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US 2009/0152940 A1Published application
Three-wheel vehicle electronic stability system
AssigneeBombardier Recreational Products Inc.
InventorsDaniel Mercier, Roland Jonasch
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AssigneeBombardier Recreational Products Inc.
InventorsDaniel Mercier, Roland Jonasch
Estimating the term…
The present invention provides a three-wheel vehicle (10) having an electronic vehicle stability system and a method for stabilizing a three-wheel vehicle. The three-wheel vehicle (10) features a left (22) and right front wheel (24) laterally spaced apart and a single centered rear wheel (18) each having a tire contact patch which together define a triangular pattern of contact tire patches defining left and right rollover axis. The electronic vehicle stability system is adapted to calculate a dynamic status of the vehicle (10) based on inputs received from sensors and to output signals to the braking system to generate a specific moment about one of the left and right rollover axis when the calculated dynamic status of the vehicle exceeds a predetermine threshold indicative of a precursory condition of rollover. The present invention also provides a three-wheel vehicle having a yaw sensor positioned within a radius of 25 cm about the vertical axis (Z) to improve the accuracy of the yaw measurements provided to the electronic vehicle stability system.
1- A three-wheel vehicle comprising:
2- A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the specific moment about one of the left and right rollover axis is generated by the application of a braking force to one of the front left wheel and the front right wheel.
3- A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 2, wherein said braking force is applied to an outside front wheel when the three-wheel vehicle is in a turn.
4- A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the specific moment about one of the left and right rollover axes is generated by the application of a braking force differential between the front left wheel and the front right wheel.
5- A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 4, wherein the braking force differential between the front left wheel and the front right wheel is biased with an excess braking force on the outside front wheel when the three-wheel vehicle is in a turn.
6- A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the specific moment about one of the left and right rollover axis is generated to counter a rollover tendency of the three-wheel vehicle.
7- A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the threshold is defined by the limits of the rollover stability envelope of the three-wheel vehicle.
8- A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 7, wherein inputs from the speed sensor serve as correction factors that modify the limits of the rollover stability envelope of the three-wheel vehicle.
9- A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 8, wherein the threshold is further defined by a maximum rate of change of input signals received by the steering angle sensor.
10- A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 9, wherein the steering assembly is operatively connected to the front left wheel and the front right wheel with a steering ratio of 1:1 or less.
11- A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 1, further comprising an electronic engine management system electronically connected to the electronic vehicle stability system and adapted to receive input signals from the electronic vehicle stability system to affect engine performance.
12- A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 11, wherein when the electronic vehicle stability system output signals to the braking system, the electronic vehicle stability system also output signals to the electronic engine management system to decrease engine power output.
13- A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the speed sensor includes a wheel speed sensor for each of the wheels, each of the wheel speed sensors being coupled to and providing inputs to the electronic vehicle stability system.
14- A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 13, wherein when the combination of inputs from the wheel speed sensors, the lateral acceleration sensor, the steering angle sensor and the yaw sensor is representative of gradual acceleration of the three-wheel vehicle along a steady curve, the electronic vehicle stability system output signals to the braking system only when it detects a minimum wheel speed differential between the front left wheel and the front right wheel indicative of one of the wheels being off the ground.
15- A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the braking system further comprises an hydraulic modulator electrically connected to the electronic vehicle stability system and adapted to implement signal commands from the electronic vehicle stability system to apply specific braking to generate the specific moment about one of the left and right rollover axis.
16- A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 15, wherein the speed sensor includes wheel speed sensors associated with each of the wheels, the hydraulic modulator being adapted to implement signal commands from the electronic vehicle stability system to prevent wheel lock if one of the wheel speed sensors detects an abrupt deceleration of its associated wheel.
17- A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 3 wherein the braking force applied to the outside front wheel generates an inertia force component towards an inside of the turn thereby assisting the three-wheel vehicle in negotiating the turn.
18- A three-wheel vehicle having a longitudinal axis y extending the length of said vehicle, a transverse axis x generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and a vertical axis z, orthogonal to the longitudinal axis y and the transverse axis x, each axis extending through a center of gravity CG of the vehicle, the three-wheel vehicle comprising:
19- A three-wheel vehicle as defined in claim 18 wherein the yaw sensor is positioned within a radius of 15 cm about the vertical axis z.
20- A method for controlling the rollover stability of a three-wheel straddle vehicle having a front left wheel, a front right wheel and a single centered rear wheel, each of the wheels having a tire with a ground contact patch, each tire ground contact patch having a center;
21- A method as defined in claim 20, wherein the output signals to the braking system is for the application of a braking force to one of the front left wheel and the front right wheel.
22- A method as defined in claim 20, wherein the output signals to the braking system is for application of a braking force differential between the front left wheel and the front right wheel.