Wheel Arrangement For A Four-Wheeled Vehicle

Abstract

A wheel arrangement for a four-wheeled vehicle is comprised of a front wheel, two side wheels and a rear wheel, whereas the rear wheel is connected to the frame of the vehicle by a supporting base enabling the same to be steered freely while having a ground-touching point of the same to be biased from the axis of the supporting base by a distance, and the front wheel can be specified as a driving wheel, a free-rolling steering wheel or just a steering wheel with respect to actual requirement, and the two side wheels can be specified as a driving wheels or free-rolling wheels while enabling the axis of the two side wheels to be aligned to a straight line without sharing a same shaft. The wheel arrangement can be a rhombus configuration as the distances between the center of the front wheel and the centers of the two side wheels are the same as that of the center of the rear wheel and the centers of the two side wheels, or can be a diamond configuration as the distances between the center of the front wheel and the centers of the two side wheels are different from that of the center of the rear wheel and the centers of the two side wheels.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional rhombus four-wheeled vehicle disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,262,806.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a conventional rhombus four-wheeled vehicle disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,828,876.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a conventional rhombus four-wheeled vehicle disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,511.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a conventional rhombus four-wheeled vehicle disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,021.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a wheel arrangement for a four-wheeled vehicle of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 shows the meeting of the axis of four wheels of a four-wheeled vehicle while it is negotiating a turn according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 shows the meeting of the axis of four wheels of a four-wheeled vehicle while it is perform a turn-in-spot according to the present invention.

FIGS. 10A is a schematic diagram illustrating a wheel arrangement of a rhombus vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 10B is a schematic diagram illustrating a wheel arrangement of a conventional rectangle four-wheeled vehicle.

FIG. 11A is a schematic diagram illustrating a wheel arrangement of a rhombus vehicle according to the present invention.

FIG. 11B is a schematic diagram illustrating a wheel arrangement of a conventional three-wheeled vehicle.

FIG. 12A shows a turning radius of a four-wheeled vehicle while it is perform a turn-in-spot.

FIG. 12B shows a turning radius of a conventional three-wheeled vehicle while it is perform a turn-in-spot.

Claims

1. A wheel arrangement for a four-wheeled vehicle, comprising: a front wheel, having abilities of driving and steering;two side wheels, capable of rolling freely and individually while enabling the axis of the two side wheels to be aligned to a straight line without sharing a same shaft; anda rear wheel, capable of being turned and steered freely while being connected to a vehicle frame of the four-wheeled vehicle by a supporting base.

2. The wheel arrangement of claim 1, wherein the driving ability of the front wheel is enabled by a hub motor or a motor-in-wheel.

3. The wheel arrangement of claim 1, wherein the steering of the front wheel is enabled by manpower.

4. The wheel arrangement of claim 1, wherein the steering angle of the front wheel toward one side is less than 90 degrees.

5. The wheel arrangement of claim 1, wherein the rear wheel is rotatable within 360 degrees about the axis of the supporting base.

6. The wheel arrangement of claim 1, wherein the four wheels is arranged in a rhombus configuration while the distances measured from the centers of the two side wheels to the center of the front wheel, and those to the center of the rear wheel are all equal.

7. The wheel arrangement of claim 1, wherein the four wheels is arranged in a diamond configuration while the distances measured from the centers of the two side wheels to the center of the front wheel are not equal to the distances measured from the center of the rear wheel to the centers of the two side wheels.

8. The wheel arrangement of claim 1, wherein the front wheel is connected with a switching mechanism and a steering device for steering control.

9. The wheel arrangement of claim 1, wherein the point of the pivoting axis of the front wheel projected on the ground is biased from the point of the center of the front wheel projected on the ground by a distance.

10. The wheel arrangement of claim 1, wherein the two side wheels are respectively connected to the vehicle frame by a hub and a suspension system.

11. A wheel arrangement for a four-wheeled vehicle comprising: a front wheel, having steering ability;two side wheels, capable of respectively issuing a driving force for driving the four-wheeled vehicle while enabling the axis of the two side wheels to be aligned to a straight line without sharing a same shaft, each side wheel having power output; anda rear wheel, capable of being turned and steered freely while being connected to a vehicle frame of the four-wheeled vehicle by a supporting base.

12. The wheel arrangement of claim 11, wherein the front wheel is driven by a hub motor or a motor-in-wheel.

13. The wheel arrangement of claim 11, wherein the steering of the front wheel is enabled by manpower.

14. The wheel arrangement of claim 11, wherein the steering angle of the front wheel toward one side is less than 90 degrees.

15. The wheel arrangement of claim 11, wherein the front wheel is enabled to be turned and steered freely while the each of the two side wheels is enabled to control individually its power output, rotation direction and rotation speed.

16. The wheel arrangement of claim 15, wherein the front wheel is connected to the vehicle frame by a supporting base.

17. The wheel arrangement of claim 16, wherein the ground-touching point of the front wheel is any one point of a circle surrounding the point of the axis of the supporting base projected on the ground.

18. The wheel arrangement of claim 11, wherein the driving forces of the two side wheels are respectively enabled by a motor.

19. The wheel arrangement of claim 18, wherein the motor has a controller for controlling the rotation speeds and rolling directions of the two side wheels in accordance with a steering angle of the front wheel.

20. The wheel arrangement of claim 11, wherein the two side wheels are enabled to rotate independently and toward different directions.

21. The wheel arrangement of claim 11, wherein the four wheels is arranged in a rhombus configuration while the distances measured from the centers of the two side wheels to the center of the front wheel, and those to the center of the rear wheel are all equal.

22. The wheel arrangement of claim 11, wherein the four wheels is arranged in a diamond configuration while the distances measured from the centers of the two side wheels to the center of the front wheel are not equal to the distances measured from the center of the rear wheel to the centers of the two side wheels.

23. The wheel arrangement of claim 11, wherein the ground-touching point of the rear wheel is any one point of a circle surrounding the point of the axis of the supporting base projected on the ground.

24. The wheel arrangement of claim 11, wherein the front wheel is connected with a switching mechanism and a steering device for steering control.

25. The wheel arrangement of claim 11, wherein the point of the pivoting axis of the front wheel projected on the ground is biased from the point of the center of the front wheel projected on the ground by a distance.

26. The wheel arrangement of claim 11, wherein the two side wheels are respectively connected to the vehicle frame by a hub and a suspension system.

27. The wheel arrangement of claim 11, wherein the front wheel is enabled to issue a driving force similar to that of each side wheel.