Three-Wheel Vehicle

• US 20070256882A1
• Filed: 05/05/2006
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bombardier Recreational Products Incorporated (Bombardier Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Bombardier Recreational Products Incorporated (Bombardier Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bedard, Bruno, Duval, Dany
• Application Number:
  US11/381,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20070256882A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/312
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 19/46 Luggage carriers forming part of frame luggage carriers per se B62J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/027 Motorcycles with three wheels specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/023
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/05 characterised by a single rear wheel

Abstract

An three-wheel vehicle including a modular front structure having a storage compartment therein. The modular front structure is adapted to be mounted onto the chassis of the three-wheel vehicle and to support bodywork elements thereby providing ease of assembly of the vehicle and ease of disassembly for packaging the vehicle.

Claims

1. - A three-wheel vehicle comprising:

a frame having a front portion and a rear portion;

an engine supported by the frame;

a front left wheel and a front right wheel, each connected to the front portion of the frame via a front suspension;

a single rear wheel connected to the rear portion of the frame via a rear suspension, at least one of the wheels being operatively connected to the engine;

a steering assembly supported by the frame and operatively connected to the front left wheel and the front right wheel;

a straddle seat disposed on the frame, and

a modular front structure removably mounted to the front portion of the frame via a plurality of anchoring points, the modular front structure located between the front left wheel and the front right wheel;

the modular front structure including a plurality of attachment points for securing at least one component of the three-wheel vehicle to the modular front structure.

2. - A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the modular front structure is a molded component including reinforcement elements to increase a load bearing capacity of the modular front structure.

3. - A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 2, wherein the reinforcement elements include lattice structures.

4. - A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the modular front structure includes a cavity therein defining a storage compartment.

5. - A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 4, wherein the modular front structure includes a top portion having an opening giving access to the storage compartment, a width of the storage compartment being wider than a width of the opening.

6. - A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the modular front structure includes a top portion and a bottom portion, the bottom potion being permanently affixed to the top portion to form the modular front structure.

7. - A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the front left wheel and the front right wheel each have a center and a line passing through the centers of both front wheels defining a front wheel axis;

the modular front structure being located forward of the front wheel axis.

8. - A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one aerodynamic components of the three-wheel vehicle is secured to at least one of the plurality of attachment points of the modular front structure.

9. - A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein an access panel is movably connected to the modular front structure for covering the top portion of the modular front structure and closing the opening.

10. - A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein components of the three-wheel vehicle secured to the modular front structure are fairing elements.

11. - A modular structural storage box for a vehicle, the modular structural storage box comprising a plurality of anchoring points for mounting to the vehicle and a plurality of attachment points for securing bodywork components of the vehicle thereto;

the modular structural storage box being a molded component including reinforcement elements to increase a load bearing capacity of the modular structural storage box.

12. - A three-wheel vehicle having a length, the three-wheel vehicle comprising:

a frame having a front portion and a rear portion;

an engine supported by the frame;

a front left wheel and a front right wheel, each connected to the front portion of the frame via a front suspension;

a single rear wheel connected to the rear portion of the frame via a rear suspension, at least one of the wheels being operatively connected to the engine;

a steering assembly supported by the frame and operatively connected to the front left wheel and the front right wheel;

a straddle seat disposed on the frame, and

a removable modular front structure mounted to the front portion of the frame via a plurality of anchoring points, the modular front structure located between the front left wheel and the front right wheel;

the modular front structure including a cavity therein defining a storage compartment and at least one front fairing component of the three-wheel vehicle secured thereto;

when the removable modular front structure is removed from the front portion of the frame, the length of the three-wheel vehicle is shortened to extend from the single rear wheel to the front wheels such that the three-wheel vehicle is adapted to be packaged.

13. - A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 12, wherein the front wheels are removable such that when the removable modular front structure is removed from the front portion of the frame and the front wheels are removed, the length of the three-wheel vehicle is shortened to extend from the single rear wheel to the front portion of the frame.