A new handlebar steering mechanism for a tricycle

Abstract

This utility model discloses a novel handlebar steering mechanism for a tricycle. Belonging to the technical field of vehicle parts, this utility model includes a front fork assembly, front fork stem, front fork rocker arm, steering tie rod, steering column, handlebars, handlebar rocker arm, column bracket, and frame. The novel handlebar steering mechanism for a tricycle increases the design values ​​of the kingpin angle and kingpin offset, improving the vehicle's straight-line handling and safety. By adjusting the lever arm ratio of the handlebar rocker arm and the front fork rocker arm, the steering ease and comfort are improved. During vehicle operation, the impact vibrations generated by uneven ground on the tires and front fork assembly are absorbed and buffered by the ball joints on both sides of the steering tie rod, reducing the impact vibrations from the ground on the handlebars and improving driving pleasure. The novel steering mechanism has simple component structures, low design costs, and is easy to install and maintain, making it suitable for further promotion and use by vehicle manufacturers of all sizes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the technical field of vehicle parts, specifically relating to a novel handlebar steering mechanism for a tricycle. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, tricycles have become one of the main means of transportation in rural areas and urban-rural fringe areas. Existing tricycle handlebar steering mechanisms, where the handlebars are directly mounted to the front fork assembly, result in a large angular transmission ratio and heavy steering. To reduce steering weight, the design values ​​for the front wheel kingpin angle and kingpin offset have been reduced, leading to poor straight-line stability and decreased driving safety. During operation, the impact vibrations from uneven terrain on the tires and front fork assembly are directly transmitted to the handlebars, reducing driving pleasure. The market urgently needs a handlebar steering mechanism that is simple in structure, easy to steering, improves straight-line stability, and enhances driving comfort and enjoyment. Utility Model Content

[0003] A novel handlebar steering mechanism for a tricycle includes a front fork assembly, a front fork stem, a front fork rocker arm, a steering tie rod, a steering column, a handlebar, a handlebar rocker arm, a column bracket, and a frame. The tricycle's novel handlebar steering mechanism includes a frame with a front fork stem at the front end, the front fork assembly mounted and fixed to the front fork stem, and the front fork rocker arm mounted and fixed to the front fork assembly. A column bracket is located at the rear end of the frame, the steering column is mounted and fixed to the column bracket using hexagonal head bolts, and the handlebar rocker arm is welded to the steering column.

[0004] Furthermore, the handlebars are mounted and fixed on the steering column;

[0005] Furthermore, the frame, fork riser, and column support are integral welded structures, which improves the structural stability of the product.

[0006] Furthermore, ball joints are provided at both ends of the steering tie rod, the front end of the steering tie rod is connected to the front fork rocker arm through the ball joints, and the rear end of the steering tie rod is connected to the handlebar rocker arm through the ball joints.

[0007] Preferably, the center distance between the junction of the rocker arm and the fork seat tube and the ball joint of the steering tie rod is large;

[0008] Preferably, the center distance between the handlebar rocker arm and the junction of the steering column and the steering tie rod ball joint is small;

[0009] Preferably, the lever arm of the handlebar rocker arm is smaller than that of the front fork rocker arm, which improves steering ease.

[0010] The preferred design increases the kingpin angle and kingpin offset, thereby improving the vehicle's straight-line stability.

[0011] This utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0012] 1. This new type of handlebar steering mechanism increases the design values ​​of the kingpin angle and kingpin offset of the tricycle, improving the straight-line maneuverability and safety of the vehicle. The larger the kingpin angle and kingpin offset, the better the straight-line stability of the vehicle.

[0013] 2. The driver's torque on the handlebars and control of the vehicle are reduced by the ratio of the lever arms of the handlebar rocker arm and the front fork rocker arm, which reduces the steering ratio and improves the ease and comfort of steering the vehicle.

[0014] 3. During vehicle operation, the impact vibrations generated by uneven ground on the tires and front fork assembly are absorbed and buffered by the ball joints on both sides of the steering tie rod, reducing the impact vibrations from the ground on the handlebars and improving the driving pleasure.

[0015] 4. The new steering mechanism has simple component structure, low design cost, and convenient installation and maintenance, making it suitable for further promotion and use by vehicle manufacturers of all sizes. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 : A schematic diagram of a novel handlebar steering mechanism for a tricycle.

[0017] Figure 2 : Structural diagram of kingpin angle and kingpin offset.

[0018] In the diagram: 1. Front fork assembly; 2. Front fork seat tube; 3. Front fork swingarm; 4. Steering tie rod; 5. Steering column; 6. Handlebar; 7. Handlebar swingarm; 8. Column bracket; 9. Frame. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the technical means, creative features, objectives and effects of this utility model easier to understand, the present utility model will be further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments.

[0020] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "front end," "rear end," "both ends," "one end," and "the other end," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0021] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "equipped with," "connected," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be a connection within two components. This is only relevant to those skilled in the art.

[0022] Example

[0023] Please see Figure 1-2 This utility model provides a technical solution:

[0024] A novel handlebar steering mechanism for a tricycle includes a front fork assembly 1, a front fork stem 2, a front fork rocker arm 3, a steering tie rod 4, a steering column 5, a handlebar 6, a handlebar rocker arm 7, a column bracket 8, and a frame 9. The front fork stem 2 is located at the front end of the frame 9, and the front fork assembly 1 is mounted and fixed on the front fork stem 2. The front fork rocker arm 3 is mounted and fixed on the front fork assembly 1. The column bracket 8 is located at the rear end of the frame 9, and the steering column 5 is mounted and fixed on the column bracket 8 using hexagonal head bolts. The handlebar rocker arm 7 is welded to the steering column 5.

[0025] Furthermore, the handlebars 6 are mounted and fixed to the steering column 5. The handlebars 6 are rigidly fixed to the steering column 5, forming a single rotating unit. This design first ensures the synchronicity and precision of steering operation: the torque exerted by the rider on the handlebars 6 can be directly transmitted to the steering column 5 without attenuation, thus achieving instantaneous and precise wheel steering response. In addition, the fixed connection avoids loosening or gaps in the intermediate links, improving handling stability and safety. During riding, the handlebars 6 will not slip relative to each other, resulting in a more consistent feel for hand control, which is beneficial for maintaining vehicle balance and consistent directional control. Overall, this structure simplifies the steering system, reduces the possibility of malfunctions, and improves reliability and the user's sense of control over the vehicle.

[0026] Furthermore, the frame 9, fork riser 2, and column bracket 8 are integrally welded structures, improving the product's structural stability. Welding the frame 9, fork riser 2 (the tubular support for mounting the fork and steering shaft), and column bracket 8 (the fixed bracket for the steering column 5) into a single structure significantly enhances the overall strength and stability of the vehicle. Integral welding eliminates the loosening and stress concentration that can occur with bolted connections, resulting in tighter connections, more even stress distribution, and stronger resistance to deformation. This not only improves the frame 9's ability to withstand steering and bump loads but also ensures that the fork riser 2 and steering column 5 maintain precise relative positions, minimizing changes in steering geometry. In terms of manufacturing, integral welding reduces the number of parts and assembly steps, facilitating assembly accuracy and consistency. Therefore, this structure improves the overall durability and safety performance of the vehicle and provides stable quality control in mass production.

[0027] Furthermore, ball joints are provided at both ends of the steering tie rod 4. The front end of the steering tie rod 4 is connected to the front fork rocker arm 3 via the ball joint, and the rear end of the steering tie rod 4 is connected to the handlebar rocker arm 7 via the ball joint. Both ends of the steering tie rod 4 use ball joints, which are hinged to the front fork rocker arm 3 and the handlebar rocker arm 7. The ball joint connection gives the steering mechanism multiple degrees of freedom, allowing the tie rod to rotate flexibly during small up-down or left-right movements, avoiding mechanism interference caused by changes in the frame 9 or suspension. In terms of flexibility, the ball joint moves freely with minimal clearance, ensuring smooth and seamless movement of the steering tie rod 4. At the same time, this universal joint method can also buffer road vibrations: when the front wheel is impacted by bumps, the ball joint allows for slight movement, thereby preventing the impact force from being directly transmitted to the handlebar 6. This plays a role in absorbing vibrations and reducing noise, reducing handlebar vibration, and improving riding comfort. The overall handling performance is thus improved—the steering mechanism maintains precise force transmission while having a certain degree of fault tolerance and vibration reduction capability, making the vehicle steering smoother and the feel lighter.

[0028] Furthermore, the center distance between the front fork rocker arm 3 and the ball joint of the front fork seat tube 2 and the steering tie rod 4 is large. The front fork rocker arm 3 (the steering arm mounted on the front fork steering knuckle) has a large center distance relative to the steering axis of the front fork seat tube 2 and its connection point with the ball joint of the steering tie rod 4. The direct effect of this longer rocker arm lever arm is to increase the steering ratio and reduce steering sensitivity. Specifically, a larger lever arm means that when the steering tie rod 4 produces a certain linear displacement, the rotation angle of the front fork (wheel) is relatively small, thus requiring the handlebars 6 to rotate a larger angle to achieve the same wheel steering angle. This geometric relationship amplifies the ratio between the handlebars 6 turning angle and the wheel turning angle, making the vehicle steering smoother and less prone to over-sensitivity. The advantage is that the vehicle direction is more stable at high speeds, the steering response is smoother, and it is beneficial to maintain straight-line driving and vehicle directional stability. At the same time, the long lever arm also brings mechanical leverage advantages: the wheel steering resistance is distributed through the longer rocker arm, the steering force required by the rider is reduced, and the steering operation is more convenient. In summary, the large center distance fork rocker arm 3 setting optimizes the handling ratio, making the steering response moderate and stable, reducing driver fatigue and risks caused by overly sensitive steering.

[0029] Furthermore, the center distance between the handlebar rocker arm 7 and the ball joint of the steering column 5 and steering tie rod 4 is small. Conversely, on the fork side, the distance from the ball joint of the handlebar rocker arm 7 mounted on the steering column 5 to the steering axis is smaller. The shorter lever arm design of the handlebar rocker arm 7 helps optimize torque transmission and leverage ratio: when the rider turns the handlebar 6, the smaller lever arm means a slightly larger torque is required to drive the steering tie rod 4 the same distance, but the resulting linear displacement output to the tie rod is smaller, while the force is larger. This is similar to a "small gear driving a large gear" effect; compared to a long rocker arm, a short rocker arm allows the rider's force to act through a smaller radius, thus obtaining a larger steering torque on the fork rocker arm 3 side. Transmission efficiency is therefore improved, and the turning force of the handlebar 6 can be efficiently transmitted to the front wheel steering. Another benefit is that the short lever arm makes the entire steering mechanism more compact, reducing the inertia and flexible deformation of the steering system, which also has a positive impact on steering accuracy and road feel transmission. In summary, the small center distance of the handlebar rocker arm 7 allows the torque applied by the rider to be amplified through a reasonable leverage ratio, ensuring that the front wheel receives sufficient steering torque, while the system responds smoothly and is not overly sensitive.

[0030] Furthermore, the lever arm of the handlebar rocker arm 7 is shorter than that of the fork rocker arm 3, improving steering ease. The effective lever arm length of the handlebar rocker arm 7 is shorter than that of the fork rocker arm 3; this asymmetrical lever arm ratio further emphasizes the intention to reduce the rider's workload and improve comfort. The smaller handlebar rocker arm 7 paired with the longer fork rocker arm 3 is equivalent to a lever with a short effort arm and a long resistance arm: the force applied by the rider at the handlebar 6 end is amplified through this leverage ratio, significantly reducing the physical effort required to turn the front wheel. In other words, the smaller lever arm on the handlebar 6 side makes it easier for the rider, similar to adding auxiliary steering, making the steering feel lighter. At the same time, because a larger angle of rotation of the handlebar 6 is required to achieve the same steering effect, the vehicle's steering characteristics are gentler, avoiding sharp steering due to slight misoperation, making handling more relaxed. This lever arm difference also has a certain "filtering" effect: minor road impacts are attenuated by the longer lever arm before being transmitted back to the shorter lever arm, reducing the impact force directly transmitted to the rider and contributing to improved comfort. Overall, by reasonably setting the length ratio of the handlebar rocker arm 7 and the front fork rocker arm 3, the whole vehicle achieves a balance between easy steering and stable handling, making it less tiring for the rider during long rides and providing a smooth and comfortable driving experience.

[0031] Furthermore, the steering mechanism features increased design values ​​for the kingpin angle and kingpin offset, improving the vehicle's straight-line stability. The kingpin angle and kingpin offset are key parameters determining the steering geometry of a tricycle. Appropriately increasing the kingpin caster angle (the angle at which the steering axis tilts relative to the vertical line) generates a stronger self-centering torque during straight-line driving, significantly improving straight-line stability at high speeds. When the front wheels deflect due to external disturbances, a larger kingpin caster angle gives the front wheels a stronger tendency to automatically return to center, making it easier for the vehicle to maintain a straight-line trajectory, thus improving driving safety. Simultaneously, the increased kingpin offset (the horizontal distance between the steering axis and the tire contact patch) helps provide appropriate steering damping and restoring force. A reasonably increased offset enhances the steering system's resistance to road impacts: tire sway caused by uneven road surfaces is partially converted into a slight lift of the vehicle body, reducing the direct transmission of impact to the steering handlebars. A suitable kingpin offset also reduces road surface disturbances during steering, making the steering wheel (handlebars 6) more stable during driving, less prone to vibration and "kickback." In summary, increasing the kingpin angle and offset gives the vehicle better straight-line driving performance and steering self-centering ability, improves steering stability and shock resistance, and maintains good directional control and driving safety even in complex road conditions.

[0032] This novel handlebar steering mechanism is composed of components numbered 1 to 9, forming a complete system. Specifically, the fork assembly 1 is the vehicle's guide wheel; the fork seat tube 2 (the steering cylinder at the front of the frame 9) houses the rotating fork steering shaft; the fork rocker arm 3 is the steering lever fixed to the fork steering shaft; the steering tie rod 4 connects the steering lever and the handlebar side rocker arm via ball joints at both ends; the steering column 5 connects to the handlebar 6 and is fixed to the frame 9 via a column bracket 8; the handlebar 6 is for the rider to grip and operate; the handlebar rocker arm 7 is mounted at the lower end of the steering column 5 for connection to the tie rod; the column bracket 8 is welded to the frame 9 to support the steering column 5; and the frame 9 has the fork seat tube 2 and column bracket 8 welded to its front end, supporting the entire vehicle structure. In the above components, 2, 8, and 9 are welded together to form the skeleton of the steering mechanism. The front fork rocker arm 3 is fixedly connected to the front fork (steering shaft), the handlebar rocker arm 7 is fixedly connected to the steering column 5, and the steering tie rod 4 connects the front fork side and the handlebar side 6 to realize the transmission of force and motion.

[0033] When the rider turns the handlebars 6, the handlebar rocker arm 7, fixed to the steering column 5, rotates synchronously, transmitting push and pull forces to the steering tie rod 4 via the ball joint. As one end of the tie rod is pulled or pushed, the other end, through the ball joint, causes the fork rocker arm 3 to deflect. The fork rocker arm 3 is connected to the fork steering shaft, so its rotation directly causes the front wheel to deflect around the axis of the fork seat tube 2 by a corresponding angle, completing the steering action. Throughout the transmission process, the ball joint allows each link to rotate in any plane in space, ensuring that even if the wheel bounces or the frame 9 deforms slightly, the steering force can still be reliably transmitted without jamming. The smaller lever arm on the handlebar 6 side, combined with the larger lever arm on the fork side, amplifies the force transmission, so the rider only needs to apply a small force to turn the wheel. Furthermore, the increased steering ratio means that the wheel steering angle changes relatively smoothly, avoiding an overly sensitive response. The optimized design of caster and offset further ensures that the front wheels generate automatic self-centering force after leaving the straight line, and can automatically tend to the straight position after steering, thereby stabilizing the vehicle's driving direction; at the same time, the matching of these parameters gives the vehicle appropriate damping during steering, reducing the impact of the road surface on the steering system.

[0034] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of this utility model. Those skilled in the art should understand that this utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of this utility model. Various changes and modifications can be made to this utility model without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claims. The scope of protection of this utility model is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A novel handlebar steering mechanism for a tricycle, comprising a front fork assembly (1), a front fork stem (2), a front fork rocker arm (3), a steering tie rod (4), a steering column (5), a handlebar (6), a handlebar rocker arm (7), a column bracket (8), and a frame (9), characterized in that, The frame (9) has a fork stem (2) at the front end, the fork assembly (1) is mounted and fixed on the fork stem (2), and the fork rocker arm (3) is mounted and fixed on the fork assembly (1); the frame (9) has a column bracket (8) at the rear end, the steering column (5) is mounted and fixed on the column bracket (8) with hexagonal head bolts, and the handlebar rocker arm (7) is welded to the steering column (5).

2. The novel handlebar steering mechanism for a tricycle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The handlebars (6) are mounted and fixed on the steering column (5).

3. The novel handlebar steering mechanism for a tricycle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The frame (9), fork riser (2) and column support (8) are an integral welded structure, which improves the structural stability of the product.

4. The novel handlebar steering mechanism for a tricycle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steering tie rod (4) has ball joints at both ends. The front end of the steering tie rod (4) is connected to the front fork rocker arm (3) through the ball joints, and the rear end of the steering tie rod (4) is connected to the handlebar rocker arm (7) through the ball joints.

5. The novel handlebar steering mechanism for a tricycle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The center distance between the ball joints of the front fork rocker arm (3), the front fork riser (2), and the steering tie rod (4) is large.

6. The novel handlebar steering mechanism for a tricycle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The center distance between the handlebar rocker arm (7) and the ball joint of the steering column (5) and steering tie rod (4) is small.

7. The novel handlebar steering mechanism for a tricycle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lever arm of the handlebar rocker arm (7) is smaller than that of the fork rocker arm (3), which improves steering ease.

8. The novel handlebar steering mechanism for a tricycle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steering mechanism has increased the design values ​​for the kingpin angle and kingpin offset.

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