阅读说明：本技术 两轮车的辅助轮机构 (Auxiliary wheel mechanism of two-wheeled vehicle ) 是由 井上和义 于 2020-12-03 设计创作，主要内容包括：本申请公开的两轮车的辅助轮机构(151)具有辅助轮(1)、鞍座支承部件(7)、传递部件(9)、辅助轮施力部件(23)。辅助轮(1)以能够在从路面(17)退避的退避位置与将车身(11)相对于路面(17)进行支承以防止车身(11)的倾倒的工作位置之间移动、且位于后部车轮(13)的侧方的方式支承于车身(11)。鞍座支承部件(7)设置于车身(11),并将鞍座(27)以能够前后移动的方式进行支承。传递部件(9)将鞍座(27)的前后的移动传递给辅助轮(1),使得在鞍座(27)位于前方时辅助轮(1)位于退避位置,在鞍座(27)位于后方时辅助轮(1)位于工作位置。辅助轮施力部件(23)对辅助轮(1)施力以使辅助轮(1)朝向退避位置。由此,实现一种两轮车的辅助轮机构,不需要驾驶者的手动操作就能够使辅助轮在退避位置与工作位置之间移动。(An auxiliary wheel mechanism (151) of a two-wheeled vehicle is provided with an auxiliary wheel (1), a saddle support member (7), a transmission member (9), and an auxiliary wheel biasing member (23). The auxiliary wheel (1) is supported by the vehicle body (11) so as to be movable between a retracted position retracted from the road surface (17) and an operating position for supporting the vehicle body (11) with respect to the road surface (17) to prevent the vehicle body (11) from falling, and so as to be positioned on the side of the rear wheel (13). The saddle support member (7) is provided on the vehicle body (11) and supports the saddle (27) so as to be movable forward and backward. The transmission member (9) transmits the forward and backward movement of the saddle (27) to the auxiliary wheel (1) so that the auxiliary wheel (1) is located at the retreat position when the saddle (27) is located forward and the auxiliary wheel (1) is located at the operating position when the saddle (27) is located rearward. The auxiliary wheel biasing member (23) biases the auxiliary wheel (1) so that the auxiliary wheel (1) faces the retracted position. Thus, an auxiliary wheel mechanism of a two-wheeled vehicle is realized, which can move the auxiliary wheel between a retreat position and an operating position without manual operation of a driver.)

1. An auxiliary wheel mechanism of a two-wheeled vehicle is provided with:

an auxiliary wheel;

an auxiliary wheel support member that is supported by a vehicle body of the two-wheeled vehicle, supports the auxiliary wheel so as to be movable between a retracted position retracted from a road surface and an operating position supporting the vehicle body with respect to the road surface to prevent the vehicle body from falling to the side, and is located on the side of the rear wheel;

a saddle support member that is provided in the vehicle body and supports a saddle so as to be movable forward and backward;

a transmission member that transmits a forward and backward movement of the saddle to the auxiliary wheel support member so that the auxiliary wheel is located at the retracted position when the saddle is located forward and the auxiliary wheel is located at the operating position when the saddle is located rearward; and

an auxiliary wheel urging member that urges the auxiliary wheel so that the saddle is positioned in the front and the auxiliary wheel is positioned in the retracted position by an elastic restoring force,

the transmission member includes a wire and a wire insertion tube for guiding the wire, and transmits the rearward movement of the saddle to the auxiliary wheel support member by the tension of the wire so as to move the auxiliary wheel to the operating position.

2. An auxiliary wheel mechanism of a two-wheeled vehicle is provided with:

an auxiliary wheel;

an auxiliary wheel support member that is supported by a vehicle body of the two-wheeled vehicle, supports the auxiliary wheel so as to be movable between a retracted position retracted from a road surface and an operating position supporting the vehicle body with respect to the road surface to prevent the vehicle body from falling to the side, and is located on the side of the rear wheel;

a saddle support member that is provided in the vehicle body and supports a saddle so as to be movable forward and backward;

a transmission member that transmits a forward and backward movement of the saddle to the auxiliary wheel support member so that the auxiliary wheel is located at the retracted position when the saddle is located forward and the auxiliary wheel is located at the operating position when the saddle is located rearward; and

an auxiliary wheel urging member that urges the auxiliary wheel so that the saddle is positioned in the front and the auxiliary wheel is positioned in the retracted position by an elastic restoring force,

the assist wheel mechanism of the two-wheeled vehicle further includes a saddle biasing member that biases the saddle forward by an elastic restoring force.

3. The auxiliary wheel mechanism of a two-wheeled vehicle according to claim 1 or 2,

the saddle has a standing lumbar portion at the rear.

4. An auxiliary wheel mechanism of a two-wheeled vehicle is provided with:

an auxiliary wheel;

an auxiliary wheel support member that is supported by a vehicle body of the two-wheeled vehicle, supports the auxiliary wheel so as to be movable between a retracted position retracted from a road surface and an operating position supporting the vehicle body with respect to the road surface to prevent the vehicle body from falling to the side, and is located on the side of the rear wheel;

a saddle support member that is provided in the vehicle body and supports a saddle so as to be movable forward and backward;

a transmission member that transmits a forward and backward movement of the saddle to the auxiliary wheel support member so that the auxiliary wheel is located at the retracted position when the saddle is located forward and the auxiliary wheel is located at the operating position when the saddle is located rearward; and

an auxiliary wheel urging member that urges the auxiliary wheel so that the saddle is positioned in the front and the auxiliary wheel is positioned in the retracted position by an elastic restoring force,

a base end portion of the auxiliary wheel support member is rotatably supported by the vehicle body, a tip end portion of the auxiliary wheel support member rotatably supports the auxiliary wheel, the tip end portion is positioned rearward of the base end portion when the auxiliary wheel is positioned at the retracted position, and the tip end portion is positioned below the base end portion or forward of the base end portion when the auxiliary wheel is positioned at the operating position,

the assist wheel mechanism of the two-wheeled vehicle further includes an operating position regulating member that is supported by the vehicle body and that regulates the operating position of the assist wheel by coming into contact with the assist wheel supporting member such that the tip end portion of the assist wheel supporting member is not positioned further forward than a predetermined position forward of the base end portion.

5. An auxiliary wheel mechanism of a two-wheeled vehicle is provided with:

an auxiliary wheel;

an auxiliary wheel support member that is supported by a vehicle body of the two-wheeled vehicle, supports the auxiliary wheel so as to be movable between a retracted position retracted from a road surface and an operating position supporting the vehicle body with respect to the road surface to prevent the vehicle body from falling to the side, and is located on the side of the rear wheel;

a saddle support member that is provided in the vehicle body and supports a saddle so as to be movable forward and backward;

a transmission member that transmits a forward and backward movement of the saddle to the auxiliary wheel support member so that the auxiliary wheel is located at the retracted position when the saddle is located forward and the auxiliary wheel is located at the operating position when the saddle is located rearward; and

an auxiliary wheel urging member that urges the auxiliary wheel so that the saddle is positioned in the front and the auxiliary wheel is positioned in the retracted position by an elastic restoring force,

the auxiliary wheel support member is supported by the vehicle body and supports the auxiliary wheel so as to be slidable to approach or retreat with respect to the road surface,

the auxiliary wheel support member has a first ratchet mechanism that releasably restricts the auxiliary wheel, which is moved toward the road surface to be located at the operating position, to the operating position.

6. The auxiliary wheel mechanism of a two-wheeled vehicle according to claim 5,

the auxiliary wheel support member has a cushioning member that absorbs or cushions an impact from the road surface received by the auxiliary wheel located at the operating position.

7. An auxiliary wheel mechanism of a two-wheeled vehicle is provided with:

an auxiliary wheel;

an auxiliary wheel support member that is supported by a vehicle body of the two-wheeled vehicle, supports the auxiliary wheel so as to be movable between a retracted position retracted from a road surface and an operating position supporting the vehicle body with respect to the road surface to prevent the vehicle body from falling to the side, and is located on the side of the rear wheel;

a saddle support member that is provided in the vehicle body and supports a saddle so as to be movable forward and backward;

a transmission member that transmits a forward and backward movement of the saddle to the auxiliary wheel support member so that the auxiliary wheel is located at the retracted position when the saddle is located forward and the auxiliary wheel is located at the operating position when the saddle is located rearward; and

an auxiliary wheel urging member that urges the auxiliary wheel so that the saddle is positioned in the front and the auxiliary wheel is positioned in the retracted position by an elastic restoring force,

the saddle support member has a second ratchet mechanism that releasably restricts the saddle, which has been moved to the rear position to bring the auxiliary wheel to the operating position, to the rear position.

8. An auxiliary wheel mechanism of a two-wheeled vehicle is provided with:

an auxiliary wheel;

an auxiliary wheel support member that is supported by a vehicle body of the two-wheeled vehicle, supports the auxiliary wheel so as to be movable between a retracted position retracted from a road surface and an operating position supporting the vehicle body with respect to the road surface to prevent the vehicle body from falling to the side, and is located on the side of the rear wheel;

a saddle support member that is provided in the vehicle body and supports a saddle so as to be movable forward and backward;

a transmission member that transmits a forward and backward movement of the saddle to the auxiliary wheel support member so that the auxiliary wheel is located at the retracted position when the saddle is located forward and the auxiliary wheel is located at the operating position when the saddle is located rearward; and

an auxiliary wheel urging member that urges the auxiliary wheel so that the saddle is positioned in the front and the auxiliary wheel is positioned in the retracted position by an elastic restoring force,

the assist wheel mechanism of a two-wheeled vehicle further includes an annular body that surrounds a brake lever and a handlebar grip of the two-wheeled vehicle and is slidable between a base end portion and a tip end portion of the handlebar grip, and the brake lever is in a standby state when positioned at the base end portion and rotates toward the handlebar grip to actuate the brake when approaching the tip end portion.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an auxiliary wheel mechanism for a two-wheeled vehicle, which can move an auxiliary wheel arranged at the side of a rear wheel between a retreat position retreating from a road surface and an operating position supporting a vehicle body relative to the road surface to prevent the vehicle body from inclining to the side.

Background

Conventionally, as such an auxiliary wheel mechanism, techniques disclosed in patent documents 1 and 2 are known. The technique disclosed in patent document 1 relates to an auxiliary wheel mechanism for a bicycle, which is configured such that a pair of auxiliary wheels provided on both sides of a rear wheel and biased to a retracted position by an elastic restoring force of a spring can be individually moved to an operating position by a driver operating levers provided on both sides of a handle. The technique disclosed in patent document 2 also relates to an auxiliary wheel mechanism for a bicycle, in which a driver tilts one operating lever of a down tube pivotally supported on a frame forward and backward, thereby simultaneously moving a pair of auxiliary wheels provided on both sides of a rear wheel between a retracted position and an operating position. Thus, these conventional techniques require a manual operation by the driver to move the auxiliary wheel between the retracted position and the operating position.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2011-

Patent document 2: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2013-203289

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an auxiliary wheel mechanism for a two-wheeled vehicle, which can move an auxiliary wheel between a retracted position and an operating position without requiring a manual operation by a driver.

Means for solving the problems

In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention is an auxiliary wheel mechanism for a two-wheeled vehicle, including an auxiliary wheel, an auxiliary wheel support member, a saddle support member, a transmission member, and an auxiliary wheel biasing member. The auxiliary wheel support member is supported by a vehicle body of the two-wheeled vehicle, supports the auxiliary wheel so as to be movable between a retracted position retracted from a road surface and an operating position for supporting the vehicle body with respect to the road surface so as to prevent the vehicle body from falling sideways, and is positioned on the side of the rear wheel. The saddle support member is provided to the vehicle body and supports a saddle so as to be movable forward and backward. The transmission member transmits the forward and backward movement of the saddle to the auxiliary wheel supporting member so that the auxiliary wheel is located at the retracted position when the saddle is located forward and the auxiliary wheel is located at the operating position when the saddle is located rearward. The auxiliary wheel urging member urges the auxiliary wheel by an elastic restoring force so that the saddle is positioned in the front and the auxiliary wheel is positioned in the retracted position.

According to this configuration, when the driver performs normal driving, the auxiliary wheel can be held at the retracted position by being seated on the saddle so that the saddle is positioned forward. Thus, the two-wheeled vehicle can be driven while turning left and right without being hindered by the auxiliary wheels from tilting the vehicle body sideways, as in the case of a two-wheeled vehicle without auxiliary wheels. The auxiliary wheel is stably held at the retracted position while the driver does not move the saddle rearward against the elastic restoring force of the auxiliary wheel biasing member. On the other hand, when the driver needs the auxiliary wheel, for example, when the two-wheeled vehicle is stopped in front of a traffic light, the driver can push the saddle rearward by the hip against the biasing force of the auxiliary wheel biasing member, and the driver can move the auxiliary wheel to the operating position by transmitting the operation through the transmission member. Thus, the stability of the vehicle body can be maintained by the auxiliary wheels even during a parking period in which it is difficult to maintain the balance between the left and right sides. Thus, the auxiliary wheel can be made to function when necessary without manual operation, and the auxiliary wheel can be retracted when not necessary.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the assist wheel mechanism of the two-wheeled vehicle of the first aspect, the transmission member includes a wire and a wire insertion tube for guiding the wire, and the movement of the saddle in the rearward direction is transmitted to the assist wheel supporting member by the tension of the wire so as to move the assist wheel to the operating position.

According to this structure, since the transmission member has the wire and the wire insertion tube, the structure of the transmission member is simplified. Further, although the wire is a medium for transmitting tension, when the saddle is positioned in front, the auxiliary wheel is positioned at the retracted position by the biasing force of the auxiliary wheel biasing member.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the assist wheel mechanism of the two-wheeled vehicle according to the first or second aspect further includes a saddle biasing member that biases the saddle forward.

According to this configuration, since the seat is biased to the forward position by the seat biasing member in addition to the auxiliary wheel biasing member, the seat can be positioned more stably in the forward direction when not pressed by the buttocks.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the assist wheel mechanism of a two-wheeled vehicle according to any one of the first to third aspects, the saddle has a lumbar support portion standing upright at a rear portion.

According to this configuration, the waist portion is abutted against the lumbar support portion, whereby the saddle can be easily pushed rearward.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the assist wheel mechanism of a two-wheeled vehicle according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, a base end portion of the assist wheel support member is rotatably supported by the vehicle body, a tip end portion of the assist wheel support member rotatably supports the assist wheel, the tip end portion is positioned rearward of the base end portion when the assist wheel is positioned at the retracted position, and the tip end portion is positioned below the base end portion or forward of the base end portion when the assist wheel is positioned at the operating position. In addition, the auxiliary wheel mechanism of the two-wheeled vehicle is also provided with an operating position limiting component. An operating position regulating member is supported by the vehicle body, and regulates the operating position of the auxiliary wheel by coming into contact with the auxiliary wheel supporting member so that the distal end portion of the auxiliary wheel supporting member is not positioned further forward than a predetermined position forward of the base end portion.

According to this configuration, even if the vehicle body tries to tilt sideways due to the weight of the vehicle body, the driver, or the like when the auxiliary wheel is located at the restricted operating position, and a weight load is applied to the auxiliary wheel, the auxiliary wheel does not retract to the retracted position, but tries to stop at the restricted operating position. That is, the auxiliary wheel is stably held in the working position.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the auxiliary wheel mechanism of a two-wheeled vehicle according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the auxiliary wheel support member is supported by the vehicle body, and slidably supports the auxiliary wheel such that the auxiliary wheel approaches or retreats with respect to the road surface. Further, the auxiliary wheel support member has a first ratchet mechanism that releasably restricts the auxiliary wheel, which is moved toward the road surface to be located at the operating position, to the operating position.

According to this configuration, even if the vehicle body is inclined sideways by the weight of the vehicle body or the driver when the auxiliary wheel is located at the operating position and a weight load is applied to the auxiliary wheel, the auxiliary wheel does not retract to the retracted position but tries to stop at the operating position. That is, the auxiliary wheel is stably held in the working position.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the auxiliary wheel mechanism of the two-wheeled vehicle according to the sixth aspect, the auxiliary wheel support member includes a shock absorbing member that absorbs or mitigates a shock from the road surface received by the auxiliary wheel located at the operating position.

According to this configuration, when the auxiliary wheel is located at the operating position, the shock from the road surface transmitted from the auxiliary wheel to the vehicle body is absorbed or alleviated by the shock absorbing member.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the assist wheel mechanism of a two-wheeled vehicle according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, the saddle support member includes a second ratchet mechanism for releasably restricting the saddle, which has been moved to the rear position so that the assist wheel is located at the operating position, to the rear position.

According to this configuration, when the driver moves the seat to the rear position to position the auxiliary wheel at the operating position, the seat is restricted to the rear position by the ratchet mechanism. Thereby, the auxiliary wheel is held in the working position. When the ratchet mechanism is released from the locked state, the auxiliary wheel is returned to the retracted position by the elastic restoring force of the auxiliary wheel biasing member.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the auxiliary wheel mechanism of a two-wheeled vehicle according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, the auxiliary wheel mechanism further includes an annular body that surrounds the brake lever and the handlebar grip of the two-wheeled vehicle. The ring is slidable between a base end portion and a tip end portion of the grip handle, and when the ring is positioned at the base end portion, the brake lever is in a standby state, and when the ring is positioned close to the tip end portion, the brake lever is rotated toward the grip handle to actuate the brake.

According to this configuration, the brake can be maintained in an activated state by sliding the annular body toward the distal end portion of the grip handle, and the brake can be released by returning the annular body to the proximal end portion. In particular, when the structure is applied to the auxiliary wheel mechanism of a two-wheeled vehicle according to any one of the sixth to eighth aspects of the present invention, the brake is maintained in the actuated state by the annular body in a state where the auxiliary wheel is held at the actuated position by moving the saddle rearward, and thus the two-wheeled vehicle can be parked in a self-standing posture without using a stand.

Effects of the invention

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an auxiliary wheel mechanism for a two-wheeled vehicle, which can move an auxiliary wheel between a retracted position and an operating position without requiring a manual operation by a driver.

The objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic side view illustrating a bicycle provided with an auxiliary wheel mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic rear view illustrating a structure of a rear wheel periphery of the bicycle of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the structure of the periphery of the saddle of the bicycle of fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of the periphery of the saddle of the bicycle of fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a structure of a periphery of a saddle of a bicycle provided with an auxiliary wheel mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a grip portion of a bicycle provided with an auxiliary wheel mechanism according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a schematic side view illustrating a bicycle provided with an auxiliary wheel mechanism according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating a structure of a part of the auxiliary wheel mechanism of fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of a part of the auxiliary wheel mechanism of fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a connection portion connected to a vehicle body with respect to a part of the auxiliary wheel mechanism of fig. 7.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a connection portion connected to a vehicle body with respect to a part of the assist wheel mechanism of fig. 7.

Fig. 12 is a schematic side view illustrating a bicycle provided with an auxiliary wheel mechanism according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 is a schematic side view illustrating a bicycle provided with an auxiliary wheel mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a schematic rear view illustrating a structure of the periphery of the rear wheel of the bicycle of fig. 1. The auxiliary wheel mechanism 151 provided in the bicycle 101 includes an auxiliary wheel 1, an auxiliary wheel support member 3, a fixing plate 5, a saddle support member 7, and a transmission member 9. As a preferred example, the auxiliary wheel 1, the auxiliary wheel supporting member 3, the fixed plate 5, and the transmission member 9 are provided in pairs on the left and right sides of the body 11 of the bicycle 101. Hereinafter, the members provided in pairs on the left and right sides will be described mainly as members provided on the right side of the vehicle body 11, on behalf of both.

The base end portion of the auxiliary wheel support member 3 is rotatably supported by an axle 15 that rotatably supports the rear wheel 13, and the tip end portion of the auxiliary wheel support member 3 rotatably supports the auxiliary wheel 1. The auxiliary wheel support member 3 is rotatable about the axle 15, whereby the auxiliary wheel 1 is movable between a retracted position retracted from the road surface 17 (a position rearward of the vehicle body 11 in the illustrated example) and an operating position (a position forward of the vehicle body 11 in the illustrated example) for supporting the vehicle body 11 with respect to the road surface 17 to prevent the vehicle body 11 from falling sideways. Fig. 2 illustrates the auxiliary wheel 1 in the operating position.

The fixed plate 5 is a plate member fixed to a rear under fork 18 which is a part of the vehicle body 11. In the illustrated example, the fixed plate 5 is disk-shaped, but the outline shape thereof is arbitrary. An operating position regulating member 19 is fixed to the fixed plate 5, and the operating position of the auxiliary wheel 1 is regulated by the operating position regulating member 19 abutting the auxiliary wheel support member 3 from the front so that the auxiliary wheel 1 does not move forward beyond a predetermined operating position. In the illustrated example, the operating position regulating member 19 is a projecting member projecting laterally outward from the main surface of the fixed plate 5 with respect to the vehicle body 11. As shown in the drawing, the fixed position of the operating position regulating member 19 is preferably determined such that the tip end portion of the auxiliary wheel supporting member 3 is positioned forward of the base end portion when the auxiliary wheel 1 is positioned at the predetermined operating position. Thus, when the auxiliary wheel 1 is located at the regulated predetermined operating position, even if the vehicle body 11 is inclined sideways by the weight of the vehicle body 11 or the driver, and a weight load is applied to the auxiliary wheel 1, the auxiliary wheel 1 does not retract to the retracted position, but tries to stop at the regulated operating position. That is, the auxiliary wheel 1 is stably held in the operating position.

A retreat position regulating member 21 that regulates the retreat position of the auxiliary wheel is fixed to the fixed plate 5. The retreat position regulating member 21 is brought into contact with the auxiliary wheel support member 3 to regulate the retreat position of the auxiliary wheel 1 so that the auxiliary wheel 1 does not exceed a predetermined retreat position and is further retreated from the road surface 17. In the illustrated example, the retracted position regulating member 21 is also a protruding member protruding laterally outward from the main surface of the fixed plate 5 with respect to the vehicle body 11. One end of an auxiliary wheel biasing member 23 is attached to the auxiliary wheel support member 3, and the auxiliary wheel biasing member 23 biases the auxiliary wheel 1 via the auxiliary wheel support member 3 so that the auxiliary wheel 1 faces the retracted position. In the illustrated example, the auxiliary wheel urging member 23 is a tension coil spring. The other end of the auxiliary wheel biasing member 23 is coupled to a pin 25 which is a protruding member provided on the fixed plate 5.

When the bicycle 101 is parked, the bracket 26 that supports the body 11 on the road surface 17 has its base end supported by the axle 15 so as to be rotatable between the operating position and the retracted position, as in the auxiliary wheel supporting member 3. The bracket 26 is set to a shape that does not interfere with the auxiliary wheel 1 and the auxiliary wheel support member 3. Fig. 1 and 2 illustrate the holder 26 in the retracted position. In the illustrated example, the bracket 26 is provided on the outer side of the auxiliary wheel supporting member 3, but may be provided on the inner side (near the rear wheel 13).

The saddle support member 7 is a member that supports the saddle 27 so as to be movable forward and backward. In the illustrated example, the saddle supporting member 7 is fixed to an upper end portion of the seat pipe 29. The forward and backward movement of the saddle 27 is transmitted to the auxiliary wheel 1 via the auxiliary wheel supporting member 3 by the transmission member 9. That is, the auxiliary wheel mechanism 151 can move the auxiliary wheel 1 between the retracted position and the operating position by rotating the auxiliary wheel support member 3 by moving the saddle 27 forward and backward with the waist of the driver seated on the saddle 27. As shown in the drawing, a standing lumbar portion 30 is preferably provided at the rear of the saddle 27. The driver can easily push the saddle 27 rearward by abutting the waist against the lumbar support portion 30. The saddle 27 may be directly used as a member provided in the bicycle 101, or may be separately prepared as a part of the auxiliary wheel mechanism 151.

Fig. 3 and 4 are a perspective view and a side sectional view, respectively, illustrating the configuration of the saddle supporting member 7. The illustrated saddle support member 7 includes a rectangular parallelepiped slider 31 coupled to the saddle 27, and a tubular body 33 that guides the slider 31 to be slidable back and forth. Saddle 27 and slider 31 are coupled by a columnar body 35 protruding from the upper surface of slider 31. An opening 37 extending in the front-rear direction for allowing the movement of the columnar body 35 is formed in the upper wall of the cylindrical body 33. Front end edge 39 and rear end edge 41 of opening 37 come into contact with columnar body 35 from the front and rear, respectively, thereby functioning to limit the range of movement of saddle 27.

In the illustrated example, the transmission member 9 includes a wire insertion tube 43 and a wire 45 inserted through the wire insertion tube 43, as in the case of a member that is widely used to transmit a lever operation of the bicycle 101 to a brake. The wire insertion tube 43 is a tube for guiding the inserted wire 45, and has flexibility capable of bending and rigidity against a compressive force in the tube axial direction. One end of the wire insertion tube 43 is connected to the front wall 46 of the saddle support member 7, and the other end is connected to the operating position regulating member 19 (see fig. 1). A through hole 47 is formed in the front wall 46 of the saddle supporting member 7, and the wire 45 inserted through the wire insertion tube 43 passes through the through hole 47, and one end thereof is connected to the front surface of the slider 31. A through hole 49 is also formed in the operating position regulating member 19 (see fig. 1), and the wire 45 passes through the through hole 49, and the other end thereof is connected to the auxiliary wheel supporting member 3. A seat biasing member 51 is coupled to the front wall 46 of the seat support member 7 and the front surface of the slider 31, and the seat biasing member 51 biases the seat 27 so that the seat 27 faces forward via the slider 31 and the columnar body 35. In the illustrated example, the seat urging member 51 is a tension coil spring.

Since the auxiliary wheel mechanism 151 provided in the bicycle 101 is configured as described above, the auxiliary wheel 1 can be held at the retracted position by seating the saddle 27 in such a manner that the saddle 27 is positioned forward when the rider performs normal driving. While the driver does not move the saddle 27 rearward against the elastic restoring forces of the auxiliary wheel biasing member 23 and the saddle biasing member 51, the auxiliary wheel 1 is stably held at the retracted position. On the other hand, when the driver needs the auxiliary wheel 1, for example, when the driver temporarily stops the bicycle 101, the auxiliary wheel 1 can be moved to the operating position by pressing the saddle 27 rearward from the bottom against the biasing force of the auxiliary wheel biasing member 23 and the saddle biasing member 51. This allows the stability of the vehicle body 11 to be maintained by the auxiliary wheels 1 even during a parking period in which it is difficult to maintain the balance between the left and right sides. Thus, the auxiliary wheel 1 can be caused to function when necessary without manual operation, and the auxiliary wheel 1 can be retracted when not necessary. Further, since the saddle 27 is biased by the saddle biasing member 51 so that the saddle 27 is directed to the front position in addition to the auxiliary wheel biasing member 23, the saddle 27 is more stably held at the front position when not pressed by the buttocks.

Fig. 5 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a structure of a periphery of a saddle of a bicycle provided with an auxiliary wheel mechanism according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the auxiliary wheel mechanism 152, the ratchet mechanism 53 is provided in the saddle support member 7. The ratchet mechanism 53 does not prevent the rearward position movement of the saddle 27, and once the rearward position is moved, restricts the saddle 27 to the rearward position. Thereby, the auxiliary wheel 1 is held at a predetermined operating position. The ratchet mechanism 53 can be released from the restricted state by manual operation. When the restricted state is released, if the driver does not press the saddle 27 rearward, the saddle 27 is returned to the forward position by the biasing force of the auxiliary wheel biasing member 23 and the saddle biasing member 51. Thereby, the auxiliary wheel 1 returns to the retracted position. In the illustrated example, the ratchet mechanism 53 includes: a lever 55 having a claw at a front end; a rod support member 57 for rotatably supporting the rod 55 on the bottom wall of the tubular body 33 of the saddle support member 7; and an elastic member 59 for urging the lever 55 so that the claw faces upward. In the illustrated example, the elastic member 59 is a torsion coil spring. An opening 61 is formed in the bottom wall of the cylindrical body 33, and the opening 61 receives the tip end portion of the lever 55 including the claw, so that the claw of the lever 55 reaches the inside of the cylindrical body 33 to be able to restrain the slider 31.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a grip portion of a bicycle 101 provided with an auxiliary wheel mechanism according to still another embodiment of the present invention. In the auxiliary wheel mechanism 153, a ring body 65 is provided on the handle 63. The annular body 65 has a certain degree of tensile rigidity, and is preferably made of a soft material such as rubber or leather in that it is easy to use. The circumferential length of the ring 65 is a size that surrounds the grip 67 and the brake lever 69 together, and is set to the following size: the brake lever 69 can be slid between the base end portion and the tip end portion of the grip handle 67, and when the brake lever is positioned at the base end portion, the brake lever 69 is in a standby state, and when the brake lever is close to the tip end portion, the brake lever 69 is rotated toward the grip handle 67 to actuate the brake. Thus, the ring body 65 is slid toward the distal end of the grip 67, whereby the brake can be maintained in the actuated state. Further, the brake can be released by returning the annular body 65 to the base end portion or to a portion of the handle 63 closer to the center than the handle grip 67. Even when the driver wants to maintain the brake operating state during parking of the bicycle 101, the driver can use the brake lever 69 with his or her hand away.

When the auxiliary wheel mechanism 153 is combined with the auxiliary wheel mechanism 152 capable of holding the auxiliary wheel 1 in the operating position by the ratchet mechanism 53 (see fig. 5), the auxiliary wheel 1 can be held in the operating position while the brake operating state is maintained by the ring body 65. Thus, the bicycle 101 can be parked in a self-standing posture without using the stand 26 (see fig. 1 and 2). The bracket 26 can also be removed from the bicycle 101. The annular body 65 may be provided with a member such as an adjuster for adjusting the length in the circumferential direction.

Fig. 7 is a schematic side view illustrating a bicycle provided with an auxiliary wheel mechanism according to still another embodiment of the present invention. The auxiliary wheel mechanism 154 provided in the bicycle 101 includes an auxiliary wheel 1, a saddle support member 7, and a transmission member 9, and also includes an auxiliary wheel support member 71, as in the auxiliary wheel mechanism 151. The auxiliary wheel supporting member 71 is immovably supported by the body 11 of the bicycle 101, and slidably supports the auxiliary wheel 1 such that the auxiliary wheel 1 approaches or retreats with respect to the road surface 17. In the illustrated example, the auxiliary wheel support member 71 supports the auxiliary wheel 1 so as to be slidable vertically, but the sliding direction may be slightly inclined from the vertical direction. In the illustrated example, the auxiliary wheel supporting member 71 is fixed to the seat stay 73 and the seat stay 18 in the vehicle body 11. As a preferred example, the auxiliary wheel 1, the auxiliary wheel support member 71, and the transmission member 9 are provided in pairs on the left and right sides of the vehicle body 11. In the illustrated example, as the transmission member 9 that transmits the forward and backward movement of the saddle 27 to the auxiliary wheel 1, a wire 45 (see fig. 8 and 9) and a wire insertion tube 43 that guides the wire 45 are used. When the saddle 27 is positioned forward, the auxiliary wheel 1 is positioned at the retreat position, i.e., upward, and when the saddle 27 is positioned rearward, the auxiliary wheel 1 is positioned at the operation position, i.e., downward.

Fig. 8 and 9 are a perspective view and a longitudinal sectional view illustrating the structure of the auxiliary wheel supporting member 71. The auxiliary wheel supporting member 71 has a slide member 75 and a guide member 77. The slide member 75 is hollow cylindrical, and rotatably supports the auxiliary wheel 1 at a lower end portion thereof. The guide member 77 is a hollow cylindrical member having a larger diameter than the slide member 75, receives the slide member 75 in a hollow portion thereof, and guides the slide member 75 so as to be slidable in the axial direction. For example, the sliding member 75 and the guide member 77 are made of metal such as steel.

An auxiliary wheel biasing member 79 is coupled to the top wall of the slide member 75 and the top wall of the guide member 77. The auxiliary wheel biasing member 79 biases the slide member 75 toward the top wall of the guide member 77 by the elastic restoring force of the tension. Thereby, the auxiliary wheel 1 is urged so as to be located at the retreat position. In the illustrated example, the auxiliary wheel urging member 79 is a tension coil spring.

A long hole 81 extending in the axial direction is formed in a lower portion of the side wall of the slide member 75. A long hole 83 extending in the axial direction is also formed in a portion of the lower portion of the side wall of the guide member 77 that faces the long hole 81. A pulley support member 85 is provided on a side wall of the guide member 77. The pulley support member 85 rotatably supports the pulley 87. The pulley 87 is supported at a position facing the long hole 83. The other end of the wire 45 having one end connected to the slider 31 (see fig. 3 and 4) passes through a through hole 89 formed in the pulley support member 85, is bent in the extending direction by the pulley 87, passes through the elongated holes 83 and 81, and is connected to the top wall of the slide member 75. In the illustrated example, the other end of the wire 45 is connected to the top wall of the slide member 75 by a locking pin 91 locked to the top wall of the slide member 75. The other end of the wire 45 is fixed to a metal locking pin 91 by welding, for example. One end of the wire insertion tube 43 through which the wire 45 is inserted is coupled to the front wall 46 (see fig. 3 and 4) of the saddle supporting member 7, and the other end is coupled to the pulley supporting member 85. In the illustrated example, the other end of the wire insertion tube 43 is inserted into the through hole 89 of the pulley support member 85.

When the saddle 27 is positioned forward, the slide member 75 is positioned upward by the elastic restoring force of the auxiliary wheel urging member 79. At this time, the auxiliary wheel 1 is located at a retracted position (see a broken line in fig. 7) spaced upward from the road surface 17. On the other hand, when the saddle 27 is positioned rearward, the wire 45 exerts a tension against the elastic restoring force of the auxiliary wheel biasing member 79, and thereby the slide member 75 is pulled downward. Thereby, the auxiliary wheel 1 is located at an operating position in contact with or close to the road surface 17 (see fig. 7). A restricting pin 93 is provided on a side wall of the guide member 77. The restriction pin 93 is inserted into the elongated hole 81. Thereby, the sliding member 75 is restricted from rotating in the circumferential direction. At the same time, the axial movement of the slide member 75 is also restricted so that the auxiliary wheel 1 does not move further downward beyond the operating position.

The guide member 77 is further provided with a ratchet mechanism 95. The ratchet mechanism 95 functions to releasably restrict the auxiliary wheel 1, which is moved toward the road surface 17 to be located at the operating position, to the operating position. The ratchet mechanism 95 does not prevent the slide member 75 from moving to a predetermined lower position corresponding to the operating position of the auxiliary wheel 1, and restricts the slide member 75 to the predetermined lower position when moving to the predetermined lower position. Thereby, the auxiliary wheel 1 is held in the operating position. The ratchet mechanism 95 can be released from the restricted state by manual operation. When the restricted state is released, if the driver does not press the saddle 27 rearward, the saddle 27 is returned to the forward position by the biasing force of the auxiliary wheel biasing member 79 and the saddle biasing member 51. Thereby, the auxiliary wheel 1 returns to the retracted position.

In the illustrated example, the ratchet mechanism 95 includes: a lever 96 having a claw at a front end; a lever support member 97 for rotatably supporting the lever 96 on a side wall of the guide member 77; and an elastic member 98 that urges the lever 96 so that the pawl faces the hollow portion of the guide member 77. In the illustrated example, the elastic member 98 is a torsion coil spring. An opening 99 for receiving the tip end portion of the claw of the lever 96 is formed in the side wall of the guide member 77. An opening 90 is formed in the side wall of the slide member 75 at a position facing the opening 99 when the slide member 75 is located at a predetermined position below.

When the slide member 75 is lowered to the predetermined position to lower the auxiliary wheel 1 from the retracted position to the operating position, the opening 90 and the opening 99 overlap with each other. As a result, the distal end portion of the claw of the lever 96 is inserted into the opening 90 by the elastic restoring force of the elastic member 98, and the upward return of the slide member 75 is stopped by the distal end portion of the claw of the lever 96. In this way, even if the vehicle body 11 is inclined sideways by the weight of the vehicle body 11 or the driver, and a weight load is applied to the auxiliary wheels 1, the auxiliary wheels are not retracted to the retracted position but are intended to stop at the operating position. That is, the auxiliary wheel 1 is stably held in the operating position. When the driver tilts the lever 96 against the elastic restoring force of the elastic member 98, the locked state of the lever 96 to the slide member 75 is released, and the auxiliary wheel 1 can be returned to the retracted position.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a connection portion connected to the vehicle body 11 with respect to the auxiliary wheel supporting member 71. In the illustrated example, the auxiliary wheel supporting member 71 is coupled to the rear under fork 18 in the vehicle body 11 by a coupling member 121, and is coupled to the seat stay 73 in the vehicle body 11 by a coupling member 123. The coupling member 121 and the coupling member 123 have the same configuration as each other except for the difference in size. In addition, the auxiliary wheel supporting member 71 of the illustrated example is provided on the left side of the vehicle body 11.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the structure of the coupling member 121, which represents the coupling members 121 and 123 of fig. 10. The under-fork 18 and the guide member 77 cross each other in the air (see fig. 7), but for convenience, their cross sections are shown in fig. 11 so as to extend parallel to each other. The coupling member 121 includes: an annular body 125 surrounding the guide member 77; a ring body 127 surrounding the rear lower fork 18; and a bridge portion 129 connecting the annular body 125 and the annular body 127 at a predetermined interval. The coupling member 121 is made of metal such as steel, for example, and the annular body 125 is fixed to the outer surface of the side wall of the guide member 77 by welding, for example. In the illustrated example, the pulley support member 85 forms a part of the ring body 125. In the illustrated example, the ring body 127 is divided into two halves, and is fixed to the rear under fork 18 by being integrally fastened with a screw while sandwiching the rear under fork 18.

Fig. 12 is a schematic side view illustrating a bicycle provided with an auxiliary wheel mechanism according to still another embodiment of the present invention. In the auxiliary wheel mechanism 155 provided in the bicycle 101, the auxiliary wheel supporting member 71 includes a shock absorbing member 131, and the shock absorbing member 131 absorbs or alleviates an impact from a road surface received by the auxiliary wheel 1 located at the operating position. In the illustrated example, one end of the buffer member 131 is fixed to the lower end of the slide member 75 of the auxiliary wheel support member 71, and the other end of the buffer member 131 is fixed to the bearing of the auxiliary wheel 1. In the illustrated example, the cushioning member 131 is an overlapping plate spring. When the auxiliary wheel 1 is in the operating position, the shock from the road surface transmitted from the auxiliary wheel 1 to the vehicle body 11 is absorbed or alleviated by the shock absorbing member 131. Further, since the auxiliary wheel 1 is located at a position closer to the axle of the rear wheel 13 rearward of the position where the auxiliary wheel support member 71 is attached to the vehicle body 11, the stability of the vehicle body 11 when the auxiliary wheel 1 is used is improved.

(other embodiments)

The auxiliary wheel mechanism 153 (see fig. 6) is combined with the auxiliary wheel mechanisms 154 and 155 capable of holding the auxiliary wheel 1 at the operating position by the ratchet mechanism 95 (see fig. 9), and thereby the auxiliary wheel 1 can be held at the operating position while the brake operating state is maintained by the ring body 65. Thus, the bicycle 101 can be parked in a self-standing posture without using the stand 26 (see fig. 1 and 2).

In the above embodiment, the auxiliary wheel 1, the auxiliary wheel support members 3 and 71, the fixed plate 5, and the transmission member 9 are provided in pairs on the left and right sides of the body 11 of the bicycle 101. On the other hand, these components may be provided only on one of the left and right sides of the vehicle body 11, for example, on the left side.

In the above embodiment, the auxiliary wheel mechanisms 151 to 155 are applied to the bicycle 101, but may be applied to any two-wheeled vehicle such as a motorcycle.

The present application is based on Japanese patent application No. 2019-230978, filed by the present applicant in Japan at 12/20/2019, and Japanese patent application No. 2020-010446, filed by the present applicant in Japan at 1/25/2020, and the entire contents thereof are incorporated herein by reference.

The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention directly to the forms described. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description that numerous variations and modifications are possible.

Description of the symbols

1 auxiliary wheel, 3 auxiliary wheel supporting member, 5 fixing plate, 7 saddle supporting member, 9 transmission member, 11 vehicle body, 13 rear wheel, 15 axle, 17 road surface, 18 rear fork, 19 working position limiting member, 21 retreat position limiting member, 23 auxiliary wheel biasing member, 25 pin, 26 bracket, 27 saddle, 29 seat tube, 30 lumbar part, 31 slider, 33 tubular body, 35 column body, 37 opening part, 39 front end edge, 41 rear end edge, 43 wire insertion tube, 45 wire, 46 front wall, 47, 49 through hole, 51 saddle biasing member, 53 ratchet mechanism, 55 rod, 57 rod supporting member, 59 elastic member, 61 opening part, 63 handle, 65 ring body, 67 handle grip, 69 brake rod, 71 auxiliary wheel supporting member, 73 seat support, 75 sliding member, 77 guide member, 79 auxiliary wheel biasing member, 81 long hole, 83 long hole, 85 pulley supporting member, and, 87 pulleys, 89 through holes, 90 openings, 91 locking pins, 93 limiting pins, 95 ratchet mechanisms, 96 rods, 97 rod supporting parts, 98 elastic parts, 99 openings, 101 bicycles, 121 connecting parts, 123 connecting parts, 125, 127 annular bodies, 129 bridge parts, 131 buffer parts, 151, 152, 153, 154 and 155 auxiliary wheel mechanisms.