JP2012076670A - Riding vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a riding vehicle capable of further stabilizing a vehicle attitude when steering when the vehicle travels.SOLUTION: This riding vehicle includes a pair of support members 31 rotatably connected to a frame member 11 and juxtaposed in the lateral direction and a pair of rear wheels 33 arranged in both support members 31, and is driven for traveling by an electric driving means. The riding vehicle includes a pair of wheel position driving means 30 for changing a position in the advancing direction of both rear wheels 33 by respectively changing a rotation angle of both support members 31 to the frame member 11, and changes the position in the advancing direction of both rear wheels 33 so as to become mutually different by driving only one of both wheel position driving means 30 when steering a handle 12.

Description

  The present invention relates to a passenger vehicle that can travel electrically.

  Conventionally, as such a passenger vehicle, for example, one described in Patent Document 1 is known. This passenger vehicle is a single-seat vehicle that has two front wheels and two rear wheels and is used for short-distance movement at a golf course. Steering is realized by a mechanical handle, and braking (braking) is presumed to be realized by braking with a motor or mechanical braking in conjunction with release of an accelerator lever.

JP-A-9-323548

  By the way, in Patent Document 1, the speed of a pedestrian (for example, a maximum of 6 [km / h]) is assumed as the traveling speed of the vehicle. For example, no consideration is given to the posture stability of the vehicle when steering during high-speed traveling. It has not been.

  The objective of this invention is providing the passenger vehicle which can stabilize the vehicle attitude | position at the time of steering during driving | running | working more.

  In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 1 is provided on a pair of support members that are rotatably connected to the main body and are arranged in parallel in the left-right direction. In a passenger vehicle that is driven by electric drive means and has a pair of wheels, the pair of wheels that change the rotational angle of the two support members with respect to the main body to change the positions of the wheels in the traveling direction. Wheel position drive means, and wheel position drive control means for driving only one side of the both wheel position drive means when the steering means is steered so that the positions of the wheels in the traveling direction are different from each other. This is the summary.

  According to this configuration, when the wheel position drive control means changes the positions of the two wheels in the traveling direction to be different from each other, a difference in height occurs between the support positions of the two support members in the main body. Therefore, when the steering means is steered, the support position of the support member arranged on the inner peripheral side is lower than the support position of the support member arranged on the outer peripheral side in the main body part. By controlling, the passenger vehicle can travel while being inclined toward the inner periphery (hereinafter also referred to as “lean travel”). As a result, the centrifugal force during traveling can be canceled and the vehicle can be easily bent in the steering direction.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the passenger vehicle according to claim 1, wherein each of the wheel position driving means changes the position in the traveling direction of the wheel between a foremost position and a rearmost position. And

  According to this configuration, when both the wheels are at the foremost position or the rearmost position, the position of the wheel on one side whose position can be adjusted by the wheel position drive control means is adjusted during the steering of the steering means. By driving the wheel position driving means on the corresponding side so as to be changed, the passenger vehicle can travel while being inclined toward the inner peripheral side.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the passenger vehicle according to the first or second aspect, the two wheels are rear wheels, and the front wheels provided on the main body portion on the front side in the traveling direction of the two rear wheels are provided. The summary is provided.

  According to this configuration, for example, when both the wheel position driving means are driven by the wheel position drive control means to change the positions of the two rear wheels in the advancing direction, the front wheels and the two rear wheels are changed. It is possible to change the distance in the traveling direction (so-called wheel base). Thereby, for example, the vehicle posture can be stabilized according to the traveling speed of the vehicle.

The gist of the invention according to claim 4 is the passenger vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the steering means steers the front wheel.
According to this configuration, the driver can improve operability by steering the front wheels with good visibility by the steering means.

The gist of the invention described in claim 5 is the passenger vehicle according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the front wheels are provided in pairs arranged side by side in the left-right direction.
According to this configuration, the rear wheel can travel with a total of four wheels, with the rear wheel having two wheels and the front wheel having two wheels, and can travel more stably.

  In the present invention, it is possible to provide a passenger vehicle that can further stabilize the posture of the vehicle when steered during traveling.

The side view which shows one Embodiment of this invention. The side view which shows the same embodiment. The longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the same embodiment. The schematic diagram which shows the operation | movement at the time of climbing over a level | step difference of the embodiment. The schematic diagram which shows the operation | movement at the time of steering of the steering wheel of the embodiment. The block diagram which shows the electric constitution of the same embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 and 2 are side views showing a passenger vehicle according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof. As shown in FIG. 1, the passenger vehicle is for single passengers and includes a frame member 11 made of, for example, a bicycle pipe material. The frame member 11 has a cylindrical column 11a extending in the vertical direction on the front side thereof. This column 11a pivotally supports a handle shaft 13 connected so as to rotate integrally with a round bar-like handle (so-called bicycle T-shaped handle) 12 as steering means extending in the left-right direction.

  Then, as schematically shown in FIG. 4, a pair of upper and lower links 21 and 22 that are swingably connected to the handle shaft 13 as a fulcrum, and left and right links that are rotatably connected to the links 21 and 22. A shaft of a front wheel 25 as a pair of left and right driven wheels is rotatably supported via a well-known four link 20 constituted by a pair of links 23 and 24. Both front wheels 25 are bicycle wheels. For example, when the steering wheel 12 is steered to change the traveling direction of the vehicle, both front wheels 25 turn in the same direction (see FIG. 5). That is, in this embodiment, steering is realized with a mechanical handle. Moreover, when the level difference D is encountered and the front wheel 25 on one side becomes higher than the front wheel 25 on the other side, the links 21 and 22 are inclined accordingly. In particular, since the front wheel 25 is a bicycle wheel having a relatively large tire diameter, the step D can be smoothly overcome.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, the said frame member 11 has the base part 11b extended in the left-right direction in the rear side upper part. The pedestal portion 11b is for installing the seat 14 that forms the seating surface of the driver, and a pair of wheel position driving means 30 are respectively installed at both ends thereof. Each wheel position driving means 30 is mainly composed of, for example, an electric motor, and an arm-like support member 31 that is driven to rotate about a rotation axis extending in the left-right direction is connected to the rotation shaft. ing. As schematically shown in FIG. 4, the shaft of the rear wheel 33 as a drive wheel is rotatably supported at the lower end of each support member 31 via a suspension 32 made of, for example, a coil spring. Yes. The rear wheels 33 that make a pair in the left-right direction are also bicycle wheels. Therefore, when the level difference D is encountered and the rear wheel 33 on one side becomes higher than the rear wheel 33 on the other side, both suspensions 32 expand and contract accordingly. In particular, since the rear wheel 33 is a bicycle wheel having a relatively large tire diameter, the step D can be smoothly overcome.

  Each rear wheel 33 incorporates a motor 34 (see FIG. 6) that rotationally drives the rear wheel 33 (so-called in-wheel motor). That is, both the rear wheels 33 are left and right independent drive. Therefore, the passenger vehicle is driven to travel as both rear wheels 33 are rotationally driven in the same direction by the motors 34. At this time, if the rotational speeds of the two rear wheels 33 are different from each other, the rear portion of the passenger vehicle tends to bend in accordance with the rotational speed difference between the two rear wheels 33. In particular, when both the rear wheels 33 are rotated at the reverse rotational speed at the same size while the vehicle is stopped, the passenger vehicle tries to rotate around the center between the rear wheels 33 (in-situ rotation). .

  Here, as shown in FIG. 1, when both the support members 31 are driven to rotate clockwise in the drawing, and both the rear wheels 33 are disposed at the foremost position, the travel between the front wheel 25 and the rear wheel 33 is performed. The distance (wheelbase) in the direction (front-rear direction) becomes the shortest, and the occupied space on the road surface is minimized. At this time, both the supporting members 31 and the handle shaft 13 rise, so that the vehicle height increases as a whole. Hereinafter, this state is also referred to as “walking mode”. In this walking mode, the maximum vehicle speed is assumed to be about 6 km / h.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, when both the support members 31 are driven to rotate counterclockwise in the drawing and both the rear wheels 33 are disposed at the rearmost position, the travel between the front wheel 25 and the rear wheel 33 is performed. The distance in the direction (wheelbase) is the longest, and the occupied space on the road surface is maximized. At this time, since both the support members 31 and the handle shaft 13 are tilted, the vehicle height is lowered as a whole. Hereinafter, this state is also referred to as “travel mode”. In this travel mode, the maximum vehicle speed is assumed to be about 20 to 30 km / h.

  Further, as schematically shown in FIG. 5, in the walking mode, for example, when the handle 12 is steered leftward to turn a left curve and both front wheels 25 are tilted leftward, the left side which is the inner peripheral side It is assumed that only the wheel position driving means 30 is driven and the support member 31 is rotationally driven so that the rear wheel 33 on the side moves rearward. At this time, the support position (base part 11b) in the frame member 11 of the support member 31 arranged on the inner peripheral side is more than the support position (base part 11b) in the frame member 11 of the support member 31 arranged on the outer peripheral side. By lowering, the passenger vehicle travels leaning toward the inner periphery (lean travel).

  Alternatively, in the traveling mode, for example, when the steering wheel 12 is steered leftward to turn the left curve and both front wheels 25 are tilted leftward, only the right wheel position driving means 30 on the outer peripheral side is driven, It is assumed that the support member 31 is rotationally driven so that the rear wheel 33 on the side moves forward. At this time, the support position (base part 11b) in the frame member 11 of the support member 31 arranged on the outer peripheral side is more than the support position (base part 11b) in the frame member 11 of the support member 31 arranged on the inner peripheral side. By increasing the height, the passenger vehicle similarly travels leaning toward the inner periphery (lean travel).

It should be noted that the same applies to the case where the right curve is turned by switching the left and right in the above description.
As shown in FIG. 3, the frame member 11 is provided with a driven wheel lifting means 40 at a central portion in the left-right direction sandwiched between both front wheels 25. The driven wheel lifting means 40 is mainly composed of, for example, an electric motor, and has a cylindrical holder portion 41 that extends in the vertical direction and blocks the axis of the front wheel 25, and can move forward and backward with the holder portion 41. And an auxiliary wheel 43 rotatably supported at the lower end of the movable portion 42. The driven wheel lifting means 40 advances and retracts the movable portion 42 with respect to the holder portion 41 by, for example, a screw action accompanying rotation of the electric motor. Thereby, for example, when the auxiliary wheel 43 descending with respect to the holder portion 41 presses the grounded road surface, both front wheels 25 are lifted so as to be separated from the road surface. On the other hand, when the auxiliary wheel 43 that rises with respect to the holder portion 41 is separated from the road surface, both front wheels 25 are brought into contact with the road surface. The auxiliary wheel 43 has an axis extending in the front-rear direction and rolls in the left-right direction.

  Here, for example, when the vehicle is stopped, if the rear wheels 33 are rotated at a reverse rotation speed that is the same size, the passenger vehicle will rotate around the center between the rear wheels 33 (in-situ rotation). And At this time, when the front wheels 25 are separated from the road surface by the driven wheel lifting means 40, the in-situ rotation of the passenger vehicle is not inhibited by the front wheels 25. Therefore, the passenger vehicle rotates on the spot while rolling the auxiliary wheel 43 on the road surface.

  In addition to the above, the passenger vehicle includes an accelerator lever that represents the intention to adjust the traveling speed, a brake lever that represents the intention to brake, and a wheelbase variable knob 36 (see FIG. 6) that represents the intention to switch the length of the wheelbase. In particular, the brake lever is linked to the mechanical brake of the front wheel 25, and acts on the front wheels 25 by operating the brake lever. However, the braking force is applied to the rear wheels 33 by causing both motors 34 to regenerate in accordance with the operation of the brake lever.

  Next, the electrical configuration of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, the electronic control unit 50 that controls various controls includes a pair of the motors 34 that respectively rotate and drive both rear wheels 33, and a pair of wheel positions that change the front and rear positions of both rear wheels 33. The driving means 30 and the driven wheel lifting means 40 (motor) are electrically connected to each other. In addition, the electronic control unit 50 includes the wheel base variable knob 36, an opening sensor 51 that detects the opening of the accelerator lever, a steering angle sensor 52 that detects the steering angle of the steering wheel 12, and both rear wheels 33. Are respectively electrically connected to a pair of wheel speed sensors 53 for detecting the rotational speeds of the two.

  The electronic control unit 50 drives and controls the motor 34 and the like according to the detection result of the wheelbase variable knob 36 and the like. For example, when the steering of the steering wheel 12 is detected by the steering wheel steering angle sensor 52 while the vehicle is traveling, the electronic control unit 50 relatively increases the internal speed according to the steering angle and the vehicle speed (the rotational speed of the rear wheel 33) at that time. The wheel position driving means 30 on one side is driven so that the height on the circumferential side is lowered. Thereby, the passenger vehicle runs lean at an inclination angle corresponding to the steering angle and the vehicle speed when the steering wheel 12 is steered. Alternatively, when the steering of the handle 12 is detected by the handle steering angle sensor 52 while the vehicle is stopped (vehicle speed is zero), the electronic control unit 50 drives the driven wheel lifting means 40 (motor) to lift both the front wheels 25. Next, the electronic control unit 50 waits for the elapse of a predetermined time, and rotationally drives both the motors 34 at a reverse rotation speed having a magnitude corresponding to the steering angle at that time. As a result, the passenger vehicle rotates on the spot in the steering direction of the handle 12 at a speed corresponding to the steering angle when the handle 12 is steered. Thereafter, when the steering of the handle 12 is returned, the electronic control unit 50 stops the rotational drive of both the motors 34 in order to stop the in-situ rotation. Next, the electronic control unit 50 drives the driven wheel lifting means 40 (motor) to lower both front wheels 25 after waiting for a predetermined time.

  Note that the electronic control device 50 and the like may be powered by a plurality of individually provided batteries, or may be powered by a single shared battery. Further, the electronic control device 50 may be a combination of a plurality of electronic control devices that individually drive and control the motor 34 and the like and an electronic control device that performs overall control thereof.

As described above in detail, according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) In this embodiment, when the electronic control device 50 changes the positions of the two rear wheels 33 in the traveling direction to be different from each other, a difference in height occurs between the support positions of the two support members 31 in the frame member 11. . Therefore, when the steering wheel 12 is steered, the support position of the support member 31 arranged on the inner peripheral side is controlled to be lower than the support position of the support member 31 arranged on the outer peripheral side of the frame member 11. By doing so, it is possible to travel (lean travel) by tilting the passenger vehicle toward the inner periphery. As a result, the centrifugal force during traveling can be canceled and the vehicle can be easily bent in the steering direction.

Further, since only the wheel position driving means 30 on one side is driven for lean travel, power consumption can be reduced.
(2) In the present embodiment, when both the rear wheels 33 are in the foremost position (walking mode) or in the rearmost position (traveling mode), the position of the steering wheel 12 is steered by the electronic control unit 50. By driving the wheel position driving means 30 on the corresponding side so that the position of the adjustable rear wheel 33 can be changed, the passenger vehicle can travel while being inclined toward the inner peripheral side.

  (3) In the present embodiment, for example, when the wheel position driving means 30 is driven by the wheel position driving means 30 and the positions of the rear wheels 33 are changed so as to coincide with each other, the front wheels 25 and the rear The distance (wheel base) in the traveling direction between the wheels 33 can be changed. Thereby, for example, the vehicle posture can be stabilized according to the traveling speed of the vehicle.

  Further, by sharing the means for easily turning in the steering direction when the steering wheel 12 is steered, the vehicle posture can be stabilized according to the traveling speed of the vehicle, and the number of parts can be reduced. And vehicle weight and cost can be reduced.

  (4) In this embodiment, the driver can improve operability by steering the front wheel 25 with good visibility by the handle 12. Further, it is possible to easily avoid starting from the side of a wall or a person or the like, or touching with a wall or a person or the like when the vehicle is steered during traveling.

(5) In the present embodiment, the rear wheel 33 can travel with a total of four wheels including two rear wheels 33 and the front wheel 25 with two wheels, and can travel more stably.
(6) In the present embodiment, for example, when both the rear wheels 33 are rotated at the rotational speeds in the opposite directions having the same size by the electronic control unit 50 while the vehicle is stopped, the passenger vehicle moves between the two rear wheels 33. Try to rotate around the center (in-situ rotation). At this time, when the front wheels 25 are separated from the road surface by the driven wheel lifting means 40, the in-situ rotation of the passenger vehicle is not inhibited by the front wheels 25. Therefore, the passenger vehicle can be rotated in a narrow place.

(7) In the present embodiment, the driven wheel lifting means 40 can be lifted in a balanced manner by being arranged at the center between the front wheels 25.
(8) In this embodiment, since the passenger vehicle can be rotated on the spot at a speed corresponding to the steering angle only by steering the handle 12, it is not necessary to worry about the operation of the accelerator lever. Further, since the vehicle rotates on the spot 14 side that is the seat 14 side, the operation can be stabilized.

(9) In this embodiment, even on a general road, the vehicle can move at a relatively high speed while riding.
(10) In the present embodiment, since the step D in the front wheel 25 or the rear wheel 33 is mechanically performed, the electrical configuration and control thereof are simplified as compared with, for example, electrical control. Power consumption can be reduced.

(11) In the present embodiment, the vehicle weight can be reduced, and even an elderly person can easily wake up when it falls.
(12) In the present embodiment, since the space between the front wheels 25 and the rear wheels 33 is wide open, the driver can easily get on and off from the side.

  (13) In this embodiment, since the driver is in a posture as if sitting on a bicycle seat, his / her eyes are increased. Therefore, parallel running while talking with a pedestrian becomes easy, or visibility from a car can be improved when driving on a general road. Further, since the tire diameters of the front wheels 25 and the rear wheels 33 are large, the steps and grooves can be smoothly overcome, and the range of action can be expanded. Further, in the traveling mode, the maximum vehicle speed is about 20 to 30 [km / h], and the travel time to the destination can be shortened.

In addition, you may change the said embodiment as follows.
In the embodiment, switching between the walking mode and the running mode may be mechanically performed by manual operation.

In the embodiment, an intermediate mode in which the wheelbase is an intermediate length between the walking mode and the traveling mode may be set.
In the embodiment, the number of driven wheels (front wheel 25) may be one, or three or more.

  In the above-described embodiment, the driven wheel lifting means 40 that grounds the auxiliary wheel 43 by lifting both front wheels 25 may be used. The driven wheel lifting means 40 is an example, and may be installed on the frame member 11 at an appropriate position between the front wheel 25 and the rear wheel 33, for example.

In the embodiment, for example, when the vehicle is stopped, the electronic control device 50 may rotate the passenger vehicle by rotating the rear wheel 33 on the other side while stopping the rear wheel 33 on the one side.
-In the said embodiment, the relationship between the front wheel 25 and the rear wheel 33, a driven wheel, and a driving wheel may be reverse. Further, the rear wheel 33 may be steered.

-In the above-mentioned embodiment, you may provide the mechanism in which both the rear wheels 33 are slid back and forth, and a wheel base is changed directly.
In the above-described embodiment, a driven wheel lifting unit that manually lifts the driven wheel (front wheel 25) may be used. Further, the front wheel 25 may be one and the driven wheel lifting means 40 may be omitted.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Frame member (main part), 12 ... Handle (steering means), 25 ... Front wheel, 30 ... Wheel position drive means, 31 ... Support member, 33 ... Rear wheel (wheel), 34 ... Motor (electric drive means) 50 ... Electronic control device (wheel position drive control means).

Claims (5)

A passenger car that includes a pair of support members that are rotatably connected to the main body and arranged in parallel in the left-right direction, and a pair of wheels that are disposed on the both support members, and that is driven by electric drive means. In both
A pair of wheel position driving means for changing the rotational angle of the two support members relative to the main body to change the position of the wheels in the traveling direction;
Passenger vehicle comprising: wheel position drive control means for driving only one side of the both wheel position driving means during steering of the steering means and changing the positions of the two wheels in the traveling direction different from each other. Both. The passenger vehicle according to claim 1,
Each of the wheel position driving means changes the position of the wheel in the traveling direction between the foremost position and the rearmost position. The passenger vehicle according to claim 1 or 2,
The wheels are rear wheels,
A passenger vehicle comprising front wheels provided in the main body on a front side in a traveling direction of the two rear wheels. The passenger vehicle according to claim 3,
The passenger vehicle, wherein the steering means steers the front wheel. The passenger vehicle according to claim 3 or 4,
A passenger vehicle comprising the pair of front wheels arranged side by side in the left-right direction.

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