Three-Wheeled Motor Vehicle Gear Shift Mechanism

The present invention relates to a three-wheeled vehicle, and more particularly to a gear shift mechanism for a small three-wheeled motor vehicle driven by an engine suitable for normal highway operation.

Small three-wheeled vehicles are desirable from the standpoint of economical operation and to achieve the maximum economy it is necessary to make the vehicle as compact and light as possible. However, this often results in design problems involving other portions of the vehicle. One such problem occurs with respect to the transmission shifting mechanism to be operated by the driver in view of the door opening being on the same side as the transmission operating lever whereby the shift selector would be in the way of an operator entering or leaving the vehicle.

Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide an effective gear shifting mechanism on the opposite side of the driver's compartment from the door which can efficiently operate the transmission lever located on the same side of the vehicle as the door.

A further object of this invention is to provide a three-wheeled motor vehicle which includes a transmission integral with the engine and a control mechanism for controlling the transmission. The control mechanism includes a shift lever operatively connected to a gear shift spindle of the transmission through a rod rotatably attached to the floor of the driver's compartment and extending across the compartment laterally to the vehicle body and also through a connector mechanism.

The above and further objects, details and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly broken away, of a driver's compartment, showing a control mechanism for a transmission in a three-wheeled motor vehicle such as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG.2 is a plan view of a three-wheeled vehicle having two front wheels which is illustrative of an arrangement of the control mechanism shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view showing the control mechanism of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIGS. 1 through 3 show the appearance of a three-wheeled motor vehicle constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The three-wheeled motor vehicle comprises a vehicle body 1, a pair of laterally spaced front wheels 2 rotatably supported on the vehicle body 1, and a single rear wheel 3 rotatably supported on the vehicle body 1 and spaced rearward from the front wheels 2. The vehicle body 1 has a front engine room 4 and a rear compartment 5.

The vehicle body 1 has a door 8 including a windshield 9. As shown in FIG. 3, the door 8 covers most of the left side of the compartment 5, the entire upper side of the compartment 5, and the upper portion of the right side of the compartment 5, and is hinged to the upper edge 10 of a righthand side wall of the vehicle body 1.

A V-type two-cylinder engine 11 is disposed in the engine room 4 with the crank shaft extending laterally to the vehicle body 1. The engine 11 includes a lower integral transmission case 31 having an output drive shaft operatively coupled to the front wheels 2. Accordingly, the drive system of the illustrated three-wheeled motor vehicle is of the front-engine front-drive type.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a gear shift spindle 38 projects from the lefthand side of the transmission case 31. A gear selection change or shift can be made in response to rotation of the gear shift spindle 38. As can readily be understood, a wide variety of engines with transmissions for motorcycles are usable for the illustrated engine construction.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the compartment 5 of the monocoque vehicle body 1 has a lefthand side sill 39 and a righthand side body member 40 of a relatively increased height. The door 8 is of a gull-wing type hinged to an upper edge 10 of the side body member 40 and extends laterally to the side sill 39 for covering the compartment 5. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a shift lever 42 is disposed in the side body member 40 at a position in front of a driver's seat 41 so as not to interfere with the driver while getting into or out of the compartment 5, the shift lever 42 having a knob projecting into the compartment 5. Therefore, the gear shift spindle 38 and the shift lever 42 are located on opposite sides, i.e., lefthand and righthand sides, of the vehicle body 1. A rod 43 extends laterally of the vehicle body 1 across the compartment 5 and has a righthand end connected to a lower end of the shift lever 42. The lefthand end of the rod 43 is coupled through a connector mechanism 44 to the gear shift spindle 38 of the transmission in the engine room 4. More specifically, the rod 43 is inserted in a tubular attachment member 45 fixed to the floor of the compartment 5 so that the rod 43 is rotatably attached to the compartment floor. The connector mechanism is composed of crank members 38a, 43a fixed respectively to the gear shift spindle 38 and the rod 43 and a tube-encased wire 44 extending between and connected to the crank members 38a, 43a.

In operation, actuation of the shift lever 42 turns the rod 43 about its own axis to cause the connector mechanism 44 to turn the gear shift spindle 38 for thereby making a gear shift in the transmission mechanism in the transmission case 31. Since the rod 43 and tubular attachment member 45 extends from one side to the other of the compartment transversely of the vehicle body 1 and are fixed to the compartment floor, the rod 43 and member 45 can also serve as a vehicle body reinforcement for increasing the mechanical strength of the vehicle body 1 against a torsional moment caused by external forces imposed on the vehicle body 1.

Although there has been described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all aspects as illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.