LEANING VEHICLE SUSPENSION
First Claim
1. A suspension for a motorized vehicle having a steerable front wheel, a pair of spaced apart rear wheels and a elongate frame supporting an engine, a transmission and a driver'"'"'s seat, the invention comprisinga central frame member longitudinally fixed to the elongated frame of the motorized vehicle,the central frame member oriented substantially perpendicularly to a surface on which the motorized vehicle is supported when the suspension is in a non-leaning position,the central frame member oriented at a substantial nonperpendicular to the surface on which the motorized vehicle is supported when the suspension is in a leaning position,the central frame member having a left side and an opposing right side,the central frame member further comprising a top edge and bottom edge,a first upper control arm hinged at a proximal end thereof to the central frame member and extending from the left side thereof,the first upper control arm hinged at a distal end thereof to a left wheel mounting assembly,a second upper control arm hinged at a proximal end thereof to the central frame member and extending from the right side thereof,the second upper control arm hinged at a distal end thereof to a right wheel mounting assembly,a first lower control arm hinged at a proximal end thereof to the central frame member and extending from the left side thereof,the first lower control arm hinged at a distal end thereof to a left wheel mounting assembly,a second lower control arm hinged at a proximal end thereof to the central frame member and extending from the right side thereof,the second lower control arm hinged at a distal end thereof to the right wheel mounting assembly,the proximal ends of the first and second upper control arms defining a first axis aligned with a plane defined by the central frame member,the proximal ends of the first and second lower control arms defining a second axis aligned with the plane defined by the central frame member,the first upper control arm substantially parallel to the first lower control arm,the second upper control arm substantially parallel to the second lower control arm,the first upper control arm substantially coplanar with the second upper control arm,the first lower control arm substantially coplanar with the second lower control arm,a rocking member pivotally retained to the central frame member,the rocking member disposed over the top edge of the central frame member when the suspension is in the non-leaning position,the rocking member pivotal about an axis located between the top edge and a bottom edge of the central frame member,the rocking member including a left side and an opposing right side,at least one connection element extending from each of the left side and the opposing right side of the rocking member,a first damping member interconnecting the at least one connection element extending from the left side of the rocking member to the first lower control arm,a second damping member interconnecting the at least one connection element extending from the right side of the rocking member to the second lower control arm,the pair of rear wheels comprises a left side wheel and a right side wheel,the left side wheel mounted to the left side wheel mounting assembly,the right side wheel mounted to the right side wheel mounting assembly,each of the left side wheel and the right side wheel having a vertical centerline,each of the distal ends of the first upper control arm and the first lower control arm defining a plane substantially coplanar with the vertical centerline of the left side wheel,each of the distal ends of the second upper control arm and the second lower control arm defining a plane substantially coplanar with the vertical centerline of the right side wheel,a drive member selectively driving the rear wheels,the frame of the vehicle leaning to the left when the suspension is in a left leaning position and the frame of the vehicle leaning to the right when the suspension is in a right leaning position,the rocking member pivoting to the right side of the central frame member when the suspension is in a left leaning position and the rocking member pivoting to the left side of the central frame member when the suspension is in a right leaning position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A suspension for a motorized rear wheel driven tricycle which can lean into turns includes a planar central upright frame which is mounted coaxially to the main frame of the tricycle. Upper and lower control arms are hinged to the central upright frame and extend to the left and to the right to connect to wheel bearing knuckles. An inverted rocker member is hinged to the central frame, pivotable about the front and rear ends of the central frame at about the midpoint between the top and bottom of the frame. The rocker member provides connection points for shock absorbers which interconnect the rocker member with each link member of the lower control arm on each side of the central frame. Drive members are supported on the central frame to continuously drive the rear wheels as the tricycle leans into turns.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A suspension for a motorized vehicle having a steerable front wheel, a pair of spaced apart rear wheels and a elongate frame supporting an engine, a transmission and a driver'"'"'s seat, the invention comprising
a central frame member longitudinally fixed to the elongated frame of the motorized vehicle, the central frame member oriented substantially perpendicularly to a surface on which the motorized vehicle is supported when the suspension is in a non-leaning position, the central frame member oriented at a substantial nonperpendicular to the surface on which the motorized vehicle is supported when the suspension is in a leaning position, the central frame member having a left side and an opposing right side, the central frame member further comprising a top edge and bottom edge, a first upper control arm hinged at a proximal end thereof to the central frame member and extending from the left side thereof, the first upper control arm hinged at a distal end thereof to a left wheel mounting assembly, a second upper control arm hinged at a proximal end thereof to the central frame member and extending from the right side thereof, the second upper control arm hinged at a distal end thereof to a right wheel mounting assembly, a first lower control arm hinged at a proximal end thereof to the central frame member and extending from the left side thereof, the first lower control arm hinged at a distal end thereof to a left wheel mounting assembly, a second lower control arm hinged at a proximal end thereof to the central frame member and extending from the right side thereof, the second lower control arm hinged at a distal end thereof to the right wheel mounting assembly, the proximal ends of the first and second upper control arms defining a first axis aligned with a plane defined by the central frame member, the proximal ends of the first and second lower control arms defining a second axis aligned with the plane defined by the central frame member, the first upper control arm substantially parallel to the first lower control arm, the second upper control arm substantially parallel to the second lower control arm, the first upper control arm substantially coplanar with the second upper control arm, the first lower control arm substantially coplanar with the second lower control arm, a rocking member pivotally retained to the central frame member, the rocking member disposed over the top edge of the central frame member when the suspension is in the non-leaning position, the rocking member pivotal about an axis located between the top edge and a bottom edge of the central frame member, the rocking member including a left side and an opposing right side, at least one connection element extending from each of the left side and the opposing right side of the rocking member, a first damping member interconnecting the at least one connection element extending from the left side of the rocking member to the first lower control arm, a second damping member interconnecting the at least one connection element extending from the right side of the rocking member to the second lower control arm, the pair of rear wheels comprises a left side wheel and a right side wheel, the left side wheel mounted to the left side wheel mounting assembly, the right side wheel mounted to the right side wheel mounting assembly, each of the left side wheel and the right side wheel having a vertical centerline, each of the distal ends of the first upper control arm and the first lower control arm defining a plane substantially coplanar with the vertical centerline of the left side wheel, each of the distal ends of the second upper control arm and the second lower control arm defining a plane substantially coplanar with the vertical centerline of the right side wheel, a drive member selectively driving the rear wheels, the frame of the vehicle leaning to the left when the suspension is in a left leaning position and the frame of the vehicle leaning to the right when the suspension is in a right leaning position, the rocking member pivoting to the right side of the central frame member when the suspension is in a left leaning position and the rocking member pivoting to the left side of the central frame member when the suspension is in a right leaning position.
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11. A suspension for a three-wheeled vehicle having a longitudinal main frame supported by a pair of spaced apart aligned wheels and a third steerable wheel, the invention comprising
a central frame removably fixed to the main frame of the vehicle, a plurality of elongate arms pivotally retained to the central frame, the plurality of elongate arms each including a proximal end hinged to the central frame, the plurality of elongate arms including: -
a first upper elongate arm extending from the central frame to a mounting for a left wheel of the pair of wheels, a second upper elongate arm extending from the central frame to a mounting for a right wheel of the pair of wheels, a first lower elongate arm extending from the central frame to the mounting for the left wheel of the pair of wheels, a second lower elongate arm extending from the central frame to the mounting for the right wheel of the pair of wheels, a proximal end of the first upper elongate arm horizontally aligned with a proximal end of the second upper elongate arm and spaced apart therefrom, a proximal end of the first lower elongate arm horizontally aligned with a proximal end of the second lower elongate arm and spaced apart therefrom, the proximal ends of the first and second upper elongate arms retained to the central frame above the proximal ends of the first and second lower elongate arms, the first upper elongate arm substantially horizontally aligned with the second upper elongate arm, the first lower elongate arm substantially horizontally aligned with the second lower elongate arm, a distal end of each of the first upper elongate arm and a distal end of the first lower elongate arm each pivotally retained to the mounting for the left wheel, a distal end of each of the second upper elongate arm and a distal end of the second lower elongate arm each pivotally retained to the mounting for the right wheel, a rocking member overlying the central frame and separated therefrom by a small distance, the rocking member pivotally retained to the central frame between a top and a bottom of the central frame, the rocking member including at least one mounting on each of a left side and a right side thereof, at least one shock absorbing member interconnecting the at least one mounting on the left side of the rocking member with the first lower elongate arm, at least one shock absorbing member interconnecting the at least one mounting on the right side of the rocking member with the second lower elongate arm, the central frame leaning toward a left side of the vehicle when the vehicle is steered to the left and the central frame leaning toward a right side of the vehicle when the vehicle is steered to the right, the rocking member moving toward the right wheel when the central frame leans toward the left side of the vehicle and the rocking member moving toward the left wheel when the central frame leans toward the right side of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. A suspension for a vehicle comprising
a central frame defining a plane, the plane generally upright when the suspension is in a non-leaning position, the central frame leaning to the left when the suspension is in a left leaning position, the central frame leaning to the right when the suspension is in a right leaning position. the central frame having a left side and an opposing right side, the central frame further having a top and a bottom and a front edge and rear edge, a first upper control arm extending from the left side of the central frame to a mounting for a left wheel, a second upper control arm extending from the right side of the central frame to a mounting for a right wheel, a first lower control arm extending from the left side of the central frame to the mounting for the left wheel, a second lower control arm extending from the right side of the central frame to the mounting for the right wheel, each control arm pivotally retained at a proximal end thereof to the central frame, each control arm pivotal about an axis coplanar with the plane defined by the central frame, the proximal end of the first upper control arm horizontally aligned with the proximal end of the second upper control arm and spaced apart therefrom, the proximal end of the first lower control arm horizontally aligned with the proximal end of the second lower control arm and spaced apart therefrom, the first upper control arm substantially horizontally aligned with the second upper control arm, the first lower control arm substantially horizontally aligned with the second lower control arm, a distal end of each of the first upper control arm and a distal end of the first lower control arm each pivotally retained to the mounting for the left wheel, a distal end of each of the second upper control arm and a distal end of the second lower control arm each pivotally retained to the mounting for the right wheel, a rocking member overlying the central frame and separated from the top of the central frame by a small distance when the central frame is substantially upright, the rocking member pivotally retained to the central frame, the rocking member pivotal about an axis located between a top and a bottom of the central frame, the rocking member including at least one mounting element on each of a left side and a right side thereof, at least a first damping member interconnecting the at least one mounting element on the left side of the rocking member with the first lower control arm, at least a second damping member interconnecting the at least one mounting element on the right side of the rocking member with the second lower control arm, the rocking member moving toward a right side of the central frame when the central frame leans to the left and the rocking member moving toward the left side of the central frame when the central frame leans toward the right.
Specification