Land vehicles – Wheeled – Running gear
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-13
2004-08-31
Culbreh, Eric (Department: 3616)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Running gear
C180S120000, C180S311000, C280S279000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06783158
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a technology which allows a body frame to be used commonly on two-, three- and four-wheeled automotive vehicles.
BACKGROUND ART
Among two-, three- and four-wheeled automotive vehicles, there are some types of vehicles, like a scooter type vehicle, which include a substantially horizontal, low floor type foot rest located at a central and upper area of a body frame. For example, a scooter is type motorcycle is known as a “motorcycle” which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI-11-79044. Further, Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 2515092 discloses a scooter type motorcycle entitled “A Frame Structure For A Scooter Type Vehicle”.
As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 4
of the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI-11-79044, the two-wheeled automotive vehicle is the scooter type motorcycle wherein a body frame has a main frame, for supporting a foot rest, which front portion is formed with an upright head pipe post which includes a head pipe by which a steering shaft is rotatably supported to steer a front wheel, and wherein a swing type power unit with rear wheel is mounted to a rear portion of the main frame by means of a bearing and is swingable in an up and down direction.
As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 5
of Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 2515092, the scooter type motorcycle has a structure wherein a body frame has a main frame, for supporting a floor portion, which front portion extends upward and has at its distal end formed with a head pipe where front forks are rotatably mounted to steer a front wheel, and wherein a swing type power unit with a rear wheel is mounted to a rear portion of the main frame by means of a link mechanism and is swingable in an up and down direction.
Since the two-, three- and four-wheeled automotive vehicles are different in car models, in general, these vehicles have front-wheel and rear-wheel peripheral components which are different from one another in structure and dimension. For this reason, it is a usual practice to employ particular body frames specific for respective car models of the two-, three- and four-wheeled automotive vehicles.
However, the presence of the particular body frames for each car model needs (1) to prepare particular manufacturing dies and inspection gauges specified for body frames of respective car models with a resultant increase in the production cost of the dies, (2) to shift production lines each time when altering the kind of body frames with a resultant deterioration in productivity and an increase in production-management steps, and (3) to prepare a large number of kinds of body frames with a resultant increase in management steps, storage costs and transportation costs. Due to these factors, when manufacturing the body frames of various kinds, the production cost of the body frames increases and there is yet room for improvement for addressing the above issues.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to reduce the production cost of a body frame for use in two-, three- and four-wheeled automotive vehicles.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle which comprises: a body frame having a center frame section for supporting a foot rest, a rear frame section rising upright from a rear portion of the center frame section, and a front frame section rising upright from a front portion of the center frame section; a head pipe formed on the front frame section; and a steering shaft rotatably mounted to the head pipe for steering at least one front wheel, the head pipe having an adjustment mechanism for adjusting a position and an angle of a center line of the steering shaft relative to a center line of the head pipe, the rear frame section having a plurality of rear mount portions for selectively mounting plural kinds of rear units including a swinging power unit equipped with rear wheels and a swing arm equipped with rear wheels.
When using the body frame of one kind commonly on two-, three- and four-wheeled automotive vehicles, adjusting the adjustment mechanism allows the center line of the steering shaft to be adjusted to desired positions and angles relative to the center line of the head pipe so as to cope with the models of the two-, three- and four-wheeled automotive vehicles. As a consequence, even in a case where there is a difference in structure and dimension in peripheral component parts of the front and rear wheels of the two-, three- and four-wheeled automotive vehicles, it is possible to commonly use the body frame.
Desirably, the rear units comprise a rear unit for a two-wheeled automotive vehicle having at least one rear wheel, a rear unit for a three-wheeled automotive vehicle having a pair of right and left rear wheels, and a rear unit for a four-wheeled automotive vehicle having a pair of right and left rear wheels, and wherein the rear mount portions are disposed on a rear wall of the rear frame section in such a manner as to allow the two-wheeled-automotive-vehicle rear unit to be mounted thereto vertically swingably by means of a pivot member, to allow the three-wheeled-automotive-vehicle rear unit to be coupled thereto rollingly and vertically swingably by means of a coupling mechanism, and to allow the four-wheeled-automotive-vehicle rear unit to be coupled to the rear mount portions at least vertically swingably by means of the coupling mechanism, for thereby permitting the two-wheeled-automotive-vehicle rear unit, the three-wheeled-automotive-vehicle rear unit, and the four-wheeled-automotive-vehicle rear unit to be selectively mounted to the rear mount portions.
That is, {circle around (1)} the two-wheeled-automotive-vehicle rear unit, which has a structure and dimension optimum for the two-wheeled automotive vehicle, {circle around (2)} the three-wheeled-automotive-vehicle rear unit, which has a structure and dimension optimum for the three-wheeled automotive vehicle, and {circle around (3)} the four-wheeled-automotive-vehicle rear unit, which has a structure and dimension optimum for the four-wheeled automotive vehicle, are suitably prepared, and these rear units are selected and detachably mounted to the body frame. while maintaining a commonality of the body frame for the two-, three- and four-wheeled automotive vehicles, it is possible for the body frame to be selectively and readily mounted with the two-wheeled-automotive-vehicle rear unit, the three-wheeled-automotive-vehicle rear unit and the four-wheeled-automotive-vehicle rear unit.
In a preferred form, both side portions of the body frame include pillar mount portions to which a lower portion of a pillar, each of which serves as a roof support post, are detachably mounted. Accordingly, while maintaining a commonality of the body frame for the two-, three- and four-wheeled automotive vehicles, it is possible for the body frame to be readily mounted with various components parts such as a roof, etc., via the pillar.
In a specific form, the vehicle comprises a four-wheeled automotive vehicle which has a pair of right and left rear wheels, and the center frame section and the front frame section have front portions formed with front mount segments to which a front frame is detachably mounted, while the front frame includes arm mount segments for mounting swing arms, which support the pair of right and left front wheels, to be vertically swingable, damper coupling segments for coupling upper distal ends of front dampers by which the swing arms are suspended, and a steering mount segment for rotatably supporting the steering shaft.
Thus, in the present invention, the vehicle is arranged such that the front frame is detachably mounted to the body frame so as to support the steering shaft and, further, the swing arm is mounted to the front frame to which the front dampers are also coupled. Accordingly, while maintaining the commonality of the body frame for the two-, three- and four-wheeled automotive vehicles, it is possible for the front portion of the body frame to be re
Horii Yoshiyuki
Kobayashi Hiroyoshi
Kurohori Seiichi
Nakagawa Mitsuo
Ozeki Takashi
Culbreh Eric
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Merchant & Gould P.C.
LandOfFree
Vehicle does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Vehicle, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Vehicle will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3360101