bracket

Abstract

To provide a bracket which does not impair riding quality while improving steering responsiveness in a saddle-riding type vehicle.SOLUTION: A bracket 1 connects a pair of fork members F, F for supporting a front wheel W of a saddle-riding type vehicle V to a steering shaft S of the saddle-riding type vehicle V. The bracket 1 includes: a shaft holding ring 2 which holds the steering shaft S; a pair of left and right clamps 3, 4 which respectively hold upper ends of the fork members F, F; a pair of arms 5, 6 which connect the shaft holding ring 2 with the clamps 3, 4; and a reinforcement part 7 which connects the clamps 3, 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a bracket grips the upper ends of a pair of fork members that support the front wheel serving as the steering wheel of a saddle-type vehicle, and is fitted onto the outer periphery of the lower end of a steering shaft that is rotatably held inside a head pipe provided at the tip of the vehicle body of the saddle-type vehicle, thereby connecting the fork members and the steering shaft.

[0003] The bracket includes, for example, a shaft holding ring fitted onto the outer periphery of a steering shaft connected to a handle, a pair of clamps that grip the upper ends of the respective fork members, and a pair of arms that connect the clamps arranged on the left and right with the shaft holding ring at the center to the central shaft holding ring (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Therefore, when a rider rotates the handle during the running of the saddle-type vehicle, the fork members rotate around the steering shaft to rotate the front wheel in the left-right direction, enabling the saddle-type vehicle to run in the direction intended by the rider.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] As mentioned above, the bracket plays a role in transmitting steering input from the rider to the front wheel. When the front wheel is steered, it encounters resistance from the road surface, and a torsional moment acts around the shaft retaining ring when the steering wheel is turned. If the torsional rigidity of the bracket is low, the steering response of the front wheel will be delayed in response to the rider's steering input. Therefore, it is desirable for the bracket to have high torsional rigidity from the viewpoint of steering responsiveness.

[0007] Furthermore, the fork member gripped by the bracket is mounted in a position where its upper end is tilted backward compared to its lower end. When the front wheel vibrates vertically while the saddle-type vehicle is in motion, a bending moment is applied to the bracket in the front-rear direction, causing the bracket to bend. Direction Increasing rigidity makes it easier for vertical vibrations from the front wheel to be transmitted to the vehicle body, worsening ride comfort. Therefore, from the perspective of ride comfort, it is desirable to reduce the rigidity in the bending direction of the bracket.

[0008] Therefore, simply increasing the rigidity of the arm to improve steering responsiveness will not only increase the torsional rigidity of the bracket, but also the bending of the bracket. Direction The rigidity also increases, which compromises ride comfort. On the other hand, simply lowering the rigidity of the arm to improve ride comfort will cause the bracket to bend. Direction Because not only the rigidity but also the torsional rigidity is reduced, steering responsiveness is compromised. It is difficult to improve the steering responsiveness and ride comfort of a saddle-type vehicle by simply adjusting the rigidity of the arms.

[0009] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a bracket that improves steering responsiveness in saddle-type vehicles without compromising ride comfort. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To solve the above problems, the bracket of the present invention is a bracket for connecting a pair of fork members that support the front wheel of a saddle-type vehicle to the steering shaft of the saddle-type vehicle, comprising: a shaft retaining ring for holding the steering shaft; a pair of left and right clamps for gripping the upper ends of the fork members, a pair of arms connecting the shaft retaining ring and the clamps, and reinforcing parts for connecting the clamps. The reinforcing section connects the clamps independently of the shaft retaining ring and the arm. Furthermore, the bracket of the present invention is a bracket for connecting a pair of fork members that support the front wheel of a saddle-type vehicle to the steering shaft of the saddle-type vehicle, comprising a shaft retaining ring for holding the steering shaft, a pair of left and right clamps for gripping the upper ends of the fork members, arms connecting the shaft retaining ring and the clamps, and reinforcing parts connecting the clamps, wherein the arms have a first upper arm portion connecting the shaft retaining ring and the upper end of one clamp, a second upper arm portion connecting the shaft retaining ring and the upper end of the other clamp, a first lower arm portion connecting the shaft retaining ring and the lower end of one clamp, and a second lower arm portion connecting the shaft retaining ring and the lower end of the other clamp, and the reinforcing parts have a retaining ring connecting portion which extends outward from the side of the shaft retaining ring and is integrated with the shaft retaining ring, a first arm connecting portion which extends from the retaining ring connecting portion and is connected to the first lower arm portion, and a second arm connecting portion which extends from the retaining ring connecting portion and is connected to the second lower arm portion.

[0011] In this configuration, the bracket is provided with reinforcing parts that connect the clamps, so that the reinforcing parts prevent the bracket from bending. Direction While not significantly improving overall rigidity, this design enhances rigidity against torsional moments that rotate the left and right clamps horizontally relative to the shaft retaining ring along with the arm.

[0012] Furthermore, the reinforcing portion of the bracket may be integrated with the shaft retaining ring and the arms respectively to connect the clamps. With a bracket configured in this way, since the reinforcing portion is integrated with the shaft retaining ring and each arm, it becomes easy to use mold-based manufacturing methods such as sintering, mold casting, and die casting when manufacturing the bracket.

[0013] Furthermore, the reinforcing portion of the bracket may connect the clamps independently of the shaft retaining ring and the arm. With a bracket configured in this way, the torsional rigidity can be increased without affecting the bending direction of the bracket by providing the reinforcing portion, thus achieving both improved steering responsiveness and improved ride comfort in saddle-type vehicles.

[0014] Furthermore, each arm in the bracket may be provided with a weight-reducing section that improves the second moment of area compared to when the arm is solid. With a bracket configured in this way, it is possible to ensure sufficient rigidity while suppressing the weight increase caused by providing reinforcing sections.

[0015] And the retaining ring connection part integrated with the shaft retaining ring in the reinforcing part may have a groove along the outer circumference of the shaft retaining ring at the upper end or the lower end. According to the bracket configured in this way, since the difficulty of the left and right clamps rotating in the vertical direction with respect to the shaft retaining ring due to the integration of the reinforcing part with the shaft retaining ring is alleviated, by integrating the reinforcing part with the shaft retaining ring, the degree of increasing the bending rigidity of the bracket becomes slight, and the degree of deteriorating the riding comfort of the saddle-type vehicle can be reduced.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] According to the bracket of the present invention, the steering responsiveness in a saddle-type vehicle can be improved without sacrificing the riding comfort.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] It is a view showing a saddle-type vehicle to which the bracket of an embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 2] It is a front view of the bracket of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a plan view of the bracket of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a rear view of the bracket of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a bottom view of the bracket of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view of the bracket of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a plan view of the bracket of a modification of an embodiment of the present invention.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a bracket 1 in one embodiment is a bracket 1 that connects a pair of fork members F, F that support the front wheel W of the saddle-riding type vehicle V to the steering shaft S of the saddle-riding type vehicle V, and includes a shaft holding ring 2 that holds the steering shaft S, a pair of left and right clamps 3, 4 that grip the upper ends of the respective fork members F, F, a pair of arms 5, 6 that connect the shaft holding ring 2 and each of the clamps 3, 4, and a reinforcing portion 7 that connects the clamps 3, 4 to each other. In this document, unless otherwise specified, the front-back, left-right, and up-down directions are described based on the saddle-riding type vehicle V.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the bracket 1 connects a steering shaft S that is inserted into a head pipe P provided at the tip of the vehicle body B in the saddle-riding type vehicle V and is rotatably held by the head pipe P, and the upper ends of a pair of fork members F, F that are arranged on the left and right of the front wheel W of the saddle-riding type vehicle V and hold the axle of the front wheel W at the lower end side.

[0020] In this embodiment, the fork members F, F include an outer tube f1 arranged on the vehicle body side and an inner tube f2 arranged on the axle side that enters and exits the outer tube f1 from the lower end of the outer tube f1, and are front forks that generate a damping force when the inner tube f2 moves relative to the outer tube f1 in the axial direction. Note that the fork members F, F may be non-expandable and non-contractible rod-shaped members as long as they rotatably support the front wheel W.

[0021] The steering shaft S is inserted into the head pipe P of the saddle-type vehicle body and fitted into a ball bearing mounted on the inner circumference of the head pipe P, allowing it to rotate around its axis relative to the head pipe P. The upper end of the steering shaft S protrudes upward from the head pipe P, and the lower end protrudes downward from the head pipe P. The upper end of the steering shaft S is connected to the steering wheel H, and when the steering wheel H is operated, the steering shaft S rotates around its axis within the head pipe P.

[0022] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the bracket 1 includes a shaft holding ring 2 for holding the steering shaft S, a pair of left and right clamps 3 and 4 for gripping the upper ends of each fork member F and F respectively, a pair of arms 5 and 6 for connecting the shaft holding ring 2 to each clamp 3 and 4 respectively, and a reinforcing part 7 for connecting each clamp 3 and 4 to each other.

[0023] The shaft retaining ring 2 is annular in shape, has an inner diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the lower end of the steering shaft S, and is press-fitted onto the outer circumference of the lower end of the steering shaft S to grip the lower end of the steering shaft S.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3, clamps 3 and 4 both have a split, annular C-shape when viewed from above, and are positioned on both the left and right sides of the shaft retaining ring 2, with the shaft retaining ring 2 in the center.

[0025] Furthermore, the left clamp 3, located on the left side in Figure 3 of the shaft holding ring 2, has ear portions 3a and 3b that protrude radially outward from the upper and lower ends of the split in the circumferential direction, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. The ear portions 3a and 3b form pairs with the upper ear portions 3a and 3b that are opposite each other across the split in the circumferential direction, and also with the lower ear portions 3a and 3b that are opposite each other across the split in the circumferential direction.

[0026] Furthermore, the lug portion 3a at the central end (right side in Figure 3) on the shaft retaining ring 2 side is provided with a screw hole 3a1 that allows for screw connection of a bolt, and the lug portion 3b at the outer end (left side in Figure 3) on the opposite side of the shaft retaining ring 2 is provided with an insertion hole 3b1 that allows for insertion of a bolt.

[0027] Therefore, by passing a bolt (not shown) through the insertion holes 3b1 of each of the upper and lower lugs 3b of the clamp 3, and screwing the bolt into the threaded hole 3a1 of the corresponding lug 3a, the bolt brings the paired lugs 3a and 3b closer together, thereby reducing the inner diameter of the clamp 3. Thus, by inserting the upper end of the fork member F into the clamp 3 and then reducing the diameter of the clamp 3 using the bolt as described above, the clamp 3 tightens around the outer circumference of the upper end of the fork member F, gripping the fork member F.

[0028] Furthermore, the right clamp 4, located on the right side of the shaft retaining ring 2 in Figure 3, is equipped with ear portions 4a and 4b, respectively, that protrude radially outward from the top and bottom of both ends of the circumferential split, as shown in Figure 4, similar to the left clamp 3. The ear portion 4a at the central end (left side in Figure 3), which is on the shaft retaining ring 2 side, is provided with a screw hole 4a1 that allows for screw connection of a bolt, and the ear portion 4b at the outer end (right side in Figure 3), which is on the opposite side of the shaft retaining ring 2, is provided with an insertion hole 4b1 that allows for insertion of a bolt. Therefore, similar to clamp 3, by inserting the upper end of the fork member F into clamp 4 and then reducing the diameter of clamp 4 using a bolt (not shown), clamp 4 tightens around the outer circumference of the upper end of the fork member F, thereby gripping the fork member F.

[0029] As shown in Figure 2, arms 5 and 6 are comprised of upper arm sections 5a and 6a and lower arm sections 5b and 6b, with gaps 5c and 6c between the upper arm sections 5a and 6a and the lower arm sections 5b and 6b, connecting the shaft retaining ring 2 to the clamps 3 and 4, respectively, with the shaft retaining ring 2 at the center. In other words, arm 5 connects the shaft retaining ring 2 to the left clamp 3, and arm 6 connects the shaft retaining ring 2 to the right clamp 4. As shown in Figure 2, in the front view, the shaft retaining ring 2 is located in the center of the left and right clamps 3 and 4, but as shown in Figure 3, in the plan view, the center a of the shaft retaining ring 2 is eccentrically positioned upward in Figure 3 relative to the line L connecting the centers b and c of the clamps 3 and 4.

[0030] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the shaft retaining ring 2 is positioned above the left and right clamps 3 and 4 in the figure. Thus, the center a of the shaft retaining ring 2 is eccentrically positioned above line L in Figure 3, and the shaft retaining ring 2 is positioned above the left and right clamps 3 and 4 in Figure 2. As a result, the arm 5 is connected to the shaft retaining ring 2 in an inclined position extending from the left clamp 3 toward the rear and upward of the saddle-type vehicle V, and the arm 6 is also connected to the shaft retaining ring 2 in an inclined position extending toward the rear and upward in Figure 3 from the right clamp 4.

[0031] More specifically, the upper arm portion 5a of arm 5 connects the upper end of the shaft retaining ring 2 to the upper end of the left clamp 3, the lower arm portion 5b of arm 5 connects the lower end of the shaft retaining ring 2 to the lower end of the left clamp 3, the upper arm portion 6a of arm 6 connects the upper end of the shaft retaining ring 2 to the upper end of the right clamp 4, and the lower arm portion 6b of arm 6 connects the lower end of the shaft retaining ring 2 to the lower end of the right clamp 4. The upper arm portions 5a, 6a and the lower arm portions 5b, 6b are both inclined to connect the upper and lower ends of the shaft retaining ring 2 to the upper and lower ends of the respective clamps 3 and 4.

[0032] As described above, since arms 5 and 6 are inclined to position the shaft retaining ring 2 above clamps 3 and 4, even if the front wheel W approaches the bracket 1 due to the contraction of the fork members F and F, the front wheel W will not come into contact with the shaft retaining ring 2. However, if the front wheel W and the shaft retaining ring 2 do not interfere with each other even without connecting arms 5 and 6 inclined to position the shaft retaining ring 2 above each clamp 3 and 4 as described above, the shaft retaining ring 2 and each clamp 3 and 4 may be connected at the same height without inclination.

[0033] Furthermore, the bracket 1 is equipped with a reinforcing section 7 that connects the clamps 3 and 4 to each other. In the bracket 1 of this embodiment, the reinforcing section 7 is integrally provided with the arms 5 and 6 and the shaft retaining ring 2. The arms 5 and 6 extend from the shaft retaining ring 2 toward the clamps 3 and 4, and the boundary between the arms 5 and 6 and the reinforcing section 7 is shown by a dashed line in Figure 3. Conventional brackets do not have a reinforcing section, and only the arms connect the left and right clamps to the shaft retaining ring, resulting in a structure where the part below the dashed line in Figure 3 is cut off. In contrast, the bracket 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a reinforcing section 7 as described above.

[0034] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the reinforcing portion 7 includes a retaining ring connecting portion 7a, which extends horizontally from the side of the upper end of the shaft retaining ring 2 and is integrated with the shaft retaining ring 2, and arm connecting portions 7b and 7c, which extend from the left and right sides of the retaining ring connecting portion 7a in Figure 3, respectively, and are integrated with the arms 5 and 6 and connected to the left and right clamps 3 and 4.

[0035] As shown in Figure 2, the retaining ring connection portion 7a extends horizontally from the front of the outer circumference of the upper end of the shaft retaining ring 2 in Figure 2 toward the foreground of the paper, and connects to the front of the outer circumference of the upper end of the shaft retaining ring 2 and to the upper arm portions 5a and 6a of the arms 5 and 6. As shown in Figure 3, the retaining ring connection portion 7a is formed in a roughly trapezoidal shape, comprising a central portion 7a1 that protrudes downward in a roughly rectangular shape from the lower end of the shaft retaining ring 2, and side portions 7a2 and 7a3 that are connected to the left and right of the central portion 7a1 and are inclined to connect to the shaft retaining ring 2 and each arm 5 and 6. Furthermore, the retaining ring connection portion 7a is connected to the shaft retaining ring 2 so as to surround the entire portion of the outer circumference of the upper end of the shaft retaining ring 2 between the arms 5 and 6, and grooves 7a4 along the outer circumference of the shaft retaining ring 2 are provided in the outer circumference of the shaft retaining ring 2 on the central portion 7a1 and the side portions 7a2 and 7a3 that face the space between the arms 5 and 6.

[0036] The arm connection portions 7b and 7c extend inclined from the lower end of the central portion 7a1 of the retaining ring connection portion 7a in a direction that separates them from each other, and are connected to the lower arm portions 5b and 6b of the arms 5 and 6, respectively.

[0037] Thus, the arm connection portion 7b of the reinforcing portion 7 and the lower arm portion 5b to which the arm connection portion 7b is connected are integrated to form a roughly trapezoidal connection portion in plan view that connects the shaft holding ring 2 and the left clamp 3. As shown in Figures 2 and 5, a recess 10 that opens downwards is provided in this connection portion. This recess 10, along with the gap 5c between the upper arm portion 5a and the lower arm portion 5b, helps to bend the arm 5. Direction A weight-reducing section G1 is formed to ensure rigidity, increase torsional rigidity, and lighten the bracket 1. Furthermore, the arm connection section 7c of the reinforcing section 7 and the lower arm section 6b to which this arm connection section 7c is connected are integrated to form a roughly trapezoidal connection section in plan view that connects the shaft holding ring 2 and the right-side clamp 4. As shown in Figures 2 and 5, a recess 11 that opens downwards is provided in this connection section. This recess 11, along with the gap 6c between the upper arm section 6a and the lower arm section 6b, helps to reduce the bending of the arm 6. DirectionA weight-reducing section G2 is formed to ensure rigidity, increase torsional rigidity, and reduce the weight of bracket 1.

[0038] The bracket 1 of this embodiment is configured as described above, and its operation will be explained below. As previously mentioned, the bracket 1 is connected to the steering shaft S by press-fitting it into the shaft retaining ring 2, and the left and right clamps 3 and 4 are connected to the fork members F and F by tightening the upper ends of the fork members F and F inserted into the clamps 3 and 4 using bolts (not shown).

[0039] As the saddle-type vehicle V moves, and the front wheel W overcomes unevenness in the road surface or the contact load of the front wheel W on the road surface fluctuates, a bending moment acts on the bracket 1 via the fork members F, F, causing both the left and right clamps 3, 4 to rotate simultaneously in the vertical direction relative to the shaft retaining ring 2. Furthermore, when the rider operates the handlebars H to rotate the front wheel W, a torsional moment acts on the bracket 1 via the fork members F, F, causing both the left and right clamps 3, 4 to rotate simultaneously horizontally about the axis of the shaft retaining ring 2, due to friction between the road surface and the front wheel W. Furthermore, when we say that a bending moment acts on bracket 1, we mean that a force acts on the fork members F, F in a direction that bends them vertically relative to the axis of the steering shaft S, and this force results in a moment acting on bracket 1. When we say that a torsional moment acts on bracket 1, we mean that a force acts on the steering shaft S from the fork members F, F in a direction that rotates it around its axis, and this force results in a moment acting on bracket 1.

[0040] When a bending moment acts on bracket 1, as shown by arrow A in Figure 6, a force that rotates the left and right clamps 3 and 4 along the vertical direction relative to the shaft retaining ring 2 acts as a torque that twists the left and right arms 5 and 6 and the reinforcing part 7. The reinforcing part 7 has a thickness in the height direction that is thinner than the vertical height of arms 5 and 6, and is connected to the left and right clamps 3 and 4, and is integrated with the lower arm portions 5b and 6b of arms 5 and 6 and the shaft retaining ring 2, but the reinforcing part 7 is Bending direction Since the rigidity is not significantly increased, even if the reinforcing portion 7 is provided on the bracket 1, the rigidity of the bracket 1 against the bending moment will not become excessively high.

[0041] Therefore, when a bending moment acts on bracket 1, bracket 1 can be flexibly elastically deformed, causing the front wheel W, supported by the tips of the fork members F, F, to be displaced vertically relative to the vehicle body B, thereby mitigating vibrations from the road surface to the vehicle body B and preventing any loss of ride comfort in the saddle-type vehicle V.

[0042] On the other hand, when a torsional moment acts on the bracket 1, as shown by arrow C in Figure 6, a force that rotates the left and right clamps 3 and 4 horizontally relative to the shaft retaining ring 2 acts on the left and right arms 5 and 6 and the reinforcing part 7 as a bending force. Since the reinforcing part 7 is connected to the left and right clamps 3 and 4, it suppresses the left and right clamps 3 and 4 from rotating horizontally relative to the shaft retaining ring 2 together with the arms 5 and 6, or from moving closer to or further apart from each other. Since the reinforcing part 7 suppresses the horizontal rotation of the left and right clamps 3 and 4 relative to the shaft retaining ring 2 together with the arms 5 and 6, providing the reinforcing part 7 on the bracket 1 increases the rigidity of the bracket 1 against the aforementioned torsional moment.

[0043] Therefore, when a torsional moment acts on bracket 1, the deformation of bracket 1 is suppressed, and the relative displacement between the steering shaft S and the fork members F,F is reduced accordingly. This reduces the likelihood of a delay in the steering response of the front wheels W to the steering of the steering wheel H of the saddle-type vehicle V, thereby improving steering responsiveness.

[0044] As described above, the bracket 1 of this embodiment is a bracket 1 that connects a pair of fork members F, F that support the front wheels W of a saddle-type vehicle V to the steering shaft S of the saddle-type vehicle V, and comprises a shaft holding ring 2 that holds the steering shaft S, a pair of left and right clamps 3, 4 that grip the upper ends of the fork members F, F respectively, a pair of arms 5, 6 that connect the shaft holding ring 2 to the clamps 3, 4 respectively, and a reinforcing part 7 that connects the clamps 3, 4 to each other.

[0045] The bracket 1 configured in this way is provided with a reinforcing part 7 that connects the clamps 3 and 4, so that the reinforcing part 7 connects the arms 5 and 6 Bending direction While not significantly increasing rigidity, the rigidity against torsional moments that rotate the left and right clamps 3 and 4 horizontally relative to the shaft holding ring 2, along with the arms 5 and 6, can be improved. Therefore, with the bracket 1 of this embodiment, by providing the reinforcing portion 7, the rigidity in the torsional direction can be increased without significantly increasing the rigidity in the bending direction of the bracket 1, thus improving steering responsiveness in the saddle-type vehicle V without compromising ride comfort.

[0046] Furthermore, in the bracket 1 of this embodiment, the reinforcing portion 7 is integrated with the shaft retaining ring 2 and the arms 5 and 6 respectively, connecting the clamps 3 and 4 to each other. With the bracket 1 configured in this way, since the reinforcing portion 7 is integrated with the shaft retaining ring 2 and the arms 5 and 6, it becomes easy to employ mold-based manufacturing methods such as sintering, mold casting, and die casting when manufacturing the bracket 1.

[0047] In this embodiment, the bracket 1 has a vertical thickness of the reinforcing portion 7 that is thinner than the vertical height of the arms 5 and 6, and even when the reinforcing portion 7 is integrated with the shaft retaining ring 2 and the arms 5 and 6, the arms 5 and 6 Bending direction Since the degree to which rigidity is increased is minor, integrating the reinforcing part 7 with the shaft retaining ring 2 and each arm 5, 6 reduces the degree to which the ride comfort of the saddle-type vehicle V is deteriorated.

[0048] Furthermore, the retaining ring connection portion 7a, to which the upper ends of the arm connection portions 7b and 7c connected to the left and right clamps 3 and 4 of the reinforcing portion 7 are connected, is connected to the upper arm portions 5a and 6a, which are the outer circumference of the upper end of the shaft retaining ring 2 and the upper ends of the arms 5 and 6. Therefore, in the bracket 1 of this embodiment, when a bending moment acts on the bracket 1 and a force acts on the left and right clamps 3 and 4 to rotate them vertically relative to the shaft retaining ring 2, the length of the arm connection portions 7b and 7c can be increased, and a large bending moment is applied to the joint between the shaft retaining ring 2 and the retaining ring connection portion 7a, making the joint portion more prone to deformation, and making it easier for the left and right clamps 3 and 4 to rotate vertically relative to the shaft retaining ring 2. Thus, according to the bracket 1 of this embodiment, by integrating the reinforcing portion 7 with the upper end sides of the shaft retaining ring 2 and the arms 5 and 6, the arms 5 and 6 Bending direction By minimizing the need to increase rigidity and integrating the reinforcing section 7 with the shaft retaining ring 2 and each arm 5, 6, the degree to which the ride comfort of the saddle-type vehicle V is deteriorated can be reduced.

[0049] Furthermore, in the bracket 1 of this embodiment, each arm 5, 6 is provided with weight-reducing sections G1, G2 that improve the second moment of area compared to when each arm 5, 6 is solid. With the bracket 1 configured in this way, the weight increase due to the provision of the reinforcing section 7 can be mitigated by reducing the weight of the arms 5, 6 by providing the weight-reducing sections G1, G2 on the arms 5, 6, thereby reducing the overall weight increase of the bracket 1. In addition, compared to when the arms 5, 6 are solid, the second moment of area is improved even when weight-reducing sections G1, G2 are provided on the arms 5, 6, so sufficient rigidity against bending and torsion can be ensured for the arms 5, 6. Thus, the rigidity of the bracket 1 can be ensured while suppressing the weight increase due to the provision of the reinforcing section 7.

[0050] Furthermore, since the weight-reducing sections G1 and G2 only need to be provided to improve the second moment of area of ​​the arms 5 and 6, their installation location and shape can be arbitrarily modified. If the reinforcing section 7 is integrated with the arms 5 and 6, the sections may be provided only on the arms 5 and 6, or they may be provided from the arms 5 and 6 to the reinforcing section 7, as in the bracket 1 of this embodiment. In addition, in the bracket 1 of this embodiment, the arms 5 and 6 are separated into upper arm sections 5a and 6a and lower arm sections 5b and 6b by the installation of a gap 5c that penetrates the arms 5 and 6. However, if the gap 5c is not provided, the arms 5 and 6 do not need to be separated into upper and lower parts, and instead of a gap 5c, a recess that does not penetrate the arms 5 and 6 may be provided to serve as the weight-reducing section.

[0051] Furthermore, in the bracket 1 of this embodiment, the retaining ring connection portion 7a of the reinforcing portion 7, which is integrated with the shaft retaining ring 2, has a groove 7a4 at its upper end that follows the outer circumference of the shaft retaining ring 2. With the bracket 1 configured in this way, the thickness of the part of the retaining ring connection portion 7a connected to the shaft retaining ring 2 where the groove 7a4 is installed is thin, and this part is easily elastically deformed. Therefore, when a bending moment acts on the bracket 1 and a force acts on the left and right clamps 3 and 4 to rotate them vertically relative to the shaft retaining ring 2, this part can be actively deformed. Thus, with the bracket 1 of this embodiment, the difficulty of the left and right clamps 3 and 4 to rotate vertically relative to the shaft retaining ring 2 due to the integration of the reinforcing portion 7 with the shaft retaining ring 2 is mitigated, and by integrating the reinforcing portion 7 with the shaft retaining ring 2, the arms 5 and 6 Bending direction The degree to which rigidity is increased is minimal, which reduces the degree to which the ride comfort of the saddle-type vehicle V is deteriorated. The groove 7a4 is provided at the upper end of the retaining ring connection portion 7a, but if possible, it may be formed at the lower end of the retaining ring connection portion 7a.

[0052] Furthermore, the reinforcing portion 7A may be installed on the bracket 1 in a manner that it is not integrated with the shaft retaining ring 2 and the arms 5 and 6, but is instead independently spanned between the left and right clamps 3 and 4, as shown in Figure 7. With the bracket 1A configured in this way, since the reinforcing portion 7A is not integrated with the shaft retaining ring 2 and the arms 5 and 6, but is independently connected to the left and right clamps 3 and 4, even if a bending moment acts on the bracket 1, the reinforcing portion 7A does not hinder the left and right clamps 3 and 4 from rotating vertically relative to the shaft retaining ring 2, so the left and right arms 5 and 6 Bending directionWhile having little effect on rigidity, when a torsional moment acts on bracket 1, the left and right clamps 3 and 4, along with arms 5 and 6, are prevented from rotating horizontally with respect to the shaft holding ring 2 or from moving closer to or further apart from each other. Therefore, with bracket 1 configured in this way, the torsional rigidity can be increased without affecting the bending rigidity of bracket 1 by providing the reinforcing part 7A, thus achieving both improved steering responsiveness and improved ride comfort in a saddle-type vehicle V.

[0053] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, modifications, alterations, and changes are permitted as long as they do not deviate from the scope of the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0054] 1,1A...Bracket, 2...Shaft retaining ring, 3,4...Clamp, 5,6...Arm, 7,7A...Reinforcement part, 7a...Retaining ring connection part, 7a4...Groove, F...Fork member, G1,G2...Lightweight cutouts, S...Steering shaft, V...Saddle-type vehicle, W...Front wheel

Claims

1. A bracket that connects a pair of fork members supporting the front wheel of a saddle-type vehicle to the steering shaft of the saddle-type vehicle, and is connected only to the pair of fork members and the steering shaft, A shaft retaining ring that holds the steering shaft, A pair of left and right clamps that grip each of the upper ends of the fork member, A pair of arms connecting the shaft retaining ring and the clamp, It comprises a reinforcing part that connects the clamps together, The reinforcing portion connects the clamps independently of the shaft retaining ring and the arm. A bracket characterized by the following features.

2. A bracket for connecting a pair of fork members that support the front wheel of a saddle-type vehicle to the steering shaft of the saddle-type vehicle, A shaft retaining ring that holds the steering shaft, A pair of left and right clamps that grip each of the upper ends of the fork member, An arm connecting the shaft retaining ring and the clamp, It comprises a reinforcing part that connects the clamps together, The aforementioned arm is A first upper arm portion connecting the shaft retaining ring and the upper end of one of the clamps, A second upper arm portion connecting the shaft retaining ring and the upper end of the other clamp, A first lower arm portion connecting the shaft retaining ring and the lower end of one of the clamps, It has a second lower arm portion that connects the shaft retaining ring and the lower end of the other clamp, The aforementioned reinforcing portion is The retaining ring connecting portion is a part that extends outward from the side of the shaft retaining ring and is integrated with the shaft retaining ring, A first arm connection portion extending from the retaining ring connection portion and connected to the first lower arm portion, It has a second arm connection portion that extends from the retaining ring connection portion and connects to the second lower arm portion. A bracket characterized by the following features.

3. The retaining ring connection portion integrated with the shaft retaining ring in the reinforcing portion has a groove at its upper or lower end that runs along the outer circumference of the shaft retaining ring. The bracket according to claim 2, characterized in that...

Images