VARIABLE WHEEL POSITIONING VEHICLE
First Claim
1. A variable wheel positioning vehicle comprising:
- a vehicle body with a center of gravity;
a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted with respect to the vehicle body;
a suspension device operatively arranged between the wheels and the vehicle body;
a steering mechanism operatively coupled to the suspension device to change a direction of at least one of the wheels with respect to the vehicle body;
a drive device operatively coupled to drive at least one of the wheels;
a wheel position changing mechanism operatively coupled to the suspension device to move the suspension device along a movement path with respect to the vehicle body and to hold the suspension device at any position along the movement path; and
a wheel position control device operatively coupled to the wheel position changing mechanism to issue a movement command to the wheel position changing mechanism that changes a wheel positioning distance between a center rotation axis of one of the wheels and the center of gravity of the vehicle body as measured in a direction parallel to an acceleration direction of the center of gravity of the vehicle body based on a traveling condition the vehicle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A variable wheel positioning vehicle has a wheel position changing mechanism and a wheel position control device to change a wheel position of a wheel with respect to a center of gravity of a vehicle body. The wheel position changing mechanism is arranged to move a suspension device along a movement path with respect to the vehicle body and to hold the suspension device at any position along the movement path. The wheel position control device issues a movement command to the wheel position changing mechanism that changes a wheel positioning distance between a center rotation axis of one of the wheels and the center of gravity of the vehicle body as measured in a direction parallel to an acceleration direction of the center of gravity of the vehicle body based on a traveling condition the vehicle.
25 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A variable wheel positioning vehicle comprising:
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a vehicle body with a center of gravity; a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted with respect to the vehicle body; a suspension device operatively arranged between the wheels and the vehicle body; a steering mechanism operatively coupled to the suspension device to change a direction of at least one of the wheels with respect to the vehicle body; a drive device operatively coupled to drive at least one of the wheels; a wheel position changing mechanism operatively coupled to the suspension device to move the suspension device along a movement path with respect to the vehicle body and to hold the suspension device at any position along the movement path; and a wheel position control device operatively coupled to the wheel position changing mechanism to issue a movement command to the wheel position changing mechanism that changes a wheel positioning distance between a center rotation axis of one of the wheels and the center of gravity of the vehicle body as measured in a direction parallel to an acceleration direction of the center of gravity of the vehicle body based on a traveling condition the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A variable wheel positioning vehicle comprising:
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vehicle body means for forming a vehicle cabin with a center of gravity; wheel means for rotatably supporting with respect to the vehicle body means; wheel position changing means for move the wheel means along a movement path with respect to the vehicle body means and to hold the wheel means at any position along the movement path; and wheel position control means for controlling the wheel position changing means to change a wheel positioning distance between a center rotation axis of the wheel means and the center of gravity of the vehicle body means as measured in a direction parallel to an acceleration direction of the center of gravity of the vehicle body means based on a traveling condition the vehicle.
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Specification