Three-wheeled vehicle

• US 4,703,824 A
• Filed: 05/16/1984
• Issued: 11/03/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Kawaguchi, Takeshi, Irimajiri, Shoichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Bennett, Henry A.
• Application Number:
  US06/610,980
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 180/215, 180/212, 180/210, 180/211, 180/213, 280/239, 280/267, 280/282
• US Class Current: 180/215
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 61/065 with single rear wheel

Abstract

A three-wheeled vehicle has a pair of right and left wheels provided at either end of the vehicle body and a single wheel provided at the other end of the vehicle body. The pair of wheels are spaced from each other laterally with respect to the vehicle body. The three-wheeled vehicle is further provided with a steering mechanism for steering the pair of wheels, and a mechanism which cooperates with the steering mechanism for displacing the single wheel substantially laterally with respect to the vehicle body and in the direction opposite to the direction of turning of the vehicle caused by the steering operation of the steering mechanism. In another embodiment the single wheel is also pivoted in a direction opposite the turning of the pair of wheels.

Claims

1. A three-wheeled vehicle comprising:

a pair of right and left wheels provided at either the front end or the rear end of the vehicle body, said pair of wheels being spaced from each other laterally with respect to said vehicle body;

a single wheel provided at the other end of said vehicle body;

a steering mechanism for steering said pair of wheels; and

means adapted to cooperate with said steering mechanism for displacing said single wheel substantially laterally with respect to said vehicle body in a controlled amount of lateral displacement depending on the degree of steering and in the direction opposite to the direction of turning of the vehicle caused by the steering operation of said steering mechanism.

2. A three-wheeled vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

said pair of wheels comprise a pair of front wheels and said single wheel comprises a rear wheel.

3. A three-wheeled vehicle according to claim 2, wherein:

said means adapted to cooperate with said steering mechanism is adapted for causing angular pivoting of said rear wheel in response to the steering angle of said front wheels and in the direction opposite to the steering direction of said front wheels.

5. A three-wheeled vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

said pair of wheels comprise a pair of rear wheels and said single wheel comprises a front wheel.

6. A three-wheeled vehicle according to claim 5, wherein:

said means adapted to cooperate with said steering mechanism is adapted for causing angular pivoting of said front wheel in response to the steering angle of said rear wheels and in the direction opposite to the steering direction of said rear wheels.

4. A three-wheeled vehicle comprising:

a pair of right and left front wheels provided at the front end of the vehicle body, said pair of wheels being spaced from each other laterally with respect to said vehicle body;

a single wheel provided at the rear end of said vehicle body;

a steering mechanism for steering said pair of front wheels;

means adapted to cooperate with said steering mechanism for displacing said single wheel substantially laterally with respect to said vehicle body and in the direction opposite to the direction of turning of the vehicle caused by the steering operation of said steering mechanism;

said means including a trailing arm vertically swingably coupled at the front end thereof to said vehicle body, a pair of fork members horizontally swingably secured at the front end thereof to said trailing arm, and a rear axle pivotally secured at both ends thereof to the rear ends of said fork members and supporting said rear wheel; and

said steering mechanism and said means are interconnected with each other through an operation rod which has one end thereof connected to one of said fork members and the other end thereof operatively connected to said steering mechanism.

8. A three-wheeled vehicle according to claim 4, wherein, the distance between the front ends of said fork members is greater than the distance between the rear ends of said fork members for causing angular pivoting of said rear wheel in response to the steering angle of said front wheels and in the direction opposite to the steering direction of said front wheels.

7. A three-wheeled vehicle comprising:

a pair of right and left rear wheels provided at the rear end of the vehicle body, said pair of wheels being spaced from each other laterally with respect to said vehicle body;

a single wheel provided at the front end of said vehicle body;

a steering mechanism for steering said pair of rear wheels;

means adapted to cooperate with said steering mechanism for displacing said single wheel substantially laterally with respect to said vehicle body and in the direction opposite to the direction of turning of the vehicle caused by the steering operation of said steering mechanism;

said means including a leading arm vertically swingably coupled at the rear end thereof to said vehicle body, a pair of fork members horizontally swingably secured at the rear end thereof to said leading arm, and a front axle pivotally secured at both ends thereof to the front ends of said fork members and supporting said front wheel; and

said steering mechanism and said means are interconnected with each other through an operation rod which has one end thereof connected to one of said fork members and the other end thereof operatively connected to said steering mechanism.

9. A three-wheeled vehicle according to claim 7, wherein, the distance between the rear ends of said fork members is greater than the distance between the front ends of said fork members for causing angular pivoting of said front wheel in response to the steering angle of said pair of rear wheels and in the direction opposite to the steering direction of said rear wheels.