IP Library Granted Patent US 11,511,821
Granted Patent B2
US 11,511,821 · App. 16/904,187 · Granted Nov 29, 2022

Leaning vehicle and vehicle leaning unit

Inventors: Hiroshi Ishii (Kobe, JP); Taro Iwamoto (Kobe, JP); Takeshi Nakajima (Kobe, JP); Kazuya Nagasaka (Akashi, JP)
Assignee: KAWASAKI MOTORS, LTD.
B62K5/10B60G21/007B62K5/05
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,511,821
App. No.
16/904,187
Granted
Nov 29, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A leaning vehicle includes a base member, an upper arm, a lower arm, a first support member, a second support member, a first wheel, a second wheel, and a steering operation member. The upper arm, the lower arm, the first support member, the second support member constitute a parallel link mechanism. The first wheel is movable integrally with the first support member in a turning direction of the base member. The second wheel is movable integrally with the second support member in the turning direction of the base member. According to turning of the base member by operating the steering operation member, all of the upper arm, the lower arm, the first support member, the second support member, the first wheel, and the second wheel turn around a turning center of the base member.

Claims (60)

1. A leaning vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle body;

a base member supported by the vehicle body so as to be turnable around a turning center relative to the vehicle body;

an upper arm whose longitudinally intermediate portion is pivoted to the base member at a height;

a lower arm whose longitudinally intermediate portion is pivoted to the base member at another height below the height to pivot the upper aim to the base member;

a first support member disposed on one of opposite sides of the base member in a vehicle-width direction;

a second support member disposed on the other of the opposite sides of the base member in the vehicle-width direction;

a first wheel pivoted to the first support member;

a second wheel pivoted to the second support member;

a steering operation member operable to turn the base member; and

a restriction member restricting a rotation angle range of at least one of the upper arm and the lower arm by abutting the at least one of the upper arm and the lower arm,

wherein the upper arm, the lower arm, the first support member and the second support member constitute a parallel link mechanism,

wherein the first wheel is movable integrally with the first support member in a turning direction of the base member,

wherein the second wheel is movable integrally with the second support member in the turning direction of the base member, and

wherein according to turning of the base member, all of the upper arm, the lower arm, the first support member, the second support member, the first wheel and the second wheel turn around the turning center of the base member.

2. The leaning vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the parallel link mechanism includes:

a first junction where the longitudinally intermediate portion of the upper arm is pivotally connected to the base member;

a second junction where one of the longitudinally opposite side portions of the upper arm is pivotally connected to the first support member;

a third junction where the other of the longitudinally opposite side portions of the upper arm is pivotally connected to the second support member,

a fourth junction where the longitudinally intermediate portion of the lower arm is pivotally connected to the base member;

a fifth junction where one of the longitudinally opposite side portions of the lower arni is pivotally connected to the first support member;

a sixth junction where the other of the longitudinally opposite side portions of the lower arm is pivotally connected to the second support member; and

wherein the first junction, the second junction and the third junction are aligned on a straight line in view along pivot axes of the parallel link mechanism, and

wherein the fourth junction, the fifth junction and the sixth junction are aligned on a straight line in view along the pivot axes of the parallel link mechanism.

3. The leaning vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein when the leaning vehicle is viewed in front, at least a part of the parallel link mechanism is disposed between the first wheel and the second wheel.

4. The leaning vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a pivot axis pivoting the upper arm to the base member and a pivot axis pivoting the lower arm to the base member are each inclined to have opposite axial ends different in height from each other.

5. The leaning vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the pivot axis pivoting the upper arm to the base member and the pivot axis pivoting the lower arm to the base member are each inclined forwardly downward from a horizontal plane.

6. The leaning vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein both a pivot axis pivoting the upper arm to the base member and a pivot axis pivoting the lower arm to the base member are parallel to a road surface.

7. The leaning vehicle according to claim 3 , further comprising:

a transmission member interposed between the steering operation member and the base member,

wherein the steering operation member, the transmission member, and the base member are integrally turnable relative to the vehicle body.

8. The leaning vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the transmission member includes a shock absorber for reducing a shock transmitted from a road surface to the vehicle body via the first wheel or the second wheel.

9. The leaning vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the upper arm includes:

a first left arm portion disposed close to the first support member leftward with respect to the longitudinally intermediate portion of the upper arm; and

a first right arm portion disposed close to the second support member rightward with respect to the longitudinally inteimediate portion of the upper arm, and

wherein the lower arm includes:

a second left arm portion disposed close to the first support member leftward with respect to the longitudinally intermediate portion of the lower arm; and

a second right arm portion disposed close to the second support member rightward with respect to the longitudinally intermediate portion of the lower aim.

10. The leaning vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein both the first wheel and the second wheel are front wheels, and wherein both the upper arm and the lower arm are disposed forward from the base member.

11. The leaning vehicle according to claim 4 , further comprising:

a single rear wheel disposed at a center portion of the leaning vehicle in the vehicle-width direction,

wherein both the first wheel and the second wheel are front wheels.

12. The leaning vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a first brake mechanism braking the first wheel; and

a second brake mechanism braking the second wheel.

13. The leaning vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the restriction member is fixed to the first support member and restricts a rotation of the upper arm and the lower arm beyond a predetermined angle by abutting the at least one of the upper arm and the lower arm.

14. The leaning vehicle according to claim 13 , further comprising a further restriction member, the further restriction member being fixed to the second support member and restricting the rotation of the upper arm and the lower arm beyond the predetermined angle by abutting the at least one of the upper arm and the lower arm.

15. A vehicle leaning unit, comprising:

a base member adaptable turnably around a turning center;

an upper arm whose longitudinally intermediate portion is pivoted to the base member at a height;

a lower arm whose longitudinally intermediate portion is pivoted to the base member at another height below the height to pivot the upper arm to the base member;

a first support member disposed on one of opposite sides of the base member in a vehicle-width direction;

a second support member disposed on the other of the opposite sides of the base member in the vehicle-width direction;

a first wheel pivoted to the first support member;

a second wheel pivoted to the second support member; and

a restriction member restricting a rotation angle range of at least one of the upper arm and the lower arm by abutting the at least one of the upper arm and the lower arm,

wherein the upper arm, the lower arm, the first support member and the second support member constitute a parallel link mechanism,

wherein the first wheel is movable integrally with the first support member in a turning direction of the base member,

wherein the second wheel is movable integrally with the second support member in the turning direction of the base member, and

wherein according to turning of the base member, all of the upper arm, the lower ann, the first support member, the second support member, the first wheel and the second wheel turn around the turning center of the base member.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 27, 2022
From: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
To: KAWASAKI MOTORS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 059742/0477 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE INVENTOR'S NAME. INVENTOR'S NAME SHOULD BE CORRECTED AS FOLLOWS "HIROSHI ISHII" PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 052967 FRAME 0194. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST. Recorded Oct 15, 2020
From: ISHII, HIROSHI; IWAMOTO, TARO; NAKAJIMA, TAKESHI; NAGASAKA, KAZUYA
To: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 054090/0827 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 17, 2020
From: ISII, HIROSHI; IWAMOTO, TARO; NAKAJIMA, TAKESHI; NAGASAKA, KAZUYA
To: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 052967/0194 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2019-113273 · Jun 19, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200398926A1 · Dec 24, 2020