JPH0115409B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a small four-wheeled vehicle, particularly in a vehicle with a small passenger capacity, which is designed to efficiently absorb engine vibrations and vibrations caused when the vehicle swings while driving.

Small four-wheeled vehicles, especially small ones with a small passenger capacity, need to be lightweight because their engine output is low, and they also need to be strong enough and have a comfortable ride. . Since the engine is small, it is easy to generate vibrations, and in order to make the engine lightweight, vibrations are generated when the vehicle swings while driving, so it is necessary to absorb this vibration.

This invention was made from this perspective,
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a small four-wheeled vehicle that is completely different from the body structure, the coupling structure between the engine and drive wheels, and the mounting structure of the engine to the body frame of conventional automobiles.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, numeral 1 indicates a small four-wheeled vehicle to which the present invention is applied. This small four-wheeled vehicle 1
The body frame 2 is made of a pipe material that is bent upward at the rear and then extends horizontally, the front wheels 3 (see Figure 2) attached to both sides of the front of the body frame 2, and the body frame 2 are A substantially U-shaped swing arm 4 with its left and right front ends pivoted at the intermediate portion, an engine unit 5 supported by this swing arm 4, a rear wheel axle 6 forming a part of this engine unit 5, and a rear wheel. Rear wheels 7 are attached to both left and right ends of the axle 6 as shown in FIG.
, a steering handle 8 and a vehicle body 9.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 6, an engine unit 5 is formed by surrounding and integrating an engine 10, a transmission, and a rear axle 6 with a case 11. As described above, the vehicle body frame 2 has a shape that is bent upward at the rear and then extends horizontally, and a cross member 12 is attached to the intermediate portion of the vehicle body frame 2 in the left-right direction.
A rod 13 made of pipe material and extending in the width direction of the vehicle is fixed to the front end of the swing arm 4, which is approximately U-shaped. It is pivotally connected to the middle part of the rear vehicle body frame 2. As a result, the left and right front ends of the substantially U-shaped swing arm 4 are pivotally connected to the intermediate portion of the vehicle body frame 2 at two points on the left and right through the rods 13. Rod 1
3 is longer than the rear wheel axle 6, as shown in FIG.
The spacing is wider than 1 (tread). A single shock absorber 1 is provided between the center of the rear end of the swing arm 4 and the center of the rear of the vehicle body frame 2.
5 is attached via a bracket 16.

A rod 17 is suspended in the middle portion of the swing arm 4, and two plate-shaped brackets 18 are attached to the center portion of the rod 17 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, to which the engine is mounted. 10
The mounting bracket 19 protruding from the lower center of
Bolt 20, cushion material 21, washer 22,
It is attached by a nut 23.

Rear wheel support brackets 24 are fixed to both sides near the rear of the swing arm 4, and both sides of the rear wheel axle 6 are supported by a presser metal fitting 25 and a cushion material 2.
6 and is attached by a bolt 27. This provides rear support for the engine unit 5. Reference numeral 28 in FIG. 4 is a tube provided for the brake device 29 acting on the rear wheel 7, and is for receiving the reaction force of the braking torque.

As explained above, the swing arm 4 is supported at two places in the front and one place in the rear with respect to the vehicle body frame 2. On the other hand, the engine unit 5 mounted on this swing arm 4 is supported at one place in the front part. It will be supported in two places at the rear.

This small four-wheeled vehicle configured in this way 1
is the vertical vibration that the rear wheel 7 receives when driving,
This is absorbed by the rotational force using the front end of the swing arm 4 as a fulcrum. In this case, even if one of the two rear wheels 7 runs onto a stone or the like and torsional stress is generated on the swing arm 4, the swing arm 4 is supported at two widely spaced locations on the left and right sides of the front end. , stability is not compromised.

Furthermore, since the swing arm 4 is equipped with a heavy engine unit 5, the shock absorber 15 may be relatively weak. Cushion materials 21 and 26 are interposed in the attachment portion of the engine unit 5 to the swing arm 4, and cushion materials are also interposed in the pivot attachment portion of the swing arm 4 to the vehicle body frame 2 (the portion of the rod 13). Therefore, in this case, in conjunction with the action of the shock absorber 15, vibrations generated by the engine 10 and vibrations caused when the vehicle swings during driving can be efficiently absorbed.

This invention has the following effects.

(1) Since the engine 10 is integrated up to the rear axle 6 to form a unit, there are fewer exposed parts, increasing durability, and the assembly work of the engine suspension becomes easier, which is advantageous in terms of cost.

(2) Since the engine unit 5 is supported on the swing arm 4 at three points: the left and right sides of the rear wheel axle 6 and the central lower part of the engine 10, installation of the engine unit 5 to the swing arm 4 is easy and stable. Since the rear wheel axle 6 side of the engine unit 5 which receives the reaction force from the ground is supported at two points on the left and right, the reaction force can be distributed and averaged and transmitted to the swing arm 4.

(3) Since the left and right front ends of the swing arm 4 are pivotally connected to the vehicle body frame 2 at two points on the left and right at a distance wider than the left and right distance 31 between the rear wheels 7, 7, the torsional rigidity of the swing arm 4 relative to the vehicle body is increased. Maneuvering stability can be improved. Furthermore, even though the shock absorber 15 is one piece at the center of the rear end of the swing arm 4, the left-right moment load on the vehicle body can be reduced by the wide pivot joint part spacing 30.

(4) The rear wheel axle 6 is supported near the rear of the swing arm 4, and the shock absorber 15 is attached to the rear end of the swing arm 4. Since the positions are close to each other, the bending moment of the swing arm 4 due to the large-width shock transmitted from the rear wheel 7 can be reduced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a side view of a small four-wheeled vehicle to which the present invention has been applied, Figure 2 is a plan view showing the front and rear wheel attachments of the vehicle in Figure 1, and Figure 3 shows the main parts of the vehicle in Figure 1. Fig. 4 is a partially cutaway plan view of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a front view of Fig. 4 seen from direction V, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the engine unit mounting part. It is. 1...Small four-wheeled vehicle, 2...Vehicle frame,
4... Swing arm, 5... Engine unit, 6... Rear wheel axle, 7... Rear wheel, 15... Shock absorber, 24... Rear wheel support bracket,
30... Pivot spacing, 31... Left and right spacing.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. The left and right sides of the rear axle of an engine unit that integrates the engine to the rear axle are supported by two points on both sides near the rear of a substantially U-shaped swing arm, and one point at the lower center of the engine is supported by the The swing arm is supported at the center of the middle part thereof, the rear wheels are attached to both left and right ends of the rear wheel axle, and the left and right front ends of the swing arm are supported at the center of the vehicle body frame at two points on the left and right at a distance wider than the distance between the left and right rear wheels. 1. A small four-wheeled vehicle, characterized in that a shock absorber is pivotally connected to the rear end of the swing arm and a rear center of the vehicle body frame.