Motor vehicles – Having four wheels driven – With means for steering all driven wheels
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-29
2003-12-09
Boehler, Anne Marie (Department: 3611)
Motor vehicles
Having four wheels driven
With means for steering all driven wheels
C180S267000, C180S384000, C280S102000, C280S786000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06659215
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a four-wheel drive vehicle which on account of its constructive composition has very good off-road characteristics, in addition to which the vehicle can be adapted to a number of transport requirements and can act as a tool carrier. The vehicle is substantially frameless in the traditional sense with a front and a rear rigid differential axle mounted on a beam or frame extending centrally in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, where at least one of the axles can rotate about the vehicle's longitudinal axis, while at the same time both of the vehicle's axles are each steered in the opposite direction to each other about their axes perpendicularly to the vehicle's longitudinal axis.
In previously known off-road vehicles for leisure use, construction use, forestry work and military applications, the use of four-wheel drive is known on vehicles with a front and a rear differential axle, possibly combined with a differential brake or differential lock in one or both of the axles. In addition some vehicles have a centre differential. These vehicles, however, are frame-based and the differential axles are attached to the vehicle's frame through a complicated springing arrangement with stabiliser bars, etc. in order to provide the best possible ground contact for all four wheels for driving on difficult terrain as well as adequate driving comfort. Ordinary cross-country vehicles for leisure, construction or forestry work, however, are very expensive as well as requiring a lot of maintenance, and despite their design they often have clear limitations with regard to cross-country characteristics associated, e.g., with maximum tolerable lateral tilt, ability to move around in rugged terrain, manoeuvrability in steep terrain as well as on slippery or uneven surfaces. Moreover, in a great many parts of the world there is a need for a simple, inexpensive vehicle which can be used as a basis for various transport requirements as well as within different construction areas where the ability to move around easily and transport capacity, simple maintenance and low purchase price are the key words.
One of the most vulnerable features of an ordinary frame vehicle, when it is used in rugged terrain, occurs in connection with stresses which are created in the frame's structure. In order to reduce these stresses and undesirable stress concentrations the frame is often designed to be relatively narrow while the vehicle's axles are connected to the frame by means of a spring arrangement and stabilising devices. With regard to the spring arrangement and stabilising devices, however, it is desirable to mount these as far out towards the axles' end point as possible, which is not consistent with a narrow frame. Ordinary frame vehicles are therefore generally compromise solutions between the desire for low levels of stress and stress concentrations in the frame and the desire to have the vehicle's springing and stabilising mounted as far out towards the ends of the axles as possible. Furthermore, the steering of ordinary frame vehicles is connected with sophisticated forecarriages which individually steer each wheel on each side of the vehicle on an axle. This in turn entails a vulnerable link in connection with motive power on the driving wheels, while at the same time the vehicle's ability to move around will be even more vulnerable due to the fact that the driving wheels are only mounted at one end of the vehicle and if the vehicle travels in very rugged terrain this could result in at least one of the driving wheels being out of contact with the ground, thereby substantially impairing the vehicle's steering and manoeuvrability. In addition, the forecarriage structure on ordinary frame vehicles involves a highly sophisticated technical solution which demands careful maintenance and which in addition is extremely expensive to purchase as well as being subject to damage on the individual parts of the forecarriage.
Some of the drawbacks of a traditional off-road vehicle, however, are overcome with a frame-steered vehicle, but these cannot have undivided loads over their full vehicle length.
A vehicle according to the goals set forth in the above is provided in the present invention principally by reducing the number of technically sophisticated elements in a vehicle to a minimum while at the same time the vehicle's design provides good driving capability in the terrain as well as representing good possibilities for use in commercial applications of various types, such as, e.g., construction work, forestry, agriculture, emergency help in impassable places, etc. The vehicle is particularly well suited to delivering loads and goods to locations with extremely poor accessibility due to impassable roads, etc. This may include, e.g., delivering food, medicines and other necessary equipment to areas which either for natural reasons are inaccessible or which have been affected by natural disasters which cause roads to be impassable, e.g. due to floods, earthquakes or the like. In areas with constant poor accessibility due, e.g., to the annual rainy season or the like which reduces the possibility of using traditional vehicles, a vehicle according to the invention will offer the possibility of delivering necessary goods despite access roads which are highly impassable. The vehicle is also very light which gives a higher load capacity. Thus it is also possible to move the vehicle on earth roads and paths with poor carrying capacity.
Furthermore, a vehicle according to the present invention will be able to be utilised as a tool carrier, e.g. for agriculture, construction work or forestry. Due to the vehicle's extremely good manoeuvrability, the vehicle will be able to be used, for example, in agricultural areas with very steep terrain, which will permit fertile areas in accessible places to be utilised with mechanical equipment to a greater extent than at present. Moreover, a vehicle according to the present invention will be able to be employed for forestry work where, on account of its extremely good manoeuvrability, the vehicle will be able to be used as a tool carrier in felling areas with difficult access. For example, the vehicle may be used in connection with tools for felling or lopping branches off trees while also being used for loading and transporting trees from inaccessible parts of the felling area to, e.g., the piling yard or sawmill. In a preferred embodiment a vehicle according to the present invention is well suited to forestry, e.g. in developing countries where it is essential to use vehicles which are highly capable of moving around on difficult terrain, while at the same time being inexpensive to purchase and easy to maintain and in such places the vehicle can be equipped to cover several vehicle functions, such as, e.g., loading and unloading while also being used for transport from felling area to, for example, sawmill.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide such a vehicle which has the above-mentioned characteristics and which in addition avoids the above-mentioned critical elements and which is uncritical with regard to surface and terrain, while at the same having good loading characteristics, a low purchase price and easy maintenance in addition to being capable of being produced in a simple manner, for example locally in the vicinity of the place where it has to be used. This object is achieved with a vehicle according to the present invention as indicated in the introductory part of the following claim 1, with special characteristics as indicated in the characterising part of claim 1. Further embodiments are set forth in the following dependent patent claims.
In its basic form the vehicle according to the present invention consists of a beam or framed structure extending in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, one end of which is provided with a first turntable/slew ring or the like which supports a rigid differential axle, thereby enabling it to rotate in th
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Boehler Anne Marie
LandOfFree
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