Smart folding system for two-wheeled vehicle

Abstract

To enable folding and assembly to be semi-automatically performed by one-time operation while automatically sliding during performing vertical turning by using the dead weight of an F fork 6 and an R frame 4.SOLUTION: Characteristics of vertically turning an F fork 6 and an R frame 4 by dead weight are used when an M frame 1 is lifted up, means for performing folding and assembly guides a fixing bolt 11 of the F fork 6 and a fixing bolt 15 of the R frame 4 to a guide hole 12 and the guide hole 16 to slide the F fork and the R frame, and since the F fork 6 and the R frame 4 are vertically turned by dead weight to automatically slide by disposing two folding mechanisms having the same structure to face hinges of the F fork 6 and the R frame 4, an operator can easily perform folding and assembly of a two-wheeled vehicle without individually operating the F fork 6 and the R frame 4 only by lifting up and quickly lowering the M frame 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a folding mechanism for a motorcycle that is easy to fold. [Background technology]

[0002] Among folding mechanisms for motorcycles, the folding method in which the front fork (hereafter referred to as the F fork) is separated from the main frame (hereafter referred to as the M frame) below the head tube, the M frame and the F fork are connected with a hinge, the seat stays of the rear frame (hereafter referred to as the R frame) are separated from the M frame and a locking mechanism enables them to be fastened and separated, and the chain stays are separated from the M frame and connected with a hinge, allowing the F fork and the R frame to rotate vertically around the hinge shafts, has the advantage that it makes it relatively easy to fold a motorcycle, and is therefore in practical use as a folding mechanism for motorcycles. A practical folding mechanism for a motorcycle is sufficient for practical use because it can be folded without the F fork and R frame colliding with each other by turning the handlebars to the left, tilting the F fork to the left, and fold- ing it, and arranging the hinge of the R frame so that it is tilted to the left and the R frame is tilted to the left.

[0003] However, because the front fork and rear frame are folded diagonally, they protrude significantly to the left and right, making it difficult to fold compactly.

[0004] When using public transportation in conjunction with a motorcycle, this drawback is a major obstacle during busy times such as commuting to work or school. Specifically, there is the possibility that the motorcycle may obstruct the passage of other users in public facilities, or there is a problem of finding a place to park the motorcycle on public transportation.

[0005] One solution to this problem is to use a nested structure for the hinge shafts of the front fork and rear frame, consisting of an inner shaft (hereafter referred to as the "INN shaft") and an outer shaft (hereafter referred to as the "OUT shaft"), making the "INN shaft" extendable and retractable, thereby separating the front fork and rear frame into left and right halves. Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram of this method, and in Figure 4, items 1 to 16 are the same as Figure 1. The right end of the F fork's INN shaft is located in the folding portion of the front fork, allowing the front fork to slide to the right. Similarly, the left end of the R frame's INN shaft is located in the folding portion of the R frame, allowing the R frame to slide to the left, allowing the front fork and rear frame to fold without colliding with the M frame. However, this makes the folding mechanism complicated, making the folding operation cumbersome and lengthening the folding operation time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent application 2024-26006 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The problem to be solved is that the folding mechanism for the front fork and rear frame is complicated, making the folding operation cumbersome and taking a long time to complete. The objective of this invention is to provide a folding mechanism for a motorcycle that can fold the front fork and rear frame simultaneously with a single operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The most important feature of this invention is that in order to enable the F fork and R frame to be folded simultaneously with a single operation, the F fork and R frame are folded using their own weight, and the same folding mechanism that automatically slides while rotating vertically is arranged opposite the hinge connecting the F fork and M frame and the hinge connecting the M frame and R frame. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a folding mechanism for a motorcycle embodying the present invention, in which 1 is the M frame, 2 is the OUT shaft of the R frame, 3 is the INN shaft of the F fork, 4 is the R frame, 5 is the column, 6 is the F fork, 7 is the wheel transport caster, 8 is a bushing, 9 is the OUT shaft nut, 10 is the INN shaft cap bolt, 11 is the F fork fixing bolt, 12 is the F fork guide hole, 13 is the F fork OUT shaft, 14 is the R frame INN shaft, 15 is the R frame fixing bolt, and 16 is the R frame guide hole. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The present invention has the advantage that when folding a motorcycle, simply lifting the M frame 1 causes the F fork 6 and R frame 4 to automatically slide left and right while rotating vertically due to their own weight, so that if the M frame 1 is quickly lowered at the moment the F fork 6 and R frame 4 intersect, the F fork 6 and R frame 4 will automatically separate left and right, allowing the motorcycle to be folded all at once. Similarly, when assembling a motorcycle, when the M frame 1 is lifted, the F fork 6 and R frame 4 will automatically slide left and right while rotating vertically due to their own weight, so that if the M frame 1 is quickly lowered at the moment the F fork 6 and R frame 4 spread out front and back to form a straight line, the motorcycle can be assembled all at once. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a method for carrying out the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a folded state in which the present invention is implemented. [Figure 3] 10 is a developed view of the cylindrical surface of the OUT shaft 13. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a folded state in which a conventional folding mechanism is implemented. [Figure 5] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the folding mechanism of the present invention with the front fork 6 slid to the right. [Figure 6] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the folding mechanism of the present invention in which the R frame 4 is slid to the left. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The goal of folding the front fork 6 and rear frame 4 simultaneously with a single operation has been achieved with a minimum number of parts and without compromising folding operability. [Example]

[0012] FIG. 2 shows a two-wheeled vehicle in a folded state to which the folding mechanism of the present invention is applied, and 1 to 16 are the same as those in FIG.

[0013] In order to allow the F fork 6 and R frame 4 to automatically slide while rotating vertically at the same time and separate into left and right halves so that they can be folded semi-automatically, the hinge shaft connecting the M frame 1 and F fork 6 has a nested structure of the INN shaft 3 and the OUT shaft 13, making the INN shaft 3 extendable and scalable, and the right end of the INN shaft 3 is arranged on the right side of the bifurcated right and left part of the folding part of the F fork 6, and a guide hole 12 is provided on the side of the OUT shaft 13, and a fixing bolt 11 passed through the guide hole 12 connects the left end of the INN shaft 3 to the left side of the bifurcated right and left part of the folding part of the F fork 6, so that when the F fork 6 rotates vertically due to its own weight, the fixing bolt 11 is guided to the right along the guide hole 12, and the INN shaft 3 automatically slides to the right, allowing the F fork 6 to also slide to the right. Similarly, by making the hinge shaft connecting the M frame 1 and R frame 4 a nested structure of the INN shaft 14 and the OUT shaft 2, the INN shaft 14 can be made extendable and retractable, and the left end of the INN shaft 14 is arranged on the left side of the bifurcated right and left part of the folding part of the R frame 4, and a guide hole 16 is provided on the side of the OUT shaft 2, and a fixing bolt 15 passed through the guide hole 16 connects the right end of the INN shaft 14 to the right side of the bifurcated right and left part of the folding part of the R frame 4, so that when the R frame 4 rotates vertically due to its own weight, the fixing bolt 15 is guided to the left along the guide hole 16, and the INN shaft 14 automatically slides to the left, making it possible for the R frame 4 to also slide to the left.

[0014] In the present invention, the guide hole 16 provided on the side of the OUT shaft 2 and the guide hole 12 provided on the side of the OUT shaft 13 are aligned along a spiral line expressed in a polar coordinate system with the origin being the center of the OUT shaft 2 and the OUT shaft 13. Since the main focus of the present invention is the folding mechanism for a motorcycle, a description of the control and working systems will be omitted.

[0015] It is generally known mathematically that a spiral line with a constant interval expressed in a polar coordinate system can be found by the Archimedes polar coordinate equation shown below in Equation 1.

[0016]

number

[0017] In the above formula, as shown in Fig. 3, which is an expanded side view of the OUT shaft 13, 17 represents the starting point a of the spiral line, 18 represents the rotation angle θ, and 19 represents the sliding distance L. r represents the distance from the origin, a represents the starting point of the spiral line, b represents the interval (pitch) between turns of the spiral line, and θ represents the angle as viewed from the origin.

[0018] The pattern of the guide holes 12 on the side of the OUT shaft 13 can be easily changed by changing the polar coordinate values ​​shown in Figure 3, making it possible to freely adjust the vertical rotation angle θ18 and horizontal sliding distance L19 of the F fork 6. The same applies to the guide holes 16 on the side of the OUT shaft 2.

[0018] Because a folding mechanism utilizing such natural laws has been adopted, when the M frame 1 is lifted to fold, the F fork 6 and R frame 4 rotate vertically under their own weight, with the F fork 6 sliding to the right along the guide hole 12 and the R frame 4 sliding to the left along the guide hole 16, and the moment the F fork 6 and R frame 4 automatically separate to the left and right and cross each other, the M frame 1 can be quickly lowered to complete the folding; therefore, the operator can easily fold the bike by simply lifting and lowering the M frame 1, without having to operate the F fork 6 and R frame 4 individually. Furthermore, when assembling, when the M frame 1 is lifted, the F fork 6 and the R frame 4 rotate vertically under their own weight, with the F fork 6 sliding to the left along the guide hole 12 and the R frame 4 sliding to the right along the guide hole 16; therefore, the moment the F fork 6 and the R frame 4 automatically align, the M frame 1 can be quickly lowered to complete assembly; therefore, the operator can easily assemble the F fork 6 and the R frame 4 by simply lifting and lowering the M frame 1, without having to operate them individually. [Industrial Applicability]

[0019] The present invention can be folded to about half the size of a conventional folding two-wheeler, allowing it to be stored efficiently in a limited space such as a disaster prevention warehouse, and by equipping it with puncture-proof tires, it can also be used as an emergency means of transportation when a disaster occurs. [Explanation of symbols]

[0020] 1.M. frame 11.F. fork fixing bolt 2.R frame OUT shaft 12.F fork guide hole 3. Front fork inner shaft 13. Front fork outer shaft 4.R Frame 14.R Frame INN Shaft 5. Column 15. R frame fixing bolt 6. Front fork 16. Rear frame guide hole 7. Wheel caster 17. Starting point of spiral line a 8. Bush 18. Rotation angle θ 9.OUT shaft nut 19.Slide distance L 10.INN shaft cap bolt

Claims

1. A folding mechanism for motorcycles in which the front fork (hereinafter referred to as the F fork) is rotated vertically to fold the motorcycle, is separated from the main frame (hereinafter referred to as the M frame) at the bottom of the head tube, the M frame and the F fork are connected with a hinge, and the shaft of the hinge is made into a nested structure of an inner shaft (hereinafter referred to as the INN shaft) and an outer shaft (hereinafter referred to as the OUT shaft), making the INN shaft extendable and scalable, and by arranging the right end of the INN shaft on the right side of the folding part of the F fork, which is split into right and left branches, the F fork can slide to the right, allowing the F fork to be folded without colliding with the M frame.

2. A folding mechanism for a motorcycle as described in claim 1, wherein a guide hole is provided on the side of the OUT shaft of claim 1 along a spiral line represented in a polar coordinate system with the center of the OUT shaft as the origin, and a fixing bolt is passed through the guide hole to connect the left end of the INN shaft of claim 1 to the left side of the folding part of the F fork of claim 1, which is divided into right and left branches, and by utilizing the weight of the F fork, when the M frame of claim 1 is lifted, the F fork rotates vertically, the fixing bolt is guided into the guide hole and the INN shaft becomes automatically slidable, so that the F fork can also slide, and the F fork and M frame can be folded without colliding.

3. 1. A folding mechanism for a motorcycle as set forth in claim 1, wherein the seat stays of the rear frame (hereinafter referred to as the R frame) are separated from the M frame of claim 1 and can be fastened and separated using a locking mechanism, the chain stays of the R frame are separated from the M frame and connected with hinges, and a folding mechanism of the same structure as the folding mechanism for a motorcycle as set forth in claim 1 is disposed on the hinges, and in the means for folding and assembling using the weight of the F fork and the R frame of claim 1, by arranging folding mechanisms of the same structure facing each other on the hinges of the F fork and the R frame, simply by lifting the M frame, the F fork and the R frame slide while rotating vertically at the same time under their own weight, allowing for semi-automatic folding and assembly.

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