Rideable saddle vehicle with improved windshields for a better riding experience

Abstract

To provide a ridable saddle vehicle with a windshield that can at least partially reduce an air turbulence flow at high-speed.SOLUTION: A ridable saddle vehicle 1 is described. The vehicle includes a front part 2 of the vehicle and a windshield 3 fixed to the front part. The front part and the windshield are configured to form a duct 4 through which air is carried and are also configured to allow passage of the air flow during operation of the vehicle. The duct includes an inlet port 5 configured to guide the air flow toward the duct and an outlet port 6 configured to allow the air flow to be discharged from the duct. The inlet port and the outlet port include an inlet section 5A and an outlet section 6A, respectively. The inlet section is larger than the outlet section.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of rideable saddle vehicles, such as motorcycles, and in particular to rideable saddle vehicles equipped with windshields.

Background Art

[0002] It is known to provide a windshield on a rideable saddle vehicle, particularly a motorcycle or a scooter, at least partially to protect the driver from wind, rain, and atmospheric substances. Generally, the windshield is fixed to the front shield of the rideable saddle vehicle, particularly to the upper part of the front shield.

[0003] In the rideable saddle vehicles of the background art, during the operation of the vehicle, particularly at high speeds, there is a drawback that the windshield obstructs the forward view and the escaping air generates a turbulent flow of air towards the driver's helmet. This turbulent flow of air starts from the upper part of the trailing edge of the windshield. Also, the turbulent flow of air affects the riding comfort because it applies force to the helmet and becomes a noise source.

[0004] The object of the present specification is to manufacture a rideable saddle vehicle equipped with a windshield that can solve or at least partially reduce the above-mentioned drawbacks.

[0005] This object and other objects are achieved by the saddle vehicle according to claim 1. Preferred and advantageous embodiments of the above vehicle are described in the appended dependent claims.

[0006] The present invention will become apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings, which are described in conjunction with the following paragraphs, and without being limited thereto, from the detailed description of the following specific embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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Figure 1

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Figure 2

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Figure 3

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Figure 4

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Figure 5

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Figure 6

[0013] The following description of one or more embodiments of the present invention relates to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings identify the same or similar elements. The drawings are not necessarily shown to the same scale. Also, the following detailed description should not be construed as limiting the present invention itself. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. When it is not explicitly shown that some features or solutions are alternatives to each other, or when it is not clear from the following description that two or more features or embodiments are incompatible with each other, the technical details, structures, or features of the solutions described below can be combined with each other in any way.

[0014] In the following description, the terms "upper", "lower", or similar terms refer to the motorcycle 1 under normal operating conditions, unless otherwise indicated. In this operating condition, the motorcycle is in a vertical position.

[0015] For the purposes of this specification, the term "windshield" is generally described as meaning, for example, having a "windshield fairing". This "windshield fairing" is generally small relative to a common windshield and is configured to withstand air pressure at a higher speed relative to the speed at which a common windshield is designed.

[0016] The accompanying drawings 1 - 6 show embodiments of a rideable saddle vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 is a motorcycle 1, particularly a scooter 1. In particular, the illustrated example shows an embodiment of the motorcycle 1. This motorcycle 1 takes the form of a three - wheeled motorcycle or tricycle having two steerable front wheels 101, 102 and one rear wheel 103 without introducing any limitations.

[0017] In this specification, hereinafter, references are made generally to a rideable saddle vehicle 1 formed as and briefly shown as a motorcycle 1. The following description is generally applicable to any type of vehicle 1. This vehicle 1 comprises a support structure, at least two wheels 101, 102 directly or indirectly constrained by the support structure, a traction motor, such as a thermal, electric, or hybrid traction motor, constrained by the support structure and operably connected to at least one of the two wheels 101, 102, and a rideable saddle 104 fixed to the support structure. That is, it should be noted that the teachings of this specification are generally applicable to all rideable saddle vehicles having two, three, or four or more wheels. The windshield can be attached to this saddle vehicle, for example, without limitation, to a motorcycle, moped, scooter, all - terrain vehicle (ATV), etc.

[0018] The motorcycle 1 includes a front portion 2 and a windshield 3 fixed to the front portion 2. The front portion 2 is preferably a part of the body of the motorcycle 1, and more preferably a part of the aforementioned front shield of the motorcycle 1. As is known, the front shield is configured to cover at least a part of the front side of the motorcycle 1. According to a preferred embodiment, the windshield 3 includes an inner surface 3A facing the front portion 2, an outer surface 3B facing the outside, a lower end portion 3C, an upper end portion 3D facing each other, and a pair of side end portions 3E, 3F respectively connected to the lower end portion 3C and the upper end portion 3D. The windshield 3 is preferably fixed to the front portion 2 by mounting screws 14 (Fig. 4), for example, four mounting screws 14, so that it can be removed. In particular, the windshield 3 is fixed to the front portion 2 so as to have a predetermined inclination. That is, the motorcycle 1 does not include elements for adjusting the inclination of the windshield 3 at various positions. The front portion 2 and the windshield 3 are configured to form a duct 4 for carrying air, and are also configured to be passed by an air flow F1 (shown by the line in Fig. 3 and the arrow in Fig. 5 during the operation of the motorcycle 1). The duct 4 particularly includes an inlet 5 configured to direct the air flow F1 toward the duct 4. The duct 4 also includes an outlet 6 configured to allow the air flow F1 to flow out from the duct 4 itself. Preferably, the inlet 5 and the outlet 6 are arranged centrally with respect to the front portion 2 of the motorcycle 1 and with respect to the windshield 3. The inlet 5 is at least partially formed by the lower end portion 3C of the windshield 3. The inlet 5 and the outlet 6 each have an inlet section 5A and an outlet section 6A. In particular, the inlet section 5A is larger than the outlet section 6A. According to a suitable embodiment, the lower end portion 3C of the windshield 3 is shaped to concentrate the air flow F1 toward the inlet section 5A of the duct 4. It should be noted that the term "duct" is used to define the duct 4 and generally indicates that the duct 4 is a channeling configured to direct a dominant part of the air flow F1. This air flow F1 enters through the inlet 5. That is, the duct 4 is not necessarily a completely sealed duct that is perpendicular to the dominant direction of the flow F1.Therefore, a part of the air flow F1 leaks laterally from the duct 4, for example, when there is a space through which a part of the air flow F1 can pass. It should be noted that the term "section" used to define a part of the duct 4, particularly the inlet section 5A and the outlet section 6A, means the passage area of the duct 4. This passage area is perpendicular to the dominant direction of the air flow F1. Preferably, the inlet section 5A is a free section, that is, a passage area without a grid or other elements. This passage area can prevent or define the load loss of the air flow F1. Preferably, the outlet section 6A is also a free section.

[0019] According to a preferred embodiment, the duct 4 is a converging duct 4. In particular, the duct 4 converges in the direction from the inlet 5 to the outlet 6 indicated by the arrow V1 in FIG. 4.

[0020] It should be noted that by providing a duct 4 having an inlet section 5A larger than the outlet section 6A so as to converge into the above duct, preferably by forming the duct 4, the air flow F1 can be accelerated. Therefore, the air flow F1 can deflect the air flow F2 (FIG. 3). This air flow F2 overlaps the outer surface 3B of the windshield 3 at the trailing edge, that is, the upper end 3D of the windshield 3, such that the streamlines of the flow F2 adhere to the windshield 3. Thereby, advantageously, during the operation of the motorcycle 1, the turbulence, propulsion effect, and undesirable noise in the driver C1's helmet H1 can be reduced, and the riding comfort at high speeds, for example, above about 90 km / h, can be significantly improved.

[0021] According to a preferred embodiment, the duct 4 is configured to carry the air flow F1 upward along the tangential direction of the inner surface 3A of the windshield 3 after flowing out from the outlet section 6A. Thereby, advantageously, an upward shift of the air flow F2 can occur, improving the effect of reducing turbulence in the driver C1's helmet H1.

[0022] According to a preferred embodiment, the front part 2 of the motorcycle 1 comprises two protruding fixed support parts 7, 8 to which the windshield 3 is fixed. In particular, the duct 4 has a bottom, an upper part, and side parts, the bottom being formed by the front part 2, the upper part being formed by the inner surface 3A of the windshield 3, and the side parts being formed by the protruding fixed support parts 7, 8. Preferably, the protruding fixed support parts 7, 8 are arranged parallel to each other. Alternatively, the protruding fixed support parts 7, 8 can be arranged so as to diverge in the direction V1, in particular in a lateral direction with respect to the direction V1. In this case, preferably, the protruding fixed support parts 7, 8 diverge from each other so as to carry the air flow F1 towards the upper end part 3D of the windshield 3. Thereby, advantageously, the air flow F1 flowing out from the outlet 6 towards the helmet H1 of the driver C1 can be uniformly distributed, and as a result, together with the favorable effect on the riding comfort thus produced, the thrust on the helmet H1 itself can be uniformly distributed.

[0023] According to an embodiment, the protruding fixed support parts 7, 8 each have a front part 7B, 8B close to the inlet 5. This inlet 5 is shaped so as to form a channel for moving the air flow F1. According to an embodiment, each front part 7B, 8B of the protruding fixed support parts 7, 8 is arranged at a predetermined distance from the inner surface 3A of the windshield 3 such that a part of the air flow F1 heads towards a pair of handlebars 10, 11 of the handlebar 9 of the motorcycle 1. Thus, a part of the air flow F1 can move between the inner surface 3A of the windshield 3 and the front parts 7B, 8B of the protruding fixed support parts 7, 8 by deflecting the air flow. This air flow overlaps the outer surface 3B of the windshield 3 in the lateral direction with respect to the flow F2 so as to reduce the turbulent flow in the region that has an adverse effect on the hands and forearms of the driver C1. Thus, the riding comfort of the motorcycle 1 is further improved.

[0024] According to a preferred embodiment, as described above, the front portion 2 of the motorcycle 1 is a part of the front shield of the motorcycle 1. Further, the protruding fixing support portions 7, 8 and the front portion 2 are integrally formed and connected to each other. That is, the protruding fixing support portions 7, 8 and the front portion 2 are preferably formed integrally. Thereby, for convenience, the loss on the side surface of the air flow F1 can be reduced, and the favorable effect on the riding comfort of the above flow F1 can be maximized.

[0025] According to the embodiment, the side end portions 3E, 3F of the windshield 3 are formed in the lateral direction so as to at least partially form a pair of hand guards. In this regard, the applicant understands that by forming the side end portions 3E, 3F, the air flow overlapping the outer surface 3B of the windshield at the trailing edge corresponding to the pair of hand guards is separated, and the turbulent flow downstream of the trailing edge is increased, while the increase in the turbulent flow occurs in a region that does not adversely affect the hands and forearms of the driver C1. Therefore, the riding comfort of the motorcycle 1 is further improved.

[0026] According to the embodiment, the windshield 3 includes a pair of longitudinal reinforcing folds 12, 13 extending from the lower end portion 3C of the windshield 3 toward the upper end portion 3D of the windshield 3. It should be noted that the folds 12, 13 are folded. These folds 12, 13 gradually connect two portions of the windshield 3 instead of forming steps, forming a fold with a round cross-section.

[0027] Based on the above, it is possible to understand a method by which the above type of rideable saddle vehicle can achieve the object related to the background art.

[0028] Without impairing the principles of the present invention, the embodiments and the details of the embodiments can vary widely with respect to the fact that they have been described by way of non-limiting examples without departing from the scope of the present invention as recited in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A saddle-type vehicle (1) that can be ridden, comprising: a front portion (2) of the vehicle (1) and a windshield (3) fixed to the front portion (2); the front portion (2) and the windshield (3) are configured to form a duct (4) for carrying air, and during operation of the vehicle (1), an air flow (F1) is configured to pass through; the duct (4) includes an inlet (5) configured to direct the air flow (F1) into the duct (4) and an outlet (6) configured to allow the air flow (F1) to flow out of the duct (4); the inlet (5) and the outlet (6) each have an inlet section (5A) and an outlet section (6A); the inlet section (5A) is larger than the outlet section (6A); the windshield (3) includes an inner surface (3A) facing the front portion (2), an outer surface (3B) facing the inner surface (3A), a lower end portion (3C), an upper end portion (3D) facing the lower end portion (3C), and a pair of side end portions (3E, 3F) connecting the lower end portion (3C) and the upper end portion (3D); the inlet (5) is at least partially formed by the lower end portion (3C) of the windshield (3); the front portion (2) of the vehicle (1) includes two protruding fixed support portions (7, 8) to which the windshield (3) is fixed; the duct (4) has a bottom, an upper portion, and side portions, the bottom is formed by the front portion (2), the upper portion is formed by the inner surface (3A) of the windshield (3), and the side portions are formed by the protruding fixed support portions (7, 8); it converges in the direction from the inlet (5) to the outlet (6), whereby during operation of the vehicle (1), the duct (4) accelerates the air flow (F1) and deflects the air flow (F2) flowing along the front of the windshield (3) away from the driver of the vehicle (1); the lower end portion (3C) of the windshield (3) is formed such that the air flow (F1) can pass toward the inlet section (5A) of the duct (4); the vehicle (1) includes a handlebar (9) including a pair of handles (10, 11); Each of the front portions (7B, 8B) of the protruding fixed support portions (7, 8) is arranged at a predetermined distance from the inner surface (3A) of the windshield (3) such that a part of the air flow (F1) heads towards the handlebars (10, 11). The vehicle (1) is characterized by this.

2. The duct (4) is configured to carry the air flow (F1) flowing out from the outlet section (6A) upward along the tangential direction of the inner surface (3A) of the windshield (3). The vehicle (1) according to claim 1 is characterized by this.

3. The protruding fixed support portions (7, 8) are arranged parallel to each other or diverging from the inlet (5) towards the outlet (6). The vehicle (1) according to claim 1 is characterized by this.

4. The protruding fixed support portions (7, 8) diverge from each other so as to direct the air flow (F1) towards the entire upper end portion (3D) of the windshield (3). The vehicle (1) according to claim 3 is characterized by this.

5. Each of the protruding fixed support portions (7, 8) has a front portion (7B, 8B) close to the inlet (5). The inlet (5) is shaped to form a channel for moving the air flow (F1). The vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is characterized by this.

6. The front portion (2) of the vehicle (1) is a part of the front shield and is configured to cover at least a part of the front side of the vehicle (1). The protruding fixed support portions (7, 8) and the front portion (2) of the vehicle (1) are integrally formed and connected to each other. The vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is characterized by this.

7. The pair of side end portions (3E, 3F) of the windshield (3) are shaped laterally so as to at least partially form a pair of hand guards. The vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6 is characterized by this.

8. The windshield (3) is provided with a pair of longitudinal reinforcing folds (12, 13) extending from the lower end portion (3C) towards the upper end portion (3D) of the windshield (3). The vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7 is characterized by this. **Claim 9**: The vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the inlet (5) and the outlet (6) are arranged centrally with respect to the front part (2) of the vehicle and also with respect to the windshield (3). **Claim 10**: The vehicle (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the vehicle is a motorcycle (1).

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