Tiltable Three-Wheel Chassis for Rollover-Resistant Cornering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Three-wheeled vehicles have untapped potential in applications like personal recreational vehicles and robotic delivery due to their inherent stability and ideal wheel loading distribution, but existing designs do not effectively leverage these advantages for enhanced maneuverability and safety.
Innovation Solution
A tiltable chassis design for three-wheeled vehicles, where the tiltable frame is pivotably coupled to a horizontal frame, allowing coordinated tilting of all wheels in response to operator input or automatic control, maintaining alignment with the net force vector from gravity and centrifugal forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a three-wheeled vehicle uses a fixed horizontal frame, then the structure is simple and stable, but the vehicle lacks maneuverability and cannot effectively handle turns or uneven terrain
Solution Approach 1:
The chassis transitions from a fixed horizontal frame to a dynamic tiltable frame that can pivot about a roll axis. The tiltable frame includes a front tower, rear tower, and central shaft that enable coordinated tilting of all wheels during turns, allowing the vehicle to adapt its orientation to handling demands and maintain alignment with the net force vector from gravity and centrifugal forces.
2Reliability
If the chassis remains horizontal during turns, then the structure is simple, but the vehicle experiences increased rollover risk and reduced traction
Solution Approach 1:
The tiltable frame pivots about a roll axis located above the central shaft, enabling the entire chassis to tilt during turns. This dynamic adjustment maintains the vehicle's alignment with the net force vector from gravity and centrifugal forces, significantly reducing rollover risk while improving traction by keeping tires optimized for the direction of travel.
3Adaptability or versatility
If all wheels are rigidly fixed to a horizontal frame, then the structure is simple, but the vehicle cannot dynamically adjust to forces during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The tiltable frame is pivotably coupled to the horizontal frame, allowing all wheels to tilt in unison in response to operator input or automatic control. This enables the vehicle to dynamically adjust its orientation to handle uneven terrain, improve traction, and maintain stability during operation by aligning with the net force vector from gravity and centrifugal forces.
Data Source
AI summary
A three-wheeled vehicle may include one rear wheel and two front wheels coupled to a tiltable chassis, such that tilting of the chassis causes a corresponding tilting of the three wheels. The tiltable chassis includes a tiltable body coupled to a non-tilting frame by a pair of rotatable joints, such that the tiltable body is configured to rotate relative to the frame. A fore-and-aft connecting beam of the tiltable body extends beneath the frame to accommodate a battery compartment or other storage on top of the frame. A front tower extends upward from a front end of the connecting beam, above the frame, to couple to a tilt linkage and seat post of the vehicle. A rear tower extends upward from a rear end of the connecting beam to retain the rear wheel.