Abstract:
A safety wheel including a combined flat protector and bead stopper structure radially fitted in the tire around the inner periphery thereof and having a closed frame-like cross-sectional configuration of a substantial modulus of section. The flat protector, being made itself of an elastic material in a substantially H-shaped cross section, is easily deformable and can be readily inserted in the tire and, once combined with the bead stopper, which clamps the opposite side wall portions of the flat protector and the respective bead portions of the tire against the rim flanges, exhibits a substantial rigidity enough to support the vehicle weight, as when the tire is punctured. The rigidity of the flat protector per se is also increased by means of reinforcing cords of unstretchable material embedded therein. Formed on the outer periphery of the opposite side walls of the flat protector are a pair of laterally aligned straight puncture-sensing regions which extend in parallel to a tangent thereto, lying radially outside of the bottom of the annular recess in the outer periphery of the flat protector of H-shaped cross section. The straight puncture-sensing regions, allowing the vehicle body to descend each time such regions are positioned directly opposite to the road surface during travel of the vehicle with the tire punctured, serve to produce a puncture alarm signal in the form of shocks transmitted to the vehicle body, which warns the driver of the need for prompt tire replacement immediately upon tire puncture.
Abstract:
A safety wheel designed so that when air sealed within a tire is lost, the vehicle may be supported by a flat protector device in place of air pressure within the tire. The safety wheel comprises a split rim, a tubeless tire and a flat protector device which comprises a flat protector seat portion annularly fixed along the outer peripheral surface of the split rim, and a flat protector body formed of at least one pipe annularly fixed along the outer peripheral surface of the flat protector seat portion.
Abstract:
A tubeless tire and rim assembly including an annular bead lock in the form of an endless train of lock elements interconnected by flexible joints. The bead lock can have not only a fully expanded circular configuration to fit over the rim base but also a partly folded configuration to lie within the inner peripheral circle of the tire. This particularly facilitates the mounting of such bead lock while effectively preventing any improper positioning thereof. An embodiment incorporating a flat-protector together with the bead lock is also contemplated to further improve the driving safety.
Abstract:
A run-flat support and tire assembly designed so that when air sealed within a tire is lost, the vehicle may be supported by support members in place of air pressure within the tire. The run-flat tire has a split rim, a tubeless tire mounted on the rim, and a plurality of annularly disposed circular support members. The support members each comprises a thin-wall casing body having lattice-like reinforcing ribs for partitioning the interior of the casing body into a plurality of chambers. Connecting protrusions project from the casing body. The connecting protrusions are detachably connected to one another for each incorporation of the support members into the tire.
Abstract:
A safety wheel designed so that when air sealed within a tire is lost, the vehicle may be supported by a flat protector and bead stopper members in place of air pressure within the tire. The safety wheel comprises a split rim, a tubeless tire mounted on the split rim, and a flat protector of an annular configuration. The flat protector is divided into a plurality of circular protector elements whose opposed opposite ends are connected with each other through the bead stopper members adapted to restrain relative movement between the bead portions of the tire and the split rim.
Abstract:
A steering system for a motor vehicle having power steering means including an actuator for turning steerable road wheels of the motor vehicle includes a control mechanism for eliminating a deviation between a desired direction of travel of the motor vehicle and an actual direction of travel of the motor vehicle, based on an output signal from a direction indicating mechanism which indicates the desired direction and an output signal from a direction detecting mechanism which detects the actual direction. The control mechanism determines a target turning angle for the steerable road wheels dependent on the deviation between the desired direction and the actual direction, and controls the power steering mechanism to turn the steerable road wheels up to the target turning angle.
Abstract:
A steering system for the front and rear wheels of an automotive vehicle comprises a front wheel steering mechanism having an output shaft, a rear wheel steering mechanism having an input shaft coupled to the output shaft, an output member for steering the rear wheels, and a motion converting mechanism for converting rotation of the input shaft to movement of the output member, a vehicle speed sensor, and a control unit connected to the vehicle speed sensor for controlling operation of the motion converting mechanism dependent on the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor. The motion converting mechanism comprises a shaft angularly movable by the input shaft, the shaft having an arm extending radially from one end thereof, a guide mounted on the output member and extending in a vertical direction transverse to an axis of the output member, a slide assembly disposed between and interconnecting the arm and the guide, and a drive device controlled by the control unit for moving the slide assembly along the guide.
Abstract:
A trailing arm suspension includes a holder pivotally supported on a vehicle body by a first pivot shaft extending substantially longitudinally of the vehicle body and supporting a second pivot shaft extending substantially transversely of the vehicle body, a trailing arm pivotally supported by the second pivot shaft on the holder and having a spindle mounted on a rear portion thereof for rotatably supporting a wheel, and a plurality of links have first ends thereof coupled to the trailing arm and extending substantially transversely of the vehicle body. The point at which the trailing arm is pivotally supported by the second pivot shaft can easily be displaced transversely through swinging movement of the holder about the axis of the first pivot shaft. A rubber bushing interposed between the trailing arm and the second pivot shaft can be harder or higher in rubber rigidity in the longitudinal and vertical directions of the vehicle body for limiting changes in wheel alignment when wheels are driven or braked.
Abstract:
A steering system for a vehicle having a steering wheel and front and rear wheels, including a front steering sub-system for steering the front wheels in accordance with the steering angle of the steering wheel and a rear steering sub-system for steering the rear wheels in the same and opposite directions with respect to the front wheels in accordance with the steering angle of the steering wheel. The steering system is provided with a rack and pinion type variable-ratio mechanism for varying the ratio of the steered angle of at least either of the front or rear wheels to the steering angle of the steering wheel in accordance with the magnitude of the steering angle of the steering wheel. The design freedom in setting a functional relation between the steering angle of the steering wheel and the turning curvature of the vehicle is thus maximized. Moreover, selective setting is permitted for change of ratio of the steered angle of the rear wheels to the steering angle in the vicinity of the initial position of the steering wheel. Further, there is permitted a favorable use of available vehicle dimensions to achieve an optimum feeling characteristic of steering operation.
Abstract:
A rear suspension for a vehicle including a vehicle body, front and rear wheels and a steering system for steering both the front and rear wheels by a steering wheel.The rear suspension comprises a rear sheel support member for supporting the rear wheels with respect to the vehicle body and a biasing mechanism, interposed between the vehicle body and the rear wheel support member, for biasing the rear wheel to restore the steering position thereof to the neutral position thereof.The rear wheel support member may comprise a shock absorber and a lower arm while the biasing mechanism may be a rubber bush.