Tilting vehicle and control system thereof

• US 8,583,325 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2009
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Actua S.r.l.
• Original Assignee: Actua S.r.l.
• Inventors: Carabelli, Stefano, Macchi, Pietro
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAZZARA, ANNE MARIE
• Application Number:
  US13/510,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20120310478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: 701/38
• US Class Current: 701/38
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/027 Motorcycles with three wheels specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/023
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle comprises at least one steering wheel, at least two other wheels, control means suitable for being operated by a driver to steer the steering wheel, a frame supported by said wheels and tiltable with respect to the ground when the vehicle steers and first actuating means to control the tilting position of said frame. In particular, vehicle comprises a decoupling device to decouple the angular position of control means to the angular position of steering wheel and a control unit configured to activate first actuating means when control means are operated by the driver before said steering wheel substantially changes its angular position at least when said vehicle turns running above a given speed threshold.

Claims

1. Vehicle comprising at least one tiltable steering wheel (3), at least two wheels (3, 4) other than the steering wheel (3), control means (11) suitable for being operated by a driver to steer said steering wheel (3), a frame (2) supported by said wheels (3, 4) and tiltable together with said at least one steering wheel (3) with respect to a ground surface when the vehicle turns and first actuating means (23) to control a tilting position of said frame (2) and of said at least one steering wheel (3), characterized by comprising a decoupling device (14) to decouple said control means (11) from said steering wheel (3), a control unit (25) configured so that said first actuating means (23) tilt said frame (2) and said at least one tiltable steering wheel (3) when said control means (11) are operated by the driver, second actuating means (15) connected to said control unit (25) to control the steering angle of said steering wheel (3) and a speed sensor (24) connected to said control unit (25) to measure a speed of the vehicle, and in that said control unit (25) is configured to activate said second actuating means (15) depending on the speed measured by said speed sensor (24), wherein said control unit (25) is configured to activate said second actuating means (15) with a time delay with respect to said first actuating means (23).

2. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that said decoupling device (14) has a variable torsional stiffness controlled by said control unit (25).

3. Vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that said control unit (25) is configured to decrease the torsional stiffness of said decoupling device (14) when the speed of the vehicle increases.

4. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that said control unit (25) is configured to increase said time delay as the speed of the vehicle increases.

5. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized by comprising a second steering wheel (3), in that said first and second steering wheels are front wheels, and in that said steering wheels are connected to said frame (2) to tilt in a coordinated way with said frame (2).

6. Vehicle according to claim 5, characterized by having no more than three wheels, one of which is a non-steering wheel tilting with said frame (2).

7. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that said decoupling device (14) comprises stop means (18, 19, 20) configured to define a maximum decoupling angle between said control means (11) and said steering wheel (3).

8. Vehicle according to claim 7, characterized in that said decoupling device (14) comprises a torsional spring (16) interposed between said control means (11) and said steering wheel (3).

9. Vehicle according to claim 8, characterized in that said control unit (25) is configured to detect a torque applied to said control means (11) by the driver.

10. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that said control unit (25) comprises a feedforward control (39) to control said first actuating means (23).

11. Vehicle according to claim 10, characterized in that said control unit (25) comprises a feedback control (38) combined with said feedforward control (39) to control said first actuating means (23).

12. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized by comprising a lateral accelerator (24) fixed to said frame (2) and connected to said control unit (25), said control unit (25) being configured so that said frame (2) is tilted after said control means (11) are operated so that the output of said lateral accelerator is not zero in order to give to a user a feeling of centrifugal force.

13. Control method for a vehicle comprising at least one steering wheel (3), at least two wheels (3, 4) other than the steering wheel (3), control means (11) suitable for being directly operated by a driver to steer said steering wheel (3), a frame (2) supported by said wheels (3, 4) and tiltable with respect to a ground when the vehicle steers, first actuating means (23) to control an angular position of said frame (2), a decoupling device (14) decoupling an angular position of said control means (11) to an angular position of said steering wheel (3), second actuating means (15) connected to said control unit (25) to control a steering angle of said steering wheel (3) and a speed sensor (24) connected to said control unit (25) to measure a speed of the vehicle, said method comprising a phase of enabling said actuating means (23) when said control means (11) are operated by a driver and a phase of activating said second actuating means (15) depending on a speed measured by said speed sensor (24), wherein said phase of activating said second actuating means (15) is such that said control unit (25) activates said second actuating means (15) at a given time delay with respect to said phase of activating said first actuating means (23).

14. Control method according to claim 13, characterized by comprising a phase of varying the torsional stiffness of said decoupling device (14).

15. Control method according to claim 14, characterized in that the phase of activating said second actuating means (15) is such that said control unit (25) decreases a rotational stiffness of said decoupling device (14) when the speed of the vehicle increases.

16. Control method according to claim 13, characterized in that said phase of activating said second actuating means (15) is such that said time delay increases with the speed of the vehicle.

17. Control method according to claim 13, characterized in that said vehicle comprises a lateral accelerator (24) fixed to said frame (2) and by comprising a phase of tilting said frame (2) when said control means (11) are operated so that the output of said lateral accelerator is not zero in order to give to the driver a feeling of centrifugal force.