Saddle-type vehicle

Abstract

To provide a saddle-riding type vehicle in which a large-sized communication unit can be compactly arranged.SOLUTION: A saddle-riding type vehicle includes: a communication unit (IVI unit 50) capable of wirelessly communicating with a user terminal; a head pipe 21a located in a front end portion of a vehicle body frame 21; and a front side cover (front cover 11a) and a rear side cover (inner cover 11b) covering the head pipe 21a from front and back. The IVI unit 50 is arranged between the front cover 11a and the inner cover 11b. A dimension corresponding to a vehicle front and rear direction in the IVI unit 50 is smaller than a dimension corresponding to each of a vehicle width direction and a vehicle vertical direction in the IVI unit 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, for example, Patent Document 1 proposes arranging an engine control unit and a communication unit (which communicates with a user terminal (mobile terminal) such as a smartphone) of a saddle-ride type vehicle adjacent to each other in the vehicle width direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6782383 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, communication units installed in vehicles in recent years have come to be equipped with many functions, not just for wireless communication with mobile terminals, but also for collecting vehicle information, providing car navigation functions, etc. As a result, the communication units are becoming larger as the number of functions increases, but in order to avoid an increase in the size of the vehicle, it has become an issue to make the communication units more compact by devising ways to position them.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a saddle-ride type vehicle in which a large communication unit can be arranged compactly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a means for solving the above problem, a first aspect of the present invention is a saddle-type vehicle (1) equipped with a communication unit (50) capable of wireless communication with a user terminal (C), comprising a head pipe (21a) located at the front end of a body frame (21), and a front cover (11a) and a rear cover (11b) that cover the head pipe (21a) from the front and rear, wherein the communication unit (50) is arranged between the front cover (11a) and the rear cover (11b), and a dimension (50Y) of the communication unit (50) corresponding to the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle is smaller than dimensions (50X, 50Z) of the communication unit (50) corresponding to each of the vehicle width direction and the vehicle up-and-down direction.

[0007] With this configuration, the communication unit is disposed inside the body cover, thereby suppressing external disturbances to the communication unit and improving security. The communication unit is disposed in an upright position to minimize the vehicle's longitudinal dimension, which makes it easier to avoid interference between the communication unit and surrounding components and to minimize the longitudinal width of the body cover (front body cover) that covers the periphery of the head pipe. Therefore, even a communication unit that has become larger due to its increased functionality can be disposed compactly inside the body cover.

[0008] A second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first aspect, a dimension (50Z) of the communication unit (50) in the vehicle vertical direction is smaller than a dimension (50X) of the communication unit (50) corresponding to the vehicle width direction. According to this configuration, the communication unit is positioned horizontally to reduce the width of the vehicle in the vertical direction, so that when the body cover forms a leg shield, the communication unit can be positioned by effectively utilizing the left and right width, and it is easier to avoid interference with surrounding parts in the vertical direction of the communication unit, making it possible to position a communication antenna, for example, above the communication unit.

[0009] A third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first or second aspect, a unit stay (71) is provided that is fixed to the body frame (21), and the communication unit (50) is fixed to the unit stay (71). According to this configuration, by fixing the communication unit to the unit stay that is fixed to the body frame, the communication unit can be stably supported by the dedicated unit stay.

[0010] A fourth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that in the third aspect, the unit stay (71) is fixed to the head pipe (21a). According to this configuration, the unit stay is fixed to the head pipe, so that the unit stay and therefore the communication unit can be stably supported by the front end of the body frame.

[0011] A fifth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the third aspect, the fixing point (74) between the communication unit (50) and the unit stay (71) is located outside the equipment storage section (51e) of the communication unit (50) in the vehicle width direction. With this configuration, the fixing point of the communication unit is positioned outside the equipment storage section in the vehicle width direction, which reduces the fore-and-aft width of the communication unit and makes it thinner, thereby avoiding interference with surrounding components, compared to when the fixing point of the communication unit is positioned overlapping the equipment storage section in the vehicle width direction.

[0012] A sixth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the third aspect, the unit stay (71) includes a unit support portion (72) arranged along an outer surface (51 b) of the communication unit (50), and a notch portion (72 b) recessed toward the inner periphery is formed on the outer periphery of the unit support portion (72) so as to expose the outer surface (51 b) of the communication unit (50). According to this configuration, by forming a cutout portion that exposes the outer surface of the communication unit on the outer periphery of the unit support portion that is arranged along the outer surface of the communication unit, it is possible to minimize the shielding of radio waves by the unit stay.

[0013] A seventh aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first or second aspect, the communication unit (50) includes a heat dissipation section (51a1) that dissipates internal heat, and the heat dissipation section (51a1) is arranged to face forward of the vehicle. According to this configuration, the heat dissipation section of the communication unit is positioned so that it faces the front of the vehicle, which makes it easier for the heat dissipation section to become cold due to the influence of wind as the vehicle moves, thereby improving the heat dissipation effect of the communication unit.

[0014] An eighth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first or second aspect, a GPS receiver (55) is provided for determining the position of the vehicle, and the GPS receiver (55) and the communication unit (50) are arranged so that at least a portion of them overlap when viewed from the top and bottom of the vehicle. With this configuration, the communication unit and the GPS receiver are arranged so that they overlap each other in a planar view, allowing the two devices to be aggregated and arranged compactly, and the harness length can be shortened when connecting the communication unit and the GPS receiver.

[0015] A ninth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that in the first or second aspect, a location information transmission device (40) is provided which includes a tracker GPS receiver (42) that identifies the location of the vehicle itself and a communication device (43) that transmits location information received by the tracker GPS receiver (42), and the location information transmission device (40) and the communication unit (50) are arranged so that at least a portion of them overlap when viewed from the top and bottom of the vehicle. With this configuration, the communication unit and the location information transmission device are arranged so that they overlap each other in a planar view, allowing the two devices to be arranged compactly and consolidated, and the harness length can be shortened when connecting the communication unit and the location information transmission device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a saddle-ride type vehicle in which a large communication unit can be arranged compactly. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a left side view of a motorcycle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a communication system applied to the motorcycle. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a left side view showing the arrangement of parts inside a front body cover of the motorcycle. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view showing the arrangement of components inside the front body cover. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a top view showing the arrangement of components inside the front body cover. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an arrangement of components inside the front body cover. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the area around the GPS tracker inside the front body cover, viewed from above. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 7, showing the upper part of the stay assembly supporting the GPS tracker and the IVI unit. [Figure 9] 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 7, showing a cross section of the GPS tracker. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the shape of the IVI unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, directions such as front, rear, left, and right are the same as directions in the vehicle described below unless otherwise specified. In addition, in the drawings used in the following description, an arrow FR indicating the front of the vehicle, an arrow LH indicating the left side of the vehicle, an arrow UP indicating the top of the vehicle, and a line CL indicating the center of the vehicle body to the left and right are shown in appropriate positions. The term "middle" used in this embodiment refers not only to the center between both ends of an object, but also to the range inside the both ends of an object.

[0019] <Entire vehicle> Fig. 1 shows a scooter-type motorcycle 1 as an example of a saddle-ride type vehicle of an embodiment. The motorcycle 1 has a front wheel 3, which is a steering wheel, and a rear wheel 4, which is a drive wheel. The front wheel 3 is supported by a pair of left and right front forks 3a and can be turned (steered) by a handlebar 2. The rear wheel 4 is supported by a swing-type power unit 8 and can be driven by the power unit 8. In the figure, reference numeral 2a denotes grip portions on both the left and right sides of the handlebar 2, reference numeral 2b denotes a handle cover that covers the periphery of the handlebar 2 except for the left and right grip portions 2a, and reference numeral 3b denotes a front fender that is supported by the left and right front forks 3a and covers the top of the front wheel 3.

[0020] Steering system components 9, including the handlebars 2, front forks 3a, and front wheel 3, are supported rotatably (steerable) via a steering shaft on a head pipe 21a at the front end of a body frame 21. The front portion of a power unit 8 is supported at the bottom of the body frame 21 so as to be able to swing up and down. The body frame 21 includes a head pipe 21a, a down frame 21b extending downward and rearward from the head pipe 21a, a lower frame 21c extending rearward from the lower portion of the down frame 21b, and a rear frame 21d extending rearward and upward from the rear of the lower frame 21c. The head pipe 21a and the down frame 21b are provided singly at the lateral center CL of the vehicle body.

[0021] A floor step 6 on which the driver places his or her feet is provided between the front wheel 3 and the rear wheel 4. A front body 14 is provided in front of the floor step 6. A rear body 15 is provided behind the floor step 6. A space K1 above the floor step 6 between the front body 14 and the rear body 15 serves as a straddle space K1 for the driver to straddle the vehicle body. A handlebar 2 is located above the front body 14. A seat 5 on which a passenger sits is supported above the rear body 15. A foldable side stand 7 is provided on the lower left side of the floor step 6, which can support the vehicle body in an upright position with it tilted to the left.

[0022] The power unit 8 includes, for example, an electric motor M as a drive source, and a transmission mechanism (for example, a gear-type reducer) T that transmits the drive force generated by the electric motor M to the rear wheels 4. The electric motor M and the transmission mechanism T are provided on the left arm portion of the power unit 8, which is configured as a swing arm. The power unit 8 may have various configurations, and may, for example, include an internal combustion engine as a drive source. A traction battery BT that stores power for traveling is mounted below the seat 5. A sub-battery SB for driving accessories is mounted inside the floor step 6.

[0023] The periphery of the body frame 21 of the motorcycle 1 is covered with a body cover 11. The body cover 11 includes a front cover 11a that covers the area around the head pipe 21a from the front, an inner cover 11b that covers the area around the head pipe 21a from the rear, a floor cover 11c that covers the lower part of the body frame 21 from above, and a rear body cover 11d that covers the rear part of the body frame 21 from the front and sides.

[0024] The front cover 11a and the inner cover 11b constitute a front body cover 16 that forms the outer surface of the front body 14. The front body cover 16 also serves as a leg shield that covers the front left and right legs of the driver.

[0025] The upper surface of the floor cover 11c constitutes a floor step 6. The floor step 6 forms a flat upper surface (footrest surface) across the entire width of the vehicle, for example. The floor step 6 may include a center tunnel that protrudes upward on the inner side in the vehicle width direction. The rear body cover 11d forms the outer surface of the rear body 15. The body cover 11 is fixed directly or indirectly to the body frame 21, except for the handle cover 2b and the front fender 3b.

[0026] <Front body cover 16> As shown in Fig. 1, the front body cover 16 has a shallow V-shape that protrudes forward in a side view. For example, the front end position of the front body cover 16 in a side view separates the front body cover 16 into an upper and lower section. The upper section of the front body cover 16 is formed to follow the slope of the head pipe 21a in a side view. The lower section of the front body cover 16 is formed to follow the slope of the down frame 21b in a side view.

[0027] A region on the inside of the front cover 11a in the vehicle width direction is cut out at the bottom of the front body cover 16. A wheel well cover (not shown) that is concave when viewed from the front of the vehicle is provided in the cutout region at the bottom of the front body cover 16. A front license plate 17 is supported in front of the front surface of the front cover 11a via a license plate stay 17a.

[0028] FIG. 3 is a left side view showing the arrangement of parts inside the front body cover 16 of the motorcycle 1, FIG. 4 is a front view showing the arrangement of parts, FIG. 5 is a top view showing the arrangement of parts, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of parts. 3 to 6, various functional parts and cord-like members connected to the respective functional parts are arranged inside the front body cover 16.

[0029] The functional components include vehicle body electrical components such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) charger 27, a main switch 29, a GPS tracker 40, an IVI (In-Vehicle Infotainment) unit 50, and a horn 49, as well as various locking mechanisms and operating units. The functional components are supported by the vehicle body 22 excluding the steering system components 9. The functional components are held (fixed) in a positioned state by the vehicle body 22 without rotating integrally with the steering system components 9. The "vehicle body 22" in the embodiment includes the vehicle body frame 21 that supports the steering system components 9, as well as components fixed to the vehicle body frame 21.

[0030] Examples of the cable-like member include a wire harness (hereinafter simply referred to as a harness) connected to a vehicle body side electrical component, and an operating cable (or hydraulic hose) extending from a vehicle body side mechanism or an operating element. The cable-like member of the embodiment includes a vehicle body side branch harness that branches off from the main harness and is connected to a vehicle body side electrical component. The main harness is routed offset to the right side of the vehicle body at least within the front body cover 16. The above-mentioned functional parts and cord-like members are arranged in an internal space K2 formed between the front cover 11a and the inner cover 11b, or on the outer surface of the covers.

[0031] An inner box (not shown) capable of storing items is disposed on the left side of the front body cover 16 toward the rear of the vehicle (on the passenger side, on the inner cover 11b side). The inner box is provided with a socket for a USB charger 27 with power supply function. An operating section for a main switch 29 including a power switch and switches for unlocking various locks is disposed on the right side of the front body cover 16 toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0032] <Communication Systems> FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a communication system applied to the motorcycle 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the motorcycle 1 is equipped with an IVI unit 50 as an on-board device of a vehicle communication system. The IVI unit 50 acquires various data related to the vehicle itself, such as the state of the vehicle itself and the surrounding road conditions, and collects, analyzes, and outputs the data via a network.

[0033] The IVI unit 50 includes a control device 52 and a communication device 53 . The control device 52 is realized by a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware, or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. The program (software) includes an operating system (OS) 52a and applications 52b, and is stored in a storage area (not shown). The communication device 53 is a wireless communication unit provided in the user terminal for transmitting and receiving wireless signals via a wireless LAN, etc. For example, the wireless LAN is a short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark).

[0034] The IVI unit 50 is connected to a GPS receiver 55 (a second antenna 55 described later), a display 2c, a battery BT, a wheel speed sensor V, etc. Although not shown in the figure, the IVI unit 50 is also connected to sensors such as a sensor that detects the number of motor revolutions and a sensor that calculates the vehicle speed by calculation. The GPS receiver 55 is an antenna that acquires the vehicle's position information from a GPS (Global Positioning System). The GPS receiver 55 inputs the acquired position information to the IVI unit 50.

[0035] The display 2c is a display unit provided on, for example, the handle cover 2b. The display 2c includes, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic electroluminescence (EL) display device. The display 2c displays a screen output from the IVI unit 50 to present various information related to the motorcycle 1 to the rider.

[0036] The battery BT for driving transmits information such as the charge / discharge status and temperature of the battery BT from a BMU (Battery Managing Unit) provided in the battery BT to the IVI unit 50. The wheel speed sensor V transmits detection information of the wheel speed of at least one of the front and rear wheels 3, 4 to the IVI unit 50. The wheel speed sensor V may be installed on only one of the front and rear wheels 3, 4 or on both of them.

[0037] The information collected and analyzed by the control device 52 is transmitted from the communication device 53 to the user terminal. The user terminal transmits the acquired information to base station B via the network. The base station stores the received information in server A of the vehicle communication system. This information is output and updated as appropriate in response to requests from the IVI unit 50 and the user terminal.

[0038] The IVI unit 50 collects information from the battery BT, wheel speed sensors V, etc. in the control device 52, and then displays this information on the display 2c or transmits it to a smartphone, which is the user terminal C. For example, the details of a route search performed on the smartphone are automatically shared with the vehicle when the smartphone and the IVI unit 50 communicate wirelessly. For example, the OS 52a and app 52b of the control device 52 can be obtained by the smartphone from server A and updated via the smartphone. Power is supplied to the smartphone via a wired connection from the USB charger 27, and information communication with the smartphone is performed wirelessly.

[0039] <Theft Tracking System> The motorcycle 1 is equipped with a theft tracking system. 3 to 6, motorcycle 1 is equipped with a location information transmitting device (hereinafter referred to as GPS tracker) 40 as an on-board device of the theft tracking system, which acquires location information of the vehicle from a GPS (Global Positioning System) and transmits this location information to the outside of the vehicle. GPS tracker 40 is equipped with a GPS receiving device (antenna) that identifies the location of the vehicle, a communication device (TCU: Telematics Control Unit) 43 that transmits the location information received by the GPS receiving device, a dedicated communication battery 45 that is independent of the on-board power supply, and a housing 41 (see FIG. 9, etc.) that serves as a case for accommodating antenna 42, TCU 43, and communication battery 45.

[0040] The TCU 43 performs bidirectional information communication between the vehicle and an external network. In this embodiment, the TCU 43 acquires the vehicle's location information from the GPS via wireless communication using the antenna 42 housed in the housing 41. The TCU 43 transmits the acquired location information along with the vehicle's identification information to an external location. When the information transmitted from the TCU 43 is received by a base station B external to the vehicle, the base station B transmits the vehicle's location information to a pre-registered user terminal C (an information terminal such as a personal computer or smartphone) based on the identification information. This allows the user of the vehicle to check the vehicle's location information using an application in the information terminal, even if the vehicle is stolen. Even when the vehicle power is off, the communication battery 45 in the GPS tracker 40 enables transmission and reception of location information. The configuration of the GPS tracker 40 will be described in detail later.

[0041] 3 to 6, the GPS tracker 40 is disposed near the upper end of the front cover 11a. Below the front of the GPS tracker 40, the IVI unit 50 is disposed. The housing 51 of the IVI unit 50 forms the outer shape of the IVI unit 50. The outer shape of the IVI unit 50 (housing 51) is a flat rectangular parallelepiped with a reduced thickness dimension. The thickness direction is one of three mutually perpendicular directions, and the thickness dimension is smaller than the other two dimensions. The housing 51 of the IVI unit 50 is disposed upright with its thickness direction facing the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction. The housing 51 of the IVI unit 50 is disposed upright so that its front and rear surfaces 51a, 51b are perpendicular to the fore-and-aft direction (more specifically, so that the front surface 51a is slightly inclined upward). The housing 51 of the IVI unit 50 is disposed so that its upper and lower edges are aligned with the left-right direction and its left and right side edges are aligned with the up-and-down direction when viewed in the fore-and-aft direction. The IVI unit 50 houses a board (not shown) on which various electronic components are mounted within a housing 51. Reference numeral 51e in FIG. 4 denotes an equipment housing section in the housing 51 that houses the board, etc. A heat dissipation opening 51a1 is formed in the front surface 51a of the housing 51 to improve cooling of the board 44. The housing 51 contains a communication battery 45, a TCU 43, an antenna 42, a control device, etc., but their locations are omitted (not shown).

[0042] A USB charger 27 is disposed on the left side of the GPS tracker 40. A main switch 29 is disposed on the lower right side of the GPS tracker 40. The USB charger 27 receives power from a sub-battery SB located under the floor. A main harness (not shown) is routed under the floor on the right side (right of the vehicle body center line CL). The sub-battery SB is connected to the main harness. A power supply line 27a extends from the main harness and extends upward along the right side of the front cover 11a. The power supply line 27a bends to the left at the top inside the front cover 11a, crosses the vehicle body center line CL, and is connected to the USB charger 27 on the left side of the vehicle body. The portion of the power supply line 27a that crosses the vehicle body center line CL is supported (fixed) via a harness clip 65c to a tracker stay 61 that supports the GPS tracker 40.

[0043] A horn 49, which is circular in front view, is disposed below and in front of the IVI unit 50. A headlight unit 19, which has a horizontally elongated lens surface, is disposed below and in front of the IVI unit 50. A cover support portion 19a, which supports the front body cover 16, is provided at the top of the housing of the headlight unit 19. A harness 40a extends rightward from the right side surface of the housing 41 of the GPS tracker 40. The harness 40a is connected to a main harness routed on the right side inside the front cover 11a.

[0044] A second GPS antenna 55, which is used during normal use of the motorcycle 1 (for example, when using car navigation), is disposed on the left side of the GPS tracker 40. A harness 55a of the second GPS antenna 55 extends leftward, then bends downward, and extends downward along the left side of the IVI unit 50.

[0045] <GPSトラッカ40> Figure 7 is a perspective view of the area around the GPS tracker 40 inside the front body cover 16, seen from above; Figure 8 is a perspective view similar to Figure 7, showing the upper part of the stay assembly 60 that supports the GPS tracker 40 and the IVI unit 50; Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in Figure 7 (cross-sectional view of the GPS tracker 40); and Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the shape of the IVI unit 50.

[0046] 7 to 9, the housing 41 of the GPS tracker 40 is divided, for example, in the vertical direction (thickness direction) into upper and lower case halves 46 and 47. A breathing hole 48 is formed in the lower wall of the lower case half 47 to keep the pressure inside the housing 41 at approximately the same level as atmospheric pressure. A filter 48a is disposed inside the breathing hole 48 to prevent foreign matter from entering.

[0047] The housing 41 of the GPS tracker 40 forms the outer shape of the GPS tracker 40. The outer shape of the GPS tracker 40 (housing 41) is a flat rectangular parallelepiped with a reduced dimension in the thickness direction. The thickness direction is one of three mutually orthogonal directions, and the dimension in this thickness direction is smaller than the dimensions in the other two directions. The housing 41 of the GPS tracker 40 is placed flat with the thickness direction facing the vertical direction of the vehicle. The housing 41 of the GPS tracker 40 is placed so that the top and bottom surfaces 41a, 41b are approximately horizontal, and the front and rear sides are aligned in the left-right direction in a plan view, and the left and right side edges are aligned in the front-to-rear direction.

[0048] The GPS tracker 40 is disposed so that the left-right center 41c of the housing 41 is located to the right of the left-right center CL of the vehicle body (opposite the side stand 7 in the left-right direction) when viewed from the top-bottom and front-to-back directions. In the embodiment, the left side of the housing 41 is disposed so as to overlap with the left-right center CL of the vehicle body when viewed from the top-bottom and front-to-back directions, but the entire housing 41 may be disposed to the right of the left-right center CL of the vehicle body.

[0049] When the motorcycle 1 is parked using the side stand 7, the right side of the vehicle body is higher in the vertical direction. Therefore, by offsetting the GPS tracker 40 to the right side of the vehicle body, the position of the GPS tracker 40 is raised when the motorcycle 1 is parked using the side stand 7, making it easier for the antenna 42 and the TCU 43 to send and receive radio waves.

[0050] The GPS tracker 40 is disposed with the top surface (antenna surface) 41a of the housing 41 close to the inner surface of the front cover 11a (see FIG. 3). This eliminates the space required for arranging other components between the antenna surface 41a and the inner surface of the front cover 11a, making it easier for the GPS tracker 40 to send and receive radio waves. In a plan view, the GPS tracker 40 is located behind the front license plate 17 and license plate stay 17a and does not overlap with them, making it less likely that radio waves will be obstructed by the front license plate 17 and license plate stay 17a.

[0051] <Stay assembly 60> 3 to 9, the GPS tracker 40 and the IVI unit 50 are supported by a stay assembly 60 that is fixed to the head pipe 21a from the front. That is, the GPS tracker 40 and the IVI unit 50 are fixed to the body frame 21 via the stay assembly 60. The stay assembly 60 includes a tracker stay 61 that is disposed along the underside 41b of the GPS tracker 40, and a unit stay 71 that is disposed along the rear side 51b of the IVI unit 50. Each stay 61, 71 is, for example, a one-piece molded product formed by pressing a steel plate into a predetermined shape.

[0052] The tracker stay 61 comprises a flat portion 62 arranged along a horizontal plane and extending in the left-right direction, a pair of inclined pieces 63L, 63R bending downward and extending from the left and right ends of the flat portion 62, a pair of fastening flanges 64L, 64R extending outward in the left-right direction from the lower ends of the inclined pieces 63L, 63R, a front support piece 65 extending forward from the front edge of the flat portion 62, and a rear support piece 66 extending rearward from the rear edge of the flat portion 62.

[0053] The flat portion 62 is disposed along the underside 41b of the GPS tracker 40. In a plan view, the flat portion 62 has a narrower front-to-rear width than the GPS tracker 40 and a horizontally elongated rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction. The pair of inclined pieces 63L, 63R extend downward from the left and right ends of the flat portion 62, sloping downward so that the lower ends are positioned outward in the left-right direction. The pair of fastening flanges 64L, 64R are displaced downward in a stepped manner via the inclined pieces 63L, 63R relative to the flat portion 62 and are disposed along a common horizontal plane. The pair of fastening flanges 64L, 64R are fastened (fixed) to a pair of left and right upper end fastening flanges 73L, 73R of the unit stay 71 (described later) by bolts B1 extending along the vertical direction.

[0054] The flat portion 62 is positioned so that the center of its left-right length is located at the left-right center CL of the vehicle body. The GPS tracker 40 is positioned offset so that the center of its left-right width is located to the right of the left-right center CL of the vehicle body. That is, the GPS tracker 40 is positioned offset to the right in the left-right direction relative to the flat portion 62. The GPS tracker 40 is positioned offset so that the center of its front-to-rear width is located rearward of the center of the front-to-rear width of the flat portion 62. That is, the GPS tracker 40 is positioned offset rearward in the front-to-rear direction relative to the flat portion 62. Because the flat portion 62 does not overlap the entire surface of the GPS tracker 40 in a plan view, the tracker stay 61 is lighter, the heat dissipation of the GPS tracker 40 is improved, and radio waves transmitted to and received from the GPS tracker 40 are less likely to be obstructed.

[0055] A pair of oval openings 67, e.g., elongated in the left-right direction, are formed in the flat portion 62 at a location that overlaps with the GPS tracker 40 in a planar view. Each opening 67 is positioned to avoid overlapping with the breathing holes 48 of the GPS tracker 40 in a planar view. The bridge portions 68 left between the openings 67 overlap with the breathing holes 48 in a planar view, preventing water and other foreign matter from directly entering the breathing holes 48 from below. A predetermined gap is maintained between the flat portion 62 and the GPS tracker 40. Each opening 67 functions as a drainage hole that drains water and other foreign matter that has entered the gap between the flat portion 62 and the GPS tracker 40. Each opening 67 contributes to reducing the weight of the tracker stay 61, improving the heat dissipation of the GPS tracker 40, and preventing radio wave interference.

[0056] The front and rear support pieces 65, 66 extend forward and rearward, respectively, from the front and rear edges of the flat portion 62 at locations that overlap the GPS tracker 40 in a plan view. The front and rear support pieces 65, 66 are offset from one another in the left-right direction. Specifically, the front support piece 65 is positioned so that its left edge is adjacent to the vehicle body center CL in a plan view. The rear support piece 66 is positioned offset to the right of the front support piece 65 in a plan view. In the figure, reference numerals 65a, 66a indicate front and rear fastening portions provided on the front and rear support pieces 65, 66, respectively, and fasten the GPS tracker 40 with bolts B2, B3 extending in the vertical direction. Front and rear fixing portions 41d1, 41d2 protrude from the front and rear of the housing 41 of the GPS tracker 40, respectively, so as to overlap the front and rear fastening portions 65a, 66a in a plan view. The front and rear fastening portions 65a, 66a may be provided with a vibration-proof structure such as vibration-proof rubber. The front and rear fastening portions 65a, 66a (and the front and rear fixing portions 41d1, 41d2) are offset in the left-right direction so as not to overlap each other entirely. A harness support portion 65b is formed at the front end of the front support piece 65, extending further forward than the front fastening portions 65a, 66a.

[0057] The unit stay 71 is disposed in front of the head pipe 21a so as to straddle the vehicle body lateral center CL from side to side. The unit stay 71 includes a flat plate portion 72 formed along a vertical plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction, and a vertical plate portion 75 disposed behind the lateral center portion of the flat plate portion 72 with its thickness oriented in the lateral direction.

[0058] The flat plate portion 72 is disposed along the rear surface 51b of the IVI unit 50. The flat plate portion 72 forms an outer peripheral wall (reinforcement wall) 73 that stands rearward on its outer periphery when viewed in the front-to-rear direction. A pair of upper-end fastening flanges 73L, 73R are formed on both the left and right sides of the upper end of the outer peripheral wall 73. The upper-end fastening flanges 73L, 73R partially extend rearward so as to overlap with the pair of fastening flanges 64L, 64R of the tracker stay 61 in a plan view, and enable the pair of fastening flanges 64L, 64R to be fastened to each other.

[0059] The flat plate portion 72 has a plurality of openings 72a formed inside its rectangular outer shape, and a displacement portion 72b formed on the inside of the upper edge, which is displaced downward in the left-right direction. The upper and lower left and right sides of the flat plate portion 72 are provided with a total of four fastening portions 74 that fasten the IVI unit 50 with bolts B4 extending in the front-to-rear direction. The upper and lower left and right sides of the housing 51 of the IVI unit 50 are provided with a total of four front-to-rear fixing portions 51d that protrude, respectively, so as to overlap the fastening portions 74 in a plan view. Each fastening portion 74 may be provided with a vibration-proof structure such as vibration-proof rubber.

[0060] Referring also to FIG. 10 , as described above, the IVI unit 50 is disposed in an upright position with its thickness oriented in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The dimension 50Y of the IVI unit corresponding to the vehicle longitudinal direction is smaller than the dimension 50X corresponding to the vehicle width and the dimension 50Z corresponding to the vehicle vertical direction. By disposing the IVI unit in an upright position with a reduced dimension in the vehicle longitudinal direction, it becomes easier to dispose the IVI unit inside the front body cover even if it is large. Furthermore, the dimension 50Z of the IVI unit corresponding to the vehicle vertical direction is smaller than the dimension 50X corresponding to the vehicle width. By disposing the IVI unit horizontally, it becomes easier to dispose the IVI unit by utilizing the left and right width of the leg shield.

[0061] The unit stay 71 has multiple openings 72a and displacement portions 72b formed in a flat plate portion 72 that fits along the rear surface 51b of the IVI unit 50, thereby contributing to reducing the weight of the IVI unit 50 and improving its heat dissipation. In addition, by forming a displacement portion 72b at the upper edge portion on the GPS tracker 40 side that displaces away from the GPS tracker 40, the unit stay 71 makes it less likely to obstruct radio waves sent to and received from the GPS tracker 40.

[0062] The vertical plate portion 75 is disposed at a position overlapping with the head pipe 21a in a front view. A mounting bracket 76 that protrudes forward is fixed to the front side of the head pipe 21a. A rear lower portion 75a of the vertical plate portion 75 is fastened (fixed) to the mounting bracket 76 with a plurality of bolts B5 that extend along the left-right direction.

[0063] When a load is input from the front of the vehicle to the front body cover 16, such as when an obstacle collides from the front of the vehicle, this load may be input from the front cover 11a to each unit. At this time, the load input to the front cover 11a transmits the load between the stays of the stay assembly 60. By making the connecting portions between the stays fragile portions that are easily deformed, the load is absorbed between the stays and damage to both units is suppressed. The connecting portions between the stays may be configured to be disconnected by the input of a load, for example. In this case, the load transmission between the stays is further suppressed, making it possible to suppress damage to both units.

[0064] As described above, the motorcycle 1 in the above embodiment is a saddle-type vehicle equipped with a communication unit (IVI unit 50) capable of wireless communication with a user terminal C, and includes a head pipe 21a located at the front end of the body frame 21, and a front cover (front cover 11a) and a rear cover (inner cover 11b) that cover the head pipe 21a from the front and rear, and the IVI unit 50 is arranged between the front cover 11a and the inner cover 11b, and the dimension 50Y of the IVI unit 50 corresponding to the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle is smaller than the dimensions 50X and 50Z of the IVI unit 50 corresponding to the width direction and the up-and-down direction of the vehicle, respectively.

[0065] According to this configuration, by disposing the IVI unit 50 inside the body cover 11, disturbances to the IVI unit 50 can be suppressed and theft prevention can be improved. By disposing the IVI unit 50 in an upright position to reduce the vehicle's longitudinal dimension 50Y, interference between the IVI unit 50 and surrounding components can be easily avoided and the longitudinal width of the body cover 11 (front body cover 16) that covers the periphery of the head pipe 21a can be easily reduced. Therefore, even an IVI unit 50 that has become larger due to its increased functionality can be compactly disposed inside the body cover 11.

[0066] In the motorcycle 1, a dimension 50Z of the IVI unit 50 in the vehicle up-down direction is smaller than a dimension 50X of the IVI unit 50 in the vehicle width direction. According to this configuration, the IVI unit 50 is positioned horizontally to reduce the width of the vehicle in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the vehicle body cover 11 (front body cover 16) forms a leg shield, the left and right width of the vehicle body cover 11 can be effectively utilized to position the IVI unit 50, and it is easier to avoid interference with surrounding components in the vertical direction of the IVI unit 50. For example, a GPS antenna 55 can be positioned above the IVI unit 50.

[0067] The motorcycle 1 includes a unit stay 71 fixed to the body frame 21, and the IVI unit 50 is fixed to the unit stay 71. According to this configuration, by fixing the IVI unit 50 to the unit stay 71 that is fixed to the body frame 21, the IVI unit 50 can be stably supported by the dedicated unit stay 71.

[0068] In the motorcycle 1, the unit stay 71 is fixed to the head pipe 21a. According to this configuration, the unit stay 71 is fixed to the head pipe 21 a, so that the unit stay 71 and therefore the IVI unit 50 can be stably supported by the front end of the body frame 21 .

[0069] In the motorcycle 1, the fixing point (fastening portion 74) between the IVI unit 50 and the unit stay 71 is located outside the device housing portion 51e of the IVI unit 50 in the vehicle width direction. According to this configuration, the fixing point of the IVI unit 50 is positioned outside the equipment storage section 51e in the vehicle width direction, thereby reducing the front-to-rear width of the IVI unit 50 and making it thinner, and avoiding interference with surrounding components, compared to when the fixing point of the IVI unit 50 is positioned overlapping the equipment storage section 51e in the vehicle width direction.

[0070] In the above motorcycle 1, the unit stay 71 has a unit support portion (flat plate portion 72) arranged along the outer surface (rear surface 51b) of the IVI unit 50, and a notch portion (displacement portion 72b) recessed inward to expose the rear surface 51b of the IVI unit 50 is formed on the outer periphery (upper edge) of the flat plate portion 72. According to this configuration, by forming a cutout portion (displacement portion 72b) that exposes the rear surface 51b of the IVI unit 50 on the outer periphery (upper edge) of the unit support portion (flat portion 72) that is arranged along the rear surface 51b of the IVI unit 50, it is possible to minimize the shielding of radio waves by the unit stay 71.

[0071] In the motorcycle 1, the IVI unit 50 includes a heat dissipation portion (opening 51a1) that dissipates internal heat, and the heat dissipation portion (opening 51a1) is disposed facing forward of the vehicle. According to this configuration, the heat dissipation portion (opening 51a1) of IVI unit 50 is positioned facing the front of the vehicle, which makes the heat dissipation portion more likely to become cold due to the influence of wind when the vehicle is running, thereby improving the heat dissipation effect of IVI unit 50.

[0072] The motorcycle 1 is equipped with a GPS receiving device (second GPS antenna 55) that identifies the position of the vehicle, and the GPS antenna 55 and the IVI unit 50 are arranged so that they at least partially overlap when viewed from the top and bottom of the vehicle. According to this configuration, the IVI unit 50 and the GPS antenna 55 are arranged so that they overlap each other in a planar view, allowing the two devices 50, 55 to be arranged compactly and together, and the harness length can be shortened even when connecting the IVI unit 50 and the GPS antenna 55.

[0073] The motorcycle 1 is equipped with a location information transmitting device (GPS tracker 40) including a tracker GPS receiver (antenna 42) that identifies the location of the vehicle, and a communication device (TCU 43) that transmits location information received by the tracker GPS receiver (antenna 42), and the GPS tracker 40 and the IVI unit 50 are arranged so that they at least partially overlap when viewed from the top and bottom of the vehicle. According to this configuration, the IVI unit 50 and the GPS tracker 40 are arranged so that they overlap each other in a planar view, allowing the two devices 40, 50 to be arranged compactly and together, and the harness length can be shortened when connecting the IVI unit 50 and the GPS tracker 40.

[0074] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, although the IVI unit 50 is arranged to stand substantially vertically in the embodiment, it may be arranged to be inclined so as to follow the head pipe 21a in a side view. The configuration of this embodiment may be applied to saddle-ride type vehicles other than motorcycles. The saddle-ride type vehicle includes all vehicles on which a rider straddles the body, including not only motorcycles 1 (including motorized bicycles and scooter-type vehicles), but also three-wheeled vehicles (including vehicles with one front wheel and two rear wheels, as well as vehicles with two front wheels and one rear wheel) or four-wheeled vehicles (such as four-wheeled buggies). The configurations in the above-described embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention, such as replacing the components of the embodiments with well-known components. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 1. Motorcycles (saddle-type vehicles) 11 Body cover 11a Front cover (front cover) 11b Inner cover (rear cover) 16 Front body cover 21 Body frame 21a head pipe 40 GPS tracker (location information transmission device) 41 Case 41a Antenna surface 41b Bottom surface (outside surface) 42 Antenna (GPS receiver for tracker) 43 TCU (communication equipment) 48 Breathing hole 50 IVI unit (communication unit) 50X Vehicle width dimension 50Y Vehicle longitudinal dimension 50Z Vehicle vertical dimensions 51a1 Opening (heat radiation part) 51b Rear surface (outer surface) 51d Fixed point 51e Equipment storage section 55 Second antenna (GPS receiver) 61 Tracker Stay 71 Unit stay 72 Flat plate part (unit support part) 72b Displacement part (notch part) 74 Fastening part C User Terminal CL Center of the body left and right

Claims

1. A saddle-ride type vehicle (1) equipped with a communication unit (50) capable of wireless communication with a user terminal (C), The motorcycle comprises a head pipe (21a) located at the front end of a body frame (21), and a front cover (11a) and a rear cover (11b) that cover the head pipe (21a) from the front and rear, the communication unit (50) is disposed between the front cover (11a) and the rear cover (11b), and a dimension (50Y) of the communication unit (50) corresponding to the vehicle longitudinal direction is smaller than dimensions (50X, 50Z) of the communication unit (50) corresponding to each of the vehicle width direction and the vehicle vertical direction, The vehicle further includes a unit stay (71) fixed to the body frame (21), The unit stay (71) includes a unit support portion (72) arranged along the outer surface (51b) of the communication unit (50), A saddle-ride type vehicle characterized in that a recessed cutout portion (72b) is formed on the outer periphery of the unit support portion (72) so as to expose the outer surface (51b) of the communication unit (50).

2. A saddle-ride type vehicle (1) equipped with a communication unit (50) capable of wireless communication with a user terminal (C), The motorcycle comprises a head pipe (21a) located at the front end of a body frame (21), and a front cover (11a) and a rear cover (11b) that cover the head pipe (21a) from the front and rear, the communication unit (50) is disposed between the front cover (11a) and the rear cover (11b), and a dimension (50Y) of the communication unit (50) corresponding to the vehicle longitudinal direction is smaller than dimensions (50X, 50Z) of the communication unit (50) corresponding to each of the vehicle width direction and the vehicle vertical direction, The communication unit (50) includes a heat dissipation section (51a1) for dissipating internal heat, The saddle-ride type vehicle is characterized in that the heat dissipation portion (51a1) is arranged to be directed toward the front of the vehicle.

3. A saddle-ride type vehicle (1) equipped with a communication unit (50) capable of wireless communication with a user terminal (C), The motorcycle comprises a head pipe (21a) located at the front end of a body frame (21), and a front cover (11a) and a rear cover (11b) that cover the head pipe (21a) from the front and rear, the communication unit (50) is disposed between the front cover (11a) and the rear cover (11b), and a dimension (50Y) of the communication unit (50) corresponding to the vehicle longitudinal direction is smaller than dimensions (50X, 50Z) of the communication unit (50) corresponding to each of the vehicle width direction and the vehicle vertical direction, Further provided is a GPS receiver (55) for identifying the position of the vehicle; The saddle-ride type vehicle is characterized in that the GPS receiving device (55) and the communication unit (50) are arranged so as to overlap at least partially when viewed from the top-bottom direction of the vehicle.

4. A saddle-ride type vehicle (1) equipped with a communication unit (50) capable of wireless communication with a user terminal (C), The motorcycle comprises a head pipe (21a) located at the front end of a body frame (21), and a front cover (11a) and a rear cover (11b) that cover the head pipe (21a) from the front and rear, the communication unit (50) is disposed between the front cover (11a) and the rear cover (11b), and a dimension (50Y) of the communication unit (50) corresponding to the vehicle longitudinal direction is smaller than dimensions (50X, 50Z) of the communication unit (50) corresponding to each of the vehicle width direction and the vehicle vertical direction, The vehicle further comprises a location information transmission device (40) including a tracker GPS receiver (42) for identifying the location of the vehicle itself, and a communication device (43) for transmitting location information received by the tracker GPS receiver (42), The saddle-ride type vehicle is characterized in that the position information transmission device (40) and the communication unit (50) are arranged so as to overlap at least partially when viewed from the top-bottom direction of the vehicle.

5. 5. The saddle-ride type vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a dimension (50Z) of the communication unit (50) in the vehicle vertical direction is smaller than a dimension (50X) of the communication unit (50) corresponding to the vehicle width direction.

6. a unit stay (71) fixed to the body frame (21); 5. The saddle-ride type vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit (50) is fixed to the unit stay (71).

7. 7. The saddle-ride type vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the unit stay (71) is fixed to the head pipe (21a).

8. 7. The saddle-ride type vehicle according to claim 6, wherein a fixing point (51d) between the communication unit (50) and the unit stay (71) is located outside an equipment housing section (51e) of the communication unit (50) in the vehicle width direction.

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