A utility vehicle comprises a plurality of ground engaging members and a frame supported by the plurality of ground engaging members. The frame includes a front frame portion, a mid-frame portion, and a rear frame portion. The utility vehicle further comprises an attachment supported at the front frame portion. Additionally, the utility vehicle includes an operator area supported by the frame and including an operator seat and an adjacent passenger seat spaced apart from the operator seat. The operator seat and the passenger seat are in a side-by-side arrangement. The utility vehicle also comprises an auxiliary power assembly having an attachment shaft configured to be operably coupled to the attachment. The attachment shaft extends in a generally longitudinal direction of the utility vehicle and projects outwardly from the front frame portion.

This invention relates to a rolling motor vehicle with three or four wheels, comprising a frame 6 that extends from a forecarriage 8, which supports at least two front wheels 10,10, to a rear 12 which supports one or more rear wheels 14. The frame 6 defines an accommodating area 15 for a driver P. The forecarriage 8 in turn comprises: a forecarriage frame 16; at least one pair of front wheels 10,10 kinematically connected to each other and to the forecarriage frame 16 by means of a rolling kinematic mechanism 20 which enables the front wheels to roll in a synchronous and specular manner, each wheel 10,10 being connected to said rolling kinematic mechanism 20 by means of a respective axle journal 60, said axle journal 60 being mechanically connected to a rotation pin 68 of the wheel in order to support it rotatably around an axis of rotation R-R, R-R; a roll control system 100 of the motor vehicle; suspension means 90 which guarantee each axle journal 60 at least one spring suspension movement with respect to said rolling kinematic mechanism 20. The roll control system comprises a rod 110, which connects the two front wheels directly to each other at the respective axle journals 60 at its two ends by means of hinging means 72,73,74 which enable said rod 110 to passively follow the movements of the axle journals 60, the roll movements of the two front wheels and of the respective axle journals causing changes in the lying position of said rod 110 with respect to a vertical projection plane, which is transverse to a centre line plane M-M of the motor vehicle. The rod 110 is usable directly or indirectly by the driver P as a command element of the roll control system 100 to control the rolling movements of the two front wheels without having to put his feet on the ground, adjusting the lying position of the rod 110 itself with his own body. Said command element 110, 120 is disposed so as to be accessible and maneuverable by the driver P from the accommodating area 15.

This invention relates to a rolling motor vehicle with three or four wheels, comprising a frame 6 that extends from a forecarriage 8, which supports at least two front wheels 10,10, to a rear 12 which supports one or more rear wheels 14. The frame 6 defines an accommodating area 15 for a driver P. The forecarriage 8 in turn comprises: a forecarriage frame 16; at least one pair of front wheels 10,10 kinematically connected to each other and to the forecarriage frame 16 by means of a rolling kinematic mechanism 20 which enables the front wheels to roll in a synchronous and specular manner, each wheel 10,10 being connected to said rolling kinematic mechanism 20 by means of a respective axle journal 60, said axle journal 60 being mechanically connected to a rotation pin 68 of the wheel in order to support it rotatably around an axis of rotation R-R, R-R; a roll control system 100 of the motor vehicle; suspension means 90 which guarantee each axle journal 60 at least one spring suspension movement with respect to said rolling kinematic mechanism 20. The roll control system comprises a rod 110, which connects the two front wheels directly to each other at the respective axle journals 60 at its two ends by means of hinging means 72,73,74 which enable said rod 110 to passively follow the movements of the axle journals 60, the roll movements of the two front wheels and of the respective axle journals causing changes in the lying position of said rod 110 with respect to a vertical projection plane, which is transverse to a centre line plane M-M of the motor vehicle. The rod 110 is usable directly or indirectly by the driver P as a command element of the roll control system 100 to control the rolling movements of the two front wheels without having to put his feet on the ground, adjusting the lying position of the rod 110 itself with his own body. Said command element 110, 120 is disposed so as to be accessible and maneuverable by the driver P from the accommodating area 15.

A die 20 used to form a metal tube into a tubular twist beam part 22 having a U-shaped torsion section 66 is provided. The die 20 includes a punch 44 and side form blocks 34 which simultaneously engage a metal tube and form the metal tube into the tubular twist beam part 22. The form blocks 34 have a curved profile which depends on the desired profile of the tubular twist beam part 22 to be formed. The die 20 includes horizontal spacer blocks 38 and vertical spacer blocks 32 restricting movement of the punch 44 and form blocks 34. The spacer blocks 32, 38 can have various different dimensions and can be easily removed and replaced to adjust the closing position of the die 20 and thus form multiple tubular twist beam parts 22 each having a different dimension and different roll rate.

The twist axle assembly includes a pair of trailing arms that are spaced apart from one another in a first direction. The twist axle assembly also includes a twist beam, which has an open shaped cross-sectional shape, that extends in the first direction between a pair of opposing end portions. The open cross-sectional shape of the twist beam includes a base and a pair of side walls. The end portions of the twist beam are fixedly attached with the trailing arms. A pair of beam reinforcements are fixedly attached with the trailing arms and with the base of the twist beam. The beam reinforcements are fixedly attached with the twist beam through at least one of fasteners, adhesives, resistance spot welding, cold metal transfer welding, laser welding, and brazing.

A rear axle suspension includes a holder for pivotable connection of a connecting portion of a semirigid axle to a vehicle superstructure. The holder is stationary relative to the vehicle superstructure and has a first and a second holding arrangement for an axle pin. The first and second holding arrangements are arranged on both sides of the connecting portion along a pin axis. In order to provide an optimized connection of a semirigid axle to a vehicle superstructure, the first holding arrangement has a stabilizing element with an arcuate portion. The arcuate portion, in the direction of the pin axis and tangentially, extends at least partially around the pin axis. The axle pin is mounted in the arcuate portion. Fixing portions are adjacent the arcuate portion on both sides and attach the stabilizing element to the vehicle superstructure.

A torsion beam type of rear suspension comprising a pair of right-and-left trailing arms and a torsion beam. A floor under cover for airflow straightening is attached to a portion of a vehicle body in front of the rear suspension so as to cover a vehicle-body lower face. A cover-support bracket is laid between a rear portion of a side sill and an inward side, in a vehicle width direction, of an arm pivot of the trail arm. A portion of the floor under cover which is positioned in the vicinity of its rear end is engaged with the cover-support bracket such that a rear end portion of the floor under cover is extended from an inward-side edge of a front portion of a rear wheel house to an inside of the rear wheel house.

A dual-mode suspension system using hydraulic dampers is disclosed. One or more dampers on each side of the four-wheel suspension system are coupled to a respective damper on the other side via a damper valve. One or more leaf springs may be arranged between the leading links coupled to some of the dampers, and trailing links coupled to other of the dampers. The suspension system may advantageously engage, lock, or partially disengage the respective dampers connected by the valve on each side of the system. Manipulating the valve to control engagement of the dampers, which may depend on the speed and related issues, provides control over whether heave motions should be separated from roll. In another embodiment, one or more single or double acting hydraulic cylinders may be used to engage dampers.

A dual-mode suspension system using hydraulic dampers is disclosed. One or more dampers on each side of the four-wheel suspension system are coupled to a respective damper on the other side via a damper valve. One or more leaf springs may be arranged between the leading links coupled to some of the dampers, and trailing links coupled to other of the dampers. The suspension system may advantageously engage, lock, or partially disengage the respective dampers connected by the valve on each side of the system. Manipulating the valve to control engagement of the dampers, which may depend on the speed and related issues, provides control over whether heave motions should be separated from roll. In another embodiment, one or more single or double acting hydraulic cylinders may be used to engage dampers.

A vehicle includes: a vehicle body; lean mechanism; operation input, lean control, and turn wheel support units. The turn wheel support unit includes: a supporting member supporting one or more turn wheels; turning actuator applying to the supporting member a torque for turning the supporting member; and turn control unit using a control parameter to control a turning actuator torque. The turn control unit includes: a specifying module using the control parameter to specify one or more turn wheels target direction; first determination module determining a first control value for causing the one or more turn wheels direction to approach the target direction; an actuation control value determination module using the first control value to determine an actuation control value; and torque control module controlling a turning actuator torque according to the actuation control value. The first determination module uses the vehicle velocity to adjust the first control value.