VEHICLE HAVING VARIABLE TRACK

• US 20130062133A1
• Filed: 05/16/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JAXA Networks
• Original Assignee: JAXA Networks
• Inventors: Budweil, Rafal
• Granted Patent: US 8,746,388 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/209
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 2900/531 User-friendliness
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 35/1063 automatically dependent on operational state of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60B 35/109 the element is an axle part
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/221 Tractors
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/14 of adjustable length or width
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 7/14 the pivotal axes being situated in more than one plane transverse to the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle, e.g. all-wheel steering
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 9/00 Steering deflectable wheels not otherwise provided for steering positon indicators B62D15/02
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 9/02 combined with means for inwardly inclining vehicle body on bends

Abstract

A vehicle comprising a front axle with a pair of front wheels (111, 112) having a track width adjustable between a wide track and a narrow track, a drive rear axle with a rear wheel (121), steering means configured to control the turn of the rear wheel (121) when the front wheels (111, 112) are set to the narrow track and track width control means configured to change the track width of the front wheels (111, 112) and to change the wheel base between the front axle and the rear axle such that for the wide track of the front wheels (111, 112) the wheel base is longer than for the narrow track of the front wheels (111, 112).

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a front axle with a pair of front wheels (111, 112) having a track width adjustable between a wide track and a narrow track,

a drive rear axle with a rear wheel (121),

track width control means configured to change the track width of the front wheels (111, 112) and to change the wheel base between the front axle and the rear axle such that for the wide track of the front wheels (111, 112) the wheel base is longer than for the narrow track of the front wheels (111, 112),

characterized in that it further comprises;

steering means configured to control the turn of the rear wheel (121) when the front wheels (111, 112) are set to the narrow track, wherein the front wheels (111, 112) are non-turnable when the front wheels (111, 112) are set to the narrow track.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the steering means are further configured to control the turn of the front wheels (111, 112) around a substantially vertical axis and of the rear wheel (121) around a substantially vertical axis depending on the track width of the front wheels (111, 112).

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the steering means are further configured to control the turn of the front wheels (111, 112) when the front wheels (111, 112) are set to the wide track.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the rear wheel (121) is non-turnable when the front wheels (111, 112) are set to the wide track.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the track width control means comprise pairs of wishbones (113, 114) connected to each of the front wheels (111, 112), each pair of wishbones (113, 114) connected pivotally at one point to a central frame (117) and at another point to one end of a push-pull rod (115, 116), the other end of which is pivotally connected with a piston (118) of a central linear actuator (119), such that the movement of the piston (118) causes change of the wheel base and the track width of the front wheels (111, 112).

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the track width control means are further configured to turn the front wheels (111, 112) towards the central axis of the vehicle when changing the track width of the vehicle from the wide track to the narrow track and to turn the front wheels (111, 112) away from the central axis of the vehicle when changing the track width of the vehicle from the narrow track to the wide track.

7. The vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the track width control means comprise variable-length steering rods (141, 142) connected to the front wheels (111, 112).

8. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the track width control means comprise pairs of wishbones (113, 114) connected to each of the front wheels (111, 112), each pair of wishbones (113, 114) connected to a retracting arm (143, 144) mounted pivotally at one point to a central frame (117) and at another point to one end of a push-pull rod (115, 116), the other end of which is pivotally connected with a piston (118) of a central linear actuator (119), such that the movement of the piston (118) causes change of the wheel base and the track width of the front wheels (111, 112).

9. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the track width control means comprise steering rods (145, 146) connected at one end to steering actuators (147, 148) and at another end to steering knuckle bearings (131, 132) of the front wheels (111, 112) to steer the turn of the front wheels (111, 112) around their individual vertical axes, wherein the steering actuators (147, 148) are connected to the central frame (117) and have a changeable length.

10. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the track width control means comprise pairs of upper and lower front suspension arms (171, 173) connected pivotally at one end to a driving arm (175) and at another end pivotally to a pair of upper and lower rear suspension arms (172, 174) connected pivotally at one end to the central frame (117) and at another end to a steering knuckle bearing of the front wheel (111, 112), the driving arm (175) being pivotally mounted to the central frame (117) and turnable around a substantially vertical axis at the point of connection to the central frame (117) in order to control the track width of the front wheels and the wheel base of the vehicle.

11. The vehicle according to claim 10, further comprising a toe control mechanism comprising positioning arms (193), to which steering rods (191) are mounted for controlling the toe of the front wheels (111, 112).

12. The vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the toe control mechanism is mounted on a base (190) pivotally connected to the vehicle frame (117) via a bearing (196) to allow steering the turn of the front wheels (111, 112) via the steering rods (191) by turning the base (190).

13. The vehicle according to claims 1, wherein the front wheels (111, 112) are turnable around individual axes (131, 132).

14. The vehicle according to claims 1, wherein the front wheels (111, 112) are turnable around a common axis (151).

15. The vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the front axle is turnable by a linear actuator (152).

16. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the rear wheel (121) is turnable around an axis (123) offset from the centre of the rear wheel (121) by a distance larger than the radius of the rear wheel (121).

17. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the rear axle is turnable by a linear actuator (124).

18. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a selector configured to control the operation of both the track width control means and the steering means.

19. The vehicle according to claim 18, wherein the selector is coupled with a gear lever.

20. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a frame comprising;

a tiltable portion (163) tiltable about a tilt axis (164) and coupled with a drive rear axle with a rear wheel (121),

a non-tiltable portion (162) coupled with a front axle with a pair of front wheels (111, 112)

a main body portion (165) coupled with the tiltable frame portion (163),

tilting means (166) for tilting the tiltable frame portion (163) when the front wheels (111, 112) are set to the wide track

21. The vehicle according to claim 20, wherein the tilt axis (164) lies within the longitudinal vertical plane of symmetry of the vehicle.

22. The vehicle according to claim 20, wherein the tilting means (166) are configured to tilt the tiltable frame portion (163) when the front wheels (111, 112) are in the narrow track to a smaller extent than when the front wheels (111, 112) are in the wide track.

23. The vehicle according to claim 20, wherein the tilting means (166) are configured to block the tilt of the tiltable frame portion (163) when the front wheels (111, 112) are in the narrow track.

24. The vehicle according claim 20, wherein the tilting means (166) comprise a tilt actuator (166).

25. The vehicle according to claim 20, wherein the tilting means (166) comprise a self-tilting mechanism actuated by turn of the rear wheel (121).

26. The vehicle according to claim 20, wherein the longitudinal tilt axis (164) is inclined with respect to the road surface.

27. The vehicle according to claim 1, comprising an elastic outer shell (302) forming the cabin of the vehicle and having a width controlled by a linear actuator (304) coupled with linkages (303) such that the width of the cabin is higher for the wide track of the front wheels than for the narrow track of the front wheels.