A riding lawn care vehicle may include: (a) a frame to which a pair of front wheels and a rear wheel assembly of the riding lawn care vehicle are attachable; (b) an engine mounted to the frame substantially between the front wheels; (c) a steering assembly having steering levers operably coupled to respective ones of the front wheels of the riding lawn care vehicle via respective hydrostatic drive pumps driven by the engine; (d) a support platform coupled to the frame rearward of the engine to support a standing rider; and (e) a front mount assembly configured to detachably couple the riding lawn care vehicle to an attachment that enables performance of a yard maintenance activity, where (f) a majority of the support platform is disposed rearward of an axis of rotation of the front wheels and forward of an axis of rotation of the rear wheel assembly.

A portable hoist assembly for lifting, relocating and lowering loads includes a trailer that is both wheeled and configured to couple to a vehicle. A power module, a lift arm and an actuator are coupled to the trailer. The actuator is operationally coupled to the power module and the lift arm. A fastener is operationally coupled proximate to a second end of the lift arm. The fastener is configured to couple the lift arm to a load. The actuator is positioned to motivate the lift arm and the fastener upwardly and downwardly. The load that is coupled to the lift arm is elevated from a first resting position to a raised position, repositioned by movement of the trailer, and lowered from the raised position to a second resting position.

A three-wheeled automobile is described herein. The automobile may include a unibody frame, a flexible engine cowling, and a fastener. The unibody frame may include an exposed unibody panel and/or a removable-panel securing fixture disposed adjacent to the exposed unibody panel. The engine cowling may be secured to the securing fixture. The fastener may pass through the engine cowling panel and may be affixed to the securing fixture, thereby securing the engine cowling panel to the unibody frame. The engine cowling panel may pass over the securing fixture and/or behind the unibody panel. The engine cowling panel may be pressed against the unibody panel outwards from the automobile by a bending force in the engine cowling panel such that the exposed unibody panel may prevent bowing of an outside edge of the engine cowling panel directly adjacent to the unibody panel.

An aerodynamic vehicle includes an aerodynamic heat exchanger formed as one or more body panels disposed along an outer surface of the vehicle having one or more fluidic chambers or micro-channels. The aerodynamic heat exchanger is adapted to provide effective and highly efficient heat transfer, and also to provide substantially reduced or negligible contribution to the aerodynamic drag. The aerodynamic heat exchanger may provide adequate heat rejection capacity throughout vehicle operating conditions that advantageously results in increased fuel economy and overall vehicle performance.

A drive system for an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) including an electric motor; a gearbox; four wheel and tire assemblies; a battery; a control module; and a throttle device; the electric motor is electrically connected to, and configured to receive at least a first signal from the control module; the control module is electrically connected to, and configured to receive a charge from the battery; and the throttle device is electrically connected to, and configured to send a second signal to the control module; the electric motor is rotationally connected to the gearbox, wherein at least one drive shaft is rotationally coupled to the gearbox to rotationally connect the gearbox to the four wheel and tire assemblies.

A brake system includes a brake activator which first activates a central rear brake and lastly activates a front brake of a right front brake and a left front brake which is provided on a front wheel which is an inner wheel by operating an input member. When an operation amount of the input member from an initial state to a maximum operated state thereof is divided equally into three portions which are defined as a low braking force area, a middle braking force area, and a high braking force area, the brake activator activates the central rear brake, the right front brake, and the left front brake to operate in the low braking force area.

A three-wheeled vehicle crumple zone is described. The crumple zone includes a triangular, single-sided swing arm coupling a wheel to a frame of the vehicle at an end-most portion of the vehicle. The swing arm includes a u-shaped frame yoke coupling the swing arm to the frame and an angled wheel yoke coupling the wheel to the swing arm. The wheel yoke extends from the frame yoke at an angle ranging from 40 to 70 degrees, such that the frame yoke, the wheel yoke, and a centerline axis extending perpendicularly from the frame yoke form a right triangle.

An automatic tilting vehicle comprises left and right front wheels and a rear wheel. A control unit controls a vehicle tilting device so that the tilt angle of the vehicle becomes the target tilt angle. The control device is configured to swingingly vibrates the vehicle in the lateral direction by tilting the vehicle by the vehicle tilting device, to estimate a height of the center of gravity of the vehicle based on a resonance period of swinging vibration of the vehicle, and to correct the target tilt angle such that a perpendicular passing through the estimated center of gravity passes within a range of a triangle formed by connecting grounding points of the left and right front wheels and a grounding point of the rear wheel.

A vehicle is described herein that includes a unibody vehicle frame, a vehicle body panel, and one or more monolithic tripartite support mechanisms, which mechanisms provide structural support for at least three frame-mounted vehicle components. Each support mechanism includes a windshield support arm, a side view mirror support arm, and a body panel fixing plate. The side view mirror support arm extends from the windshield support, and the body panel fixing plate extends from the windshield support arm, the side-view mirror support arm, or both. Additionally, the windshield support arm holds a windshield to the vehicle, the side view mirror support arm holds a side view mirror to the vehicle, and the fixing plate secures the body panel to the frame.

A vehicle suspension system is described that includes a frame, a control arm assembly, a bell crank, and a shock. The control arm assembly includes upper and lower control arms. The bell crank is disposed above the upper control arm and is pivotally coupled to the upper control arm and the frame. The shock is coupled to the bell crank and the frame, and is disposed between the bell crank and a vehicle passenger compartment. In some embodiments, the bell crank is coupled to the upper control arm by a pushrod. Additionally, in some embodiments, the frame is a unitized frame and/or includes an engine cowling, and the bell crank is coupled to the engine cowling.