A Vehicle and a Vehicle Steering Mechanism for a Vehicle
AssigneeAutntic B.V.
InventorsMartien Jan Pieter VOORBIJ, Coen Antonius Adrianus Maria BAIJENS
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle and in particular a motorized vehicle and/or driven by at least one power source, comprising a rear frame section comprising at least two rear wheels and at least one rear wheel axis and in particular the rear wheel axis essentially vertical with respect to the surface where the rear wheels are connected or connectable with the ground surface, a front frame section comprising at least one front wheel and at least one front wheel axis, wherein the front frame section is connected and/or connectable to the rear frame section via at least one connection, a steering mechanism which is connected and/or connectable to at least the front frame section and which is configured to steer the front wheel.
Claims23
A vehicle (1000), comprising
- a rear frame (1001) section comprising at least two rear wheels (1002a, 1002b) and at least one rear wheel axis (1006,1006a,1006b);
- a rear frame (1003) section comprising at least one front wheel (101) and at least one front wheel (101) axis (108, 108a);
- wherein the rear frame (1003) section is connected and/or connectable to the rear frame (1001) section via at least one connection (1008a, 1008b, 1008c);
- a steering mechanism (1007) which is connected and/or connectable to at least the rear frame (1003) section and which is configured to steer the front wheel (101) with respect to at least one front wheel axis (108,108a), wherein said steering mechanism (1007) comprises at least one steering element (116);
- wherein the steering mechanism (1007) comprises at least one suspension arm (103), wherein the suspension arm (103) is connected and/or connectable to the front wheel (101) by an wheel suspension element (102) and on the other side connected and/or connectable to the rear frame (1003);
- wherein the steering mechanism (1007) is mechanically or electronically connected and/or connectable to the steering element (116) and on the other end rotatably connected and/or rotatably connectable to the wheel suspension element (102) via at least a steering rod (105), wherein the steering mechanism (1007) is configured to transform the angular displacement of the steering element (116) in an angular displacement of the front wheel (101) with respect to at least one front wheel (101) axis, wherein the steering mechanism (1007) is configured to actuate the steering rod (105), wherein the steering rod (105) is movable and/or rotatably connected and/or movable and/or rotatably connectable to the suspension arm (103).
A vehicle (1000) according to claim anyone of the preceding claims, wherein comprising at least one control unit (1009) which is configured to electronically control the tilting behavior of the front frame section (1003), and/or wherein the control unit is configured to control the degree of tilting by the control system in particular by one or more inputs (1010a, 1011a;
- 1010b, 1011b;
- 1010c, 1011c;
- 1010d, 1011d;
- 1010e, 1011e;
- 1010f, 1011f), wherein at least one of the inputs is chosen from steering angle of the front wheel (101) about its axis (108) and/or the steering angle of the steering element (116) and/or the steering torque applied to the steering element (116)
A vehicle (1000) according to claim anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the suspension arm (103) is a double sided suspension arm or single side suspension arm (103).
A vehicle (1000) according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the wheel suspension element (102) is connected and/or connectable to the rear frame (1003) by the means of an upper (112) and/or lower link (113) in particular above the horizontal center plane of the front wheel (101), wherein the upper link (112) and lower link (113) are preferably rotatably connected and/or rotatably connectable to the rear frame (1003) and the suspension arm (103)
A vehicle (1000) according to claim anyone of the preceding claims, comprising at least one wheel suspension support (104) is provided which rotatably connects and/or which is rotatably connectable between the wheel suspension element (102) and the suspension arm (103)
A vehicle (1000) according to claim anyone of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one steering shaft (115) which is connected and/or connectable, in particular mechanically or electronically connected and/or connectable to the steering element (116) and on the other end rotatably connected and/or rotatably connectable to the wheel suspension element (102) element preferably via the steering rod (105), wherein the steering mechanism (1007) is configured to actuate the steering rod (105) and steering shaft, wherein the steering shaft (115)and steering rod (105) are movable or rotatably connected and/or movable or rotatably connectable to the suspension arm (103).
A vehicle (1000) according to claim anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the steering rod (105) is rotatably connected to the suspension arm (103) by means of an pitman arm (114), wherein the steering rod (105) is actuated and/or actuatable by means of at least one pitman arm (114), wherein the pitman arm (114) is rotatably connected and/or connectable to the steering rod (105) and rotatably connected and/or connectable to the suspension arm (103).
A vehicle (1000) according to claim anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the steering rod (105) and pitman arm (114) are actuated by means of an steering actuation unit (106).
A vehicle (1000) according to claim anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the suspension arm (103) is positioned under an angle between 40-50 degrees with respect to a surface (1013) formed by the lowest points of the front and rear wheels (1002a, 1002b) and preferably under an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the a the surface formed by the lowest points of the front wheel (101) and rear wheels (1002a, 1002b).
A vehicle (1000) according to claim anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the steering actuation unit (106) comprises a steering box (106a), wherein the steering box (106a) is integrated with the suspension arm (103), wherein the steering box (106a) comprises a steering box reduction, wherein the steering box reduction is connected to the steering element (116) and to the front wheel (101) by means of the steering shaft (115), wherein the steering box reduction is configured to provide a steering reduction between the steering element (116) and the steering rod (105) or between the steering element (116) and the steering rod (105) via the pitman arm (114).
A vehicle (1000) according to claim 14, wherein the steering box (106a) reduction comprises a wormshaft and a wormwheel
A vehicle (1000) according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the steering rod (105) is connected to the front wheel (101) or wheel suspension element (102) by means of an ball joint and to the suspension arm (103) by means of a ball joint, wherein optionally one of the two ball joints is an upper ball joint and the other ball joint the lower ball joint, wherein the relative longitudinal position of the lower ball-joint versus the upper ball-joint determines the caster angle.
A vehicle (1000) according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the upper link (112) and lower link (113) have are positioned such that they having a joint ‘instantaneous center of rotation’
A vehicle (1000) according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the upper link (112) and lower link (113) have a different length
A vehicle (1000) according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the upper link (112) is shorter than the lower link (113).
A vehicle (1000) according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the lower link (113) is connected via shock absorber (118) to the rear frame (1003) of the vehicle (1000)
A vehicle (1000) according to anyone of the preceding claims, wherein a the inputs (1010a, 1011a;
- 1010b, 1011b;
- 1010c, 1011c;
- 1010d, 1011d;
- 1010e, 1011e;
- 1010f, 1011f) for the tilting control system further comprise driving speed and/or lateral acceleration of the vehicle (1000) and/or steering torque of the steering element and/or yaw angle of the vehicle (1000) and/or pressure of the tires and/or stiffness of the suspension and/or center of gravity of the vehicle (1000), structure and irregularities of the surface where the wheels of the vehicle (1000) will provide friction
A steering mechanism (1007) for a vehicle (1000) or tiltable vehicle (1000) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein
- the steering mechanism (1007) which is connected and/or connectable to at least the rear frame (1003) section and which is configured to steer the front wheel (101) with respect to at least one front wheel (101) axis, wherein said steering mechanism (1007) comprises at least one steering element (116);
- wherein the steering mechanism (1007) comprises at least one suspension arm (103), wherein the suspension arm (103) is connected and/or connectable to the front wheel (101) by an wheel suspension element (102) and on the other side connected and/or connectable to the rear frame (1003);
- wherein the steering mechanism (1007) is mechanically or electronically connected and/or connectable to the steering element (116) and on the other end rotatably connected and/or rotatably connectable to the wheel suspension element (102) via at least a steering rod (105), wherein the steering mechanism (1007) is configured to transform the angular displacement of the steering element (116) in an angular displacement of the front wheel (101) with respect to at least one front wheel (101) axis, wherein the steering mechanism (1007) is configured to actuate the steering rod (105), wherein the steering rod (105) is movable and/or rotatably connected and/or movable and/or rotatably connectable to the suspension arm (103).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.