US 5,700,023 AGranted

Vehicle formed from a series of modules interconnected by a composite articulated connection

AssigneeLohr Industrie

InventorAntoine Picard

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Abstract

The articulated vehicle is formed from a plurality of modules interconnected in an articulated fashion, including one leading module (1) with a front steering set of wheels (12), a rear module (3) with a controlled orientable rear set of wheels (13) and, optionally, one or more intermediate modules (2), a vehicle wherein two successive modules are connected by a movable articulation support (6, 7) carried by an axle and duplicated by a rigid oblique articulated connection (8,9), the orientation of each movable articulation support (6, 7) and that of the rear orientable wheel set (13) being controlled in such a way that its transverse median axis corresponds at all times to the bisector of the angle formed by two successive modules.

Claims12

Dependent claims

An articulated vehicle having a plurality of modules interconnected with one another in an articulated manner, said articulated vehicle comprising:

a leading module (1) having a leading end, a trailing end and a front steering set of wheels (12), a rear module (3) having a leading end, a trailing end and a rear set of follower wheels (13), and at least one intermediate module (2) having a leading end and a trailing end and being located between said leading module (11) and said rear module (3);
wherein each pair of two adjacent modules is interconnected by a composite articulated connection (4, 5);
and
each said composite articulated connection (4, 5) comprises:
at least one movable articulation support (6, 7) which is supported by an axle (10, 11), said movable articulation support is connected to a leading one of said pair of adjacent modules by a front connection articulation (14) and a trailing one of said pair of adjacent modules by a rear connection articulation (16) having three degrees of freedom, said front connection articulation (14) is connected at a median position to the trailing end of said leading one of said pair of adjacent modules, and said rear connection articulation (16) is connected at a median position to the leading end of said trailing one of said pair of adjacent modules;
an oblique articulated connection (8, 9) extends obliquely with respect to a longitudinal axis of said articulated vehicle when said pair of adjacent modules are aligned with one another, said oblique articulated connection (8, 9) has a leading end and a trailing end, said oblique articulated connection leading end is connected at position that is offset from the median position of the trailing end of said leading one of said pair of adjacent modules, and said oblique articulated connection trailing end is connected to the leading end of said trailing one of said pair of adjacent modules at a position diagonal opposite offset with respect to said connected position of said oblique articulated connection leading end;
and
a double articulated connection (15) is formed by a connection between said rear connection articulation (16) and a top articulation (17) which has limited movement, and said front connection articulation (14) and said top articulation (17) are interconnected with one another by structure of said moveable articulation support (6, 7).

5 more elements

An articulated vehicle having a plurality of modules interconnected with one another in an articulated manner, said articulated vehicle comprising:

a leading module (22) having a leading end, a trailing end and a front steering set of wheels (23), and a trailing module (24) having a leading end, a trailing end and a rear set of follower wheels (25), wherein said leading and said trailing modules are interconnected by a composite articulated connection (26);
said composite articulated connection (26) comprises:
a movable articulation support (27) which is supported by an axle, said movable articulation support (27) is connected to said leading module by a front connection articulation (30) and to said trailing module by a rear connection articulation (16) having three degrees of freedom, said front connection articulation (14) is connected at a median position to the trailing end of said leading module, and said rear connection articulation (16) is connected at a median position to the leading end of said trailing module;
an oblique articulated connection (28) extends obliquely with respect to a longitudinal axis of said articulated vehicle, when said leading and trailing modules are aligned with one another, said oblique articulated connection (28) has a leading end and a trailing end, said oblique articulated connection leading end is connected at position that is offset from the median position of the trailing end of said leading module, and said oblique articulated connection trailing end is connected to the leading end of said trailing module at a position diagonal opposite offset with respect to said connected position of said oblique articulated connection leading end;
and
a double articulated connection (31) is formed by a connection between said rear connection articulation (32) and a top articulation (33) which has limited movement, and said front connection articulation (30) and said top articulation (33) are interconnected with one another by structure of said moveable articulation support (27).

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.