MULTIPLE WHEEL VEHICLE

• US 20110254238A1
• Filed: 01/12/2010
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kinya Kanou
• Original Assignee: Kinya Kanou
• Inventors: Kanou, Kinya
• Granted Patent: US 8,376,372 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/5.509
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2005/001 Suspension details for cycles with three or more main road wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/025 power-driven
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/10 with means for inwardly inclining the vehicle body on bends

Abstract

A multiple wheel vehicle according to the present invention enables to incline freely the two wheels together with the vehicle body while keeping the ground contacting pressures of the two wheels equal. The multiple wheel vehicle comprises a pair of swinging arms 4 each comprising one-side end portion supported pivotably with right and left support shaft portions 3A and an interlocking device 6 for interlocking them alternately up-and-down. The interlocking device 6 comprises a pair of tilted members 17, a divertible member 19, and a cord-like body 20 connecting them. Each of the tilted members 17 comprises a first circular surface part 21 that has a center of a circular arc as a shaft center 3i of the support shaft portion 3A, and tiltably supported integrally with the swinging arm 4. The above-mentioned divertible member 19 is provided on the right and left and on one-side and another-side with one-side and another-side second circular surface parts 26 which has a center of the circular arc as a second shaft center 18i which is in the direction perpendicular to each of the above-mentioned first shaft centers 3i, respectively. The above-mentioned cord-like body 20 comprises one-side cord-like part 20L connecting the first and second circular surface parts 21 on the one-side and other-side cord-like part 20R connecting the first and second circular surface parts 21 on the other-side.

Claims

1. A multiple wheel vehicle with two wheels on a front wheel side and/or a rear wheel side, wherein

the multiple wheel vehicle comprises

one-side and another-side swinging arms, wherein each of the swinging arms comprises

one-side end portion supported pivotably with each of right and left support shaft portions supported with a frame and extending on the same shaft center line and

another-side end portion tilted up-and-down freely,

a wheel mounted on the other-side end portion of each of the one-side and other-side swinging arms, and

an interlocking device for interlocking the tilting motion of the one-side and other-side swinging arms alternately up-and-down;

said interlocking device comprises

a tilted member

comprising a first circular surface part which has a center of a circular arc as a first shaft center which is the shaft center of said support shaft portion and

fixed on the each swinging arm and enabling tilting around the first shaft center integrally with the swinging arm,

a change-direction member provided on the right and left and on one-side and another-side with one-side and another-side second circular surface parts, each of which has a center of the circular arc as a second shaft center which is in the direction perpendicular to each of said first shaft centers, and

a cord-like body comprising

one-side cord-like part connecting the first and second circular surface parts on the one-side and

another-side cord-like part connecting the first and second circular surface parts on the other-side;

each of the one-side and other-side cord-like parts comprises

a joint part extending in a Z-axis direction perpendicular to said first and second shaft centers and extending along a tangential line of the first circular surface part and the second circular surface part,

a winding part connecting to the joint part and terminating by winding unwindably around the first circular surface part,

a twining part connecting to the joint part and twining around the second circular surface part; and

each of said twining part terminates by winding unwindably around each of said second circular surface parts.

3. The multiple wheel vehicle as set forth in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said change-direction member comprises a single second shaft center, and circular surface parts formed on both sides of the center of circular arc around the second shaft center is defined as one-side and another-side second circular surface parts.

4. The multiple wheel vehicle as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that said change-direction member is supported tiltably around said second shaft center.

5. The multiple wheel vehicle as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that said the change-direction member is fixed disably tilting.

12. The multiple wheel vehicle as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said interlocking device comprises a suspension biasing said change-direction member in the Z-axis direction and in directing away from said first shaft center.

13. The multiple wheel vehicle as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said cord-like body is made of a roller chain.

14. The multiple wheel vehicle as set forth in claim 13, characterized in that

said roller chain comprises

a first bend part which is flexible in the direction along said first circular surface part and

a second bend part which is flexible in the direction along said second circular surface part, and

the first and second bend parts are connected with a joint link.

2. The multiple wheel vehicle with two wheels on a front wheel side and/or a rear wheel side, wherein

the multiple wheel vehicle comprises

one-side and another-side swinging anus, wherein each of the swinging arms comprises

one-side end portion supported pivotably with each of right and left support shaft portions supported with a frame and extending on the same shaft center line and

another-side end portion tilted up-and-down freely,

a wheel mounted on the other-side end portion of each of the one-side and other-side swinging arms, and

an interlocking device for interlocking the tilting motion of the one-side and other-side swinging arms alternately up-and-down;

said interlocking device comprises

a tilted member

comprising a first circular surface part which has a center of a circular arc as a first shaft center which is the shaft center of said support shaft portion and

fixed on the each swinging arm and enabling tilting around the first shaft center integrally with the swinging arm,

a change-direction member provided on the right and left and on one-side and another-side with one-side and another-side second circular surface parts, each of which has a center of the circular arc as a second shaft center which is in the direction perpendicular to each of said first shaft centers, and

a cord-like body comprising

one-side cord-like part connecting the first and second circular surface parts on the one-side and

another-side cord-like part connecting the first and second circular surface parts on the other-side;

each of the one-side and other-side cord-like parts comprises

a joint part extending in a Z-axis direction perpendicular to said first and second shaft centers and extending along a tangential line of the first circular surface part and the second circular surface part,

a winding part connecting to the joint part and terminating by winding unwindably around the first circular surface part,

a twining part connecting to the joint part and twining around the second circular surface part; and

the one-side and other-side twining parts interconnect each other.

6. The multiple wheel vehicle as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that

said change-direction member comprises an oval-like body which has two second shaft centers located on both right and left sides thereof and comprises

a one-side second circular surface part defined as a circular surface part formed around one-side second shaft center on one side of the right and left sides of the center of circular arc, and

another-side second circular surface part defined as a circular surface part formed around another-side second shaft center on another side of the right and left sides of the center of circular arc.

7. The multiple wheel vehicle as set forth in claim 6, characterized in that

the oval-like body forming said change-direction member is fixed disably tilting.

8. The multiple wheel vehicle as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that

the change-direction member comprises two second shaft centers located on both right and left sides thereof, and the change-direction member is made of two, one-side and other-side, disk-like bodies having the one-side and other-side second shaft centers are defined as respective centers of the circular arc.

9. The multiple wheel vehicle as set forth in claim 8, characterized in that

two disk-like bodies forming said change-direction member are pivotably supported around the respective second shaft centers tiltably.

10. The multiple wheel vehicle as set forth in claim 8, characterized in that

two disk-like bodies forming said change-direction member are fixed around the respective second shaft centers disably tilting.

11. The multiple wheel vehicle as set forth in claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the one-side and other-side twining parts of said cord-like body are connected each other with a cushion spring.