KR20010043843A - Lightweight transportation vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The three-wheeled vehicle includes a pull-type hydraulic drive means, primary and secondary frames, two rear wheel assemblies 6 and 7, a suspension 14 assembly, a front wheel 8 and a suspension assembly attached to the primary frame, (8), and a steering assembly (9) attached to the suspension assembly and the primary frame for controlling the front wheel and the suspension assembly, the hydraulic drive means comprising pump means (34) for generating pressurized oil and at least one wheel assembly And at least one hydraulic motor (6A, 7A) for driving the hydraulic motor.

Description

LIGHTWEIGHT TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE

Three-wheelers are known in the art. An example is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,313,517. The vehicle disclosed in the above patent is an electric three-wheeled vehicle in which an electric motor drives a rear wheel assembly. In order to overcome the instability of the three-wheeled vehicle, the center of the vehicle is lowered by appropriately positioning a heavy battery. Power is transmitted using the system battery connected to the rear wheel motor. The vehicle's braking system includes both a co-operating mechanical and an electro-magnetic brake system. The electronic brake is operated by the short circuit system which locks the electric motor to decelerate the vehicle. In addition, the pedal can be coupled to at least one wheel to provide a motive power to the vehicle. Finally, the present invention features a lightweight canopy that is detachably attached to an existing frame to provide a ride protected from wind and rain.

The vehicle has several disadvantages. In order to overcome the stability problem of the three-wheeled vehicle, the use of a heavy battery in an appropriate position increases the weight and affects overall vehicle performance. Also, the battery needs to be recharged regularly, which can be time consuming and inconvenient. In addition, the power generated by the hand-held pedal system can not be stored for future use and energy can be consumed when operating the brake mechanically or electronically. Finally, without a sophisticated suspension system, the comfort of the passenger is reduced, and it is difficult to operate the vehicle when turning the corner at high speed.

Vehicles powered by hydraulic power are also known in the art. For example, U.S. Patent No. 5,423,560 discloses a hydraulically powered bicycle having a manually operated pump. A vane motor is located at the hub of both the front and rear wheels, and the pump assembly is located at a point where the crankshaft is located on the conventional bicycle. Move forward when pressure is applied to the pedal assembly attached to the pump input shaft. The pressure applied on the pedal rotates the pump so that the fluid passes into the tubular frame of the bicycle. The frame acts as a distribution network for transferring the fluid to the motor. The system has several disadvantages. All bicycles are not originally stable, and maintenance of upright status is ensured while the bike is moving according to the occupant's ability. Since the bicycle does not have a suspension means, this does not give a comfortable feeling to the occupant on the undulating road surface. Finally, there is no means for storing energy generated by the occupant, or means for recovering energy in the braking state.

Chain-driven bikes, in which people or engines transmit power, are well known, and an integrated forward suspension system is used for both the rear and front tires. However, since the bicycle has the ability to tilt to its original curve, the suspension system used is not so suitable for a three-wheeled vehicle. Also, the faring protects the motorcycle occupant from wind and rain to some extent, but eventually the occupant is exposed.

An example of a standard size vehicle powered by hydraulic power is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,966,365, which includes a hydraulic power transmission for a vehicle and a brake system, such as a passenger car. The pressurized fluid is supplied by a variable displacement hydraulic pump, which is powered by an internal combustion engine. A fixed displacement hydraulic machine is connected to both the front wheel and the rear wheel. The passenger operates the fluid flow control mechanism to operate the machine with a motor or a pump. In the power transmission mode, high pressure fluid circulates from the variable displacement pump to the wheel motor to propel the vehicle. A flow regulator determines the flow rate and thus accelerates the vehicle. The brakes are activated by generating an opposing pressure on the wheel motors, whereby these wheel motors act as pumps to accelerate the vehicle.

The system also has some disadvantages. The vehicle as a whole is very heavy and relatively bulky and inconvenient due to the combination of hydraulic and internal combustion engine components. Also, since the brake system is not regenerative, the energy used for the brake is not stored or recirculated. Surplus energy from the variable volume pump can not also be stored. Finally, by driving the internal combustion engine with a pump, the weight is further increased and it is not environmentally friendly.

The present invention relates to a three-wheeled vehicle having a leanable suspension that is hydraulically powered.

1 and 2 are a plan view and a side view, respectively.

Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 are diagrams of three rear suspension systems of a vehicle.

7 is a schematic diagram of a power transmission apparatus and a regenerative brake system.

8 is a sectional view of the wheel motor;

9 is a sectional view of the wheel motor rotor shown in Fig.

Figures 10, 11 and 12 are cross-sectional views of a spool valve used to control fluid flow.

Figures 13 and 15 are cross-sectional views of a variable volume type tray pedal piston pump.

14 is a partial detail view of Fig.

Figure 16 is a side view of a slot arm integrally molded with the variable volume type tray pedal piston pump of Figures 13 and 15;

17 and 18 are views of the wheel motor clutch.

19 to 26 are views of another example of a rear suspension system;

Figure 27 is a detail view of one trailing arm mounting arrangement.

28, 29 and 30 are views of a preferred hydro-pneumatic rear suspension.

For the sake of clarity, the rear portion of the three-wheeler frame is omitted in the drawing, and the structure of the supporting member required on the frame follows the general bicycle structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention seeks to overcome the problems of the prior art by providing a highly efficient three-wheeled vehicle with a slantable suspension.

The present invention provides a three-wheeled vehicle having a hydraulic propulsion system for transmitting power to a person, the system including an integrated front wheel and a rear wheel suspension, wherein the vehicle can be inclined to a curve by a rear- The state can be maintained.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the three-wheeled vehicle is provided with a detachable weather protection shield.

Therefore, in the first embodiment of the present invention,

Chassis,

A front suspension attached to the chassis to damp vibrations due to movement of the vehicle and two rear suspensions,

At least two rear wheel assemblies attached to said suspension means and one front wheel assembly,

Drive means fixed to the chassis for propelling the vehicle,

Braking means, and

Both the front suspension means and the front wheel assembly and steering means attached to the chassis for steering the front wheel assembly,

/ RTI >

The driving means

A pump means for generating pressurized oil,

A reservoir for storing the decompressed oil hydraulically connected to the pump means,

At least one hydraulic motor for driving at least one wheel assembly,

An accumulator for storing energy in the form of pressurized oil generated by pump means acting on the oil phase in the oil reservoir,

Pressure transducer means hydraulically connected to the oil reservoir, accumulator, pump means and motor to prevent significant energy loss during charging and discharging of the accumulator,

Control means for regulating pressurized fluid flow between the accumulator and the at least one wheel assembly, and

A clutch means integral with the motor;

/ RTI >

Wherein the rear suspension means comprises a suspension means

And a hydraulic control valve.

The hydraulic motor is preferably a vane motor.

The three-wheeled vehicle preferably further includes a weatherproof protective shell detachably attachable to the chassis.

The supportable rear suspension means comprises:

An air chamber sandwiched between a first trailing arm and a frame and separated from an oil cylinder comprising a piston means by a flexible diaphragm to limit the flow of oil from one side of the piston to the other First hydropneumatic strut means having first valve means included in the piston means constructed and arranged and control means interposed between the first rear suspension means and the frame for opening and closing the first valve means,

An air chamber sandwiched between the second trailing arm and the frame and separated from the oil cylinder comprising piston means by a flexible diaphragm, piston means arranged and arranged to limit the flow of oil from one side of the piston to the other Second hydrostatic stator means having second valve means and control means for closing and closing the second valve means sandwiched between the first rear suspension means and the frame,

A balancing pipe connecting the air chambers of said first and second hydroneumatic strut means together,

An air reservoir connected to the balance pipe by first and second air connections,

A one way valve of a first connection arranged and arranged to allow air to flow only from the air reservoir,

A flow controlling valve of a second connection arranged and arranged to allow air to flow into the air reservoir or in an amount selected from the reservoir,

.

The vehicle has many advantages. Since the vehicle does not use a heavy propulsion system, it can be considerably lightweight. The integrated wheel suspension allows the occupant to be inclined to the cover, and the rideability can be improved because the three-wheeled vehicle can maintain an upright state on the undulating road surface. Also, due to the removable protective shell, the occupant can use the vehicle in various weather conditions.

The energy consumed by the brake due to the regenerative braking system is at least partially restored for later use when the vehicle is starting up. The use of human power drives the pump, simplifying the design and eliminating the need for an auxiliary energy source that must be replenished on a regular basis. Finally, the propulsion system can store energy so that the occupant does not have to keep the pump running and can supply much more drive energy than the occupant can provide.

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, major components of a hydraulic electric vehicle are shown. The chassis 2 has primary and secondary subframes. The primary frame supports the vehicle occupant and all other mechanical and suspension components. The secondary frame supports less critical vehicle components and the weatherproof protective shell 4 can be removably attached to the secondary frame.

The rear wheel assemblies 6, 7 and the front wheel assembly 8 form a three-wheeler base. The rear wheel assemblies 6, 7 include propulsion system motors. The front wheel assembly 8 is detachably attached to a cantilever front fork 13. The fork 13 is connected to a steering mechanism 9 composed of a steering column 12, a linkage 10, and a handlebar 11. The steering mechanism 9 is rotatably attached to the chassis 2 by a steering column 12. [ The rear suspension means 14 is connected to the rear wheel assemblies 6, 7 and the chassis 2. The occupant 18 uses a treadle pedal 16 to drive the variable displacement pump. Next, the hydraulic drive system will be described in detail.

Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 show slantable suspension means. In the suspension, an equalizing means is used in combination with the suspension means to provide no roll torque along the longitudinal axis of the frame, especially when pivoting the corner at a speed. The suspension is arranged such that when one of the rear wheel assemblies 6, 7 moves upward relative to the axis of the chassis 2, the other rear wheel assembly can move. There are two consequences. When turning the corner, the three-wheeled vehicle may be inclined as indicated by an angle? In Fig. When traveling on an undulating surface, the three-wheeled vehicle can maintain a substantially vertical state, as indicated by the surface A of the chain line in Fig. In addition, since the above two cases can be combined, the occupant can control the three-wheeled vehicle considerably easily.

Referring to FIG. 3, a crossbeam 20 is attached pivotally at its center point 21 to a frame 2, shown in dash-dotted lines. A combined spring and shock absorber struts 22 and 23 extend substantially vertically downward from the end of the crossbeam 20. The bottom end portions of the struts 22, 23 are connected to the trailing arm 19. The front end of each of the trailing arms is pivotally connected to the chassis and the rear end supports the rear wheel assemblies 6,7. Since the beam 20 and the trailing arm 19 are moved in cooperation with each other, the three-wheeled vehicle can be reliably controlled, thereby improving stability and tilting of the vehicle.

Figures 4 and 5 are views of another embodiment of the rear suspension of the hydraulic vehicle of the present invention. In the front cross beam system, a horizontally positioned cross beam 15 is pivotally connected to the chassis 2 at point 17. A pair of struts 22 and 23 extend from the cross beam 15 in a substantially horizontal rearward direction so that the L-shaped trailing arms 25 and 26, which support the rear wheel assemblies 6 and 7, Respectively. The elbow of the L-shaped trailing arms 25, 26 is pivotally connected to the frame 2 at points 27, 28 (only point 28 is shown in Fig. 4). The system is operated in the same manner as the system of FIG. 3 and has the advantage that less space is required in the vehicle. Further, the suspension load is directly transmitted into the main chassis frame 2 of the three-wheeled vehicle. A modification of the system shown in Fig. 3 is shown in Fig. The system is vertically arranged and may be used horizontally as shown in Fig. In this system, the struts 22 and 23 may be replaced by rigid members 22A and 23A. One strut 24 is used to provide a spring that is positioned between the pivot point 21 of the cross beam and the chassis mounting member 21A.

7 is a schematic diagram of a hydraulic system. A manual piston pump (34) cooperates with the oil reservoir (30) to provide pressurized oil. The hand pump may be of an invariant or variable volume type and may be operated using either a tray pedal or a standard pedal and a crankshaft mechanism. By changing the volume in the variable volumetric option, the occupant can change the pedal depression to match the cycle rate of the pump. The low pressure oil reservoir 30 is needed because the volume of the accumulator 32, which will be described later, can vary up to 4 liters during charging and discharging of the cycle. The oil reservoir 30 is a conventional tank for storing unpressurized oil. In a preferred embodiment, the oil reservoir 30 is approximately 4 liters in size and comprises an air chamber, diaphragm, and oil chamber, and the diaphragm expands or contracts according to the oil volume in the tank. The structure is designed to exhaust air and dust from the system and also to act as a pressure equalizer so that changes in the oil level due to intake of the hydraulic system or changes in the ambient pressure state can be detected on the pump 34 And does not cause any significant pressure differential over the same moving seal.

The pump 34 is connected to a pressure regulator 42 and to the accumulator 32 again. The most important function of the pressure regulator 42 is to prevent significant energy loss during the charging and discharging cycles of the accumulator 32. The pressure regulator 42 is a small armature device having two chambers capable of storing any pressure and the oil supplied to or discharged from the accumulator 32. This maintains a high coversion efficiency. The accumulator 32 stores energy in the form of pressurized oil. This internal structure includes an air chamber, a diaphragm and an oil chamber, such as an oil reservoir. The pump 34 sends the oil to either or both of the wheel motors 6A and 7A or the accumulator 32 expands the internal diaphragm to compress the air entrapped in the air chamber to provide an air gap between the air chamber and the oil chamber Thereby generating a pressure difference. When pressurized oil is required for the rear wheel hydraulic motors 106 and 107, the pressurized air sends oil from the accumulator 32 to the wheel motor control valve through the hydraulic pressure transducer 42. Through the operation of the control valves 29, 31, 33, 37 and 39, the fluid can be controlled and flowed into various components of the system. For example, the occupant can close the control valve 37 if the passenger wants to stop the flow of fluid to the accumulator 32 and all the fluid wants to head to the rear wheel motors 6A, 7A. The relief valve shown in solid line in FIG. 7 returns the oil to the reservoir 30 when the pressure in the system is over. In this system, the control of the various valves is conveniently incorporated into the two handles 36, 38 (see Figs. 1 and 2) which also include an integral brake lever. In the preferred embodiment, the handle 38 controls the forward acceleration, stop center and regenerative brakes, and the knob 36 controls the pedal pump volume. An invariant positive-displacement wheel motor has a two-way clutch (described later) designed to disengage the armature from the wheel shaft, so that the vehicle can coast roughly without friction. When the handle 38 is placed in the regenerative braking position, the accumulator is charged by the action of the pump 34, while the vehicle can be brought to a standstill. When the knob 38 is turned to the forward acceleration position, the accumulator 32 is connected to the wheel motors 6A and 7A so that the vehicle moves forward. The pump 34 is continuously operated to continue to provide fluid to the accumulator and wheel motor as desired.

And is braked through both the primary and secondary systems. The primary system is a regenerative braking system while the secondary system is a conventional mechanical braking system such as an internal expansion drum brake operated by a hand brake lever including handles 36 and 38. The regenerative braking system uses the motors 106 and 107 as pumps during the deceleration phase. By setting the valve so that the motors 6A and 7A pump the pressurized oil into the hydraulic system, the rotation of the motor continues to be resisted to slow down or even stop the vehicle. The kinetic energy of the moving vehicle is transferred into the stored energy in the form of pressurized oil as the oil pumped by the motor is directed to the accumulator 32. [ The fluid flow required to accommodate the regenerative brakes is processed by reversing the inlet and outlet ports of the wheel motors 6A, 7A using valves 29, 31, 33. This directs the oil flow to the pressure transducer 42. Depending on the number of times the rider has turned the handle 38, more or less pressure may be placed on the wheel motor.

Fig. 8 shows a preferred wheel motor structure for the motors 6A, 7A. The main shaft 53 is preferably made of stainless steel so that the oil seal 54 is not unduly damaged due to shaft corrosion. The clutch pack (44) disconnects the motor and can be pivoted substantially without friction. The steel cam ring 45 has a built-in rotor 49 which moves on a torque tube 48. Due to the arrangement, the rotor 49 is completely isolated from the force generated from the shaft 53 moving during corner turning. The shaft 53 freely rotates on the ball bearing 46 and the roller bearing 50. The ball bearing 46 also eliminates thrust on the shaft 53. The wheel bolt hole 52 allows the rear wheel (not shown) to be easily engaged and disengaged. Further, the single bolt arrangement is used to fix the front wheel on the shaft included in the cantilever arm 13. [ One bolt arrangement may be replaced by other well known means to secure the front and rear wheel assemblies. The motor is completed by the end plates 55, 56 in which the steel cam ring 45 is fixed therebetween. The end plates 55, 56 are preferably aluminum so as to reduce weight.

Fig. 9 is a detailed view of the wheel motor rotor 49 located inside the steel cam ring 45. Fig. The rotor 49 is connected to the torque tube 48 via a spline 58 located atop the top and hooks into the hole through the end plates 55 and 56 again and is rotated about the main shaft 53, . The rotor 49 includes a plurality of slots 57 occupied by a pressure balanced dual vane 60. The steel cam ring 45 is provided with a constant radial section, whereby the loss of the wing slots due to friction is eliminated by the constant radial section of the region with the wings having different pressures across them.

Fig. 10 illustrates the operation of the valve 30A shown in Fig. 11 is a schematic view of the valve 37 shown in Fig. Referring to FIG. 7, it will be appreciated that the wheel motor has ports 206, 207 connected to 206A, 207A of valve 30A. As illustrated, the valve also includes a connection to the ports 29, 31, 33, 35 and the reservoir 30. The valve is shown as a stop or motor position. The motor port 206A is turned from the port 31 to the port 29 so that the motor port 207A is disconnected from the port 33 when the valve moves from the stop position to the stop releasing position. The motor port 207A is still directed to the port 35 through the check valve. Like the valve 37 in Fig. 11, the valve is shown in the open position, not in the rest position, and moves the spool to the stop position to disconnect the pedal pump port PUMP from the motor circuit.

In both FIGS. 10 and 11, R represents the drain connection to the reservoir 30. FIG.

12 is a detailed view of the control valve indicated by (39) in Fig. The control valve has the following three purposes: first, preventing leakage of the accumulator; Second, to prevent unwanted inversion of the vehicle; And a pilot operated valve with the object of accidental overspeed prevention when the third wheel motor is in the free wheel mode. Valve 39 includes port A connected to the accumulator and port B connected to the wheel motor and pedal pump circuit. The piston 79 is composed of a head portion 80 and a rod portion 88. The piston (79) is slidably received in the housing (82). The base of the head portion 80 is positioned with an O-ring 84 designed to prevent fluid flow when the control valve is in the closed position. A spring 86 is wound around the rod portion 88. In operation, the valve has four possible states:

1. The vehicle is stopped, the accumulator is charged, and the brake signal is input.

No pilot operation; The valve 39 is in the closed state.

2. The vehicle stops or moves and the accumulator is charged.

A pilot valve set (not shown) opens the valve 39 quickly (i.e., the head portion 80 slides into the housing 82) using the high pressure of the accumulator 32 as compared to the port B. The action occurs according to the forward acceleration signal of the occupant.

3. The vehicle is parked, some accumulators are charged, and the occupant sends a regenerative brake signal.

Instead of having a pilot valve signal, the pressure generated at port B opens the valve 39. Once opened, the valve remains open only when there is no closing signal and the pressure at ports A and B is at least 600 psi, which is greater than the pressure in reservoir 30. [

4. Deactivate the system.

The spring 86 opens the valve 39 and the vehicle enters the regenerative braking state through the port A or the pedal by way of the port B. [

13 is a side cross-sectional view of one cylinder variable volume trailer pedal piston pump that the occupant 18 manipulates to propel the vehicle and charge the accumulator 32. As shown in Fig. A drive arc 91 is pivotally connected to the chassis 2 at point 90. A foot 92 is positioned against the drive arc 91. The movement of the foot 92 relative to the drive arc 91 is restricted by the interlocking teeth and the foot 92 (see Fig. 14) working together with the bottom surface of the drive arc 91. A connecting rod 93 extends between the foot 92 and the piston 96 and is connected to the pins 94 and 99, respectively. The piston 96 is located in the cylinder 98 in which the spring 97 is built into the base. When the drive arc 91 rotates about the point 90, the con rod 93 is driven to advance and again the piston 96 moves into the cylinder 98 to compress the spring 97 . The piston 96 is returned to its stop position (shown) by extension of the spring 97. Cycling of the piston (96) causes the oil to pass through the cylinder (98). The oil is in and out of the cylinder 98 by means of a self-actuated check valve. The drive arc 91 and the foot 92 have the same center of curvature on the pin 94.

An arm 100, 101 (see Figs. 15 and 16) having a slot that rotates about a pin 102 supports the base 92 in a predetermined position and limits the stroke of the piston 96. When the piston is in the rest position, a small gap is surely generated between the interlocking motion of the drive arc 91 and the foot 92 due to the arms 100 and 101 having slots (see Fig. 14). When the occupant 18 desires to change the volume of the pump 34, the foot 92 is moved to a different position on the drive arc 91. The arms 100, 101 with the slots and the feet 92 can be moved by a cable extending to a control mechanism (not shown) on the handle 36.

The pin 94 may be replaced with a ball, and a more common socket joint in a hydraulic construction. The stroke of the piston 96 may be limited by the piston stop of the end of the cylinder 98. [ Also, a variable volume trailer pedal piston pump can be replaced with a standard pedal assembly and a variable volume trache pedal piston pump having either an invariable volumetric pump or two cylinders. Variable volume type trains Piston pedal piston pumps with two cylinders require each pedal to be connected to a different pedal pedal and to work with a piston associated with one of the two cylinders. It may be natural to use a mechanism such as a chain or linkage that interconnects the tray pedals to ensure uniform and counter-directional pedal travel.

Next, the operation of the two-way clutch 44 shown in Fig. 8 will be described with reference to Figs. 17 and 18. Fig. To illustrate the operation of the two-way clutches, they are shown in FIG. 17 as a straight line arrangement rather than a circular arrangement for convenience. The roller 103 with the groove occupies most of the pockets 104 of the race 105. [ The spring 106 of the slot 107 pushes the roller 103 to the center bottom of the pocket 104. [ This action causes the retainer 108 to move to the position shown in Fig. A ratchet pawl 109 is attached to the retainer 108 by the slot 110 and pushed into the slot in the direction of arrow 17A by a spring (not shown). In the " passive " direction, the pawl 109 is spring loaded so that the pocket 111 enters into the groove 112 as the groove 112 moves in the direction of arrow 17B. During the regenerative braking, the other pocket 104 includes another pole (not shown) pointing in the direction of arrow 17B. Means for manually raising the pawl may also be provided, so that no regenerative braking may occur if not desired. The regenerative brake pawl should not rise in the load state, but is released due to the short motor direction pulse. When the groove 112 moves in the direction of arrow 17B, the pawl 109 is engaged with the pocket 111 to move the retainer 108 in the same direction. The slot springs for the pawls 109 are strong enough to immediately override all of the roller springs 106. [ In addition, due to this action, the roller 103 moves in the direction of the arrow 17B and exits into the pockets 111 and 104. This is possible due to the roller pin slot in the retainer 108. The roller 103 is engaged with the pockets 111 and 104 and simultaneously transfers loads. The pole slot 110 and the spring (not shown) prevent any significant load from being transmitted by the pawl 109. Likewise, when the reverse pawl is lowered, the clutch is engaged in the opposite direction. The groove of the roller 103 can be excluded by providing the second spring slot in the groove 112.

The clutch has several advantages. First, the roller 103 has a large load bearing capacity. This means that, in combination with the lightweight coupling pawl 109, the clutch can be made compact and the friction between the wheels can be reduced. Second, the clutch is made of simple parts. Third, since the wheel rpm of the three wheels is comparatively low, the clutch is not damaged and the small clutch can engage the regenerative brakes.

The chassis portion, the primary frame, and the secondary frame are composed of welded mild steel, chromoly tubing, silver brazed lightweight tubing, fiber-reinforced plastic, etc. It is convenient. In the preferred embodiment, the primary frame is a triangular tube design with a maximum stiffness and a minimum weight.

As hydraulic fluid, other fluids are suitable, but either power steering or automatic transmission fluids are preferred.

The front suspension system is combined with a conventional design in which the shock absorber is integrated into the cantilever arm 13. Alternatively, a standard bicycle fork may be used with or in addition to the elastic suspension means.

Another rear suspension system is shown in Figures 19-26.

The cable base system is shown in Figs. 19 and 20. Trailing arms 191 and 192 with two cranks are connected by a cable 190 passing around the pulleys 193 and 194 supported by the cable frame 195. The cable frame 195 is supported on the three-wheel frame and moves against the coupling spring and the shock absorber strut 196. The net vertical motion of both wheels is controlled by a strut 196 and the wheel is relatively movable by the cable 190 moving around the pulleys 193 and 194.

Figures 21, 22, and 23 show a group of suspension systems similar to those described above in which the fluid base system is used to provide the balancing function. Thus, the system may use pneumatic, hydro-pneumatic, or fluid components for both spring and tilt functions.

Figures 21 and 22 are similar to Figures 3 and 4. In the rear view of FIG. 21, the struts and cross beams of FIG. 3 are replaced by two pneumatic, or hydro-pneumatic struts 211, connected together by pipe 213. Although the air can freely pass through the pipe 213, the overall air pressure in the system is controlled by the regulator 214. In the side view of Figure 22, the arrangement shown in Figure 4 is also reversed using two pneumatic, or hydro-pneumatic struts 210 (only one is shown) connected by pipe 213; The air pressure is controlled by the regulator 214. In both of these arrangements, each wheel can adapt to undulations, both of which move in opposite directions by air transfer between the devices, so that the three-wheeled vehicle can be inclined to the corner. A regulator controls the effective spring rate of the device.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 21 can be modified when a dual acting hydraulic cylinder is used for struts 210, 211 instead of a hydro-pneumatic strut. With dual acting cylinders, as shown by the shadows, both the upper chamber and the lower chamber can be connected together by pipe 213 and pipe 221, respectively. The pipe 221 also includes a similar reservoir 224 and both pipes 213 and 221 are provided with shut off valves 223, 224, 225, and 226. Regulator 214 is also replaced by an air over oil pressurized unit. The functions of the system are as follows.

The upper end of the cylinders 210, 211 together with the air compression reservoir provides a suspension function; The effective spring speed is determined by the air pressure in the reservoir. The lower ends of the cylinders 210, 211 provide a tilting function by allowing oil to pass through the pipe between them. Since the reservoir 222 is not compressed, the flow is not affected. Four shutoff valves 223, 224, 225, and 226 control fluid flow between the two cylinders. The shut-off valve is opened when the three-wheeled vehicle is loaded under normal conditions. When the valve is closed, fluid does not flow into or out of the two cylinders 210 and 211, and the suspension is locked and can not move. It has many uses. It makes the three-wheeled cars better at low speed. The three-wheeled vehicle is kept vertical when stopped. It also acts as an anti-theft device: the valve can be easily controlled with a key so that the occupant can lock the suspension to the rear wheel, which is not vertical. Tricycles can only be boarded in circles.

The arrangement shown in Fig. 23 relates to both the figures of Figs. 21 and 22. Fig. A simple trailing arm 233 attached to the frame mounting pivot means 235 is used as in FIG. A rotary multiple vane pneumatic unit 236 is mounted between the trailing arm 233 and the frame to control the movement of the wheel assembly. Other trailing ring arms are also fitted. As described above, the two rotary devices are interconnected by a pipe 233, and the air pressure is controlled by a regulator 234.

Figures 24 and 25 illustrate another example mechanical arrangement using a gear differential unit. The two trailing arms 243 and 244 are each mounted on shafts 250 and 251 supported on a suitable mount (not shown) of the frame. The shafts are connected to the gears of the differential gears, respectively, and the gears are interconnected by a pair of gears supported by a spider attached to the gear case 252. The movement of the gear case is controlled by at least one strut 253, preferably two struts 253, 254 attached to the mounting point of the frame. As shown in FIG. 17, the strut 253 is located rearward, and the strut 254 is located forward. If desired, both struts can be positioned forward, saving some space. Adaptation to the relief causes either or both wheels to move and the carrier to rotate against the strut. When the vehicle is tilted to a corner, the shafts 251 and 252 rotate relative to each other to provide the required tilting function.

Figure 26 is a schematic view of a simple unsprung system in connection with Figure 3; On the rear side of the frame 260 is attached a bearer 261 which supports a support 262 with a pivot 263 at its end. A balanced beam 264 is attached to the pivot 263. Thus, the beam 264 can rotate through a limited arc about the pivot 263. At each end of the beam 264, a pair of connection links 21A, 22A are pivotally attached to their upper end to the beam 264 and the lower end to the two trailing arms 19. The two trailing arms are supported by pivots 265 and 266 on the crossbar 267 rigidly attached to the rear end of the frame 260. The two trailing arms 19 can each rotate vertically through a limited arc. Since the system does not include any spring means, the two trailing arms 19 can not move together in the same direction. When one arm moves upward, the other one moves downward, as shown by the paired arrows X and Y, so that the three-wheeled vehicle can be inclined to the curve and pass through the undulating surface. Thus, by integrally arranging the pivot beam 264 in the suspension system, the roll torque is not provided to the frame by the force generated when the vehicle passes through the undulating road surface or when turning the steep curve.

In the above description, the mounting means to which the front end of each trailing arm is attached to the frame is spaced to the space required to obtain the desired track for the rear wheels. Generally, it is about 45 cm to 50 cm for a three-wheeler for one person, so that the three-wheeler needs a little more space than a conventional bicycle, if any. This has the advantage that the trailing arm is substantially straight and is not subject to significant torsional stress when the suspension is moving. Also, when used as shown in the figure, the length of the crossbeam is appropriate. 27, the mounting pivots 271, 272 may be positioned proximate to one another on the rear end of the frame 283 and the trailing arms 284, 282 used to obtain the desired track, 285 can be cranked.

28 shows a preferred hydroneumatic suspension system that can be used with the various suspensions described above and details of the valve arrangement used are shown in FIGS. 29 and 30. FIG.

One end (29) of each hydro-pneumatic device is attached to the trailing arm and the other end (291) is attached to the three-wheeler frame. A conventional rubber-covered mount is used at both ends, as schematically shown at 290. The cylinder 292 includes a piston 293 attached to the tube 294. A suitable seal, not shown, is also provided between the piston 293 and the interior of the cylinder 292. The upper end of the cylinder is sealed by a flexible diaphragm 295 with one end attached to the end of the cylinder 292A and the other end attached to the support plate 296. [ The second flexible diaphragm 297 is attached to the cylinder 292A at one end and to the casing 299 at the other end 298A. All of the diaphragms are of the so-called " rolling sock " type. A bearing 300 for the tube 294 is also provided at the end 292A of the cylinder including a suitable seal (not shown). Thus, it can be seen that when the two ends 290 and 291 move relative to each other, the piston 293 slides in the cylinder and the tube 294 slides within the bearing 300. The spaces 301, 302, 303, and 304 contain oil, and the space 305 contains air.

The piston 293 is provided with at least two bores 306, 307 communicating with the space 304 in the tube 294. A valve 308 is provided within the tube 294 and within the piston 293, details of which are described below. Valve 308 is operated by a rotatable control rod 309 passing through oil seal 310. The control rod 309 does not move when the ends 290 and 291 of the strut move relative to each other because the lower end of the control rod 309 is attached to the valve 308 in the piston 293. [ The air space 305 is connected to a strut (not shown) on the other end of the three-wheeled vehicle by a pipe 311. The air passes freely through the pipe 311 between the two connected air spaces. The air reservoir 312 is connected to the air pipe 311 by two connecting pipes 313 and 314. The pipe 313 includes a control valve 315 and the pipe 314 includes a one way valve 316 that is set to allow air to flow only from the reservoir 312.

Figure 29 shows a valve 308 in a closed position.

The piston 293 has bores 306, 307 with an inwardly directed pin 580. [

The tube 294 is not connected to the valve body 400. The valve body 400 is rotatably housed in the piston 293. The valve body 400 is a tube whose both ends are open. The valve body 400 includes a pair of rollers 510, at least one upper hole 520, at least one lower hole 530, a pair of springs 540, and a pair of stoppers 550 do. In addition, two pairs of ridges 560 are formed on the inner surface of the valve body 400. Each roller 510 is sandwiched between a pair of ridges 560. Each upper hole 520 communicates with a corresponding lower hole 530. For each pair of ridges 560, one ridge has an adjacent spring 540 while the other has an adjacent stopper 550, with a roller 510 between the paired ridges. The upper hole 520 is located at the upper end of the lower hole 530. Holes 520 and 530 are positioned between stopper 550 and spring 540. A slot 570 is provided outside the valve body 400. The pin 580 on the inner surface of the piston 293 is fitted in the slot 570. The length of the slot 570 is such that the valve body 400 can rotate within a predetermined distance.

The control rod 309 enters the piston 293 through the open end and into the lower tube 294 through its corresponding open end. At the end of the control rod 309, a pair of detents 600 are provided. Each pawl 600 contacts the roller 510. Further, each of the pawls 600 has a shape to be engaged with the stopper 550. The control rod 309 rotates freely in the valve body 400. [

Next, the operation of the valve 308 will be described. The valve 308 has two positions, a lock and an unlock position. In the unlocked position, the paired upper connection holes 520 are aligned with the bores 306 on the piston 293 and the paired lower connection holes 530 are aligned with the bores 307 on the piston 293. In the unlocked position, oil can flow freely from the space 301 to the space 302 through the holes 520, 530 and the bores 306, 307. The upper hole 520 is not aligned with the bore 306 on the piston 293 and the lower hole 530 is not aligned with the bore 307 on the piston 293. This effectively stops oil from flowing from the space 301 to the space 302.

The lock function is achieved by rotating the valve body 400. To explain the function of the lock function, only one side of the valve body 400 will be described later. It should be understood that the other side of the valve body 400 functions in a similar manner. When in the unlocked position, the spring 540 is extended to push the roller 510 against the ridge 560 adjacent to the stopper 550. At this time, the detent 600 on the bottom surface of the control rod 309 is engaged with the stopper 550. In order to lock the instrument, the control rod 309 is rotated clockwise until the pin 580 touches the end of the slot 570 with the valve body 400 supported. As a result, the alignment between the connection holes 520, 530 and the bores 306, 307 is disturbed. Due to the continued rotation of the rod 309, the roller 510 is pressed against the inner wall of the valve body 400 due to the detent 600 to deform and expand the valve body 400 outwardly. The friction between the outer surface of the valve body 400 and the inner surface of the piston 293 prevents rotation of the valve body 400 while the detent 600 locks the valve mechanism.

To unlock the valve, the control rod 309 is rotated counterclockwise. By doing so, the roller 510 is detached from the spring 540. Since the spring 540 is compressed, it assists it. When the roller 510 contacts the other ridge 560, the detent 600 contacts the stopper 550. At this time, the valve body 400 is no longer deformed and is no longer locked. When the control rod 309 is further rotated, the valve body 400 is also rotated. However, the rotation can be controlled because the pin 580 reaches the end of the slot 570, thus preventing further rotation. The pin 580 is aligned with the connection holes 520 and 530 and the bores 306 and 307 when it reaches the end of the slot 570 which is the unlocked position. This allows the oil to flow freely between the space 301 and the space 302.

The suspension system can function in two separate modes, unlock and lock modes.

In the unlocking operation, the valve 308 of the piston 293 is opened and the piston 293 moves freely; The oil can flow freely between the space 301 and the space 302 and any volume change in the space 304 is accommodated by the orifice 317. For example, when one strut moves upward due to the undulation of the road surface, or when the three-wheeled vehicle is inclined, air is passed through the connecting portion 311 to keep the air pressure in the strut and the air chamber 312 constant do. The shock absorber function is provided by valves 315 and 316. When the pressure in the reservoir 312 is higher than the pressure in the pipe 311, the valve 316 opens and the pressure becomes equal. When the pressure of the pipe 311 is higher than the pressure of the reservoir, air flows through the valve 315 until the pressure becomes equal again; The setting of the valve 315 controls the amount of air flow, i. E. Equalizing the pressure.

In the lock operation, the valve 308 is opened. This seals both the spaces 301 and 302 so that the oil is prevented from flowing between the spaces 301 and 302 and the space 304. When rocking, the trailing arm is unable to move and has the ability to adapt and slope on undulating surfaces.

It should be noted that the air chamber 312 with the additional connecting pipes 313 and 314 and the valves 315 and 316 can be eliminated without affecting the ability to tilt or the road surface with undulations. However, excluding the sub-system eliminates the buffering function.

In this arrangement, the oil can only function as a lubricant. The air chamber provides both spring function and damping capability, and can adapt to undulating road surfaces and tilts.

In the above description, the above-described embodiment is a trailing arm system. This is the preferred arrangement for a variety of reasons. It can be used with many conventional bicycle parts, is lightweight and compact, is well suited to accommodate loads imposed when locating both rear wheels and riding a three-wheeled vehicle. It will be appreciated, however, that other suspension means, which may or may not be combined with the spring function, may also be used as a sliding pillar arrangement. The trailing arms themselves may also be deformed, such as, for example, a twin arm similar to a bicycle front fork, and a trailing A-frame.

The rear suspension of the present invention is improved to facilitate operation because it can provide a more comfortable ride comfort option as well as allowing the three-wheeled vehicle to be tilted to the corner at a speed and able to maintain a rough vertical position on the undulating road surface.

Claims (13)

Chassis, A front suspension attached to the chassis to damp vibrations due to movement of the vehicle and two rear suspensions, At least two rear wheel assemblies attached to said suspension means and one front wheel assembly, Driving means fixed to the chassis to propel the vehicle, Brake means, and Both the front suspension means and the front wheel assembly, and steering means attached to the chassis to steer the front wheel assembly In the hydraulic light vehicle, The driving means A pump means for generating pressurized oil, A reservoir for storing the decompressed oil hydraulically connected to the pump means, At least one hydraulic motor for driving at least one wheel assembly, An accumulator for storing energy in the form of pressurized oil generated by pump means acting on the oil phase in the oil reservoir, Pressure transducer means hydraulically connected to said oil reservoir, accumulator, pump means and motor to prevent significant energy loss during charging and discharging of the accumulator, Control means for regulating pressurized fluid flow between the accumulator and the at least one wheel assembly, and A clutch means / RTI > Wherein the rear suspension means comprises a suspension means And a hydraulic control valve. The hydraulic miniature vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the hydraulic motor is a vane motor. 2. The hydraulic miniature vehicle of claim 1, wherein the chassis includes primary and secondary frames. The hydraulic light vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising a weatherproof protective shell detachably attached to the secondary frame. A hydraulic miniature vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the clutch means comprises a two-way wheel motor clutch having a first position for disengaging the motor from the wheel assembly and a second position for engaging the motor with the wheel assembly . 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pump means is a human powered type invariant type tray pedal piston pump, a force type invariant volumetric type pedal and a crankshaft piston pump, a force type variable volume type tray pedal piston pump, A hydraulic pump, a vane and gear pump, a pump with a solar cell, an internal combustion engine pump, a battery pump, and a fuel cell pump. 2. The hydraulic miniature vehicle of claim 1, wherein the steering means includes a handlebar rigidly mounted on a steering column rotatably connected to a cantilever shaft that receives a front wheel assembly. A primary brake system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the brake means comprises a regenerative brake system having valve means integral with the drive means, wherein the motor is used as a pump so that the valve means allows fluid to flow from the motor to the accumulator Wherein the braking step is controlled by adjusting the pressure on the motor using valve means, and a caliper mounted on the brake drum, disc, or rear wheel assembly and the front wheel assembly, and a secondary brake system including calipers. A primary brake system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the brake means comprises a regenerative brake system having valve means integral with the drive means, wherein the motor is used as a pump so that the valve means is able to flow fluid from the motor to the accumulator Wherein the braking step is controlled by adjusting the pressure on the motor using the valve means when the braking step is performed and the braking step is controlled by adjusting the pressure on the motor when the braking step is performed on the brake drum, And a secondary brake system including calipers actuated by hand brake levers mounted on the bar. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary and secondary frames are welded mild steel, chromoly tubing, silver brazed lightweight tubing, or fiber reinforced plastic (" reinforced plastic fibers). < RTI ID = 0.0 > 11. < / RTI > 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the supportable suspension means comprises a crossbeam having a center pivotally connected to the frame, a pair of struts having first and second ends, Wherein a first end of the strut is pivotally connected to an opposite end of the cross beam and a second end is mounted perpendicular to the trailing arm, Wherein the first end of the trailing arm is pivotally attached to the frame and the second end is removably attached to the rear wheel assembly. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the supportable suspension means comprises: a cross beam pivotally connected to the frame at a center and positioned horizontally; a pair of struts having first and second ends; and first and second ends Shaped trailing arm, the first end of the strut being fixed to an opposite end of the cross beam, and the first end of the L-shaped trailing arm being connected to a shock absorber And a second end of the trailing arm is detachably attached to the rear wheel assembly, and the elbow of the L-shaped arm is pivotally connected to the frame. . 2. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said supportable rear suspension control means An air chamber sandwiched between the first trailing arm and the frame and separated from the oil cylinder comprising the piston means by a flexible diaphragm, piston means arranged and arranged to limit the flow of oil from one side of the piston to the other And first control means for closing and opening the first valve means between the first rear suspension means and the frame, An air chamber sandwiched between the second trailing arm and the frame and separated from the oil cylinder comprising piston means by a flexible diaphragm, piston means arranged and arranged to limit the flow of oil from one side of the piston to the other Second hydrostatic stator means having second valve means and control means for closing and closing the second valve means sandwiched between the first rear suspension means and the frame, A balancing pipe connecting the air chambers of said first and second hydroneumatic strut means together, An air reservoir connected to the balance pipe by first and second air connections, A one way valve of a first connection arranged and arranged to allow air to flow only from the air reservoir, A flow controlling valve of a second connection arranged and arranged to allow air to flow into the air reservoir or in an amount selected from the reservoir, And a hydraulic motor.