Motorized vehicle

• US 20040238239A1
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kuroiwa, Kenji, Wakitani, Tsutomu, Hanafusa, Jitsumi, Inui, Tsutomu
• Granted Patent: US 7,073,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/6.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2036 Electric differentials, e.g. for supporting steering vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 11/04 by means of separate power sources
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 11/183 Control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 51/04 the driver walking
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2204/00 Adaptations for driving cycles by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/01 Motorcycles with four or more wheels specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/003
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/00 Programme-control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A motorized vehicle has a vehicle body, at least a pair of wheels mounted on the vehicle body for undergoing rotation to cause the motorized vehicle to undergo travelling, and a pair of electric motors each mounted on the vehicle body to selectively undergo forward and reverse rotation to rotationally drive a respective one of the wheels. A first switch is connected to the electric motors so that operation of the first switch causes the electric motors to undergo rotation simultaneously in opposite directions to turn the motorized vehicle in a first direction while the motorized vehicle does not undergo travelling. A second switch is connected to the electric motors so that operation of the second switch causes the electric motors to undergo rotation simultaneously in opposite directions to turn the motorized vehicle in a second direction opposite to the first direction while the motorized vehicle does not undergo travelling.

Claims

1-4. -4. (canceled).

5. A motorized vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body having a front end and a rear end;

a left driving wheel and a right driving wheel mounted on the vehicle body for undergoing rotation to cause the motorized vehicle to undergo travelling;

a left electric motor and a right electric motor mounted on the vehicle body for independently rotating the left and right driving wheels, respectively, at variable speeds; and

a plurality of actuators for effecting simultaneously driving of the left and right electric motors in opposite directions to turn the motorized vehicle while the motorized vehicle does not undergo travelling, the actuators comprising a left spot turn switch connected to the left and right electric motors and manually operable to cause the left electric motor to rotate in a reverse direction and the right electric motor to rotate in a forward direction, and a right spot turn switch connected to the left and right electric motors and manually operable to cause the right electric motor to rotate in the reverse direction and the left electric motor to rotate in the forward direction.

6. A motorized vehicle according to claim 5;

further comprising an operator control panel mounted to the vehicle body and containing the left and right spot turn switches.

8. A motorized vehicle according to claim 5;

further comprising a pair of left and right crawler belts driven by the left and right driving wheels, respectively.

7. (canceled).

9. A motorized vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body;

at least a pair of wheels mounted on the vehicle body for undergoing rotation to cause the motorized vehicle to undergo travelling;

a pair of electric motors each mounted on the vehicle body to selectively undergo forward and reverse rotation to rotationally drive a respective one of the wheels;

a first switch connected to the electric motors and operative when activated to cause the electric motors to undergo rotation simultaneously in opposite directions to turn the motorized vehicle in a first direction while the motorized vehicle does not undergo travelling; and

a second switch connected to the electric motors and operative when activated to cause the electric motors to undergo rotation simultaneously in opposite directions to turn the motorized vehicle in a second direction opposite to the first direction while the motorized vehicle does not undergo travelling.

10. A motorized vehicle according to claim 9;

wherein the pair of electric motors comprises a first electric motor and a second electric motor; and

wherein operation of the first switch causes the first electric motor to undergo reverse rotation and the second electric motor to undergo forward rotation, and operation of the second switch causes the second electric motor to undergo reverse rotation and the first electric motor to undergo forward rotation.

11. A motorized vehicle according to claim 9;

further comprising a pair of crawler belts each entrained around a respective one of the wheels.

12. A motorized vehicle according to claim 9;

further comprising an operator control panel mounted to the vehicle body and containing the first and second switches.