Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Makoto Araki

Toru Takenaka

Shinya Shirokura

Yotaro Mori

Kazushi Akimoto

Hisakazu Yasui

Takashi Kudo

Hideo Murakami

Makoto Hasegawa

Shinichiro Kobashi

Yuichi Uebayashi

Hiroyoshi Kobayashi

Tsubasa Nose

Tomohiro Kawakami

Yusuke Yamamoto

Hiroshi Gomi

Takuya Tagami

Toichiro Hikichi

Tsuyoshi Tsuda

Yoshiki Takahashi

Satoru Kiyota

A vehicle body includes a vehicle body frame and a steering rotation unit that is supported on the vehicle body frame and that rotates about a steering axis. The vehicle includes a variable trail length mechanism. The variable trail length mechanism varies a trail length of a front wheel and includes an oscillation unit and a torsion reduction portion. The oscillation unit is connected with the steering rotation unit so as to be oscillatable in a fore-aft direction and supports the front wheel. The torsion reduction portion reduces torsion of the oscillation unit in a vehicle width direction through the oscillation unit combined with the steering rotation unit under a condition in which the trail length is changed such that the front wheel is disposed at a rearmost position.

Vehicle

A vehicle includes a vehicle frame, a steering swivel unit supported on a head pipe of the vehicle frame and angularly movable about a steering axis, a front wheel angularly movable in unison with the steering swivel unit, and a steering handle mounted on the steering swivel unit. The vehicle has a steering handle turning mechanism that makes the steering handle angularly movable about the steering axis relatively to the steering swivel unit. The steering handle turning mechanism includes a handle turning motor for angularly moving the steering handle about the steering axis.

A vehicle includes a vehicle frame, a steering swivel unit supported on a head pipe of the vehicle frame and angularly movable about a steering axis, a front wheel angularly movable in unison with the steering swivel unit, and an automatic steering mechanism for angularly moving the steering swivel unit, wherein the vehicle frame includes a main frame extending rearwardly from the head pipe, and the steering mechanism includes a steering motor for angularly moving the steering swivel unit, the steering motor being supported on the main frame.

A vehicle includes a vehicle body and a front wheel that is disposed anterior to the vehicle body and that is steerable about a steering axis. The vehicle body includes a vehicle body frame and a steering rotation unit that is supported on the vehicle body frame and that rotates about the steering axis. The vehicle includes a variable trail length mechanism. The variable trail length mechanism includes an oscillation unit that supports front forks that are disposed to be oscillatable in a fore-aft direction and that support the front wheel, and an electric motor that oscillates the oscillation unit. The electric motor is supported by the vehicle body.

A vehicle includes a vehicle body, a front wheel that is disposed anterior to the vehicle body and that is steerable about a steering axis, and a front fork that supports the front wheel. The vehicle body includes a vehicle body frame and a steering rotation unit that is supported on the vehicle body frame and that rotates about the steering axis. The vehicle includes a variable trail length mechanism. The variable trail length mechanism includes an oscillation shaft that extends in a vehicle width direction to thereby connect the front fork oscillatably with the steering rotation unit. The oscillation shaft is disposed at a position overlapping an axis of the front fork in a vehicle side elevational view.

An assist motor generates a steering assist force that assists a steering force transmitted to a steering shaft. A steering assist force transmit member is turnably supported by steering stem, and an assist steering system link joins a steering arm and a steering assist force transmit member. The assist motor is disposed adjacent to an assist steering system link.

Steering system of saddle-ride type vehicle

A control device () of a mobile body () calculates a center-of-gravity displacement degree index value representing an estimate of the degree of displacement of the center of gravity of the operator in the lateral direction of a vehicle body () from a predetermined reference position with respect to the vehicle body (), and determines a control input for an actuator (), which can cause a moment in the roll direction to act on the vehicle body (), so as to increase the degree of displacement of the center of gravity of the operator indicated by the center-of-gravity displacement degree index value in a state of presence of such displacement. The control device () controls the actuator () in accordance with the control input.

Mobile body

A steering system of a saddle-ride type vehicle including a front fork that includes a steering shaft at the upper end and supports a front wheel at the lower end, a steering arm that is attached to the steering shaft, a steering force transmit member that is turnably supported by a steering stem that is arranged in a body frame, and a steering system link that joins the steering arm and the steering force transmit member. An assist motor generates a steering assist force that assists a steering force transmitted to the steering shaft, and a steering assist force transmit member is turnably supported by the steering stem. An assist steering system link joins the steering arm and the steering assist force transmit member.

A control device () of a mobile body () calculates a center-of-gravity displacement degree index value representing an estimate of the degree of displacement of the center of gravity of the operator in the lateral direction from a prescribed reference position with respect to a vehicle body (), and determines a control input for an actuator () which can cause a moment in the roll direction to act on the vehicle body () so as to reduce the degree of displacement of the center of gravity of the operator indicated by the center-of-gravity displacement degree index value. The control device () controls the actuator () in accordance with the control input.

A steering system of a saddle-ride type vehicle includes a front fork that includes a steering shaft at the upper end and supports a front wheel at the lower end. A steering arm is attached to the steering shaft, a steering force transmit member is turnably supported by a steering stem that is arranged in a body frame, and a steering system link that joins the steering arm and the steering force transmit member. Engage sections are arranged between the steering force transmit member and the steering assist force transmit member. The engage sections allow the steering force transmit member and a steering assist force transmit member to be engaged with each other so that the steering assist force transmit member is turned around the steering stem accompanying turning of the steering force transmit member.

A steering system of a saddle-ride type vehicle includes a front fork that includes a steering shaft at the upper end and supports a front wheel at the lower end, a steering arm that is attached to the steering shaft, a steering force transmit member that is turnably supported by a steering stem that is disposed in a body frame, and a steering system link that joins the steering arm and the steering force transmit member. The steering system link joins the steering arm and the steering force transmit member that is disposed rearward of the steering arm. A steering force detection sensor that detects a steering force transmitted to the steering shaft is disposed in the steering system link.

Steering system for saddle-ride type vehicle

An inverted pendulum type vehicle includes a control device for controlling a plurality of electric motors, and a portable device, such as a portable telephone, for displaying a center-of-gravity display point indicating the position of a center of gravity and outputting a command for moving the vehicle. The control device controls a first actuator device and a second actuator device so as to move the vehicle according to the command output from the portable device and the tilting of an occupant boarding member. Such inverted pendulum type vehicle makes it possible to learn how to steer the inverted pendulum type vehicle.

Inverted pendulum type vehicle

An inverted pendulum type vehicle configured to enable a user to control the vehicle by selecting a single control mode, even while other control modes are not selected. One control mode out of plural control modes of the vehicle is selected based on a detection result of an inclination state of an occupant riding section by an inclination sensor that is a fundamental constituent of the vehicle. Motion of a first actuator device and a second actuator device is controlled according to the one control mode selected.

An inverted pendulum type vehicle for improving the steering performance and the comfort of the vehicle. A control device of an inverted pendulum type vehicle including a moving motion unit driven by an actuator device controls the actuator device so that the position of the center of gravity of the entirety of an occupant riding on an occupant riding section and the vehicle is shifted from the position of a balance state in the request direction of movement of the center of gravity of the occupant recognized from a predetermined kind of state of the vehicle.

A mobile vehicleA includes a front-wheel support mechanismhaving a trail adjustment mechanism, a steering actuatorwhich generates a steering force for steering a front wheel, a trail adjustment actuatorwhich generates a driving force for changing a trail of the front wheel, and a control device. The control devicehas a function of controlling the steering actuatorso as to stabilize the posture of a vehicle body, and a function of controlling the trail adjustment actuatorin accordance with an observed value of the vehicle speed.

Growing community of inventors

Wako, Japan

Makoto Araki