Motor vehicles – Special wheel base – Having only three wheels
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-13
2004-07-13
Culbreth, Eric (Department: 3616)
Motor vehicles
Special wheel base
Having only three wheels
C180S215000, C180S311000, C180S315000, C280S400000, C280S483000, C280S124111, C280S124177
Reexamination Certificate
active
06761238
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application claims priority to Japanese patent application No. 2000-270470, filed on Sep. 6, 2000, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle body structure capable of reducing the overall length of a tricycle.
2. Description of Background Art
A vehicle body structure of a tricycle, in which a front vehicle body fitted with a front wheel and a rear vehicle body fitted with rear wheels are rollably connected to each other by a connecting portion, has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 1-23356, entitled “Parking Lock Device for Oscillation Type Tricycle”.
FIGS. 1 and 2
of the above-mentioned publication are re-printed herein as
FIGS. 16 and 17
of the present invention. A description will now be provided with reference to
FIGS. 16 and 17
of the present invention.
FIG. 16
of the present invention illustrates a major part of the original FIG.
1
. It should be noted that the reference symbols in
FIGS. 16 and 17
do not correspond with the above-mentioned publication.
FIG. 16
is a side view of a major part of a tricycle according to the background art. An oscillation type tricycle
200
comprises a front vehicle body
201
on the front wheel side and a rear vehicle body
202
on the rear wheel side, which constitute the vehicle body. Fitting boss portions
204
,
204
(fitting boss portion
204
on the far side is not shown) of an oscillating joint
203
are vertically movably fitted to a rear portion of a lower portion of the front vehicle body
201
by a pin
206
. A rear frame
207
is fitted to a rear portion of the oscillating joint
203
. Furthermore, rear wheels
208
are fitted to the side of the rear wheel
207
. Accordingly, the front vehicle body
201
and the rear vehicle body
202
can be relatively rolled by the oscillating joint
203
.
FIG. 17
is a sectional view showing the oscillating joint according to the background art. A support shaft
212
is rollably fitted to a lower case
211
and an upper case (not shown) of the oscillating joint
203
. A roll lock mechanism
213
for restricting relative rotation of the case side (lower case
211
and upper case) and the support shaft
212
is provided at the front side of the support shaft
212
. Fitting boss portions
204
,
205
are disposed at the front end of the lower case
211
through arms
214
,
215
. The rear frame
207
is fitted to a rear portion of the support shaft
212
. Furthermore, an operating cable
216
for operating the roll lock mechanism
213
and locking (braking) the rear wheels
208
is laid from the front vehicle body
201
to the rear vehicle body
202
through the oscillating joint
203
. It should be noted that each component of the “roll lock mechanism
213
” is disclosed in
FIG. 2
of the above-mentioned publication, but the term “roll lock mechanism
213
” is newly added for the convenience of description.
In
FIG. 17
, the oscillating joint
203
is so constructed that the roll lock mechanism
213
is disposed on the front side of the support shaft
212
, the arms
214
,
215
are extended to the front side of the vehicle from the lower case
211
, and the fitting boss portions
204
,
205
are provided at the front ends of the arms
214
,
215
. Accordingly, the length of the oscillating joint
203
in the front-rear direction of the vehicle is increased. As a result, the spacing between the front vehicle body
201
and the rear vehicle body
202
shown in
FIG. 16
is increased. Accordingly, the overall length of the tricycle is increased.
The tricycle
200
is typically used for delivery purposes. Therefore, the tricycle
200
would be used in narrow alleys. Accordingly, those having a small overall length and capable of making sharp turns are desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle body structure of a tricycle, which can reduce the overall length of the tricycle.
In order to attain the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a vehicle body structure of a tricycle comprises a front vehicle body fitted with a front wheel, a rear vehicle body fitted with rear wheels, and a connecting portion by which the front vehicle body and the rear vehicle body are relatively rollably connected to each other, wherein the connecting portion comprises a flange, a shaft extended from the flange, and a bearing fitted to the shaft, and the flange is fitted to a rear portion of the front vehicle body, whereas the bearing side of the connecting portion is fitted to the rear vehicle body.
In the above construction, the shaft is extended from the flange, whereby the connecting portion is made to be shorter than in the background art. Accordingly, a reduction in the overall length of the tricycle is obtained.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a vehicle body structure of a tricycle comprises a front vehicle body fitted with a front wheel, a rear vehicle body fitted with rear wheels, and a connecting portion in which the front vehicle body and the rear vehicle body are connected through a shaft extending substantially in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and a bearing, the front vehicle body and the rear vehicle body being relatively rollably connected to each other by the connecting portion, wherein a roll lock mechanism for restricting relative rotation of the shaft and the bearing is disposed on a lateral side of the shaft, and a fitting portion for fitting the rear vehicle body to the bearing is provided on a side of the bearing.
Since the roll lock mechanism is disposed on a lateral side of the shaft, the connecting portion is made shorter than in the background art in which the roll lock mechanism is disposed on an extension of the shaft and the distance between the front vehicle body and the rear vehicle body is reduced. Accordingly, a reduction in the overall length of the tricycle is obtained. Furthermore, the turning performance of the tricycle is enhanced.
In addition, the fitting portion for fitting the rear vehicle body is provided on a side of the bearing, and the bearing and the rear vehicle body are overlapped with each other. Accordingly, the overall length of the tricycle can be further reduced.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the roll lock mechanism comprises an arm-like or flange-like side projecting member projecting sideways from the shaft, a lock member swingably fitted on the side of the bearing to be engaged with a recess and projection portion provided on the side projecting member, and a cable fitting portion provided at an end portion of the lock member so as to fit a cable for swinging the lock member.
Since the side projecting member projects sideways from the shaft, the lock member and the cable can be located at such positions as not to interfere with the shaft, and the degree of freedom in laying out the roll lock mechanism and the cable can be enhanced. Therefore, the roll lock mechanism and the cable can be disposed at appropriate spaces according to the shape and size of the front and rear vehicle bodies and accessories fitted to the front and rear vehicle bodies.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the rear vehicle body is provided with a rear wheel lock mechanism for locking the rear wheels, the front vehicle body is provided with a parking lever for operating the rear wheel lock mechanism, and a front half portion of the cable is laid between the parking lever and the rear wheel lock mechanism, whereas a rear half portion of the cable is laid between the rear wheel lock mechanism and the roll lock mechanism.
Since the front half portion of the cable is laid between the front vehicle body and the rear vehicle body, torsion of the cable due to the relative rolling of the front vehicle body and the rear vehicle body is absorbed in a larger distance as compared with the background art. Accordingly, an unnecessary burden is not applied to the cable. Furthermore, the cabl
Nakagawa Mitsuo
Ozeki Takashi
Tagami Takuya
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Culbreth Eric
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
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