IP Library Granted Patent US 11,376,910
Granted Patent B1
US 11,376,910 · App. 17/199,614 · Granted Jul 5, 2022

Suspension structure of utility vehicle

Inventor: Shunsuke Yamamoto (Kakogawa, JP)
Assignee: KAWASAKI MOTORS, LTD.
B60G3/202B60G2200/144B60G2300/07
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,376,910
App. No.
17/199,614
Granted
Jul 5, 2022
Kind
B1
Abstract

A suspension structure of a utility vehicle includes: an upper arm including a front shaft support portion supported at front with respect to a vehicle body frame and a rear shaft support portion supported at rear with respect to the vehicle body frame; and a lower arm located below the upper arm and including a front shaft support portion supported at front with respect to the vehicle body frame and a rear shaft support portion supported at rear with respect to the vehicle body frame. In a top view of the utility vehicle, the front shaft support portion of the upper arm is located behind a mechanism side connecting portion, which is coupled to a final speed reduction mechanism, of an axle shaft for coupling the final speed reduction mechanism and a rear wheel.

Claims (30)

1. A suspension structure of a utility vehicle, the suspension structure comprising:

an upper arm including a front shaft support portion supported at front with respect to a vehicle body frame and a rear shaft support portion supported at rear with respect to the vehicle body frame; and

a lower arm located below the upper arm and including a front shaft support portion supported at front with respect to the vehicle body frame and a rear shaft support portion supported at rear with respect to the vehicle body frame,

wherein:

in a top view of the utility vehicle, the front shaft support portion of the upper arm is located behind a mechanism side connecting portion, which is coupled to a final speed reduction mechanism, of an axle shaft for coupling the final speed reduction mechanism and a rear wheel; and

in a rear view of the utility vehicle, a part of the mechanism side connecting portion overlaps the front shaft support portion of the upper arm and the rear shaft support portion of the upper arm.

2. The suspension structure according to claim 1 , wherein an axial length of the front shaft support portion of the upper arm is smaller than an axial length of the rear shaft support portion of the upper arm.

3. The suspension structure according to claim 1 , wherein:

in the top view of the utility vehicle, the rear shaft support portion of the upper arm and the rear shaft support portion of the lower arm overlap each other; and

an axial length of the rear shaft support portion of the upper arm is the same as an axial length of the rear shaft support portion of the lower arm.

4. The suspension structure according to claim 1 , wherein, in the top view of the utility vehicle, an upper front arm portion extending from the front shaft support portion of the upper arm toward a knuckle side intersects the axle shaft.

5. The suspension structure according to claim 4 , wherein, in the top view of the utility vehicle, the upper front arm portion intersects the axle shaft adjacent to a knuckle.

6. The suspension structure according to claim 1 , wherein the front shaft support portion of the lower arm is located in front of the front shaft support portion of the upper arm.

7. The suspension structure according to claim 6 , wherein, in the top view of the utility vehicle, the front shaft support portion of the lower arm overlaps a part of the axle shaft.

8. The suspension structure according to claim 1 , wherein the front shaft support portion of the upper arm and the rear shaft support portion of the upper arm are located below an upper end of the final speed reduction mechanism.

9. A suspension structure of a utility vehicle, the suspension structure comprising:

an upper arm including a front shaft support portion supported at front with respect to a vehicle body frame and a rear shaft support portion supported at rear with respect to the vehicle body frame; and

a lower arm located below the upper arm and including a front shaft support portion supported at front with respect to the vehicle body frame and a rear shaft support portion supported at rear with respect to the vehicle body frame,

wherein:

in a top view of the utility vehicle, the rear shaft support portion of the upper arm is located in front of a mechanism side connecting portion, which is coupled to a final speed reduction mechanism, of an axle shaft for coupling the final speed reduction mechanism and a front wheel; and

in a front view of the utility vehicle, a part of the mechanism side connecting portion overlaps the front shaft support portion of the upper arm and the rear shaft support portion of the upper arm.

10. A suspension structure of a utility vehicle, the suspension structure comprising:

an upper arm including a front shaft support portion supported at front with respect to a vehicle body frame and a rear shaft support portion supported at rear with respect to the vehicle body frame; and

a lower arm located below the upper arm and including a front shaft support portion supported at front with respect to the vehicle body frame and a rear shaft support portion supported at rear with respect to the vehicle body frame,

wherein:

in a top view of the utility vehicle, the front shaft support portion of the upper arm and the front shaft support portion of the lower arm overlap each other, the rear shaft support portion of the upper arm and the rear shaft support portion of the lower arm are arranged so as to be displaced from each other, and an axle shaft for coupling a final speed reduction mechanism of the utility vehicle and a vehicle wheel overlaps an arm portion connected to the rear shaft support portion of the lower arm, or the rear shaft support portion of the upper arm and the rear shaft support portion of the lower arm overlap each other, the front shaft support portion of the upper arm and the front shaft support portion of the lower arm are arranged so as to be displaced from each other, and the axle shaft for coupling the final speed reduction mechanism and the vehicle wheel overlaps an arm portion connected to the front shaft support portion of the lower arm;

a mechanism side connecting portion of the axle shaft is coupled to the final speed reduction mechanism; and

in a rear view of the utility vehicle or in a front view of the utility vehicle, a part of the mechanism side connecting portion overlaps the front shaft support portion of the upper arm and the rear shaft support portion of the upper arm.

11. The suspension structure according to claim 10 , wherein the vehicle wheel is a rear wheel of the utility vehicle.

12. The suspension structure according to claim 10 , wherein the vehicle wheel is a front wheel of the utility vehicle.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 21, 2022
From: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
To: KAWASAKI MOTORS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 058811/0875 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 12, 2021
From: YAMAMOTO, SHUNSUKE
To: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 055572/0601 →
Cited By (2)
US 12,351,259 US 12,409,691