Saddle riding vehicle

Abstract

To provide a vehicle structure advantageous in improving safety and design performance.SOLUTION: A saddle riding vehicle in accordance with the present invention includes: a head pipe provided in a front part of a main frame; and a headlight unit disposed ahead of the head pipe. The saddle riding vehicle further includes: a radar capable of outputting a radiation wave in a predetermined direction and detecting a wave reflected from around the vehicle; and a reflector that reflects a radiation wave coming from a radar included in another vehicle. The radar is installed so as to overlap with a front part of the headlight unit in a side view. The reflector is installed so as to be positioned behind the headlight unit and ahead of the head pipe.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a saddle-type vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Some straddle-type vehicles, such as motorcycles, are provided with a radar at the front of the vehicle body for detecting surrounding objects (such as other vehicles) (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 180939 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above conventional technology, the radar device is located at the front of the vehicle body, and the reflector is formed integrally with the headlight, so the reflector can be seen from the front, which may impair the vehicle's appearance. On the other hand, simply placing a shielding wall to prevent the reflector from being seen from the front of the vehicle body may block the reflected waves. In addition, saddle-type vehicles are smaller than four-wheeled vehicles, so there is a high need for them to be equipped with reflectors.

[0005] An exemplary object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle structure that is advantageous for improving the reflective performance of a reflector while ensuring the appearance of a saddle-type vehicle from the front. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention relates to a saddle-ride type vehicle, the saddle-ride type vehicle comprising: A saddle-type vehicle including a head pipe provided at a front portion of a main frame and a headlight unit disposed in front of the head pipe, A radar capable of outputting a radiation wave in a predetermined direction and detecting a reflected wave from the surroundings of the vehicle; A reflector for reflecting a wave emitted from a radar equipped in another vehicle, In side view, The radar is installed so as to overlap a front portion of the headlight unit, The reflector is disposed so as to be located rearward of the headlight unit and forward of the head pipe. It is characterized by: Effect of the Invention

[0007] The present invention is advantageous in improving the reflective performance of the reflector while ensuring the appearance of the saddle-type vehicle from the front. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a saddle-type vehicle according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the saddle-type vehicle. [Diagram 3] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a front structure of a saddle-type vehicle. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a front structure of a saddle-type vehicle. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more features among the multiple features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. In addition, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0010] First Embodiment Fig. 1 is a side view of a saddle-ride type vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a front view of the saddle-ride type vehicle 1. The saddle-ride type vehicle 1 is a two-wheeled vehicle equipped with a seat SH on which a driver (rider) can sit astride the vehicle body, as well as a front wheel FW and a rear wheel RW in this embodiment, but the number of wheels may be three or more.

[0011] The saddle-type vehicle 1 further includes a handlebar 11 as a driving operation section. Although detailed description is omitted here, the driver can perform acceleration and braking operations using an acceleration operator and a braking operator attached to the handlebar 11, and can also perform steering operations by rotating the handlebar 11.

[0012] In order to facilitate understanding of the structure, the drawings show X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis which are perpendicular to each other (the same applies to other drawings described later). The X-direction corresponds to the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, the Y-direction corresponds to the left-right direction or width direction of the vehicle body, and the Z-direction corresponds to the up-down direction of the vehicle body. In this specification, expressions such as front / rear, left / right (side), up / down, etc. indicate relative positional relationships based on the vehicle body. For example, expressions such as "front" and "forward" correspond to the +X direction, and expressions such as "rear" and "rearward" correspond to the -X direction.

[0013] 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the front structure ST1 of the saddle riding type vehicle 1 as viewed from the side (as viewed in the Y direction; side view). The front structure ST1 of the saddle riding type vehicle 1 further includes a main frame 30, a stem shaft 31, a front fork 32, a lower bracket 33, a headlight unit 34, a cover member 35, a radar 36, and a reflector 37.

[0014] The main frame 30 forms the body framework of the saddle riding type vehicle 1, and each vehicle component is directly / indirectly attached to the main frame 30, thereby enabling the attachment to be firmly realized. Direct attachment can be achieved by fastening, locking, joining, adhesion, etc. Indirect attachment can be achieved via a stay, bracket, link, etc. corresponding to the vehicle component.

[0015] A head pipe 301 is formed at the front of the main frame 30, and a stem shaft 31 is rotatably held by the head pipe 301. The handlebar 11 is fixed to the upper part of the stem shaft 31, and a lower bracket 33 is fixed to the lower part of the stem shaft 31. The lower bracket 33 holds or connects a pair of left and right front forks 32 that support the front wheel FW, and may also be expressed as a bridge or the like.

[0016] The headlight unit 34 is disposed in front of the head pipe 301 and is configured to be able to illuminate the area in front of the saddle-type vehicle 1. The headlight unit 34 can be fixed to the main frame 30, for example, the head pipe 301, via a stay (not shown). In FIG. 3, only the outer shape of the headlight unit 34 is shown, and the emitted light is emitted forward from the lens surface 34F, but the internal structure is publicly known. For example, the headlight unit 34 can include a light-emitting unit including a light source and a light guide extending so as to guide the light of the light source in the left-right direction, a drive unit that drives the light source, a reflector that reflects the light of the light-emitting unit forward, and a housing that seals them. That is, the outer shape of the headlight unit 34 shown in the figure is defined by the housing.

[0017] The cover member 35 is installed so as to cover the vehicle components of the front structure ST1. With the aim of reducing the air resistance when the saddle riding type vehicle 1 is traveling, the cover member 35 can be installed so that the step that may be formed between the cover member 35 and the vehicle body in a side view is equal to or smaller than a standard. The cover member 35 may be expressed as a front cover or the like.

[0018] The radar 36 is configured to output emitted waves forward of the saddle riding type vehicle 1 and detect reflected waves from the periphery of the vehicle 1, thereby making it possible to obtain information indicating the presence or absence of objects around the vehicle 1. Examples of objects include other vehicles, pedestrians, roadside installations, and other objects with which the saddle riding type vehicle 1 should avoid contact. A millimeter wave radar is typically used for the radar 36, but other distance measuring devices such as LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) may also be used. The radar 36 can be fixed to the main frame 30, for example, the head pipe 301, via a stay (not shown).

[0019] The reflector 37 is configured to be capable of reflecting waves emitted from a radar equipped in another vehicle, and makes it easier for the saddle riding type vehicle 1, which is small in size compared to a four-wheeled vehicle or the like, to be detected by the radar of the other vehicle. That is, by being equipped with the reflector 37, the saddle riding type vehicle 1 can improve its recognizability, thereby improving safety. The reflector 37 can also be expressed as a radar reflector or the like.

[0020] The reflector 37 can be fixed to the main frame 30, for example, the head pipe 301, via a stay (not shown). Alternatively, the reflector 37 can be attached to the cover member 35, which can facilitate the design of the front structure ST1 and also allows various modifications to be added to the design. The reflector 37 is preferably located above the lower bracket 33, which can prevent vehicle components from interfering with the reflector 37, for example, when the front wheel FW is at a full stroke.

[0021] In the front structure ST1 including such radar 36 and reflector 37, an arrangement that can improve design (mainly the appearance of the front of the vehicle body) may be required. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, the radar 36 is arranged so as to overlap the front part of the headlight unit 34 in a side view, and the reflector 37 is arranged so as to be located behind the headlight unit 34 and in front of the head pipe 301.

[0022] 2, the headlight unit 34 is configured so that the lens surface 34F has a substantially V-shape, and the radar 36 is disposed between the valleys of the V-shape. This allows the radar 36 to be disposed in a space-saving manner so as to overlap the front part of the headlight unit 34 in a side view, and also makes it possible to appropriately realize the distance measurement function of the radar 36 (improve distance measurement performance) without interfering with the irradiation function of the headlight unit 34 (deteriorating irradiation performance).

[0023] On the other hand, by being positioned behind the radar 36, the reflector 37 can properly realize its reflection function (improve its reflection performance) without interfering with the distance measurement function of the radar 36, which is advantageous for improving visibility and therefore safety. Also, by being positioned behind the headlight unit 34, the reflector 37 is arranged so as not to stand out, which is advantageous for improving design, and since it does not interfere with the light emitted from the headlight unit 34, it is also advantageous for further improving safety.

[0024] 3, the radar 36 and the reflector 37 are preferably arranged so as not to overlap the lens surface 34F in the X direction, i.e., they do not overlap the lens surface 34F when viewed from the front. This allows the emitted light of the headlight unit 34 to be appropriately emitted from the lens surface 34F while maintaining the distance measurement function of the radar 36 and the reflection function of the reflector 37. In other words, according to this structure ST1, the functions of the headlight unit 34, the radar 36, and the reflector 37 can be appropriately realized without interfering with each other.

[0025] <Second embodiment> The positions of the radar 36 and the reflector 37 are not limited to the above-described forward structure ST1, and for example, the position of the reflector 37 may be adjusted in the Z direction.

[0026] 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the front structure ST2 according to the second embodiment when viewed from the side. In this embodiment, the reflector 37 is disposed so as to at least partially overlap the radar 36 in the X direction, that is, the radar 36 and the reflector 37 overlap each other in a front view. According to such an arrangement, the reflector 37 is installed so as not to stand out, which is advantageous in improving the design.

[0027] In this embodiment, the lower end of the reflector 37 is located above the lower end of the headlight unit 34, i.e., it overlaps with the headlight unit 34 in a front view and is located inside the outer edge of the headlight unit 34. This makes it possible to reduce the effect of the wind on the reflector 37 when the saddle riding type vehicle 1 is traveling, and for example, so-called wind noise can be reduced. This is also applicable to the above-mentioned first embodiment, and the reflector 37 does not necessarily have to overlap with the radar 36 in the X direction.

[0028] In the above description, for ease of understanding, each element is indicated by a name related to its function, but each element is not limited to having the content described in the embodiment as its main function, and may have it as an auxiliary function. Therefore, each element is not strictly limited to the expression, and the expression can be replaced with a similar expression.

[0029] Some features of the above-described embodiments can be summarized as follows: [1] A saddle-type vehicle (1) including a head pipe (301) provided at a front portion of a main frame (30) and a headlight unit (34) disposed in front of the head pipe, a radar (36) capable of outputting a radiation wave in a predetermined direction and detecting a reflected wave from the surroundings of the vehicle; and a reflector (37) for reflecting a wave emitted from a radar equipped in another vehicle. In side view, The radar is installed so as to overlap a front portion of the headlight unit, The reflector is disposed so as to be located rearward of the headlight unit and forward of the head pipe. A saddle-type vehicle characterized by the above. According to such a feature, the vehicle can be easily detected by other vehicles, improving safety, and the design is improved by installing the reflector in an inconspicuous manner. In addition, the reflector does not block the light emitted from the headlight unit, which is advantageous for further improving safety. In other words, the above feature is advantageous for improving both the design of the saddle-type vehicle and the reflective function of the reflector. [2] The reflector is fixed to the main frame. The saddle-type vehicle according to [1], According to this feature, the reflector can be attached firmly. [3] The vehicle further includes a cover member (35) fixed to the main frame, The reflector is attached to the cover member. The saddle-type vehicle according to [1], According to such a feature, the reflector can be attached in a variety of ways, which makes it possible to easily design the vehicle body. [4] The headlight unit has a lens surface (34F) for emitting emitted light forward, The radar and the reflector do not overlap with the lens surface in a front view. The saddle-type vehicle according to any one of [1] to [3], According to such a feature, the headlight unit, the radar, and the reflector can each appropriately perform their functions. [5] The radar and the reflector overlap each other in a front view. The saddle-type vehicle according to any one of [1] to [4], According to such a feature, the reflector can be installed so as not to be conspicuous, thereby further improving the design. [6] The vehicle further includes a front wheel (FW), a front fork (32) that supports the front wheel, and a lower bracket (33) that holds the front fork, The reflector is located above the lower bracket. The saddle-type vehicle according to any one of [1] to [5], According to such a feature, for example, it is possible to prevent vehicle components from interfering with the reflector when the front wheels are at full stroke. [7] The reflector overlaps with the headlight unit so as to be located inside an outer edge of the headlight unit in a front view. The saddle-type vehicle according to any one of [1] to [6], According to such a feature, it is possible to reduce the effect of the wind generated when the vehicle is traveling on the reflector, and it is possible to reduce wind noise, for example. [8] The radar is a millimeter wave radar (36). The saddle-type vehicle according to any one of [1] to [7], In other words, the above-described features are widely applicable to typical saddle-type vehicles equipped with millimeter wave radar. [9] The saddle-type vehicle is a two-wheeled vehicle (1). The saddle-type vehicle according to any one of [1] to [8], That is, the above-mentioned features are widely applicable to typical saddle-type two-wheeled vehicles.

[0030] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 1: saddle-type vehicle, 30: main frame, 301: head pipe, 34: headlight unit, 36: radar, 37: reflector.

Claims

1. A saddle-type vehicle including a head pipe provided at a front portion of a main frame and a headlight unit disposed in front of the head pipe, A radar capable of outputting a radiation wave in a predetermined direction and detecting a reflected wave from the surroundings of the vehicle; A reflector for reflecting a wave emitted from a radar equipped in another vehicle, In side view, The radar is installed so as to overlap a front portion of the headlight unit, The reflector is disposed so as to be located rearward of the headlight unit and forward of the head pipe. A saddle-type vehicle characterized by the above.

2. The reflector is fixed to the main frame.

2. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 1.

3. A cover member fixed to the main frame is further provided. The reflector is attached to the cover member.

2. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 1.

4. The headlight unit has a lens surface for emitting emitted light forward, The radar and the reflector do not overlap with the lens surface in a front view.

2. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 1.

5. The radar and the reflector overlap each other in a front view.

2. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 1.

6. The bicycle further includes a front wheel, a front fork that supports the front wheel, and a lower bracket that holds the front fork, The reflector is located above the lower bracket.

2. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 1.

7. The reflector overlaps with the headlight unit so as to be located inside an outer edge of the headlight unit in a front view.

2. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 1.

Images