초록 ▼

The present invention provides a critical breakthrough in wheeled vehicle concepts, by enabling stable vehicle operations, where wheelbase configuration varies in relation to the need for roll preventing force. This enables a new form of automobile that is especially suited for electric adaptation.

The present invention provides a critical breakthrough in wheeled vehicle concepts, by enabling stable vehicle operations, where wheelbase configuration varies in relation to the need for roll preventing force. This enables a new form of automobile that is especially suited for electric adaptation. The invention is an articulated vehicle that includes a stabilizer part and a carriage part where the two parts are linked by a two axis joint that locks the parts together in regard to relative roll motion, but allows pitch attitude and yaw attitude of each part to be mutually independent. Such a joint allows wheels to maintain firm contact with road surfaces while liking to cause the carriage to follow the stabilizer, and enables roll stabiliztion effects. In a turn condition, the stabilizer extends a wheel toward the outside of the turn such that upward force on that wheel counters roll torque that occurs due to radial acceleration due to the turning radius and speed of the vehicle.

대표청구항 ▼

I claim: 1. A wheeled vehicle for operation along a path on a generally horizontal surface, where said wheeled vehicle includes a stabilizer having at least three wheels, where at least one of said three wheels is a front stabilizer wheel and at least one of said three wheels is a rear stabilizer w

I claim: 1. A wheeled vehicle for operation along a path on a generally horizontal surface, where said wheeled vehicle includes a stabilizer having at least three wheels, where at least one of said three wheels is a front stabilizer wheel and at least one of said three wheels is a rear stabilizer wheel, and a carriage having at least one wheel, where said stabilizer and said carriage are linked by a two axis joint, where said two axis joint includes an approximately vertical yaw axis that is fixed to said stabilizer, an approximately horizontal and transverse pitch axis that is fixed to said carriage, and a connecting structure that hinges at said yaw axis and at said pitch axis, thus to enable that said stabilizer turns relative to said carriage, yet serving to lock said stabilizer and said carriage together in regard to relative roll motion, where said two axis joint causes linkage that causes said carriage to follow travel of said stabilizer, like a trailer, where said rear stabilizer wheel is mounted to allow it to pivot about an approximately vertical axis that is fixed to said stabilizer at a point that is significantly rearward of said yaw axis, where control of a vehicle turning operation includes causing said pivot such that forward motion causes said rear stabilizer wheel to exerts force that causes said stabilizer to turn, with said carriage being guided from said yaw axis to follow a turning path, where rearward position of said rear stabilizer wheel causes said rear stabilizer wheel to significantly extend from said wheeled vehicle toward an outside of a turn so as to enable a counteracting force that acts to counteract a roll tendency caused by radial acceleration of a turning said wheeled vehicle, and where said connecting structure is configured such that said pitch axis is displaced from said yaw axis to enable a load distribution such that downward force at said pitch axis causes a torque that suppresses pitch tendencies of said stabilizer that occur in a turning condition, such that roll stabilization is effective. 2. A wheeled vehicle according to claim 1, where said stabilizer has two front wheels on fixed axles and two rear stabilizer wheels on pivoting axles, where each of said two rear stabilizer wheels pivots about a vertical axis to cause a turning operation. 3. A wheeled vehicle according to claim 1, where said approximately vertical yaw axis is angled forward, relative to said stabilizer, from true vertical to cause said carriage to tilt toward an inside of said, turning path, thus enhancing stability in a turn by imparting a favorable roll to the carriage. 4. A wheeled vehicle according to claim 1, where drive force is provided through a carriage wheel. 5. A wheeled vehicle according to claim 1, where drive force is provided through a front stabilizer wheel. 6. A wheeled vehicle according to claim 1, where drive force is provided through a said rear stabilizer wheel. 7. A wheeled vehicle according to claim 1, where said carriage has two wheels mounted at its rear. 8. A wheeled vehicle according to claim 1, where provision is made for drive power that is generated by a human being. 9. A wheeled vehicle according to claim 1, where drive power is generated by electric means. 10. A wheeled vehicle according to claim 1, where drive power is generated by an internal combustion engine. 11. A wheeled vehicle according to claim 1, where drive power is generated by electric means that utilizes battery storage. 12. A wheeled vehicle according to claim 1, where said approximately vertical yaw axis is tilted to cause said carriage to roll toward an inside of a turn, where roll angle is inversely related to turning radius. 13. A wheeled vehicle according to claim 1, with provision to turn at least one said carriage wheel about an approximately vertical axis. 14. A wheeled vehicle according to claim 1, with a suspension system that enhances passenger comfort where said suspension system includes spring supported suspension in said yaw axis joint. 15. A wheeled vehicle according to claim 1, where said vehicle includes streamlining surfaces to reduce air drag on a moving vehicle by optimizing air flow over said vehicle such that a low drag coefficient is achieved. 16. A wheeled vehicle for operation along a path on a generally horizontal surface, where said wheeled vehicle includes a stabilizer having at least two wheels, one of which is a front stabilizer wheel and one of which is a rear stabilizer wheel, and a carriage having at least one wheel, where said stabilizer and said carriage are linked by a one axis joint, where said one axis joint includes an approximately vertical yaw axis that is fixed to both said stabilizer and said carriage, where said one axis joint locks said stabilizer and said carriage together in regard to relative roll motion, and enables that said stabilizer turns relative to said carriage, and causes linkage that causes said carriage to follow stabilizer travel, like a trailer, where said rear stabilizer wheel is mounted to allow it to pivot about an approximately vertical axis that is fixed to said stabilizer at a point that is significantly rearward of said yaw axis, where control of a vehicle turning operation includes causing said pivot such that forward travel causes said rear stabilizer wheel to exerts force that causes said stabilizer to turn, where said carriage wheel follows resulting movement of said yaw axis such that with said carriage being guided from said yaw axis to follow a then turning path, and where rearward position of said point causes said rear stabilizer wheel to significantly extend from said wheeled vehicle toward an outside of said turning path so as to enable a counteracting force that acts to counteract a roll tendency of a turning said wheeled vehicle. 17. A wheeled vehicle according to claim 16, where a suspension system provides for wheels to adjust such that contact with said generally horizontal surface is maintained by at least two stabilizer wheels and at least one carriage wheel, to accommodate a road surface that is not level. 18. A wheeled vehicle for operation along a path on a generally horizontal surface, where said wheeled vehicle includes a stabilizer having wheels that include a front stabilizer wheel and a rear stabilizer wheel, and a carriage where a driver rides in said carriage, said carriage having at least one carriage wheel, where said stabilizer and said carriage are linked by a two axis joint that is a link between said stabilizer and said carriage, where said two axis joint includes an approximately vertical yaw axis, an approximately horizontal and transverse pitch axis, and a connecting structure that hinges at said yaw axis and at said pitch axis, where yaw and pitch axes are fixed to said stabilizer and to said carriage, where said rear stabilizer wheel is mounted to allow it to pivot about an approximately vertical axis that is fixed to said stabilizer, and where a vehicle turning operation includes a combination of pivoting of said rear stabilizer wheel about said vertical axis and hinging of said stabilizer about said yaw axis, with said carriage wheel being guided from said yaw axis to follow a then turning path, like a trailer, where said stabilizer acts by position of a rear stabilizer wheel that is significantly rearward of said yaw axis such that said hinging of said stabilizer about said yaw axis results in significant extension of said rear stabilizer wheel to a position that is to the outside of a turn so as to counter roll tendencies of said carriage by causing roll suppressing torque that is applied to said carriage through said yaw axis and said pitch axis. 19. A wheeled vehicle according to claim 18, where said vehicle includes streamlining surfaces to optimize air flow over said vehicle such that a low drag coefficient is achieved. 20. A wheeled vehicle according to claim 18, where said approximately vertical yaw axis is angled forward, relative to said stabilizer, from true vertical to cause said carriage to tilt toward an inside of said turning path, thus enhancing stability in a turn by imparting a favorable roll to the carriage. 21. A wheeled vehicle according to claim 18, where said connecting structure provides a significant offset between said yaw axis and said pitch axis, where there is a downward force on said pitch axis caused by weight distribution, and where said downward force and said significant offset maximize downward force on that wheel that is significantly extended to maximize roll suppressing torque. 22. A wheeled vehicle according to claim 1 that operates such that radial acceleration force is a significant cause of roll tendencies of said wheel vehicle. 23. A wheeled vehicle according to claim 16 that operates such that radial acceleration force is a significant cause of roll tendencies of said wheeled vehicle. 24. A wheeled vehicle according to claim 18 that operates such that radial acceleration force is a significant cause of roll tendencies of said wheeled vehicle.