Vehicle

• US 9,296,420 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2013
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Inventors: Sasaki, Kaoru, Ohta, Mitsuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, TOAN C
• Application Number:
  US14/652,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20150298736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 280/5.509, 280/93.502, 280/93.508, 280/93.511, 280/124.103, 180/210
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/144 with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/122 Trikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/45 Rolling frame vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 3/20 all arms being rigid
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/16 Mud-guards or wings; Wheel cover panels equipped with means for freeing wheels or tyres from foreign matter B60S
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 9/02 combined with means for inwardly inclining vehicle body on bends
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 15/00 Mud-guards for wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 17/02 shielding only the rider's front
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 17/10 Ventilation or air guiding devices forming part of fairings
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2005/001 Suspension details for cycles with three or more main road wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 21/12 Handlebars; Handlebar stems
• 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

Abstract

A right front fender and a left front fender are displaceable relative to a vehicle body frame in accordance with an operation of a link mechanism. At least a portion of the right front fender is disposed above a center in the up-down direction between an upper end of a right front wheel and a lower edge of the link mechanism or a steering mechanism directly above the right front wheel, and is disposed below a right lower edge of a front portion of a link cover portion, as seen from a front in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state. At least a portion of the left front fender is disposed above a center in the up-down direction between an upper end of a left front wheel and a lower edge of the link mechanism or the steering mechanism directly above the left front wheel, and is disposed below the left lower edge of the front portion of the link cover portion, as seen from the front when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body frame;

a handlebar configured to turn relative to the vehicle body frame;

a vehicle body cover at least a portion of which covers the vehicle body frame;

a right front wheel and a left front wheel arranged side by side in a left-right direction of the vehicle body frame;

a steering mechanism configured to transmit a turning motion of the handlebar to the right front wheel and the left front wheel; and

a link mechanism disposed above the right front wheel and the left front wheel, and configured to cause the vehicle body frame to lean relative to a vertical direction by changing positions of the right front wheel and the left front wheel relative to the vehicle body frame;

wherein

the vehicle body cover includes;

a link cover portion covering at least a portion of the link mechanism, configured to not be displaced relative to the vehicle body frame, including a front portion disposed forward of respective rear ends of the right front wheel and the left front wheel in a front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame, and as seen from the front in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame when the vehicle body frame is in an upright state, arranged such that a right lower edge of the front portion directly above the right front wheel is disposed above a lower end of the link mechanism or the steering mechanism in an up-down direction of the vehicle body frame, and such that a left lower edge of the front portion located in an upper side of the left front wheel is disposed above a lower end of the link mechanism or the steering mechanism in the up-down direction of the vehicle body frame;

a right protecting portion is configured to be displaced relative to the vehicle body frame in accordance with an operation of the link mechanism, at least a portion of the right protecting portion is disposed above a center in the up-down direction of the vehicle body frame between an upper end of the right front wheel and a lower edge of the link mechanism or the steering mechanism directly above the right front wheel, and is disposed below the right lower edge of the front portion of the link cover portion as seen from the front in the front-rear direction when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state; and

a left protecting portion configured to be displaced relative to the vehicle body frame in accordance with the operation of the link mechanism, at least a portion of the left protecting portion is disposed above a center in the up-down direction of the vehicle body frame between an upper end of the left front wheel and a lower edge of the link mechanism or the steering mechanism directly above the left front wheel, and is disposed below the left lower edge of the front portion of the link cover portion as seen from the front in the front-rear direction when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state.

2. The vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the right protecting portion is disposed below the center in the up-down direction of the vehicle body frame between the upper end of the right front wheel and the lower edge of the link mechanism or the steering mechanism directly above the right front wheel, and is disposed above an upper edge of the right front wheel as seen from the front in the front-rear direction when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state;

and

at least a portion of the left protecting portion is disposed below the center in the up-down direction of the vehicle body frame between the upper end of the left front wheel and the lower edge of the link mechanism or the steering mechanism directly above the left front wheel, and is disposed above an upper edge of the left front wheel as seen from the front in the front-rear direction when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state.

3. The vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the right protecting portion is disposed behind a front end of the right front wheel in the front-rear direction when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state;

and

at least a portion of the left protecting portion is disposed behind a front end of the left front wheel in the front-rear direction when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state.

4. The vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the right protecting portion is disposed forward of in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame than a rear end of the right front wheel when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state;

and

at least a portion of the left protecting portion is disposed forward of in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body frame than a rear end of the left front wheel when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state.

5. The vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein the steering mechanism includes:

a right shock absorber supporting the right front wheel at a lower portion thereof, and configured to buffer displacement of the right front wheel in the up-down direction of the vehicle body frame relative to an upper portion thereof;

a left shock absorber supporting the left front wheel at a lower portion thereof, and configured to buffer displacement of the left front wheel in the up-down direction of the vehicle body frame relative to an upper portion thereof;

a right bracket to which the upper portion of the right shock absorber is fixed;

a left bracket to which the upper portion of the left shock absorber is fixed;

a steering shaft to which the handlebar is attached; and

a transmission mechanism configured to transmit a turning motion of the steering shaft to the right bracket and the left bracket;

wherein

the right protecting portion is fixed to any one of the link mechanism, the right shock absorber, the right bracket, and the transmission mechanism; and

the left protecting portion is fixed to any one of the link mechanism, the left shock absorber, the left bracket, and the transmission mechanism.

6. The vehicle as set forth in claim 5, wherein the right protecting portion is fixed to the upper portion of the right shock absorber, and the left protecting portion is fixed to the upper portion of the left shock absorber.

7. The vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein a front edge of the right protecting portion is inclined such that at least one of an upper end thereof and a lower end thereof is located behind a front end thereof as seen from a side of the vehicle body frame when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state;

and

a front edge of the left protecting portion is inclined such that at least one of an upper end thereof and a lower end thereof is located behind a front end thereof as seen from the side of the vehicle body frame when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state.

8. The vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein a front edge of the right protecting portion is inclined that at least one of a right end thereof and a left end thereof is located behind a front end thereof as seen from above the vehicle body frame when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state;

and

a front edge of the left protecting portion is inclined such that at least one of a right end thereof and a left end thereof is located behind a front end thereof as seen from above the vehicle body frame when the vehicle body frame is in the upright state.

9. The vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein the right protecting portion covers at least a portion of an upper surface of the right front wheel is configured to provide a function of preventing objects including muddy water kicked up by the right front wheel from scattering;

and

the left protecting portion covers at least a portion of an upper surface of the left front wheel and is configured to provide a function of preventing objects including muddy water kicked up by the left front wheel from scattering.