Tiltable chassis for a three-wheeled vehicle
AssigneeFuture Motion, Inc.
InventorsJoseph Wilcox, Kyle Jonathan Doerksen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A three-wheeled vehicle may include one rear wheel and two front wheels coupled to a tiltable chassis, such that tilting of the chassis causes a corresponding tilting of the three wheels. The tiltable chassis includes a tiltable body coupled to a non-tilting frame by a pair of rotatable joints, such that the tiltable body is configured to rotate relative to the frame. A fore-and-aft connecting beam of the tiltable body extends beneath the frame to accommodate a battery compartment or other storage on top of the frame. A front tower extends upward from a front end of the connecting beam, above the frame, to couple to a tilt linkage and seat post of the vehicle. A rear tower extends upward from a rear end of the connecting beam to retain the rear wheel.
Claims17
A three-wheeled vehicle, comprising:
- a horizontal frame including a front crossbar, a middle crossbar, and a rear crossbar, each of the crossbars spanning between a left rail and a right rail, such that each of the crossbars is oriented transverse to a direction of vehicle travel;
- a pair of front wheels coupled to opposite ends of the front crossbar;
- a tiltable frame having a central shaft disposed below the horizontal frame and having a long axis oriented in the direction of vehicle travel, a front tower extending upward through the horizontal frame forward of the middle crossbar, and a rear tower extending upward behind the rear crossbar;
- and
- a single rear wheel coupled to the rear tower;
- wherein the tiltable frame is pivotably coupled to the horizontal frame, such that the tiltable frame pivots about an axis of rotation disposed above the long axis of the central shaft.
A three-wheeled vehicle, comprising:
- a horizontal frame including a first crossbar disposed forward of a second crossbar, each of the crossbars spanning between a left rail and a right rail, such that each of the crossbars is oriented transverse to a direction of vehicle travel;
- a tiltable frame having a central shaft disposed below the horizontal frame and having a long axis oriented in the direction of vehicle travel, a front tower extending upward through the horizontal frame forward of the first crossbar, and a rear tower extending upward behind the second crossbar;
- a pair of front wheels coupled to the front tower by a mechanical linkage;
- and
- a single rear wheel coupled to the rear tower;
- wherein the tiltable frame is pivotably coupled to the horizontal frame, such that the tiltable frame pivots about an axis of rotation disposed above the long axis of the central shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.