Saddle-type vehicle

Abstract

This design reduces the exposure of the front portion of the front fork when viewed from the driver's seat, while also improving the workability of laying linear components. [Solution] The saddle-type vehicle is provided with a vehicle frame having a head pipe on the front side of the vehicle, a front fork (31) pivotably supported by the head pipe, a meter unit (51) positioned in front of the front fork, a main switch (56) positioned behind the front fork, and a meter cover (61) covering the space between the front fork and the meter unit. The meter cover has notches (64) formed in it for passing linear members (46, 48, 49).

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] As a saddle-type vehicle, one in which a meter cover is installed on the front side of a front fork is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the meter cover described in Patent Document 1, in addition to various meters such as vehicle speed and remaining fuel amount, a main switch for engine start is attached. A meter brace is screwed to the back side of the meter cover via a plurality of bolts, and a pair of support bars provided on this meter brace are inserted into a pair of insertion holes of an upper bracket of the front fork. Further, the meter brace is also screwed to a cowl brace for a front cowl.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the meter cover described in Patent Document 1, a cover portion covering the periphery of the meter and a cover portion covering the periphery of the main switch are integrally formed. When viewed from the driver's seat, the exposure of the front side of the front fork is suppressed by the cover portion around the main switch, but there is a problem that linear members such as a throttle wire and a brake hose passing near the head pipe interfere with the cover portion of the main switch and the workability deteriorates.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of this point, and an object thereof is to provide a saddle-type vehicle that can suppress the exposure of the front side portion of the front fork when viewed from the driver's seat and improve the workability of laying linear members. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A saddle-type vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a vehicle frame with a head pipe on the front side of the vehicle, a front fork pivotably supported by the head pipe, a meter unit positioned in front of the front fork, a main switch positioned behind the front fork, and a meter cover covering the space between the front fork and the meter unit, wherein the meter cover has a notch formed for passing a linear member, thereby solving the above problem. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a saddle-type vehicle has a main switch positioned behind the front fork, thereby securing space between the front fork and the meter unit. The space between the front fork and the meter unit is covered by a meter cover, improving the appearance, and linear members such as throttle wires and brake hoses are passed through a notch in the meter cover. Even if the linear members pass near the head pipe, they do not interfere with the main switch or meter cover, improving the workability of the installation process. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a left side view of the saddle-type vehicle in this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a top view of the front of the vehicle in this embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the saddle-type vehicle cut along line AA. [Figure 4] This is a front view of the area around the meter unit. [Figure 5] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the area around the meter unit, cut along the BB line. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, a saddle-type vehicle has a head pipe on the front side of the vehicle frame, and a front fork is pivotably supported on the head pipe. A meter unit is positioned in front of the front fork, and a main switch is positioned behind the front fork. The space between the front fork and the meter unit is covered by a meter cover, and a notch is formed in the meter cover for passing a linear member through. By positioning the main switch behind the front fork, space is secured between the front fork and the meter unit. The space between the front fork and the meter unit is covered by the meter cover, improving the appearance, and a linear member such as a throttle wire or brake hose is passed through the notch in the meter cover. Even if the linear member passes near the head pipe, it does not interfere with the main switch or meter cover, improving the workability of the installation work. [Examples]

[0010] The saddle-type vehicle of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. Figure 1 is a left side view of the saddle-type vehicle of this embodiment. In the following figures, 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 Figure 1, the saddle-type vehicle 1 is constructed by mounting various components such as the engine 21 and electrical systems on a body frame 10. A pair of main frames 12 extend diagonally downward and rearward from the upper part of the head pipe 11 of the body frame 10, branching to the left and right. The front half of the pair of main frames 12 forms the tank rail 13, and the rear half of the pair of main frames 12 forms the body frame 14. A pair of side frames 15 extend from the lower part of the head pipe 11, branching to the left and right, towards the pair of tank rails 13. A pair of down frames 16 extend downward from the middle of the pair of side frames 15.

[0012] A fuel tank (not shown) is placed over a pair of tank rails 13 from above. The rear of the engine 21 is supported by a pair of body frames 14, and the front of the engine 21 is supported by a pair of down frames 16. The rigidity of the entire vehicle is ensured by the engine 21 being supported by the vehicle frame 10. A pair of seat rails 17 extend rearward from the rear ends of the pair of tank rails 13, and a pair of seat pillars 18 extend diagonally upward and rearward from the lower ends of the pair of body frames 14 toward the rear ends of the pair of seat rails 17. The seat 22 is supported from below by the pair of seat rails 17 and the pair of seat pillars 18.

[0013] The front fork 31 is supported by the head pipe 11 via a steering shaft 23 (see Figure 2) so as to be steerable. A handlebar 41 is provided on the upper part of the front fork 31, and the front wheel 25 is rotatably supported on the lower part of the front fork 31. A headlamp 26 is mounted in front of the head pipe 11, and a meter unit 51 is mounted above the headlamp 26. A swingarm 27 is pivotably supported on a pair of body frames 14. The swingarm 27 extends rearward from the pair of body frames 14, and the rear wheel 28 is rotatably supported at the rear end of the swingarm 27.

[0014] Incidentally, there are models of naked-type saddle-type motorcycles where the main switch is located at the rear of the meter unit. In such models, the area around the main switch is also covered by the meter cover. The meter cover is supported from below by the meter brace, and if the main switch is located in the center in the width direction of the vehicle, the meter cover is fixed to the meter brace at two points on the left and right to avoid the main switch. Also, depending on the shape of the meter brace, it may not be possible to screw the meter cover in from the back. As a result, the screw heads are exposed from the meter cover, which is a problem as it detracts from the appearance.

[0015] Furthermore, linear components such as throttle wires and brake hoses extend from the handlebars. It is preferable that these linear components be routed between the front fork and the meter unit, but it is difficult to lay them without interfering with the main switch at the rear of the meter unit. Therefore, in the saddle-type vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the main switch 56 is positioned behind the front fork 31. As a result, the meter cover 61 (see Figure 2) is screwed to the meter brace 81 from below at the center in the vehicle width direction, ensuring ample space between the front fork 31 and the meter unit 51, making it easy to lay the linear components.

[0016] The front section of the saddle-type vehicle will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a top view of the front section of the vehicle in this embodiment. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the saddle-type vehicle in Figure 1, taken along line AA.

[0017] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a head pipe 11 is provided on the front side of the vehicle frame 10 (see Figure 1), and a front fork 31 is supported on the head pipe 11 via a steering shaft 23 so as to be steerable. The bottom bridge 32 (see Figure 1) of the front fork 31 is connected to the lower end of the head pipe 11 via a bearing, and the middle sections of a pair of fork tubes 33 are connected by the bottom bridge 32. The top bridge 34 of the front fork 31 is connected to the upper end of the head pipe 11 via a bearing, and the upper sections of a pair of fork tubes 33 are connected by the top bridge 34.

[0018] The top bridge 34 is formed by connecting, in a substantially V shape in a top view, a central portion 35 in the vehicle width direction where the steering shaft 23 is held and both end portions 36 in the vehicle width direction where a pair of fork tubes 33 are held. A pair of fork tubes 33 project upward from both end portions 36 of the top bridge 34, and the protruding portions of the pair of fork tubes 33 are inserted into the insertion holes at the base end portions 42 of a pair of handlebars 41. Fixing portions 43 extend from the base end portions 42 of the pair of handlebars 41 toward the central portion 35 of the top bridge 34, and the fixing portions 43 of the pair of handlebars 41 are fixed to both end portions 36 of the top bridge 34 with bolts 44.

[0019] A brake lever 45 is attached to the right handlebar 41, and a brake hose 46 extends from the brake lever 45 toward the center in the vehicle width direction. Also, a throttle wire 49 extends from the right handlebar 41 toward the center in the vehicle width direction. A clutch lever 47 is attached to the left handlebar 41, and a clutch cable 48 extends from the clutch lever 47 toward the center in the vehicle width direction. Other linear members such as switch cables also extend from the pair of handlebars 41 toward the center in the vehicle width direction, and these linear members enter the vehicle body from the front side of the top bridge 34.

[0020] A main switch 56 is positioned behind the front fork 31. The main switch 56 is a twist knob type keyless switch, and a twist knob 58 projects from the upper surface of a switch housing 57. An antenna and a substrate are housed in the switch housing 57, and when the twist knob 58 is rotated with a smart key in the vicinity, the accessory power supply and the ignition power supply are switched. By installing the main switch 56 behind the front fork 31, a space for passing linear members is secured in front of the front fork 31.

[0021] A meter unit 51 is positioned in front of the front fork 31. Various meters such as vehicle speed, engine speed, and remaining fuel amount are displayed on the display 52 of the meter unit 51. The meter unit 51 is provided with a meter housing 53 so as to surround the display 52, and a connector 54 and a meter brace 81 are positioned inside the meter housing 53. Although details will be described later, the meter unit 51 is fixed to the front fork 31 via the meter brace 81, and the meter unit 51 together with the front fork 31 swings left and right around the steering shaft 23.

[0022] A meter cover 61 is provided on the rear side of the meter unit 51, and the space between the front fork 31 and the meter unit 51 is covered by the meter cover 61. The parts behind the headlamp 26 are hidden by the meter cover 61, improving the appearance. The meter cover 61 is also fixed to the meter brace 81, and the meter cover 61 swings left and right together with the front fork 31. Further, a pair of cutouts 64 for passing a linear member are formed in the meter cover 61, and the workability of laying the linear member is improved by the linear member entering the pair of cutouts 64 of the meter cover 61.

[0023] More specifically, a pair of cutouts 64 are formed on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the meter cover 61, and are formed in a stepped shape such that the width dimension on the rear side is narrower than the width dimension on the front side of the meter cover 61 by the pair of cutouts 64. Further, a cutout 65 is formed in one half (right half) of the rear side portion of the meter cover 61. The throttle wire 49 is passed through the right front cutout 64, the clutch cable 48 is passed through the left front cutout 64, and the brake hose 46 is passed through the right rear cutout 65. The linear members are laid with less bending, improving the response performance of the throttle, clutch, and brake.

[0024] The center of the leading edge of the top bridge 34 of the front fork 31 is recessed towards the rear. The recess 37 in the top bridge 34 provides ample space for accommodating linear members between the front fork 31 and the top bridge 34. In addition, the front fork 31 is lighter, improving operability. The meter cover 61 is narrower towards the rear end, and in a top view, the front end of the meter cover 61 fits into the recess 37 of the top bridge 34. The meter cover 61 covers the recess 37 of the top bridge 34, reducing the exposure of the space for accommodating linear members and improving the appearance.

[0025] The installation structure of the meter cover will be explained with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a front view of the area around the meter unit. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the area around the meter unit in Figure 4, cut along line BB. Note that the headlamp is omitted in Figure 4.

[0026] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, a ramp brace 71 is attached to the front of the front fork 31. The ramp brace 71 is formed by joining multiple rods and plates, and a pair of support bars 72 at both ends of the ramp brace 71 are inserted into the left and right sides of the top bridge 34. The central bracket 73 of the ramp brace 71 is formed by bending a plate, and a pair of legs 82 of the meter brace 81 are joined to the vertical plates 74 on both the left and right sides of the central bracket 73. The meter brace 81 is fixed to the front fork 31 via the ramp brace 71, and the meter unit 51 is supported from below by the meter brace 81.

[0027] The meter brace 81 is formed by joining a U-shaped support plate 83 to the upper ends of a pair of legs 82. Three mounting holes for supporting the meter unit 51 are provided at both ends and in the center of the support plate 83 of the meter brace 81, and screws 85 are inserted into these three mounting holes via bushings 84 to provide floating fixation for the meter unit 51. A fixing portion 86 protrudes rearward from the center of the support plate 83 of the meter brace 81. The fixing portion 86 has one mounting hole for supporting the meter cover 61, and a screw (fixing member) 87 is inserted into this mounting hole to fix the meter cover 61 from below.

[0028] Since the screw holes 62 in the meter cover 61 do not go all the way through, the screws 87 are not exposed to the outside, improving the appearance. Also, because the central part of the meter cover 61 is screwed in, the meter cover 61 is supported evenly by the meter brace 81. Since the meter cover 61 is fixed with a single screw 87, the number of screws 87 is reduced, and the number of parts is decreased. The side walls 63 at both ends of the meter cover 61 overlap the side walls of the meter housing 53 from the outside in the vehicle width direction (see Figure 3), and the meter housing 53 positions the meter cover 61 in the vehicle width direction. The meter housing 53 is fixed to the front end 88 of the meter brace 81.

[0029] The upper portion of the pair of legs 82 of the meter brace 81 is tilted diagonally upward and forward, and the lower surface of the support plate 83 is joined to the tilted portion of the pair of legs 82. A headlamp 26 is installed on the lamp brace 71 below the support plate 83, but when the headlamp 26 is not installed on the lamp brace 71, the lamp brace 71 and the meter brace 81 secure a workspace below the support plate 83. In this way, by using the space where the headlamp 26 is installed as a workspace, the meter unit 51 and the meter cover 61 can be easily fixed to the meter brace 81 from below.

[0030] As described above, in the saddle-type vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the main switch 56 is positioned behind the front fork 31, thereby securing space between the front fork 31 and the meter unit 51. The space between the front fork 31 and the meter unit 51 is covered by the meter cover 61, improving the appearance, and linear members such as the throttle wire 49 and brake hose 46 are passed through the notch 64 of the meter cover 61. Even if the linear members pass near the head pipe 11, they do not interfere with the main switch 56 or the meter cover 61, improving the workability of the installation work.

[0031] In this embodiment, a keyless type main switch is used as an example, but the main switch may also be a main switch using a mechanical key.

[0032] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the center of the leading edge of the top bridge is recessed to the rear, and the meter cover fits into the recess of the top bridge, but the shape of the top bridge and the meter cover are not particularly limited.

[0033] In this embodiment, the meter cover is fixed to the meter brace by screws, but the meter cover may also be fixed to the meter brace by other fixing members.

[0034] Furthermore, while throttle wires, brake hoses, and clutch cables were given as examples of linear members in this embodiment, the linear members are not particularly limited.

[0035] Furthermore, although an engine-powered vehicle was given as an example of a saddle-type vehicle in this embodiment, an EV (Electric Vehicle) vehicle may also be used as the saddle-type vehicle.

[0036] In this embodiment, the meter cover is fixed to the meter brace, but the meter cover may also be fixed to the meter housing or the display of the meter unit.

[0037] Furthermore, the meter cover and mounting structure for the meter cover in this embodiment are not limited to the above-described saddle-type vehicle, but may also be adopted in other types of saddle-type vehicles. Note that the term "saddle-type vehicle" is not limited to all vehicles in which the driver sits straddling the seat, but also includes scooter-type vehicles in which the driver does not straddle the seat.

[0038] As described above, the first embodiment comprises a vehicle frame (10) with a head pipe (11) on the front side of the vehicle, a front fork (31) pivotably supported by the head pipe (11), a meter unit (51) positioned in front of the front fork, a main switch (56) positioned behind the front fork, and a meter cover (61) covering the space between the front fork and the meter unit, the meter cover having a notch (64) through which linear members (throttle wire 49, brake hose 46, clutch cable 48) pass. With this configuration, the main switch is positioned behind the front fork, which ensures space between the front fork and the meter unit. The space between the front fork and the meter unit is covered by the meter cover, improving the appearance, and linear members such as the throttle wire and brake hose pass through the notch in the meter cover. Even if the linear members pass near the head pipe, they do not interfere with the main switch or meter cover, improving the workability of the installation work.

[0039] The second embodiment is a meter brace (81) that supports the meter unit from below, and the meter brace is provided with a fixing part (86) to which the meter cover is fixed from below with a single fixing member (screw 87). With this configuration, the number of fixing members is reduced, thereby reducing the number of parts, and the appearance is improved as the fixing members are not exposed to the outside.

[0040] The third embodiment is a configuration of the second embodiment, further comprising a ramp brace (71) fixed to the front side of the front fork, with a meter brace fixed to the ramp brace, and a working space secured below the meter cover by the ramp brace and meter brace. With this configuration, the meter unit and meter cover can be easily fixed to the meter brace from below by utilizing the working space below the meter brace.

[0041] The fourth embodiment is one of the first to third embodiments, in which the front fork is provided with a top bridge (34) connected to the upper end of the head pipe, and the center of the leading edge of the top bridge is recessed to the rear. With this configuration, the recess of the top bridge provides ample space for accommodating linear members between the front fork and the top bridge. In addition, the front fork is made lighter, improving operability.

[0042] The fifth aspect is the fourth aspect, in which the meter cover fits into a recess (37) in the top bridge. With this configuration, the recess in the top bridge is covered by the meter cover, and the exposure of the space for housing the linear member is suppressed, improving the appearance.

[0043] The sixth embodiment is one of the first to fifth embodiments, in which the notches are a pair of notches located on the outside of the meter cover in the vehicle width direction. With this configuration, linear members such as throttle wires and brake hoses extending from the left and right steering wheels are routed near the head pipe. The linear members are laid with minimal bending, improving the response performance of the throttle and brakes.

[0044] Although this embodiment has been described, other embodiments may include combinations of the above embodiment and its modifications, either entirely or partially.

[0045] Furthermore, the technology of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and may be modified, substituted, or transformed in various ways without departing from the spirit of the technical idea. Moreover, if the technical idea can be realized in a different way by advances in the technology or by other derived technologies, it may be implemented by that method. Accordingly, the claims cover all embodiments that may fall within the scope of the technical idea. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0046] 1: Saddle-type vehicle 10: Vehicle frame 11: Headpipe 31: Front Fork 34: Top Bridge 37: Dent in the top bridge 46: Brake hose (linear component) 48: Clutch cable (linear component) 49: Throttle wire (linear component) 51: Meter Unit 56: Main switch 61: Meter cover 64, 65: Notches in the meter cover 71: Lampbrace 81: Meter Brace 86: Meter brace fixing part 87: Screws (fastening components)

Claims

1. A vehicle frame with a head pipe on the front of the vehicle, A front fork pivotably supported on the head pipe, A meter unit positioned in front of the aforementioned front fork, The main switch is located behind the aforementioned front fork, The system includes a meter cover that covers the space between the front fork and the meter unit, A saddle-type vehicle characterized in that the meter cover has a notch formed therein for passing a linear member through.

2. The meter unit is provided with a meter brace that supports it from below, The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the meter brace is provided with a fixing portion for which the meter cover is fixed from below with a single fixing member.

3. The ramp brace is fixed to the front side of the front fork, The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the meter brace is fixed to the lamp brace, and a working space is secured below the meter cover by the lamp brace and the meter brace.

4. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the front fork is provided with a top bridge connected to the upper end of the head pipe, and the center of the front edge of the top bridge is recessed to the rear.

5. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 4, characterized in that the meter cover is fitted into a recess in the top bridge.

6. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the notches are a pair of notches located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the meter cover.

Images