Vehicle

• US 9,493,208 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2014
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha (Yamaha Corporation)
• Inventors: Sasaki, Kaoru, Hirayama, Yosuke, Takano, Kazuhisa, Iizuka, Toshio, Noguchi, Hirotoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, DREW J
• Application Number:
  US14/901,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20160129967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 6/01 Electric circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 6/022 specially adapted for motorcycles or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 6/055 Electrical means, e.g. lamps
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 6/20 Arrangement of reflectors , e.g. on the wheel spokes pedals incorporating reflectors B62M3/12 ; Lighting devices mounted on wheel spokes
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 25/04 for mounting axles resiliently on cycle frame or fork for sidecars, forecars or the like B62K27/06
• 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 vehicle prevents interference of a right lamp and a left lamp with a link mechanism without increasing the size of the vehicle in its width direction. A right link side portion of a right lamp is located on the right of a locus along which a link mechanism extends when an upper cross portion turns when looking at the vehicle from the front of an upper middle axis. At least a portion of the right link side portion is located on the left of a right end portion of a body cover, above the upper middle axis, and below an upper end portion of the link mechanism that results when the upper cross portion turns clockwise to a maximum extent relative to a body frame, when looking at the vehicle from the front of the upper middle axis.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a body frame that leans to a right when the vehicle turns right and that leans to a left when the vehicle turns left;

a steerable right front wheel and left front wheel that are aligned in a left-and-right direction of the body frame;

a right shock absorbing device that supports the right front wheel at a lower portion thereof so as to absorb an upward displacement of the right front wheel in an up-and-down direction of the body frame;

a left shock absorbing device that supports the left front wheel at a lower portion thereof so as to absorb an upward displacement of the left front wheel in the up-and-down direction of the body frame;

a link mechanism including;

a right side portion that supports an upper portion of the right shock absorbing device so as to allow the upper portion to turn about a right steering axis that extends in the up-and-down direction of the body frame;

a left side portion that supports an upper portion of the left shock absorbing device so as to allow the upper portion to turn about a left steering axis that is parallel or substantially parallel to the right steering axis;

an upper cross portion that supports, at a right end portion thereof, an upper portion of the right side portion so as to allow the upper portion to turn about an upper right axis that extends in a front-and-rear direction of the body frame and supports, at a left end portion thereof, an upper portion of the left side portion so as to allow the upper portion to turn about an upper left axis that is parallel or substantially parallel to the upper right axis, and that is supported at a middle portion thereof on the body frame so as to turn about an upper middle axis that is parallel or substantially parallel to the upper right axis and the upper left axis; and

a lower cross portion that supports, at a right end portion thereof, a lower portion of the right side portion so as to allow the lower portion to turn about a lower right axis that is parallel or substantially parallel to the upper right axis and supports, at a left end portion thereof, a lower portion of the left side portion so as to allow the lower portion to turn about a lower left axis that is parallel or substantially parallel to the upper left axis, and that is supported at a middle portion thereof on the body frame so as to turn about a lower middle axis that is parallel to the upper middle axis;

a body cover that covers at least a portion of the link mechanism; and

a right lamp and a left lamp that are aligned in the left-and-right direction of the body frame, the right lamp including a right light source and the left lamp including a left light source;

wherein

the right lamp includes a right link side portion that is located behind a front end portion of the link mechanism that is located above the upper middle axis in the up-and-down direction of the body frame and ahead of a rear end portion of the link mechanism that is located above the upper middle axis in the up-and-down direction of the body frame, in a side view of the vehicle in an upright state;

the right link side portion is located on the right of a locus along which the link mechanism extends when the upper cross portion turns relative to the body frame in relation to the left-and-right direction of the body frame, when looking at the vehicle in the upright state from the front of the upper middle axis;

at least a portion of the right link side portion is located on the left of a right end portion of the body cover in the left-and-right direction of the body frame, above the upper middle axis in the up-and-down direction of the body frame, and below an upper end portion of the link mechanism in relation to the up-and-down direction of the body frame that results when the upper cross portion turns clockwise to a maximum extent relative to the body frame, when looking at the vehicle in the upright state from the front of the upper middle axis;

the left lamp includes a left link side portion that is located behind the front end portion of the link mechanism that is located above the upper middle axis in the up-and-down direction of the body frame and ahead of the rear end portion of the link mechanism that is located above the upper middle axis in the up-and-down direction of the body frame in relation to the direction of the upper middle axis, in the side view of the vehicle in the upright state;

the left link side portion is located on the left of a locus along which the link mechanism extends when the upper cross portion turns relative to the body frame in the left-and-right direction of the body frame, when looking at the vehicle in the upright state from the front of the upper middle axis; and

at least a portion of the left link side portion is located on the right of a left end portion of the body cover in the left-and-right direction of the body frame, above the upper middle axis in the up-and-down direction of the body frame, and below an upper end portion of the link mechanism in relation to the up-and-down direction of the body frame that results when the upper cross portion turns counterclockwise to a maximum extent relative to the body frame, when looking at the vehicle in the upright state from the front of the upper middle axis.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a middle lamp located between the right lamp and the left lamp in the left-and-right direction of the body frame in a front view of the vehicle in the upright state;

wherein at least a portion of the middle lamp is located below the right lamp and the left lamp in the up-and-down direction of the body frame and ahead of the link mechanism in relation to the direction of the upper middle axis.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the body cover includes a right opening portion and a left opening portion;

a portion of the right link side portion is located inward of the right opening portion in the body cover while another portion thereof is located outward of the right opening portion in the body cover; and

a portion of the left link side portion is located inward of the left opening portion in the body cover while another portion thereof is located outward of the left opening portion in the body cover.

4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the right link side portion is located outward of the right opening portion in the body cover and includes at least a portion of a right outer cover that transmits light of the right light source;

and

the left link side portion is located outward of the left opening portion in the body cover and includes at least a portion of a left outer cover that transmits light of the left light source.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the right lamp includes a right mounting portion where the right lamp is fixed to the body frame;

at least a portion of the right mounting portion is located ahead of the front end portion of the link mechanism that is located above the upper middle axis in the up-and-down direction of the body frame and behind the rear end portion of the link mechanism that is located above the upper middle axis in the up-and-down direction of the body frame in relation to the direction of the upper middle axis;

the left lamp includes a left mounting portion where the left lamp is fixed to the body frame; and

at least a portion of the left mounting portion is located ahead of the front end portion of the link mechanism that is located above the upper middle axis in the up-do-down direction of the body frame or is located behind the rear end portion of the link mechanism that is located above the upper middle axis in the up-and-down direction of the body frame in relation to the direction of the upper middle axis.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the body cover includes a right opening portion and a left opening portion;

the right link side portion includes a right housing that accommodates at least a portion of the right light source;

at least a portion of the right housing is located outward of the right opening portion;

the left link side portion includes a left housing that accommodates at least a portion of the left light source; and

at least a portion of the left housing is located outward of the left opening portion.

7. The vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the right lamp includes a right mounting portion where the right lamp is fixed to the body frame, and the right link side portion includes at least a portion of the right mounting portion;

and

the left lamp includes a left mounting portion where the left lamp is fixed to the body frame, and the left link side portion includes at least a portion of the left mounting portion.

8. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the right lamp includes a right outer cover that transmits light of the right light source;

a front end portion of the right outer cover is located ahead of the front end portion of the link mechanism that is located above the upper middle axis in the up-and-down direction of the body frame in relation to the direction of the upper middle axis;

the left lamp includes a left outer cover that transmits light of the left light source; and

a front end portion of the left outer cover is located ahead of the front end portion of the link mechanism that is located above the upper middle axis in the up-and-down direction of the body frame in relation to the direction of the upper middle axis.

9. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the right link side portion of the right lamp includes at least a portion of a right light source portion;

and

the left link side portion of the left lamp includes at least a portion of a left light source portion.

10. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the right lamp includes a right reflecting portion that reflects light;

the right link side portion includes at least a portion of the right reflecting portion;

the left lamp includes a left reflecting portion that reflects light; and

the left link side portion includes at least a portion of the left reflecting portion.

11. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the right lamp includes a right wiring that is connected to the light source;

the right wiring is fixed to the body frame in a position that is located ahead of the front end portion of the link mechanism that is located above the upper middle axis in the up-and-down direction of the body frame or behind the rear end portion of the link mechanism that is located above the upper middle axis in the up-and-down direction of the body frame in relation to the direction of the upper middle axis;

the left lamp includes a left wiring that is connected to the left light source; and

the left wiring is fixed to the body frame in a position that is located ahead of the front end portion of the link mechanism that is located above the upper middle axis in the up-and-down direction of the body frame or behind the rear end portion of the link mechanism that is located above the upper middle axis in the up-and-down direction of the body frame in relation to the direction of the upper middle axis.

12. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the right end portion of the right link side portion of the right lamp is located on the left of the right end portion of the body cover in the left-and-right direction of the body frame when looking at the vehicle in the upright state from the front of the upper middle axis;

and

a left end portion of the left link side portion of the left lamp is located on the right of the left end portion of the body cover in the left-and-right direction when looking at the vehicle in the upright state from the front of the upper middle axis.