Saddle-type vehicle

Abstract

To provide a saddle-riding type vehicle which keeps favorable a communication state of a positional information transmitting device mounted on an own vehicle, which suppresses disturbance to the positional information transmitting device, and which can enhance a crime prevention property.SOLUTION: A saddle-riding type vehicle includes: a positional information transmitting device (GPS tracker 40) which includes a GPS receiving device which specifies the position of an own vehicle, and a communication device for transmitting the positional information received by the GPS receiving device; a head pipe 21a positioned at a front end part of a vehicle frame 21; and a front side cover (front cover 11a) and a rear side cover (inner cover 11b) for covering the head pipe 21a from front and rear sides. The GPS tracker 40 is arranged between the front cover 11a and the inner cover 11b, and is arranged being offset further to the right than the vehicle body left-to-right center.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for arranging a GPS vehicle-mounted device from the viewpoint of preventing theft of a straddle-type vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The above GPS vehicle-mounted device detects the position information of the own vehicle and wirelessly transmits this position information. The GPS vehicle-mounted device receives a signal from a satellite, and the operating condition is that the reception sensitivity is above a predetermined level. Since the radio wave from the satellite is received from directly above, it is desirable that the antenna surface of the GPS vehicle-mounted device is positioned upward in the vertical direction, and it is preferable that there are few components around the antenna surface. On the other hand, it is preferable to arrange the device so as to suppress interference to the GPS vehicle-mounted device and enhance crime prevention performance.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a straddle-type vehicle that can maintain a good communication state of a position information transmitting device mounted on the own vehicle, further suppress interference to the position information transmitting device, and enhance crime prevention performance.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] As a means of solving the above problems, a first aspect of the present invention provides a saddle-type vehicle (1) equipped with a position information transmitting device (40) including a GPS receiving device (42) for determining the position of the vehicle and a communication device (43) for transmitting position information received by the GPS receiving device (42), wherein the vehicle is equipped with a head pipe (21a) located at the front end of the vehicle body frame (21) and a front cover (11a) and a rear cover (11b) that cover the head pipe (21a) from the front and rear, and the GPS receiving device (42) is positioned between the front cover (11a) and the rear cover (11b) and offset to the right of the left-right center (CL) of the vehicle body. A second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first aspect described above, the vehicle body is supported in an upright position tilted to the left by a side stand (7).

[0007] This configuration, by positioning at least the GPS receiver of the location information transmitting device that transmits the vehicle's location information to the right of the center of the vehicle body within the vehicle body cover, achieves the following effects. Specifically, by positioning the location information transmitting device within the vehicle body cover, interference to the location information transmitting device can be suppressed and security can be enhanced. Furthermore, in saddle-type vehicles equipped with a side stand that supports the vehicle body in an upright position tilted to the left, the right side of the vehicle body becomes higher vertically when parked using the side stand. Therefore, by positioning the location information transmitting device on the right side of the vehicle body, the position of the location information transmitting device becomes higher when the side stand is in use, making it easier to send and receive radio waves. As a result, the communication status of the location information transmitting device can be kept in good condition.

[0008] A third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first or second aspect described above, the main harness is positioned offset to the right of the left-right center (CL) of the vehicle body, and a harness (40a) connected to the main harness extends from the right side of the position information transmitting device (40). With this configuration, a harness extends from the right side of the position information transmitting device, which is offset to the right side of the vehicle body. This harness connects to the main harness routed on the right side of the vehicle body, allowing the harness for the position information transmitting device to be shortened, contributing to cost reduction and weight reduction.

[0009] A fourth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first or second aspect described above, a first stay (61) is provided which is fixed to the vehicle body frame (21), and the position information transmitting device (40) is fixed to the first stay (61). With this configuration, the position information transmitting device can be stably supported and fixed by a dedicated first stay, by fixing the position information transmitting device to a first stay that is fixed to the vehicle frame.

[0010] A fifth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the fourth aspect described above, a second stay (71) is fixed to the vehicle frame (21) and secures a second electrical device (50), and the first stay (61) is fixed to the second stay (71). In this configuration, the first stay is fixed to the second stay, and the position information transmitter is fixed to the vehicle frame via the first and second stays. This makes it easier to fix the position information transmitter and the second electrical equipment in a suitable mounting position, and the fact that the two stays are separate improves ease of assembly. Furthermore, even if a load is applied to either the position information transmitter or the second electrical equipment during a vehicle collision, damage to the mounted components can be reduced by disconnecting the two stays.

[0011] A sixth aspect of the present invention is, in the fifth aspect described above, the first stay (61) comprises a flat portion (62) along the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, and a pair of fastening portions (64L, 64R) located on both sides of the flat portion (62) in the first direction, the position information transmitting device (40) is fixed above the flat portion (62), and the first stay (61) is fixed to the second stay (71) at the pair of fastening portions (64L, 64R). With this configuration, the position information transmitting device is fixed on the horizontal flat portion of the first stay, and the first stay is fixed to the second stay at fastening points on both sides of the position information transmitting device, thereby enabling stable fixing of the position information transmitting device.

[0012] A seventh aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the sixth aspect described above, the first stay (61) is such that the flat portion (62) is located higher in the vertical direction than the pair of fastening portions (64L, 64R). With this configuration, by placing the location information transmitting device as high as possible, it is possible to achieve an arrangement that is advantageous for the transmission and reception of radio waves from the location information transmitting device.

[0013] An eighth aspect of the present invention is, in the fourth aspect described above, the position information transmitting device (40) comprises a housing (41) that houses the GPS receiving device (42) and the communication device (43) and has a breathing hole (48), the first stay (61) comprises a flat portion (62) along the outer surface (41b) of the housing (41) through which the breathing hole (48) opens, the position information transmitting device (40) is fixed to the first stay (61) with the outer surface of the housing (41) facing the flat portion (62), and the flat portion (62) has an opening (67) at a position that does not overlap with the breathing hole (48) when viewed from the normal direction. According to this configuration, the housing of the position information transmitting device is equipped with a breathing hole, the first stay has a flat portion facing the breathing hole of the position information transmitting device, and an opening is formed in the flat portion at a position that does not overlap with the breathing hole when viewed in the normal direction. This makes it possible to lighten the first stay and allow water to be drained from the device side, while also preventing foreign matter such as water from entering the breathing hole from the opening side.

[0014] A ninth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the fourth aspect described above, the first stay (61) is provided with a harness support portion (65b) for fixing the harness (27a). With this configuration, by providing a harness support section on the first stay, the harness inside the vehicle body cover can be supported with a small number of parts, and the harness route can be fixed.

[0015] A tenth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first or second aspect described above, a license plate (17) is supported on the front side of the front cover (11a), and the position information transmitting device (40) is positioned so as not to overlap with the license plate (17) when viewed from above. With this configuration, the location information transmitter is positioned so as not to overlap with the front license plate. This prevents the front license plate from obstructing the transmitter's radio waves during transmission and reception, thus maintaining good communication status for the location information transmitter.

[0016] An eleventh aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first or second aspect described above, a second GPS receiving device (55) for determining the position of the vehicle is provided separately from the position information transmitting device (40), and the second GPS receiving device (55) is positioned offset to the left of the center (CL) of the vehicle body. This configuration allows for the placement of the GPS receiver for security purposes on the left side of the vehicle and a second GPS receiver for car navigation on the right side of the vehicle, thereby avoiding interference between the two GPS receivers and maintaining good communication status for the GPS receiver for security purposes, which is mainly used when the vehicle is parked. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a saddle-type vehicle that can maintain good communication status of a location information transmitting device mounted on the vehicle, further suppress disturbances to the location information transmitting device, and enhance security. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] This is a left side view of a motorcycle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]It is a configuration diagram of a theft tracking system applied to the above motorcycle. [Figure 3] It is a left side view showing the component arrangement inside the front body cover of the above motorcycle. [Figure 4] It is a front view showing the component arrangement inside the front body cover. [Figure 5] It is a top view showing the component arrangement inside the front body cover. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view showing the component arrangement inside the front body cover. [Figure 7] It is a perspective view of the periphery of the GPS tracker inside the front body cover as seen from above. [Figure 8] It is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 7 showing the stay assembly that supports the above GPS tracker. [Figure 9] It is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX of FIG. 7, showing the cross-section of the GPS tracker. [Figure 10] It is a perspective view of the periphery of the above GPS tracker as seen from below.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the directions such as front, rear, left, and right are the same as those in the vehicle described below unless otherwise specified. Also, in the figures used in the following description, at appropriate positions, an arrow FR indicating the front of the vehicle, an arrow LH indicating the left side of the vehicle, an arrow UP indicating the upper side of the vehicle, and a line CL indicating the center of the vehicle body in the left-right direction are shown."Middle" as used in this embodiment means not only the center between the two ends of the object but also the range inside between the two ends of the object.

[0020] <Vehicle as a Whole> Figure 1 shows a scooter-type motorcycle 1 as an example of a saddle-type vehicle according to the embodiment. The motorcycle 1 is equipped with a front wheel 3, which is the steering wheel, and a rear wheel 4, which is the drive wheel. The front wheel 3 is supported by a pair of left and right front forks 3a and can be rotated (steered) by the 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 the grip portions on both the left and right sides of the handlebar 2, reference numeral 2b denotes the handle cover that covers the area around the handlebar 2 except for the left and right grip portions 2a, and reference numeral 3b denotes the front fender that is supported by the left and right front forks 3a and covers the area above the front wheel 3.

[0021] The steering system components 9, including the handlebars 2, front forks 3a, and front wheel 3, are rotatably (steerable) supported on the head pipe 21a at the front end of the vehicle frame 21 via a steering shaft. The front of the power unit 8 is supported on the lower part of the vehicle frame 21 so as to be able to swing up and down. The vehicle frame 21 comprises 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 part of the down frame 21b, and a rear frame 21d extending upward and rearward from the rear of the lower frame 21c. The head pipe 21a and the down frame 21b are provided collectively at the center CL of the left and right sides of the vehicle body.

[0022] A floor step 6 is provided between the front wheel 3 and the rear wheel 4, where the driver places their feet. A front body 14 is provided in front of the floor step 6. A rear body 15 is provided behind the floor step 6. The space K1 above the floor step 6 between the front body 14 and the rear body 15 is the space K1 that the driver straddles when stepping over the vehicle. A handle 2 is positioned above the front body 14. A seat 5 where the occupant 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 in an upright position with the vehicle tilted to the left.

[0023] The power unit 8 includes, for example, an electric motor M, which is the drive source, and a transmission mechanism (e.g., a gear-type reducer) T that transmits the driving force generated by the electric motor M to the rear wheel 4. The electric motor M and the transmission mechanism T are mounted on the left arm portion of the power unit 8, which takes the form of a swing arm. The configuration of the power unit 8 can vary; for example, it may be equipped with an internal combustion engine as the drive source. Below the seat 5, a driving battery BT is mounted to store power for driving. Inside the floor step 6, a sub-battery SB for driving auxiliary equipment is mounted.

[0024] The body frame 21 of the motorcycle 1 is covered by 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 of the body frame 21 from the front and the sides.

[0025] The front cover 11a and inner cover 11b constitute the front body cover 16, which forms the outer surface of the front body 14. The front body cover 16 also serves as a leg shield, covering the front of the driver's left and right legs.

[0026] The upper surface of the floor cover 11c constitutes the floor step 6. The floor step 6 forms a flat upper surface (footrest surface) over the entire width in the vehicle width direction, for example. The floor step 6 may include a center tunnel that protrudes upward on the inward 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.

[0027] <Front body cover 16> As shown in Figure 1, the front body cover 16 has a shallow V-shape when viewed from the side. For example, the front body cover 16 is divided into an upper and lower part at the front end position when viewed from the side. The upper part of the front body cover 16 is formed to follow the slope of the head pipe 21a when viewed from the side. The lower part of the front body cover 16 is formed to follow the slope of the down frame 21b when viewed from the side.

[0028] At the lower part of the front body cover 16, the area of ​​the front cover 11a on the inner side in the vehicle width direction is cut out. The cut-out area at the lower part of the front body cover 16 is provided with a concave tire house cover (not shown) when viewed from the front of the vehicle. The front number plate 17 is supported on the front of the front of the front cover 11a via a number plate bracket 17a.

[0029] Figure 3 is a left side view showing the arrangement of parts inside the front body cover 16 of the motorcycle 1, Figure 4 is a front view showing the said arrangement of parts, Figure 5 is a top view showing the said arrangement of parts, and Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the said arrangement of parts. Referring to Figures 3 to 6, various functional components and cable-like members connected to each functional component are arranged inside the front body cover 16.

[0030] Functional components include vehicle-side 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 parts. The functional components are supported by the vehicle body 22, excluding the steering system components 9. The functional components are held (fixed) in a position on the vehicle body 22 without rotating integrally with the steering system components 9. The "vehicle body 22" in this embodiment includes the vehicle frame 21 that supports the steering system components 9, as well as components fixed to the vehicle frame 21.

[0031] Examples of cable-like members include wire harnesses (hereinafter simply referred to as harnesses) connected to vehicle-side electrical components, and operating cables (or hydraulic hoses) extending from vehicle-side mechanisms or controls. The cable-like members in this embodiment include a vehicle-side branch harness that branches off from the main harness and connects to vehicle-side electrical components. The main harness is routed offset to the right side of the vehicle body, at least within the front body cover 16. The functional components and cable-like members described above are arranged within the internal space K2 formed between the front cover 11a and the inner cover 11b, or on the outer surface of the cover.

[0032] An inner box (not shown) capable of storing items is located on the left rear side of the front body cover 16 (occupant side, inner cover 11b side). The inner box has a socket for a USB charger 27 with a power supply function. On the right rear side of the front body cover 16 is the operating section of the main switch 29, which includes a power switch and lock / unlock switches for various locks.

[0033] <Theft tracking system> Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a theft tracking system applied to motorcycle 1. As shown in Figure 2, the motorcycle 1 is equipped with a location information transmitting device (hereinafter referred to as a GPS tracker) 40 as an on-board device for the theft tracking system. This device acquires the vehicle's location information from a GPS (Global Positioning System) and transmits this location information to the outside of the vehicle. The GPS tracker 40 comprises a GPS receiver (antenna) that identifies the vehicle's location, a communication device (TCU: Telematics Control Unit) 43 that transmits the location information received by the GPS receiver, a dedicated communication battery 45 independent of the vehicle's power supply, and a housing 41 (see Figure 9, etc.) that houses the antenna 42, TCU 43, and communication battery 45.

[0034] The TCU43 performs bidirectional information communication between the vehicle and an external network. In this embodiment, the TCU43 uses an antenna 42 housed together in the housing 41 to acquire the vehicle's location information wirelessly from GPS. The TCU43 transmits the acquired location information, along with the vehicle's identification information, to the outside of the vehicle. When a base station B outside the vehicle receives the information transmitted from the TCU43, it transmits the vehicle's location information to a pre-registered user terminal (information terminal such as a personal computer or smartphone) C based on the identification information. As a result, even if the vehicle is stolen, the vehicle's user can check the vehicle's location information using an application on their information terminal. Even when the vehicle power is off, location information can be transmitted and received using the communication battery 45 in the GPS tracker 40. The configuration of the GPS tracker 40 will be described in detail later.

[0035] Referring to Figures 3 to 6, the GPS tracker 40 is located near the upper end of the front cover 11a. The IVI unit 50 is located below the front of the GPS tracker 40. 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 flattened rectangular parallelepiped with reduced dimensions 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 51 of the IVI unit 50 is positioned upright with its thickness direction oriented in the vehicle's front-rear direction. The housing 51 of the IVI unit 50 is positioned upright so that its front and rear surfaces 51a and 51b are perpendicular to the front-rear direction (specifically, so that the front surface 51a is slightly tilted upward). When viewed in the front-rear direction, the housing 51 of the IVI unit 50 is positioned so that its upper and lower edges are aligned in the left-right direction and its left and right side edges are aligned in the up-down direction. The IVI unit 50 houses a circuit board (not shown) with various electronic components mounted on it within a housing 51. The front surface 51a of the housing 51 has a heat dissipation opening 51a1 to improve the cooling of the circuit board. Inside the housing 51 are a communication battery 45, a TCU 43, an antenna 42, a control device, etc., but their arrangement is omitted (not shown).

[0036] A USB charger 27 is located on the left side of the GPS tracker 40. The main switch 29 is located on the lower right side of the GPS tracker 40. The USB charger 27 is powered by the sub-battery SB located under the floor. A main harness (not shown) is routed on the right side under the floor (to the right of the vehicle's centerline CL). The sub-battery SB is connected to the main harness. A power supply line 27a extends from the main harness and extends upward on the right side inside the front cover 11a. The power supply line 27a bends to the left at the top inside the front cover 11a, crosses the vehicle's centerline CL, and connects to the USB charger 27 on the left side of the vehicle. The portion of the power supply line 27a that crosses the vehicle's centerline CL is supported (fixed) to the tracker stay 61 that supports the GPS tracker 40 via a harness clip 65c.

[0037] A circular horn 49 is positioned at the lower front of the IVI unit 50. A headlight unit 19 with a horizontally elongated lens surface is positioned at the lower front of the IVI unit 50. A cover support portion 19a that supports the front body cover 16 is provided at the top of the housing of the headlight unit 19. A harness 40a extends to the right from the right side of the housing 41 of the GPS tracker 40. The harness 40a is connected to the main harness routed on the right side inside the front cover 11a.

[0038] A second GPS antenna 55, used during normal use of the motorcycle 1 (for example, when using a car navigation system), is located to the left of the GPS tracker 40. The harness 55a of the second GPS antenna 55 extends to the left and then bends downward, extending downward to the left side of the IVI unit 50.

[0039] <GPSトラッカ40> Figure 7 is a perspective view from above of the area around the GPS tracker 40 inside the front body cover 16, Figure 8 is a perspective view similar to Figure 7 of the stay assembly 60 supporting the GPS tracker 40, Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the IX-IX section of Figure 7 (cross-sectional view of the GPS tracker 40), and Figure 10 is a perspective view from below of the area around the GPS tracker 40.

[0040] Referring to Figures 7 to 10, the housing 41 of the GPS tracker 40 is divided, for example, into upper and lower case halves 46 and 47 in the vertical direction (thickness direction). A breathing hole 48 is formed in the lower wall of the lower case half 47 to maintain the pressure inside the housing 41 at approximately the same level as atmospheric pressure. A filter 48a is placed inside the breathing hole 48 to prevent the intrusion of foreign matter.

[0041] 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 flattened rectangular parallelepiped with reduced dimensions 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 positioned flat with its thickness direction oriented in the vertical direction of the vehicle. The housing 41 of the GPS tracker 40 has its upper and lower surfaces 41a and 41b approximately horizontal, and is positioned so that in a plan view, the front and rear edges are aligned in the left-right direction, and the left and right side edges are aligned in the front-rear direction.

[0042] The GPS tracker 40 is positioned such that, when viewed from the vertical and front-to-back directions, the left-right center 41c of the housing 41 is located to the right of the left-right center CL of the vehicle body (on the opposite side of the side stand 7 in the left-to-right direction). In this embodiment, when viewed from the vertical and front-to-back directions, the left side of the housing 41 is positioned to overlap with the left-right center CL of the vehicle body, but the entire housing 41 may be positioned to the right of the left-right center CL of the vehicle body.

[0043] When motorcycle 1 is parked using its side stand 7, the right side of the vehicle is higher vertically. Therefore, by offsetting the GPS tracker 40 to the right side of the vehicle, the position of the GPS tracker 40 is raised when parked using the side stand 7, making it easier for the antenna 42 and TCU 43 to transmit and receive radio waves.

[0044] The GPS tracker 40 is positioned with the top surface (antenna surface) 41a of the housing 41 close to the inner surface of the front cover 11a (see Figure 3). This eliminates the space for other components to be placed between the antenna surface 41a and the inner surface of the front cover 11a, making it easier for the GPS tracker 40 to transmit and receive radio waves. In a plan view, the GPS tracker 40 is located behind the front license plate 17 and license plate bracket 17a, and does not overlap with them, so radio waves are less likely to be obstructed by the front license plate 17 and license plate bracket 17a.

[0045] <Stay Assembly 60> Referring to Figures 3 to 10, the GPS tracker 40 and IVI unit 50 are supported by a stay assembly 60 fixed to the head pipe 21a from the front. In other words, the GPS tracker 40 and IVI unit 50 are fixed to the vehicle frame 21 via the stay assembly 60. The stay assembly 60 includes a tracker stay 61 positioned along the lower surface 41b of the GPS tracker 40 and a unit stay 71 positioned along the rear surface 51b of the IVI unit 50. Each stay 61, 71 is, for example, a one-piece molded product made by press-forming a steel plate into a predetermined shape.

[0046] The tracker stay 61 comprises a flat portion 62 positioned along a horizontal plane and extending in the left-right direction, a pair of inclined pieces 63L, 63R that bend downward from the left and right ends of the flat portion 62, a pair of fastening flanges 64L, 64R that extend outward in the left-right direction from the lower ends of each inclined piece 63L, 63R, a front support piece 65 that extends forward from the front edge of the flat portion 62, and a rear support piece 66 that extends rearward from the rear edge of the flat portion 62.

[0047] The flat section 62 is positioned along the lower surface 41b of the GPS tracker 40. In plan view, the flat section 62 is narrower in front-to-back width than the GPS tracker 40 and has a horizontally elongated rectangular shape. The pair of inclined pieces 63L and 63R extend downward from the left and right ends of the flat section 62, inclined so that the lower pieces are positioned further outward in the left-to-right direction. The pair of fastening flanges 64L and 64R are displaced downward in a stepped manner relative to the flat section 62 via the inclined pieces 63L and 63R, respectively, and are positioned along a common horizontal plane. The pair of fastening flanges 64L and 64R are fastened (fixed) to the left and right upper end fastening flanges 73L and 73R of the unit stay 71 (described later) by bolts B1 that run vertically.

[0048] The flat section 62 is positioned such 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. In other words, the GPS tracker 40 is positioned offset to the right in the left-right direction relative to the flat section 62. The GPS tracker 40 is positioned offset so that the center of its front-rear width is located behind the center of the front-rear width of the flat section 62. In other words, the GPS tracker 40 is positioned offset to the rear in the front-rear direction relative to the flat section 62. By ensuring that the flat section 62 does not overlap the entire surface of the GPS tracker 40 in a plan view, the tracker stay 61 is made lighter, the heat dissipation of the GPS tracker 40 is improved, and the radio waves transmitted and received to the GPS tracker 40 are less likely to be obstructed.

[0049] In the flat section 62, a pair of elongated oval-shaped openings 67 are formed in the area that overlaps with the GPS tracker 40 in a plan view. Each opening 67 is positioned to avoid the breathing holes 48 of the GPS tracker 40 in a plan view, so as not to overlap with them in a plan view. The mounting section 68 remaining between each opening 67 overlaps with the breathing holes 48 in a plan view, preventing foreign matter such as water from directly entering the breathing holes 48 from below. A predetermined gap is secured between the flat section 62 and the GPS tracker 40. Each opening 67 functions as a drain hole to discharge foreign matter such as water that has entered the gap between the flat section 62 and the GPS tracker 40 downwards. Each opening 67 contributes to reducing the weight of the tracker stay 61, improving the heat dissipation of the GPS tracker 40, and avoiding interference with radio waves.

[0050] The front and rear support pieces 65 and 66 extend forward and backward, respectively, from the front and rear edges of the portion of the flat section 62 that overlaps with the GPS tracker 40 in a plan view. The front and rear support pieces 65 and 66 are offset from each other in the left-right direction. Specifically, the front support piece 65 is positioned so that its left edge is adjacent to the left-right center CL of the vehicle body 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. Reference numerals 65a and 66a in the figure indicate front and rear fastening parts provided on each of the front and rear support pieces 65 and 66, which fasten the GPS tracker 40 with bolts B2 and B3 that run vertically. Front and rear fixing parts 41d1 and 41d2 are provided protruding from the front and rear of the housing 41 of the GPS tracker 40 so as to overlap with the front and rear fastening parts 65a and 66a in a plan view. The front and rear fastening parts 65a and 66a may be provided with vibration-damping structures such as vibration-damping rubber. The front and rear fastening portions 65a, 66a (and the front and rear fixing portions 41d1, 41d2) are offset so that they do not overlap each other in the left-right direction. 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.

[0051] The unit stay 71 is positioned in front of the head pipe 21a and straddles the left-right center CL of the vehicle body from left to right. The unit stay 71 comprises a flat plate portion 72 formed along a vertical plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction, and a vertical plate portion 75 positioned behind the left-right center portion of the flat plate portion 72, with its thickness direction oriented in the left-right direction.

[0052] The flat plate portion 72 is positioned along the rear surface 51b of the IVI unit 50. The flat plate portion 72 has an outer peripheral wall (reinforcement wall) 73 that rises to the rear on its outer peripheral surface when viewed in the front-rear direction. On both the left and right sides of the upper end of the outer peripheral wall 73, a pair of upper end fastening flanges 73L and 73R are formed, which partially extend to the rear in a plan view so as to overlap with the pair of fastening flanges 64L and 64R of the tracker stay 61, and are capable of fastening the pair of fastening flanges 64L and 64R, respectively.

[0053] The flat plate portion 72 has multiple openings 72a formed inside its rectangular outer shape, and a displacement portion 72b that is displaced downward on the left-right inward side of its upper edge. On both the left and right sides of the upper and lower parts of the flat plate portion 72, there are a total of four fastening portions 74 for fastening the IVI unit 50 with bolts B4 that run along the front-rear direction. On both the left and right sides of the upper and lower parts of the housing 51 of the IVI unit 50, there are a total of four front-rear fixing portions 51d that protrude so as to overlap with each fastening portion 74 in a plan view. Each fastening portion 74 may be provided with a vibration-damping structure such as vibration-damping rubber.

[0054] By forming multiple openings 72a and displacement portions 72b in the flat plate portion 72 along the rear surface 51b of the IVI unit 50, the weight reduction and improved heat dissipation of the IVI unit 50 are achieved. Furthermore, by forming a displacement portion 72b on the upper edge on the GPS tracker 40 side that displaces away from the GPS tracker 40, the radio waves transmitted and received by the GPS tracker 40 are less likely to be obstructed.

[0055] The vertical plate portion 75 is positioned so as to overlap with the head pipe 21a when viewed from the front. A mounting bracket 76 that protrudes forward is fixed to the front side of the head pipe 21a. The rear lower part 75a of the vertical plate portion 75 is fastened (fixed) to the mounting bracket 76 by multiple bolts B5 that run along the left-right direction.

[0056] When an obstacle collides with the front of the vehicle, or when a load is applied to the front body cover 16 from the front of the vehicle, this load may be applied from the front cover 11a to each unit. At this time, the load applied to the front cover 11a is transmitted between the stays of the stay assembly 60. At this time, by making the connection between the stays a weak point that is easily deformed, buffering is provided between the stays, and damage to both units is suppressed. The connection between the stays may also be configured to detach when a load is applied, for example, in which case the transmission of load between the stays is further suppressed, and damage to both units can be suppressed.

[0057] As described above, the motorcycle 1 in the above embodiment is a saddle-type vehicle equipped with a position information transmitting device (GPS tracker 40) which includes a GPS receiving device (antenna 42) for determining the position of the vehicle and a communication device (TCU 43) for transmitting position information received by the antenna 42. The motorcycle 1 is equipped with a head pipe 21a located at the front end of the vehicle frame 21, 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 a side stand 7 that supports the vehicle in an upright position tilted to the left. The GPS tracker 40 is positioned between the front cover 11a and the inner cover 11b and offset to the right of the center CL of the vehicle.

[0058] This configuration, by positioning the GPS tracker 40, which transmits the vehicle's location information, to the right of the center CL of the vehicle body within the vehicle body cover 11, provides the following effects. Specifically, by positioning the GPS tracker 40 within the vehicle body cover 11, interference to the GPS tracker 40 is suppressed and security is enhanced. Furthermore, in saddle-type vehicles equipped with a side stand 7 that supports the vehicle body in an upright position tilted to the left, the right side of the vehicle body becomes higher vertically when the side stand 7 is used for parking. Therefore, by positioning the GPS tracker 40 on the right side of the vehicle body, the position of the GPS tracker 40 becomes higher when the side stand 7 is used, making it easier to send and receive radio waves. As a result, the communication status of the GPS tracker 40 can be maintained in good condition.

[0059] In this embodiment, by positioning the GPS tracker 40 at a height that overlaps with the head pipe 21a in the vertical direction of the vehicle, the GPS tracker 40 is less susceptible to water damage and its waterproofness is enhanced. Furthermore, even if someone tries to intentionally disconnect the GPS tracker 40 through vandalism or other means, the GPS tracker 40 is positioned inside the front body cover 16, which is difficult to access from the outside, and in front of the head pipe 21a, thereby enhancing the security of the GPS tracker 40.

[0060] In the above-described motorcycle 1, the main harness is positioned offset to the right of the center CL of the vehicle body, and a harness 40a connecting to the main harness extends from the right side of the GPS tracker 40. With this configuration, the harness 40a extends from the right side of the GPS tracker 40, which is offset to the right side of the vehicle body, and this harness 40a is connected to the main harness routed on the right side of the vehicle body. This allows the harness 40a of the GPS tracker 40 to be shortened, contributing to cost reduction and weight reduction.

[0061] In the above-described motorcycle 1, a tracker stay 61 is provided which is fixed to the vehicle frame 21, and the GPS tracker 40 is fixed to the tracker stay 61. With this configuration, the GPS tracker 40 can be fixed to the tracker stay 61 which is fixed to the vehicle frame 21, thereby providing stable support and fixation to the GPS tracker 40 using the dedicated tracker stay 61.

[0062] In the above-described motorcycle 1, a unit stay 71 is provided which is fixed to the vehicle frame 21 and which secures a second electrical device (IVI unit 50), and the tracker stay 61 is fixed to the unit stay 71. In this configuration, the GPS tracker 40 is fixed to the vehicle frame 21 via the tracker stay 61 and the unit stay 71 by fixing the tracker stay 61 to the unit stay 71. This makes it easier to fix the GPS tracker 40 and the IVI unit 50 in a suitable mounting position, and the fact that the stays 61 and 71 are separate improves ease of assembly. Furthermore, even if a load is applied to either the GPS tracker 40 or the IVI unit 50 during a vehicle collision, damage to the mounted components can be reduced by disconnecting the stays 61 and 71 from each other.

[0063] In the above-described motorcycle 1, the tracker stay 61 comprises a flat portion 62 extending along the front-rear and left-right directions, and a pair of fastening flanges 64L, 64R located on both sides of the flat portion 62 in the first direction (left-right direction, longitudinal direction). The GPS tracker 40 is fixed above the flat portion 62, and the tracker stay 61 is fixed to the unit stay 71 at the pair of fastening flanges 64L, 64R. With this configuration, the GPS tracker 40 is fixed to the horizontal flat section 62 by the tracker stay 61, and the tracker stay 61 is fixed to the unit stay 71 by fastening flanges 64L and 64R on both sides of the GPS tracker 40, thereby stably fixing the GPS tracker 40.

[0064] In the above-described motorcycle 1, the tracker stay 61 has a flat portion 62 that is positioned higher in the vertical direction than the pair of fastening flanges 64L and 64R. With this configuration, the GPS tracker 40 can be positioned as high as possible, which is advantageous for transmitting and receiving radio waves from the GPS tracker 40.

[0065] In the above-described motorcycle 1, the GPS tracker 40 comprises a housing 41 that houses the antenna 42 and the TCU 43 and has a breathing hole 48, and the tracker stay 61 comprises a flat portion 62 along the outer surface (lower surface 41b) of the housing 41 through which the breathing hole 48 opens, and the GPS tracker 40 is fixed to the tracker stay 61 with the lower surface 41b of the housing 41 facing the flat portion 62, and the flat portion 62 has an opening 67 that does not overlap with the breathing hole 48 (avoiding the breathing hole 48) when viewed from the normal direction. According to this configuration, the housing 41 of the GPS tracker 40 is provided with a breathing hole 48, the tracker stay 61 is provided with a flat portion 62 facing the breathing hole 48 of the GPS tracker 40, and an opening 67 is formed in the flat portion 62 at a position that does not overlap with the breathing hole 48 when viewed in the normal direction. This makes it possible to lighten the weight of the tracker stay 61 and drain water from the GPS tracker 40 side, as well as prevent foreign matter such as water from entering the breathing hole 48 from the opening 67 side.

[0066] In the above-described motorcycle 1, the tracker stay 61 is equipped with a harness support portion 65b for fixing the harness 27a. With this configuration, by providing the harness support portion 65b on the tracker stay 61, the harness inside the vehicle body cover 11 can be supported with a small number of parts and the harness route can be fixed.

[0067] In the above-described motorcycle 1, the license plate 17 is supported on the front side of the front cover 11a, and the GPS tracker 40 is positioned so as not to overlap with the license plate 17 when viewed from above (avoiding the license plate 17). With this configuration, the GPS tracker 40 is positioned so as not to overlap with the front license plate 17, preventing the front license plate 17 from obstructing the GPS tracker 40 when it transmits and receives radio waves, thus maintaining good communication conditions for the GPS tracker 40.

[0068] In the above-described motorcycle 1, a second GPS receiving device (second antenna 55) is provided separately from the GPS tracker 40 to determine the position of the vehicle, and the second antenna 55 is positioned offset to the left of the center CL of the vehicle body. With this configuration, the GPS tracker 40, including the security antenna 42, is located on the left side of the vehicle, while the second antenna 55 for car navigation is located on the right side of the vehicle. This configuration avoids interference between the GPS tracker 40 and the second antenna 55, and also maintains good communication status for the security antenna 42, which is mainly used when the vehicle is parked.

[0069] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, in the embodiments, the GPS tracker 40 is fixed to the tracker stay 61 in a horizontal position by a pair of left and right fixing bolts B1 that are aligned in the vertical direction, but the arrangement and orientation of the fastening parts can vary. Also, the arrangement of the GPS tracker 40 is not limited to horizontal; it may be arranged with the antenna surface 41a tilted. The configuration of this embodiment may also be applied to saddle-type vehicles other than motorcycles. The saddle-type vehicles include all vehicles on which the driver straddles the vehicle body, and include not only motorcycles (including mopeds 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). Furthermore, the configuration in the above embodiment is just one example of the present invention, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention, such as replacing the components of the embodiment with well-known components. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1. Motorcycle (saddle-type vehicle) 7 Side stand 11. Car body cover 11a Front cover (front cover) 11b Inner cover (rear cover) 16 Front Body Cover 17. Front license plate (license plate) 21 Body frame 21a Headpipe 27 USB chargers 27a Harness 40 GPS tracker (location information transmitting device) 40a harness 41 cabinets 41a Antenna surface 41b Bottom surface (outside surface) 41c left and right center 42 Antenna (GPS receiver) 43 TCU (communication equipment) 48 Breathing hole 50 IVI Unit (Second Electrical Component) 55 The second antenna 61 Tracker Stay (First Stay) 62 Flat area 64L, 64R Fastening flange (fastening part) 65b Harness support section 67 Aperture 71 Unit Stay (Second Stay) CL vehicle body left and right center

Claims

1. In a saddle-type vehicle (1) equipped with a location information transmitting device (40) including a GPS receiving device (42) that identifies the position of the vehicle itself, and a communication device (43) that transmits the location information received by the GPS receiving device (42), The head pipe (21a) located at the front end of the vehicle frame (21), The head pipe (21a) is covered from the front and rear by a front cover (11a) and a rear cover (11b), It comprises a first stay (61) fixed to the vehicle body frame (21), The GPS receiver (42) is positioned between the front cover (11a) and the rear cover (11b), and It is positioned offset to the right of the center (CL) of the vehicle body. The location information transmitting device (40) comprises a housing (41) that houses the GPS receiving device (42) and the communication device (43) and has a breathing hole (48), The first stay (61) has a flat portion (62) that is along the outer surface (41b) of the housing (41) through which the breathing hole (48) is opened. The position information transmitting device (40) is fixed to the first stay (61) with the outer surface of the housing (41) facing the flat portion (62), The saddle-type vehicle is characterized in that the flat portion (62) has an opening (67) formed in a position that does not overlap with the breathing hole (48) when viewed from the normal direction.

2. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that it is equipped with a side stand (7) that supports the vehicle body in an upright position with the body tilted to the left.

3. The main harness is positioned offset to the right of the center (CL) of the vehicle body. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that a harness (40a) connected to the main harness extends from the right side of the position information transmitting device (40).

4. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the position information transmitting device (40) is fixed to the first stay (61).

5. It is fixed to the vehicle body frame (21) and includes a second stay (71) for fixing a second electrical device (50), The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the first stay (61) is fixed to the second stay (71).

6. The first stay (61) comprises a flat portion (62) that extends along the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, and a pair of fastening portions (64L, 64R) located on both sides of the flat portion (62) in the first direction. The position information transmitting device (40) is fixed above the flat portion (62), The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 5, characterized in that the first stay (61) is fixed to the second stay (71) at the pair of fastening portions (64L, 64R).

7. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 6, characterized in that the first stay (61) has a flat portion (62) that is positioned higher in the vertical direction than the pair of fastening portions (64L, 64R).

8. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the first stay (61) is provided with a harness support portion (65b) for fixing the harness (27a).

9. The license plate (17) is supported on the front side of the front cover (11a). The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the position information transmitting device (40) is positioned so as not to overlap with the license plate (17) when viewed from above.

10. In addition to the aforementioned position information transmitting device (40), a second GPS receiving device (55) is provided to determine the position of the vehicle. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the second GPS receiver (55) is positioned offset to the left of the center (CL) of the vehicle body.

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