Motor Vehicle with Limited Angle of Inclination

• US 20080197597A1
• Filed: 07/07/2005
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David Moulene, Thierry Moulene
• Original Assignee: David Moulene, Thierry Moulene
• Inventors: Moulene, Thierry, Moulene, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,607,695 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 2300/13 Small sized city motor vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/45 Rolling frame vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/3022 along longitudinal axis
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/183 specially adapted for sports vehicles, e.g. race, dune buggies, go-karts tubular skeleton B62D23/005
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 31/003 compact cars, e.g. city cars
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 17/086 Frame mounted hoods specially adapted for motorcycles or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2005/001 Suspension details for cycles with three or more main road wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/01 Motorcycles with four or more wheels specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/003
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/10 with means for inwardly inclining the vehicle body on bends

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle (1) of the type with four wheels (10), which consists of: a driver'"'"'s cab which is only large enough to accommodate one person widthways and which is solidly connected to a chassis comprising a driver protection structure (4); and means for balancing the vehicle when negotiating bends and/or on surfaces that are inclined in relation to the horizontal, by inclining the chassis and the two front wheels simultaneously. The vehicle also comprises inclination-locking means which are actuated automatically when the vehicle is stopped or travelling at a reduced speed. The inventive vehicle further comprises means for limiting the angle of inclination to a maximum value such that, when stopped, the vehicle does not tilt.

Claims

1-11. -11. (canceled)

12. A motor vehicle of the type having four wheels, comprising:

a driver'"'"'s seat contained in a cabin that accommodates in width only one person, said cabin being mounted on a chassis comprising a driver protection structure,

balancing means connected to said chassis for balancing the vehicle when cornering or when on ground sloping relative to the horizontal, by simultaneous inclination of the chassis and of at least the front wheels of said vehicle relative to the ground, while allowing the vehicle to incline at an angle of inclination whose value differs from the ideal inclination value, and preferably less, while maintaining vehicle balance, the ideal angle of inclination being such that the resultant of the forces applied to the center of gravity of the vehicle (or of its inclinable part) passes through the longitudinal axis of symmetry of the support polygon of the vehicle,

means for locking said inclination when the vehicle is at rest or moving at reduced speed, which means intervene automatically, when the vehicle slows to a predetermined threshold speed, to lock the inclination in the current position,

and means for limiting the inclination to a maximum value such that, on horizontal ground and at said maximum inclination, the vehicle at rest does not roll over.

13. A vehicle as claimed in claim 12 wherein that said balancing means comprise a servomechanism controlling said inclination of said chassis and of said wheels.

14. A vehicle as claimed in claim 13 wherein said servomechanism forms further the means of locking said inclination.

15. A vehicle as claimed in claim 12, in which said balancing means comprise means for varying, as a function of the speed of the vehicle, the magnitude of the force the driver has to exert to bring about said inclination, said function being such that at low speeds the force is greater than at high speeds.

16. A vehicle as claimed in claim 12 wherein said balancing means comprise a cam pivoted at one end to the chassis, and two damper springs, each having one end attached on one or other side of the chassis to one of the axle arms while the other ends of the two damper springs are pivoted directly to the cam.

17. A vehicle as claimed in claim 16 wherein said springs are attached to either of said axle arms close to the respective wheel and pivoted to the cam in such a way that the axis of each of said damper springs is retained along a vertical direction.

18. A vehicle as claimed in claim 12 wherein said balancing means comprise on the one hand means for detecting the residual transverse acceleration to which the vehicle is subject and on the other hand means for locking the inclination of the vehicle as a function of the residual transverse acceleration and at least in the direction of this residual transverse acceleration.

19. A vehicle as claimed in claim 12 wherein said limiting means comprise means for varying the maximum inclination as a function of the speed of the vehicle in such a way that at low speeds the maximum inclination is less than at high speeds.

20. A vehicle as claimed in claim 12, further comprising righting means for righting the vehicle if it is not in the vertical position.

21. A vehicle as claimed in claim 12, comprising means available to the driver for releasing on demand said inclination-locking means, thereby enabling the vehicle to be restored to the vertical position at rest.

22. A vehicle as claimed in claim 12, as equipped with at least one sliding door occupying less space around the vehicle when opened, avoiding the risk of vehicle roll-over.

23. A vehicle as claimed in claim 12 wherein said cabin comprises a front seat and a rear seat, one placed behind the other, to accommodate a driver in front and a passenger behind, each of the two seats having a horizontal squab and a seat back (22, 16), and wherein the back of the driver'"'"'s seat pivots about an axis so that it can be placed against the body to enable said passenger to enter said rear seat.

24. A vehicle as claimed in claim 18, comprising a front seat and a rear seat, one placed behind the other, to accommodate a driver in front and a passenger behind, each of the two seats having a horizontal squab and a seat back, wherein the back of the rear seat can be moved translationally and placed against the back of the front seat if the passenger is not present, in order to free up more storage space in the rear of the vehicle.

25. A vehicle according to claim 24, wherein the back of the rear seat is advantageously fitted with a tray hinged to the rear of the seat back between a position in which it forms a floor for a luggage space covering said horizontal squab of the rear seat when the back of said rear seat is placed against the back of said front seat, and a position in which said tray is placed against the back of the seat back.