Steering and Leaning System for Vehicle Agility
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional three- or four-wheeled motorcycles lack agility in turning due to their rigid structure, which restricts the ability to adjust the turning radius, making it difficult for riders with mobility or balance issues and limiting flexibility in maneuverability.
Innovation Solution
A steering and leaning system comprising a steering unit, a driving unit with a swingable adjusting member, and a control unit that allows the vehicle's main body to lean by adjusting the position of the control member relative to the adjusting member, enabling flexible turning and adjustable lean angles through a telescopic mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the motorcycle is made three-wheeled or four-wheeled to improve stability, then lateral stability is improved, but the turning radius cannot be adjusted and agility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the motorcycle body capable of leaning dynamically during turns. The control unit receives leaning angle information and steering angle information, then controls the driving unit to adjust the leaning angle of the body relative to the wheels. This dynamic adjustment allows the vehicle to maintain stability with multiple wheels while achieving agile turning by leaning the body inward during turns, effectively resolving the contradiction between stability and turning agility.
2Strength
If the motorcycle structure is made rigid to maintain stability, then structural strength is improved, but the ability to lean and adjust turning radius is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the motorcycle into distinct functional modules: a rigid wheel assembly and a controllable leaning body section. The body portion can be independently controlled to lean relative to the wheels through the driving unit and control unit. This segmentation allows the wheel structure to remain strong and stable while the body can dynamically adjust its angle for maneuverability, resolving the contradiction between structural strength and ease of operation.
3Device complexity
If conventional steering mechanisms are used in three- or four-wheeled vehicles, then structural simplicity is maintained, but turning agility is constrained by the rigid framework
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enhances turning speed and agility by introducing dynamic body leaning control. The control unit calculates the required leaning angle based on steering angle information and leans the body in the turning direction before or during the turn. This dynamic leaning reduces the effective turning radius and increases turning speed without requiring a completely complex new steering mechanism, thus resolving the contradiction between device complexity and turning speed.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A steering and leaning system for a vehicle (1) includes a steering unit (2), a driving unit (3), and a control unit (4), each of which is adapted to be mounted to a main body (11) of the vehicle (1). The driving unit (3) is mounted between two front wheels (13) of the main body (11), and includes an adjusting member (33) that is driven swingably by the steering unit (2) for controlling a moving direction of the vehicle (1) . The control unit (4) includes a control member (41) connected movably to the adjusting member (33) for driving the main body (11) to lean. The control unit (4) is adjustable to be at different heights on the adjusting member (33) for adjusting a lean angle of the main body (11).