Low slung small vehicle
AssigneeYamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorOsamu Hayata
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A number of embodiments of low, stable, self-propelled vehicles adapted to carry disabled, infirmed or elderly persons. In each embodiment there is provided a load carrying floor that has its upper surface spaced below the axis of rotation of the rear wheels and which may be raised or lowered for facilitating entry onto the floor. In many embodiments, a wheelchair is adapted to be supported on the floor and a movable stop pivots upon movement of the floor between a raised and a lowered position. In each position, the stop functions to retain a wheelchair in place.
Claims17
A vehicle having a load carrying floor suspended from at least a pair of rear wheels and at lease one dirigible front wheel, a body comprising front walls and side walls, said front walls and said side walls each having a generally inverted box shape and defining said floor and open at the rear edge of said vehicle, said front wheel being supported relative to said body for steering movement about a steering axis and for rotation about a rotational axis, power means fixed relative to said body comprising an engine contained within said front wall and driving transmission means comprising a differential position within said front wall and a pair of chains each driven by an output shaft of said differential and extending through a respective one of said side walls for driving a respective one of said rear wheels for propulsion of said vehicle, and means for suspending said floor for pivotal movement about said rotational axis of said front wheel and for movement relative to said rear wheels from a lowered position wherein said floor is angularly disposed relative to the ground and said front wheel rotational axis of the rear edge of said floor is lowered to a ground engaging position and a raised position wherein said floor extends substantially horizontally and the rear edge thereof is above the ground.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.