Saddle riding vehicle

Abstract

To suppress breakage of an undercover and a body frame and suppress contact of the undercover with a road surface.SOLUTION: A saddle riding vehicle (1) includes a frame (12, 13) extending downward from a head tube (11) of a front part of the vehicle and then extending rearward of the vehicle, and an under cover (24) that covers forward and rearward extending portions of the frame at a lower part of the vehicle. A pad rib (43) projects upward from the under cover, and a receiving portion (46) that receives the pad rib is formed in the frame.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Generally, scooter-type straddle-type vehicles employ an underbone-type body frame. In an underbone-type body frame, a down frame extends downward from a head pipe, curves rearward midway, and extends horizontally. The upper and lower extending portions of the head pipe and down frame are covered from the outside by a front frame and a leg shield, and the front and rear extending portions of the down frame are covered from the outside by a step board and an under cover (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The under cover protects the down frame from flying stones and the like. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-34382 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, it is necessary to ensure a clearance between the undercover and the vehicle frame to prevent damage to the undercover and the vehicle frame, and it is also necessary to ensure a clearance between the undercover and the road surface to prevent strong contact with the road surface. However, it is difficult to ensure sufficient clearance for both.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has an object to provide a saddle-type vehicle that can prevent damage to the undercover and the body frame and also prevent the undercover from coming into contact with the road surface. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One embodiment of the saddle-type vehicle of the present invention comprises a frame that extends downward from a head pipe at the front of the vehicle and then extends to the rear of the vehicle, and an undercover that covers the front and rear extending portions of the frame at the bottom of the vehicle from below, with a contact rib protruding upward from the undercover and a receiving portion formed on the frame to receive the contact rib, thereby solving the above problem. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, when the undercover is pushed into an obstacle on the road surface, the contact rib of the undercover abuts against the receiving portion of the frame. This reduces the amount of displacement of the undercover and also reduces contact between the cover surface of the undercover and the frame, preventing damage to the undercover and the frame. Because the undercover can be brought closer to the frame, it is easier to ensure clearance between the road surface and the undercover. Furthermore, because the frame can be jacked up via the contact rib of the undercover, a jack-up bracket is not required on the frame, resulting in a lighter frame. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a saddle-ride type vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the front part of the vehicle according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the lower part of the vehicle according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the undercover of the present embodiment. [Figure 5] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lower part taken along line AA in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating displacement of the undercover in the present embodiment.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, a frame extends downward from a head pipe at the front of a saddle-type vehicle and then extends rearward, with the front and rear extending portions of the frame at the bottom of the vehicle being covered from below by an undercover. A contact rib protrudes upward from the undercover, and a receiving portion for receiving the contact rib is formed on the frame. When the undercover is pushed against an obstacle on the road surface, the contact rib of the undercover abuts against the receiving portion of the frame. This reduces the amount of displacement of the undercover and also reduces contact between the cover surface of the undercover and the frame, preventing damage to the undercover and the frame. Because the undercover can be brought closer to the frame, it is easier to ensure clearance between the road surface and the undercover. In addition, because the frame can be jacked up via the contact rib of the undercover, a jack-up bracket is not required on the frame, resulting in a lighter frame. [Example]

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

[0011] As shown in Fig. 1, a saddle-type vehicle 1 is configured by attaching various covers to an underbone-type body frame 10 (see Fig. 2) as the exterior body of the vehicle. A front cover 21 is provided at the front of the vehicle, and a front leg shield 22 that protects the rider's legs is provided behind the front cover 21. A floor board 23 extends rearward from the lower end of the front leg shield 22, and an under cover 24 is provided below the floor board 23. A body cover 25 and a pair of side covers 26 are provided behind the floor board 23, and a seat 27 is installed above the side covers 26.

[0012] A handlebar 31 is provided above the front cover 21, and a front wheel 33 is rotatably supported below the front cover 21 via a pair of front forks 32. A swing arm (not shown) with a motor (not shown) is provided below the side cover 26. The swing arm is swingably connected to the body frame 10, and a rear wheel 34 is rotatably supported at the rear of the swing arm. The left side of the swing arm is covered by a swing arm cover (not shown), and power is transmitted from the motor to the rear wheel 34 via a belt-type continuously variable transmission (not shown) inside the swing arm cover.

[0013] The undercover 24 protects the body frame 10 from flying stones and the like. When the undercover 24 comes into contact with an obstacle on the road surface, such as a speed breaker, a clearance is required between the body frame 10 and the undercover 24 so that the undercover 24 does not displace and hit the body frame 10, causing damage. A clearance is also required between the undercover 24 and the road surface so that the undercover 24 does not come into strong contact with the obstacle. Therefore, in this embodiment, the amount of displacement of the undercover 24 is suppressed, thereby narrowing the clearance between the undercover 24 and the body frame 10 and ensuring sufficient clearance between the undercover 24 and the road surface.

[0014] The front structure and undercover of a saddle-ride type vehicle will be described below with reference to Fig. 2 to Fig. 5. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the front part of the vehicle of this embodiment. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the lower part of the vehicle of this embodiment. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the undercover of this embodiment. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the lower part of the vehicle of Fig. 3 taken along line AA.

[0015] 2, the body frame 10 has a down frame 12 extending downward from a head pipe 11 at the front of the vehicle, and a pair of lower frames 13 extending rearward from the lower part of the down frame 12. A front fork 32 is steerably supported on the head pipe 11 via a steering shaft (not shown), and a front wheel 33 is rotatably supported on the lower part of the front fork 32. The down frame 12 extends straight inside the front leg shield 22, and the pair of lower frames 13 pass below the floor board 23 and then rise obliquely upward and rearward.

[0016] A front cover 21 and a front leg shield 22 are attached to the head pipe 11 and the down frame 12 via a cover brace 35. The front cover 21 covers the head pipe 11 and the down frame 12 from the front side, and the front leg shield 22 covers the head pipe 11 and the down frame 12 from the rear side. A floor board 23 is supported on the pair of lower frames 13, and an under cover 24 is attached to the underside of the floor board 23. The floor board 23 covers the pair of lower frames 13 from above, and the under cover 24 covers the pair of lower frames 13 from below.

[0017] The horizontal portions of the pair of lower frames 13 are joined to the lower portion of the down frame 12, forming an L-shape in the vehicle lower portion, and this L-shaped portion in the vehicle lower portion is protected by an undercover 24. The undercover 24 has a front plate 41 that covers the lower portion of the down frame 12 from the front behind the front wheels 33, and a lower plate 42 that extends rearward from the lower end of the front plate 41 and covers the lower portion of the down frame 12 and the horizontal portions of the pair of lower frames 13 from below. The front plate 41 and lower plate 42 of the undercover 24 protect the down frame 12 and the pair of lower frames 13 from flying stones and obstacles on the road surface.

[0018] The front portion of the lower plate 42 of the undercover 24 is located below the down frame 12, and a contact rib 43 protrudes upward from the front portion of this lower plate 42. The down frame 12 is formed in a tubular shape, and a plate material is joined to an opening at the lower end of the down frame 12, forming a receiving portion 46 that receives the contact rib 43 of the undercover 24. The contact rib 43 of the undercover 24 and the receiving portion 46 of the down frame 12 are separated by a gap, and when the undercover 24 comes into contact with an obstacle on the road surface, the contact rib 43 is received by the receiving portion 46, thereby suppressing deformation of the undercover 24.

[0019] 3 and 4, the contact rib 43 of the undercover 24 protrudes from the lower plate 42 in a rectangular tubular shape, thereby increasing its rigidity. A rectangular frame-shaped contact surface 44 is formed at the tip of the contact rib 43, and a receiving surface 47 is formed on the receiving portion 46 of the down frame 12 so as to face the contact surface 44 of the contact rib 43. A plurality of reinforcing ribs 45 are provided around the contact rib 43, and the rigidity of the contact rib 43 is increased by the plurality of reinforcing ribs 45. The rectangular tubular shape of the contact rib 43 increases the compression rigidity of the contact rib 43, and the bending rigidity of the contact rib 43 is increased by the plurality of reinforcing ribs 45.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 3, the contact surface 44 of the contact rib 43 and the receiving surface 47 of the receiving portion 46 are formed parallel to each other in a side view, and as shown in Fig. 5, the contact surface 44 of the contact rib 43 is located directly below the receiving surface 47 of the receiving portion 46 in a top view. When the contact surface 44 of the contact rib 43 abuts against the receiving surface 47 of the receiving portion 46, the contact surface 44 and the receiving surface 47 come into uniform contact in a rectangular frame shape, distributing the surface pressure on the contact rib 43. The contact rib 43 is formed in a rectangular tube shape to increase its rigidity, and the contact rib 43 abuts over a wide area of ​​the receiving portion 46 to reduce concentrated loads, thereby reducing deformation of the contact rib 43 when the undercover 24 comes into contact with an obstacle.

[0021] A gap 49 is provided between the contact surface 44 of the contact rib 43 and the receiving surface 47 of the receiving portion 46. Therefore, even if vibrations occur in the vehicle, contact and friction between the contact surface 44 of the contact rib 43 and the receiving surface 47 of the receiving portion 46 is reduced. The down frame 12 is formed straight, and the contact surface 44 of the contact rib 43 and the receiving surface 47 of the receiving portion 46 are perpendicular to the extension direction of the down frame 12. When the undercover 24 comes into contact with an obstacle, the impact transmitted from the undercover 24 via the contact rib 43 is received in the longitudinal direction by the down frame 12, and a force acts on the down frame 12 in the axial direction, reducing deformation of the down frame 12.

[0022] As described above, the contact rib 43 is formed in the front part of the undercover 24, and the receiving portion 46 is formed at the lower end of the down frame 12. Therefore, the contact rib 43 is formed in the front part of the undercover 24, which is susceptible to impact, effectively suppressing deformation of the undercover 24. When the front part of the undercover 24 comes into contact with an obstacle, the impact is transmitted to the down frame 12 via the contact rib 43 in the front part of the undercover 24. The impact is absorbed by the down frame 12, and the amount of displacement of the undercover 24 is suppressed by the contact between the receiving portion 46 and the contact rib 43.

[0023] The lower end of the down frame 12 protrudes downward further than the pair of lower frames 13, and the front ends of the pair of lower frames 13 are joined to the side surfaces of the down frame 12. As a result, the pair of lower frames 13 are joined to the side surfaces of the down frame 12 along the edges of the elliptical opening, and the joint length between the down frame 12 and the pair of lower frames 13 is increased, resulting in a strong joint between the down frame 12 and the lower frames 13. Furthermore, the lower end of the down frame 12 is brought closer to the undercover 24 regardless of the height of the lower frames 13, and the clearance between the down frame 12 and the undercover 24 is appropriately adjusted.

[0024] The displacement of the undercover will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the displacement of the undercover in this embodiment.

[0025] As shown in Figure 6(A), when no external force is being applied to the undercover 24, the contact rib 43 of the undercover 24 and the receiving portion 46 of the down frame 12 are spaced apart. At this time, the gap 49 between the contact rib 43 of the undercover 24 and the receiving portion 46 of the down frame 12 is minimized, and the lower plate 42 of the undercover 24 is brought closer to the pair of lower frames 13. The clearance between the lower plate 42 of the undercover 24 and the pair of lower frames 13 is reduced, and the clearance between the lower plate 42 of the undercover 24 and the road surface is increased accordingly. For this reason, the undercover 24 is less likely to come into strong contact with an obstacle 52 on the road surface (see Figure 6(B)).

[0026] As shown in Figure 6(B) , when the undercover 24 comes into contact with an obstacle 52 on the road surface, the undercover 24 is pushed up by the obstacle 52. The contact ribs 43 of the undercover 24 abut against the receiving portions 46 of the down frame 12, and deformation of the undercover 24 is restricted by the down frame 12. The amount of displacement of the undercover 24 is suppressed, and the lower plate 42 of the undercover 24 does not come into contact with the pair of lower frames 13, preventing damage to the undercover 24 and the pair of lower frames 13. Since a force acts on the down frame 12 in the axial direction, damage to the down frame 12 is also prevented.

[0027] Furthermore, in the saddle-ride type vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the down frame 12 can be jacked up via the contact rib 43 of the undercover 24. By positioning the tray of a jack (not shown) directly below the contact rib 43 of the undercover 24, the down frame 12 is lifted via the contact rib 43 as the tray rises. Even when jacking up, the amount of displacement of the undercover 24 is suppressed, preventing damage to the undercover 24. In this case, there is no need to provide brackets for jacking up on the pair of lower frames as in a typical saddle-ride type vehicle, and the weight of the vehicle can be reduced.

[0028] As described above, according to the saddle-type vehicle 1 of this embodiment, when the undercover 24 is pushed into an obstacle 52 on the road surface, the contact ribs 43 of the undercover 24 abut against the receiving portions 46 of the down frame 12. This reduces the amount of displacement of the undercover 24 and also reduces contact between the cover surface of the undercover 24 and the lower frame 13, preventing damage to the undercover 24 and the lower frame 13. Because the undercover 24 can be brought closer to the lower frame 13, it becomes easier to ensure clearance between the road surface and the undercover 24.

[0029] In this embodiment, the frame has a down frame and a pair of lower frames, but the frame may be formed so as to extend downward from the head pipe at the front of the vehicle and then extend toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0030] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the undercover covers the pair of lower frames from below, but it is sufficient that the undercover covers the front and rear extending portions of the frame in the lower part of the vehicle from below.

[0031] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the receiving portions are formed on the down frame, but the receiving portions may be formed on the pair of lower frames as long as they are capable of receiving the contact ribs.

[0032] In this embodiment, the contact rib is formed in a square tube shape and the contact surface of the contact rib is formed in a rectangular frame shape, but the contact rib may be formed in any shape as long as it can abut against the receiving portion of the frame.

[0033] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a gap is provided between the contact surface of the contact rib and the receiving surface of the receiving portion, but the contact surface of the contact rib and the receiving surface of the receiving portion may be in contact with each other.

[0034] The frame and undercover of this embodiment are not limited to the saddle-ride type vehicle described above, 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.

[0035] As described above, the saddle-type vehicle of the first embodiment includes a frame (down frame 12, lower frame 13) that extends downward from the head pipe (11) at the front of the vehicle and then extends rearward, and an undercover (24) that covers the front and rear extending portions of the frame at the bottom of the vehicle. A contact rib (43) projects upward from the undercover, and the frame is formed with a receiving portion (46) that receives the contact rib. With this configuration, when the undercover is pushed into an obstacle on the road surface, the contact rib of the undercover abuts against the receiving portion of the frame. This reduces the amount of displacement of the undercover and reduces contact between the cover surface of the undercover and the frame, preventing damage to the undercover and the frame. Since the undercover can be positioned closer to the frame, it is easier to ensure clearance between the road surface and the undercover. Furthermore, since the frame can be jacked up via the contact rib of the undercover, a jack-up bracket is not required on the frame, resulting in a lighter frame.

[0036] In the second embodiment, the contact rib is cylindrical and the contact surface 44 of the contact rib is formed in a frame shape in the first embodiment. This configuration increases the rigidity of the contact rib and prevents deformation of the contact rib by contacting a wide area of ​​the contact rib with the receiving portion, thereby reducing concentrated loads.

[0037] In the third aspect, in the first or second aspect, a gap 49 is provided between the contact surface of the contact rib and the receiving surface 47 of the receiving part. This configuration reduces contact and friction between the contact surface of the contact rib and the receiving surface of the receiving part due to vibration.

[0038] In a fourth aspect, in any one of the first to third aspects, the frame has a down frame (12) extending downward from the head pipe, a contact rib is formed in the front part of the undercover, and a receiving portion is formed at the lower end of the down frame. With this configuration, the contact rib is formed in the front part of the undercover that is susceptible to impact, thereby effectively suppressing deformation of the undercover.

[0039] In the fifth aspect, the down frame of the fourth aspect is formed straight. With this configuration, the impact transmitted from the undercover through the contact rib is received by the down frame in the longitudinal direction. The force acting on the down frame in the axial direction suppresses deformation of the down frame.

[0040] In a sixth aspect, in the fourth or fifth aspect, the frame has a lower frame (13) extending rearward from the lower part of the down frame, the lower end of the down frame protruding downwardly beyond the lower frame, and the front end of the lower frame being joined to the side of the down frame. With this configuration, the joining length between the down frame and the lower frame is long, and the down frame and the lower frame are joined strongly. Regardless of the height of the lower frame, the lower end of the down frame is brought close to the undercover, and the clearance between the down frame and the undercover is appropriately adjusted.

[0041] 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.

[0042] Furthermore, the technology of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes, substitutions, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the technical idea. Furthermore, if the technical idea can be realized in a different way due to technological advances or other derived technologies, it may be implemented using that method. Therefore, the claims cover all embodiments that may fall within the scope of the technical idea. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1: Saddle-type vehicle 11: Head pipe 12: Down frame (frame) 13: Lower frame (frame) 24: Undercover 43: Pad rib 44: Contact surface 46: Receiving part 47: Receiving surface 49: Gap 51: Road surface 52: Obstacle

Claims

1. a frame extending downward from a head pipe at the front of the vehicle and then extending rearward of the vehicle; an undercover that covers from below front and rear extending portions of the frame in the lower part of the vehicle, A straddle-type vehicle, characterized in that a contact rib projects upward from the undercover, and a receiving portion that receives the contact rib is formed on the frame.

2. 2. The straddle-type vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the contact rib is cylindrical and the contact surface of the contact rib is formed in a frame shape.

3. 3. The straddle-type vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a gap is provided between the contact surface of the contact rib and the receiving surface of the receiving portion.

4. the frame has a down frame extending downward from the head pipe, 3. The straddle-type vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the contact rib is formed at a front portion of the undercover, and the receiving portion is formed at a lower end of the down frame.

5. 5. The straddle-type vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the down frame is formed straight.

6. The frame includes a lower frame extending rearward from a lower portion of the down frame, 5. The straddle-type vehicle according to claim 4, wherein a lower end of the down frame projects downwardly beyond the lower frame, and a front end of the lower frame is joined to a side surface of the down frame.

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