Saddle-type vehicle

Abstract

A saddle-type vehicle comprises: an internal combustion engine (E) that has a front bank (33) comprising a cylinder (33A) which is inclined forward and a rear bank (34) comprising a cylinder (34A) which is inclined rearward; an air cleaner (40) that comprises an intake port and that takes in outside air; a supercharger (50) that is connected to the downstream side of the air cleaner (40) and that compresses the intake air; and a surge tank (60) that is connected to the downstream side of the supercharger (50) and that supplies, to the internal combustion engine (E), the intake air compressed by the supercharger (50), wherein the surge tank (60) is located midway between the front bank (33) and the rear bank (34) in the front-rear direction, the supercharger (50) is located in front of the surge tank (60), and the air cleaner (40) is located above or below the surge tank (60) and the supercharger (50).

Description

Straddle-type vehicle

[0001] The present invention relates to a straddle-type vehicle. This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-208936 filed in Japan on November 29, 2024, and incorporates its content herein by reference.

[0002] Conventionally, superchargers used in vehicle engines (internal combustion engines) include turbochargers that utilize the exhaust energy of the engine and superchargers that utilize a part of the driving force of the engine. In recent years, an electric supercharger that uses an electric motor to drive the supercharger is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-228624

[0004] Regarding the arrangement of the supercharger and related components of a straddle-type vehicle, there are no deep limitations, and problems remain regarding the mounting on the vehicle body.

[0005] The present invention provides a straddle-type vehicle that can efficiently mount a supercharger used in an internal combustion engine on the vehicle.

[0006] As a means for solving the above problems, an aspect of the present invention has the following configuration. (1) A straddle-type vehicle according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a front bank (33) having a cylinder (33A) inclined forward and a rear bank (34) having a cylinder (34A) inclined backward of an internal combustion engine (E), an air cleaner (40) having an air intake and inhaling outside air, a supercharger (50) connected to the downstream side of the air cleaner (40) and compressing the inhaled air, and a surge tank (60) connected to the downstream side of the supercharger (50) and supplying the inhaled air compressed by the supercharger (50) to the internal combustion engine (E). The straddle-type vehicle (1) is characterized in that the surge tank (60) is located at an intermediate position in the front-rear direction between the front bank (33) and the rear bank (34), the supercharger (50) is located in front of the surge tank (60), and the air cleaner (40) is located above or below the surge tank (60) and the supercharger (50).

[0007] According to the saddle-type vehicle described in (1) above of the present invention, the surge tank can be efficiently positioned by utilizing the space midway between the front and rear banks in the longitudinal direction, and the air cleaner is positioned above or below the surge tank and supercharger. As a result, these superchargers and related components do not protrude significantly in the vehicle width direction and longitudinal direction, and can be positioned closer to the center of the vehicle body on both sides to improve weight balance and enable efficient arrangement. Thus, with this configuration, it is possible to achieve a layout that allows for efficient supercharging by positioning the supercharger and the necessary components associated with the supercharger near the intake of the internal combustion engine within the limited space of the vehicle body.

[0008] (2) The saddle-type vehicle described in (1) above comprises a head pipe (6) supporting a steering system capable of steering the front wheels, and a pair of left and right main frames (7) extending rearward and downward from the head pipe (6) and supporting the internal combustion engine (E), wherein the supercharger (50) may be positioned behind the head pipe (6) and between the pair of main frames (7) in the vehicle width direction.

[0009] According to the saddle-type vehicle described in (2) above of the present invention, the supercharger, which is a drive component, can be protected from the surroundings by arranging it in a space enclosed on three sides by the head pipe and a pair of left and right main frames.

[0010] (3) In the saddle-type vehicle described in (2) above, the surge tank (60), the supercharger (50), and the air cleaner (40) may be positioned inward in the vehicle width direction from the outermost end of the main frame (7).

[0011] According to the saddle-type vehicle described in (3) above of the present invention, the supercharger, which is a drive component, and the surge tank and air cleaner, which are pressure vessels, can be positioned and protected on the inside in the vehicle width direction, while maximizing space capacity. As a result, it becomes possible to secure a large volume for the surge tank and air cleaner, and noise and power characteristics can be stabilized.

[0012] (4) In the saddle-type vehicle described in (3) above, the surge tank (60) and the supercharger (50) may overlap with the main frame (7) in a side view, at least in part.

[0013] According to the saddle-type vehicle described in (4) above of the present invention, the supercharger, which is a drive component, and the surge tank, which is a pressure vessel, can be reliably protected by a pair of left and right main frames.

[0014] (5) In the saddle-type vehicle described in (4) above, the main frame (7) comprises an upper frame (15) extending rearward and downward from the head pipe (6) and a lower frame (16) extending rearward and downward below the upper frame (15), and the supercharger (50) may be positioned between the upper frame (15) and the lower frame (16) in the vertical direction.

[0015] According to the saddle-type vehicle described in (5) above of the present invention, the upper frame and lower frame, which are the main frames, are arranged on both sides in the vehicle width direction of the supercharger, which is a drive component, so that the supercharger can be protected more reliably by these upper and lower frames.

[0016] (6) In the saddle-type vehicle described in any one of the above items (1) to (5), the air cleaner (40) is connected to a supercharger intake pipe (51) connected to the supercharger (50) and a bypass pipe (52) connected to the surge tank (60), the supercharger (50) is connected to a supercharger discharge pipe (53) that discharges air drawn in from the supercharger intake pipe (51) to the surge tank (60), and in a side view, the supercharger (50) may be positioned adjacent to the surge tank (60) in a position that overlaps with it in the front-rear direction.

[0017] According to the saddle-type vehicle described in (6) above of the present invention, by shortening the distance between the supercharger and the surge tank and arranging them in a straight line in the front-rear direction, it is possible to reduce pressure loss due to the length and bends of the supercharger discharge piping connecting the supercharger and the surge tank.

[0018] (7) In the saddle-type vehicle described in (6) above, the air cleaner (40) may be positioned adjacent to the supercharger (50) and the surge tank (60) in a position that overlaps with them in a plan view.

[0019] According to the saddle-type vehicle described in (7) above of the present invention, the saddle-type vehicle is capable of switching between supercharging by a supercharger and natural aspiration by being directly connected to the air cleaner. By bringing both the supercharger and the surge tank closer to the air cleaner, pressure loss can be minimized regardless of the path in which they are arranged, thereby improving engine efficiency.

[0020] (8) The saddle-type vehicle described in (7) above comprises a head pipe (6) supporting a steering system capable of steering the front wheels, and a pair of left and right main frames (7) extending rearward and downward from the head pipe (6) and supporting the internal combustion engine (E), wherein the main frame (7) comprises an upper frame (15) extending rearward and downward from the head pipe (6), and a lower frame (16) below the upper frame (15) and extending rearward and downward, and the supercharger intake pipe (51) may extend outward from the air cleaner (40) in the width of the vehicle, pass on the outside of the width of the upper frame (15), pass between the upper frame (15) and the lower frame (16) and be connected to the supercharger (50).

[0021] According to the saddle-type vehicle described in (8) above of the present invention, while maximizing the space capacity for arranging the air cleaner and surge tank within the width of the left and right main frames, a portion of the supercharger intake piping connecting the air cleaner and the supercharger is routed to pass outside the vehicle width of the upper frame, thus enabling efficient piping configuration.

[0022] (9) In the saddle-type vehicle described in (8) above, the surge tank (60) includes a supercharger-side intake port (62) to which the supercharger discharge pipe (53) connected to the supercharger (50) is connected, and a bypass-side intake port (63) to which the bypass pipe (52) connected to the air cleaner (40) is connected, and the supercharger-side intake port (62) and the bypass-side intake port (63) may be arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction.

[0023] According to the saddle-type vehicle described in (9) above of the present invention, by placing the intake port for supercharging (supercharger-side intake port) and the intake port for natural aspiration (bypass-side intake port) in the surge tank adjacent to each other, there is no difference in the airflow to the throttle body regardless of which intake method is used. Furthermore, since the supercharger-side intake port and the bypass-side intake port are arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction, space efficiency can be improved.

[0024] (10) The saddle-type vehicle described in (9) above may have a drive source (55) that drives the supercharger (50) independently of the internal combustion engine (E).

[0025] According to the saddle-type vehicle described in (10) above of the present invention, the degree of freedom in the placement of the supercharger can be improved compared to a mechanical supercharger.

[0026] (11) In the saddle-type vehicle described in (1) above, the supercharger (50) may be equipped with an electric motor (55) as a drive source.

[0027] According to the saddle-type vehicle described in (11) above of the present invention, by electrifying the supercharger, it becomes unnecessary to obtain the driving force for the supercharger from the exhaust system or drive shaft of the internal combustion engine, and the degree of freedom in the placement of the supercharger can be improved compared to a mechanical supercharger.

[0028] (12) A saddle-type vehicle according to a second aspect of the present invention is a saddle-type vehicle (1) comprising: an internal combustion engine (E) having a front bank (33) with a cylinder (33A) tilted forward and a rear bank (34) with a cylinder (34A) tilted rearward; an air cleaner (40) having an intake port for drawing in outside air; a supercharger (50) connected downstream of the air cleaner (40) for compressing the intake air; and a surge tank (60) connected downstream of the supercharger (50) for supplying the intake air compressed by the supercharger (50) to the internal combustion engine (E), wherein the air cleaner (40) is connected downstream of the supercharger (5 The turbocharger (50) is connected to a turbocharger intake pipe (51) connected to the surge tank (60) and a bypass pipe (52) connected to the surge tank (60). The turbocharger (50) is connected to a turbocharger discharge pipe (53) that discharges air drawn in from the turbocharger intake pipe (51) to the surge tank (60). The surge tank (60) is located midway between the front bank (33) and the rear bank (34) in the front-rear direction. The turbocharger (50) is positioned adjacent to the surge tank (60) in the front-rear direction in a plan view. The air cleaner (40) is positioned adjacent to the surge tank (60) and the turbocharger (50).

[0029] According to the saddle-type vehicle described in (12) above of the present invention, the three intake components, the supercharger, surge tank, and air cleaner, are efficiently arranged adjacent to each other. This allows the supercharger intake piping, bypass piping, and supercharger discharge piping connected to each to be as short, equal in length, and arranged linearly as possible, thereby minimizing pressure loss and enabling efficient supercharging.

[0030] According to an aspect of the present invention, supercharging can be efficiently achieved by efficiently arranging the supercharger and related components.

[0031] This is a right side view of a motorcycle in an embodiment of the present invention. This is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of the intake system of a motorcycle. This is a perspective view of the area around the supercharger, viewed from the front at an angle. This is a side view of the area around the supercharger, viewed from the right side. This is a top view of the area around the supercharger, viewed from above. This is a front view of the area around the supercharger, viewed from the front. This is an enlarged side view of the main part around the supercharger, viewed from the left side. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I shown in Figure 7. This is a front view of the area around the supercharger of a motorcycle in a modified example of the present invention, viewed from the front.

[0032] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment described below, common parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Unless otherwise specified, directions such as front, rear, left, and right in the following description are the same as the directions of the vehicle described below. In addition, in the drawings used in the following description, arrows FR indicating the front of the vehicle, LH indicating the left side of the vehicle, UP indicating the top of the vehicle, and CL indicating the left-right center of the vehicle body are shown in appropriate places. In this embodiment, "intermediate" means not only the center between the two ends of the object, but also the area inside between the two ends of the object. In the following description, it is assumed that the body of the saddle-type vehicle is stationary in an upright state with no tilt to the left or right and a steering angle of 0 degrees, and furthermore, it is in an unloaded state of 1G on a horizontal plane.

[0033] <Overall Vehicle> Figure 1 shows a motorcycle 1 as an example of a saddle-type vehicle. Figure 1 is a left side view of the motorcycle 1. As shown in Figure 1, the motorcycle 1 is equipped with a front wheel 2 steered by a handle 2a and a rear wheel 12 driven by a power unit PU including a V-type engine (internal combustion engine) E.

[0034] The front wheel suspension component 3A, which supports the front wheel 2, is steerably supported by the head pipe 6, which supports the steering system located at the front end of the vehicle frame 5. The handlebars 2a and the front wheel suspension component 3A are steerably supported by the head pipe 6. The head pipe 6 has a cylindrical shape that is tilted backward with respect to the vertical. The front wheel suspension component 3A comprises a pair of left and right front forks 3, and a top bridge 4a and a bottom bridge 4b ​​that connect the upper parts of the left and right front forks 3. A bar-type handlebar 2a is mounted on the top bridge 4a. The steering system is configured as described above to allow the front wheel 2 to be steered relative to the head pipe.

[0035] The motorcycle 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a telescopic front fork 3 as the front suspension, but is not limited to this configuration. For example, the front suspension may be of other types, such as a link type using a swing arm. The front end of the vehicle frame 5 may be equipped with a head section with a configuration that replaces the head pipe 6, depending on the type of front suspension.

[0036] A power unit (PU) is mounted in the front-to-rear center of the vehicle frame 5. For example, the front end of a swing arm 11 is supported at the rear of the power unit (PU) so as to be able to swing up and down around a pivot axis 8a. For example, a rear suspension (not shown) is configured between the front of the swing arm 11 and the rear of the power unit (PU).

[0037] For example, the vehicle frame 5 is formed by integrally joining multiple types of steel materials by welding or the like. The vehicle frame 5 comprises a pair of left and right main frames 7 that extend from the head pipe 6 downward and to the rear, and a pair of left and right seat frames 9 whose front ends are joined to the rear ends of the left and right main frames 7, and which extend downward and to the rear from the front ends.

[0038] In this embodiment, the vehicle frame 5 comprises a front frame 14 including a head pipe 6 and left and right main frames 7, and a rear frame 19 including left and right seat frames 9, with the rear of the front frame 14 and the rear frame 19 being joined together. However, the embodiment is not limited to this one, and the front frame 14 and the rear frame 19 may be separated and each connected to the power unit PU.

[0039] In this embodiment, the vehicle body refers to a portion of the entire vehicle body that is substantially integrated and does not include any movable parts (such as suspension). The vehicle body may include components other than the vehicle frame 5. For example, the pivot portion 8 that supports the front end of the swing arm 11 in this embodiment is provided at the rear end of the body of the power unit PU.

[0040] The power unit PU is located from below the front frame 14 to below the front of the rear frame 19. The power unit PU integrates a V-type multi-cylinder engine E with the crankshaft axis aligned in the left-right direction, and a transmission (not shown) that shifts and outputs the driving force of the engine E. The engine E comprises a crankcase 32 that houses a crankshaft (not shown), and front and rear cylinders 33A and 34A that stand upright above the crankcase 32 and are arranged in a V-shape when viewed from the side. The rear of the crankcase 32 is a transmission case that houses the transmission.

[0041] The front cylinder 33A protrudes diagonally upward and forward of the crankcase 32, extending its cylinder axis C3 diagonally. The rear cylinder 34A protrudes diagonally upward and rear of the crankcase 32, extending its cylinder axis C4 diagonally, and the front cylinder 33A and the rear cylinder 34A are spaced further apart as they extend upward. For example, engine E is a three-cylinder engine having two cylinders in the front cylinder 33A and one cylinder in the rear cylinder 34A, but is not limited to this. For example, engine E may be a two-cylinder engine having one cylinder each in the front and rear cylinders 33A and 34A, a four-cylinder engine having two cylinders each in the front and rear cylinders 33A and 34A, a five-cylinder engine having three cylinders in the front cylinder 33A and two cylinders in the rear cylinder 34A, or a six-cylinder engine having three cylinders each in the front and rear cylinders 33A and 34A.

[0042] Two front intake ports (not shown) for two cylinders are formed on the rear upper surface of the cylinder head of the front cylinder 33A. One rear intake port (not shown) for one cylinder is formed on the upper front surface of the cylinder head of the rear cylinder 34A. Hereinafter, the triangular region sandwiched between the rear upper surface of the front cylinder 33A and the front upper surface of the rear cylinder 34A in a side view will be referred to as the inter-cylinder region R1.

[0043] Multiple throttle bodies 35, 36 are connected to the front and rear intake ports to adjust the intake air volume for each cylinder. Each of the multiple throttle bodies 35, 36 is independently provided for each cylinder. The multiple throttle bodies 35, 36 are arranged so that they are all located in the inter-cylinder region R1 above the crankcase 32. The multiple throttle bodies 35, 36 may partially protrude above the inter-cylinder region R1. The downstream end (lower end) of each throttle body 35, 36 is connected to the front and rear intake ports, respectively.

[0044] The intake port of the front cylinder 33A and the throttle body 35 connected thereto form a linear intake passage that is inclined so as to be positioned more rearward on the upper side with respect to the vertical direction in side view. Although not shown, the intake port of the rear cylinder 34A and the throttle body 36 connected thereto form a linear intake passage that is inclined so as to be positioned more forward on the upper side with respect to the vertical direction in side view. The upper ends (upstream ends) of the throttle bodies 35 and 36 are connected to a surge tank 60, which will be described later, disposed above the inter-cylinder region R1.

[0045] On the front lower surface of the cylinder head of the front cylinder 33A, two front exhaust ports (not shown) for two cylinders are formed. On the rear lower surface of the cylinder head of the rear cylinder 34A, one rear exhaust port (not shown) for one cylinder is formed. A plurality of exhaust pipes 37 and 38 for guiding the exhaust of each cylinder are connected to the front and rear exhaust ports. The plurality of exhaust pipes 37 and 38 are routed below the crankcase 32, appropriately gathered, and connected to an exhaust muffler 39 disposed on the side of the rear part of the vehicle body.

[0046] Above the surge tank 60, a fuel tank (not shown) for storing the fuel of the engine E is disposed. The fuel tank is provided so as to cover the surge tank 60 from above. In front of the surge tank 60, a canister and various electrical components are disposed. The fuel tank, the surge tank 60, the canister, and the electrical components are covered by a top cover 24 having a container shape that is open downward. Behind the top cover 24 and above the rear frame 19, a seat 25 for the occupant to sit on is disposed. A rear seat cowl 26 is attached to the rear part of the rear frame 19.

[0047] <Front Frame 14> As shown in FIG. 1, the front frame 14 includes a head pipe 6 that is tilted backward with respect to the vehicle's vertical direction, and a pair of left and right main frames 7 that branch rearward from the head pipe 6 to the left and right, spread outward in the vehicle width direction, and then extend to the rear of the vehicle body. Each main frame 7 includes an upper frame 15 that extends rearward from the upper part of the head pipe 6, a lower frame 16 that extends rearward from the lower part of the head pipe 6, and a connecting pipe 17 that spans between the upper frame 15 and the lower frame 16. By connecting the upper and lower frames 15 and 16 with the connecting pipe 17, a main frame 7 with a truss structure is formed.

[0048] The upper frame 15 extends rearward from the upper part of the head pipe 6 while tilting downward backward. The upper frame 15 includes a first extending portion 15a that extends obliquely rearward and outward in the left and right directions, and a second extending portion 15b that curves rearward from the rear end of the first extending portion 15a and extends along the side surface of the vehicle body (the side surface orthogonal to the vehicle width direction). The rear end portion of the upper frame 15 is located near the front upper surface of the rear cylinder 34A and is fixed to the rear cylinder 34A by bolts or the like along the left and right directions. The rear part of the upper frame 15 is connected to the front part of the seat frame 9. The upper frame 15 extends rearward and is then connected to the seat frame 9, and supports the rear part of the engine by an engine hanger (not shown).

[0049] The lower frame 16 extends rearward from the lower part of the head pipe 6 while tilting downward backward more steeply than the upper frame 15. The lower frame 16 includes a first extending portion 16a that extends obliquely rearward and outward in the left and right directions, and a second extending portion 16b that curves rearward from the rear end of the first extending portion 16a and extends along the side surface of the vehicle body (the side surface orthogonal to the vehicle width direction). The rear end portion of the lower frame 16 is located near the front lower surface of the front cylinder 33A (see FIG. 1) and is fixed to the front cylinder 33A by bolts B1 or the like along the left and right directions. The lower frame 16 supports the front part of the engine after extending rearward more steeply than the upper frame 15.

[0050] <Air Cleaner Device 40> Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of the intake system components of the motorcycle 1. Figure 3 is a perspective view taken from the front at an oblique angle around the supercharger 50. Figure 4 is a side view taken from the right side around the supercharger 50. Figure 5 is a top view taken from above around the supercharger 50. Figure 6 is a front view taken from the front around the supercharger 50. Figure 7 is an enlarged side view taken from the left side of the main part around the supercharger 50. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I shown in Figure 7. As shown in Figures 2 to 8, an air cleaner device 40 (air cleaner) that filters the intake air to the engine E is located in the center of the front of the vehicle body. The air cleaner device 40 is entirely covered by a top cover 24 and is formed to fit the space below the top cover 24. In this embodiment, the air cleaner device 40 has a flattened shape with reduced dimensions in the vehicle width direction (thickness direction). The air cleaner device 40 has a rectangular shape in side view and is positioned above the upper edge of the upper frame 15 of the front frame 14. In the vehicle width direction, the air cleaner device 40 is positioned between the left and right pair of main frames 7, slightly forward between the front bank 33 and the rear bank 34, and above the supercharger 50 and surge tank 60, which will be described later. As shown in Figure 5, in a top view, the air cleaner device 40 is positioned adjacent to both the supercharger 50 and the surge tank 60, with at least a portion of it overlapping with both. Specifically, in a top view, the front end of the air cleaner device 40 overlaps with the rear of the supercharger 50, and the rear end overlaps with the front of the surge tank 60. More preferably, in a top view, the clean side 60, which will be described later, overlaps with the supercharger 50 and the surge tank 60.

[0051] The air cleaner device 40 comprises a case body 41 that forms its exterior and an element 42 supported inside the case body 41. The rear of the case body 41 is provided with an intake port 41a that opens toward the rear of the vehicle, allowing outside air to be introduced into the case. The element 42 is supported inside the front-to-rear intermediate part of the case body 41. The internal space of the case body 41 is dirty side 42a behind the element 42 (towards the intake port 41a) and clean side 42b in front of the element 42.

[0052] The air cleaner device 40 is connected to a turbocharger intake pipe 51 connected to a turbocharger 50 and a bypass pipe 52 connected to a surge tank 60. The air taken into the case body 41 is filtered by passing through the element 42, and then selectively introduced to the surge tank 60 via the bypass pipe 52, either by being drawn into the turbocharger 50 from the turbocharger intake pipe 51 by a control valve (not shown), or bypassing the turbocharger 50.

[0053] In the figure, reference numeral 44 indicates a first opening that opens inward in the vehicle width direction on the inner wall portion of the case body 41 and communicates with the turbocharger intake pipe 51, and reference numeral 46 indicates a second opening that opens downward at the lower part of the case body 41 and communicates with the bypass pipe 52.

[0054] <Supercharger 50> As shown in Figures 1 to 8, the supercharger 50 compresses outside air taken in from the air cleaner device 40 and supplies it to the engine E via the surge tank 60. The supercharger 50 is a so-called blower fan, and by the rotation of a fan body (impeller) (not shown), it draws in outside air from the axial direction and discharges this outside air in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction (tangential direction). The supercharger 50 is located in the interframe region R2 of the front frame 14, which is surrounded on three sides by the head pipe 6 and the left and right main frames 7. In detail, it is located behind the head pipe 6 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and at least a portion of it is located in front of the rear ends of the first extension portion 15a of the upper frame 15 and / or the first extension portion 16a of the lower frame 16 in a plan view.

[0055] The supercharger 50 is positioned at a height that overlaps with the head pipe 6 and the front of the main frame 7 in the vertical direction, behind the head pipe 6 in the front-rear direction, and between the pair of main frames 7 in the vehicle width direction. As shown in Figure 4, the supercharger 50 is positioned between the upper frame 15 and the lower frame 16 in the vertical direction (the frame height region indicated by arrow E1 in Figure 4), and directly above the cylinder head of the front bank 33. Preferably, the rotation axis 50c of the supercharger 50 is provided between the upper frame 15 and the lower frame 16 (the frame height region E1 mentioned above). The supercharger 50 is positioned at least below the upper edge of the upper frame 15 and above the lower edge of the lower frame 16. The supercharger 50 is positioned in front of the surge tank 60, which will be described later.

[0056] The supercharger 50 comprises the fan body, a blower case 54 housing the fan body, and an electric motor 55 (drive source) that drives the fan body. The supercharger 50 is an electric device that is driven by the driving force of the electric motor 55, without using the exhaust energy or driving force of the engine E. The electric motor 55 drives the supercharger 50 independently of the engine E. The supercharger 50 is a vortex-flow type with its rotating shaft and discharge port 53a perpendicular to each other, and its axial direction (the axial direction of the fan body) is oriented in the vehicle width direction. In this embodiment, the rotating shaft of the supercharger 50 is substantially parallel to the vehicle width direction, but it may be perfectly parallel, or it may be more inclined with respect to the vehicle width direction. A drive control unit (not shown) with a rectangular shape in plan view is integrally provided on the upper side of the electric motor 55.

[0057] The vehicle body may be an electric motorcycle equipped with a battery (not shown) as a power source. In this case, the supercharger 50 is provided integrally with the motor, and this motor drives the fan body (impeller).

[0058] The electric motor 55 is a rotating electric machine with a rotating shaft as its driving center, and outputs rotational power to drive the fan body. The drive of the electric motor 55, and consequently the drive of the supercharger 50, is controlled by an electronic control device (not shown). The electronic control device appropriately drives the supercharger 50 according to, for example, the operating conditions of the engine E, the driving conditions of the vehicle, and the driver's acceleration request.

[0059] The intake port 54a of the blower case 54 is located in an opening region R2, which is partitioned by the upper frame 15 and the lower frame 16 of the right main frame 7, in a side view. A turbocharger intake pipe 51 extends from the intake port 54a outward in the vehicle width direction, and this turbocharger intake pipe 51 is connected to the clean side 42b of the air cleaner device 40 from the outside in the vehicle width direction. In a side view, the intake port 54a of the turbocharger 50 does not overlap with the main frame 7, and in a side view, the intake port 54a is visible from between the upper frame 15 and the lower frame 16. In this way, the turbocharger intake pipe 51 extends outward in the vehicle width direction from the first opening 44 provided on the side of the air cleaner device 40, then bends downward passing on the outside of the vehicle width of the upper frame 15, and further passes between the upper frame 15 and the lower frame 16 to enter the vehicle body and connect to the turbocharger 50.

[0060] A turbocharger discharge pipe 53 is connected to the upper rear of the blower case 54, extending tangentially downward and rearward. The turbocharger discharge pipe 53 is cylindrical and positioned with its central axis inclined downward and rearward relative to the horizontal. An outlet 53a is formed at the rear of the blower case 54, to which the front end of the turbocharger discharge pipe 53 is connected, and the outlet 53a opens toward the rear of the vehicle body.

[0061] The turbocharger 50 is connected to a turbocharger discharge pipe 53 that discharges air drawn in from the turbocharger intake pipe 51 to the surge tank 60. As shown in Figure 4, in a side view, the turbocharger 50 is positioned adjacent to the surge tank 60, overlapping it in the front-rear direction.

[0062] <Surge Tank 60> As shown in Figures 1 to 8, a surge tank 60 is located behind the supercharger 50. The surge tank 60 has a hollow tank body 61. A supercharger discharge pipe 53 extending in the direction of extension of the discharge port 53a is connected to the rear end of the discharge port 53a of the supercharger 50. The rear end of the supercharger discharge pipe 53 is connected to a supercharger-side intake port 62 provided on the front wall of the surge tank 60. The supercharger-side intake port 62 opens forward. The supercharger intake air discharged from the supercharger 50 reaches the supercharger-side intake port 62 via the supercharger discharge pipe 53 and is introduced into the surge tank 60 from the supercharger-side intake port 62. The supercharger intake air introduced into the surge tank 60 diffuses within the surge tank 60 to stabilize its pressure, and then is supplied to each cylinder from multiple funnels.

[0063] An upward-projecting bulge 64 is formed at the top of the surge tank 60. A bypass-side intake port 63, which opens forward, is provided at the front of the bulge 64. The rear end of a bypass pipe 52, which extends from the lower surface of the air cleaner device 40, is connected to the bypass-side intake port 63. The turbocharger-side intake port 62 and the bypass-side intake port 63 are arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction. The outside air taken in by the air cleaner device 40 and reaching the clean side 42b can be introduced into the surge tank 60 from the bypass pipe 52. This outside air, as naturally aspirated air not pressurized by the turbocharger 50, diffuses in the surge tank 60 to stabilize its pressure, and is then supplied to each cylinder from multiple funnels. The bypass-side intake port 63 is provided with a control valve (not shown) to prevent the turbocharged intake air introduced into the surge tank 60 from the turbocharger 50 from flowing back into the bypass pipe 52.

[0064] The turbocharger-side intake port 62 (turbocharger discharge pipe 53) and the bypass-side intake port 63 (bypass pipe 52) are both positioned approximately symmetrically in the left-right direction with respect to the center CL of the vehicle body. The turbocharger discharge pipe 53 and the bypass pipe 52 are arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction, and the connection axes of each pipe to the surge tank 60 extend in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body and connect to the surge tank 60 approximately parallel to each other.

[0065] The bypass piping 52 is positioned on the inside of the left and right main frames 7 in the vehicle width direction. By forming the bulge 63, the capacity of the surge tank 60 is increased, improving intake efficiency.

[0066] As shown in Figure 1, the surge tank 60 is located midway between the front bank 33 and the rear bank 34 in the longitudinal direction. The surge tank 60 is positioned above the upper end between the front and rear banks 33 and 34 and is connected to the throttle bodies 35 and 36 located below the tank. In this embodiment, at least a portion of it is located below the upper end of the cylinder. In other words, at least a portion of it is located in the inter-cylinder region R1.

[0067] As shown in Figure 6, the surge tank 60, supercharger 50, and air cleaner device 40 are positioned inward in the vehicle width direction from the outermost ends of the pair of main frames 7 (the area between the dashed lines L1 and L2 shown in Figure 6). As shown in Figure 7, the surge tank 60 and supercharger 50 overlap with the main frame 7 in at least part in a side view. The dashed line labeled L3 in Figure 7 indicates the portion of the main frame 7 that overlaps with the surge tank 60 and supercharger 50 in a side view. The configuration of the surge tank 60, supercharger 50, and air cleaner device 40 is housed inward in the vehicle width from the outermost ends of the main frame in a front view.

[0068] Figure 9 is a front view of the area around the supercharger 50 of the modified motorcycle 1A. As shown in Figure 9, in the modified motorcycle 1A (saddle-type vehicle), the supercharger intake pipe 51 connecting the air cleaner device 40 to the supercharger 50 is positioned inward in the vehicle width direction from the outermost ends of the pair of left and right main frames 7. In the modified supercharger intake pipe 51, the pipe extends from the rear of the air cleaner device 40 toward the rear and connects to the intake port 54a of the supercharger 50 from the right side.

[0069] As described above, the motorcycle 1 in the above embodiment includes an internal combustion engine E having a front bank 33 with a forward-inclined cylinder 33A and a rear bank 34 with a rear-inclined cylinder 34A, an air cleaner device 40 connected to the upstream side of a supercharger 50 having an intake port, a supercharger 50 that compresses and supplies outside air to the internal combustion engine E, and a surge tank 60 connected to the downstream side of the supercharger 50 and supplies intake air to the internal combustion engine E. The surge tank 60 is located midway between the front bank 33 and the rear bank 34 in the front-rear direction. The supercharger 50 is located in front of the surge tank 60. The air cleaner device 40 is located above or below the surge tank 60 and the supercharger 50. With this configuration, the surge tank 60 can be efficiently positioned by utilizing the space midway between the front bank 33 and the rear bank 34 in the front-rear direction, and supercharging can be efficiently performed by positioning the supercharger 50 in front of the surge tank 60. Furthermore, since the air cleaner device 40 is positioned above or below the surge tank 60 and the supercharger 50, the supercharger 50 and related components do not protrude significantly in the width direction and front-to-rear direction of the vehicle. Instead, they can be positioned closer to the center of the vehicle body, improving weight balance and allowing for efficient placement. Thus, with this configuration, it is possible to achieve a layout that allows for efficient supercharging by positioning the supercharger 50 and the necessary components associated with the supercharger 50 near the intake of the internal combustion engine within the limited space of the vehicle body.

[0070] The above-described motorcycle 1 comprises a head pipe 6 that supports a steering system capable of steering the front wheel, and a pair of left and right main frames 7 that extend rearward and downward from the head pipe 6 and support an internal combustion engine E. The supercharger 50 is positioned behind the head pipe 6, between the pair of main frames 7 in the vehicle width direction. With this configuration, the supercharger 50, which is a drive component, can be protected from its surroundings by being placed in a space enclosed on three sides by the head pipe 6 and the pair of left and right main frames 7.

[0071] In the above-described motorcycle 1, the surge tank 60, supercharger 50, and air cleaner device 40 are positioned inward in the vehicle width direction from the outermost end of the main frame 7. This configuration allows for maximum space capacity to be secured while protecting the supercharger 50, which is a drive component, and the surge tank 60 and air cleaner device 40, which are pressure vessels, by positioning them inward in the vehicle width direction. As a result, it is possible to secure a larger volume for the surge tank 60 and air cleaner device 40, and to stabilize noise and power characteristics.

[0072] In the above-described motorcycle 1, the surge tank 60 and the supercharger 50 overlap with the main frame 7 in at least part of their configuration when viewed from the side. With this configuration, the supercharger 50, which is a drive component, and the surge tank 60, which is a pressure vessel, can be reliably protected by the pair of left and right main frames 7.

[0073] In the above-described motorcycle 1, the main frame 7 comprises an upper frame 15 extending downward and rearward from the head pipe 6, and a lower frame 16 extending downward and rearward below the upper frame 15. The supercharger 50 is positioned between the upper frame 15 and the lower frame 16 in the vertical direction. With this configuration, the upper frame 15 and the lower frame 16, which constitute the main frame 7, are positioned on both sides in the vehicle width direction of the supercharger 50, which is a drive component. As a result, the supercharger 50 can be more reliably protected by these upper and lower frames 15 and 16.

[0074] In the above-described motorcycle 1, the air cleaner 40 is connected to a turbocharger intake pipe 51 connected to a turbocharger 50 and a bypass pipe 52 connected to a surge tank 60. The turbocharger 50 is connected to a turbocharger discharge pipe 53 that discharges air drawn in from the turbocharger intake pipe 51 to the surge tank 60. In a side view, the turbocharger 50 is positioned adjacent to the surge tank 60, overlapping it in the front-rear direction. With this configuration, by shortening the distance between the turbocharger 50 and the surge tank 60 and arranging them in a straight line in the front-rear direction, pressure loss due to the length and bends of the turbocharger discharge pipe 53 connecting the turbocharger 50 and the surge tank 60 can be reduced.

[0075] In the above-described motorcycle 1, the air cleaner 40 is positioned adjacent to the supercharger 50 and surge tank 60 in a plan view, overlapping with them. With this configuration, the motorcycle 1 can switch between supercharging by the supercharger 50 and natural intake directly connected from the air cleaner device 40. By bringing both the supercharger 50 and the surge tank 60 closer to the air cleaner device 40, pressure loss can be minimized regardless of the path taken, thereby improving engine efficiency.

[0076] Furthermore, the motorcycle 1 in the above embodiment includes a head pipe 6 that supports a steering system capable of steering the wheels, and a pair of left and right main frames 7 that extend rearward and downward from the head pipe 6 and support an internal combustion engine E. The main frame 7 includes an upper frame 15 that extends rearward and downward from the head pipe 6, and a lower frame 16 that extends rearward and downward below the upper frame 15. The supercharger intake pipe 51 extends outward from the air cleaner device 40, passes outside the vehicle width of the upper frame 15, passes between the upper frame 15 and the lower frame 16, and is connected to the supercharger 50. With this configuration, while maximizing the space capacity for arranging the air cleaner device 40 and surge tank 60 within the width of the pair of left and right main frames 7, a portion of the supercharger intake pipe 51 connecting the air cleaner device 40 and the supercharger 50 is routed to pass outside the vehicle width of the upper frame 15, thus enabling efficient piping configuration.

[0077] In the above-described motorcycle 1, the surge tank 60 includes a turbocharger-side intake port 62 to which a turbocharger discharge pipe 53 connected to a turbocharger 50 is connected, and a bypass-side intake port 63 to which a bypass pipe 52 connected to an air cleaner device 40 is connected. The turbocharger-side intake port 62 and the bypass-side intake port 63 may be arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction. With this configuration, by placing the intake port for turbocharging (turbocharger-side intake port 62) and the intake port for natural aspiration (bypass-side intake port 63) adjacent to each other in the surge tank 60, there is no difference in the airflow to the throttle body regardless of which intake method is used. In addition, since the turbocharger-side intake port 62 and the bypass-side intake port 63 are arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction, space efficiency can be improved.

[0078] In the above-described motorcycle 1, there is a drive source 55 that drives the supercharger 50 independently of the internal combustion engine E. With this configuration, the degree of freedom in the placement of the supercharger 50 can be improved compared to a mechanical supercharger.

[0079] In the above-described motorcycle 1, the supercharger 50 is equipped with an electric motor 55 as a drive source. With this configuration, by electrifying the supercharger 50, it becomes unnecessary to obtain driving force for the supercharger 50 from the exhaust system or drive shaft of the internal combustion engine, and the degree of freedom in the placement of the supercharger 50 can be improved compared to a mechanical supercharger.

[0080] The motorcycle 1 in the above embodiment includes an internal combustion engine E having a front bank 33 with a forward-inclined cylinder 33A and a rear bank 34 with a rear-inclined cylinder 34A, an air cleaner 40 with an intake port and connected to the upstream side of the supercharger 50, a supercharger 50 that compresses and supplies outside air to the internal combustion engine E, and a surge tank 60 connected to the downstream side of the supercharger 50 and supplying intake air to the internal combustion engine E. The air cleaner 40 is connected to a supercharger intake pipe 51 connected to the supercharger 50 and a bypass pipe 52 connected to the surge tank 60. The supercharger 50 is connected to a supercharger discharge pipe 53 that discharges air drawn in from the supercharger intake pipe 51 to the surge tank 60. The surge tank 60 is located midway between the front bank 33 and the rear bank 34 in the front-rear direction. The supercharger 50 is positioned adjacent to the surge tank 60 so as to overlap it in the front-rear direction in a plan view. The air cleaner 40 is positioned adjacent to the surge tank 60 and the turbocharger 50. With this configuration, the three intake components—the turbocharger 50, the surge tank 60, and the air cleaner device 40—are efficiently positioned adjacent to each other. This allows the turbocharger intake pipe 51, the bypass pipe 52, and the turbocharger discharge pipe 53 connected to each to be as short, equal in length, and linearly arranged as possible, minimizing pressure loss and enabling efficient supercharging.

[0081] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, the supercharger vehicle structure of the embodiment may 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, it includes not only scooter-type vehicles with a straddling space but also vehicles with a straddling section. It may also be applied to vehicles that include an electric motor as the prime mover.

[0082] This can be applied to various types of reciprocating engines, including single-cylinder engines, multi-cylinder engines such as parallel or V-type engines, and longitudinally mounted engines with the crankshaft aligned along the vehicle's front-to-rear direction.

[0083] Furthermore, although the above embodiment shows an example where the air cleaner 40 is positioned above the surge tank 60 and the supercharger 50, it is not limited to being positioned above, and may be configured to be located below the surge tank 60 and the supercharger 50.

[0084] 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.

[0085] 1 Motorcycle (Saddle-type vehicle) 5 Body frame 5B Body (body) 6 Head pipe 7 Main frame 9 Seat frame 15 Upper frame 16 Lower frame 33 Front bank 33A Front cylinder 34 Rear bank 34A Rear cylinder 40 Air cleaner device (air cleaner) 42 Element 42a Dirty side 42b Clean side 43 Supercharger intake piping 50 Supercharger 51 Supercharger intake piping 52 Bypass piping 53 Supercharger discharge piping 55 Electric motor 60 Surge tank 61 Tank body 62 Supercharger side intake port 63 Bypass side intake port E Engine

Claims

1. A saddle-type vehicle (1) comprising: an internal combustion engine (E) having a front bank (33) with a cylinder (33A) tilted forward and a rear bank (34) with a cylinder (34A) tilted backward; an air cleaner (40) having an intake port for drawing in outside air; a supercharger (50) connected downstream of the air cleaner (40) for compressing intake air; and a surge tank (60) connected downstream of the supercharger (50) for supplying intake air compressed by the supercharger (50) to the internal combustion engine (E), wherein the surge tank (60) is located midway between the front bank (33) and the rear bank (34) in the longitudinal direction; the supercharger (50) is located in front of the surge tank (60); and the air cleaner (40) is located above or below the surge tank (60) and the supercharger (50).

2. A saddle-type vehicle according to claim 1, comprising: a head pipe (6) supporting a steering system capable of steering the front wheels; and a pair of left and right main frames (7) extending rearward and downward from the head pipe (6) and supporting the internal combustion engine (E), wherein the supercharger (50) is positioned behind the head pipe (6) and between the pair of main frames (7) in the vehicle width direction.

3. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the surge tank (60), the supercharger (50), and the air cleaner (40) are arranged inward in the vehicle width direction from the outermost end of the main frame (7).

4. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the surge tank (60) and the supercharger (50) overlap with the main frame (7) in a side view, at least in part.

5. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the main frame (7) comprises an upper frame (15) extending rearward and downward from the head pipe (6), and a lower frame (16) extending rearward and downward below the upper frame (15), and the supercharger (50) is positioned between the upper frame (15) and the lower frame (16) in the vertical direction.

6. The saddle-type vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the air cleaner (40) is connected to a turbocharger intake pipe (51) connected to the turbocharger (50) and a bypass pipe (52) connected to the surge tank (60), the turbocharger (50) is connected to a turbocharger discharge pipe (53) that discharges air drawn in from the turbocharger intake pipe (51) to the surge tank (60), and in a side view, the turbocharger (50) is positioned adjacent to the surge tank (60) in a position that overlaps with it in the front-rear direction.

7. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the air cleaner (40) is positioned adjacent to the supercharger (50) and the surge tank (60) in a plan view.

8. A saddle-type vehicle according to claim 7, comprising: a head pipe (6) supporting a steering system capable of steering the front wheels; a pair of left and right main frames (7) extending rearward and downward from the head pipe (6) and supporting the internal combustion engine (E); the main frames (7) comprising: an upper frame (15) extending rearward and downward from the head pipe (6); and a lower frame (16) extending rearward and downward below the upper frame (15); and the supercharger intake piping (51) extending outward from the air cleaner (40), passing outside the vehicle width of the upper frame (15), passing between the upper frame (15) and the lower frame (16) and connecting to the supercharger (50).

9. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the surge tank (60) comprises a turbocharger-side intake port (61) to which the turbocharger discharge pipe (53) connected to the turbocharger (50) is connected, and a bypass-side intake port (62) to which the bypass pipe (52) connected to the air cleaner (40) is connected, and the turbocharger-side intake port (61) and the bypass-side intake port (62) are arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction.

10. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 9, further comprising a drive source (55) that drives the supercharger (50) independently of the internal combustion engine (E).

11. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the supercharger (50) is equipped with an electric motor (55) as a drive source.

12. A saddle-type vehicle (1) comprising: an internal combustion engine (E) having a front bank (33) with a forward-tilted cylinder (33A) and a rear bank (34) with a rearward-tilted cylinder (34A); an air cleaner (40) having an intake port for drawing in outside air; a supercharger (50) connected downstream of the air cleaner (40) for compressing intake air; and a surge tank (60) connected downstream of the supercharger (50) for supplying intake air compressed by the supercharger (50) to the internal combustion engine (E), wherein the air cleaner (40) is connected to a supercharger intake pipe (51) connected to the supercharger (50) and a bypass pipe (52) connected to the surge tank (60), and the supercharger (50) is A saddle-type vehicle is provided, wherein the vehicle is connected to a supercharger discharge pipe (53) that discharges air drawn in from the supercharger intake pipe (51) to the surge tank (60), the surge tank (60) is located midway between the front bank (33) and the rear bank (34) in the front-rear direction, the supercharger (50) is positioned adjacent to the surge tank (60) in the front-rear direction in a plan view, and the air cleaner (40) is positioned adjacent to the surge tank (60) and the supercharger (50).

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