Importance

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Abstract

A system for automatically sensing and preventing turnover of two wheeled vehicles by use of two outrigger wheels for stability. Turnover of a two wheeled vehicle, such as a motorcycle, can take place when one of the tires slides laterally to a point that normal driving maneuvers cannot reestablish traction. Uncontrollable tires slip (which increases the rate of body roll) is sensed with a rate gyro or accelerometers. As tire slip becomes uncontrollable, traction will approach zero and the roll axis of the vehicle moves from a line between the two points that the tires contact the road to the center gravity of the vehicle. The polar moment of inertia is simultaneously reduced which allows the vehicle to roll at an increased rate. An on-board vehicle microcomputer receives continuous information from the gyro and determines if the rate of body roll is higher than the range possible when the tires have traction. If the tires lose traction, then the rate of roll will increase and the microcomputer sends a signal to a servo valve which opens the proper ports to allow compressed air to pass to a pneumatic cylinder which will force the outrigger wheels down to right the vehicle.

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First Claim