CN1004801B

CN1004801B - Trailer

Info

Publication number: CN1004801B
Application number: CN85105349.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 特斯特罗德
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-07-13
Filing date: 1985-07-13
Publication date: 1989-07-19
Also published as: CN85105349A

Abstract

A one-wheel trailer for a two-wheeled vehicle, such as a bicycle or motorcycle, is provided having a cargo carrying body member with a trailing wheel at the rear end thereof and a connecting member extending generally upwardly and forwardly from the body member at the front end thereof, the trailer having critical proportions with respect to trailer axle height, length of the body member, height of the connecting member and length of the forward extension thereof.

Description

Trailer

The present invention relates to a trailer, and more particularly to a wheelbarrow for a two-wheeled vehicle, such as a bicycle or motorcycle.

Trailers for bicycles or motorcycle trailers having a single driven wheel are known, and it has been that such trailers have not been very successful because they tend to be unstable during fast travel or cornering.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a trailer that can travel stably even at relatively high speeds without compromising the handling of the towing vehicle.

According to the invention, a trailer for a two-wheeled vehicle has a body member for carrying cargo and has a front end and a rear end;

a wheel rotating on a substantially horizontal axis at the rear end of the body;

A connector member extending generally upwardly and forwardly of the body member at the front end thereof and having a hitch at the upper end thereof for hitch with the towing vehicle, the hitch enabling rotational movement of the trailer and towing vehicle relative to each other about a first substantially horizontally disposed axis and a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis;

In fig. 1 of the drawings, the ratios of the lengths denoted by "a", "B", "C", "D" and "E" are as follows:

(I) The ratio A to B is between about 1:4 and about 1:6

(II) the ratio A to C is between about 1:3 and about 1:4;

(III) the ratio A to D is not greater than about 1 to 3;

(IV) the ratio E: A is between about 1:1.3 and about 1:1.7.

According to an ideal embodiment of the invention, the proportions of lengths "a", "B", "C", "D" and "E" are as follows:

(I) The ratio A to B is about 1 to 5;

(II) the ratio A to C is about 1 to 4;

(III) the ratio A to D is about 1 to 3;

the ratio E:A of (IV) is about 1:1.5.

The hitch can be varied so that when hitched to a towing vehicle, the second pivot axis of the hitch is inclined from the vertical so that the angle (indicated by the symbol "a" in figure 1) between the second pivot axis and an imaginary straight line (indicated by the broken line in figure 1) connecting the axis of rotation of the wheel and the horizontal pivot axis of the hitch is between about 70 deg. and 110 deg..

In one desirable embodiment, the angle α is about 90 °.

It has been found that if the length ratios between a, B, C, D and E set forth above are not complied with, as is now common practice, the trailer tends to be unstable at high speeds and impairs the drivability of the towing vehicle. It has also been found that if the angle a is not within the limits set out above, undue strain is caused to the trailer wheels, resulting in wheel wobble, which may even destroy the wheels when travelling at relatively high speeds, and the inclined second pivot also acts to stabilize the trailer when cornering.

By way of example, the following description will now be made with reference to the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a trailer of the present invention showing the trailer articulated to a bicycle;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the trailer of FIG. 1;

fig. 3 is a side view of the hitch of the trailer of fig. 1.

Reference numeral 10 in fig. 1 and 2 shows the trailer in general view, having a body member 12 with a wheel 14 at its rear end and a connector 16 at its front end extending generally upwardly and forwardly from the body member 12. The connection 16 is provided at an upper end with hitching means 18 for hitching the trailer 10 to a two-wheeled towing vehicle, such as a bicycle or the like 20 (only part of which is shown in fig. 1).

The body member 12 is substantially rectangular in shape and is in the form of a side bucket (receptacle) for carrying cargo transported by the trailer 10. Optionally, a cap (not shown) may be provided.

The wheel 14 is a conventional bicycle wheel that is mounted for rotation on a horizontal axle 22 at the rear end of the body member 12. As can be seen from fig. 2, the body member 12 has a slot 12.1 at the rear end for receiving a wheel 14. The wheels 14 are positioned along the longitudinal centerline of the body member 12.

The connecting piece 16 has a pair of lever arms 16.1 and 16.2 which are spaced apart from each other and which approach each other gradually in the direction towards the hooking means 18, on which the cross beam 16.3 is arranged.

The hitch 18 has a fork 18.1 at the end of the connecting element 16, a sleeve 18.2 connected to the fork 18.1 for rotational movement about a horizontal axis 24 relative to the fork 18.1, a sleeve 18.3 in the sleeve 18.2 and a connecting arm 18.4 on the bracket 18.5 for connection to a rear frame 20.1 (commonly known as a rear fork translator) of the bicycle 20. This arrangement facilitates rotational movement of the bicycle 20 and trailer 10 about a second axis 26, axis 18.3, which is perpendicular to the pivot axis 24. The hitching means 18 are thus of the cardan shaft type, providing a rotational movement about two mutually perpendicular shafts.

The overall arrangement is seen more clearly in fig. 3, in that when the bracket 18.5 is connected to the bicycle 20, the axle 18.3, i.e. the second pivot 26, is inclined in relation to the vertical, and the angle alpha formed by the inclined axle 26 and an imaginary straight line (shown in broken lines in fig. 1) connecting the axis 22 of rotation of the wheel 14 and the horizontal axis 24 is approximately 90 deg..

As can be seen in fig. 1, the body member 12 extends downwardly from the axis of rotation 22 of the wheel 14a vertical distance "a" and then forwardly a horizontal distance "B", the outer rim or ground engaging rim of the wheel 14 being located below the lower end of the body member 12, or at a vertical distance "E" below the chassis.

The horizontal pivot axis 24 of the hitch 18 is located above the bottom of the body member 12 at a vertical distance "C", and the horizontal pivot axis 24 is located at the front end of the body member 12 at a horizontal distance "D", as shown in FIG. 1.

Although the absolute values of the lengths "a", "B", "C", "D" and "E" described above are not necessarily decisive, it has been found that, in order to obtain an optimal stability of the operation of the trailer, the following ratio between the lengths should be used, namely:

a to B should be between about 1:4 and 1:6, preferably 1:5;

A to C should be between about 1:3 and 1:4, with 1:4 being preferred;

A to D should be no greater than about 1 to 3, with 1 to 3 being most preferred when the bicycle is used as a towing vehicle;

e: A should be between about 1:1.3 and 1:1.7, with 1:1.5 being most preferred.

The particular shape of the forward and upward bends of the connector 16 may be arbitrarily selected provided that the length ratios A: C and A: D described above are complied with.

The trailer 10 may be used with bicycles of various sizes, and the diameter of the wheels 14 need not be the same as the diameter of the wheels of the towing vehicle.

While the above description refers to the use of a trailer 10 in conjunction with a bicycle, it will be appreciated that the trailer 10 may also be used in conjunction with a friction trailer, where the trailer 10 may be provided with suspension means, shock absorbers and brakes.

Claims

1. A trailer for a two-wheeled vehicle has a main body for loading cargo and a front end and a rear end;

A wheel is mounted at the rear end of the main body member and rotates on a substantially horizontal axis; a connecting member is provided at the front end of the main body member, generally extending upward and forward from the main body member, and having a device at its upper end for hooking the trailer and the towing vehicle, the hooking device allowing the trailer and the towing vehicle to rotate about a substantially horizontal first axis and a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis;

The characteristics are that the length ratios of the dimensions of each part are as follows:

(Ⅰ) the vertical distance (A) from the bottom of the main body (12) to the wheel (14) axis: the horizontal length (B) of the main body (12) is approximately between 1:4 and 1:6;

(Ⅱ) the vertical distance (A) from the bottom of the main body (12) to the wheel (14) axis: the vertical distance (C) between the connecting member (16) and the bottom of the main body (12) is approximately between 1:3 and 1:4;

(III) The vertical distance (A) from the bottom of the main body (12) to the axis of the wheel (14) is not greater than the horizontal distance (D) between the front end of the main body (12) and the pivot (24) of about 1:3

(IV) Vertical distance (E) from the bottom of the main body (12) to the ground: The vertical distance (A) from the bottom of the main body (12) to the axle center of the wheel (14) is approximately between 1:1.3 and 1:1.7.

2. The trailer as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the lengths of the various dimensions are applied in the following ratios:

(Ⅰ) the vertical distance (A) from the bottom of the main body (12) to the wheel (14) axis: the horizontal length (B) of the main body (12) is approximately 1:5;

(Ⅱ) the vertical distance (A) from the bottom of the main body (12) to the wheel (14) axis: the vertical distance (C) between the connecting member (16) and the bottom of the main body (12) is approximately 1:4;

(Ⅲ) the vertical distance (A) from the bottom of the main body (12) to the wheel (14) axis: the horizontal distance (D) between the front end of the main body (12) and the pivot (24) is approximately 1:3;

(IV) The vertical distance (E) from the bottom of the main body (12) to the ground: the vertical distance (A) from the bottom of the main body (12) to the axis of the wheel (14) is approximately 1:1.5.

3. A trailer as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the hitch is improved so that when coupled to the towing vehicle, the second pivot axis of the hitch is inclined with respect to the vertical position, such that the angle (α) formed by the second pivot axis (26) and an imaginary connecting line (as indicated by the dotted line) connecting the wheel rotation axis (22) and the horizontal pivot axis (24) of the hitch is between about 70° and 110°.

4. A trailer as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that said angle (α) is approximately 90°.