US-12623583-B2 - Vehicle

US12623583B2US 12623583 B2US12623583 B2US 12623583B2US-12623583-B2

Abstract

A utility vehicle 100 is a vehicle, and includes a base 1 , a cargo bed 2 , a lift spring 3 , and a lock 4 . The lift spring 3 is located offset to one side with respect to the center of the cargo bed 2 in a vehicle width direction. The lock 4 includes a first lock 4 A and a second lock 4 B. The first lock 4 A has a first striker 5 A, a first hook 6 A, and a lock spring 7 . The second lock 4 B has a second striker 5 B and a second hook 6 B. The second hook 6 B is coupled to the first hook 6 A so as to rotate integrally with the first hook 6 A. When the cargo bed 2 transitions from a lifted state to a lowered state, the first hook 6 A rotates in a reverse direction of a biasing direction against the elastic force of the lock spring 7 by contacting the first striker 5 A, and thereafter, rotates in a forward direction which is the biasing direction by the elastic force of the lock spring 7 and is engaged with the first striker 5 A. The second hook 6 B rotates without contacting the second striker 5 B by rotation of the first hook 6 A in the reverse direction, and thereafter, rotates by rotation of the first hook 6 A in the forward direction and is engaged with the second striker 5 B.

Inventors

Shingo KIMOTO
Teruaki Yamamoto
Shigeaki UEMATSU
Yoshitsugu SHIBASAKI
Akihiro Ishii

Assignees

KAWASAKI MOTORS, LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20240119

Claims (10)

1 . A vehicle comprising: a base; a cargo bed attached to the base so as to rotate about a predetermined cargo bed axis extending in a vehicle width direction between a lowered state in which the cargo bed is mounted on the base and a lifted state in which the cargo bed is lifted from the base; a lift spring biasing the cargo bed from the lowered state to the lifted state; and a lock fixing the cargo bed in the lowered state on the base, wherein the lift spring is located offset to one side with respect to a center of the cargo bed in the vehicle width direction, the lock includes a first lock located offset to a side identical to the lift spring with respect to the center of the cargo bed in the vehicle width direction and a second lock located offset to a side opposite to the lift spring with respect to the center of the cargo bed in the vehicle width direction, the first lock has a first striker attached to one of the cargo bed or the base, a first hook attached to the other one of the cargo bed or the base so as to rotate about a predetermined lock axis and engaged with the first striker when the cargo bed is in the lowered state, and a lock spring biasing the first hook about the lock axis in a biasing direction of the first hook being engaged with the first striker, the second lock has a second striker attached to the cargo bed or the base to which the first striker is attached, and a second hook attached to the cargo bed or the base to which the first hook is attached so as to rotate about the lock axis and engaged with the second striker when the cargo bed is in the lowered state, the second hook is coupled to the first hook so as to rotate integrally with the first hook, and when the cargo bed transitions from the lifted state to the lowered state, the first hook rotates in a reverse direction of the biasing direction against elastic force of the lock spring by contacting the first striker, and thereafter, rotates in a forward direction which is the biasing direction by the elastic force of the lock spring and is engaged with the first striker, and the second hook rotates without contacting the second striker by rotation of the first hook in the reverse direction, and thereafter, rotates by rotation of the first hook in the forward direction and is engaged with the second striker.
2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the second hook does not contact the second striker by rotating by an angle greater than a reference angle when the cargo bed transitions from the lifted state to the lowered state, and before a rotation direction of the rotating first hook switches from the reverse direction to the forward direction by contact with the first striker when the cargo bed transitions from the lifted state to the lowered state, a degree of a rotation angle of the first hook is greater than the reference angle.
3 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first hook has a body extending substantially parallel with a radial direction about the lock axis and a bent portion bent from the body, and the first striker has a striker engagement surface which faces downward and with which the bent portion contacts from below in the lowered state, and a slide surface which is located higher than the striker engagement surface and is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane and on which the bent portion slides when the cargo bed transitions from the lifted state to the lowered state.
4 . The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the first striker is located offset from the second striker in a direction from an upper end to a lower end of the slide surface in a front-rear direction.
5 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the second striker is in a plate shape expanding in a front-rear direction and the vehicle width direction.
6 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first hook has a body extending substantially parallel with a radial direction about the lock axis and a bent portion bent from the body, and the first striker has a striker engagement surface with which the bent portion contacts in the lowered state and a curved surface guiding the first hook to the striker engagement surface.
7 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the second lock does not have a lock spring biasing the second hook about the lock axis in a biasing direction of the second hook being engaged with the second striker.
8 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is an off-road vehicle.
9 . A vehicle comprising: a base; a cargo bed attached to the base so as to rotate about a predetermined cargo bed axis extending in a vehicle width direction between a lowered state in which the cargo bed is mounted on the base and a lifted state in which the cargo bed is lifted from the base; a lift spring biasing the cargo bed from the lowered state to the lifted state; and a lock fixing the cargo bed in the lowered state on the base, wherein the lift spring is located offset to one side with respect to a center of the cargo bed in the vehicle width direction, the lock includes a first lock located offset to a side identical to the lift spring with respect to the center of the cargo bed in the vehicle width direction and a second lock located offset to a side opposite to the lift spring with respect to the center of the cargo bed in the vehicle width direction, the first lock has a first striker attached to one of the cargo bed or the base, a first hook attached to the other one of the cargo bed or the base so as to rotate about a predetermined lock axis and engaged with the first striker when the cargo bed is in the lowered state, and a lock spring biasing the first hook about the lock axis in a biasing direction of the first hook being engaged with the first striker, the second lock has a second striker attached to the cargo bed or the base to which the first striker is attached, and a second hook attached to the cargo bed or the base to which the first hook is attached so as to rotate about the lock axis and engaged with the second striker when the cargo bed is in the lowered state, the second hook is coupled to the first hook so as to rotate integrally with the first hook, the first hook has a body extending substantially parallel with a radial direction about the lock axis and a bent portion bent from the body, and the first striker has a striker engagement surface with which the bent portion contacts in the lowered state and a curved surface guiding the first hook to the striker engagement surface.
10 . The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the vehicle is an off-road vehicle.

Description

FIELD The technique disclosed here relates to a vehicle. BACKGROUND U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0216195 discloses a utility vehicle including a base, a cargo bed, and a lift spring. The cargo bed is rotatably attached to the base so as to mutually transition between a lowered state and a lifted state. One end of the lift spring is attached to the bottom of the cargo bed, and the other end of the lift spring is attached to the base. A rotatable rod extending in a vehicle width direction is attached to the bottom of the cargo bed. Two hooks located right and left are attached to the rod. When the cargo bed is in the lowered state, the two hooks are engaged with the base. SUMMARY In some cases, the lift spring is located offset to one side with respect to the center of the cargo bed in the vehicle width direction. In this case, when a user pushes down the cargo bed from the lifted state to the lowered state, the cargo bed may tilt right and left due to biasing of the lift spring. As a result, one hook cannot be engaged with the base, and the cargo bed may be insufficiently locked to the base. The technique disclosed here has been made in view of the above-described points, and an object thereof is to reduce a probability of the cargo bed being insufficiently locked to the base. A vehicle disclosed here is a vehicle including a base, a cargo bed attached to the base so as to rotate about a predetermined cargo bed axis extending in a vehicle width direction between a lowered state in which the cargo bed is mounted on the base and a lifted state in which the cargo bed is lifted from the base, a lift spring biasing the cargo bed from the lowered state to the lifted state, and a lock fixing the cargo bed in the lowered state on the base. The lift spring is located offset to one side with respect to the center of the cargo bed in the vehicle width direction. The lock includes a first lock located offset to the same side as the lift spring with respect to the center of the cargo bed in the vehicle width direction and a second lock located offset to a side opposite to the lift spring with respect to the center of the cargo bed in the vehicle width direction. The first lock has a first striker attached to one of the cargo bed or the base, a first hook attached to the other one of the cargo bed or the base so as to rotate about a predetermined lock axis and engaged with the first striker when the cargo bed is in the lowered state, and a lock spring biasing the first hook about the lock axis in a biasing direction of the first hook being engaged with the first striker. The second lock has a second striker attached to the cargo bed or the base to which the first striker is attached, and a second hook attached to the cargo bed or the base to which the first hook is attached so as to rotate about the lock axis and engaged with the second striker when the cargo bed is in the lowered state. The second hook is coupled to the first hook so as to rotate integrally with the first hook. When the cargo bed transitions from the lifted state to the lowered state, the first hook rotates in a reverse direction of the biasing direction against the elastic force of the lock spring by contacting the first striker, and thereafter, rotates in a forward direction which is the biasing direction by the elastic force of the lock spring and is engaged with the first striker; and the second hook rotates without contacting the second striker by rotation of the first hook in the reverse direction, and thereafter, rotates by rotation of the first hook in the forward direction and is engaged with the second striker. A vehicle of another aspect disclosed here is a vehicle including a base, a cargo bed attached to the base so as to rotate about a predetermined cargo bed axis extending in a vehicle width direction between a lowered state in which the cargo bed is mounted on the base and a lifted state in which the cargo bed is lifted from the base, a lift spring biasing the cargo bed from the lowered state to the lifted state, and a lock fixing the cargo bed in the lowered state on the base. The lift spring is located offset to one side with respect to the center of the cargo bed in the vehicle width direction. The lock includes a first lock located offset to the same side as the lift spring with respect to the center of the cargo bed in the vehicle width direction and a second lock located offset to a side opposite to the lift spring with respect to the center of the cargo bed in the vehicle width direction. The first lock has a first striker attached to one of the cargo bed or the base, a first hook attached to the other one of the cargo bed or the base so as to rotate about a predetermined lock axis and engaged with the first striker when the cargo bed is in the lowered state, and a lock spring biasing the first hook about the lock axis in a biasing direction of the first hook being engaged with the first striker. The second lock has