Recumbent velocipede
US4526392A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 15, 1982 |
| Grant date | Jul 2, 1985 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 15, 2002 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB62K5/10
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A rear steered vehicle with improved handling and stability described by having a single front driven wheel and a pair of steered rear wheels. Cornering ability is improved while maintaining a narrow overall width by allowing the rider, front wheel, and frame to lean "into" turns thereby shifting the vehicle's center of gravity to the inside of a turn. Stability at all speeds is improved over other rear steered vehicles by the steering design which rotates the two rear wheels on separate steering axes and the lack of mechanical connection between "leaning" and "steering." This allows the correct ratio of steering and leaning at all speeds. In practice, the rider will "lean" into a turn at any speed and the rear steering geometry will react to the weight transfer and steer the correct amount to maintain stability without additional input from the rider. For extremely low speed maneuvering, the rider still has precise control of the steering due to the design of the handlebars which allow the rider to use them either for leverage to control the amount of "lean" as they remain level independent of the degree of rider/frame "lean", or to steer the rear wheels directly by rotating the h…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.