초록 ▼

An all terrain vehicle has two vehicle units and an articulating link which interconnects the vehicle units in tandem. Each vehicle unit has a body and a pair of spaced crawler tracks which are powered for moving the respective vehicle unit. The articulating link has two longitudinally spaced apart

An all terrain vehicle has two vehicle units and an articulating link which interconnects the vehicle units in tandem. Each vehicle unit has a body and a pair of spaced crawler tracks which are powered for moving the respective vehicle unit. The articulating link has two longitudinally spaced apart pitch hinge assemblies, each of which cooperates with a respective vehicle unit to permit relative rotation therebetween about a horizontal pitch axis without interference between the vehicle units. Pitch swivelling means associated with one particular pitch hinge assembly can force relative rotation about the particular pitch axis between a particular vehicle unit and the link, so that one vehicle unit can be rotated forcibly relative to the other vehicle unit to negotiate marginal terrain. The remaining pitch hinge assembly can be either freely hinged to permit rotation about the remaining pitch axis or alternatively can have a similar pitch swivelling means. The vehicle also has a yaw hinge assembly for steering, and optionally has a roll hinge assembly to permit relative rotation about the link between the vehicle units, particularly for self-righting on hard terrain, and also for additional control and versatility. A single vehicle unit can be operable independently of the other, but performance is increased considerably by utilizing at least two vehicle units in tandem connected by the articulating link. The vehicle combination can climb up or down vertical walls of limited height from hard terrain, or can negotiate a vertical wall disposed above water a height dependent on draft of the vehicle. The vehicle combination is self-righting from an inverted position on land or immersed in water.

대표청구항 ▼

An articulated vehicle combination having: (a) first and second vehicle units, each vehicle unit having a body with respective front and rear portions, each body having a pair of spaced parallel endless crawler tracks having respective upper and lower crawler track runs which are supported and power

An articulated vehicle combination having: (a) first and second vehicle units, each vehicle unit having a body with respective front and rear portions, each body having a pair of spaced parallel endless crawler tracks having respective upper and lower crawler track runs which are supported and powered for moving the respective vehicle unit, (b) an articulating link means which interconnects oppositely facing portions of the vehicle units when aligned in tandem along a generally horizontal central longitudinal axis, the articulating link means having a link longitudinal axis and longitudinally spaced apart, first and second pitch hinge assemblies cooperating with the first and second vehicle units respectively to permit relative rotation between the vehicle units and the link means about transversely disposed, generally horizontal, first and second pitch hinge axes respectively, (c) pitch swivelling means to apply torque between a particular one of said vehicle units and the articulating link means to force relative rotation about a particular hinge axis associated with the particular one of the vehicle units and the articulating links means, (d) the oppositely facing portions of each vehicle unit having clearance means to permit the vehicle units to rotate in opposite directions relative to the articulating link means so as to swing towards each other without interference between the vehicle units so as to negotiate marginal terrain, (e) the articulating link means further comprising a yaw hinge assembly and having a generally vertical yaw axis intersecting the central longitudinal axis, the yaw hinge assembly having a yaw swivelling means to apply torque to the articulating link means to force one vehicle unit to rotate about the yaw axis relative to the articulating link means, so as to provide relative rotation between the vehicle units about the yaw axis for steering.