JPH038316B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a coupling mechanism between a steering shaft and a frame of a motorcycle.

Steering at low speeds becomes difficult if the steering shaft has a significantly small angle of inclination with respect to the running plane, while the above mentioned angle of inclination with respect to the running plane is quite large (i.e. it is located at a fairly steep slope). It is well known that motorcycles are easy to maneuver when going slowly, but difficult to maneuver at high speeds.
If the steering shaft is significantly inclined with respect to the driving surface, the steering wheel will easily become loose at high speeds.

It is also known to adapt a motorcycle to a desired speed by replacing certain parts, i.e. to adapt the motorcycle for slow riding, such as during cross-country riding, or for high speeds, such as in auto racing. However, the above-mentioned adaptation method has the disadvantage that it is not possible to easily and immediately adapt the motorcycle to the situation at the time, even while the motorcycle is in motion (West German Published Patent Application No.
2352 321).

Furthermore, motorcycles with adjustable steering parts are also known;
In the steering section adjustment mechanism that adapts the inclination angle of the shaft to the situation at the time, a pair of parallel pipes are provided in the fork member for the front wheels, and the distance between the two pipes is fixed by a turning traverse. ing. The fork member functions as a pivot bearing for housing the steering block. The free end of the steering block is guided through a slit in the transverse plate and fixed thereto by a fixing screw. To adjust the steering shaft, the fixing screw is removed and the steering shaft is slid into the longitudinal slot of the transverse plate while pivoting around the pivot traverse and fixed in the desired position.

The steering section adjustment described above can only be done using a tool when the motorcycle is stopped.
It was not put into practical use. This is because it is not possible to adapt to changes in road conditions or other external conditions while driving (see British Patent 570 039).

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to change the inclination angle (caster angle) of the motorcycle's steering shaft with respect to the ground while the motorcycle is stopped and while the motorcycle is running, without changing the attitude of the motorcycle body with respect to the ground, and to To provide a connection mechanism between a steering shaft and a frame that can always provide an optimal caster angle in response to various conditions (e.g., road surface slope and unevenness, high speed driving, speed limit, etc.).

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an adjusting means for adjusting the turning angle of the coupling mechanism between the steering shaft and the frame, which can be controlled manually or automatically via a speed sensor provided on the motorcycle, so that the turning angle can be adjusted even while the motorcycle is running. The angle, ie, the inclination angle, is adapted to the situation at the time.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail based on one embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.

A motorcycle 1 shown schematically in FIG. 1 has a front wheel 2, a rear wheel 3, and a frame 5, respectively. The frame 5 is composed of main elements 6, 7, 8, and 9, respectively. At the front of the motorcycle 1, a steering section 10 is fixed at a variable turning angle α by a steering bearing 11 and the steering shaft 11, and is connected to the motorcycle body so as to be able to turn on its plane in a direction perpendicular to the rear axle. and a steering shaft 12, respectively. The steering shaft 12 is connected to a fork member 13 on the front wheel 2 side.

The swivel angle α of the steering shaft 12 (and thus the fork element 13), ie the angle of inclination (casting angle) with respect to the running plane, can be adjusted with respect to the vertical plane, for example to a position α'. For this purpose, a swivel bearing 15 is provided, around which the steering shaft 12 and the fork member 13 can be swiveled, respectively.

A fixing means is provided to fix the steering bearing 11 at a desired turning position α. As shown in FIG. 2, this fixing means is, for example, in the form of a drilling rod 17 whose position is fixed to the frame 5 by, for example, a screw 19 and a screw hole.

Figures 3 and 4 show the steering shaft connected to the motorcycle body and the steering shaft connected to the motorcycle body.
3 is an enlarged sectional view passing through the coupling mechanism of the present invention on the plane of the motorcycle, and FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section taken from the line - in FIG. 3. It is a diagram.

The connection means is generally composed of a pivot shaft 15a, a pivot bearing shaft 25, and an eccentric member 33, and its operation is controlled by an adjustment means described later. Rotating axis 1
5a is provided parallel to the rear axle, and rotatably connects the frame 5 and one end of a support provided on the steering shaft 12. Further, the swing bearing shaft 25 is spaced parallel to the swing shaft 15a in either the up or down direction, is rotatably connected to the other end of the support part, and has a transverse cross section extending inward toward the center line. A guide passage 27 having a substantially rectangular surface shape is provided. Then, the eccentric member 33 has the swing bearing shaft 2 inside the guide passage 27.
5, is eccentric to the center line of the swing bearing shaft 25, and is rotatable around a fixed center line.

A rectangular axial eccentric member 23 is disposed within the frame 5 including the rods 6, 7, 8, and 9 around the axis A [i.e., the bearing shaft 21 (FIG. 4) or the fixed bearing shaft 21a (FIG. 3) passing therethrough]. is pivotally attached to the frame 5 so as to be eccentrically rotatable. The slewing bearing shaft 25 is “ridden” on the eccentric member 23.
is a rectangular passage 27 corresponding to the shape of the eccentric member 23
(guide passage) in the axial direction. Further, the swing bearing shaft 25 can reciprocate and slide in the radial direction along the guide surface (contact surface) 29a or 29b of the eccentric member 23. The guide surfaces 29a and 29b form a support surface for the shaft attachment portion between the slewing bearing shaft 25 and the eccentric member 23, so that the guide surfaces are large. An adjustment lever 31 is provided on the swing bearing shaft 25 and connected to an adjustment means 37 via a swing bearing 33. This adjustment means 37 includes a piston/rod having a piston rod 35 as shown.
It can consist of a cylinder arrangement, but it can also consist of a helical spindle driven by an adjusting motor. Both the regulating motor and the piston/cylinder device described above are subject to manual control (e.g. button control) during driving;
Otherwise, it can be automatically controlled by the speed sensor 39.

A bearing cylinder 40 is rotatably "riding" on the swing bearing shaft 25. This bearing cylinder 40 is connected to a steering bearing 11 for a steering shaft 12, as shown in FIG. This steering bearing 11 is a swing bearing 15 of the frame 5.
It is pivotally attached to the inner turning shaft 15a. When the adjustment lever 31 shown in FIG. 3 is turned by an angle, for example, the axis B of the swing bearing shaft 25 changes from _the position
This causes _the steering unit 10 to be displaced by the steering bearing 11 to the swivel bearing 1.
This means a turning movement of an angle α around the turning point of 5. During such a turning movement, the bearing shaft 2
5 and the eccentric member 23 are shown in FIG. 3 by dashed lines. The adjustment means 37 consist of a piston/cylinder arrangement (or an adjustment motor/helical spindle arrangement), fixed to the frame 5 and mounted on a pivot bearing 3.
3 movement can be absorbed or controlled. The stroke of the piston rod 35 (or spindle) can be adjusted manually or by the speed sensor 39 of the motorcycle.
Automatic adjustment under control (e.g. tachometer) can be performed. In particular, the piston/cylinder arrangement 37 utilizes a hydraulic control system.

As described above, when the motorcycle is stopped, the inclination angle α of the steering shaft 12 with respect to the road surface
for example by fixing means consisting of the drilling rod 17 shown in FIG. 2 (or by moving the helical spindle or piston rod 35).
The inclination angle α can be quickly manually adjusted, or the steering angle can be adjusted via the speed sensor 39 while driving.
The inclination angle α of the shaft 12 can now be adjusted based on a speed-dependent predetermined function α=f(V).

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 shows the frame, swivelable steering wheel,
A schematic diagram of a motorcycle with the shaft and front and rear wheels installed. FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic diagram of the turning angle fixing means. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the coupling mechanism of the present invention in the plane of the motorcycle perpendicular to the rear axle. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the - line in FIG. 3. 1... Motorcycle, 2... Front wheel, 3... Rear wheel,
5... Frame, 10... Steering section, 11
... Steering section bearing, 15, 33 ... Swivel bearing, 12 ... Steering shaft, 13 ...
Fork member, 17...Drilling rod, 19...Screw, 15a...Swivel shaft, 21a...Fixed bearing shaft,
21...Bearing shaft, 25...Swivel bearing shaft, 23...
Eccentric member, 27... Guide passage, 29a, 29b
...Guide surface (contact surface), 31 ...Adjustment lever,
35... Piston rod, 37... Adjustment means (cylinder/piston device), 39... Speed sensor, 40... Bearing cylinder.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A motorcycle body, a steering shaft connected to the motorcycle body so as to be rotatable in a direction perpendicular to the rear axle on the plane of the motorcycle body, and connection means for connecting the steering shaft to the motorcycle body. and a fixing means for fixing a turning angle of the steering shaft, and an adjusting means for turning the steering shaft, wherein the connecting means is arranged parallel to the rear axle. the frame and the steering wheel;
A pivot shaft that rotatably connects one end of a support provided on the shaft, and a pivot that is spaced parallel to the pivot in either direction above or below and rotatably connects to the other end of the support. a swing bearing shaft provided with a guide passage whose cross section is substantially rectangular and extending toward a centerline direction; an eccentric member which is provided and is eccentric to the center line of the swing bearing shaft and rotatable around the center line whose position is fixed, and the swing bearing shaft is rotated by the adjustment means. A coupling mechanism between a steering shaft and a frame, characterized in that the steering shaft is rotated by sliding the eccentric member within the guide passage. 2. The steering shaft and frame connection mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment means is configured to be automatically controlled by a speed sensor provided on the motorcycle body. 3. Claims characterized in that the adjustment means comprises an adjustment lever provided on the swing bearing shaft, and a piston/cylinder mechanism or an adjustment motor/helical spindle mechanism for rotating the adjustment lever. A connection mechanism between the steering shaft and the frame according to item 1 or 2. 4. The eccentric device includes a pivot shaft eccentrically mounted on the motorcycle plane and rotatably mounted on the frame, and the steering shaft is pivotably mounted on the pivot shaft on the motorcycle plane. 4. A coupling mechanism between a steering shaft and a frame according to claim 3, wherein the steering shaft and the frame are simultaneously pivotably attached to a pivot bearing of the frame. 5. An axial guide passage is provided in the pivot shaft, and an eccentric member that is slidable in the radial direction with respect to the pivot shaft is provided in the guide passage and eccentrically attached to the frame to form a pivot bearing portion. The steering wheel according to claim 4, wherein
Connection mechanism between shaft and frame. 6. A contact surface extending in the sliding direction of the guide passage and the eccentric member is provided on the guide passage and the eccentric member, respectively, and the cross section of the contact surface is particularly rectangular, and the longitudinal side thereof is arranged in the sliding direction. A coupling mechanism between a steering shaft and a frame according to claim 5. 7. Steering wheel according to claim 4, characterized in that the swivel bearing shaft is provided with an adjustment lever, on which adjustment means act, in particular consisting of a piston/cylinder arrangement or an adjustment motor/helical spindle drive. Connection mechanism between shaft and frame. 8. A coupling mechanism with a steering shaft frame according to claim 1, in particular in which the adjusting means is a motor-driven helical spindle drive.