COAXIAL TWO-WHEELED VEHICLE

• US 20100250040A1
• Filed: 10/20/2008
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamano, Ikuo
• Application Number:
  US12/739,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20100250040A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 11/007 Automatic balancing machines with single main ground engaging wheel or coaxial wheels supporting a rider

Abstract

When a traveling direction is defined as a roll axis, a coaxial two-wheeled vehicle in accordance with the present invention realizes a turning action by a tilting movement of a turning operation portion toward the roll direction. The turning operation portion is disposed between legs of a passenger and has a structure that does not restrain a movement of the leg in forward/backward directions of the vehicle. Further, knee pad portions or calf pad portions are provided in a part of the turning operation portion, and come into contact with the knee or calf of the passenger so that a turning operation is performed.

Claims

1. A coaxial two-wheeled vehicle that, when a traveling direction is defined as a roll axis, realizes a turning action by a tilting movement of a turning operation portion toward the roll direction,

wherein the turning operation portion is disposed between legs of a passenger and has a structure that does not restrain a movement of the leg in forward/backward directions of the vehicle, and

a portion of the turning operation portion comes into contact with the leg of the passenger so that a turning operation is performed, and

a step portion which is rotatable in the roll direction in conjunction with the turning operation portion and on which the passenger rides is supported on the vehicle main body which supports the turning operation portion in such a manner that the turning operation portion is rotatable in the roll direction.

2. The coaxial two-wheeled vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the turning operation portion comes into contact with the passenger at a knee pad portion disposed at a height of a knee of the passenger.

3. The coaxial two-wheeled vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the turning operation portion comprises an operation bar that supports the knee pad portion from beneath, and an adjustment portion that adjusts a length of the operation bar.

4. The coaxial two-wheeled vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the knee pad portion comprises a grip for use in getting on/off that can be grasped by a passenger on a front side in the traveling direction.

5. The coaxial two-wheeled vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising a getting-off switch that stops a posture control of a vehicle in the vicinity of the grip for use in getting on/off.

6. The coaxial two-wheeled vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the turning operation portion comes into contact with the passenger at a calf pad portion disposed at a height of a calf of the passenger.

7. The coaxial two-wheeled vehicle according to claim 6,

wherein the calf pad portion is formed in the vicinity of an upper end portion of a ring-shaped member that extends upward from the vicinity of the vehicle main body and bends backward.

8. The coaxial two-wheeled vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the turning operation portion comes into contact with the passenger at a saddle portion which is provided on an upper end of the turning operation portion and on which the passenger can sit.

9. The coaxial two-wheeled vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the turning operation portion comprises an operation bar that supports the saddle portion from beneath, and an adjustment portion that adjusts a length of the operation bar.

10. The coaxial two-wheeled vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pair of wheels that are disposed on the same axis on both sides in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the vehicle main body and rotatably supported on the vehicle main body;

a wheel driving unit to independently and rotationally drive the pair of wheels; and

a control unit to control rotational driving of wheels by the wheel driving unit according to a tilting movement of the turning operation portion in the roll direction.

12. The coaxial two-wheeled vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the knee pad portion comprises a grip for use in getting on/off that can be grasped by a passenger on a front side in the traveling direction.

13. The coaxial two-wheeled vehicle according to claim 12, further comprising a getting-off switch that stops a posture control of a vehicle in the vicinity of the grip for use in getting on/off.

11. (canceled)