Vehicle body frame

Abstract

To prevent a riding posture from becoming worse and to improve the assemblability of a battery.SOLUTION: A vehicle body frame (10) includes: a head pipe (11) located in front of a battery (21); a main frame (12) extending rearward from the head pipe through a space above the battery; a down frame (13) extending downward from the head pipe through a space in front of the battery; a body frame (14) extending downward from the main frame through a space behind the battery; an under frame (15) extending rearward from the down frame through a space below the battery; and a bracket (16) attached to the body frame and the under frame. A front-end part of the under frame is detachably attached to the down frame, and a rear-end part of the under frame is detachably attached to the body frame via the bracket.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle body frame. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, electric straddle-type vehicles that run on electricity have been developed. One known example of this type of straddle-type vehicle is one in which a battery is mounted so as to be enclosed in a body frame with a truss structure (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the body frame described in Patent Document 1, a pair of left and right main frames extend rearward from an upper portion of the head pipe, and a pair of left and right sub-frames extend rearward from a lower portion of the head pipe. The main frames and the sub-frames are connected by pipe material or the like to form a truss shape, and a battery is suspended on the inner sides of the pair of main frames and the pair of sub-frames in the vehicle width direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-9887 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the vehicle frame described in Patent Document 1, the pair of main frames and the pair of subframes pass on both sides of the battery, which increases the vehicle width and causes the rider's riding posture to deteriorate. If a small battery is used to reduce the vehicle width, the battery capacity will decrease. In addition, the battery is sandwiched between the pair of main frames and the pair of subframes, making it difficult to assemble the battery to the vehicle frame.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned points, and has an object to provide a vehicle body frame that can prevent deterioration of riding posture and improve the ease of assembling a battery. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One embodiment of the present invention provides a body frame for a saddle-type vehicle that runs on battery power, and comprises a head pipe located in front of the battery, a main frame extending rearward from the head pipe and above the battery, a down frame extending downward from the head pipe and in front of the battery, a body frame extending downward from the main frame and behind the battery, an underframe extending rearward from the down frame and below the battery, and brackets attached to the body frame and the underframe, wherein the front end of the underframe is removably attached to the down frame and the rear end of the underframe is removably attached to the body frame via the bracket, thereby solving the above-mentioned problem. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the vehicle body frame of one aspect of the present invention, the main frame passes above the battery and the underframe passes below the battery, so even if a large battery is installed, the increase in vehicle width is suppressed and the riding posture of the rider is not deteriorated. In addition, the underframe can be removed from the down frame and the body frame, improving the ease of assembling the battery. Even if the underframe is attached to the down frame and the body frame, the underframe passes below the battery installation space, making it easy to assemble the battery from the side of the vehicle body frame. Since the main frame and the underframe are separate, the freedom of shape of the underframe is ensured. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a left side view of the vehicle internal structure of the present embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the body frame of the present embodiment. [Diagram 3]FIG. 2 is a left side view of the periphery of the battery according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front view of the periphery of the battery in this embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the periphery of the battery in the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] A saddle-type vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention runs on the power of a battery. The head pipe of the body frame of the saddle-type vehicle is located in front of the battery. The main frame extends rearward from the head pipe, passing above the battery, and the down frame extends downward from the head pipe, passing in front of the battery. The body frame extends downward from the main frame, passing behind the battery, and the underframe extends rearward from the down frame, passing below the battery. The front end of the underframe is detachably attached to the down frame, and the rear end of the underframe is detachably attached to the body frame via a bracket. Since the main frame passes above the battery and the underframe passes below the battery, even if a large battery is installed, the increase in vehicle width is suppressed and the riding posture of the rider is not deteriorated. In addition, the underframe is detached from the down frame and the body frame, which improves the ease of assembling the battery. Even if the underframe is attached to the down frame and the body frame, the underframe passes below the installation space of the battery, so that the battery can be easily assembled to the body frame from the side. Since the main frame and the underframe are separate bodies, the freedom in the shape of the underframe is ensured. EXAMPLES

[0010] Hereinafter, a saddle-type vehicle according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a left side view of the internal structure of the vehicle according to the present embodiment. In the following drawings, the arrow Fr indicates the front of the vehicle, the arrow Re indicates the rear of the vehicle, the arrow L indicates the left side of the vehicle, and the arrow R indicates the right side of the vehicle.

[0011] As shown in Fig. 1, a saddle-type vehicle 1 is configured by mounting various covers (not shown) as the exterior of the vehicle body to a body frame 10 made of steel or aluminum alloy. A head pipe 11 is provided at the front end of the body frame 10. A main frame 12 extends diagonally rearward and downward from an upper half of the head pipe 11, and a down frame 13 extends downward from a lower half of the head pipe 11. A pair of body frames 14 extend downward from the rear end of the main frame 12, and an underloop (underframe) 15 extends rearward from the lower end of the down frame 13. As will be described in detail later, the lower ends of the pair of body frames 14 and the rear ends of the underloop 15 are separated from each other.

[0012] A pair of footrest brackets 16 are attached to the pair of body frames 14 and the under-loops 15. The pair of footrest brackets 16 extend in the front-rear direction, with a footrest 45 for the driver being provided at the front end of the footrest bracket 16 and a footrest 46 for a passenger being provided at the rear end of the footrest bracket 16. The main frame 12, down frame 13, body frame 14, under-loops 15 and footrest bracket 16 form the front half of the body frame 10 into a cradle shape. A battery 21, which is generally rectangular in side view, is installed inside the cradle portion of the body frame 10.

[0013] A U-shaped seat frame 17 extends rearward from the upper portions of the pair of body frames 14, and a pair of support frames 18 extend obliquely upward and rearward from the middle portions of the pair of body frames 14. The rear ends of the pair of support frames 18 are connected to the seat frame 17, and the seat frame 17 is supported from below by the pair of support frames 18. A front fork 22 is supported on the head pipe 11 so as to be steerable, and a front wheel 23 is supported rotatably at the lower portion of the front fork 22. A swing arm 24 is supported rockably at the lower portion of the pair of body frames 14, and a rear wheel 25 is supported rotatably at the rear end portion of the swing arm 24.

[0014] In a saddle-type vehicle employing a truss-structured body frame, when a battery is installed inside the body frame, the frame is also positioned to the side of the battery. This increases the vehicle width, which may lead to a wider gap between the rider's knees and a poor riding posture. There is also the problem that it is difficult to assemble the battery to the body frame. Therefore, in the body frame 10 of this embodiment, the main frame 12 and the under-loop 15 extend so as not to pass by the side of the battery 21, thereby suppressing the vehicle width. In addition, the under-loop 15 is detachable, which improves the ease of assembly of the battery 21 to the body frame 10.

[0015] The vehicle body frame will be described below with reference to Fig. 2 to Fig. 5. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle body frame of this embodiment. Fig. 3 is a left side view of the periphery of the battery of this embodiment. Fig. 4 is a front view of the periphery of the battery of this embodiment. Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the periphery of the battery of this embodiment.

[0016] 2 and 3, the head pipe 11 of the body frame 10 is located in front of and above the battery 21. A single main frame 12 extends rearward from the head pipe 11, passing above the battery 21, and a single down frame 13 extends downward from the head pipe 11, passing in front of the battery 21. A pair of body frames 14 extend downward from the rear end of the main frame 12, passing behind the battery 21, and the lower ends of the pair of body frames 14 are connected by a bridge portion 31. A seat frame 17 and a pair of support frames 18 extend rearward from the pair of body frames 14.

[0017] In this manner, the head pipe 11, main frame 12, down frame 13, pair of body frames 14, bridge portion 31, seat frame 17, and pair of support frames 18 of the body frame 10 are integrally joined by welding or the like. An underloop 15 extends rearward from the down frame 13 below the battery 21, and is formed so as to be separable from the body frame 10. A front end of the underloop 15 is detachably attached to the down frame 13, and a rear end of the underloop 15 is detachably attached to the pair of body frames 14 via a pair of footrest brackets 16.

[0018] The front end of the underloop 15 is a plate portion 35. The plate portion 35 is formed to have a front portion and both side portions, and the down frame 13 is positioned inside both side portions of the plate portion 35. Screw bosses of the down frame 13 abut against both side portions of the plate portion 35, and both side portions of the plate portion 35 are screwed to the down frame 13. A pair of frame portions 36 protrude from both side portions of the plate portion 35, and the pair of frame portions 36 are curved rearward below the battery 21. The pair of frame portions 36 extend in the front-rear direction while being spaced apart in the vehicle width direction, and the rear ends of the pair of frame portions 36 are connected by a bridge portion 37.

[0019] A gap is provided between the bridge portion 37 of the under-loop 15 and the bridge portions 31 of the pair of body frames 14, and the under-loop 15 and the pair of body frames 14 are not directly connected. The under-loop 15 and the pair of body frames 14 are screwed to a pair of footrest brackets 16, and the under-loop 15 and the pair of body frames 14 are connected via the pair of footrest brackets 16. Since the front half of the body frame 10 is cradle-shaped and the under-loop 15 is separable from the body frame 10, the ease of assembling the battery 21 to the body frame 10 is improved.

[0020] For example, the main frame 12 and the under-loop 15 are far apart, and a large space is secured inside the cradle portion of the body frame 10. This makes it easy to assemble the battery 21 to the body frame 10 from the side without removing the under-loop 15 from the body frame 10. Also, by removing the under-loop 15 from the body frame 10, it becomes easier to assemble the battery 21 to the body frame 10. The battery 21 may be fixed to at least one of the frames, the main frame 12, the down frame 13, the pair of body frames 14, and the under-loop 15, using a plurality of fastening members.

[0021] The pair of body frames 14 are provided with a pair of pivot portions 32 (see FIG. 2 in particular) on the rear surfaces of the frames above the bridge portion 31. A cantilever-type swing arm 24 is supported by the pair of pivot portions 32 via a pivot shaft 33 so that it can swing. A rear wheel 25 (see FIG. 1) is supported on the rear end side of the swing arm 24, and a motor 26 is installed on the front end side of the swing arm 24. A continuously variable transmission is provided within the swing arm 24, and the driving force of the motor 26 is transmitted to the rear wheel 25 via the continuously variable transmission. Electricity from the battery 21 is supplied to the motor 26, which drives the rear wheel 25 to travel the saddle-type vehicle 1.

[0022] Each of the pair of footrest brackets 16 is formed with an upper mounting portion 41 that is attached to the pivot portions 32 of the pair of body frames 14, and a lower mounting portion 42 that is attached to the bridge portion 37 of the under loop 15. The upper mounting portions 41 of the pair of footrest brackets 16 are aligned with the pivot portions 32 of the pair of body frames 14 from the outside in the vehicle width direction, and the pair of footrest brackets 16 are attached to the pivot portions 32 of the pair of body frames 14 by pivot shafts 33. Attaching the pair of footrest brackets 16 to the pair of down frames 13 using the pivot shafts 33 reduces the number of parts.

[0023] The lower mounting portions 42 of the pair of footrest brackets 16 are aligned with the bridge portion 37 of the under-loop 15 from the outer side in the vehicle width direction, and the pair of footrest brackets 16 are attached to the bridge portion 37 of the under-loop 15 by long bolts 38. In this manner, the under-loop 15 and the pair of body frames 14 are connected by the pair of footrest brackets 16. The footrest brackets 16 function as connecting parts that join the frames together, and also function as supporting parts that support the footrests 45, 46 for the driver and passenger, thereby reducing the number of parts.

[0024] A bridge portion 37 which is the rear end portion of the under-loop 15 is located below the pivot portion 32 (pivot shaft 33) of the down frame 13. By attaching the footrest bracket 16 to the pivot portion 32 and bridge portion 37 which are located in a low position of the body frame 10, the attachment position of the footrest bracket 16 is generally lower, making it easier to ensure an installation space for the battery 21. In addition, the body frame 14 is tilted downward and slightly rearward, and the pivot portion 32 is located on the rear side of the body frame 14. By attaching the footrest bracket 16 to the pivot portion 32 and bridge portion 37 which are located in a low position of the body frame 10, it is easier to ensure an installation space for the battery 21.

[0025] A front support portion 43 projects forward from the upper and lower mounting portions 41, 42 of the footrest bracket 16, and a rear support portion 44 extends rearward from the upper and lower mounting portions 41, 42 of the footrest bracket 16. A footrest 45 for the driver is supported by the front support portion 43, and a footrest 46 for a passenger is supported by the rear support portion 44. The driver's footrest 45 is located to the side of the battery 21. Since the driver's footrest 45 is installed to avoid the mounting position of the footrest bracket 16, the vehicle width is kept small even if the footrest 45 is positioned to the side of the battery 21.

[0026] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the pair of frame parts 36 of the under-loop 15 extend downward and rearward from the plate part 35 so as to widen the distance between them. The distance between the pair of frame parts 36 is widest below the battery 21, and the distance W1 between the outer edges of the pair of frame parts 36 in the vehicle width direction is smaller than the width dimension W2 of the battery 21. This prevents an increase in the vehicle width due to the installation of the battery 21, and prevents a deterioration in the riding posture of the rider. The rear ends of the pair of frame parts 36 are connected via a bridge part 37, and the pair of frame parts 36 are reinforced by the bridge part 37 to increase the rigidity of the vehicle body.

[0027] The bridge portion 37 protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction beyond the rear ends of the pair of frame portions 36. The left and right positions of the end faces of the protruding portion of the bridge portion 37 in the vehicle width direction substantially coincide with the left and right positions of the end faces of the pair of pivot portions 32 (see FIG. 2) on the outer sides in the vehicle width direction. The protruding portion of the bridge portion 37 and the pivot portion 32 abut against the flat inner surface of the footrest bracket 16, and the footrest bracket 16 is attached to the protruding portion of the bridge portion 37 and the pivot portion 32. Even if the distance between the pair of frame portions 36 is narrowed, the footrest bracket 16 is attached by making the bridge portion 37 protrude beyond the pair of frame portions 36.

[0028] As described above, according to the body frame 10 of this embodiment, the main frame 12 passes above the battery 21 and the under-loop 15 passes below the battery 21, so even if a large battery 21 is installed, the increase in vehicle width is suppressed and the riding posture of the rider is not deteriorated. In addition, the under-loop 15 is detached from the down frame 13 and the pair of body frames 14, improving the ease of installation of the battery 21. Even if the under-loop 15 is attached to the down frame 13 and the body frame 14, the under-loop 15 passes below the installation space of the battery 21, so that the battery 21 can be easily installed from the side of the body frame 10. Since the main frame 12 and the under-loop 15 are separate bodies, the degree of freedom in the shape of the under-loop 15 is ensured.

[0029] In this embodiment, one main frame extends rearward from the head pipe, but a pair of left and right main frames may extend rearward from the head pipe.

[0030] Furthermore, in this embodiment, one down frame extends downward from the head pipe, but a pair of left and right down frames may extend downward from the head pipe.

[0031] In addition, in this embodiment, the pair of body frames extend downward behind the battery and pass beside the battery, but the pair of body frames may extend downward behind the battery. In other words, the pair of body frames may be positioned so as not to overlap the battery in a side view.

[0032] In addition, in this embodiment, an under-loop is exemplified as the under-frame, but the under-frame does not have to be formed in a loop shape. The under-frame may be formed so as to extend rearward from the down-frame, passing under the battery.

[0033] In addition, in this embodiment, a footrest bracket is exemplified as the bracket, but the bracket may be formed as a separate member as long as it is capable of connecting the body frame and the underframe.

[0034] In addition, in this embodiment, the bracket also functions as a pivot bracket, but the bracket may be formed separately from the pivot bracket.

[0035] Further, in this embodiment, the bracket is attached to the down frame by the pivot shaft, but the bracket may be attached to the down frame by a fastening member other than the pivot shaft.

[0036] The vehicle body frame of the present embodiment is not limited to the above-mentioned saddle-ride type vehicle, and may be used in other types of saddle-ride type vehicles. Note that a saddle-ride type vehicle is not limited to all vehicles in which the rider sits astride the seat, but also includes scooter-type vehicles in which the rider does not sit astride the seat.

[0037] As described above, the first embodiment is a body frame (10) of a saddle-type vehicle (1) that runs on the power of a battery (21), and includes a head pipe (11) located in front of the battery, a main frame (12) that extends rearward from the head pipe above the battery, a down frame (13) that extends downward from the head pipe in front of the battery, a body frame (14) that extends downward from the main frame behind the battery, an underframe (under loop 15) that extends rearward from the down frame below the battery, and a bracket (footrest bracket 16) attached to the body frame and the underframe, and the front end of the underframe is detachably attached to the down frame, and the rear end of the underframe is detachably attached to the body frame via the bracket. According to this configuration, since the main frame passes above the battery and the underframe passes below the battery, an increase in vehicle width is suppressed and the riding posture of the rider is not deteriorated even if a large battery is installed. In addition, the underframe is detachable from the down frame and the body frame, and the assembling of the battery is improved. Even if the underframe is attached to the down frame and the body frame, the underframe passes under the battery installation space, making it easy to install the battery from the side of the vehicle body frame. Since the underframe is separate from the main frame, etc., the freedom of shape of the underframe is ensured.

[0038] In the second embodiment, in the first embodiment, the swing arm (24) is supported on the bracket via a pivot shaft (33), and the bracket is attached to the down frame by the pivot shaft. With this configuration, the number of parts can be reduced by attaching the bracket to the down frame using the pivot shaft. The lowering of the bracket attachment position makes it easier to secure the installation space for the battery.

[0039] In a third aspect, in the second aspect, the rear end of the underframe is located below the pivot shaft. With this configuration, the mounting position of the bracket is lowered, making it easier to ensure installation space for the battery.

[0040] In a fourth aspect, in any one of the first to third aspects, the bracket is a footrest bracket provided with a footrest (45). With this configuration, the bracket functions as a connecting part that joins the frames together and also functions as a supporting part that supports the footrest, thereby reducing the number of parts. The lower mounting position of the footrest bracket makes it easier to secure installation space for the battery.

[0041] In the fifth aspect, in the fourth aspect, the footrest is located forward of the mounting position of the footrest bracket and to the side of the battery. With this configuration, the footrest can be installed avoiding the mounting position of the footrest bracket. Even if the footrest is located to the side of the battery, the vehicle width can be reduced.

[0042] In a sixth aspect, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the underframe has a pair of frame parts (36) that are spaced apart in the vehicle width direction and extend in the front-rear direction, and a bridge part (37) that connects the rear ends of the pair of frame parts, the bridge part protruding outward in the vehicle width direction beyond the pair of frame parts, and a bracket is attached to the protruding part of the bridge part. With this configuration, even if the distance between the pair of frame parts is narrowed, the bracket can be attached by making the bridge part protrude beyond the pair of frame parts. The pair of frame parts are reinforced by the bridge part, and the rigidity of the vehicle body is increased.

[0043] In the seventh aspect, in the sixth aspect, the distance (W1) between the outer edges of the pair of frame parts in the vehicle width direction is smaller than the width dimension (W2) of the battery. With this configuration, an increase in the vehicle width due to the installation of the battery can be suppressed.

[0044] Although the present embodiment has been described, other embodiments may be made by combining the above-described embodiments and modifications in whole or in part.

[0045] In addition, the technology of the present invention is not limited to the above examples, and may be modified, substituted, or altered in various ways without departing from the spirit of the technical idea. Furthermore, if the technical idea can be realized in a different way due to the progress of technology or a different technology derived therefrom, the invention may be implemented using that method. Therefore, the claims cover all embodiments that may be included within the scope of the technical idea. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1: Saddle-type vehicle 10: Body frame 11: Head pipe 12: Mainframe 13: Down frame 14: Body frame 15: Underloop (underframe) 16: Footrest bracket (bracket) 21: Battery 24: Swing arm 33: Pivot axis 36: Frame section 37: Bridge section 45: Footrest

Claims

1. A vehicle body frame for a saddle-type vehicle that runs on battery power, a head pipe located in front of the battery; a main frame extending rearward from the head pipe and passing above the battery; a down frame extending downward from the head pipe through a front portion of the battery; a body frame extending downward from the main frame through a rear side of the battery; an underframe extending rearward from the down frame through below the battery; A bracket attached to the body frame and the underframe, A front end portion of the underframe is detachably attached to the down frame, A vehicle body frame, characterized in that a rear end portion of the underframe is detachably attached to the body frame via the bracket.

2. A swing arm is supported on the bracket via a pivot shaft, 2. The vehicle body frame according to claim 1, wherein the bracket is attached to the down frame by the pivot shaft.

3. 3. The vehicle body frame according to claim 2, wherein a rear end of the underframe is located below the pivot shaft.

4. 3. The vehicle body frame according to claim 1, wherein the bracket is a footrest bracket provided with a footrest.

5. 5. The vehicle body frame according to claim 4, wherein the footrest is located forward of an attachment position of the footrest bracket and to the side of the battery.

6. The underframe has a pair of frame portions extending in a front-rear direction and spaced apart in a vehicle width direction, and a bridge portion connecting rear ends of the pair of frame portions, 3. The vehicle body frame according to claim 1, wherein the bridge portion protrudes outward in a vehicle width direction beyond the pair of frame portions, and the bracket is attached to a protruding portion of the bridge portion.

7. 7. The vehicle body frame according to claim 6, wherein a distance between the outer edges of the pair of frame portions in the vehicle width direction is smaller than a width dimension of the battery.

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