DESCRIPTION

Field of the invention

[0001]The present invention relates to a connection and suspension assembly of a pair of wheels placed axially side-by-side for a tilting vehicle, for example for a cargo bicycle, where the connection and suspension assembly comprises a pair of wheels placed side-by-side and facing each other. The present invention also relates to a tilting vehicle comprising such a connection and suspension assembly.

Background art

[0002]Tilting wheeled vehicles are well-known, which comprise a vehicle frame and one or more wheels connected to the frame and arranged along a longitudinal plane of vehicle, or along centerline plane of the vehicle, which generally is vertical and is arranged according to an advancing direction of the vehicle.

[0003]The use of the tilting vehicle is based on the balance thereof, keeping the centerline plane in generally vertical position when the vehicle advances on a rectilinear trajectory, and tilting such a centerline plane of the vehicle towards the center of curvature of the trajectory when it is cornering to compensate for the centrifugal force and maintain the balance.

[0004]An example of tilting vehicle is a bicycle.

[0005]A critical point of this type of vehicle is the instability of the balance when the road surface is uneven or irregular, having projections and depressions which the wheels may hit, causing sudden deviations and subsequent losses of balance, and sometimes a fall.

[0006]This criticality is significantly amplified in case of a curved trajectory, with the vehicle tilted, because a possible loss of adherence of the wheels, caused by the irregularities of the road surface, risks causing the lateral slipping of the vehicle.

[0007]These limitations prevent using a tilting vehicle, e.g. a bicycle, to transport a heavy load due to the worsening of stability along a curved trajectory due to the increased load.

[0008]For this reason indeed, the known cargo bicycles are not tilting and although they have a pair of wheels placed side-by-side each other, between which the load is axially arranged, such wheels are axially far from each other and the rotation axis of such wheels is fixed with respect to the frame of the vehicle.

[0009]Therefore, due to the impossibility of tilting the bicycle when cornering, the known cargo bicycles do not allow increased speeds to be reached when cornering and therefore, for the centrifugal force to be compensated for.

[0010]An attempt to improve the stability of a cargo bicycle is known using a forecarriage with a pair of wheels placed side-by-side and close to each other, the rotation axes of which may translate between each other parallel to the median plane in symmetrical manner, i.e. when the rotation axis of one wheel translates downwards, the rotation axis of the other wheel rotates upwards, according to an equal movement so as to allow to tilt the vehicle when cornering and cause both wheels of the pair of wheels placed side-by-side to remain adherent to the road surface.

[0011]Such a known bicycle, although it allows the tilting thereof when cornering while maintaining the adherence of both side-by-side wheels of the forecarriage, is capable of ensuring such an adherence only when the road surface is free from apparent roughness because if one of the two wheels should hit a roughness, the other of the two wheels would therefore suddenly move in the opposite direction, losing the support on the road surface and causing the falling of the bicycle.

[0012]Therefore, the need is felt to provide a tilting vehicle comprising at least one pair of wheels placed axially side-by-side and close to each other, capable of reconciling the two countering needs of allowing a symmetrical translation of the wheels of the pair in order to ensure the adherence of both wheels when the vehicle is tilted or is cornering, and to allow each wheel of the pair to translate in a non-symmetrical manner with respect to the other when it instantaneously encounters a projection or a depression of the road surface so that both wheels maintain the adherence even under this circumstance.

Summary of the invention

[0013]It is the object of the present invention to devise and provide a connection and suspension assembly of a pair of wheels placed axially side-by-side for a tilting vehicle, which allows the aforesaid needs to be met and the drawbacks indicated above with reference to the known art to be at least partially overcome.

[0014]In particular, it is a task of the present invention to provide a connection and suspension assembly of a pair of wheels placed axially side-by-side and close to each other for a tilting vehicle, which allows both wheels of the pair of side-by-side wheels to adhere to the road surface both in the case of regular road surface and if one of the two wheels suddenly encounters a projection or a depression of the road surface, also when the vehicle is tilted or is cornering.

[0015]Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a connection and suspension assembly of a pair of wheels placed axially side-by-side and close to each other for a tilting vehicle, capable of reconciling and meeting both of the two countering needs of allowing a symmetrical translation of the wheels of the pair in order to ensure the adherence of both wheels when the vehicle is tilted or is cornering, and to allow each wheel of the pair to translate independently of the other when it suddenly encounters a projection or a depression of the road surface so that both wheels continue to adhere to the road surface even under this circumstance.

[0016]In other words, it is an object of the present invention to provide a connection and suspension assembly of a pair of wheels placed axially side-by-side and close to each other for a tilting vehicle, capable of automatically freeing the translation of the wheels from the condition of mutual symmetrical translation if one of the two wheels encounters an irregularity of the road surface so that both wheels continue adhering to the road surface.

[0017]It is another object of the present invention to provide a connection and suspension assembly of a pair of wheels placed axially side-by-side for a tilting vehicle, capable of ensuring the cornering stability of the vehicle on an irregular road surface even if such a vehicle transports an increased load.

[0018]It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cargo bicycle having an increased cornering stability both on a regular road surface and on a significantly irregular road surface.

[0019]It is another object of the present invention to provide a cargo bicycle capable of reaching an increased traveling speed even when cornering, and simultaneously of ensuring increased stability and adherence to the road surface, even if the road surface has irregularities, such as projections or depressions.

[0020]These and further objects and advantages are achieved by a connection and suspension assembly of a pair of wheels placed axially side-by-side and close to each other for a tilting vehicle, and also by a tilting vehicle having said connection and suspension assembly, according to the independent claims.

[0021]Further objects, solutions and advantages are present in the embodiments described and claimed below in the dependent claims.

Brief description of the drawings

[0022]The invention is disclosed below with the description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of a non- limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023]- Figure 1 shows an angled isometric view of a connection and suspension assembly of a pair of wheels placed axially side-by-side according to the invention, where the wheels were omitted to facilitate the disclosure of the technical features, where the wheel arms are aligned with each other, and where the rocker arm is at the front end-of-stroke point;

[0024]- Figure 2 shows an orthogonal side view from the right, of the connection and suspension assembly in Figure

1;

[0025]- Figure 3 shows an orthogonal rear view of the connection and suspension assembly in Figure 1;

[0026]- Figure 4 shows an orthogonal top view of the connection and suspension assembly in Figure 1;

[0027]- Figure 5 shows an angled isometric view of a connection and suspension assembly of a pair of wheels placed axially side-by-side according to the invention, where the wheels were omitted to facilitate the disclosure of the technical features, where the wheel arms are rotated to the maximum angular distance between each other, and where the rocker arm is in an intermediate position between the front end-of-stroke point and the rear end-of-stroke point; [0028]- Figure 6 shows an orthogonal side view from the right, of the connection and suspension assembly in Figure

5;

[0029]- Figure 7 shows an orthogonal rear view of the connection and suspension assembly in Figure 5;

[0030]- Figure 8 shows an angled isometric view of a connection and suspension assembly of a pair of wheels placed axially side-by-side according to the invention, where the wheels were omitted to facilitate the disclosure of the technical features, where the wheel arms are aligned with each other, and where the rocker arm is in an intermediate position between the front end-of-stroke point and the rear end-of-stroke point;

[0031]- Figure 9 shows an orthogonal side view from the right, of the connection and suspension assembly in Figure

8;

[0032]- Figure 10 shows an orthogonal rear view of the connection and suspension assembly in Figure 8;

[0033]- Figure 11 shows a partial side view of the connection and suspension assembly in the balance position, i.e. when the vehicle has the longitudinal vehicle plane arranged vertical, or in any case orthogonal to the road surface, which is substantially free from asperities;

[0034]- Figure 12 shows a partial side view of the connection and suspension assembly when the second wheel has instantaneously encountered a projection of the road surface, where the impulsive force received from the second wheel caused the displacement of the rocker arm from the front end-of-stroke point towards the rear end- of-stroke point and the simultaneous rotation of the rocker arm about the pin axis, causing a non-symmetrical movement of the two wheels with respect to the balance position while maintaining the adherence of both the two wheels placed side-by-side, to the road surface;

[0035]- Figure 13 shows a partial side view of the connection and suspension assembly during a braking action;

[0036]- Figure 14 shows an enlargement of the view in

Figure 11;

[0037]- Figure 15 shows a side view of a cargo bicycle having a connection and suspension assembly of a pair of wheels placed axially side-by-side according to the invention, mounted as forecarriage of the bicycle, where such a forecarriage is depicted in steered position;

[0038]- Figure 16 shows a front view of the cargo bicycle in Figure 15;

[0039]- Figure 17 shows a front view of the bicycle in

Figure 15, where such a bicycle is arranged with the longitudinal plane of the bicycle tilted with respect to the road surface, while such a bicycle advances along a curved trajectory.

Description of preferred embodiments

[0040]With reference to the figures, a connection and suspension assembly of a pair of wheels placed axially side-by-side and close to each other for a tilting vehicle 100 according to the invention is indicated as a whole with numeral 1.

[0041]The connection and suspension assembly 1 comprises a first wheel 18 and a second wheel 19.

[0042]The first wheel 18 defines a rotation axis R1 of first wheel, an inner face 18' of first wheel and an opposite outer face 18'' of first wheel lying on respective planes orthogonal to the rotation axis R1 of first wheel.

[0043]The second wheel 19 defines a rotation axis R2 of second wheel, an inner face 19' of second wheel and an opposite outer face 19'' of second wheel lying on respective planes orthogonal to the rotation axis R2 of second wheel.

[0044]The inner face 18' of first wheel faces said inner face 19' of second wheel.

[0045]The connection and suspension assembly 1 comprises a central structure 10 having a first end 11 which is connectable, or connected, to a frame 101 of said tilting vehicle 100, said central structure 10 being interposed between said first wheel 18 and said second wheel 19.

[0046]Moreover, the connection and suspension assembly 1 comprises a first wheel arm 23 with which the first wheel 18 is pivotally engaged about said rotation axis R1 of first wheel, and a second wheel arm 24 with which the second wheel 19 is pivotally engaged about said rotation axis R2 of second wheel.

[0047]The first wheel arm 23 and the second wheel arm 24 both are hinged to the central structure 10 about the same wheel arm rotation axis B, on opposite sides with respect to said central structure 10.

[0048]The connection and suspension assembly 1 defines a median plane M orthogonal to said wheel arm rotation axis B and centrally interposed between, and equally spaced from, said first wheel arm 23 and said second wheel arm 24.

[0049]The first wheel 18 and the second wheel 19 may also be indicated as "left-hand wheel" and "right-hand wheel", respectively, because they are arranged to the left and to the right with respect to the median plane M, in particular with respect to a person sitting in a driving position of the tilting vehicle 100.

[0050]The median plane M preferably is a central plane of symmetry of the connection and suspension assembly 1. [0051]In accordance with an embodiment, the first wheel arm 23 preferably is substantially equal to the second wheel arm 24, or preferably specular to the second wheel arm 24 with respect to the median plane M.

[0052]In other words, the radial distance between the rotation axis R1 of first wheel and the wheel arm rotation axis B of the first arm 23 substantially is equal to the radial distance between the rotation axis R2 of second wheel and the wheel arm rotation axis B of the second wheel arm 24.

[0053]Again, in other words, the first wheel arm 23 and the second wheel arm 24 are preferably symmetrical-shaped and specular with respect to the median plane M.

[0054]In accordance with an embodiment, the rotation axes Rl, R2 of first wheel and of second wheel lie on planes parallel to the wheel arm rotation axis B. For example, the rotation axes Rl, R2 of first wheel and of second wheel are parallel to the wheel arm rotation axis B, and therefore are parallel to each other.

[0055]The rotation axis Rl of first wheel and the rotation axis R2 of second wheel here always remain parallel to each other, in particular in any tilting of the tilting vehicle 100, and also in any rotation angle of the steering of the vehicle.

[0056]In this case, moreover, the lying planes of the inner face 18' of first wheel and of the inner face 19' of second wheel always remain parallel to each other, in any tilting of the tilting vehicle 100, and also in any rotation angle of the steering of the vehicle.

[0057]In accordance with an embodiment, the first wheel 18 and the second wheel 19 substantially are equal to each other.

[0058]In accordance with an embodiment, the first wheel arm 23 and the second wheel arm 24 comprise a respective elongated arm body which joins the rotation axis R1 of first wheel, or of second wheel R2, respectively, with the wheel arm rotation axis B, where such an elongated arm body of each arm mainly extends along a respective rectilinear direction of extension.

[0059]The rectilinear direction of extension of the first arm 23 and the rectilinear direction of extension of the second arm 23 are preferably symmetrical with respect to the median plane, for example parallel to the median plane

M.

[0060]The connection and suspension assembly 1 further comprises an elongated rocker arm 30 having a first free rocker-arm end 31 and an opposite second free rocker-arm end 32, said rocker arm 30 being pivotally engaged, at a first intermediate, preferably central, point 33 of said rocker arm, between the first free end 31 and the second free end 32 of the rocker arm, about a rocker-arm pin 40 which is integral with said central structure 10, and defining a rocker-arm pin axis P lying on said median plane M.

[0061]In other words, the rocker arm 30 may rotate on a plane orthogonal to the median plane M.

[0062]The connection and suspension assembly 1 comprises a first connecting rod 51 engaged with said first free rocker-arm end 31 in an upper connection point 51'' of first connecting rod by means of an upper ball joint, and engaged with said first wheel arm 23 in a lower connection point 51' of first connecting rod by means of a lower ball joint.

[0063]Moreover, the connection and suspension assembly 1 comprises a second connecting rod 52 engaged with said second free rocker-arm end 32 in an upper connection point 52'' of second connecting rod by means of an upper ball joint, and engaged with said second wheel arm 24 in a lower connection point 52' of second connecting rod by means of a lower ball joint.

[0064]Preferably, the second connecting rod 52 is equal to the first connecting rod 51.

[0065]In other words, according to an embodiment, the distance between the upper connection point 51'' and the lower connection point 51' of the first connecting rod 51 substantially is equal to the distance between the upper connection point 52'' and the lower connection point 52' of the second connecting rod 52.

[0066]In accordance with an embodiment, the length of each connecting rod 51, 52, measured between the upper connection point 51'', 52'' and the lower connection point %1', 52', is adjustable.

[0067]Thereby, the length of the connecting rods may be adjusted in order to accurately adjust the correlation between the forces applied by the wheels 18, 19 to the first arm 23 and to the second arm 24 with the force exerted by the rocker arm 30 against the thrust means 60, which are described later in the present description.

[0068]In addition to being pivotally engaged about said rocker-arm pin 40, said rocker arm 30 is also free to slidingly translate along said rocker-arm pin 40 between a front end-of-stroke point 41 and an opposite rear end-of- stroke point 42.

[0069]In other words, the rocker arm 30 is engaged with the central structure 10 by means of a kinematic pair with two degrees of freedom, allowing the rotary motion of the rocker arm 30 about rocker-arm pin 40 and the translational motion of the rocker arm 30 along the rocker-arm pin 40.

[0070]Instead, the rotation of the rocker arm 30 about a rotation axis different from the pin axis P is prevented. [0071]In accordance with an embodiment, the front end-of- stroke point 41 is at a first distance from the wheel arm rotation axis B and the rear end-of-stroke point 42 is at a second distance from the wheel arm rotation axis B, where the first distance is less than the second distance. [0072]In accordance with an embodiment, the wheel arm rotation axis B defines a front plane F, or rolling plane, containing the wheel arm rotation axis B, which is orthogonal to the median plane M, where said rocker-arm pin 40, said rocker arm 30, said first wheel arm 23 and said second wheel arm 24, said first connecting rod 51 and said second connecting rod 52, are all arranged on the same side, or in the same half-space, with respect to said front plane F.

[0073]In use, when the connection and suspension assembly 1 is mounted on the tilting vehicle 100, the front plane substantially is vertical and orthogonal to a forward advancement direction DA of vehicle 100.

[0074]Here, said rocker-arm pin 40, said rocker arm 30, said first wheel arm 23 and said second wheel arm 24, said first connecting rod 51 and said second connecting rod 52, are preferably all arranged on the same side with respect to the front plane F, or rolling plane, which opposes the forward advancement direction DA, or in the half-space defined by the front plane F, opposite to the forward advancement direction DA.

[0075]In accordance with an embodiment, when the orthogonal projections on the median plane M of the first wheel arm 23 and of the second wheel arm 24 overlap and are aligned with one another, the orthogonal projection on the median plane M of the line joining the upper connection point 51'', 52'' and the lower connection point 51', 52' forms an angle which is greater than 90° with the pin axis P proceeding from the front end-of-stroke point 41 to the rear end-of-stroke point 42.

[0076]Thereby, when the first connecting rod 51 and the second connecting rod 52 push against the rocker arm 30 by means of a force facing from the lower connection point 51', 52' towards the upper connection point 51'', 52'', a component of such a force along the pin axis P pushes the rocker arm from the front end-of-stroke point 41 towards the rear end-of-stroke point 42.

[0077]In accordance with an embodiment, the lower connection point 51' of the first connecting rod 51 is interposed between said wheel arm rotation axis B and said rotation axis R1 of first wheel, and the lower connection point 51' of the second connecting rod 52 is interposed between said wheel arm rotation axis B and said rotation axis R2 of second wheel. [0078]In accordance with an embodiment, when the orthogonal projections on the median plane M of the first wheel arm 23 and of the second wheel arm 24 overlap and are aligned with one another, the line joining the orthogonal projection on the median plane M of the lower connection point 51', 52' and the wheel arm rotation axis B, and the line joining the front end-of-stroke point 41 and the orthogonal projection on the median plane M of the lower connection point 51'', 52'', form an angle b of about 90° between each other.

[0079]Orthogonal projections over the median plane M of the first wheel arm 23 and of the second wheel arm 24 mean the projections of the joining line between the rotation axis R1 of first wheel and the rotation axis R2 of second wheel, with the wheel arm rotation axis B.

[0080]In accordance with an embodiment, the axis of the rocker-arm pin P is tangent to a circumference with middle on the wheel arm rotation axis B and having a first radius value RR1, and where the lower connection point 51' of the first connecting rod 51, or the lower connection point 52' of the second connecting rod 52, is distanced from the wheel arm rotation axis B by a second radius value RR2, where the first radius value RR1 is greater than the second radius value RR2.

[0081]In accordance with an embodiment, the line joining the upper connection point 51'' and the lower connection point 51' of the first connecting rod 51 and the line joining the upper connection point 52'' and the lower connection point 52' of the second connecting rod 52 are parallel to the median plane M, or they are tilted in symmetrical manner with respect to the median plane M.

[0082]In accordance with an embodiment, in use the rocker- arm pin axis P substantially is horizontal.

[0083]In other words, the rocker-arm pin axis P belongs to the median plane M and preferably is orthogonal to the front plane F.

[0084]In accordance with an embodiment, the connection and support assembly 1 comprises thrust, or contrast, means 60 configured to push the rocker arm 30 against the front end-of-stroke point 41 along the pin axis P by applying a thrust force, and to allow the rocker arm 30 to move away from the front end-of-stroke point 41 when the intensity of a force applied by the rocker arm 30 along the pin axis P against the thrust means 60 exceeds the intensity of the opposite thrust force applied by the thrust means 60.

[0085]The thrust force is transmitted to the rocker arm 30 by said first wheel arm 23 and by said second wheel arm 24 by means of said first connecting rod 51 and of said second connecting rod 52, respectively.

[0086]In other words, such thrust means 60 oppose the translation of the rocker arm 30 towards the rear end-of- stroke point 42.

[0087]In accordance with an embodiment, said thrust means

60 comprise one or more elastic elements 61, or springs, arranged so as to apply said thrust force.

[0088]In accordance with an embodiment, said thrust elements 60 comprise, or are formed by, a helical spring

61 which is coaxial with the rocker-arm pin 40 and is externally wound about said rocker-arm pin 40.

[0089]Here, pin 40 is inserted into the central axial space of the helical spring.

[0090]In accordance with an embodiment, the thrust means 60 comprise one or more dampers acting along said pin axis P or parallel to said pin axis P.

[0091]In accordance with an embodiment, the dampers are arranged parallel to said one or more elastic elements 61. [0092]In accordance with an embodiment, the connection portion 11 of said central structure 10 comprises a coupling element 12 for interchangeably assembling/disassembling said connection and suspension assembly 1 of a pair of wheels placed axially side-by-side with a frame 101 of a tilting vehicle 100, to replace a pre-existing forecarriage 105 of said tilting vehicle 100 and/or a pre-existing rearcarriage 106 of said tilting vehicle 100. [0093]In accordance with an embodiment, the connection and suspension assembly 1 of a pair of wheels placed axially side-by-side is a forecarriage of a tilting vehicle 100 and/or where said connection and suspension assembly 1 of a pair of wheels placed axially side-by-side is a rearcarriage of a tilting vehicle 100.

[0094]For example, the connection and suspension assembly 1 forms the forecarriage of a cargo bicycle 100, while such a bicycle has one, non-steerable rear wheel alone in Figures 15 to 17.

[0095]In accordance with an embodiment, the connection and suspension assembly 1 comprises steering means 15 adapted to move said connection and suspension assembly 1 angularly with respect to the tilting vehicle 100, about a steering axis S.

[0096]In accordance with an embodiment, the steering means 15 comprise a handlebar 16 and an articulated parallel transmission 17 for transmitting the angular position of the handlebar to the connection and suspension assembly 1. [0097]According to another aspect of the present invention, the aforesaid objects and advantages are met by a tilting vehicle 100 with wheels placed side-by-side having a vehicle frame 101 which extends between a front portion of vehicle and a rear portion of vehicle, comprising at least one connection and suspension assembly 1 of a pair of wheels placed axially side-by-side according to at least one preceding claim, assembled as forecarriage 105 to said anterior portion of vehicle and/or assembled as rearcarriage 106 to said rear portion of vehicle.

[0098]In accordance with an embodiment, the tilting vehicle 100 is a cargo bicycle.

[0099]In accordance with an embodiment, the tilting vehicle 100 is a kick scooter.

[00100] In accordance with an embodiment, the tilting vehicle 100 is a bicycle for persons with limited mobility.

[00101] In accordance with an embodiment, the tilting vehicle 100 is pedal-powered or motor-powered.

[00102] The connection and suspension assembly 1 of a pair of wheels placed axially side-by-side and the tilting vehicle having the aforesaid connection and suspension assembly 1 as described above from the viewpoint of the technical features of device, are now described from the operating viewpoint.

[00103] In particular, the connection and suspension assembly 1 is preferably, but not necessarily, mounted at the front portion of the vehicle, i.e. as a forecarriage of the vehicle.

[00104] Such a connection and suspension assembly 1 is mounted so that the median plane M is arranged along the longitudinal plane of extension L of the tilting vehicle, which passes through the front portion 105 and the rear portion 106 of the vehicle, and normally is arranged vertical in use.

[00105] It is worth noting that the front portion 105 and the rear portion 106 of vehicle 100 are assessed according to a direction and advancement direction DA of vehicle 100 itself.

[00106] Such a connection and suspension assembly 1 may comprise steering means 15, in particular a handlebar 16 and a transmission 17, for example an articulated quadrilateral transmission, for transmitting the angular position from handlebar 16 to the central structure 10 of the connection and suspension assembly 1.

[00107] Therefore, by actuating handlebar 16, the driver provides the connection and suspension assembly 1, in particular the central structure 10, with the desired instantaneous orientation in order to guide the vehicle. In other words, by actuating handlebar 16, the driver rotates the median plane M by a wanted angle with respect to the longitudinal plane L in order to guide vehicle 100. [00108] When the vehicle is stopped, with the longitudinal plane L thereof vertical, or when the vehicle is running along a rectilinear trajectory, the wheel arms 23, 24 are aligned with each other so that the rotation axis R1 of first wheel and the rotation axis R2 of second wheel both lie on the same plane of balance containing the wheel arm rotation axis B.

[00109] In this configuration, the rocker arm 30 is parallel to the wheel arm rotation axis B and is positioned close to the front end-of-stroke point 41.

[00110] The connection and suspension assembly 1 is in balance in this configuration, which is shown for example in Figure 11. The angular position of the two wheel arms 23 and 24 in this configuration is indicated in the present description as balance position.

[00111] When the road surfacing is uneven or irregular, it may happen during the advancement of the vehicle that one of the two wheels, e.g. the second wheel 19, encounters an obstacle or a depression of the road surfacing. The result is an impulsive action on such a wheel 19, which impulsively causes the second wheel arm 24 to rotate with respect to the balance position thereof, which, by means of the second connecting rod 52, transmits such impulsive force to the second end 32 of the rocker arm 30. A component of such an impulsive force along the pin axis P pushes the rocker arm 30 towards the rear end- of-stroke point 42. In this configuration, where the second wheel arm 24 which received the impulsive action is rotated by an angle with respect to the angular balance position thereof, and where the rocker arm simultaneously is moved from the front end-of-stroke point 41, the first wheel arm 23 is rotated with respect to the balance position thereof according a different angle from the rotation angle of the second arm 24.

[00112] In other words, when the rocker arm is moved with respect to the front end-of-stroke point 41, it allows the rotation of the first arm 23 and of the second arm 24 with respect to the respective positions of balance, of different angles from each other.

[00113] I.e., again in other words, the sliding possibility of the rocker arm 30 along the pin axis P towards the rear end-of-stroke point 42 allows the rotation of the two wheel arms to be released from the condition of mutual symmetrical rotation, thus allowing said wheel arms to rotate in non-symmetrical manner between each other with respect to the balance position, i.e. according to rotation angles with respect to the respective positions of balance, having different values from each other.

[00114] Thereby, the connection and suspension assembly

1 according to the invention allows an instantaneous adaption of the related position between the two wheel arms, and therefore of the related position between the two wheels, so that the wheels 18, 19 continue adhering to the road surface also at local projections or depressions of the road surface itself.

[00115] In the case of braking, the force of reaction applied by the road to both wheels 18, 19 causes the wheel arms 23 and 24 to rotate with respect to the balance position, both on the same side with respect to the plane of balance, and according to equal rotation angle.

[00116] Therefore, during the braking, the simultaneous action of the two connecting rods 51, 52 pushes the rocker arm 30 towards the rear end-of-stroke point 42.

[00117] The thrust means 60, preferably comprising one or more elastic elements, oppose the sliding of the rocker arm 30 towards the rear end-of-stroke 42 by applying a thrust force.

[00118] Therefore, during a braking, the wheel arms 23, 24 rotate together about the wheel arm rotation axis B with respect to the plane of balance, according to equal angles. Such a rotation is then countered and balanced by the thrust force applied by the thrust means 60, thereby forming a suspension assembly for the wheels 18, 19 placed side-by-side.

[00119] Figure 13 shows the configuration of the connection and suspension assembly 1 during a braking of the tilting vehicle, when such a vehicle is arranged with the longitudinal plane thereof vertical. [00120] Figure 17 shows the tilting vehicle 100 when cornering on a road surface which is substantially free from local projections or depressions, when vehicle 100 is tilted.

[00121] In such a circumstance, the first wheel arm 23 and the second wheel arm 24 rotate between each other about the wheel arm rotation axis B according to equal and opposite angles between each other with respect to the angular position they occupy when the vehicle is in vertical position. In this configuration, the rocker arm 30 rotates about pin 40, according to a corresponding angle, however it remains at the front end-of-stroke point 41. It controls the related symmetrical rotation of the first wheel arm 23 and of the second wheel arm 24 at the front end-of-stroke point, therefore by means of the connecting rods 51 and 52.

[00122] Those skilled in the art may make several changes and adaptations to the above-described embodiments of the device, and may replace elements with others which are functionally equivalent in order to meet contingent needs, without departing from the scope of the following claims. Each of the features described as belonging to a possible embodiment can be achieved irrespective of the other embodiments described.

[00123] Moreover, the drawings are not necessarily to scale.

[00124] All features herein described may be combined according to any combination, except the combinations where at least some of such features mutually exclude one another.