Tilting vehicle provided with steerable rear wheels

• US 20040100059A1
• Filed: 06/26/2003
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brinks Westmaas B.V.
• Original Assignee: Brinks Westmaas B.V.
• Inventors: Van Den Brink, Christopher Ralph, Kroonen, Hendrik Marinus
• Granted Patent: US 6,863,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/124.103
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 21/007 means for adjusting the wheel inclination
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/10 Independent suspensions
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/46 camber angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/135 Stabiliser bar and/or tube
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/312 The spring being a wound spring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/122 Trikes
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 9/02 combined with means for inwardly inclining vehicle body on bends
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/027 Motorcycles with three wheels specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/023
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/10 with means for inwardly inclining the vehicle body on bends

Abstract

The invention relates to a tilting vehicle (1) with a front frame section (2) having a longitudinal axis (8), a driver'"'"'s seat (7) and one or more wheels (4) that are able to turn about a front wheel steering axis (5) located transversely to the longitudinal axis (8). The vehicle has a rear frame section (3) with two wheels (14, 15) that is connected to the front frame section (2) such that it can tilt. The vehicle can also be provided with a tilting device (9), that can be operated by the driver, for relative tilting of the front and rear frame sections (2, 3). A sensor (12) measures, for example, a force or a movement on the front wheel (4) for controlling the tilting device (9). The rear wheels (14, 15) of the rear frame section (3) can be turned about a rear wheel steering axis (19, 20) located transversely to the longitudinal axis or can be tilted about a rear wheel tilt axis (17, 18) located essentially in the direction of the longitudinal axis (8) in order to prevent oscillations of the vehicle (1) at relatively high speeds.

Claims

1. Tilting vehicle (1) comprising a front frame section (2), having a longitudinal axis (8), a driver'"'"'s seat (9) and one or more wheels (4) that are able to turn about a front wheel steering axis (5) located transversely to the longitudinal axis (8), and a rear frame section (3) with two wheels (14, 15) that is connected to the front frame section such that it can tilt about a tilt axis (8′

) located essentially in the direction of the longitudinal axis, characterised in that the wheels (14, 15) of the rear frame section (3) can be turned about a rear wheel steering axis (19, 20) located essentially transversely to the longitudinal axis (8) or can be tilted about a rear wheel tilt axis (17, 18) located essentially in the direction of the longitudinal axis (8).

2. Tilting vehicle (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the wheels (14, 15) of the rear frame section (3) are each connected to the rear frame section (3) via a respective essentially vertically oriented rear wheel steering axis (19, 20).

3. Tilting vehicle (1) according to claim 2, characterised in that the wheels (14, 15) of the rear frame section (3) are each provided with a steering arm (24) that is located transversely to the rear wheel steering axis (19, 20) and is connected by a free end, via a respective track rod (25, 26), to a crank arm (27) that is connected to the front frame section (2) such that it can turn about the longitudinal axis (8), and which extends transversely to the longitudinal axis (8) and is turned about the longitudinal axis (8) by the front frame section (2) on tilting of the front frame section (2) about the tilt axis (8′

).

4. Tilting vehicle (1) according to claim 3, characterised in that the steering arm (24) is attached by a second end, via a first joint (28′

), to a transverse arm (29, 30) that is essentially parallel to the corresponding track rod (25, 26) and that is connected via a second joint (32, 32) to the rear frame section (3).

5. Tilting vehicle (1) according to claim 4, characterised in that the transverse arms (29, 30) of the rear wheels (14, 15) are each connected via a rotary joint (33′

) to a longitudinal guide (33) that extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis (8).

6. Tilting vehicle (1) according to claim 5, characterised in that the longitudinal guides (33) for each parallel arm (29, 30) are connected to one another by a torsion bar (36) located transversely to the longitudinal direction (8).

7. Tilting vehicle (1) according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterised in that the rear wheel steering axes (19, 20) are not perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (8), are each independently suspended on the rear frame section (3) and are each provided with a shock absorber (22, 23).

8. Tilting vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the vehicle is provided with a tilting device (9) that can be activated by a driver and is connected on the one hand to the front frame section (2) and on the other hand to the rear frame section (3) for relative tilting of the frame sections about the tilt axis (8′

), and a sensor (12) producing a control signal, as a function of the relative tilting of the front and rear frame sections, for control of the tilting device (9).