Optional parts holding structure

Abstract

To provide an optional component on a location superior in waterproofness and dust resistance and simplify operation for mounting the optional component.SOLUTION: An optional component holding structure includes: a brace (41) extending forward from a head pipe (29) of a vehicle front portion; a plate (55) supported by the brace from below; and an optional component holder (57) disposed on the plate. The periphery of a meter (21) on which vehicle information is displayed is covered by a meter cover (27). The meter is supported by the plate to be exposed from the meter cover. An optional component is held inside the meter cover by the holder.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a holding structure for an optional part. [Background technology]

[0002] Grip heater controllers are sometimes installed as optional parts on straddle-type vehicles such as motorcycles. One known example of this type of straddle-type vehicle is one in which the grip heater controller is exposed to the outside from the side cowl (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The grip heater controller described in Patent Document 1 is attached to an opening formed in the side cowl. A heater harness extends from the grip heater to the inside of the side cowl, and a controller harness extending from the grip heater controller is connected to this heater harness. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-009969 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Optional parts are required to be installed in locations that are highly waterproof and dustproof. Furthermore, since optional parts are installed by dealers or users, it is desirable to simplify the installation process. The grip heater controller described in Patent Document 1 is not sufficiently waterproof or dustproof, and large parts such as the side cowls must be removed when installing the grip heater controller.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide a holding structure for optional parts that allows optional parts to be installed in a location that is highly waterproof and dustproof, and that simplifies the installation work of optional parts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A holding structure for optional parts according to one aspect of the present invention is a holding structure for optional parts added to a saddle-ride type vehicle, and includes a brace extending forward from a head pipe at the front of the vehicle, a plate supported from below by the brace, and a holder for the optional part provided on the plate; a stay connecting the brace and the plate; a meter that displays vehicle information is surrounded by a meter cover, the meter is supported by the plate so as to be exposed from the meter cover, and the optional part is held inside the meter cover by the holder. The plate is inclined so as to be lower toward the rear, the retainer is provided on the lower part of the plate, and the stay is connected to the plate above the retainer. This solves the above problem. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the optional part holding structure of the present invention, the periphery of the meter is covered by a meter cover, and a holder is provided on a plate supporting the meter. By holding the optional part in the holder inside the meter cover, waterproofing and dustproofing of the optional part can be ensured. The optional part can be attached to the holder by removing the meter and meter cover, eliminating the need to remove a large cowl or the like, simplifying the installation process. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a right side view of the saddle-ride type vehicle of the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the front part of the vehicle according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the front part of the vehicle according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the front part of the vehicle shown in FIG. 3 with the rear meter cover removed. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the grip heater controller holding structure of the present embodiment. [Figure 6] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating an example of the installation procedure for the grip heater controller of the present embodiment. [Figure 7] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating an example of the installation procedure for the grip heater controller of the present embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the vehicle with the rear meter cover removed from the front of the vehicle according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An optional part holding structure according to one aspect of the present invention is added to a saddle-type vehicle. In this optional part holding structure, a brace extends forward from a head pipe at the front of the vehicle, and a plate is supported from below by the brace. A meter that displays vehicle information is surrounded by a meter cover, and the meter is supported by a plate so that it is exposed from the meter cover. A holder for the optional part is provided on the plate, and the holder holds the optional part inside the meter cover, ensuring waterproof and dustproof properties of the optional part. The optional part can be attached to the holder by removing the meter and meter cover, eliminating the need to remove a large cowl or the like, simplifying the installation process. [Example]

[0010] This embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a right side view of the saddle-ride type vehicle of this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the front part of the vehicle of this 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, the saddle-type vehicle 1 uses a twin-spar body frame made of aluminum alloy. The body frame has a pair of main frames 10 that branch off to the left and right from a head pipe (not shown) and extend rearward to embrace an engine 11. A fuel tank 12 is supported from below on the front sides of the pair of main frames 10, and a swing arm 13 is swingably supported on the rear sides of the pair of main frames 10. A pair of seat rails 14 extend rearward from the pair of main frames 10, and a seat 15 is supported from below by the pair of seat rails 14.

[0012] A front fork 16 is steerably supported on the head pipe via a steering shaft (not shown), and a front wheel 17 is rotatably supported at the lower part of the front fork 16. A swing arm 13 extends rearward from the lower part of the main frame 10, and a rear wheel 18 is rotatably supported at the rear end of the swing arm 13. An engine 11 is connected to the rear wheel 18 via a chain drive transmission mechanism, and power from the engine 11 is transmitted to the rear wheel 18 via the transmission mechanism. A muffler 19 is installed behind the engine 11, and exhaust gas from the engine 11 is discharged to the outside through the muffler 19.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 2, a meter 21 that displays the vehicle status is provided at the front of the vehicle. A headlamp 23 (see Fig. 1) is provided in front of the meter 21, and a pair of turn signal lamps 25 are provided to the sides of the headlamp 23. A windscreen 26 is provided above the meter 21. A front fork 16 is provided behind the meter 21, and a handlebar 31 is provided above the front fork 16. A handle grip 32 and a clutch lever 33 are provided on the left side of the handlebar 31, and an accelerator grip 34 and a brake lever 35 are provided on the right side of the handlebar 31.

[0014] Incidentally, grip heaters are sometimes installed as an option on such saddle-riding type vehicles 1. Grip heaters are controlled by a grip heater controller, and it is necessary to add the grip heaters, grip heater controller, harness, etc. as optional parts to the saddle-riding type vehicle 1. The grip heater controller is often installed as an optional part in a storage space below the seat, but the distance from the grip heater controller to the grip heater is long, and it is necessary to remove many parts such as the cowl and fuel tank in order to route the harness.

[0015] Optional parts are often installed by dealership staff or users, and the more parts to remove, the greater the workload. Furthermore, it is unsafe to route a high-current harness from under the seat to the grip heater, passing under a fuel tank filled with gasoline. Furthermore, the area under the seat cannot be sufficiently waterproof or dustproof. Therefore, in this embodiment, the grip heater controller is installed inside the meter cover, which has excellent waterproof and dustproof properties, simplifying the routing of the harness from the grip heater controller to the grip heater.

[0016] The grip heater controller holding structure will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 5. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the front of the vehicle in this embodiment. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the front of the vehicle in Figure 3 with the rear meter cover removed. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the grip heater controller holding structure in this embodiment.

[0017] As shown in Figure 3, the meter 21 is mounted on a rear meter cover (meter cover) 27 in front of the front fork 16. The portion of the rear meter cover 27 where the meter 21 is mounted bulges upward, and a front meter cover 28 is placed over this bulging portion of the rear meter cover 27 from the front. The periphery of the meter 21 is covered by the rear meter cover 27, and the front of the meter 21 is covered by the front meter cover 28. The display screen of the meter 21 faces diagonally upward and rearward, and above the meter 21, the upper edge of the front meter cover 28 protrudes from the rear meter cover 27 like a canopy.

[0018] As shown in Figure 4, a support structure for the meter 21 is housed inside the rear meter cover 27. A brace 41, which is made up of pipes and brackets welded together, is provided in front of the front fork 16. The lamp housing 24 of the headlamp 23 (see Figure 1) is held inside the brace 41, and the front cowl 36 is held by a pair of cowl brackets 48 on both the left and right sides of the brace 41. A pair of stays 51 are joined to the left and right of the brace 41, sandwiching a T-shaped bracket 43 in the center of the brace 41. The pair of stays 51 extend upward from the brace 41, and a frame-shaped plate 55 is joined to the upper ends of the pair of stays 51.

[0019] The front side of the plate 55 forms a support surface that supports the meter 21 via the rear meter cover 27 (see Figure 3). A meter connector 22, to which the meter 21 is connected, is installed within the frame of the plate 55. A holder 57 is joined to the lower frame of the plate 55, and a grip heater controller (optional part) 61 is held by the holder 57 via a rubber band 62. The meter 21 is supported on the front side of the plate 55 so that it is exposed from the rear meter cover 27, and on the back side of the plate 55, the grip heater controller 61 is held inside the rear meter cover 27 by the holder 57. The back side of the meter 21 is used as an installation space for the grip heater controller 61.

[0020] A controller connector 65 is connected to the bottom of the grip heater controller 61. A controller harness 66 extends sideways (to the right in this embodiment) from the controller connector 65. The controller harness 66 extends rearward along the various cowls, and then extends along the main harness behind the head pipe 29 to the battery (not shown). Heater harnesses 67, 68 extend from the handle grip 32 and accelerator grip 34 (see FIG. 2) along the handlebar 31, and merge with the controller harness 66 near the head pipe 29.

[0021] As shown in Figure 5, a brace 41 extends forward from the head pipe 29 (see Figure 4) at the front of the vehicle. The rear of the brace 41 forms a mounting bracket 42 that is attached to the head pipe 29. A T-shaped bracket 43 is joined to the upper end of the mounting bracket 42, and a horizontal bar portion of a center frame 44 that is U-shaped in top view is joined to the front portion of the T-shaped bracket 43. A pair of cowl brackets 48 are joined near bent portions on both the left and right sides of the center frame 44. The pair of cowl brackets 48 protrude laterally from the center frame 44, and the front cowl 36 (see Figure 4) is attached to the pair of cowl brackets 48.

[0022] The center frame 44 has left and right ends to which are joined the middle portions of the left and right vertical rod portions of a front frame 45, which has an inverted U-shape when viewed from the rear. The lower ends of the left and right vertical rod portions of the front frame 45 are joined to both ends of a horizontal rod-shaped bridge frame 46, and the front frame 45 and the bridge frame 46 form a holding structure for the headlamp 23 (see FIG. 1). In addition, a lower frame 47, which is long in the front-to-rear direction, is joined to the lower end of the mounting bracket 42, and the middle portion of the bridge frame 46 is joined to the front end of the lower frame 47. In this way, the brace 41 has a framework structure that is open at the front.

[0023] A pair of stays 51, spaced apart in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction), are joined to the horizontal bar portion of the center frame 44. The pair of stays 51 are bent so that their upper ends are positioned further rearward than their lower ends, and a pair of side edges of a plate 55 are joined to the upper ends of the pair of stays 51. The horizontal bar portion of the front frame 45 is connected to the upper frame of the plate 55 via a reinforcing bracket 52. The brace 41 and the plate 55 are connected via the pair of stays 51 and the reinforcing bracket 52, and the plate 55 is supported from below by the brace 41. The plate 55 is inclined so that the surface of the plate 55 faces diagonally upward and rearward.

[0024] A holder 57 for a grip heater controller 61 (see FIG. 4) is joined to the back surface of the lower frame of the plate 55. The holder 57 is formed by folding a small plate back into a U-shape. The tip of the holder 57 faces upward, and a rubber band 62 (see FIG. 4) of the grip heater controller 61 is attached to the tip of the holder 57. The holder 57 holds the grip heater controller 61 by utilizing the space behind the plate 55, i.e., the space behind the meter 21 (see FIG. 3). This holding structure improves the ease of attaching the grip heater controller 61 to the holder 57.

[0025] The grip heater controller installation procedure will be described below with reference to Figures 6 to 8. Figures 6 and 7 show an example of the grip heater controller installation procedure of this embodiment. Figure 8 is a rear view of this embodiment with the rear meter cover removed from the front of the vehicle.

[0026] As shown in Figure 6, when the rear meter cover 27 (see Figure 7) is not attached, the holder 57 is accessible from the front of the head pipe 29, meaning that a working space is secured that allows an operator to reach out to the holder 57. In front of the head pipe 29, there is space secured to allow steering of the front fork 16 (see Figure 4), and this space is used as a working space, improving workability. Because the T-shaped bracket 43 of the brace 41 is curved so that it is lower toward the rear in a side view, the working space in front of the head pipe 29 is expanded downward.

[0027] In a side view, the plate 55 is inclined so that it slopes downward toward the rear, and the lower frame of the plate 55 is positioned further rearward than the upper frame. A holder 57 is joined to the lower frame of the plate 55, and a pair of stays 51 are joined to the plate 55 above the holder 57. The pair of stays 51 are bent so that the plate 55 juts out rearward, making it easier to access the holder 57 from below the plate 55 and improving the workability of installing the grip heater controller 61. By positioning the stays 51 in front of the holder 57, the work of installing the grip heater controller 61 is less likely to be obstructed by the stays 51.

[0028] Then, the grip heater controller 61 is brought close to the holder 57 from below the plate 55. A slit 63 is formed in the rubber band 62 of the grip heater controller 61, and the tip of the holder 57 is inserted into the slit 63 of the rubber band 62. The tip of the holder 57 protrudes from the rubber band 62, and the rubber band 62 is prevented from coming off by a protrusion 58 (see FIG. 5) at the tip of the holder 57, so that the grip heater controller 61 is held in the holder 57 via the rubber band 62. As sufficient working space is secured in front of the head pipe 29, the grip heater controller 61 can be easily attached to the holder 57.

[0029] As shown in Figure 7, when the grip heater controller 61 is held in the holder 57, a controller connector 65 is connected to the bottom of the grip heater controller 61. A controller harness 66 (see Figure 8) is connected to the controller connector 65, and as described above, the controller harness 66 merges with heater harnesses 67, 68 (see Figure 8) near the head pipe 29. By attaching the grip heater controller 61 near the meter 21, the wiring from the grip to the grip heater controller 61 can be simplified. There is also no need to run the harness below the fuel tank 12 (see Figure 1) or the like.

[0030] The rear meter cover 27 and meter 21 are then attached to the front side of the plate 55, with the grip heater controller 61 positioned behind the meter 21. The back side of the meter 21 is covered on all four sides by the front meter cover 28 and rear meter cover 27, making it highly waterproof and dustproof and suitable for installation of the grip heater controller 61. A harness for the meter 21 is already routed behind the meter 21, making it easy to extract power from the grip heater controller 61. If the controller connector 65 is installed in advance, the installation process can be further simplified.

[0031] By attaching and detaching the rear meter cover 27 and the meter 21, the grip heater controller 61 can be attached to the back side of the meter 21. The grip heater controller 61 can be attached without removing large parts such as the fuel tank 12 or cowl, reducing the workload on the worker. By installing the grip heater controller 61 on the back side of the meter 21, the installation of the grip heater controller 61 does not reduce the storage space below the seat 15 (see Figure 1). In this way, grip heaters can be easily added to the saddle-ride type vehicle 1.

[0032] As shown in Figure 8, the holder 57 is located on the vehicle body center line C, midway between the pair of stays 51. Working space is secured between the pair of stays 51, making it easy to attach the grip heater controller 61 to the holder 57. Furthermore, because the holder 57 is located on the vehicle body center line C, there is a degree of freedom in the size, etc. of the grip heater controller 61. Furthermore, the grip heater controller 61 can be attached by inserting a rubber band 62 into the holder 57, so the holder 57 can accommodate the attachment of various types of grip heater controllers.

[0033] As described above, according to this embodiment, the meter 21 is surrounded by the rear meter cover 27, and the plate 55 that supports the meter 21 is provided with the holder 57. The grip heater controller 61 is held by the holder 57 inside the rear meter cover 27, ensuring waterproof and dustproof properties for the grip heater controller 61. The grip heater controller 61 can be attached to the holder 57 by removing the meter 21 and rear meter cover 27, eliminating the need to remove a large cowl or the like and simplifying the installation process.

[0034] In this embodiment, the grip heater controller is exemplified as an optional part, but the optional part may be any part that is added to the standard equipment of the saddle-type vehicle.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the optional parts are held by the holder on the back side of the meter, but the optional parts may be held by the holder inside the meter cover.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the brace has a structure for holding the headlamp and the front fender, but the brace may be formed so as to be able to support the plate from below.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the plate is formed in a frame shape, but the shape of the plate is not particularly limited as long as it supports the meter and is provided with a holder.

[0038] In this embodiment, the holder is formed by folding the small plate back into a U-shape, but the holder may have any shape that can hold the optional part. Also, although the holder holds the optional part via a rubber band, the holder may be formed to be able to hold the optional part directly.

[0039] In addition, in this embodiment, the plate is inclined so that it is lower toward the rear, but the orientation of the plate is not particularly limited. The plate may be oriented vertically or horizontally.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the plate and the brace are connected by a pair of stays, but the plate and the brace may be connected by a single stay.

[0041] Furthermore, the optional part holding structure is not limited to the illustrated saddle-ride type vehicle, but may be employed in other types of saddle-ride type vehicles. A saddle-ride type vehicle is not limited to all vehicles in which the rider sits astride the seat, but also includes small scooter-type vehicles in which the rider does not sit astride the seat.

[0042] As described above, the holding structure for an optional part (grip heater controller 61) of this embodiment is a holding structure for an optional part added to a saddle-type vehicle (1) and includes a brace (41) extending forward from the head pipe (29) at the front of the vehicle, a plate (55) supported from below by the brace, and an optional part holder (57) attached to the plate. The meter (21) that displays vehicle information is surrounded by a meter cover (rear meter cover 27), the meter is supported by the plate so that it is exposed from the meter cover, and the optional part is held inside the meter cover by the holder. With this configuration, the meter is surrounded by the meter cover, and the plate supporting the meter is provided with a holder. Holding the optional part in the holder inside the meter cover ensures waterproof and dustproof properties of the optional part. The optional part can be attached to the holder by removing the meter and meter cover, eliminating the need to remove a large cowl or the like, simplifying the installation process.

[0043] In the optional part holding structure of this embodiment, the meter is supported on the front side of the plate so that it is exposed from the meter cover, and the optional part is held inside the meter cover by a holder on the back side of the plate. With this configuration, the back side of the meter can be used as an installation space for the optional part.

[0044] In the optional part holding structure of this embodiment, when the meter cover is not attached, a working space is secured that allows access to the holder from the front of the head pipe. With this configuration, optional parts can be attached to the holder from the front of the head pipe. The free space in front of the head pipe can be used to improve the workability of attaching optional parts.

[0045] The optional part holding structure of this embodiment includes a stay (51) that connects the brace and the plate, the plate is tilted downward toward the rear, a holder is provided below the plate, and the stay is connected to the plate above the holder. With this configuration, the stay is less likely to interfere with the installation of optional parts on the holder.

[0046] In the optional component holding structure of this embodiment, the stay is bent so as to cause the plate to protrude rearward in a side view. This configuration makes it easier to access the holder from below the plate, improving the workability of installing optional components.

[0047] In the optional component holding structure of this embodiment, the stays are a pair of stays spaced apart in the vehicle width direction, and the holder is located midway between the pair of stays. This configuration ensures a working space between the pair of stays, making it easy to attach the grip heater controller to the holder.

[0048] In the optional part holding structure of this embodiment, the optional part is a grip heater controller. With this configuration, the grip heater controller is attached near the meter, which simplifies the wiring from the grip to the grip heater controller.

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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]

[0051] 1: Saddle-type vehicle 21: Meter 27: Rear meter cover (meter cover) 29: Head pipe 41: Brace 51: Stay 55: Plate 57: Holder 61: Grip heater controller (optional part)

Claims

1. A holding structure for an optional part added to a saddle-ride type vehicle, a brace extending forward from the head pipe at the front of the vehicle; a plate supported from below by the brace; a holder for the optional part provided on the plate; a stay connecting the brace and the plate, The meter that displays vehicle information is covered by a meter cover. The plate supports the meter so that the meter is exposed from the meter cover, and the holder holds the optional part inside the meter cover, A holding structure for optional parts, characterized in that the plate is inclined so that it is lower toward the rear, the holder is provided on the lower part of the plate, and the stay is connected to the plate above the holder.

2. The optional part holding structure described in claim 1, characterized in that the meter is supported on the front side of the plate so that it is exposed from the meter cover, and the optional part is held inside the meter cover by the holder on the back side of the plate.

3. 3. The optional part holding structure according to claim 1, wherein when the meter cover is not attached, a working space is secured that allows access to the holder from the front of the head pipe.

4. 4. The optional part holding structure according to claim 1, wherein the stay is bent so as to cause the plate to jut rearward in a side view.

5. The stays are a pair of stays spaced apart in the vehicle width direction, 5. The optional part holding structure according to claim 1, wherein the holder is located midway between the pair of stays.

6. A holding structure for an optional part added to a saddle-ride type vehicle, a brace extending forward from the head pipe at the front of the vehicle; a plate supported from below by the brace; a holder for the optional part provided on the plate, The meter that displays vehicle information is covered by a meter cover. The plate supports the meter so that it is exposed from the meter cover, and the holder holds a grip heater controller as the optional part inside the meter cover.

7. A holding structure for an optional part added to a saddle-ride type vehicle, a brace extending forward from the head pipe at the front of the vehicle; a plate supported from below by the brace; a holder for the optional part provided on the plate; a stay connecting the brace and the plate, The meter that displays vehicle information is covered by a meter cover. The plate supports the meter so that the meter is exposed from the meter cover, and the holder holds the optional part inside the meter cover, The plate is inclined so as to be lower toward the rear, the retainer is provided on the lower part of the plate, and the retainer for the plate is provided rearward of the stay when viewed from the side of the vehicle body.

8. A holding structure for an optional part as described in Claim 7, characterized in that the stay is bent so as to cause the plate to protrude rearward when viewed from the side.

Images