# US 9,434,439 B2 · Vehicle

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- Number: US 9,434,439 B2
- Document ID: US9434439B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/653,383
- Filed: 2013-12-20
- Published: 2015-12-03
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-21
- Assignees: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Toshio Iizuka; Yosuke Hirayama
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9434439B2

## CPC

- B62K 5/10: with means for inwardly inclining the vehicle body on bends
- B62D 9/02: combined with means for inwardly inclining vehicle body on bends
- B62K 5/027: Motorcycles with three wheels (specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/023)
- B62K 5/05: characterised by a single rear wheel
- B62K 5/08: with steering devices acting on two or more wheels
- B62K 19/38: for attaching brake members
- B62K 25/04: for mounting axles resiliently on cycle frame or fork (for sidecars, forecars or the like B62K27/06)
- B60G 2300/122: Trikes
- B60G 2300/45: Rolling frame vehicles
- B62K 2005/001: {Suspension details for cycles with three or more main road wheels}
- B62K: CYCLES; CYCLE FRAMES; CYCLE STEERING DEVICES; RIDER-OPERATED TERMINAL CONTROLS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CYCLES; CYCLE AXLE SUSPENSIONS; CYCLE SIDECARS, FORECARS, OR THE LIKE
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)
- B60G: VEHICLE SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENTS (air-cushion vehicles B60V; {cycle suspensions B62K25/00})

## Abstract

A vehicle includes a body frame that leans, two front wheels, a link mechanism, and a hydraulic unit. The link mechanism includes cross members and is supported on a link support portion of the body frame. The hydraulic unit is smaller than a cross member movable area where the cross members move relative to the body frame as seen from the direction of middle axes of the cross members. The hydraulic unit overlaps at least a portion of the cross member movable area and at least a portion of external vehicle components as seen from the direction of the middle axes and between the cross member movable area and the external vehicle components in relation to the direction of the middle axes. The hydraulic unit is supported on the link support portion of the body frame that supports the link mechanism.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle comprising:
a body frame;
a left front wheel and a right front wheel disposed in a left and right direction of the body frame when seen from a front of the vehicle and that are configured to be steered;
a rear wheel disposed behind the left front wheel and the right front wheel;
a hydraulic brake system provided on any one of the right front wheel, the left front wheel, and the rear wheel;
a left shock absorbing device that supports the left front wheel at a lower portion thereof and is configured to absorb an upward displacement of the left front wheel in an up-and-down direction of the body frame;
a right shock absorbing device that supports the right front wheel at a lower portion thereof and is configured to absorb an upward displacement of the right front wheel in the up-and-down direction of the body frame;
a link mechanism including:
a right side member that supports an upper portion of the right shock absorbing device so as to turn about a right steering axis that extends in the up-and-down direction of the body frame;
a left side member that supports an upper portion of the left shock absorbing device so as to turn about a left steering axis parallel or substantially parallel to the right steering axis; and
a plurality of cross members that support the right side member at right end portions thereof so as to turn about right axes that extend in a front-and-rear direction of the body frame, that support the left side member at left end portions thereof so as to turn about left axes parallel or substantially parallel to the right axes, and supported on a link support portion of the body frame at middle portions thereof so as to turn about middle axes parallel or substantially parallel to the right axes and the left axes;
an external vehicle component of which at least a portion is disposed forward of or rearward of the link mechanism in the front-and-rear direction of the body frame and that defines at least a portion of an external surface of the vehicle; and
a hydraulic unit configured to control a braking force of the hydraulic brake system; wherein
the hydraulic unit is smaller than a cross member movable area where the plurality of cross members move relative to the body frame as seen from a direction of the middle axes, is disposed in a position that overlaps at least a portion of the cross member movable area and at least a portion of the external vehicle component as seen from the direction of the middle axes and between the cross member movable area and the external vehicle component in relation to the direction of the middle axes, and is supported on the link support portion of the body frame that supports the link mechanism.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the hydraulic unit is disposed in a position closer to the middle axes than to the left end portions and to the right end portions of the cross members as seen from the direction of the middle axes.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the external vehicle component includes an external surface of which a middle portion in the left and right direction of the body frame is located farther forward or rearward than a right portion or a left portion thereof in the front-and-rear direction of the body frame; and
the hydraulic unit is disposed between the cross member movable area and the external surface of the external vehicle component in relation to the direction of the middle axes.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the external vehicle component includes an external surface of which a middle portion in the up-and-down direction of the body frame is farther forward or rearward than an upper portion or a lower portion thereof in the front-and-rear direction of the body frame; and
the hydraulic unit is disposed between the cross member movable area and the external surface of the external vehicle component in relation to the direction of the middle axes.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the hydraulic unit includes a first end surface that intersects the middle axes and is closer to the cross member movable area than to the external vehicle component, and is wider than a second end surface that intersects the middle axes and is closer to the external vehicle component than to the cross member movable area.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the link mechanism includes a tie-rod that turns together with a steering shaft and that transfers a turning motion of the steering shaft to the left front wheel and to the right front wheel; and
the hydraulic unit is located above the tie-rod as seen from the direction of the middle axes.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a supporting length between the link support portion and the link mechanism is shorter than a supporting length between the hydraulic unit and the link support portion.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the link support portion, the link mechanism, and the hydraulic unit are aligned, in this order, in relation to the direction of the middle axes.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the hydraulic unit is smaller than the link mechanism as seen from the up-and-down direction of the body frame.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the body frame is disposed between the link mechanism and the hydraulic unit in relation to the direction of the middle axes.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the link mechanism is larger than the link support portion and the hydraulic unit as seen from the up-and-down direction of the body frame.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein as seen from the up-and-down direction of the body frame, the link mechanism is larger than the hydraulic unit, and the hydraulic unit is disposed farther leftward or rightward of the body frame than the link support portion.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the hydraulic unit is disposed in an interior of an area occupied by the link mechanism and the link support portion in relation to the direction of the middle axes.

### Claim 14 (depends on 2)

The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the hydraulic unit is located on a center line between a center line of the left front wheel and a center line of the right front wheel such that at least a portion of the hydraulic unit overlaps the center line as seen from the direction of the middle axes.