# US 10,501,118 B2 · Forecarriage of tilting motor vehicle and motor vehicle thereof

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- Number: US 10,501,118 B2
- Document ID: US10501118B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/749,688
- Filed: 2016-08-03
- Published: 2018-08-09
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2015-08-03
- Assignees: Piaggio & C. S.P.A.
- Applicants: PIAGGIO & C. S.p.A.
- Inventors: Andrea Raffaelli
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10501118B2

## CPC

- B62D 9/02: combined with means for inwardly inclining vehicle body on bends
- B62D 9/04: combined with means for {inwardly} inclining wheels on bends (B62D9/02 takes precedence)
- B62K 5/01: Motorcycles with four or more wheels (specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/003)
- B62K 5/027: Motorcycles with three wheels (specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/023)
- B62K 5/08: with steering devices acting on two or more wheels
- B62K 5/10: with means for inwardly inclining the vehicle body on bends
- G06Q 10/04: Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" (market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202)
- G06Q 10/0639: Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
- G06Q 50/06: Energy or water supply
- H02S 50/10: Testing of PV devices, e.g. of PV modules or single PV cells (testing of semiconductor devices during manufacturing {H10P74/00})
- B62K 2005/001: {Suspension details for cycles with three or more main road wheels}
- Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)
- B62K: CYCLES; CYCLE FRAMES; CYCLE STEERING DEVICES; RIDER-OPERATED TERMINAL CONTROLS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CYCLES; CYCLE AXLE SUSPENSIONS; CYCLE SIDECARS, FORECARS, OR THE LIKE
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H02S: GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES (obtaining electrical energy from radioactive sources G21H1/12; light sensitive inorganic semiconductor devices H10F; light sensitive organic semiconductor devices H10K30/00; thermoelectric devices H10N10/00; pyroelectric devices H10N15/00)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A motor vehicle forecarriage comprises a forecarriage frame, a pair of front wheels kinematically connected to the forecarriage frame by means of an articulated quadrilateral, said articulated quadrilateral comprising a pair of cross members, hinged to the forecarriage frame in correspondence of middle hinges, said cross members being connected together, at opposite transversal ends by uprights pivoted at said transversal ends at side hinges, each upright extending from an upper end and a lower end, the upper end facing the upper cross member and the lower end facing the lower cross member the cross members and the uprights defining said articulated quadrilateral. Advantageously the forecarriage comprises, in correspondence of each front wheel, a tilting support structure for a stub axle of each front wheel mechanically connected to a rotation pin of a front wheel so as to rotatably support the front wheel around a related rotation axis.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Motor vehicle forecarriage comprising
a forecarriage frame,
a pair of front wheels kinematically connected to the forecarriage frame by means of an articulated quadrilateral,
said articulated quadrilateral comprising a pair of cross members, hinged to the forecarriage frame in correspondence of middle hinges,
said cross members being connected to each other, in correspondence of opposite transverse ends, by means of uprights pivoted to said transverse ends in correspondence of side hinges, each upright extending from an upper end and a lower end, the upper end being turned towards the upper cross member and the lower end being turned towards the lower cross member,
the cross members and the uprights defining said articulated quadrilateral,
wherein
the forecarriage comprises, in correspondence of each front wheel, a tilting support structure for a stub axle of each front wheel mechanically connected to a rotation pin of a front wheel so as to rotatably support the front wheel around a related rotation axis,
said tilting support structure being hinged to the articulated quadrilateral by means of steering hinges arranged in correspondence of the upper ends and lower ends of each upright, said steering hinges defining respective steering axes of the wheels parallel to each other.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 1, wherein said steering axes coincide, respectively, with axes of symmetry of said uprights.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1, 2)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each wheel comprises a wheel centreline plane, in which each wheel centreline plane passes, respectively, through the steering axis of each front wheel.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 1, wherein said tilting support structure is entirely contained within a volume delimited by a rim of each wheel.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 4, wherein said volume is facing with respect to a centreline plane of the forecarriage passing through said middle hinges.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 1, wherein said tilting support structure comprises
a guide wheel connected to said rotation pin of front wheel in correspondence of a special wheel attachment,
a support bracket hinged to the articulated quadrilateral by means of said steering hinges,
the guide wheel being in turn hinged to the support bracket in correspondence of opposite upper and lower axial ends, by means of at least three tilting hinges that define respective tilting axes and that realise a roto-translational connection between the guide wheel and the support bracket.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 6, wherein the guide wheel, the support bracket and the tilting hinges delimit a peripherally closed tilting support structure.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 7, wherein the rotation pin of each wheel is positioned inside said perimetrically closed tilting support structure, and/or the side hinges and the respective upright are positioned inside said perimetrically closed tilting support structure.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 6, wherein the tilting support structure comprises a connecting rod doubly hinged to the support bracket and the guide wheel in correspondence with a first and a second tilting hinge.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 6, wherein the tilting support structure comprises a plate hinged to the support bracket and the guide wheel in correspondence of a third tilting hinge.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 6, wherein said tilting hinges are hinged to the support bracket and the guide wheel in correspondence of the tilting axes perpendicular to a centreline plane of each wheel and perpendicular to the steering axes defined by said steering hinges.

### Claim 12 (depends on 6)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 6, wherein said guide wheel is a rectilinear guide that includes a damper and a spring to realise a suspension for said wheel.

### Claim 13 (depends on 6)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 6, wherein the guide wheel comprises a stem, which houses the damper, and a case, fitted coaxially to the stem, and translatable with respect to the stem, the case supporting the wheel stub axle and being elastically influenced by the spring.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 13, wherein the case comprises a support and fixing appendix of the spring and one of said tilting hinges.

### Claim 15 (depends on 6)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 6, wherein the guide wheel comprises an outer jacket on which are connected the stub axle and a connecting rod doubly hinged to the support bracket and said outer jacket of the guide wheel in correspondence of a first and of a second tilting hinge, and wherein said outer jacket internally encloses a damper and a spring, the outer jacket comprising a slot that houses a pin axially guided by said slot the pin defining a third tilting hinge and being connected to the support bracket by means of a connecting rod or a plate.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 15, wherein the pin is elastically influenced by the spring so as to guide an extension or compression movement of the spring through said slot.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 15, wherein between the outer jacket and the connecting rod or plate is interposed a collar fitted coaxially to the outer jacket so to realise an external guide the movement of the pin along the slot.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 15, wherein the slot is directed parallel to a prevalent extension of the guide wheel and the slot is directed along a plane perpendicular to said centreline plane of each wheel.

### Claim 19 (depends on 6)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 6, wherein the guide wheel comprises an outer jacket on which are connected the stub axle and a connecting rod doubly hinged to the support bracket and said outer jacket of the guide wheel in correspondence of a first and of a second tilting hinge, and wherein said outer jacket internally encloses a damper and the spring, the outer jacket comprising a slot that houses a pin axially guided by said slot, the pin being hinged to a slider or sliding bushing house inside the outer jacket and defining a third tilting hinge.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 19, wherein the pin is fixed with respect to said support bracket.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 19, wherein the slot is directed parallel to a prevalent extension of the guide wheel and the slot is directed parallel to a centreline plane of the wheel.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 19, wherein the pin is hinged to said slider or sliding bushing in correspondence of a hinge or ball joint, said hinge or ball joint defining a tilting hinge of said tilting support structure.

### Claim 23 (depends on 19)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 19, wherein the pin 44 is inserted in the guide wheel through the slot and, on the side opposite to said slot, the pin is fixed to the slider or sliding bushing by a head housed in a cavity of the guide wheel, so as to slide with respect to the guide wheel, parallel to a shaking direction, without interfering with the guide wheel.

### Claim 24 (depends on 19)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 19, wherein the slider or sliding bushing comprises at least one countersink suitable to allow a related inclination of the cursor or sliding bushing with respect to the pin during the shaking movement of the wheel along a shaking axis defined by the guide wheel.

### Claim 25 (depends on 1)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 1, wherein each rotation pin of the front wheel is comprised between the upper end and the lower end of the corresponding upright of the articulated quadrilateral.

### Claim 26 (depends on 1)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 1, wherein the transverse ends of the upper and lower cross members are at least partially housed in transversal seats formed in said uprights.

### Claim 27 (depends on 1)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 1, wherein to each guide wheel are fixed braking means of the corresponding wheel.

### Claim 28 (depends on 1)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 1, wherein to said support bracket are fixed braking means kinematically connected to an associable handlebar of the motor vehicle.

### Claim 29 (depends on 1)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 1, wherein the middle and side hinges are parallel to each other and are oriented so that, with respect to a projection plane passing through said middle hinges, the steering axes identify, with the axes of the middle hinge and side hinge, an angle, said angle α being between 80 and 120 degrees.

### Claim 30 (depends on 1)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 1, wherein the hinges are parallel to each other and orthogonal to said steering axes so that, with respect to a projection plane passing through said middle hinges the steering axes identify with the axes of the middle hinge and side hinge, an angle of 90 degrees.

### Claim 31 (depends on 1)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 1, wherein the steering axes, with respect to a projection plane passing through said middle hinges, are inclined by a steering angle between 4 and 20 degrees with respect to a vertical direction, perpendicular to the ground.

### Claim 32 (depends on 1)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 1, wherein the middle and side hinges are inclined according to the axes of the middle hinge and side hinge parallel to the ground, i.e., perpendicular to a vertical direction perpendicular to the ground.

### Claim 33 (depends on 1)

Motor vehicle forecarriage according to claim 1, wherein said middle hinges and side hinges are oriented according to the axes of the middle hinge and side hinge parallel to each other.