Vehicle which can tilt in turns, in particular tricycle

• US 7,887,070 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2007
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Multi Display Werbeagentur & Werbewerkstatt Guenther Wagner
• Original Assignee: Multi Display Werbeagentur & Werbewerkstatt Guenther Wagner
• Inventors: Kirchner, Hubert
• Primary Examiner(s): Hurley; Kevin
• Application Number:
  US12/279,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20090315282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,464 Days
• Field of Search: 280/124.103, 280/282, 180/210
• US Class Current: 280/124.103
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2204/00 Adaptations for driving cycles by electric motor
• 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

The invention relates to a vehicle which can tilt in turns, and comprises a three-wheeled vehicle, which has a rear wheel (6) which is arranged on the longitudinal axis of the three-wheeled vehicle as well as two front wheels (3, 4) which are arranged at a distance from one another and can be steered indirectly by means of a steering element with intermediate connection of a steering column (2), wherein the two front wheels (3, 4) and the frame (1) of the three-wheeled vehicle can be inclined proportionally as a function of the direction of rotation of the steering column (2).

Claims

1. A tricycle comprising a rear wheel (6) which is arranged in the longitudinal axis of the three-wheeled vehicle as well as two spaced front wheels (3, 4) which can be steered indirectly by a steering element via an intermediate steering column (2), wherein at least one wheel can be driven via a chain drive by operating pedals provided on a bottom bracket ball bearing receptacle (21) connected to the frame (1) of the tricycle, wherein the two spaced front wheels (3, 4) are attached to the axis of an axle element in such a way that these are offset with respect to one another relative to this axis, so that the one wheel with its wheel axle is positioned in front of the axis of the axle element in the travel direction (10) and the second wheel is positioned with its wheel axle after the axis of the axle element in the travel direction (10), wherein the two spaced front wheels (3, 4) and therefore also the frame (1) of the tricycle can be tilted depending on the rotation direction of the steering column (2) proportionally and thereby continually in response to the rotation angle resulting from the rotation of the steering column (2) when moving through a turn, in that the steering column (2) is, on one hand, connected with the axle element (8) via a connecting rod (31), with a multifunctional axle (14) positioned above the pivot bearing (15, 16) and attached to the axle element (8) and arranged above the axle element (8), which multifunctional axle (14) is operatively connected together with the axle element (8) and the wheel support (12) of the wheel (3) that is positioned in the travel direction (10) in front of the axle (7) of the axle element (8), and in that on the other hand, a fixed point on the frame (1) of the tricycle, which is formed proximate of the bottom bracket ball bearing receptacle (21), is connected via a second connecting rod (29) with the wheel support (13) of the wheel (4) that is positioned in the travel direction (10) after the axle (7) of the axle element (8), wherein one or both wheel supports (12, 13) are pivotally connected with the axle element (8).

2. The tricycle according to claim 1, wherein the connecting rod which is operatively connected to the axle element (8) is connected via ball and socket joints (32, 33) with the axle element (8) and with a lever (30) arranged on the steering column (2), wherein the axle element (8) is operatively connected with the multifunctional axle (14) via the pivot bearings (15, 16), so that during a rotation of the steering column (2) when driving through a left turn, the axle element (8) on the side facing the wheel (3) that is positioned in front of the axis (7) of the axle element (8) in the travel direction (10), can move rearward and simultaneously pivot downward, so that an outward tilt can be attained both with this wheel (3) and with the frame (1), wherein on the side facing the wheel (3) both the axle element (8) and also the multifunctional axle (14) are connected with the wheel support (12) that is connected with the wheel axle (9).

3. The tricycle according to claim 2, wherein both the axle element (8) and the multifunctional axle (14) are connected with respect to the travel direction (10) with rear region of the wheel support (12) that is arranged in the travel direction (10) behind the wheel axle (9) of the wheel (3).

4. The tricycle according to claim 3, wherein two pivot bearings (15, 16) are provided for operatively connecting the axle element (8) and the multifunctional axle (14), wherein each of the pivot bearings (15, 16) is connected in one-to-one correspondence with a respective one of two spaced parallel tubes (17, 18) which form the forward region of the frame (1) of the tricycle, wherein the pivot bearings (16, 17) are made from two components (19, 20), of which a first component (19) fixedly connected with the axle element (8) is pivotally supported in the second component (20) that is fixedly connected with the multifunctional axle (14).

5. The tricycle according to claim 4, wherein the bottom bracket ball bearing receptacle (21) connected to the frame (1) of the tricycle is essentially made of four struts (22, 23, 24, 25) forming a rectangle and is also connected with the two spaced parallel tubes (17, 18) which form the forward region of the frame (1) of the tricycle, wherein the two struts (22, 23) which are arranged on the side facing the wheel (4) that is positioned with its wheel axle (11) in the travel direction (10) behind the axle (7) of the axle element (8), are connected with one another by a clamp (26) that is connected with the wheel support (13) attached to this wheel (4) via the second connecting rod (29) which is also supported in ball and socket joints (27, 28).

6. The tricycle according to claim 5, wherein the connecting rod (29) supported in ball and socket joints (27, 28) is connected with the wheel support (13) in the center region of the wheel support (13).

7. The tricycle according to claim 6, wherein the axle element (8) with the wheel support (13) of the wheel (4), whose wheel axle (11) is positioned in the travel direction (10) after the axis (7) of the axle element (8), is connected in the front with the wheel support (13), wherein for forming a connection with the wheel support (13) the axle element (8) is bent forward in the travel direction (10), so that in cooperation with the connecting rod (29), which is connected in the center region of the wheel support (13) and supported in ball and socket joints (27, 28), during a rotation of the steering column (2) when driving through a left turn, the resulting movement of the axle element (8) stemming from the operation of the connecting rod (31), which is connected with the steering column (2) by the lever (3) and supported in ball and socket joints (32, 33), on the axle element (8) can be transmitted by the axle body (8) in conjunction with the second connecting rod (29) to the wheel support (13) that is attached to the wheel (4) positioned with its wheel axle (8) in the travel direction (1) after the axle (7) of the axle element (8), so that an inward tilt can be attained with this wheel (4) when driving through a left turn.

8. The tricycle according to claim 7, wherein the axle element (8) has in the region of the longitudinal axle (5) of the vehicle a disk segment (35) which can be received by a slot (36) which is formed as a caliper (37) that is connected with the two rearward struts (22, 24) of the bottom bracket ball bearing receptacle (21) and the frame (1), respectively, of the tricycle.

9. The tricycle according to claim 8, wherein the steering column (2) is rotatably guided in a tube (3) in the upper region of the bottom bracket ball bearing receptacle (21) where the struts (22, 23, 24, 25) that form the bottom bracket ball bearing receptacle (21) merge, whereas the steering column (2) is rotatably arranged in the lower region of the bottom bracket ball bearing receptacle (21) in a bearing (39) and fixed against longitudinal movement, which bearing (39) is arranged in a web (40) that is connected with the two spaced parallel tubes (17, 18) of the frame (1) of the tricycle.

10. The tricycle according to claim 9, wherein the steering column (2) has a steering lever (41) with two ends (42, 43) which are each connected with a respective steering cable (44, 45), wherein both steering cables (44, 45) are connected with a steering lever (46) associated with the rear wheel (6) and wherein, when driving through a turn, the rear wheel (6) also attains a steering stop with respect to the tilt which corresponds to the tilt of the two spaced front wheels (3, 4).

11. The tricycle according to claim 10, wherein the rear wheel (6) is pivotally supported on the frame (1) of the tricycle to adapt to driving through a turn, wherein a tiltable wheel support made of two struts (49, 50) between which the rear wheel (6) is arranged for a rotation, is rotatably arranged in a control head (52) integrated in the frame (1) of the tricycle by way of a web (51) which connects the two struts (49, 50) at their top sides.

12. The tricycle according to claim 11, wherein the steering lever (46) attached with the rear wheel (6) is connected with the two struts (49, 50) which are connected by the web, the cables or linkage (51) and form the tiltable wheel support.

13. The tricycle according to claim 1, wherein the wheel support which rotatably receives the rear wheel (6) is made of a double-bridge fork and/or a spring fork, in the form of a spring element.

14. The tricycle according to claim 1, wherein two roll bars (54, 55) are connected to the frame (1) and arranged symmetrically with respect to the frame (1) in the region of the seat (53) of the tricycle, with the two roll bars (54, 55) having substantially a U-shape, wherein their web (56, 57 oriented outwardly.

15. The tricycle according to claim 14, wherein the frame (1) of the tricycle has an underfloor load receptacle (58), which is arranged underneath the seat (53) and bounded by the roll bars (54, 55).

16. The tricycle according to claim 1, wherein several axle elements (8) are provided which are movable and tiltable and connected with the multifunctional axle (14), which are sequentially arranged and have different axle geometries.

17. The tricycle according to claim 1, wherein the pedal cranks with their bottom bracket ball bearings are arranged in the front in relation to the travel direction (10), the substantial overall length of the tricycle is extended by a luggage receptacle and/or a child seat behind the driver, which is arranged in front of the front axle of the tricycle and has a relatively small spacing from the road surface.