IP Library Granted Patent US 8,801,037
Granted Patent B1
US 8,801,037 · App. 13/746,750 · Granted Aug 12, 2014

Adjuster, frame and vehicle

Inventors: Ryuta Inoue (Shizuoka, JP); Ken Itou (Shizuoka, JP); Yuya Sato (Newnan, GA)
Assignee: Yamaha Motor Power Products Kabushiki Kaisha
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,801,037
App. No.
13/746,750
Granted
Aug 12, 2014
Kind
B1
Abstract

A golf cart includes a frame, an adjuster, and a pair of suspension assemblies that reduce changes in camber angles in a pair of wheels caused by an adjustment of a ground clearance. The adjuster includes a pair of first adjusting portions and a pair of second adjusting portions. Each of the first adjusting portions includes a first upper hole and a first lower hole. Each of the second adjusting portions includes a second upper hole and a second lower hole. Each suspension assembly includes a damper and an arm portion. When the golf cart is set to a high ground clearance, the first adjusting portions are installed between the frame and the dampers, and the second adjusting portions are installed between the frame and the arm portions.

Claims (19)

1. An adjuster for adjusting a ground clearance of a vehicle that includes a pair of strut suspension assemblies each including a damper, an arm portion, and a knuckle portion, the adjuster comprising:

a pair of first adjusting portions each including a first upper hole and a first lower hole, the pair of first adjusting portions arranged to be installed between the dampers and a frame of the vehicle to adjust a position of the frame with respect to the dampers; and

a pair of second adjusting portions each including a second upper hole and a second lower hole, the pair of second adjusting portions arranged to be installed between the arm portions and the frame of the vehicle at a height lower than the pair of first adjusting portions to adjust a position of the frame with respect to the arm portions; wherein

a distance between the first upper hole and the first lower hole is equal or substantially equal to a distance between the second upper hole and the second lower hole.

2. The adjuster according to claim 1 , wherein the pair of first adjusting portions are integral with each other and included in a first adjusting member.

3. The adjuster according to claim 1 , wherein the pair of second adjusting portions are integral with each other and included in a second adjusting member.

4. The adjuster according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first lower holes is located outward of a location of a corresponding first upper hole in a vehicle width direction, and each of the second lower holes is located outward of a location of a corresponding second upper hole in the vehicle width direction.

5. A vehicle comprising:

a pair of strut suspension assemblies each including a damper, an arm portion, and a knuckle portion; and

the adjuster according to claim 1 .

6. The vehicle according to claim 5 , further comprising:

an operation controller;

a pair of tie rods working in association with the operation controller and connected to the pair of knuckle portions in the pair of suspension assemblies, respectively; and

a pair of spacers each located between the tie rod and the knuckle portion; wherein

each of the knuckle portions includes a connecting portion to connect the knuckle portion to the tie rod; and

each of the tie rods is connected to the connecting portion via the spacer.

7. The vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the pair of first adjusting portions are connected to the frame of the vehicle at the first upper holes, the dampers are connected to the pair of first adjusting portions at the first lower holes, the pair of second adjusting portions are connected to the frame of the vehicle at the second upper holes, and the arm portions are connected to the pair of second adjusting portions at the second lower holes.

8. The vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the pair of first adjusting portions are connected to the frame of the vehicle at the first lower holes, the dampers are connected to the pair of first adjusting portions at the first upper holes, the pair of second adjusting portions are connected to the frame of the vehicle at the second lower holes, and the arm portions are connected to the pair of second adjusting portions at the second upper holes.

9. The adjuster according to claim 1 , wherein a vertical distance and a horizontal distance between the first upper hole and the first lower hole is equal or substantially equal to a vertical distance and a horizontal distance between the second upper hole and the second lower hole, respectively.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 6, 2026
From: YAMAHA MOTOR POWER PRODUCTS KABUSHIKI KAISHA
To: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 073713/0522 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE NAME YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA TO YAMAHA MOTOR POWER PRODUCTS KABUSHIKI KAISHA PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 030055 FRAME 0070. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ENTIRE INTEREST. Recorded Mar 22, 2013
From: INOUE, RYUTA; ITOU, KEN; SATO, YUYA
To: YAMAHA MOTOR POWER PRODUCTS KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 030065/0137 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 21, 2013
From: INOUE, RYUTA; ITOU, KEN; SATO, YUYA
To: YAMAHA HATSUDOKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 030055/0070 →