VEHICLE WITH LEAN CONTROL

• US 20180265156A1
• Filed: 05/18/2018
• Published: 09/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Inventors: HARA, Nobuo, FUKUHARA, Yukihide, TOYOTA, Takeshi, NAGATA, Tatsuya
• Granted Patent: US 10,625,771 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/0163 the control involving steering geometry, e.g. four-wheel steering
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/42 Electric actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/45 Rolling frame vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/208 of wheel rotation
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/41 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/42 Steering torque
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/046 Controlling the motor
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 6/00 Arrangements for automatically controlling steering depending on driving conditions sensed and responded to, e.g. control circuits means for initiating a change in direction B62D1/00; steering valves B62D5/06; combined with means for inclining the vehicle body or wheels on bends B62D9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 9/02 combined with means for inwardly inclining vehicle body on bends
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 45/411 Torque sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 45/412 Speed sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 45/4151 for sensing lateral inclination of the cycle
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 21/00 Steering devices steering devices specially adapted for one particular kind of cycle specified in groups B62K1/00 - B62K17/00, see the relevant group
• 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 5/08 with steering devices acting on two or more wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/10 with means for inwardly inclining the vehicle body on bends
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0891 specially adapted for land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 3/125 using discrete position sensor

Abstract

A vehicle with two front wheels includes an EPS that makes it difficult for a rider to feel a sensation of physical disorder while realizing a vertical angle suppression function. The EPS is configured to apply an assisting force to a steering effort transmission mechanism. The vehicle further includes an EPL configured to apply a turning effort to a cross member of a link mechanism to turn the cross member relative to a vehicle body frame, and a control unit configured to control the EPS and the EPL. The control unit determines an EPS command value that determines a magnitude of output torque of the EPS and an EPL command value that determines a magnitude of output torque of the EPL according to a physical quantity including at least a vehicle speed and a vertical angle, and controls a ratio of the EPL command value to the EPS command value.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body frame configured to lean to a right of the vehicle when the vehicle turns right and lean to a left of the vehicle when the vehicle turns left;

a right front wheel that is provided on a right of the vehicle body frame and that is able to turn about a right steering axis that extends in an up-and-down direction of the vehicle body frame;

a left front wheel that is provided on a left of the vehicle body frame and that is able to turn about a left steering axis that extends in the up-and-down direction of the vehicle body frame;

a link mechanism having a cross member that is supported to be able to turn about a link axis that extends in a front-and-rear direction of the vehicle body frame to change a relative position of the right front wheel and the left front wheel in the up-and-down direction of the vehicle body frame according to a degree to which the vehicle body frame leans;

a steering effort transmission mechanism configured to transmit a first steering effort inputted into a steering effort input unit by a rider to the right front wheel and the left front wheel;

a steering effort application device configured to apply a second steering effort to the steering effort transmission mechanism by a first actuator;

a turning effort application device configured to apply a turning effort to the cross member of the link mechanism by a second actuator to turn the cross member relative to the vehicle body frame; and

a control unit configured to control at least one of the steering effort application device and the turning effort application device to generate at least one of the second steering effort or the turning effort to suppress a behavior that increases a vertical angle, wherein

the control unit is adapted to determine an electric power steering system (EPS) command value and an electric power leaning system (EPL) command value according to a physical quantity that includes at least a vehicle speed and a vertical angle, the EPS command value determining a magnitude of output torque of the first actuator and the EPL command value determining a magnitude of output torque of the second actuator, and wherein

with the vertical angle being any other angle than 0 degrees and the physical quantity excluding the vehicle speed staying constant, the control unit increases a ratio a/b of the EPS command value “

a”

to the EPL command value “

b”

as the vehicle speed increases.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the ratio a/b to change gradually as the vehicle speed changes.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit increases an output of the first actuator as the vehicle speed increases when the vehicle speed stays within at least a predetermined range.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when the vehicle body frame leans while the vehicle is running, the vehicle increases or decreases a steering angle of the steering effort input unit.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines an output of the first actuator according to the vertical angle.

6. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the physical quantity includes at least one of a vertical angle speed or a vertical angle acceleration, and wherein the control unit determines an output of the first actuator according to the at least one of the vertical angle speed or the vertical angle acceleration.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein while the vehicle is running, when the vehicle body frame leans to the right of the vehicle, the vehicle attempts to increase a steering angle of the steering effort input unit in a clockwise direction when the vehicle is viewed from above, and when the vehicle body frame leans to the left of the vehicle, the vehicle attempts to increase the steering angle of the steering effort input unit in a counterclockwise direction when the vehicle is viewed from the above.

8. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the control unit increases an output of the first actuator as the vehicle speed increases when the vehicle speed stays within at least a predetermined range.

9. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein when the vehicle body frame leans while the vehicle is running, the vehicle increases or decreases a steering angle of the steering effort input unit.

10. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein when the vehicle body frame leans while the vehicle is running, the vehicle increases or decreases a steering angle of the steering effort input unit.

11. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the control unit determines an output of the first actuator according to the vertical angle.

12. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the physical quantity includes at least one of a vertical angle speed or a vertical angle acceleration, and wherein the control unit determines an output of the first actuator according to the at least one of the vertical angle speed or the vertical angle acceleration.

13. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein while the vehicle is running, when the vehicle body frame leans to the right of the vehicle, the vehicle attempts to increase a steering angle of the steering effort input unit in a clockwise direction when the vehicle is viewed from above, and when the vehicle body frame leans to the left of the vehicle, the vehicle attempts to increase the steering angle of the steering effort input unit in a counterclockwise direction when the vehicle is viewed from the above.

14. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein while the vehicle is running, when the vehicle body frame leans to the right of the vehicle, the vehicle attempts to increase a steering angle of the steering effort input unit in a clockwise direction when the vehicle is viewed from above, and when the vehicle body frame leans to the left of the vehicle, the vehicle attempts to increase the steering angle of the steering effort input unit in a counterclockwise direction when the vehicle is viewed from the above.

15. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein while the vehicle is running, when the vehicle body frame leans to the right of the vehicle, the vehicle attempts to increase a steering angle of the steering effort input unit in a clockwise direction when the vehicle is viewed from above, and when the vehicle body frame leans to the left of the vehicle, the vehicle attempts to increase the steering angle of the steering effort input unit in a counterclockwise direction when the vehicle is viewed from the above.

16. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein while the vehicle is running, when the vehicle body frame leans to the right of the vehicle, the vehicle attempts to increase a steering angle of the steering effort input unit in a clockwise direction when the vehicle is viewed from above, and when the vehicle body frame leans to the left of the vehicle, the vehicle attempts to increase the steering angle of the steering effort input unit in a counterclockwise direction when the vehicle is viewed from the above.

17. The vehicle according to claim 6, wherein while the vehicle is running, when the vehicle body frame leans to the right of the vehicle, the vehicle attempts to increase a steering angle of the steering effort input unit in a clockwise direction when the vehicle is viewed from above, and when the vehicle body frame leans to the left of the vehicle, the vehicle attempts to increase the steering angle of the steering effort input unit in a counterclockwise direction when the vehicle is viewed from the above.