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21 (in the direction of the dashed-dotted line arrow R12 shown in FIG. 11A) with the locking member 104 unlocking the hinge mechanism, the second member 102 rotates about the rotation axis P1. , the hinge mechanism as shown in FIG. 11B described above is in an open state.

As shown in FIG. 11B, when the hinge mechanism of the handle deformation mechanism 100 is in the open state, the movable portion of the steering shaft 652 is folded backwards in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21 with respect to the vehicle body frame 21. The state will be as follows. The state in which the movable portion of the steering shaft 652 is folded backward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21 is an example of a vehicle non-use state in which the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 is not used.

The handle deformation mechanism 100 is located above the link mechanism 5 in the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame 21 and is provided on the steering shaft 652.

With the above-described configuration of the handle deformation mechanism 100, the steering shaft 652 can be deformed without deforming the link mechanism 5. Therefore, without complicating the configuration of the handle deformation mechanism 100, it is possible to realize a lean front two-wheel vehicle 1 that can be stored and transported compactly in a state where the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 is not used.

In this manner, the steering wheel deforming mechanism 100 adjusts the steering wheel so that the movable portion of the steering shaft 652 is folded backward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21 with respect to the vehicle body frame 21 when the vehicle is not in use. Shaft 652 is deformed. Therefore, the projected area of the occupied space defined by the outer shape of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 when viewed from the front and rear directions of the vehicle body frame 21 is smaller than when the vehicle is in use.

The steering wheel deformation mechanism 100 deforms the steering shaft 652 so that the handlebar 651 is located away from the movable range of the link mechanism 5 when the vehicle is not in use.

The above configuration can prevent the handlebar 651 from interfering with the link mechanism 5 when the steering shaft 652 is deformed by the handle deformation mechanism 100 when the vehicle is not in use. Therefore, the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 can be made compact when the vehicle is not in use, without being affected by the operating state of the link mechanism 5.

The steering wheel deforming mechanism 100 deforms the steering shaft 652 so that the relative distance between the left front wheel 31 or the right front wheel 32 and the movable portion of the steering shaft 652 that moves due to the deformation of the steering wheel deforming mechanism changes.

The relative distance is, for example, from the upper end portion of the vehicle body frame 21 in the vertical direction to the connecting portion of the moving portion of the steering shaft 652 and the handlebar 651 in the outer peripheral portion of the left front wheel 31 or the right front wheel 32. means the shortest distance. In other words, the connecting portion between the movable portion of the steering shaft 652 and the handlebar 651 is the upper end of the upper portion of the steering shaft 652c. From another point of view, the upper end of the steering shaft upper part 652c, which is a part of the moving part, is the part farthest from the left front wheel or a part of the right front wheel.

As shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 9, when the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 is in use, the upper end of the steering shaft upper part 652c is located at the top of the steering shaft 652 in the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame 21. As shown by the solid line in FIG. 9, when the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 is not in use, the steering wheel deformation mechanism 100 causes the moving portion of the steering shaft 652 to move between the vehicle body frame 21 and the vehicle body frame 21, as described above. It is folded backwards in the front-back direction. Therefore, the upper end of the steering shaft upper part 652c moves rearward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, the relative distance D2 when the vehicle is not in use is shorter than the relative distance D1 when the vehicle is in use, which is indicated by a dashed line.

In the above configuration, the steering shaft 652 can be deformed by the steering wheel deformation mechanism 100 so that the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 becomes compact.

(Vehicle occupied space deformation suppression mechanism)
The vehicle occupied space deformation suppression mechanism 130 suppresses the deformation of the occupied space of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 by restricting the left and right inclinations of the body frame 21 caused by the link mechanism 5 when the vehicle is not in use. .

As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the vehicle occupied space deformation suppressing mechanism 130 includes a base portion 135, a support portion 136, and an upper cross portion fixing portion 137.

The base portion 135 fixes a support portion 136 and an upper cross portion fixing portion 137, which will be described later, to the upper portion 106 of the lower steering shaft portion 652a.

The support portion 136 extends rearward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21 when the vehicle is in use. The support portion 136 supports an upper cross portion fixing portion 137, which will be described later, with respect to the base portion 135. Further, the support portion 136 has a rotation axis P2 extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 21. The support portion 136 is attached to the base portion 135 so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame 21 (in the direction of dashed-dotted line arrows R21 and R22 shown in FIG. 11B) about the rotation axis P2.

The upper cross section fixing part 137 locks the operation of the upper cross section 51 when the vehicle is not in use. In this way, the upper cross section fixing part 137 restricts the left and right tilt of the body frame 21 caused by the link mechanism 5.

Specifically, when the movable portion of the steering shaft 652 is folded backwards in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21, the support portion 136 of the upper cross portion fixing portion 137 is folded backward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21. When it rotates in front of (in the direction of the dashed-dotted arrow R21 shown in FIG. 11B), it comes into contact with the lower part of the upper cross section 51, thereby locking the operation of the upper cross section 51.

(Saddle deformation mechanism)
The operations of the hinge portion 96 and the rotation mechanism 97 that constitute the saddle deformation mechanism 140 will be described using FIG. 8. The seat post 91 is fixed to the base part 95 by a fixing member (not shown) so that bending of the body frame 21 to the rear in the longitudinal direction is restricted when the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 is used. has been done. The saddle 9 is fixed to the seat post 91 by a fixing member (not shown) so that rotation about the rotation axis of the rotation mechanism 97 is restricted when the vehicle is in use.

When shifting the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 from the vehicle use state to the vehicle non-use state, after releasing the fixation of the seat post 91 by the fixing member of the hinge part 96, the seat post 91 is moved from the rotation axis of the hinge part 96 to It is bent backward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21 at the center (see also FIG. 8). Further, after releasing the fixation of the saddle 9 by the fixing member of the rotation mechanism 97, the saddle 9 is rotated in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the seat post 91 around the rotation axis of the rotation mechanism 97 (see also FIG. 8). ). Furthermore, the seat post 91 is reduced in length by moving the aforementioned inner pipe 911 in the axial direction with respect to the outer pipe 912.

As shown above using FIGS. 1 to 10, the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment leans to the left when turning to the left, and leans to the right when turning to the right. It is a vehicle. The front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 includes a body frame 21, a left front wheel 31, a right front wheel 32, a handlebar 651, a steering shaft 652, a head pipe 211, a rear wheel 4, a link mechanism 5, and a handle deformed. It has a mechanism 100 and a vehicle occupied space deformation suppressing mechanism 130. The left front wheel 31 is located to the left of the vehicle body frame 21 in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 21 . The right front wheel 32 is located to the right of the vehicle body frame 21 in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 21 . The handlebar 651 has a left grip part 651a and a right grip part 651b that are gripped by the driver riding the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1. The steering shaft 652 is connected to the handlebar 651 and rotates together with the handlebar 651 about a rotation axis to steer the left front wheel 31 and the right front wheel 32. The head pipe 211 is located at the front of the vehicle body frame 21 and supports the steering shaft 652 rotatably about the rotation axis. The rear wheel 4 is located behind the left front wheel 31 and the right front wheel 32. The link mechanism 5 is supported by the front portion of the vehicle body frame 21, and allows the vehicle body frame 21 to tilt to the left and right in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 21. The handle deformation mechanism 100 has a projected area when the space occupied by the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 is viewed in one of the longitudinal direction, the left-right direction, or the vertical direction when the vehicle is not in use and the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 is not in use. The steering shaft 652 is arranged between the vehicle usage state and the vehicle non-use state so that the projected area is smaller than the projected area when the occupied space is viewed in the one direction in the vehicle usage state where the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 is used. Transform. The vehicle occupied space deformation suppression mechanism 130 suppresses the deformation of the occupied space of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 by restricting the left and right inclinations of the body frame 21 caused by the link mechanism 5 when the vehicle is not in use. .

With the above configuration, when the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 is not in use and the vehicle is not in use, the steering shaft 652 can be deformed by the steering wheel deformation mechanism 100 so that the space occupied by the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 becomes smaller. Thereby, the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 can be stored or transported in a compact manner when the vehicle is not in use. Moreover, the vehicle occupied space deformation suppression mechanism 130 restricts the left and right inclinations of the body frame 21 caused by the link mechanism 5 when the vehicle is not in use, thereby preventing the deformation of the occupied space of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1. suppress. Therefore, for example, the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 can be moved with the steering shaft 652 deformed when the vehicle is not in use. Thereby, the degree of freedom in storing the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 can be improved.

[Embodiment 2]
FIG. 12 is a left side view showing a schematic configuration of a front two-wheel lean vehicle 1A according to the second embodiment. The front two-wheel lean vehicle 1A of this embodiment differs from the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 of the first embodiment in that it includes a vertical installation mechanism 150. In the following, configurations similar to those in Embodiment 1 are given the same reference numerals and explanations are omitted, and only portions that are different from Embodiment 1 will be explained.

As shown in FIG. 12, the vertical placement mechanism 150 includes a support portion 151 and auxiliary wheels 152. One end of the support portion 151 is connected to the handle deformation mechanism 100. The other end of the support portion 151 is connected to the auxiliary wheel 152.

The auxiliary wheel 152 is rotatably supported by the support portion 151 around an axle shaft 153 extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 21.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the steering shaft 652 and the seat post 91 are folded in the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1A according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13, when the hinge mechanism of the steering wheel deformation mechanism 100 is in the open state, a portion of the steering shaft 652 is folded backward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21 with respect to the vehicle body frame 21. becomes. Accordingly, the vertical placement mechanism 150 connected to the handle deformation mechanism 100 moves upward in the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame 21. Specifically, the auxiliary wheels 152 of the vertical arrangement mechanism 150 swing around the rotation axis of the hinge mechanism of the handle deformation mechanism 100. Thereby, the auxiliary wheel 152 is located above the vehicle body frame 21 in the vertical direction relative to each member other than the auxiliary wheel 152 of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1A. Furthermore, each member of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1A is located behind the vehicle body frame 21 in the longitudinal direction with respect to the tangent line K of the auxiliary wheels 152 and the front wheels 3.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a state in which the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1A according to the second embodiment is placed vertically. As shown in FIG. 14, by placing the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1A in a posture such that the auxiliary wheels 152 of the vertically placed mechanism 150 and the front wheels 3 are in contact with the ground G, the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1A can be placed vertically. state. In the vertically placed state of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1A shown in FIG. 14, the projected area when the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1A is viewed from above and below is smaller than the projected area before the vertically placed state shown in FIG. . Thereby, the degree of freedom in storing the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1A can be improved.

Furthermore, as described above, when the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1A is placed vertically, the auxiliary wheels 152 and the front wheels 3 of the vertically placed mechanism 150 are in contact with the ground G. Further, each member of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1A is located above the ground G. Therefore, the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1A can be moved horizontally with respect to the ground by the auxiliary wheels 152 and the front wheels 3 of the vertical mechanism 150.

Therefore, by using the auxiliary wheels 152 and the front wheels 3, it is possible to more easily move the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1A that is placed vertically.

In this specification, the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1A is not only moved horizontally on the ground G, but also when the posture of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 is changed with respect to the ground G. It is included in the movement of the lean vehicle 1A.

[Embodiment 3]
FIG. 15 is a left side view showing a schematic configuration of a front two-wheel lean vehicle 200 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 16 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 200. FIG. 17 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a front two-wheel lean vehicle. In the front two-wheel lean vehicle 200 of the third embodiment, the configuration of the link mechanism 205 is different from the configuration of the link mechanism 5 of the first embodiment. Note that the configuration of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 200 illustrated in FIG. 15 is simplified compared to the configuration of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1. The steering wheel deformation mechanism 100 is also provided in such a front two-wheel lean vehicle 200. In the following, components having the same functions as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, explanations of the components will be omitted, and only components that are significantly different from the first embodiment will be described.

The link mechanism 205 is a parallel four-bar link (also called a parallelogram link) type link mechanism. As shown in FIG. 13, the link mechanism 205 has a link mechanism front part 205a located at the front of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 200, and a link mechanism rear part 205b extending rearward from the link mechanism front part 205a. . The front link mechanism 205a and the rear link mechanism 205b constitute a parallel four-bar link. In FIGS. 16 and 17, a portion of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 200 that constitutes the link mechanism 205 is schematically shown with a dashed-dotted line.

As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the link mechanism front portion 205a is located below the handlebar 651 in the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame 21. The link mechanism front portion 205a is located above the left front wheel 31 and the right front wheel 32 in the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame 21.

The link mechanism front section 205a includes a front cross section 252, a left side section 253, and a right side section 254. The link mechanism front portion 205a is not interlocked with the rotation of the steering shaft 652 about the intermediate steering axis Z due to the operation of the handlebar 651. That is, the link mechanism front portion 205a does not rotate relative to the vehicle body frame 21 about the intermediate steering axis Z.

The front cross portion 252 extends in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 21. As shown in FIG. 17, the front cross section 252 includes a front cross front section 2521, a front cross rear section 2522, and front

cross connection sections

2523 and 2524. The front cross front portion 2521 is located in front of the head pipe 211 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21. The front cross rear portion 2522 is located behind the head pipe 211 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21. The front cross front portion 2521 and the front cross rear portion 2522 each extend in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 21.

As shown in FIG. 17, the front

cross connecting parts

2523 and 2524 respectively connect the front cross front part 2521 and the front cross rear part 2522 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21.

In the front cross portion 252 of this embodiment, the front cross front portion 2521, the front cross rear portion 2522, and the front

cross connection portions

2523, 2524 are integrally formed.

As shown in FIG. 16, the middle portion of the front cross section 252 is rotatably connected to the head pipe 211. That is, the front cross portion 252 is rotatable with respect to the head pipe 211 around the front intermediate connection axis CI (intermediate axis) extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21.

The left end portion of the front cross portion 252 is rotatably connected to the left side portion 253. That is, the front cross portion 252 is rotatable with respect to the left side portion 253 around the front left connecting axis CL (left axis) extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21 .

The right end portion of the front cross portion 252 is rotatably connected to the right side portion 254. That is, the front cross portion 252 is rotatable with respect to the right side portion 254 about the front right connection axis CR (right axis) extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame 21 .

The front intermediate connection axis CI, the front right connection axis CR, and the front left connection axis CL extend parallel to each other. The front intermediate connection axis CI, the front right connection axis CR, and the front left connection axis CL are located above the left front wheel 31 and the right front wheel 32 in the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame 21.

A left foot load transmission section 281 of the load transmission mechanism 208 is connected to the lower part of the left side section 253. Specifically, the front end portion of the left foot load transmitting portion 281 is connected to the lower portion of the left side portion 253.

The left foot load transmitting section 281 has a left foot resting section 2811, a left foot load receiving frame front section 2812a, and a left foot load receiving frame rear section 2812b. The left leg load receiving frame front portion 2812a extends from the left side portion 253 to the rear of the vehicle body frame 21 in the front-rear direction and to the bottom of the vehicle body frame 21 in the vertical direction. The left foot load receiving frame rear portion 2812b extends rearward in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame 21 from the lower end of the left foot load receiving frame front portion 2812a. In this embodiment, the left foot load receiving frame front portion 2812a and the left foot load receiving frame rear portion 2812b are integrally formed.

The left leg load receiving frame rear part 2812b supports a flat left leg resting part 2811. That is, the left leg load receiving frame rear part 2812b extends below the left leg resting part 2811 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame 21. The left leg load receiving frame rear part 2812b is connected to the lower part of the left leg rest part 2811.

A right foot load transmission section 282 of the load transmission mechanism 208 is connected to the lower part of the right side section 254. Specifically, the front end of the right leg load transmitting section 282 is connected to the lower part of the right side section 254.

The right foot load transmitting section 282 includes a right foot resting section 2821, a right foot load receiving frame front section 2822a, and a right foot load receiving frame rear section 2822b. The right foot load receiving frame front portion 2822a extends from the right side portion 254 to the rear of the vehicle body frame 21 in the front-rear direction and to the bottom of the vehicle body frame 21 in the vertical direction. The right foot load receiving frame rear portion 2822b extends rearward in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame 21 from the lower end of the right foot load receiving frame front portion 2822a. In this embodiment, the right foot load receiving frame front portion 2822a and the right foot load receiving frame rear portion 2822b are integrally formed.

The right leg load receiving frame rear part 2822b supports a flat right leg resting part 2821. That is, the right foot load receiving frame rear part 2822b extends below the right foot resting portion 2821 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame 21. The right leg load receiving frame rear part 2822b is connected to the lower part of the right leg resting part 2821.

The left foot load receiving frame rear portion 2812b and the right foot load receiving frame rear portion 2822b are connected in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 21 by a left-right connecting portion 283. The left end portion of the left-right connecting portion 283 is connected to the rear end portion of the left foot load receiving frame rear portion 2812b. The left end portion of the left-right connecting portion 283 is rotatable with respect to the left foot load transmitting portion 281 around a rear left connecting axis RL extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame 21 . The right end portion of the left and right connecting portion 283 is connected to the rear end portion of the right foot load receiving frame rear portion 2822b. The right end portion of the left and right connecting portion 283 is rotatable with respect to the right leg load transmitting portion 282 around the rear right connecting axis RR extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame 21 .

The center portion of the left-right connecting portion 283 in the left-right direction is rotatable with respect to the under frame 214 about the rear intermediate connecting axis RI extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame 21.

As a result, when the left leg load receiving frame rear part 2812b and the right leg load receiving frame rear part 2822b move in the vertical direction of the vehicle body frame 21, the left and right connecting portions 283 rotate relative to the under frame 214 about the rear intermediate connecting axis RI. do. Therefore, the left leg load transmitting section 281, the right leg load transmitting section 282, and the left/right connecting section 283 function as part of a link mechanism. That is, the left leg load transmitting section 281, the right leg load transmitting section 282, and the left/right connecting section 283 constitute the link mechanism rear part 205b.

The left foot load receiving frame rear part 2812b is a part of the left foot load transmitting part 281, and the right foot load receiving frame rear part 2822b is a part of the right foot load transmitting part 282. Therefore, the vertical movement of the left foot load receiving frame rear portion 2812b and the right foot load receiving frame rear portion 2822b described above is transmitted to the left side portion 253 and right side portion 254 of the link mechanism front portion 205a.

Therefore, the left leg load transmitting section 281, the right leg load transmitting section 282, and the left/right connecting section 283 constitute the link mechanism 205 together with the previously described link mechanism front section 205a. The left and right connecting portions 283 function as a rear cross portion of the link mechanism 205.

In the link mechanism 205, when looking at the front two-wheel lean vehicle 200 in the left-right direction, the left-right connecting portion 283 is located behind the front cross portion 252 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21. In the link mechanism 205, when the front two-wheel lean vehicle 200 is viewed from above, the front cross portion 252 and the left and right connecting portions 283 are arranged at positions that do not overlap in the front-rear direction, that is, at different positions in the front-rear direction.

Furthermore, in the link mechanism 205, when the front two-wheel lean vehicle 200 is viewed from the front, the front cross portion 252 and the left and right connecting portions 283 are arranged at positions that do not overlap in the vertical direction, that is, at different positions in the vertical direction. The front cross portion 252 is located above the left and right connecting portions 283 when the front two-wheel lean vehicle 200 is viewed in the front-rear direction. The left-right connecting portion 283 is located below the left axle 311 of the left front wheel 31 and the right axle 321 of the right front wheel 32 when the front two-wheel lean vehicle 200 is viewed in the left-right direction.

As in this embodiment, when the link mechanism 205 has a link mechanism front section 205a and a link mechanism rear section 205b, the number of cross sections in the link mechanism front section 205a is equal to the number of cross sections in the link mechanism 5 of the first embodiment. It can be reduced compared to the number. As a result, the lengths of the left side portion 253 and right side portion 254 of the link mechanism front portion 205a of the link mechanism 205 are made smaller than the lengths of the left side portion 53 and right side portion 54 of the link mechanism 5 of the first embodiment. , can be shortened.

The front two-wheel lean vehicle 200 having the above-described configuration also includes a saddle 9 and a seat post 91, similar to the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 of the first embodiment. That is, in the front two-wheel lean vehicle 200, the saddle 9 is connected to the vehicle body frame 21 via the seat post 91. The configurations of the saddle 9 and seat post 91 are similar to those of the first embodiment.

Thereby, it is possible to secure the distance between the saddle 9 and the handlebar 651 in the front-rear direction, and the distance between the steering shaft 652 and the seat post 91 in the front-rear direction can be increased as it goes upward. Therefore, the degree of freedom of the riding posture of the driver seated on the saddle 9 can be increased.

In the front two-wheel lean vehicle 200 having the load transmission mechanism 208, the driver, while seated on the saddle 9, applies a load to the left foot rest part 2811 and the right foot rest part 2821 of the load transmission mechanism 208. The load is transmitted to the link mechanism 205. Thereby, the driver can smoothly tilt the vehicle body frame 21 to the left or right.

In such a front two-wheel lean vehicle 200, as described above, by increasing the degree of freedom of the riding posture of the driver seated on the saddle 9, the driver can move the left footrest 2811 of the load transmission mechanism 208. A posture in which a load is applied to the right foot rest portion 2821 can be easily realized. Therefore, since the driver can feel the turning of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 200 while driving the front two-wheel lean vehicle 200, the driver's sense of control of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 200 can be enhanced. can. Therefore, in the front two-wheel lean vehicle 200 having the load transmission mechanism 208, the driver's driving feeling can be further enhanced.

Similar to the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 of Embodiment 1, the front two-wheel lean vehicle 200 may be configured to be able to adjust the vertical positions of the saddle 9 and the handlebar 651.

Note that the front two-wheel lean vehicle 200 may be provided with the saddle 109 and seat post 191 of the second embodiment.

[Other embodiments]
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the embodiments described above are merely examples for implementing the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented by appropriately modifying the embodiments described above without departing from the spirit thereof.

FIG. 18 is a left side view of a front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 in which a luggage storage section 110 is provided at the front of the vehicle. FIG. 19 is a front view of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1, in which the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 is provided with the luggage storage section 110 at the front of the vehicle and is tilted to the left, as seen from the front. As shown in FIG. 18, the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 may include a luggage storage section 110 supported by the lower cross section 52 of the link mechanism 5. For example, the lower part of the luggage storage section 110 may be supported by a support section 111 connected to the lower cross section 52. The luggage storage section 110 may be, for example, a basket, a case, or a flat plate.

As shown in FIG. 19, even when the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 is tilted to the left, the luggage storage section 110 supported by the lower cross section 52 of the link mechanism 5 remains parallel to the ground. That is, the luggage storage section 110 is always parallel to the ground, regardless of the attitude of the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1. Thereby, even if the front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 tilts in the left-right direction, the luggage stored in the luggage storage section 110 can be prevented from tilting.

The front two-wheel lean vehicle 1 may be configured such that at least one of the front wheels 3 or the rear wheels 4 is removable. Although not particularly illustrated, for example, at least one of the left axle 311 of the left front wheel 31, the right axle 321 of the right front wheel 32, or the wheel axle 41 of the rear wheel 4 is configured to be easily attachable to and detachable from the vehicle body frame 21. You can. Specifically, at least one of the left axle 311, the right axle 321, or the wheel axle 41 may be provided with a protrusion whose presence or absence of protrusion can be switched by pressing a button. The removable configuration of at least one of the left axle 311, the right axle 321, or the wheel axle 41 may have other configurations.

The width of the rear wheel 4 may be larger than the width of the front wheel 3. The front wheels 3 and the rear wheels 4 may be fat tires.

In each of the embodiments described above, the saddles 9, 109 and the handlebars 651 are movable in the vertical direction. However, either the saddle or the handlebars may be movable in the vertical direction. The seat post may be composed of one member, or may be composed of three or more members connected together. The steering shaft may be composed of one member, or may be composed of three or more members connected together.

In each of the embodiments described above, the seat posts 91 and 191 extend from the vehicle body frame 21 toward the rear and above of the vehicle body frame 21. However, the seat post may extend from the vehicle body frame toward the top of the vehicle body frame, or may extend from the vehicle body frame toward the front and top of the vehicle body frame.

In each of the embodiments described above, the motor 222 of the power unit 22 is provided at the rear wheel 4. However, the motor may also be provided at the front wheel.

In each of the embodiments described above, the

load transmission mechanism

8, 208 is capable of transmitting a load to the

left side portion

53, 253 of the

link mechanism

5, 205 via the left

foot rest portion

811, 2811, and the right foot rest portion 821, A load can be transmitted to the

right side portion

54, 254 of the

link mechanism

5, 205 via the link mechanism 2821. However, even if the load transmission mechanism is capable of transmitting a load to the left side part of the link mechanism via the right foot rest part, and is also capable of transmitting the load to the right side part of the link mechanism via the left foot rest part, good. Further, the load transmission mechanism may be capable of transmitting a load to a portion other than the left side portion as long as it is located on the left side of the link mechanism. The load transmission mechanism may be capable of transmitting a load to a portion other than the right side portion as long as it is located on the right side of the link mechanism.

In each of the above embodiments, the left

foot rest parts

811, 2811 are connected to the

left side parts

53, 253 of the

link mechanisms

5, 205 by the left connecting part 812 or the left foot load receiving frame, and the right

foot rest parts

821, 2821 are connected to the

left side parts

53, 253 of the

link mechanisms

5, 205. It is connected to the

right side portions

54, 254 of the

link mechanisms

5, 205 by the right connecting portion 822 or the right foot load receiving frame. However, the configurations of the left foot rest part and the right foot rest part are not limited to those of the embodiment described above, and may be fixed to the vehicle body frame, for example.

In each of the embodiments described above, in the front two-wheel

lean vehicle

1, 100, 200, the main frame 212 includes an upper frame 213 and an under frame 214. However, the main frame may have either an upper frame or an under frame, or may have three or more frames.

In the first embodiment, the link mechanism 5 has an upper cross portion 51 located behind the head pipe 211. However, the link mechanism may have a front upper cross section in front of the rear upper cross section and the head pipe.

In the first and second embodiments, the link mechanism 5 includes an upper cross portion 51 and a lower cross portion 52 whose intermediate portions are rotatably supported by the head pipe 211 in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 21. In the third embodiment, the link mechanism 205 includes a front cross portion 252 whose intermediate portion is rotatably supported by the head pipe 211 in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame 21 . However, the linkage may have other configurations.

In each of the embodiments described above, the front two-wheel

lean vehicle

1, 100, 200 is not provided with a rear arm that supports the rear wheels 4. However, the front two-wheel lean vehicle may have a rear arm that supports the rear wheels.

In each of the embodiments described above, the front two-wheel

lean vehicles

1, 100, and 200 are not provided with a shock absorber that elastically supports the front wheels 3 and the rear wheels 4 in a displaceable manner. However, the front wheels of a lean vehicle may be supported by a shock absorber. The rear wheels of the front two-wheel lean vehicle may be supported by a shock absorber.

In each of the embodiments described above, the handle deformation mechanism 100 has a hinge mechanism using a hinge portion 103. However, the handle deformation mechanism may have a structure other than the hinge mechanism. For example, the handle deformation mechanism may have a bayonet structure. For example, the handle deformation mechanism may be integrated with the handle adjustment mechanism.

Although not particularly described in each of the above embodiments, the vehicle occupied space deformation suppressing mechanism may be a separate member from the tilt suppressing mechanism, or may be an integral member. That is, when the vehicle occupied space deformation suppressing mechanism is configured as an integral member with the tilt suppressing mechanism, the vehicle occupied space deformation suppressing mechanism deforms the steering shaft by the operation of the operator and the steering wheel deforming mechanism described above. The link mechanism may be configured to be switched between an operating state that suppresses left and right inclinations of the link mechanism and a non-operating state that allows left and right inclinations of the link mechanism. The vehicle occupied space deformation suppressing mechanism is configured to suppress the deformation of the occupied space of the front two-wheel lean vehicle by regulating the left and right inclinations of the vehicle body frame by the link mechanism. It may have a configuration other than that of the embodiment.

In each of the embodiments described above, the front two-wheel

lean vehicle

1, 1A, 200 is provided with a saddle 9 as a seat on which the driver sits. However, the front two-wheel lean vehicle does not need to have a saddle and a saddle deformation mechanism. Further, although the front two-wheel lean vehicle has a saddle, it does not need to have a saddle deformation mechanism.

In the embodiment, the steering wheel deformation mechanism 100 deforms the steering shaft 652 between the vehicle use state and the vehicle non-use state. However, the handle deformation mechanism may deform the head pipe. Further, the steering wheel deformation mechanism may deform both the steering shaft and the head pipe.

In the embodiment described above, the steering shaft 652 is deformed by the steering wheel deformation mechanism 100 so that a portion of the steering shaft 652 is folded backward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21 with respect to the vehicle body frame 21. Although not particularly described in the above embodiment, the front two-wheel lean vehicle has a part of the steering shaft folded back in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21, and the steering shaft It may have a structure that allows a part of it to be fixed to the base. That is, the base portion of the seat post has a handle fixing portion for fixing the handle when a portion of the steering shaft is folded backward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body frame 21. You can. This allows the steering shaft to be held in a deformed state.

In the embodiment, the saddle deformation mechanism 140 includes a hinge portion 96 that can bend the seat post 91. However, the saddle deformation mechanism may have a configuration in which the seat post can be inserted into the base instead of the hinge. For example, the saddle deformation mechanism may be configured to be able to further reduce the length of the seat post in the axial direction by inserting the seat post into the base. Further, in the saddle deformation mechanism, the seat post may be fixed to the base portion by a fixing member. The saddle deformation mechanism has a configuration in which when the front two-wheel lean vehicle is transferred from a vehicle use state to a vehicle non-use state, the fixation by the fixing member is released and the seat post can be inserted into the base portion. You can.

1, 1A, 200 Front two-wheel lean vehicle 2 Vehicle body 3 Front wheel 4 Rear wheel 4a Wheel 5, 205 Link mechanism 6 Steering mechanism 8, 208 Load transmission mechanism 9, 109 Saddle 9a Front part 100 Handle deformation mechanism 101 First member 102 Second member 103 Hinge part 104 Lock member 105 Lower part 106 Upper part 114 Front wheel brake lever 124 Rear wheel brake lever 13 Handle adjustment mechanism 130 Vehicle occupied space deformation suppressing mechanism 135 Base part 136 Support part 137 Upper cross part fixing part 131 Fixing member 140 Saddle deformation Mechanism 150 Vertical mechanism 151 Support part 152 Auxiliary wheels 21 Body frame 205a Link mechanism front part 205b Link mechanism rear part 211 Head pipe 212 Main frame 212a Main frame left rear end 212b Main frame right rear end 213 Upper frame 213a Upper frame left Rear end part 213b Upper frame right rear end part 214 Under frame 214a Under frame front part 214b Under frame rear part 214c Under frame left rear end part 214d Under frame right rear end part 22 Power unit 221 Battery 222 Motor 252 Front cross part 2521 Front cross front Section 2522 Front cross rear part 2523, 2524 Front cross connection part 2812a Left leg load receiving frame front part 2812b Left leg load receiving frame rear part 2822a Right leg load receiving frame front part 2822b Right leg load receiving frame rear part 31 Left front wheel 311 Left axle (rotation axis)
32 Right front wheel 321 Right axle (rotating shaft)
41 Wheel axis (rotating axis)
51 Upper cross section (cross section)
52 Lower cross section (cross section)
53, 253

Left side part

54, 254 Right side part 61 Left suspension part 62 Right suspension part 63 Left bracket 64 Right bracket 65 Steering member 651 Handlebar 651a Left grip part (grip part)
651b Right grip part (grip part)
652 Steering shaft 652a Steering shaft lower part 652b Steering shaft bent part 652c Steering shaft upper part 653 Inner pipe 654 Outer pipe 66 Steering

force transmission mechanism

81, 281 Left foot

load transmission part

811, 2811 Left foot rest part 811a Left foot rest surface 812

Left connecting member

82, 282 Right foot

load transmission part

821, 2821 Right foot resting part 821a Right foot resting surface 822 Right connecting

member

83, 283 Left and right connecting member 91, 191 Seat post 911, 191a Inner pipe 912, 191b Outer pipe 95 Base 96 Hinge part 97 Rotation mechanism 110 Baggage storage section 111 Support section Z Intermediate steering axis (rotation axis)
CI Front intermediate connection axis (intermediate axis)
CL Front left connection axis (left axis)
CR Front right connection axis (right axis)

Claims

A front two-wheel lean vehicle that leans to the left when turning left and leans to the right when turning right,
car body frame,
a left front wheel located to the left of the vehicle body frame in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame;
a right front wheel located to the right of the vehicle body frame in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame;
a handle having a grip portion that is gripped by a driver riding the front two-wheel lean vehicle;
a steering shaft that is connected to the handle and rotates together with the handle around a rotation axis to steer the left front wheel and the right front wheel;
a head pipe located at the front of the vehicle body frame and rotatably supporting the steering shaft about the rotation axis;
a rear wheel located behind the left front wheel and the right front wheel;
a link mechanism supported by a front portion of the vehicle body frame and allowing the vehicle body frame to tilt to the left and right in the left-right direction of the vehicle body frame;
When the vehicle is not in use and the front two-wheel lean vehicle is not in use, the projected area of the space occupied by the front two-wheel lean vehicle when viewed in one of the front-rear direction, left-right direction, or vertical direction is When using a lean vehicle with two front wheels, at least one of the steering shaft or the head pipe is configured so that the projected area of the occupied space is smaller than the projected area when viewed in the one direction when the vehicle is in use using a lean vehicle. a handle deformation mechanism that deforms the vehicle between the vehicle use state and the vehicle non-use state;
a vehicle occupied space deformation suppressing mechanism that suppresses deformation of the occupied space of the front two-wheel lean vehicle by restricting leftward and rightward inclinations of the vehicle body frame by the link mechanism when the vehicle is not in use;
has,
Front two wheel lean vehicle.
In the front two-wheel lean vehicle according to claim 1,
The handle deformation mechanism is located above the link mechanism and is provided on the head pipe or steering shaft.
Front two wheel lean vehicle.
In the front two-wheel lean vehicle according to claim 2,
The handle deformation mechanism deforms at least one of the steering shaft and the head pipe so that the handle is located away from a movable range of the link mechanism when the vehicle is not in use.
Front two wheel lean vehicle.
The front two-wheel lean vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The steering wheel deformation mechanism is configured to adjust the steering shaft so that a relative distance between the left front wheel or the right front wheel and a moving portion of at least one of the steering shaft or the head pipe that moves due to deformation of the handle deformation mechanism changes. and deforming the head pipe;
Front two wheel lean vehicle.
The front two-wheel lean vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
saddle and
a seat post connecting the saddle to the vehicle body frame;
a saddle deformation mechanism that deforms the seat post to change the position of the saddle;
further having,
Front two wheel lean vehicle.