Single-track, motorized two-wheeler

Abstract

Single-track, motor-driven two-wheeler (10), with a one-piece, self-supporting dome-shaped passenger cell (14), which has two spaced-apart beams (16, 18) that run obliquely upwards from the front, forming front pillars (22, 24) which transition into roof beams (26, 28) which in turn continue further rearward into a rear roof support structure, wherein a forward-extending side guardrail (40) is integrally formed on the roof support structure on each side of the two-wheeler (10) lateral to a backrest (34), which has an inner, closed, concave indentation (42) in the shoulder area of ​​a driver.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a single-track, motor-driven two-wheeler.

[0002] Two-wheeled vehicle riders are particularly poorly protected in side impacts. Currently, there are two-wheeled vehicles with a roof, such as the BMW C1 scooter, that incorporate side protection devices. This scooter has a U-shaped tubular structure in the rider's shoulder area, which protects the rider's shoulder from lateral injuries in the event of an accident or if the vehicle falls over.

[0003] EP 1 223 100 A2 relates to a torsionally rigid passenger cage, in particular for motorcycles, comprising two beams connected to a vehicle frame forming a roll bar, two shoulder protection bars connected to the beams, a windscreen mounted between the beams, and an upper part connected to the vehicle frame forming a roof.

[0004] The WO 2016 / 000 436 A1 standard concerns a wind, rain, and sunshade for two- and three-wheeled vehicles. Its height is adjustable to accommodate different rider sizes.

[0005] DE 102 10 242 A1 relates to a motorcycle with a passenger seat in the middle of the vehicle body frame, wherein the motorcycle has side elements that protect the left and right sides of a passenger sitting on the passenger seat, wherein the airbags arranged in these side elements are inflated when necessary.

[0006] The object of the invention is to create a single-track, motor-driven two-wheeler that offers improved side protection.

[0007] This problem is solved by a single-track, motor-driven two-wheeler according to claim 1.

[0008] The single-track, motorized two-wheeler according to the invention comprises a one-piece, self-supporting, dome-shaped passenger cell with side guardrails in the area of ​​the rider's shoulder. The side guardrails are designed as closed surfaces and have an internally closed indentation in the shoulder area, which protects the rider's shoulder. The two-wheeler according to the invention thus increases side protection and enables better distribution of the force occurring in an accident to the shoulder area. Furthermore, the two-wheeler according to the invention provides protection against sharp objects, which can no longer directly impact the rider's shoulder.

[0009] The roof pillars can be connected to each other across the roof, and the roof can be a single piece that seamlessly integrates into the roof pillars. A one-piece roof increases the rigidity of the passenger compartment and allows for better force distribution across the entire passenger compartment in the event of an accident.

[0010] Preferably, the entire side guardrails are closed on the inside. This distributes the force generated in an accident over a larger area of ​​the driver's upper body.

[0011] In one embodiment of the invention, the side guardrails can extend downwards at least to the top of the seat surface, so that the hip and at least part of the thigh are protected.

[0012] Similarly, the side guards can extend greatest towards the front of the motorcycle in the shoulder area. This ensures that the rider is protected laterally even in a forward-leaning riding position.

[0013] It can be designed that the side guardrails have a front edge that transitions smoothly and in an arc from the shoulder area into the lower sections of the side guardrail. This allows for better stress distribution in the side guardrails.

[0014] To provide a lightweight and safe passenger compartment, the passenger compartment and side guardrails can be made of fiber-reinforced plastic.

[0015] The individual parts of the passenger compartment can be joined together using hot or cold bonding.

[0016] In hot bonding, resin-impregnated fabrics with a high fiber volume fraction (prepregs) are cured in an autoclave, or dry non-woven fabrics and / or braided semi-finished products are cured in one piece by subsequent resin infusion in a resin injection process (also called resin transfer molding) at high temperature and high pressure. In cold bonding, finished plastic parts, especially carbon fiber-reinforced ones, are bonded together. With both processes, components bonded in this way cannot be separated from each other without damage.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the side pillars, which are connected by a roof and define the passenger compartment, can be curved and designed as hollow bodies running continuously from the front lower to the rear lower end of the passenger compartment. Due to this structure and shape, the pillars can be elastically deformed to a certain degree under load during driving, thereby dissipating forces. This provides particularly good shielding and protection for the occupant within the passenger compartment.

[0018] In principle, the beams can be manufactured entirely as hollow profiles, preferably with constant wall thicknesses. This can be achieved by manufacturing the beams as continuous closed profiles or by manufacturing the beams, at least in sections, from inner and outer parts bonded together.

[0019] Preferably, the passenger cell is a fiber-reinforced plastic component. For example, the passenger cell is made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) or glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP). Furthermore, the passenger cell can also be a composite of different fibers, such as CFRP and Kevlar, CFRP and glass fibers, CFRP, Kevlar and glass fibers, or glass fibers and Kevlar. Alternatively or additionally, natural fibers may be included.

[0020] In general, a composite of different layers made of the same material is also conceivable. Such a composite could, for example, comprise one layer of CFRP, two layers of GFRP, and another layer of CFRP. By using a fiber-reinforced component, the weight of the passenger cell is significantly reduced compared to a passenger cell with a structure made of conventional materials, such as aluminum. This reduces the energy consumption of the two-wheeler during operation and improves its handling due to the lowered center of gravity.

[0021] A composite material with different fibers can be produced, for example, by having at least one layer used to manufacture a fiber-reinforced component contain different fibers. Alternatively, several layers can be used to manufacture a component, each containing different fibers, in particular, each layer containing only one type of fiber. The aforementioned examples can also be combined. That is, at least one layer contains different fibers and at least one other layer contains only one type of fiber.

[0022] Preferably, the side guardrails should end at the top in the shoulder area of ​​a standardized 95% dummy. This provides increased protection for at least the majority of drivers.

[0023] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing.

[0024] Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a variant of a two-wheeler according to the invention.

[0025] In Fig. Figure 1 shows a single-track, motor-driven (here e.g. battery-driven) two-wheeler 10, with a frame 12 to which a passenger compartment 14 is attached.

[0026] The depicted two-wheeler 10 may be ridden without a helmet.

[0027] The passenger cell 14 is a one-piece, self-supporting component made of fiber-reinforced plastic and has two adjacent, lateral beams 16, 18, which, starting from the front and running laterally to the windshield 20, define the front pillars 22, 24, followed by two lateral roof beams 26, 28 and then rear pillars 30. A downward-projecting extension of each rear pillar 30 is attached to the rear of the frame 12 and a downward-projecting extension of each front pillar 22, 24 is also attached to the frame 12.

[0028] A roof 32 is attached to the outside of the roof beams 26, 28, which merges seamlessly into the beams 16, 18. The roof 32 can also extend to the rear and connect to and merge into the rear columns 30 to create a rear roof support structure.

[0029] A backrest 34 with a headrest 36 is attached to the rear columns 30. At its lower end, the backrest 34 borders a seat surface 38.

[0030] The seat surface 38, the backrest 34 and the headrest 36 form a seat 39 for a driver of the two-wheeler 10.

[0031] In this embodiment, the backrest 34 and headrest 36 are attached to the rear pillars 30 of the passenger compartment 14 by, for example, screws.

[0032] Side guardrails 40 are integrally molded to the sides of the rear pillars 30, extending forwards along the sides of the backrest 34. The side guardrails 40 extend from the top of the backrest 34, i.e., the transition between the backrest 34 and the headrest 36, to the seat surface 38.

[0033] The side guardrails 40 are accordingly formed in one piece with the passenger compartment 14.

[0034] The side guardrails 40 have their greatest extension towards the front of the two-wheeler in the upper half. In this area, the side guardrails 40 have an inner, concave, closed indentation 42.

[0035] The indentation 42 is adapted to the driver's shoulder area and shaped to extend over a large portion of the driver's shoulders. The indentation 42 is therefore positioned so that the shoulders of the Hybrid III 5% Small Adult Female and Hybrid III 95% Large Adult Male crash test dummies are located within the area of ​​indentation 42.

[0036] The horizontal distance between the opposing side guardrails 40 is greatest in the area of ​​the concave indentation 42, so that the driver still has a space for movement between the laterally designed side guardrails 40 despite the closed side guardrails 40.

[0037] The side guardrails 40 have a front edge 43 that extends over the entire area of ​​the side guardrail 40. The edge 43 is smooth and curved in the shoulder area and runs downwards in an S-shape from the shoulder area. The edge 43 has rounded edges on both the inside 44 and the outside of the side guardrail 40.

[0038] The inner sides 44 of the side guardrails 40 are closed, i.e. there are no openings in the inner sides 44, so that the rider of the two-wheeler 10 is protected laterally against objects in the event of an accident or if the two-wheeler 10 falls over.

[0039] The side guardrails 40 are designed to protect the rider laterally between the shoulder and hip. During a side impact or if the two-wheeler 10 falls over, the rider is pressed into one of the two side guardrails 40. The smooth, closed surface distributes the force generated in the accident across the entire side of the rider's upper body. This helps prevent potentially painful injuries and / or fractures. The indentation 42 ensures that the force generated in the accident is distributed simultaneously across the rider's shoulders and the side of their upper body.

[0040] The side guardrails 40 can be designed as a shell construction, with a cavity between the inner shell 44 and an outer shell 45. This provides additional damping of the driver's impact on the side guardrails 40 and can prevent or reduce driver injuries in accidents. Above all, this design increases stability while keeping weight low.

[0041] The cavity can also be filled with a damping material.

[0042] The design of the passenger compartment 14 is accordingly such that no additional components are required to provide lateral protection for the rider of the two-wheeler 10. The side guardrails 40 are functionally integrated into the passenger compartment 14, thus enabling the provision of a lightweight and stable passenger compartment 14.

[0043] The low weight of the passenger compartment means that the center of gravity of the two-wheeler 10 is as close as possible to the road surface, thus enabling the greatest possible driving comfort.

[0044] The design of the side guardrails 40 in Fig. Figure 1 is only an example. It is conceivable that the greatest extent of the side guardrails 40 is located in the lower area of ​​the backrest 34. Furthermore, the side guardrail 40 may also extend to the roof 32 of the passenger compartment 14 or only have a closed inner surface 44 in the shoulder area of ​​the driver.

Claims

[1] Single-track, motor-driven two-wheeler (10), with a one-piece, self-supporting dome-shaped passenger compartment (14) which has two spaced-apart beams (16, 18) which run obliquely upwards from the front to form front pillars (22, 24) which transition into roof beams (26, 28) which in turn continue further to the rear into a rear roof support structure, wherein a forward-extending side guardrail (40) is integrally formed on the roof support structure on each side of the two-wheeler (10) lateral to a backrest (34) and which has an inner, closed, concave indentation (42) in the shoulder area of ​​a driver. [2] Two-wheeler (10) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the roof beams (26, 28) are connected to each other via the roof (32) and the roof (32) merges seamlessly into the roof beams (26, 28). [3] Two-wheeler (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized bythat the entire side guardrails (40) are closed on the inside. [4] Two-wheeler (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the side guardrails (40) extend downwards at least to the top of the seat surface (38). [5] Two-wheeler (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the side guardrails (40) have their greatest extension towards the front of the two-wheeler in the shoulder area. [6] Two-wheeler (10) according to claim 5, characterized by , that the side guardrails (40) have a front edge (43) which transitions from the shoulder area in an edge-free and arc-shaped manner into lower sections of the associated side guardrail (40). [7] Two-wheeler (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the passenger compartment (14) including the side guardrails (40) are made of fiber-reinforced plastic. [8] Two-wheeler (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by, that the side guardrails (40) end upwards in the area of ​​the upper shoulder of a 95% dummy.

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