JP2691724B2 - Vehicle wheel, suspension device and steering device using the wheel - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a wheel used for a vehicle such as a motorcycle, a suspension device and a steering device suitable for the wheel.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, a wheel of a motorcycle or the like includes a tire, a rim to which the tire is attached, a hub connected to one end of a wheel support member such as a front fork via a front wheel axle, and a hub. It is composed of spokes that connect between the hub and the rim, and by interposing a bearing between the front wheel axle and the hub, the entire front wheel including the hub rotates around the front wheel axle in general. Target.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] According to the above-mentioned structure, since the rotating portion of the front wheel is composed of the hub, the spokes, the rim, the tire, and the like, its inertial weight is considerably large. Moreover, since the rim and the hub are connected by the spokes or the like, it is difficult to increase the rigidity of the front wheel beyond a certain limit.

In addition, the wheel support structure has an axle around which the hub is rotatably supported via bearings and both ends of the axle are supported by the front forks. The structure is relatively complicated, and the connecting portion between the wheel and the front fork is limited to the substantially central portion of the side surface of the wheel, and the degree of freedom of the connecting portion is limited.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to reduce the inertial weight by reducing the weight of the rotating part as much as possible, and to increase the rigidity, and also to reduce the number of parts to simplify the wheel supporting structure and to provide a wheel supporting member. An object of the present invention is to provide a wheel capable of increasing the degree of freedom of a connecting structure, and also to provide a suspension device and a steering device suitable when using the wheel.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, in a vehicle wheel according to the present invention, a hub is supported at a plurality of vertical positions within a side surface to the other end of a wheel support member having one end attached to the vehicle body side. It has a large diameter that is non-rotatably attached to the wheel support member by being supported at points, and is characterized in that the rim is rotatable around the hub via bearings. Here, the large diameter means a size that can be connected to the wheel support member at a plurality of vertical support points on the side surface. At this time,
The inner peripheral side of the rim may be integrally projected in the radial direction to serve as a brake disc. Also, the first and second protrusions may be arranged side by side to rotate the first protrusion around the hub. Alternatively, a brake disc, which is separately formed, may be detachably attached to the second protrusion.

In a suspension device using a wheel according to the present invention, first, a slider is provided at one end of a wheel support member, and the hub and the hub are connected so as to be relatively slidable in the vertical direction, and a cushion is provided between the two. The device can be interposed. At this time, one end of the wheel support member may extend in a substantially horizontal direction and the other end may be fixed to the vehicle body frame.

Further, the wheel supporting member is a pair of link members extending in a substantially horizontal direction, both ends of which are pivotally attached to the hub and the vehicle body frame, and a cushion device is interposed between any one of the link members and the vehicle body frame. Can be made.

As a steering device using a wheel according to the present invention, when the wheel support member is an arm member or a pair of link members extending substantially horizontally as described above, the connection between one end of each member and the hub is a hub. The hub can be pivoted to the left and right with respect to the traveling direction, and the hub and the handle on the vehicle body side can be connected by a link member.

The wheels, the suspension device, and the steering device can be applied to the front wheels of a motorcycle.

[Operation of the Invention] In the wheel according to the present invention, the rim is rotatable around the hub via the bearing, and the hub is attached to the other end of the wheel support member whose one end is attached to the vehicle body. Since the hub is non-rotatably attached to the wheel support member by being supported by the support points at various places, the hub becomes a non-rotating portion and has a large diameter.

Therefore, since the weight of the rotating part is only the tire and the rim, the weight of the rotating part is reduced, and as a result, the inertial weight of the front wheels is significantly reduced.

On the other hand, the rigidity of the wheel is increased by increasing the diameter of the hub and expanding it in the radial direction. Moreover, since the hub is increased in diameter, the hub is supported by the wheel support member at a plurality of support points in the vertical direction in the side surface, so that the degree of freedom in connecting the hub and the wheel support member can be increased, and it is possible to improve the flexibility of the conventional wheel. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide an axle supported by the wheel support member and rotatably support the hub via the bearing by the axle, the number of parts can be reduced and the wheel support structure can be simplified.

Note that this wheel can be applied to the front wheel of a motorcycle.

If the brake disc is provided by radially projecting the inner peripheral surface of the rim forming the wheel,
Since the brake disc has a large diameter, the brake capacity increases. Further, if the rim and the brake disc are integrally formed, the number of parts is reduced and the manufacturing becomes easier. further,
If the first and second protrusions are formed on the rim and the first protrusion is attached to the periphery of the hub via a bearing, and a separate brake disc is detachably attached to the second protrusion, Brake discs can be replaced quickly.

As a suspension device using this wheel, when the sliding portion provided at one end of the wheel supporting member and the hub are relatively slidable in the vertical direction, since the hub has a large diameter, the two are connected. Space is sufficient, and if a cushion member is interposed between the two, this cushion member can be arranged inside the wheel, and this cushion member can be arranged inside the wheel, and the vertical movement of the wheel during traveling can be achieved. The shock absorber absorbs the shock, and the spring unloading is significantly reduced compared to the conventional one.

At this time, since the cushion device is provided on the inner side of the wheel, the rigidity of the suspension device is enhanced by forming the wheel support member as an arm-shaped member extending in a substantially horizontal direction and fixing the other end portion to the vehicle body frame. Further, a pair of link members is used as the wheel support member, both ends of each are pivotally attached to the hub and the vehicle body frame, and a cushion member is interposed between any one of the link members and the vehicle body frame. Is formed.

Further, when the wheel support member is an arm-shaped member or a pair of link members extending in a substantially horizontal direction, one end of the wheel support member is connected to the hub so that the hub is rotatable left and right with respect to the traveling direction. By connecting the other end of the link, one end of which is connected to the handle to the hub, a hub steering type is obtained.

Further, this wheel can be used as a front wheel of a motorcycle, and in this case, the suspension device and the steering device described above can be used as a front suspension device and a hub steering device of the motorcycle.

[Embodiment] FIGS. 1 to 3 show a first embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a schematic structure of a vehicle body of a motorcycle including front wheels 1
Has a tire 2 and a large-diameter hub 3 formed inside thereof, and the hub 3 is attached to the lower end of the front fork 4. The upper end of the front fork 4 has a head pipe 5
And the front end of the main frame 6 is attached to the head pipe 5. A rear swing arm 7 is rotatably attached to a rear portion of the main frame 6, and a rear wheel 9 is rotatably attached to a rear end portion thereof via an axle 8.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the front wheel. The front wheel 1 has a metal rim 10 on the inner peripheral side of the tire 2 and is rotatable around a hub 3 inside thereof through a ball bearing 11. .
A large number of ball bearings 11 are housed in groove portions 12 and 13 formed on the inner peripheral side of the rim 10 and the outer peripheral side of the hub 3, respectively, and each is rollable.

Front fork 4 mounting arms on both sides of the hub 3.
A pair of upper and lower parts 14 and 15 are provided in a protruding manner, and the left and right front forks 4 are attached to the respective tip ends thereof. Therefore, the hub 3 is directly connected to the front fork 4 in a non-rotatable manner, and a member corresponding to a conventional front wheel axle is omitted from the front wheel 1. That is, the hub 3 is a conventional front wheel axle. Is taking the place of. Therefore, tire 2
Only the rim 10 and the rim 10 form a rotating portion that idles around the hub 3. Further, the hub 3 has an outer periphery provided close to the rim 10 as shown in FIG. 3, has a radius much larger than that of a conventional hub, and omits a member corresponding to a conventional spoke. ing.

By doing so, the weight of the rotating portion can be remarkably reduced, so that the inertial weight of the front wheel 1 is significantly reduced, and the rigidity of the front wheel 1 is remarkably increased by employing the large-diameter hub 3 which is a rigid member. You can

In addition, since the hub 3 has a larger diameter, it is supported on the front fork 4 which is a wheel supporting member by the tips of the mounting arms 14 and 15 which serve as support points at a plurality of vertical positions in the side surface.
It is possible to increase the degree of freedom in connection between the front fork 4 and the front fork 4, and, like a conventional wheel, an axle supported by a wheel support member is provided, and a hub is rotatably supported by a bearing by the axle. Is unnecessary,
It is possible to reduce the number of parts and simplify the wheel support structure.

4 and 5 show a second embodiment. In addition, in each of the following embodiments, the same reference numerals are used for members having the same configuration or common function as those of the first embodiment.

In this embodiment, a disc brake is provided on the front wheel 1 shown in the first embodiment, and a brake disc 20 is formed at the center of a rim 10 having a substantially T-shaped cross section so as to project toward the inner peripheral side. Has been done. An accommodating portion 21 of the ball bearing 11 is formed at the inner peripheral end of the brake disc 20.
A ball bearing 11 is fitted between the housing portion 21 and the groove 13 on the outer peripheral portion of the hub 3. On the other hand, a caliper 22 is provided on the hub 3, and its brake pads 23 are in sliding contact with both side surfaces of the brake disc 20.

In this way, the front wheel 1 shown in the first embodiment is
It is possible to easily install a disc brake on the base plate, and the brake disc 20 can be integrally formed with the rim 10 by casting or the like, facilitating the manufacture and reducing the number of parts. Moreover, the brake disc 20 is a rim 10.
Since it is formed integrally with, the radius becomes extremely large, and it is possible to form a significantly larger brake capacity than in the past.

FIG. 6 shows a third embodiment. This embodiment uses a brake disc which is separate from the rim, and facilitates replacement thereof. That is, the first protrusion 24 and the second protrusion 25 are formed in parallel on the rim 10, the first protrusion 24 forms a bearing portion, and the second protrusion 25 forms a disk mounting portion. I am doing it. The inner peripheral surface of the first projecting portion 24 is formed as a concave surface, and the ball bearing 11 is interposed between the outer peripheral portion of the hub 3 and the outer peripheral surface of the hub 3 which is laterally bent and offset.

A separate disc plate 26 is detachably attached to the second projecting portion 25 with a bolt 27.
The caliper 22 is disposed so as to be slidable. The caliper 22 is attached to the side of the hub 3 by bolts 28.

If such a structure is adopted, both the disc plate 26 and the caliper 22 can be attached / detached from the side of the vehicle body, and the disc plate 22 can be easily attached / detached and replaced, so that the maintainability can be improved.

7 and 8 show a fourth embodiment. This embodiment is an example in which the front suspension device for the front wheel 1 shown in the first embodiment is modified, and a slider 31 formed at the lower end of the axle support member 30 is slidably attached to the side surface of the hub 3. Has been. The slider 31 is, as shown in FIG.
The guide grooves 32 are formed on both the left and right sides, and the edges of the guide holes 3a formed in the hub 3 and long in the diagonally vertical direction are formed inside the guide grooves 32.
3b is fitted, and a stroke bearing 33 is interposed between the edge 3b and the groove wall surface of the guide groove 32. A known cushion device 36 including a spring 34 and a damper 35 is interposed between the lower end of the slider 31 and the hub 3. Although not clearly shown in FIG. 7, the wheel support members 30 are also provided in pairs on opposite sides of the wheel 1, and the upper ends of the wheel support members 30 are connected to the steering shafts supported by the head pipes 37. C ₁ coincides with the caster line of the steering axis.

In this way, the front wheel 1 and the axle support member 30 are relatively slidably connected in the vertical direction, so that even if the front wheel 1 moves up and down during traveling, this vertical movement and impact will not affect the front wheel 1. The cushion device 36 provided within the range absorbs and absorbs the shock. Moreover, since the cushion device 36 is provided at the lower end of the wheel support member 30, it is compactly arranged inside the front wheel 1 and cannot be provided in the front fork as in the conventional case. Only the unsprung load is reduced. Therefore, the rigidity of the wheel support member 30 can be increased without increasing the unsprung load, and as a result, it is easy to increase the steering rigidity.

Further, since the hub 3 has a large diameter, it is easy to offset and mount the wheel supporting member 30 accordingly. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the axis C ₁ of the wheel support member 30 is offset within the range of the front wheel 1 by the dimension l from the center line C ₀ thereof. Thereby, the wheel support member 30
The center line C ₁ and the caster line coincide with each other to reduce the steering inertia. However, the front wheel 1 can also be supported by a cantilever type arm member.

In this example, the wheel support member 30 supports the edge portion 3b of the guide hole 3a in the hub 3 at each of the upper and lower portions of the slider 31, and the hub 3 also has a larger diameter so that the wheel support member 30 has a plurality of vertical portions in the side surface. Support points are possible, and as a result, the degree of freedom in connecting the wheel support member 30 and the hub 3 is increased.

A fifth embodiment is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. In this embodiment, a hub steering type is adopted for the hub 3 provided with the front suspension having the same structure as that of the fourth embodiment.

That is, the same cushion device as that of the fourth embodiment (FIGS. 7 and 8) is interposed in the hub 3 and slid vertically in the guide hole 41 formed in the hub 3. A moving slider 42 is provided. This slider 42 is
As shown in FIG. 10, the rotation center shaft 43 provided in the vertical direction
It is pivotally attached to the front end of the front wheel support member 44 via. A U-shaped groove 42a in cross section is formed on both sides of the slider 42, an edge 41a around the guide hole 41 is fitted inside the groove 42a, and between the edge 41a and both side walls of the U-shaped groove 42a. A slide bearing 45 is fitted.

On the other hand, from the upper end of the slider 42 to the side, the link arm 46
Is formed so as to project, and the link arm 46 is connected to the steering link member 47. The other end of the steering link member 47 is connected to a steering wheel (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 9, the front wheel support member 44 is an arm-shaped member that extends substantially horizontally from the vehicle body frame 48, and the rear end portion of the front wheel support member 44 is provided with the cushion device 40 in the front wheel 1. , Is rigidly mounted on the bottom of the vehicle body frame 48 to enhance the rigidity of the steering system.

Therefore, the steering link member 48 is, for example,
When pulled in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 10, the link arm 46 rotates counterclockwise about the rotation center shaft 43, so that the hub 3 changes its angle from side to side with respect to the traveling direction. Therefore, the front wheels 1 are steered by the hub steering type.

FIG. 11 shows a sixth embodiment. In this embodiment, a double wishbone type front suspension structure and a hub steering type are adopted together. That is, the front ends of the upper and lower link members 50 and 51 are connected to the hub 3
Is connected to the hub 3 via a pivot portion 52 pivotally connected to the hub 3, and each rear end portion is pivotally attached to the vehicle body frame 53, and a cushion device is provided between the vehicle body frame 53 and the link member 51.
54 is attached. The pivot portion 52 is offset from the center of the hub 3 by forming a predetermined caster angle, and, for example, the joints 56 and 57 with the front end portions of the link members 50 and 51 are made into a ball joint type or the like. The hub 3 is rotatable left and right with respect to the traveling direction, and the hub steering can be performed by a steering link member (not shown).

According to this embodiment, not only the hub steering type can be adopted, but also excellent suspension characteristics of the double wishbone type can be added to the front suspension device.

[Effects of the Invention] In the wheel according to the present invention, the rim is rotatable around the hub through the bearing, and the hub has a plurality of vertical in-side surfaces to the other end of the wheel support member whose one end is attached to the vehicle body side. Since the hub is non-rotatably attached to the wheel support member by being supported by the support points at various places, the hub becomes a non-rotating portion and has a large diameter.

Therefore, since the weight of the rotating part is only the tire and the rim, the weight of the rotating part is reduced, and as a result, the inertial weight of the front wheels is significantly reduced.

On the other hand, the rigidity of the wheel is increased by increasing the diameter of the hub and expanding it in the radial direction. Moreover, since the hub is increased in diameter, the hub is supported by the wheel support member at a plurality of support points in the vertical direction in the side surface, so that the degree of freedom in connecting the hub and the wheel support member can be increased, and it is possible to improve the flexibility of the conventional wheel. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide an axle supported by the wheel support member and rotatably support the hub via the bearing by the axle, the number of parts can be reduced and the wheel support structure can be simplified. At this time, if the rim and the disc plate are integrally formed, the number of parts can be reduced and the manufacturing can be facilitated, and if the disc plate is separately attached and detachably mounted, the replacement and the like can be facilitated. Maintainability can be improved.

In a suspension device using this front wheel, since the hub has a large diameter, the slide member provided on the wheel supporting member and the hub are connected to each other on the side surface so as to be relatively slidable in the vertical direction, The cushion device can be installed in the front wheel, so that the cushion device can be housed in the front wheel. Therefore, the unsprung load can be significantly reduced. Also, if the unsprung load is set to the conventional level,
The rigidity of the wheel support member can be increased.

Furthermore, when the wheel support member is an arm-shaped member extending in a substantially horizontal direction, the connection between the arm-shaped member and the vehicle body frame can be rigid-mounted, and this also increases the rigidity of the wheel support structure.

A double wishbone suspension structure can be obtained by pivotally attaching both ends of the pair of link members to the hub and the vehicle body frame and connecting any one of the link members and the vehicle body frame with a cushion device.

Also, by connecting one end of the wheel support member extending in a substantially horizontal direction and the hub so that the hub can be rotated in the left and right directions, and connecting a link member having one end attached to the handle to the hub, The hub steering type can be easily adopted.

Moreover, this wheel can be applied to the front wheels of a motorcycle, and in that case, the above-mentioned suspension devices and steering devices are suitable for a motorcycle.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 to 3 show an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a vehicle body structure of a motorcycle, and FIG. 2 is II- of FIG.
An II line enlarged sectional view and FIG. 3 are partial side views of a main part. FIGS. 4 and 5 show a second embodiment, FIG. 4 is a partial side view of an essential part, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view corresponding to FIG. 2 in a use state. FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the essential parts showing the third embodiment,
7 and 8 show a fourth embodiment, FIG. 7 is a side view of the front wheel portion, and FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII in FIG. 9 and 10 show a fifth embodiment, FIG. 9 is a side view of a wheel support portion, and FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a main portion.
FIG. 11 is a side view of the wheel supporting portion showing the sixth embodiment. (Description of symbols) 1 ... front wheel, 2 ... tire, 3 ... hub, 4 ... front fork (wheel support member), 10 ... rim, 11 ... bearing, 20, 26 ... brake disc, 24 ...... First protrusion, 25 …… Second protrusion, 30, 44 …… Wheel support member,
31, 42 …… Slider, 36, 40, 54 …… Cushion device,
47 …… Steering link members, 48,53 …… Body frame, 50,51 …… Link members.

Claims (8)

(57) [Claims] 1. A tire and a rim for supporting the tire,
A large-diameter hub is provided on the inner peripheral side of the rim, and has a large-diameter hub that is non-rotatably connected to the other end of a wheel support member whose one end is attached to the vehicle body side at a plurality of support points in the vertical direction in the side surface. The vehicle wheel, wherein the rim is rotatable around the hub via a bearing. 2. A vehicle wheel according to claim 1, which is used as a front wheel of a motorcycle. 3. A brake disc integrally formed on the inner peripheral side of the rim so as to protrude toward the center.
Or the vehicle wheel described in 2. 4. A first and a second projecting portions projecting toward the center of the rim are arranged side by side on the inner peripheral surface of the rim, and the first projecting portion is rotatable around the outer circumference of the hub via a bearing. , The second
3. The vehicle wheel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a disc plate formed separately is detachably attached to the projecting portion. 5. A slider is provided at one end of the wheel support member,
The slider is connected to a side portion of a hub constituting the wheel according to claim 1 or 2 so as to be relatively slidable in a vertical direction, and a cushion device is interposed between the hub and the slider. A suspension device characterized by that. 6. The suspension device according to claim 5, wherein the wheel support member is an arm-shaped member having one end extending in a substantially horizontal direction and the other end fixed to the vehicle body frame. 7. The wheel supporting member is composed of a pair of link members, and both end portions of the wheel supporting member are pivotally attached to the hub and the vehicle body frame constituting the wheel according to claim 1 or 2, respectively, and one of the link members and the vehicle body frame. A suspension device characterized in that and are connected by a cushion device. 8. A vehicle equipped with the suspension device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein a hub is connected to one end of the wheel support member so as to be rotatable left and right in the traveling direction. At the same time, a steering device characterized in that the hub and a handle provided on the vehicle body side are connected by a link member, and the hub can be rotated left and right by the link member.