The present disclosure is generally related to a tri-wheel automobile and
more particularly to a tilting system for front and rear frame of a tri wheel automobile.
5 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A tri-wheel vehicle is different from four or two wheel automobiles. Especially
while negotiation a curve, tri-wheel vehicles are prone to turning over. This is
because, while negotiating a curve the centre of gravity is fixed and due to the
centripetal force, the inner rear wheel generally lifts up. In such a condition if the
10 speed of the vehicle is not controlled to reduced, the tri-wheel vehicle is prone to
turn over.
[0003] Therefore, there is a need of a more efficient mechanism to address this
problem in order to increase safety of the driver and passengers or goods being
carried in the tri-wheel vehicle.
15
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The invention discloses a tri-wheel automobile. The tri wheel automobile
includes multi part chassis that further includes an independent front part,
configured to support a front tire, an independent rear part, configured to support at
20 least two rear tires; and a tilting system configured to connect the independent front
part and the independent rear part. The tilting system includes a locking cylinder,
wherein the locking cylinder includes a plurality of lock holes, an unlocking actuator,
wherein the unlocking actuator is configured to move forward and backwards; and
3
a locking pin, wherein the locking pin is operatively connected to the unlocking
actuator and moves in or out of any one of the plurality of lock holes to initiate a
locked or an unlocked stated of the tilting system.
[0005] According to another embodiment of the invention, a tilting system for a tri5 wheel automobile is provided. The tilting system includes a locking cylinder, wherein
the locking cylinder includes a plurality of lock holes, an unlocking actuator, wherein
the unlocking actuator is configured to rotate; and a locking pin, wherein the locking
pin is operatively connected to the unlocking gear and moves in or out of any one
of the plurality of lock holes to initiate a locked or an unlocked stated of the tilting
10 system, wherein during the unlocked state an independent front part of a chassis of
the tri-wheel automobile is able to tilt from side to side while negotiating a curve on
a road segment.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The accompanying drawings illustrate various embodiments of systems,
15 methods, and embodiments of various other aspects of the disclosure. Any person
with ordinary skills in the art will appreciate that the illustrated element boundaries
(e.g. boxes, groups of boxes, or other shapes) in the figures represent one example
of the boundaries. It may be that in some examples one element may be designed
as multiple elements or that multiple elements may be designed as one element. In
20 some examples, an element shown as an internal component of one element may
be implemented as an external component in another, and vice versa. Furthermore,
elements may not be drawn to scale. Non-limiting and non-exhaustive descriptions
are described with reference to the following drawings. The components in the
4
figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating
principles.
[0007] Fig. 1A illustrates an exploded view of a tilting system 100, according to an
embodiment of the invention;
5 [0008] Fig. 1B illustrates an imploded view of the tilting system 100, according to an
embodiment of the invention;
[0009] Fig. 2A-2B illustrates locking and unlocking of the tilting system 100
respectively, according to the embodiment of the invention;
[0010] Fig. 2C-2D illustrate swinging mechanism of the tilting system 100, according
10 to the embodiment of the invention;
[0011] Fig. 3 illustrates an apparatus and environment for functioning of the tilting
system 100 according to an embodiment of the invention; and
[0012] Fig. 4 illustrates a tri wheeled motorcycle with the tilting system 100 in
accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
15
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described more fully
hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals
represent like elements throughout the several figures, and in which example
20 embodiments are shown. Embodiments of the claims may, however, be embodied
in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments
set forth herein. The examples set forth herein are non-limiting examples and are
merely examples among other possible examples.
5
[0014] Some embodiments of this invention, illustrating all its features, will now be
discussed in detail. The words “comprising,” “having,” “containing,” and “including,”
and other forms thereof, are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open
ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be
5 an exhaustive listing of such item or items, or meant to be limited to only the listed
item or items.
[0015] It must also be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the
singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly
dictates otherwise. Although any systems and methods similar or equivalent to
10 those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments of the
present invention, the preferred, systems and methods are now described.
[0016] FIG. 1 illustrates a line diagram of a tilting system 100. The tilting system 100
includes a swing and lock unit 102 and has multiple lock holes 104. The swing lock
unit 102 further include a couple of swing end stoppers 106 to restrict the angle of
15 swing of the swing and lock unit 102 to an accepted range for safety reasons. The
tilting system 100 further includes a locking pin 110 connected to a lock pin runner
112 through a lock pin bolt 114. The lock pin runner 112 is bolted on an angular
block 120 through a fixation hole 118 with the help of a runner bolt 116. The runner
bolt 116 when fixed to the fixation hole 118 grants angular movement to the lock pin
20 runner 112. The lock pin runner 112 moves angularly about the bolt 116 with the
help of an actuator (not shown in the figure) placed within an actuator housing 128.
The actuator housing includes an opening 132 through which an actuator guide rod
6
134 passes in order to provide linear movement to the lock pin runner 112 that is
operably connected to the actuator.
[0017] The lock pin runner 112 is operably connected to a plurality of holding blocks
122, through its rear end 112A from both side ends. The rear end 112A includes at
5 least 2 rectangular slits 1122, one on each side. The holding blocks 122 include a
holding spring 124 mounted on a cylindrical rod with a diameter lesser than that of
each of the holding block 122 having a spring loaded block 126 at each of the
holding blocks 126. The lock pin runner rear end 112A is configured to enter the
actuator housing 128 through a lock slit 138. The lock pin runner 112 is held in its
10 position by the spring loaded blocks 126 pressing against the rectangular slits 1122
from both sides under pressure from the holding spring 124 from each side.
[0018] The actuator is connected to an electric motor (not shown in the figure)
through a wire 136, that enables the movement of the actuator sideways within the
actuator housing 128.
15 [0019] A fixed locking block placed adjacent to the angular bock 120 to act as a
supporting fixed block for the locking pin 110.
[0020] Fig. 1B illustrates an imploded view of the tilting system 100 as according to
the embodiment of the invention.
[0021] Fig. 2A illustrates locking mechanism of the tilting system 100.
20 [0022] A control unit communicably connected to the electric motor is configured to
send a signal wirelessly or through wired connection to the electric motor. For
locking the locking pin 110, the electric motor receives a signal from the control unit.
The electric motor moves the actuator to move forward within the actuator housing
7
128. This movement of the actuator pushes one of the spring loaded block 126 to
press one of the rectangular slits 1122, to which it is connected. The push of the
spring loaded block 126 presses the rectangular slit 1122 and the lock pin runner
112 rotates through an angular movement via the runner bolt 116 (not shown in this
5 figure, however shown and described above). This angular movement of the lock
pin runner 112 moves the locking pin 110 that is connected to the lock pin runner
112, forward onto one of the plurality of locking holes 104. This causes the locking
pin 110 to lock the swing and lock unit 102 in its place after which the swing and
lock unit cannot move by a considerable degree. There may be very slight
10 movement due to an inherent play provided between the locking pin 110 and the
locking holes 104.
[0023] During the actuators’ forward movement, one of the holding spring (proximal
to the moving spring loaded block 126, expands to move the spring loaded block
126 forward.
15 [0024] Fig. 2B illustrates unlocking mechanism of the tilting mechanism 100. The
user may signal through a physical button or a touch screen gesture to the controller
that the tilting system 100 needs to be unlocked. The controller sends a signal
wirelessly or through wired connection to the electric motor. The electric motor
moves the actuator to retract backwards within the actuator housing 128. This
20 movement of the actuator pulls one of the spring loaded block 126 to press one of
the rectangular slits 1122, to which it is connected. The push of the spring loaded
block 126 presses the rectangular slit 1122 and the lock pin runner 112 rotates back
through the angular movement via the runner bolt 116 (not shown in this figure,
8
however shown and described above). This angular movement of the lock pin
runner 112 moves the locking pin 110, that is connected to the lock pin runner 112,
backward and out from one of the plurality of locking holes 104. This causes the
locking pin 110 to unlock the swing and lock unit 102 so that the swing and lock unit
5 102 is free for swinging movement along a horizontal axis.
[0025] During the actuators’ backward movement, one of the holding spring (distal
to the moving spring loaded block 126, expands to move the spring loaded block
126 forward.
[0026] FIG. 2C-2D illustrates a swinging movement of the tilting system 100 after
10 unlocking. The swing and lock unit 102, after the locking pin 110 has been removed,
is free to move along a horizontal axis as shown in the figure.
[0027] Fig. 3 illustrates an exploded view of apparatus 300 including the tilting
system 100. The tilting apparatus 300 includes all the components as has been
described above in conjunction with tilting system 100. In addition to that, the tilting
15 apparatus 300 further includes an upper casing 302 and a lower casing 304 to cover
the tilting system 100. The tilting device further includes a swing shaft 306 that joins
a rear part of a tri wheel vehicle having at least two wheels in the rear. Fig. 4
illustrates the placing of the tilting apparatus 300 on a vehicle 400, that is a triwheeled vehicle. The vehicle 400 is a multipart chassis vehicle. The vehicle 400
20 includes a front chassis part 402 and a rear chassis part 404. The rear part 404 of
the vehicle 400 is connected to the front part 402 through the swing shaft 306.
[0028] When the swing and lock unit 102 of the tilting system 100, is in a locked
state, the front part 402 and the rear part 404 are in a joined state and the front part
9
402 is not free to move or swing. However, when the swing and lock unit 102 is in
an unlocked state, the front part 402, of the vehicle 400, is disjointed from the rear
part 404 and therefore is capable of swing movement from left to right and vice
versa. Therefore, the swinging movement of the front part 402 helps in better
5 negotiation of curves during riding. The centre of gravity is dynamically shifted and
hence the curves can be better negotiated without lifting up of the vehicle while
facing such curves and bends on travel path.
[0029] It is to be appreciated that only the essential components of the system have
been described above. The locking arrangement may further include various other
10 parts like a housing and support mechanisms like support 112 for various parts as
described above. As also disclosed, the locking arrangement may be placed within
a single housing or may be provided as an open arrangement in a waterproof
arrangement.
[0030] It is to be appreciated that only the essential components of the system have
15 been described above. The locking arrangement may further include various other
parts like a housing and support mechanisms for various parts as described above.
As also disclosed, the locking arrangement may be placed within a single housing
or may be provided as an open arrangement in a waterproof arrangement.
[0031] Moreover, although the present invention and its advantages have been
20 described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and
alterations can be made herein without departing from the invention as defined by
the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended
to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture,
10
composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As
one will readily appreciate from the disclosure, processes, machines, manufacture,
compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be
developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the
5 same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized.
Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such
processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or
steps.

Claims
We claim:
5 1. A tri-wheel automobile comprising:
A multi part chassis that includes;
An independent front part, configured to support a front tire;
An independent rear part, configured to support at least two rear tires;
and
10 A tilting system configured to connect the independent front part and the
independent rear part, wherein the tilting system includes;
A locking cylinder, wherein the locking cylinder includes a plurality of
lock holes;
An unlocking actuator, wherein the unlocking actuator is configured to
15 move forward and backwards; and
A locking pin, wherein the locking pin is operatively connected to the
unlocking actuator and moves in or out of any one of the plurality of lock holes
to initiate a locked or an unlocked stated of the tilting system.
2. The tri-wheel automobile of claim 1, wherein the independent front part is
20 configured to tilt when the tilting system is at the unlocked state.
3. The tri-wheel automobile of claim 1, wherein the independent front part is
configured to not tilt when the tilting system is at the locked state.
4. The tri-wheel automobile of claim 1, wherein the unlocking actuator is
operatively connected to a motor configured to function based on a user input.
25 5. The tri-wheel automobile of claim 4, wherein the motor is communicatively
connected to a vehicle control unit.
6. A tilting system for a tri-wheel automobile comprising;
A locking cylinder, wherein the locking cylinder includes a plurality of
lock holes;
30 An unlocking actuator, wherein the unlocking actuator is configured to
rotate; and
12
A locking pin, wherein the locking pin is operatively connected to the
unlocking gear and moves in or out of any one of the plurality of lock holes to
initiate a locked or an unlocked stated of the tilting system, wherein during the
unlocked state an independent front part of a chassis of the tri-wheel
5 automobile is able to tilt from side to side while negotiating a curve on a road
segment.
7. The tilting system of claim 6, wherein the unlocking actuator is operatively
connected to a motor configured to function based on a user input.
8. The tilting system of claim 7, wherein the motor is communicatively connected
10 to a vehicle control unit.
9. The tilting system of claim 6, further comprising an upper casing cover and a
lower casing cover.
10.The tilting system of claim 6, further comprising a swing shaft connecting the
independent front part of the chassis to an independent rear part, wherein the
15 independent front part is configured to support a front tire and wherein the
independent rear part is configured to support at least two rear tires.