Vehicle

Abstract

To provide a vehicle capable of enhancing user friendliness.SOLUTION: A vehicle 10 comprises front wheels 20, rear wheels 30, a base part 40, a seat 50, and a moving mechanism 60. The base part 40 includes a front frame 41 for supporting the front wheels 20 and a rear frame 44 for supporting the rear wheels 30, and changes a wheel base H being a distance between the front wheels 20 and the rear wheels 30 accompanied by relative movement of the front frame 41 and the rear frame 44. The seat 50 has a supporting surface 51a for supporting an occupant from a lower side. A height of the supporting surface 51a changes in linkage with the relative movement of the front frame 41 and the rear frame 44 when the wheel base H changes. The moving mechanism 60 connects the base part 40 and the seat 50, and moves the seat 50 with respect to the base part 40 so as to change a height position of the supporting surface 51a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle that includes a body on which a seat for a passenger is provided, and front and rear wheels supported by the body. In this vehicle, the rear wheels move in the longitudinal direction relative to the front wheels, thereby changing the wheelbase, which is the distance between the front and rear wheels. This changes the body's posture, which in turn changes the position of the vehicle's center of gravity. When the wheelbase is at its minimum, the body is in an upright position relative to the ground. When the wheelbase is at its maximum, the body is in a more reclined position than the upright position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-167809 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the vehicle described in Patent Document 1, the seat height changes as the body position changes. This can impair the occupant's forward visibility and make it difficult for them to get in and out of the vehicle. This leaves room for improvement in terms of vehicle usability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A vehicle for solving the above problem includes a base portion that includes front wheels and rear wheels, a front frame that supports the front wheels, and a rear frame that supports the rear wheels, and that changes the wheelbase, which is the distance between the front wheels and the rear wheels, in accordance with the relative movement of the front frame and the rear frame, and an occupant support portion that has a support surface that supports an occupant from below, and the height position of the support surface changes in conjunction with the relative movement of the front frame and the rear frame when the wheelbase changes, and is equipped with a movement mechanism that connects the base portion and the occupant support portion and moves the occupant support portion relative to the base portion so that the height position of the support surface changes.

[0006] According to the above configuration, by changing the wheelbase by moving the front frame and the rear frame relative to each other, the height position of the support surface of the occupant support portion changes, and therefore the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle changes. Therefore, by changing the wheelbase in accordance with the vehicle speed and adjusting the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle, it is possible to improve the stability of the vehicle while it is traveling.

[0007] Furthermore, with the above configuration, even if the height position of the support surface of the occupant support portion changes when the wheelbase is changed, the height position of the support surface can be changed by the movement mechanism without changing the wheelbase. This can improve the occupant's forward visibility and ease of getting in and out of the vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to improve the usability of the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a vehicle according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a view of the vehicle as seen from the direction of the arrow A in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state in which the wheelbase of the vehicle in FIG. 1 is changed. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state in which the seat of the vehicle in FIG. 1 has been slid. [Figure 5]FIG. 5 is a side view showing a state in which the seat of the vehicle in FIG. 1 is tilted obliquely upward. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a side view showing a state in which the seat of the vehicle in FIG. 1 is tilted obliquely downward. [Figure 7] 7 is a side view showing a state in which the seat of the vehicle in FIG. 1 is separated from the base portion. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a side view showing a state in which the wheel base of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1 is changed while the seat posture is maintained. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a side view showing a vehicle according to a first modified example. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a side view showing a state in which the wheelbase of the vehicle in FIG. 9 has been changed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, one embodiment of a vehicle will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 will be referred to as "front" and "rear", respectively. Also, the top and bottom of the vehicle 10 in the vertical direction will be referred to as "upper" and "lower", respectively.

[0010] (Vehicle 10) 1 and 2, vehicle 10 is, for example, a small vehicle for one person. Vehicle 10 includes a pair of front wheels 20, a pair of rear wheels 30, and a base portion 40 that supports the pair of front wheels 20 and the pair of rear wheels 30. Vehicle 10 also includes a seat 50 on which an occupant sits, and a movement mechanism 60 that connects base portion 40 and seat 50. Seat 50 is not shown in FIG. 2.

[0011] The pair of front wheels 20 are arranged at a distance from each other in the vehicle width direction. The pair of rear wheels 30 are arranged at a distance from each other in the vehicle width direction behind the pair of front wheels 20. Each rear wheel 30 is a drive wheel driven by a motor (not shown). The motor is driven in response to, for example, the operation of an operating unit (not shown) by the occupant.

[0012] (Base part 40) The base portion 40 includes a front frame 41, a rear frame 44, and a support shaft 47. The front frame 41 supports a pair of front wheels 20. The rear frame 44 supports a pair of rear wheels 30. The support shaft 47 extends in the vehicle width direction and supports the front frame 41 and the rear frame 44 so that they can rotate relative to each other.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 2, the front frame 41 includes a pair of front side frames 42 and a pair of connecting shafts 43 that connect the pair of front side frames 42 together. The pair of front side frames 42 are spaced apart in the vehicle width direction. Each front side frame 42 is shaped like a long plate. The front end of each front side frame 42 rotatably supports the front wheel 20 via the front shaft 21. The rear end of each front side frame 42 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 47.

[0014] The pair of connecting shafts 43 extend in the vehicle width direction and are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the front side frames 42. Each connecting shaft 43 is rotatably supported by the front side frames 42. Each connecting shaft 43 rotates in forward and reverse directions around the axis of the connecting shaft 43 by the driving force of the electric first driving devices D1. The pair of connecting shafts 43 are driven by the two first driving devices D1, respectively.

[0015] The rear frame 44 includes a pair of rear side frames 45 and a connecting frame 46 that connects the pair of rear side frames 45 together. The pair of rear side frames 45 are spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction. Each rear side frame 45 is shaped like a long plate. The front end of each rear side frame 45 is non-rotatably connected to a support shaft 47. The rear end of each rear side frame 45 rotatably supports the rear wheel 30 via the rear shaft 31.

[0016] The support shaft 47 rotates in forward and reverse directions around the axis of the support shaft 47 by, for example, the driving force of an electric second driving device D2. 1 and 3, rotation of the support shaft 47 causes relative rotation between the front frame 41 and the rear frame 44. The base portion 40 changes the wheelbase H, which is the distance between the front wheel 20 and the rear wheel 30, in accordance with the relative rotation between the front frame 41 and the rear frame 44 about the support shaft 47.

[0017] The base portion 40 is provided with a locking mechanism (not shown) that locks the front frame 41 and the rear frame 44 at any position when the front frame 41 and the rear frame 44 rotate relative to each other. Therefore, the vehicle 10 can travel with the wheelbase H changed. In other words, the vehicle 10 can travel in a plurality of positions with different wheelbases H.

[0018] The vehicle 10 changes the wheelbase H according to the vehicle speed, for example. For example, when the vehicle 10 is traveling at a low speed, the wheelbase H is reduced, thereby moving the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle 10 upward. On the other hand, when the vehicle 10 is traveling at a high speed, the wheelbase H is increased, thereby moving the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle 10 downward.

[0019] (Sheet 50) The seat 50 has a seat portion 51 and a backrest portion 52. The seat portion 51 has a support surface 51a that supports the buttocks of the occupant from below. The seat 50 is an example of an "occupant support portion."

[0020] The height position of the support surface 51a of the seat 50 changes in conjunction with the relative rotation between the front frame 41 and the rear frame 44 when the wheelbase H changes. More specifically, the posture of the seat 50 changes as the posture of the front frame 41 changes in conjunction with the relative rotation. As a result, the height position of at least a portion of the support surface 51a changes before and after the change in the wheelbase H.

[0021] (Moving mechanism 60) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the movement mechanism 60 includes a pair of movable rails 61, a pair of support rails 62, and a pair of link mechanisms 70. The pair of movable rails 61 are spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction. The pair of support rails 62 are spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction. The pair of link mechanisms 70 are spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction. Each movable rail 61 and each support rail 62 has an elongated shape extending along the front side frame 42. Each movable rail 61 is attached to the seat 50 via a bracket (not shown). Each support rail 62 supports the movable rail 61 so that it can slide. Each link mechanism 70 supports each support rail 62 so that it can rotate forward and backward relative to the front side frame 42 about an axis extending in the vehicle width direction.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 4, each movable rail 61 is configured to be slidable relative to the support rail 62 between a first position and a second position that is higher than the first position. 2, the pair of movable rails 61 slide relative to the support rails 62 by the driving force of, for example, a single electric third driving device D3. The pair of movable rails 61 slide in conjunction with each other.

[0023] 1 and 2, a pair of brackets 63 are attached to the lower surface of each support rail 62. The pair of brackets 63 are provided in the length direction of the support rail 62 with a gap between them.

[0024] Each link mechanism 70 has a front connecting portion 71A and a rear connecting portion 71B. The front connecting portion 71A and the rear connecting portion 71B are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the front side frame 42. The front connecting portion 71A and the rear connecting portion 71B, for example, have the same configuration. Hereinafter, the configuration of the rear connecting portion 71B will be described, and a description of the configuration of the front connecting portion 71A may be omitted.

[0025] The rear connecting portion 71B includes a first link 72, a second link 73, and a rotating shaft 74. The first link 72 is non-rotatably connected to the tip of a connecting shaft 43 that protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction from the front side frame 42. The second link 73 is rotatably supported on the bracket 63 via a pin 75 that extends in the vehicle width direction. The rotating shaft 74 extends in the vehicle width direction and connects the first link 72 and the second link 73 to each other so that they can rotate relative to each other. The rotating shaft 74 synchronizes the rotation of the first link 72 and the second link 73 so that the rotation angles of the first link 72 and the second link 73 relative to the rotating shaft 74 are the same.

[0026] The first link 72 rotates around the connecting shaft 43 in conjunction with the rotation of the connecting shaft 43. The second link 73 rotates around the pin 75 in conjunction with the rotation of the first link 72. At this time, the first link 72 and the second link 73 rotate in opposite directions to each other at the same rotation angle relative to the rotation shaft 74.

[0027] 1 and 5, when the first link 72 and the second link 73 of the front connecting portion 71A rotate, the support rail 62 rotates in forward and reverse directions around the central axis of the pin 75 of the rear connecting portion 71B. This causes the support rail 62 to tilt with respect to the front frame 41. More specifically, the support rail 62 tilts with respect to the front frame 41 so that the distance between the front end and the front frame 41 becomes greater than the distance between the rear end and the front frame 41. As a result, the position of the seat 50 with respect to the base portion 40 changes so that it faces diagonally upward.

[0028] 1 and 6, when the first link 72 and the second link 73 of the rear connecting portion 71B rotate, the support rail 62 rotates in forward and reverse directions around the central axis of the pin 75 of the front connecting portion 71A. This causes the support rail 62 to tilt with respect to the front frame 41. More specifically, the support rail 62 tilts with respect to the front frame 41 so that the distance between the rear end and the front frame 41 is greater than the distance between the front end and the front frame 41. As a result, the position of the seat 50 with respect to the base portion 40 changes so that it faces diagonally downward.

[0029] 7, the link mechanism 70 adjusts the rotation angle of the pair of connecting shafts 43 to move the support rail 62 to a plurality of positions where the orientations relative to the base portion 40 are the same but the distances from the base portion 40 are different. That is, the pair of connecting shafts 43 are driven simultaneously or alternately, so that the entire support rail 62 moves forward and backward relative to the base portion 40.

[0030] When the pair of connecting shafts 43 are driven simultaneously, the support rails 62 advance and retreat relative to the base portion 40 while maintaining their orientation relative to the base portion 40. As a result, the seat 50 advances and retreats relative to the base portion 40 while maintaining its orientation relative to the base portion 40.

[0031] When the pair of connecting shafts 43 are alternately driven, the support rail 62 tilts relative to the base 40, starting from one of the front connecting portion 71A and the rear connecting portion 71B, and then tilts relative to the base 40, starting from the other of the front connecting portion 71A and the rear connecting portion 71B. Therefore, the seat 50 moves forward and backward relative to the base 40 while changing its posture relative to the base 40.

[0032] 1 and 8, the link mechanism 70 can maintain the same posture of the seat 50 with respect to the direction of gravity before and after a change in the wheelbase H by adjusting the rotation angle of the pair of connecting shafts 43. At this time, the height position of the support surface 51a of the seat 50 can also be maintained the same before and after the change in the wheelbase H.

[0033] As described above, the movement mechanism 60 can move the seat 50 relative to the base part 40 so as to change the height position of the support surface 51a by driving at least one of the movable rail 61 and the link mechanism 70. Therefore, the vehicle 10 can change the position of the seat 50 to any position while the vehicle 10 is traveling or stopped.

[0034] <Operation of this embodiment> 1 and 3, by changing the wheelbase H by moving the front frame 41 and the rear frame 44 relative to each other, the height position of the support surface 51a of the seat 50 changes, and therefore the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle 10 changes. Therefore, by changing the wheelbase H in accordance with the vehicle speed and adjusting the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle 10, the stability of the vehicle 10 during traveling can be improved.

[0035] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, even if the height position of the support surface 51a of the seat 50 changes when the wheelbase H changes, the height position of the support surface 51a can be changed by the moving mechanism 60 without changing the wheelbase H.

[0036] <Effects of this embodiment> (1) The base portion 40 changes the wheelbase H in accordance with the relative movement of the front frame 41 and the rear frame 44. The height position of the support surface 51a of the seat 50 changes in conjunction with the relative movement of the front frame 41 and the rear frame 44 when the wheelbase H changes. The movement mechanism 60 moves the seat 50 relative to the base portion 40 so as to change the height position of the support surface 51a.

[0037] According to the above configuration, the above-mentioned effects are achieved, and therefore it is possible to improve the poor visibility ahead of the vehicle 10 for the occupants and the ease of getting in and out of the vehicle 10. Therefore, it is possible to improve the usability of the vehicle 10.

[0038] (2) The wheelbase H changes in accordance with the relative rotation between the front frame 41 and the rear frame 44 about the support shaft 47 . According to the above configuration, the wheelbase H can be easily changed by relatively rotating the front frame 41 and the rear frame 44. This makes it possible to easily adjust the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle 10.

[0039] (3) The movable rail 61 is configured to be slidable relative to the support rail 62 between a first position and a second position that is higher than the first position. According to the above configuration, the movable rails 61 slide relative to the support rails 62, causing the seat 50 fixed to the movable rails 61 to slide between the first position and the second position. Therefore, the height position of the support surface 51a of the seat 50 can be easily changed without changing the wheelbase H.

[0040] Furthermore, as shown by the solid line in Fig. 4, moving the seat 50 to the first position can improve the ease of getting in and out of the vehicle 10. Furthermore, as shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 4, moving the seat 50 to the second position raises the eye level of the occupant, improving the occupant's view of the area ahead of the vehicle 10. This also improves the occupant's visibility to others.

[0041] (4) The movement mechanism 60 includes a link mechanism 70 that supports the support rail 62 relative to the base portion 40 so that the support rail 62 can rotate forward and backward around an axis that extends in the vehicle width direction. According to the above configuration, the support rail 62 is inclined relative to the base portion 40 around an axis extending in the vehicle width direction, so that the seat 50 can be inclined relative to the base portion 40. Therefore, the posture of the occupant can be changed without changing the wheelbase H.

[0042] Furthermore, by tilting the seat 50 diagonally upward as shown in Fig. 5, the riding comfort of the occupant can be improved. Furthermore, by tilting the seat 50 diagonally downward as shown in Fig. 6, the ease of getting in and out of the vehicle 10 can be improved.

[0043] (5) The link mechanism 70 moves the support rail 62 to a plurality of positions that have the same orientation relative to the base portion 40 but are at different distances from the base portion 40 . According to the above configuration, the distance between the seat 50 and the base portion 40 can be changed without changing the posture of the seat 50 relative to the base portion 40. Therefore, the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle 10 can be adjusted without changing the wheelbase H, while maintaining the posture of the occupant. Therefore, by adjusting the position of the center of gravity of the vehicle 10 in accordance with the vehicle speed, the stability of the vehicle 10 during driving can be improved.

[0044] <Example of change> This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0045] The link mechanism 70 does not have to move the entire support rail 62 back and forth relative to the base portion 40. The link mechanism 70 may movably support the support rail 62 relative to the base portion 40 so that the rear end of the support rail 62 moves upward around the front end of the support rail 62 as the center of rotation, or so that the front end of the support rail 62 moves upward around the rear end of the support rail 62 as the center of rotation.

[0046] The link mechanism 70 is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, and various configurations can be adopted as long as they can move the support rail 62 relative to the base portion 40. The movement mechanism 60 does not need to include the link mechanism 70 as long as it includes the support rail 62 and the movable rail 61. In this case, for example, the support rail 62 is fixed directly or indirectly to the front frame 41. Even with this configuration, an effect similar to the above-mentioned effect (3) can be achieved.

[0047] The movement mechanism 60 does not have to include the movable rail 61, the support rail 62, and the link mechanism 70. The movement mechanism 60 may connect the base portion 40 and the seat 50 and rotate the seat 50 in forward and reverse directions around an axis extending in the vehicle width direction. Even in this case, the height position of the support surface 51a changes as the seat 50 rotates, so that an effect similar to effect (1) above can be achieved.

[0048] The movement mechanism 60 may connect the rear frame 44 and the seat 50. That is, each link mechanism 70 may support the support rail 62 with respect to the rear frame 44.

[0049] 9 and 10, the base portion 40 does not have to include the support shaft 47. In this case, for example, the rear frame 44 may be configured to be extendable and contractible relative to the front frame 41. In this modified example, the rear frame 44 is slidably housed in a housing recess 41a formed inside the front frame 41. Therefore, the wheelbase H changes when the rear frame 44 extends and contracts relative to the front frame 41.

[0050] Instead of the seat 50, the vehicle 10 may be provided with an occupant support portion that supports an occupant in a standing position from below, or an occupant support portion that supports an occupant in a lying position from below. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] D1...First drive unit D2: Second drive unit D3...Third drive unit H...Wheelbase 10...Vehicle 20...Front wheel 21...Front shaft 30...rear wheel 31...Rear shaft 40...Base 41...Previous frame 41a...accommodating recess 42...Front side frame 43...Connection shaft 44...Rear frame 45...Rear side frame 46...Connecting frame 47...Support shaft 50…sheets 51...Seat part 51a...support surface 52...Backrest 60...Movement mechanism 61...movable rail 62...Support rail 63...Bracket 70...Link mechanism 71A…Front connection part 71B…Rear connection part 72...1st link 73...Second link 74...Rotation axis 75...pin

Claims

1. Front and rear wheels; a base portion including a front frame supporting the front wheels and a rear frame supporting the rear wheels, the base portion changing a wheelbase, which is a distance between the front wheels and the rear wheels, in accordance with relative movement of the front frame and the rear frame; an occupant support section having a support surface that supports an occupant from below, the height position of the support surface changing in conjunction with relative movement of the front frame and the rear frame when the wheelbase changes, a movement mechanism that connects the base portion and the occupant support portion and moves the occupant support portion relative to the base portion so as to change the height position of the support surface, vehicle.

2. the base portion includes a support shaft that extends in a vehicle width direction and supports the front frame and the rear frame so that they can rotate relative to each other, the wheel base changes in accordance with the relative rotation between the front frame and the rear frame about the support shaft. The vehicle of claim 1 .

3. The moving mechanism includes: a movable rail attached to the occupant support portion; a support rail that slidably supports the movable rail, The movable rail is configured to be slidable relative to the support rail between a first position and a second position that is higher than the first position.

3. A vehicle according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. the movement mechanism includes a link mechanism that supports the support rail relative to the base portion so as to be rotatable in forward and reverse directions around an axis extending in the vehicle width direction, 4. The vehicle of claim 3.

5. the link mechanism moves the support rail to a plurality of positions in which the attitudes relative to the base portion are the same but the distances from the base portion are different from each other.

5. The vehicle of claim 4.

Images