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US 9,004,220 B2Granted
Vehicle having compact configuration
AssigneeHonda Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorsAtsushi Kawaguchi, Masayuki Fujita, Yohei Kawasaki, Futoshi Miyakawa, Tatsuya Shiokawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A strut suspension is disposed on a vehicle front side of a rotation center of a front wheel. A rack and pinion mechanism is disposed on a vehicle front side of the strut suspension. Since the strut suspension and the rack and pinion mechanism are disposed on the vehicle front side of the rotation center of the front wheel, a foot space can be moved forward to a position where the foot space overlaps the front wheel. A vehicle cabin space can be thereby increased.
Claims12
A vehicle, comprising:
- left and right front wheels, each of said left and right front wheels including a braking device therefor, each of said front wheels being steerably suspended from a vehicle body frame by a strut suspension;
- left and right rear wheels, each of said left and right rear wheels including a braking device therefor;
- a steering device configured to steer the front wheels, said steering device including a rack and pinion mechanism, said rack and pinion mechanism being disposed on a vehicle front side of the strut suspensions in a vehicle side view,
- wherein an upper end of each of the strut suspensions is connected to the vehicle body frame while a lower end thereof is connected to a knuckle,
- wherein the upper ends and the lower ends of the strut suspensions are disposed on a vehicle front side of rotation centers of the left and right front wheels,
- wherein a foot space in which a driver is capable of placing his/her feet overlaps the front wheels in the vehicle side view,
- wherein
- the vehicle comprises an electric vehicle in which the rear wheels are driven by an electric motor,
- wherein the braking device includes an air pump which generates a negative pressure, a surge tank which stores the generated negative pressure, and a booster mechanism which generates a boosting force by using the negative pressure, and
- wherein, in the vehicle side view, the air pump, the surge tank, and the booster mechanism are disposed behind front surfaces of the strut suspensions but in front of the foot space.
7 more elements
A vehicle, comprising:
- left and right front wheels;
- first braking means for providing a braking force to each of said left and right front wheels;
- strut suspension means for steerably supporting each of said left and right front wheels;
- left and right rear wheels;
- second braking means for providing braking force to each of said left and right rear wheels;
- steering means for steering the front wheels, said steering means including rack and pinion means disposed on a vehicle front side of the strut suspension means in a vehicle side view, wherein an upper end of the strut suspension means is connected to the vehicle body frame, while a lower end of the suspension means is connected to a knuckle, the upper ends and the lower ends of the suspension means are disposed on a vehicle front side of rotation centers of the left and right front wheels, and a foot space in which a driver is capable of placing his/her feet overlaps the front wheels in the vehicle side view;
- electric motor means for driving the rear wheels of the vehicle such that the vehicle comprises an electric vehicle,
- wherein each of the first and second braking means comprises at least one air pump means for generating a negative pressure, surge tank means for storing the generated negative pressure, and a booster means for generating a boosting force by using the negative pressure, and
- wherein, in the vehicle side view, the air pump means, the surge tank means, and the booster means are disposed behind front surface of the strut suspension means but in front of the foot space.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.