BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side view of a model tank having a suspension structure according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the suspension structure according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an exploded side view of the suspension structure according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a top view showing a state where a bar-like member is attached to the bottom of a vehicle body.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the suspension structure according to the present invention that has been assembled.
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the assembled state of the suspension structure according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a structural side view of a conventional model tank.
FIG. 8 is a plan view of a suspension structure used in the model tank shown in FIG. 7.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the suspension structure shown in FIG. 8.
EXPLANATION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
1: suspension structure
20: bar-like member
21: first annular section
22: second annular section
30: pivot shaft
31: ridge
32: slit
40: securing ring
50: swing arm
60: securing member
70: model tank
71: vehicle body
74: road wheel
75: projection section
77: securing ring retainer
78: restraining section
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the suspension structure and the model vehicle according to the present invention will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. Although in this embodiment the suspension structure is applied to the suspension of a model tank, the present invention is not necessarily limited to model tanks but is also applicable to other model vehicles such as tracked vehicles and automobiles.
FIG. 1 is a side view of a model tank 70 to which the present invention is applied. The model tank 70 is modeled after “Leopard 2”. The model tank 70 has a vehicle body 71, a turret 72 rotatably provided on the top of the vehicle body 71, and a gun 73 vertically movably provided on the turret 72. A plurality of road wheels 74 are provided on each side of the vehicle body 71. The suspension structure 1 according to the present invention supports each road wheel 74 vertically movably to serve as a suspension for the road wheel 74.
In the following FIGS. 2 and 4 to 6, the vehicle body 71 is shown only at a part thereof in the vicinity of the suspension structure 1. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the suspension structure 1. The suspension structure 1 according to the present invention is attached to the inner bottom surface of the vehicle body 71, which is made of a resin. A bar-like member (torsion bar) 20 is formed of a steel wire and has predetermined torsional elasticity. At both ends of the bar-like member 20, the steel wire is bent into an annular shape to form a first annular section 21 and a second annular section 22. A pivot shaft 30 is cylindrical and attached to the second annular section 22. The pivot shaft 30 is formed at one end thereof with a slit 32 into which the second annular section 22 is inserted. The second annular section 22 is secured to the pivot shaft 30 by inserting the second annular section 22 into the slit 32 from one end of the pivot shaft 30.
With the second annular section 22 inserted into the slit 32 from one end of the pivot shaft 30, a metallic securing ring 40 is attached to the pivot shaft 30. The securing ring 40 prevents the second annular section 22 from falling out of the slit 32. The pivot shaft 30 has at one end thereof a ridge 31 provided over the entire circumference to prevent the securing ring 40 from falling off the end of the pivot shaft 30 at which the slit 32 is provided. The ridge 31 abuts against the securing ring 40 to prevent falling off of the securing ring 40. A swing arm 50 is attached at the proximal end thereof to the other end of the pivot shaft 30 so as to pivot within a predetermined range together with the pivot shaft 30. A road wheel 74 (not shown) is rotatably attached to the distal end of the swing arm 50. One side of the vehicle body 71 is formed with a tubular opening 76 that accommodates the pivot shaft 30.
The inner bottom surface of the vehicle body 71, which is made of a resin, is integrally formed with a circular columnar projection section 75 projecting upward from the bottom surface. The outer diameter of the projection section 75 is substantially the same as the inner diameter of the first annular section 21, so that the first annular section 21 is fittable to the projection section 75. In a state where the first annular section 21 is fitted to the projection section 75, a securing member 60 is attached to the distal end of the projection section 75 to prevent falling off of the first annular section 21. The securing member 60 is brought into abutment against the first annular section 21 and secured to the projection section 75 with a screw (not shown). Thus, the first annular section 21 side of the bar-like member 20 is secured to the vehicle body 71.
FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state where one end of the bar-like member 20 is attached to the inner bottom surface of the vehicle body 71. A part of the vehicle body 71 in the vicinity of the tubular opening 76 is integrally formed with a securing ring retainer 77 projecting upward from the vehicle body 71 and having a curved surface that abuts against a curved surface of the securing ring 40. As shown in FIG. 6, the securing ring 40 is slidably supported by the securing ring retainer 77. In addition, a restraining section (restraining wall) 78 is integrally formed with the vehicle body 71 so as to extend perpendicular to both side surfaces of the securing ring retainer 77, i.e. the axial direction of the pivot shaft 30, and abut against the lower portions of both side surfaces of the securing ring 40 to restrain the securing ring 40 from moving axially of the pivot shaft 30.
FIGS. 5 and 6 show the above-described suspension structure 1 installed on the bottom of the vehicle body 71. The swing arm 50 is attached to the bar-like member 20 through the pivot shaft 30. The swing arm 50 is rotatable within a range allowed by the torsional elasticity of the bar-like member 20. Although not shown in either of FIGS. 5 and 6, if the road wheel 74 rides over an obstacle during traveling of the model tank, an upward force is applied to the road wheel 74. The force causes the distal end of the swing arm 50 to move upward. That is, the pivot shaft 30 rotates about the bar-like member 20 as an axis of rotation. Consequently, the bar-like member 20 is twisted because one end thereof is fixed to the bottom of the vehicle body 71, thereby absorbing the force applied to the road wheel 74. When the road wheel 74 has passed the obstacle, the applied force disappears. As a result, the bar-like member 20 is deformed so as to untwist, causing the pivot shaft 30 and the swing arm 50 to rotate in the opposite direction to the above. Thus, the road wheel 74 moves downward.
It should be noted that the suspension structure 1 according to the present invention is attached to all the road wheels 74 of the model tank 70 shown in FIG. 1. That is, suspension structures 1 for road wheels 74 attached to the right side of the vehicle body 71 and those for road wheels 74 attached to the left side of the vehicle body 71 are installed on the inner bottom surface of the vehicle body 71 alternately and parallel to each other, although not shown in the figures.
Patent Application
20080096462
