JP5086155B2 - Front wheel suspension structure for small vehicles - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a front wheel suspension structure for a small vehicle equipped with a double wishbone type suspension device.

  Conventionally, in an ATV type vehicle (saddle-ride type vehicle) capable of traveling on rough terrain, a double-wishbone type suspension device is known as a front-side suspension structure. In the suspension structure equipped with this double wishbone suspension, the lower arm is disposed in front of the upper arm (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Further, the front cushion constituting a part of the front suspension is relatively heavy among the front suspension. The front cushion has an upper end portion attached to the vehicle body frame and a generally triangular shape in top view formed by the upper arm, and a lower end portion attached to the lower arm through the front side of the tie rod. Further, the lower arm is formed by casting or the like, and is a component that is relatively heavy like the front cushion.
JP 2006-273140 A

  In saddle-ride type vehicles, it is easier to control the posture in the air when jumping if the body weight is concentrated near the center of the body. For this reason, if a relatively heavy front suspension or lower arm is disposed in front of the vehicle body, the vehicle body weight is dispersed, which is not preferable.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a front-wheel suspension structure for a small vehicle that can concentrate a mass at a position close to the center of the vehicle body.

In the present invention, in the front wheel suspension structure of a small vehicle provided with a double wishbone type suspension device composed of a pair of left and right upper arms (6) and a lower arm (7) , the upper arm (6) and the lower arm (7) Is composed of a front arm (6F, 7F) and a rear arm (6R, 7R), which are respectively attached to the vehicle body at two points. The rear arm (6R) of the upper arm (6) The lower arm (7) is positioned in front of the vehicle body with respect to the rear arm (7R) , and the front cushion (9) is disposed on the vehicle body rear side with respect to the rear arm (6R) of the upper arm (6) . The front arm (6F) of the upper arm (6) extends laterally, and the rear arm (6R) extends obliquely forward, and the front cushion (9) Extends a position that overlaps with the side view the upper arm support portion (46b), characterized in that attached to the lower arm (7) between said front and rear arm support portion of the lower arm (7) (47a, 47b).
It is also possible to arrange the front cushion (9) to the rear of the vehicle body of the tie rod (24).
According to these configurations, it is possible to shift the center of gravity of the front cushion vehicle central direction.

In the front-wheel suspension structure for a small vehicle according to the present invention, the upper arm and the lower arm are each constituted by a front arm and a rear arm, and each is attached to the vehicle body at two points, and the rear arm of the upper arm is seen in a side view. Since the front cushion is located on the vehicle rear side of the rear arm of the upper arm, the center of gravity of the heavy weight front cushion is shifted toward the center of the vehicle. The mass of the entire vehicle can be concentrated on the center side of the vehicle body. This facilitates handling of the vehicle body in the air. Moreover, since the lower end part of a front cushion can be attached to a lower arm from the rear side of an upper arm, attachment work can be performed easily.
Further, since the front cushion is disposed behind the tie rod in the vehicle body, the mass of the entire vehicle can be similarly concentrated on the vehicle body center side. This facilitates handling of the vehicle body in the air.
Further, the front arms of the pair of left and right upper arms extend in the lateral direction, the rear arms extend obliquely forward, and the front cushion extends at a position that overlaps the upper arm support portion in side view. Since the lower arm can be attached between the front and rear arm supports, the rear arm of the upper arm can be extended diagonally forward to secure the space for the front cushion, and the lower end of the front cushion can be secured to the lower arm. The rear arm of the lower arm is arranged rearward so that it can be supported between the front arm and the rear arm, so that the mass of the entire vehicle can be concentrated on the vehicle body center side.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Note that the directions such as front, rear, left and right in the following description are the same as those in the vehicle unless otherwise specified. In the figure, the arrow FR indicates the front of the vehicle, the arrow LH indicates the left side of the vehicle, and the arrow UP indicates the upper side of the vehicle.
FIG. 1 shows a saddle-ride type vehicle 1. This saddle-ride type vehicle 1 includes a pair of left and right front wheels 2 and rear wheels 3 that are relatively large-diameter low-pressure balloon tires in front of and behind a compact and lightweight vehicle body, and mainly ensures a minimum ground clearance. It is a so-called ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) with improved running ability on rough terrain.
The saddle-ride type vehicle 1 has a body frame 4. The vehicle body frame 4 is an all-aluminum frame in which a plurality of types of aluminum alloy materials are integrally joined by welding or the like, and forms a box structure that is relatively long in the front and rear direction at a front portion of the left and right central portion of the vehicle body. A front end portion of the seat frame 4a extending in the front-rear direction is integrally coupled to the upper rear end portion of the vehicle body frame 4 by bolt fastening or the like, and the saddle riding seat 31 is supported on the seat frame 4a.

  A double wishbone type (independent suspension type) front suspension (double wishbone type suspension device) 5 is supported at the front part of the vehicle body frame 4, and the left and right front wheels 2 are connected to the front part of the vehicle body via the front suspension 5. Suspended. The front suspension 5 includes a pair of left and right upper arms 6 that are pivotably connected to the left and right sides of the lower front side of the body frame 4, and the left and right sides of the body frame 4 below the pair of left and right upper arms 6. A pair of left and right lower arms 7 slidably connected, a pair of left and right knuckles 8 supported by the upper arm 6 and the tip of the lower arm 7, and left and right interposed between the lower arm 7 and the vehicle body frame 4. A pair of front cushions 9 is provided, and the left and right front wheels 2 are rotatably supported by a pair of left and right knuckles 8.

  A swing arm type (axle suspension type) rear suspension (axle suspension device) 11 is supported at the rear part of the vehicle body frame 4, and the left and right rear wheels 3 are suspended from the rear part of the vehicle body via the rear suspension 11. The rear suspension 11 includes a swing arm 12 coupled to a pivot shaft 55 a supported by a pivot portion (swing arm pivot portion) 55 of the center frame 52 so as to be swingable up and down, and a rear end portion of the swing arm 12. And a single rear cushion 14 interposed between the swing arm 12 and the vehicle body frame 4, and the left and right rear wheels 3 are rotatable on both sides of the rear wheel axle 13. Supported by

An engine 15 as a prime mover of the saddle riding type vehicle 1 is mounted on the inner side of the rear part of the vehicle body frame 4. The engine 15 is a water-cooled single-cylinder engine having a crankshaft extending in the vehicle width direction (left-right direction), and a cylinder 17A is erected substantially vertically on a crankcase 16 that constitutes a lower portion thereof. An exhaust pipe 28a of the engine exhaust system is connected to the front side of the cylinder head 17 above the cylinder 17A. The exhaust pipe 28a extends forward and bends, extends to the rear of the vehicle body through the right side of the cylinder 17A, and extends to the seat frame 4a. The lower part is connected to the silencer 28b. An engine intake system throttle body 27 a and an air cleaner case 27 b are connected to the rear end side of the cylinder head 17.
A drive sprocket 18a is disposed on the left side of the rear portion of the crankcase 16, and an endless drive chain 18c is wound around the drive sprocket 18a and a driven sprocket 18b provided at the intermediate portion of the rear wheel axle 13. The power of the engine 15 is transmitted to the left and right rear wheels 3 via the mechanisms (18a to 18c).

  A steering shaft 21 that is inclined so that the upper part is located on the rear side is rotatably supported at the left and right central part of the front part of the body frame 4. A bar-type steering handle 22 is integrally attached to the upper end of the steering shaft 21, and a center arm (center-side steering arm) 23 of the steering mechanism (steering mechanism) is integrally attached to the lower end of the steering shaft 21. Attached. The center arm 23 is connected to the ball ends 24a on the proximal end side of the pair of left and right tie rods 24, and the ball ends 24b on the distal end side of the tie rods 24 are connected to the left and right knuckles 8, respectively. Therefore, when the steering shaft 21 rotates in accordance with the operation of the steering handle 22, this rotation is transmitted to the left and right front wheels 2 via the center arm 23 and the tie rod 24, and the direction of the front wheels 2 (that is, the traveling direction of the vehicle) is changed. Be changed.

  A fuel tank 25 is disposed at the front and rear intermediate portion of the vehicle body frame 4, a radiator 26 is disposed at the front lower side of the fuel tank 25, a radiator fan 26 a is disposed at the rear surface of the radiator 26, and a radiator is disposed at the front of the radiator 26. A grill 26b is provided. A radiator reserve tank 26 c is disposed at the lower rear portion of the radiator 26. In FIG. 1, reference numerals 29a and 29b denote front and rear fenders that cover the upper outer periphery of the front wheel 2 and rear wheel 3, reference numeral 32 denotes a vehicle body cover that mainly covers the front upper side of the vehicle body, and reference numerals 33a and 33b denote saddle riding seats. A battery and various electrical components housed in the vehicle body cover 32 between 31 and the steering shaft 21, a reference numeral 34 denotes a link mechanism for connecting the lower end of the rear cushion 14 to the swing arm 12 and the vehicle body frame 4, and reference numeral 35. Indicates left and right steps for passengers.

Next, the structure of the vehicle body frame 4 will be described with reference to FIGS.
The vehicle body frame 4 is formed by integrally bonding a plurality of types of aluminum alloy materials by welding or the like, and as shown in FIG. 2, a front frame assembly 41 having a front suspension support portion 41A and a center frame having a rear suspension support portion 51A. The assembly 51 includes a pair of left and right upper main frames 61 and a pair of left and right lower main frames 62 that connect the front frame assembly 41 and the center frame assembly 51. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the front frame assembly 41 includes an upper front frame 42 that is formed wider toward the rear of the vehicle body in a top view and a lower front frame 42 that is connected to the lower portion of the upper front frame 42. It has a lower front frame 43 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) that is narrower and extends rearward of the vehicle body, and has a structure that is roughly divided into two.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the upper front frame 42 has openings 42 a that are substantially oblong and elliptical when viewed from the front, and has vertically extending portions 42 f that extend vertically on both side edges of the opening 42 a. Has a laterally extending portion 42c extending substantially horizontally, and is formed in an oblong shape when viewed from the front. As shown in FIG. 2, the upper front frame 42 is disposed so as to be inclined so that the upper part is located on the rear side in a side view. As shown in FIG. 4, a pair of left and right cushion upper end support portions 45 are provided at the widest portion of the vertically extending portion 42 f, and a reinforcing cross member is interposed between the pair of left and right cushion upper end support portions 45. Is handed over. The left and right cushion upper end support portions 45 have a pair of support portions which are front and rear walls parallel to each other (see FIG. 3), and the upper end portion of the front cushion 9 is interposed between the pair of support portions as shown in FIG. Enters the vehicle body and is fixed by a bolt 81 that penetrates substantially in the front-rear direction (slightly lowering direction) of the vehicle body and a nut 82 fastened to the bolt 81, and the front cushion 9 is connected via a shaft portion (connection shaft) of the bolt 81. It is swingably connected.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lower front frame 43 has upper and lower beam portions 43 a and 43 b that extend rearward and rearwardly from the rear of the vehicle body with an interval in the vertical direction. The front half portions of the upper and lower beam portions 43a and 43b are arranged substantially in parallel with each other, while the rear half portion of the upper beam portion 43a extends at a lower slope than the front half portion and the rear end portion thereof is behind the lower beam portion 43b. It merges and integrates at an acute angle in side view on the upper end. And between the front-end parts of the up-and-down beam parts 43a and 43b and between the front-and-rear intermediate parts are connected via the front-and-rear columnar parts 43c and 43d. In this configuration, the front and rear end portions and the front and rear intermediate portions of the lower front frame 43 that are long in the front-rear direction are integrated to increase rigidity, and the lower front frame 43 is disposed between the front half portions and the rear half portions of the upper and lower beam portions 43a and 43b. The front and rear space portions K1, K2 penetrating left and right are formed, and the weight of the lower portion of the front frame assembly 41 can be reduced.

  The upper and lower beam portions 43a and 43b extend in the front-rear direction so as to have a flat shape having a width that is wider than the vertical thickness. Further, the front and rear columnar portions 43c and 43d extend in the vertical direction in a flat shape having a width that is wider than the front and rear thickness. The upper and lower end portions of the front and rear columnar portions 43c and 43d increase in the front and rear thickness toward the distal end side, thereby suppressing the stress concentration at the connecting portion with the upper and lower beam portions 43a and 43b. The left and right widths of the lower front frame 43 are provided so as to increase toward the rear side. A pair of left and right lower main frames 62 are connected to the rear end portion of the lower beam portion 43b. A pair of left and right gusset pipes 44 are provided between the rear portions of the upper and lower front frames 42 and 43.

  A front pedestal portion 49a protruding upward is integrally provided on the upper side of the front end portion of the upper beam portion 43a, and the lower end portion of the upper front frame 42 is welded to the front pedestal portion 49a. Further, a rear pedestal portion 49b that protrudes upward is formed on the upper side of the front and rear intermediate portion of the upper beam portion 43a, and the lower ends of the left and right gusset pipes 44 are welded to the rear pedestal portion 49b. The left and right gusset pipes 44 are made of an aluminum pipe having an elliptical cross section, and are inclined so that the upper part is located on the front side when viewed from the side, and are inclined so that the upper part opens left and right when viewed from the front. It arrange | positions in the substantially V shape from which width differs in the position. These left and right gusset pipes 44 are provided between the left and right lower extending portions 42 d extending downward from the cushion upper end support portion 45 and both sides of the rear base portion 49 b of the lower front frame 43. The left and right widths of the front portion of the vehicle body frame 4 are wider toward the upper side (see FIG. 4), and the vicinity of the left and right cushion upper end support portions 45 is the maximum width, and the upper side is slightly narrower than that.

  The front half portions of the gusset pipe 44, the upper front frame 42, and the upper beam portion 43a are arranged in a substantially triangular shape in a side view, and an upper space portion K3 penetrating the front frame assembly 41 to the left and right is formed inside thereof. Is done. As a result, the rigidity of the upper portion of the front frame assembly 41 is increased and the weight is reduced. Further, the upper front frame 42 and the front columnar portion 43c are connected in a substantially square shape in a side view, and the gusset pipe 44 and the rear columnar portion 43d are connected in a straight line in a side view, thereby causing a front frame assembly 41 that is long in the vertical direction. The front portion of the front frame and the lower portion of the front frame assembly 41 that is long in the front-rear direction (lower front frame 43) are firmly provided. Further, the upper front frame 42 and the front columnar portion 43c are connected in a substantially U shape in a side view, so that the overall length in the vehicle longitudinal direction on the lower side of the vehicle body frame 4 is shortened.

  A pair of left and right front engine support portions 49c that form a trapezoidal shape in a side view and project obliquely upward and rearward are integrally formed on the upper rear end portion of the upper beam portion 43a, and the front engine support portion 49c and the lower main frame 62 are A pair of left and right gusset pipes 43f are provided between them. Further, the lower main frame 62 is reinforced by a cross member 43e (see FIG. 3) extending between the connecting portions of the left and right gusset pipes 43f in the vehicle body width direction, and has an engine support bracket 63 protruding upward at the reinforcement portion. doing.

  A base end portion of a pair of left and right front engine support plates 49d (see FIG. 1) is coupled to the left and right sides of the front engine support portion 49c by bolt fastening or the like, and a front end portion of the front engine support plate 49d is a crankcase of the engine 15. 16 is coupled to the upper side of the front end by bolt fastening or the like. That is, the upper front end portion of the crankcase 16 of the engine 15 is supported by the front engine support portion 49c of the lower front frame 43 via the left and right front engine support plates. In addition to the upper side of the front end of the crankcase 16, the engine 15 is supported by the front side of the pair of left and right lower main frames 62 via the engine support bracket 63 on the lower side of the front end of the crankcase 16. Is supported by the upper cross member 53 provided between the upper portions of the left and right center frames 52 via a rear engine support plate 52d (see FIG. 1) constituting the rear engine support portion, and the rear end portion of the crankcase 16 is The swing arm pivot portion 55 below the left and right center frames 52 is supported via a pivot shaft 55a (see FIG. 1).

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pair of left and right upper main frames 61 includes a front frame assembly 41 having both sides of the upper end where the width of the front frame assembly 41 is widest (the rear end portion 42 b of the upper front frame 42), and a center frame assembly. 51 extends in the front-rear direction between both sides of the upper end 51b of the upper end 51b (the upper end of the left and right center frame 52). The front end 61a is the rear end 42b of the upper front frame 42, and the rear end 61b is the left and right. The front end portion 52b of the center frame 52 is welded to each other. The width between the pair of upper main frames 61 is widest at the front end 61a at the position where the fuel tank 25 is disposed (see FIG. 3), and gradually becomes narrower toward the rear end 61b at the rear of the vehicle body. In 61b, it becomes substantially parallel. As shown in FIG. 1, the fuel tank 25 fits in a space between the pair of left and right upper main frames 61 with the lower half expanded most, and the upper half projects above the pair of left and right upper main frames 61 in a side view. Provided. The fuel tank 25 is positioned inside the pair of left and right upper main frames 61 in the top view and substantially in the center of the vehicle body width direction, and is arranged by center distribution.

  A support portion 61c is provided at substantially the upper end of the center of the pair of left and right upper main frames 61, and the fuel tank 25 mounts a fixing member 25c protruding from both sides of the fuel tank 25 on the support portion 61c. It is supported by connecting with bolts. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 25 a indicates a fuel cap that is attached to the fuel inlet at the upper end of the rear portion of the fuel tank 25, and reference numeral 25 b indicates that the fuel in the fuel tank 25 is attached to the opening at the upper end of the front portion of the fuel tank 25. Each of the pump holders supporting the pump is shown. The radiator 26 has a plate shape extending in the left-right direction, has a posture slightly inclined forward from the upright state, and is disposed below the fuel tank 25 in a side view. The radiator 26 has an upper end portion 26d supported by the upper portion of the upper front frame 42 and a lower end portion 26e supported by the central portion of the upper beam portion 43a. The radiator grill 26 b is made of resin, and is disposed in a forward tilt posture with a slight inclination compared to the radiator 26, and is supported by the front frame assembly 41 by being provided between the pair of left and right gusset pipes 44.

  The pair of left and right lower main frames 62 are provided on both sides of the rear end portion of the lower beam portion 43b where the width of the lower portion of the front frame assembly 41 is narrow (on both sides of the rear end portion of the lower front frame 43) and on both sides of the lower end portion of the center frame assembly 51. (The lower end portion of the left and right center frame 52) extends forward and backward, and its front end is welded to the lower beam portion 43b and its rear end is welded to the left and right center frame 52, respectively. The width between the pair of lower main frames 62 is the narrowest at the front end portion 62a (see FIG. 3) connected to the rear end portion of the lower beam portion 43b, gradually becomes wider toward the rear of the vehicle body, and is substantially parallel at the rear end portion 62b. Become.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the center frame assembly 51 includes a pair of left and right center frames 52 and upper and lower cross members 53 and 54 that connect them. The left and right center frames 52 extend vertically in the rear portion of the vehicle body front-rear intermediate portion, and are provided symmetrically with respect to each other. The rear end portions 61b of the pair of left and right upper main frames 61 are welded to the front side of the upper end portions of the left and right center frames 52. Further, a member support portion 58 projecting rearward is integrally formed on the rear side of the upper end portion of the left and right center frames 52, and the end portion of the upper cross member 53 is welded to the left and right inner sides of the member support portion 58. The cushion upper end support portion 56 protruding rearward is integrally formed on the rear side of the left and right intermediate portions of the upper cross member 53.

  The lower ends of the left and right center frames 52 are curved forward and extend, and the rear ends 62b of the pair of left and right lower main frames 62 are welded to the front ends thereof. Further, the end of the lower cross member 54 (see FIG. 5) is welded to the left and right inner sides of the lower end of the left and right center frame 52. On the rear side of the left and right intermediate portions of the lower cross member 54, the link mechanism support portion 57 protruding rearward is integrally formed. Note that a step support portion 52a for supporting the step 35 is provided on the left and right outer sides of the lower end portion of the left and right center frame 52, and a seat frame support for supporting the front end portion of the seat frame 4a on the upper rear side of the left and right center frame 52. A portion (not shown) is provided.

  A swing arm pivot portion 55 is provided at the lower portion of the left and right center frame 52. The front end portion of the swing arm 12 swings up and down via the pivot shaft 55a (see FIG. 1) along the left and right direction. Supported as possible. The center frame assembly 51 is formed so that the left and right widths are substantially equal and extend upward, and the upper left and right widths are slightly narrowed. The pair of left and right lower main frames 62 are provided to be inclined so as to be separated from each other in the rear view, and are provided to be substantially horizontal in the side view. The pair of left and right upper main frames 61 are widest on the front side when viewed from the top, gradually narrow toward the rear, and extend substantially parallel to each other at the rear end, and are inclined so as to be lowered rearward as viewed from the side. .

  The upper and lower front frames 42 and 43 are integrally cast aluminum parts, and the left and right center frame 52 and the upper and lower cross members 53 and 54 are integrally forged aluminum parts. The upper and lower front frames 42 and 43 may be integrated aluminum forged parts, and the left and right center frames 52 and the upper and lower cross members 53 and 54 may be aluminum cast parts. All of the upper and lower front frames 42 and 43, the left and right center frame 52, and the upper and lower cross members 53 and 54 may be integrated aluminum casting parts or forging parts. Each of the frames 61 and 62 and the gusset pipes 44 and 43f is a part formed by bending an integrally extruded aluminum material. Note that a part or all of the frames 61 and 62 and the gusset pipes 44 and 43f may be integrated aluminum casting parts or forging parts, respectively.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing the front portion of the vehicle body frame 4 together with the peripheral configuration (front suspension 5 and the like), and FIG. 7 is a view seen from the front of the vehicle body. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state in which the front cushion 9 and the lower arm 7 are attached.
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the upper front frame 42 is formed with a laterally extending portion 42 c extending substantially horizontally at the upper edge thereof. An arc-shaped recess 42e (see FIG. 4) is formed at the center in the width direction of the laterally extending portion 42c, and a front / rear split body 64a is attached to the recess 42e. An upper portion of the steering shaft 21 is rotatably supported on a cylindrical inner peripheral surface formed through a cylindrical collar (not shown). That is, the laterally extending portion 42c is configured with an upper steering support portion 64 that rotatably supports the upper portion of the steering shaft 21.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a lower steering support portion 65 that rotatably supports the lower end portion of the steering shaft 21 is provided in the front half of the upper beam portion 43 a of the front frame assembly 41. The lower steering support portion 65 has a shaft insertion hole 65a that vertically penetrates the upper beam portion 43a, and a bearing 75 is held in the shaft insertion hole 65a. The steering shaft 21 is inserted into the shaft insertion hole 65 a so as to penetrate from the upper side to the lower side, and the lower end portion of the steering shaft 21 is rotatably supported via a bearing 75. That is, the lower steering support portion 65 also functions as a bearing holder that holds the bearing 75. An oil seal (not shown) is provided above and below the bearing 75 in the shaft insertion hole 65a of the lower steering support portion 65.

  The lower end portion 21a of the steering shaft 21 is formed to have a smaller diameter than the upper portion of the lower end portion 21a. The lower end portion 21a having a small diameter penetrates the bearing 75 and is below the lower steering support portion (bearing holder) 65. The center arm 23 of the steering mechanism (steering device) is attached to the lower end as shown in FIG. That is, the front space K1 is used as an arrangement space for the steering mechanism (steering device). In FIG. 6, reference numeral 65b is provided below the upper beam portion 43a so as to abut against the center arm 23 when the steering shaft 21 is rotated, and the maximum rotation angle of the steering shaft 21 (the maximum rotation of the steering handle 22). (Steering angle) is a handle stopper.

  The center arm 23 has an arm portion 23 b that curves downward from a base end portion 23 a that is fixed to the lower end portion 21 a of the steering shaft 21 with a nut 77. A pair of left and right tie rods 24 are attached to the other end of the arm 23b with the ball end 24a facing upward, and a nut attachment 24c connected to the ball end 24a is attached downward (FIG. 6). FIG. 7). The ball end 24b on the knuckle 8 side of the tie rod 24 is attached to the knuckle 8 with the ball end 24b facing downward as shown in FIG.

  Next, the structure of the front suspension 5 will be described. The structure of the front suspension 5 is symmetrical on the left and right sides of the vehicle body, and the structure is the same. In the following description, the left side of the vehicle body will be described, and the description of the right suspension will be omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 6, front and rear upper arm support portions 46a and 46b are integrally formed on both sides of the front end portion and both front and rear intermediate portions of the upper beam portion 43a. Each of the upper arm support portions 46a and 46b has a pair of support portions 91 and 92 which are front and rear walls parallel to each other, and the cylindrical connecting portion of the upper arm 6 between each pair of support portions 91 and 92. 6a and 6b are respectively inserted and fixed by bolts 93 and nuts 94 fastened to the bolts 93, and the upper arms 6 are swingably connected via shafts (connection shafts) of the bolts 93.

  Front and rear lower arm support portions 47a and 47b are integrally provided on both sides of the front end portion and the rear portion of the lower beam portion 43b so as to project outward in the left and right directions. Each of the lower arm support portions 47a and 47b has a pair of support portions 101 and 102 which are front and rear walls parallel to each other, and a cylindrical connecting portion at the base end portion of the lower arm 7 between the pair of support portions 101 and 102. 7a and 7b are respectively inserted and fixed by a bolt 103 and a nut 104 fastened to the bolt 103, and the lower arm 7 is swingably connected via a shaft portion (connection shaft) of each bolt 103.

In this case, the axial centers of the bolts 93 fastened to the pair of front and rear upper arm support portions 46a and 46b are coaxially arranged along the inclination of the front half of the upper beam portion 43a, and the pair of front and rear lower arm support portions 47a. , 47b, the shafts of the bolts 103 are coaxially arranged along the rearward downward slope of the lower beam portion 43b parallel to the front half of the upper beam portion 43a. For this reason, the upper arm 6 and the lower arm 7 are supported by the vehicle body frame 4 so as to be swingable with their base ends parallel to each other.
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the upper arm 6 whose base end portions are supported by the upper arm support portions 46a and 46b and the lower arm 7 whose base end portions are supported by the lower arm support portions 47a and 47b, respectively, It extends outward in the vehicle body width direction, and its tip is connected to the upper and lower portions of the knuckle 8 via ball joint portions 6c and 7c (see FIG. 7). A hub 71 is rotatably connected to the outer side (outside the vehicle body) of each knuckle 8, and the front wheel 2 is bolted to each hub 71. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 72 denotes a brake disc for front wheel braking.

Next, the arrangement of the front suspension 5 will be described. Since the arrangement is also symmetrical on the left and right sides of the vehicle body, only the left side of the vehicle body will be described, and the description on the right side will be omitted.
As shown in FIG. 6, the upper arm support portion 46a located on the front side is disposed at the front end portion (the foremost portion of the vehicle body) of the upper beam portion 43a. The rear upper arm support 46b is disposed behind the steering shaft 21 and sandwiches the steering shaft 21 in the front-rear direction together with the front upper arm support 46a.

On the other hand, the lower arm support portion 47a on the front side is disposed at the front end portion of the lower beam portion 43b, and is substantially below the upper arm support portion 46a (specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the lower arm support portion 47a is the upper portion). It is located on the rear side by a dimension a) from the arm support 46a. Further, the position of the lower arm support portion 47a is arranged on an extension line of the steering shaft 21, as shown in FIG. By disposing in this way, the front end portion of the lower beam portion 43b can be positioned substantially at the same position as the front end portion of the upper beam portion 43a in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.
On the other hand, the rear lower arm support portion 47b is arranged to be shifted to the rear side of the vehicle body with respect to the rear upper arm support portion 46b. More specifically, the lower arm support portion 47b is located at the intersection of the rear columnar portion 43d and the lower beam portion 43b, and the force for supporting the lower arm 7 is distributed to the upper front frame 42.

As shown in FIG. 8, the upper arm 6 attached to the upper arm support portions 46a and 46b includes a front arm 6F and a rear arm 6R formed in a shaft shape. The front arm 6F and the rear arm 6R are attached to the knuckle 8 so as to form a triangle having the front wheel 2 side as a vertex.
On the other hand, the lower arm 7 attached to the lower arm support portions 47a and 47b has a front arm 7F and a rear arm 7R like the upper arm 6, and the front arm 7F and the rear arm 7R are apexes on the front wheel 2 side. It attaches to the knuckle 8 in the aspect which forms the triangle which becomes. In the lower arm 7, the front arm 7 </ b> F and the rear arm 7 </ b> R are integrally formed by casting, and are relatively heavy parts as parts constituting the front suspension 5. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the rear arm 7 </ b> R has a curved shape that gently swells toward the rear of the vehicle body.

Conventionally, the lower arm 7 is positioned on the front side of the upper arm 6 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and the upper arm 6 and the lower arm 7 are arranged side by side on an extension line of the steering shaft 21, and upper arm support portions 46a and 46b. The lower arm support portions 47a and 47b were also arranged in accordance therewith.
In the front suspension 5 in the present embodiment, when the upper arm 6 and the lower arm 7 are attached to the upper arm support portions 46a and 46b and the lower arm support portions 47a and 47b, the lower arm 7 is compared with the conventional structure. Rather, it is arranged in a manner that is offset toward the center of the vehicle body. Further, when viewed from the top, the triangular shape of the lower arm 7 is larger on the rear side of the vehicle body than the triangular shape of the upper arm 6.

  The lower arm 7 is integrally formed with a reinforcing member 7M that connects the front arm 7F and the rear arm 7R in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. A cushion lower end support portion 7S to which the lower end portion of the front cushion 9 is attached is provided on the upper surface of the rear portion of the reinforcing member 7M. The cushion lower end support portion 7S is located on the outer rear side of the triangular shape of the upper arm 6 in a top view with the upper arm 6 and the lower arm 7 attached.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the front cushion 9 is attached to the rear (rear end side) of the upper arm 6 in a state of being attached to the cushion upper end support portion 45 and the cushion lower end support portion 7S. More specifically, the front cushion 9 extends downward from the cushion upper end support portion 45 through the rear of the rear arm 6R to the cushion lower end support portion 7S. As shown in FIG. 6, the front cushion 9 is attached so as to be inclined obliquely downward and forward from the vehicle body frame 4 in the side view, and from the vehicle body frame 4 in the vehicle width direction in the front view as shown in FIG. It is attached to the outside diagonally downward.

The front cushion 9 is disposed rearward of the tie rod 24 as shown in FIGS. More specifically, the ball end 24a of the tie rod 24 is arranged so as to be shifted from the steering shaft 21 to the rear side of the vehicle body by the arm portion 23b, but is positioned on the front side of the front cushion 9. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the ball end 24 b on the knuckle 8 side is located substantially below the ball end 24 a in the side view and is located on the front side of the front cushion 9.

  Further, the front arms 6F of the pair of left and right upper arms 6 extend toward the knuckle 8 positioned in the lateral direction, as shown in FIGS. Further, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the rear arm 6R extends toward the knuckle 8 located obliquely forward. As shown in FIG. 6, the front cushion 9 extends up and down in a position that overlaps the rear upper arm support portion 46 b in a side view, and is attached to the lower arm 7 between the front and rear arm support portions 47 a and 47 b of the lower arm 7. It is supposed to be.

According to the front-wheel suspension structure for a small vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention, the front cushion 9 is arranged on the vehicle body rear side of the upper arm 6, so that the center of gravity of the heavy weight front cushion 9 is directed toward the vehicle body center. The mass of the entire vehicle can be concentrated on the vehicle body center side. This facilitates handling of the vehicle body in the air. Moreover, since the lower end part of the front cushion 9 can be attached to the lower arm 7 from the rear side of the upper arm 6, the attaching operation can be easily performed.
In particular, the lower arm 7 is offset in the center direction with respect to the upper arm 6, and the cushion lower end support portion 7S is disposed on the upper surface of the offset lower arm 7, so that the mounting structure of the lower end portion of the front cushion 9 is also easy. At the same time, the mounting operation can be performed more easily.

  Further, since the front cushion 9 is disposed behind the tie rod 24 in the vehicle body, the mass of the entire vehicle can be similarly concentrated on the vehicle body center side. This facilitates handling of the vehicle body in the air.

Further, the front arm 6F of the pair of left and right upper arms 6 extends in the lateral direction, the rear arm 6R extends obliquely forward, and the front cushion 9 extends at a position that is overlapped with the upper arm support portion 46b in side view. Since it is attached to the lower arm 7 between the front and rear arm support portions 47a and 47b of the lower arm 7, the rear arm 6R of the upper arm 6 is extended obliquely forward to secure the space for arranging the front cushion 9. Further, the rear arm 7R of the lower arm 7 is arranged rearward so that the lower end of the front cushion 9 can be supported between the front arm 7F and the rear arm 7R of the lower arm 7, and the mass of the entire vehicle is reduced. It can be concentrated on the center of the car.
Further, the center of gravity of the front cushion 9 can be shifted toward the center of the vehicle body without complicating the arrangement configuration of the upper arm 6 and the lower arm 7, and the mass of the entire vehicle can be concentrated on the vehicle body center side. This facilitates handling of the vehicle body in the air.

  Further, the lower arm support portion 47a is disposed at the front end portion of the lower beam portion 43b, and is positioned substantially below the upper arm support portion 46a. Therefore, the front end portion of the lower beam portion 43b is disposed on the upper beam in the front-rear direction. By setting the same position as the front end portion of the portion 43a, the longitudinal length of the vehicle body on the lower side of the vehicle body can be shortened. Further, the mass of the body frame 4 itself can be shifted toward the center of the body.

  Furthermore, since only the lower arm support portion 47b is shifted to the vehicle body center side without changing the position of the upper arm support portion 46b, the upper arm 6 can be reduced in size and weight as in the prior art.

1 is a left side view of a saddle-ride type vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a left view of a vehicle body frame. FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a front view of FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a rear view of FIG. 2. It is the front view which looked at the front suspension from the front side. FIG. 7 is a side view of FIG. 6. It is the perspective view which looked at the front suspension from the left rear diagonally upper side.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 saddle-ride type vehicle 2 Front wheel 3 Rear wheel 4 Body frame 5 Front suspension 6 Upper arm 6F Front arm 6R Rear arm 6a, 6b Connection part 6c Ball joint part 7 Lower arm 7F Front arm 7M Reinforcement member 7R Rear arm 7S Cushion lower end support part 7a, 7b Connecting portion 8 Knuckle 9 Front cushion 24 Tie rod 24a, 24b Ball end 24c Nut mounting portion 42 Upper front frame 43 Lower front frame 43a Upper beam portion 43b Lower beam portion 43c Front columnar portion 43d Rear columnar portion 43e Cross member 43f Gusset Pipe 44 Gusseted pipe 45 Cushion upper end support part 46a, 46b Upper arm support part 47a, 47b Lower arm support part 56 Cushion upper end support part 64 Upper steering support part 64a Half split body 65 Lower steering support portion 65a Shaft insertion hole 71 Hub 75 Bearing 77, 82, 94, 104 Nut 81, 93, 103 Bolt 91, 92, 101, 102 Support portion

Claims (2)

In the front wheel suspension structure of a small vehicle provided with a double wishbone type suspension device composed of a pair of left and right upper arms (6) and a lower arm (7) ,
The upper arm (6) and the lower arm (7) are each composed of a front arm (6F, 7F) and a rear arm (6R, 7R) , each being attached to the vehicle body at two points,
The rear arm (6R ) of the upper arm (6) is positioned in front of the vehicle body from the rear arm (7R) of the lower arm (7) in a side view, and the front cushion (9) is attached to the upper arm (6) . Arranged behind the rear arm (6R) ,
The front arm (6F) of the pair of left and right upper arms (6) extends laterally, the rear arm (6R) extends obliquely forward, and the front cushion (9) is a side view upper arm. A front wheel suspension structure for a small vehicle, characterized in that a position that is bulky with the support portion (46b) extends and is attached to the lower arm (7) between the front and rear arm support portions (47a, 47b) of the lower arm (7) . The front wheel suspension structure for a small vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the front cushion (9) is arranged behind the tie rod (24) in the vehicle body.

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