Small-sized vehicle

Abstract

To provide a small-sized vehicle that stabilizes the posture of an occupant when seated.SOLUTION: A small-sized vehicle 10 includes: a seat 40 on which an occupant is seated; and an occupant support part 70 formed of a pipe material to support the pelvis of an occupant who is seated on the seat 40. The occupant support part 70 includes a curved part 72 positioned in the center in a vehicle width direction of the occupant support part 70, curved so as to project backward, and supporting the pelvis of an occupant from behind.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a small vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] The small electric vehicle described in Patent Document 1 includes a saddle on which an occupant sits and a pipe member that supports the occupant sitting on the saddle from both sides and the rear in the vehicle width direction. The pipe member has a straight portion that is located behind the saddle and extends linearly in the vehicle width direction, and a pair of curved portions that extend curvedly forward from both ends of the straight portion.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the small electric vehicle described in Patent Document 1, when a small-sized occupant sits on the saddle, although the occupant is supported from behind by the straight portion, there is a possibility that a gap may be generated between the occupant and the curved portion. In this case, since the occupant can move in the vehicle width direction along the straight portion, the posture of the occupant may become unstable. For this reason, it is desired to stabilize the posture of the occupant at the time of seating.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A small vehicle for solving the above problems includes a seat on which an occupant sits, and an occupant support portion formed of a pipe member and supporting the pelvis of the occupant sitting on the seat. When the rear in the front-rear direction of the small vehicle is defined as the rear, the occupant support portion has a curved portion that is located at the center in the vehicle width direction of the occupant support portion, curves so as to protrude rearward, and supports the pelvis of the occupant from behind.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, an embodiment of the small vehicle will be described. Hereinafter, the longitudinal direction and the vehicle width direction of the small vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 1 will be simply referred to as the longitudinal direction and the vehicle width direction, respectively. Also, the front and rear in the longitudinal direction will be described as "front" and "rear", respectively. Further, the side away from the center of the small vehicle 10 and the side approaching the center in the vehicle width direction will be described as the "outer side in the vehicle width direction" and the "inner side in the vehicle width direction", respectively. Also, the upper and lower in the vertical direction of the small vehicle 10 will be described as "upper" and "lower", respectively.

[0008] (Small vehicle 10) As shown in FIG. 1, the small vehicle 10 includes a vehicle body 20, a front wheel 21 supported at the front of the vehicle body 20, and a pair of left and right rear wheels 22 supported at the rear of the vehicle body 20. The small vehicle 10 is, for example, a single-seater electric vehicle. The small vehicle 10 of the present embodiment is an electric tricycle. The small vehicle 10 travels by driving each rear wheel 22 by a motor (not shown).

[0009] As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle body 20 has a base portion 30, a seat 40, a steering portion 50, a seat support portion 60, and a rear wheel support portion 80. The base portion 30 extends in the front-rear direction and constitutes the lower part of the vehicle body 20. The seat 40 has a seating surface on which the occupant P sits. The steering portion 50 is connected to the front end portion of the base portion 30. The steering portion 50 is operated by the occupant P when the small vehicle 10 changes direction. The seat support portion 60 stands up from the rear end portion of the base portion 30 and supports the seat 40. The rear wheel support portion 80 protrudes rearward from the base portion 30 and the seat support portion 60 and supports each rear wheel 22. A part of the rear wheel support portion 80 is covered from above by a cover 90. As shown in FIG. 1, the cover 90 has a storage recess 91 capable of storing luggage. The storage recess 91 is located between the pair of rear wheels 22 and opens upward.

[0010] (Base portion 30) As shown in FIG. 2, the base portion 30 has a horizontal portion 31 extending in the horizontal direction and rising portions 32 and 33 rising upward from the front end and the rear end of the horizontal portion 31, respectively. On the upper surface of the horizontal portion 31, a footrest surface 34 for the occupant P to place their feet when the small vehicle 10 is running is formed. The footrest surface 34 has a plurality of protrusions 34a that function as anti-slip means. The rising portion 32 functions as a stepping surface for the occupant P to step on and maintain their posture when the small vehicle 10 decelerates.

[0011] (Steering portion 50) The steering portion 50 extends in the vertical direction from the front end portion of the base portion 30. The steering portion 50 includes a front wheel support portion 51 that supports the front wheels 21. The front wheel support portion 51 is connected to the lower part of a shaft (not shown) extending in the vertical direction. A handle 52 is provided at the upper part of the steering portion 50. The handle 52 is connected to the upper part of the shaft. When the handle 52 is operated by the occupant P and the shaft rotates in the forward and reverse directions, the posture of the front wheels 21 changes. Thereby, the small vehicle 10 changes direction.

[0012] (Seat support portion 60) The seat support portion 60 has a pair of extending portions 61, a front connecting portion 62, a rear connecting portion 63, and an occupant support portion 70. The pair of extending portions 61, the front connecting portion 62, the rear connecting portion 63, and the occupant support portion 70 are all formed of cylindrical metal pipe materials.

[0013] The pair of extending portions 61 extend upward from the rear end portion of the base portion 30 with a space therebetween in the vehicle width direction. Each extending portion 61 extends while being inclined with respect to the vertical direction such that the upper portion is located more rearward.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 3, the front connecting portion 62 extends in the vehicle width direction and connects the lower end portions of a pair of second portions 76 described later. The front connecting portion 62 supports the lower surface of the front portion of the seat 40. Note that the seating surface of the seat 40 is located below the upper ends of the pair of extending portions 61.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 4, the rear connecting portion 63 extends in the vehicle width direction and connects portions below the upper end portions of the pair of extending portions 61. The rear connecting portion 63 supports the lower surface of the rear portion of the seat 40. The rear connecting portion 63 is disposed opposite to the rear of the front connecting portion 62.

[0016] (Occupant support portion 70) As shown in FIG. 2, the occupant support portion 70 is connected to the pair of extending portions 61. The occupant support portion 70 is disposed so as to surround both sides and the rear in the vehicle width direction of the seat 40 in plan view. The occupant support portion 70 supports the occupant P by directly contacting the occupant P.

[0017] The occupant support portion 70 has a rear support portion 71 that supports the occupant P seated on the seat 40 from behind, and a pair of side support portions 74 that support the occupant P from both sides in the vehicle width direction. Since the occupant support portion 70 is formed by bending a single pipe material, the rear support portion 71 and the pair of side support portions 74 are continuously and integrally formed without a break. Thereby, the portion of the occupant support portion 70 that directly contacts the occupant P is less likely to become sharp, so it is less likely to give discomfort to the occupant P.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the rear support portion 71 has a curved portion 72 and a pair of straight portions 73. The curved portion 72 is curved in an arc shape so as to protrude rearward. The curved portion 72 supports the pelvis of the occupant P sitting on the seat 40, more specifically, the sacrum of the occupant P, from behind. The curved portion 72 is located at the center in the vehicle width direction of the occupant support portion 70. The curved portion 72 is located behind the center in the vehicle width direction of the seat 40. Both ends of the curved portion 72 in the vehicle width direction are located inside the vehicle width direction from both ends of the seat 40 in the vehicle width direction.

[0019] The pair of straight portions 73 extend linearly so as to be located more forward as they go outward in the vehicle width direction from both ends of the curved portion 72 in the vehicle width direction. That is, the pair of straight portions 73 extend so as to move away from each other in the vehicle width direction as they go forward. The pair of straight portions 73 connect both ends of the curved portion 72 in the vehicle width direction and the rear ends of the pair of side support portions 74. The entire pair of straight portions 73 is located behind the seat 40.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 4, the upper ends of the pair of extending portions 61 are connected to the lower portions of the pair of straight portions 73. Since each straight portion 73 is supported from below by the extending portion 61, the rigidity of the rear support portion 71 is enhanced.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, each side support portion 74 supports the pelvis of the occupant P sitting on the seat 40 from the outside in the vehicle width direction. Each side support portion 74 has a first portion 75, a second portion 76, and a third portion 77.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the first portion 75 bends from the straight portion 73 and extends linearly forward. The connecting portion between the first portion 75 and the straight portion 73 is located behind the rear end of the seat 40. The connecting portion between the first portion 75 and the straight portion 73 is an arc-shaped bent portion formed by bending a pipe material.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, the second portion 76 is bent from the first portion 75 and linearly extends obliquely downward. The second portion 76 extends obliquely with respect to the vertical direction so as to be positioned more forward as it goes downward from the front end of the first portion 75. The second portion 76 faces the seat 40 in the vehicle width direction.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the third portion 77 is bent from the second portion 76 and linearly extends toward the extending portion 61. The third portion 77 extends so as to be positioned inward and rearward in the vehicle width direction as it goes downward from the lower end of the second portion 76. The lower end of the third portion 77 is connected to a portion of the extending portion 61 that is lower than the portion to which the rear connecting portion 63 is connected.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, the pair of side support portions 74 are arranged to be inclined with respect to the front-rear direction so as to be separated from each other in the vehicle width direction as they go forward. More specifically, both the pair of first portions 75 and the pair of second portions 76 extend obliquely with respect to the front-rear direction so as to be separated from each other in the vehicle width direction as they go forward.

[0026] <Actions and Effects of the Present Embodiment> (1) The occupant support portion 70 is located at the center in the vehicle width direction of the occupant support portion 70, has a curved portion 72 that curves so as to protrude rearward and supports the pelvis of the occupant P from behind.

[0027] According to the above configuration, the periphery of the pelvis of the occupant P is supported by the curved portion 72 that curves so as to protrude rearward. Therefore, it becomes difficult for the occupant P seated on the seat 40 to move in the vehicle width direction. Accordingly, the posture of the occupant P at the time of seating is likely to be stabilized.

[0028] (2) The occupant support portion 70 has a pair of side support portions 74 and a pair of straight portions 73 that connect both ends in the vehicle width direction of the curved portion 72 and the rear ends of the pair of side support portions 74. The connecting portion between the side support portion 74 and the straight portion 73 is located behind the rear end of the seat 40.

[0029] For example, when the connecting portion between the side support portion 74 and the straight portion 73 is located in front of the rear end of the seat 40, among the regions surrounded by the occupant support portion 70, the portion between the side support portion 74 and the curved portion 72 will be restricted by the straight portion 73. In this case, when an occupant P with a large build sits on the seat 40, although the occupant P contacts the straight portion 73, there may be a gap between the occupant P and the curved portion 72. As a result, since the pelvis of the occupant P is not supported by the curved portion 72 from the rear, the posture of the occupant P may become unstable.

[0030] In this regard, according to the above configuration, the connecting portion between the side support portion 74 and the straight portion 73 is located behind the rear end of the seat 40. For this reason, the region surrounded by the occupant support portion 70 is less likely to be restricted by the straight portion 73. As a result, even when an occupant P with a large build sits on the seat 40, the occupant P is more likely to contact the curved portion 72. Therefore, the posture of the occupant P at the time of seating is likely to be stabilized.

[0031] (3) The pair of side support portions 74 are arranged to be inclined with respect to the front-rear direction so as to be separated from each other in the vehicle width direction as they go forward. According to the above configuration, the gap in the vehicle width direction between the pair of side support portions 74 and the occupant P becomes larger as it goes forward. For this reason, the occupant P sitting on the seat 40 can spread the thighs outward in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the degree of freedom of the posture of the occupant P at the time of seating can be increased.

[0032] <Modified Example> This embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. This embodiment and the following modified examples can be implemented in combination with each other within a technically non-conflicting range.

[0033] · The pair of side support portions 74 may be parallel to each other. That is, each first portion 75 and each second portion 76 may extend linearly in the front-rear direction. · The pair of straight portions 73 may extend on the same straight line in the vehicle width direction.

[0034] · The rear support portion 71 may have portions that curve and extend forward from both ends in the vehicle width direction of the curved portion 72 so as to be separated from each other in the vehicle width direction as they go forward instead of the pair of straight portions 73.

[0035] · The occupant support portion 70 may be formed of a pipe material having a square cross-section. · The small vehicle 10 may be a two-wheeled vehicle or a four-wheeled vehicle. · The small vehicle 10 may be an electric assist bicycle configured to be movable by adding an assist driving force to a human driving force.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0036] P... Occupant 10... Small vehicle 20... Vehicle body 21... Front wheel 22... Rear wheel 30... Base portion 31... Horizontal portion 32... Upright portion 33... Upright portion 34... Footrest surface 34a... Protrusion 40... Seat 50... Steering portion 51... Front wheel support portion 52... Handle 60... Seat support portion 61... Extension portion 62... Front connection portion 63... Rear connection portion 70... Occupant support portion 71... Rear support portion 72... Curved portion 73... Straight portion 74... Side support portion 75... First portion 76... Second portion 77... Third portion 80... Rear wheel support portion 90... Cover 91... Accommodating recess

Claims

1. A seat on which an occupant sits, A small vehicle comprising an occupant support portion formed of a pipe material and supporting the pelvis of the occupant sitting on the seat, When the rear in the front-rear direction of the small vehicle is defined as the rear, The occupant support portion is located at the center in the vehicle width direction of the occupant support portion, has a curved portion that curves so as to protrude rearward and supports the pelvis of the occupant from behind, Small vehicle.

2. The occupant support portion, A pair of side support portions that support the pelvis of the occupant from both sides in the vehicle width direction, A pair of straight portions that connect both ends in the vehicle width direction of the curved portion and the rear ends of the pair of side support portions and extend linearly, The connecting portion between the side support portion and the straight portion is located behind the rear end of the seat, The small vehicle according to Claim 1.

3. The occupant support portion, Has a pair of side support portions that support the pelvis of the occupant from both sides in the vehicle width direction, The pair of side support portions are inclined with respect to the front-rear direction so as to be separated from each other in the vehicle width direction as they go forward in the front-rear direction, The small vehicle according to Claim 1 or Claim 2.

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