Saddle-type vehicle

Abstract

This saddle-type vehicle comprises: an internal combustion engine (E) including a front bank (33) with a cylinder (33A) inclined forward, and a rear bank (34) with a cylinder (34A) inclined rearward; a supercharger (50) that compresses and supplies outside air to the internal combustion engine (E); an air cleaner (40) that has an intake port and is connected to an upstream side of the supercharger (50); and a surge tank (60) that is connected to a downstream side of the supercharger (50) and supplies intake air to the internal combustion engine (E). At least a portion of the surge tank (60) is positioned between the front bank (33) and the rear bank (34) in a side view, and is positioned on a lateral side in the vehicle width direction relative to the center of a vehicle body. At least a portion of the air cleaner (40) is positioned between the front bank (33) and the rear bank (34) at the center in the vehicle width direction, and the supercharger (50) is mounted at a position overlapping the air cleaner (40) in the front-rear direction.

Description

Straddle-type vehicle

[0001] The present invention relates to a straddle-type vehicle. This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-209027 filed in Japan on November 29, 2024, and incorporates its content herein by reference.

[0002] Conventionally, as a supercharger used for a vehicle engine (internal combustion engine), a turbocharger that utilizes the exhaust energy of the engine and a supercharger that utilizes a part of the driving force of the engine are known. In recent years, an electric supercharger that uses an electric motor to drive the supercharger has been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

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

[0004] The arrangement of the supercharger and related components of a straddle-type vehicle is not deeply limited, and there are still problems regarding the mounting property on the vehicle body.

[0005] The present invention provides a straddle-type vehicle that can efficiently supercharge by efficiently arranging a supercharger and related components.

[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 an 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 rearward of an internal combustion engine (E), a supercharger (50) that compresses and supplies outside air to the internal combustion engine (E), an air cleaner (40) having an air intake and connected to the upstream side of the supercharger (50), 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 straddle-type vehicle (1) is characterized in that at least a part of the surge tank (60) is located between the front bank (33) and the rear bank (34) in a side view and is located on the side in the vehicle width direction from the center of the vehicle body, at least a part of the air cleaner (40) is provided between the front bank (33) and the rear bank (34) at the center in the vehicle width direction, and the supercharger (50) is provided at a position overlapping the air cleaner (40) in the front-rear direction.

[0007] According to the saddle-type vehicle described in (1) above of the present invention, at least a portion of the surge tank is extended to the side of the vehicle body in the space midway between the front and rear banks in the longitudinal direction, and the air cleaner and supercharger are provided in the center in the width direction of the vehicle, allowing for efficient arrangement. Furthermore, since the supercharger and air cleaner are provided close together and overlapping in the longitudinal direction, a layout that allows for efficient supercharging can be realized by arranging the supercharger and necessary components associated with the supercharger near the intake of the internal combustion engine within the limited space of the vehicle body. Moreover, since the supercharger and air cleaner are arranged overlapping in the longitudinal direction, they can be positioned closer to the center of the vehicle body in the longitudinal direction to improve weight balance and allow for efficient arrangement.

[0008] (2) In the saddle-type vehicle described in (1) above, the saddle-type vehicle is provided with a vehicle frame (5) having a head pipe (6) that supports the steering system, a pair of left and right main frames (7) that extend rearward and downward from the head pipe (6), and a seat frame (9) that extends rearward and upward from the rear of the main frame (7), the air cleaner (40) and the supercharger (50) are provided inward from the main frame (7) in a front view, and the surge tank (60) may be provided outward from the main frame (7) in a front view.

[0009] According to the saddle-type vehicle described in (2) above of the present invention, since the surge tank is positioned on the outside of the vehicle width, it is possible to secure space for the supercharger and air cleaner which are positioned inside the frame, and the components necessary in conjunction with the supercharger can be efficiently arranged near the intake of the internal combustion engine.

[0010] (3) In the saddle-type vehicle described in (2) above, the air cleaner (40), the supercharger (50), and the surge tank (60) may overlap with the vehicle body frame (5) in a side view.

[0011] According to the saddle-type vehicle described in (3) above of the present invention, the supercharger, which is a drive component, is protected by being placed within the vehicle frame, and since each component can be concentrated in close proximity to the other, intake efficiency can be improved.

[0012] (4) In the saddle-type vehicle described in any one of the above items (1) to (3), 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 the surge tank (60) may be provided in a position that overlaps with the air cleaner (40) and the supercharger (50) in the vehicle width direction when viewed from above.

[0013] According to the saddle-type vehicle described in (4) above of the present invention, the piping connecting the supercharger, surge tank, and air cleaner can be arranged in the shortest distance and with fewer bends, thereby reducing intake pressure loss.

[0014] (5) In the saddle-type vehicle described in (4) above, the air cleaner (40) comprises an air element (42), a dirty side (42a) before the intake air passes through the air element (42), and a clean side (42b) after the intake air passes through the air element (42), and the supercharger (50) may be positioned adjacent to the clean side (42b).

[0015] According to the saddle-type vehicle described in (5) above of the present invention, the length of the supercharger intake pipe connecting the supercharger and the air cleaner can be set to a shorter length, thereby reducing pressure loss.

[0016] (6) In the saddle-type vehicle described in (5) above, the supercharger (50) is a vortex-type compressor in which the connection directions of the supercharger intake pipe (51) and the supercharger discharge pipe (53) are substantially perpendicular, and in a top view, the connection axis direction of the supercharger intake pipe (51) may coincide with the air cleaner (40), and the connection axis direction of the supercharger discharge pipe (53) may coincide with the surge tank (60).

[0017] According to the saddle-type vehicle described in (6) above of the present invention, even a compressor whose intake direction and discharge direction must be perpendicular to each other can be efficiently arranged without unnecessarily bending the piping.

[0018] (7) In the saddle-type vehicle described in (6) above, the bypass piping (52) extends from the clean side (42b) in the vehicle width direction and is connected to the surge tank (60), and the turbocharger discharge piping (53) and the bypass piping (52) may be arranged side by side in the vehicle body longitudinal direction.

[0019] According to the saddle-type vehicle described in (7) above of the present invention, the respective pipe lengths of the bypass piping and the supercharger discharge piping can be made approximately equal, thereby suppressing the pressure loss difference during supercharging and natural aspiration.

[0020] According to an aspect of the present invention, supercharging can be efficiently achieved by efficiently arranging the supercharger and related components.

[0021] This is a right side view of a motorcycle according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of the intake system of the 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 a rear view of the area around the supercharger, viewed from the rear.

[0022] 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.

[0023] <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.

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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).

[0027] 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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] The intake port of the front cylinder 33A and the throttle body 35 connected thereto form a linear intake passage that is inclined so that, in a side view, the upper part is positioned further rearward in the vertical direction. Although not shown in the figures, the intake port of the rear cylinder 34A and the throttle body 36 connected thereto form a linear intake passage that is inclined so that, in a side view, the upper part is positioned further forward in the vertical direction. The upper ends (upstream ends) of each throttle body 35, 36 are connected to a surge tank 60, which will be described later, located above the inter-cylinder region R1.

[0035] Two front exhaust ports (not shown) for two cylinders are formed on the front lower surface of the cylinder head of the front cylinder 33A. One rear exhaust port (not shown) for one cylinder is formed on the rear lower surface of the cylinder head of the rear cylinder 34A. Multiple exhaust pipes 37 and 38 are connected to the front and rear exhaust ports to guide the exhaust from each cylinder. The multiple exhaust pipes 37 and 38 are routed below the crankcase 32, converge as appropriate, and are connected to an exhaust muffler 39 located on the rear side of the vehicle body.

[0036] Above the surge tank 60 is a fuel tank (not shown) for storing fuel for engine E. The fuel tank is positioned to cover the surge tank 60 from above. In front of the surge tank 60 are a canister and various electrical components. The fuel tank, surge tank 60, canister, and electrical components are covered by a container-shaped top cover 24 that opens downwards. Behind the top cover 24 and above the rear frame 19 is a seat 25 for the occupant. A rear seat cowl 26 is attached to the rear of the rear frame 19.

[0037] <Front Frame 14> As shown in Figure 1, the front frame 14 comprises a head pipe 6 that is tilted backward with respect to the vertical direction of the vehicle, and a pair of left and right main frames 7 that branch out to the left and right from the rear of the head pipe 6, spread outward in the width direction of the vehicle, and then extend to the rear of the vehicle body. Each main frame 7 comprises an upper frame 15 that extends rearward from the top of the head pipe 6, a lower frame 16 that extends rearward from the bottom of the head pipe 6, and a connecting pipe 17 that spans between the upper frame 15 and the lower frame 16. The upper and lower frames 15 and 16 are connected by the connecting pipe 17 to form a truss structure main frame 7.

[0038] The upper frame 15 extends from the top of the head pipe 6, sloping downwards towards the rear. The upper frame 15 includes a first extension 15a that extends diagonally outward towards the rear and to the left and right, and a second extension 15b that curves rearward from the rear end of the first extension 15a and extends along the side of the vehicle body (the side perpendicular to the vehicle width direction). The rear end 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 that running along the left and right direction. The rear end of the upper frame 15 is connected to the front of the seat frame 9. After extending rearward, the upper frame 15 is connected to the seat frame 9 and supports the rear side of the engine by an engine hanger (not shown).

[0039] The lower frame 16 extends rearward from below the head pipe 6, sloping more steeply and downward than the upper frame 15. The lower frame 16 includes a first extension 16a that extends diagonally outward in the rearward and lateral directions, and a second extension 16b that curves rearward from the rear end of the first extension 16a and extends along the side of the vehicle body (the side perpendicular to the vehicle width direction). The rear end of the lower frame 16 is located near the front lower surface of the front cylinder 33A (see Figure 1) and is fixed to the front cylinder 33A by bolts B1 or the like that run along the lateral direction. The lower frame 16 supports the front of the engine after extending rearward at a steeper slope than the upper frame 15.

[0040] <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 a rear view taken from the rear around the supercharger 50. As shown in Figures 2 to 7, an air cleaner device 40 (air cleaner) that filters the intake air to the engine E is located in the center 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 so that a part of it overlaps the upper edge of the upper frame 15 of the front frame 14. The air cleaner device 40 is positioned inside the top cover 24 and is sized to be completely covered by the top cover 24. In the vehicle width direction, the air cleaner device 40 is positioned between the left and right pair of main frames 7, and at least a portion of it is located in the center of the vehicle width direction between the front bank 33 and the rear bank 34.

[0041] 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 front end of the case body 41 is provided with an intake port 41a that opens toward the front of the vehicle, allowing airflow from the front of the vehicle 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 divided into a dirty side 42a in front of the element 42 (towards the intake port 41a) and a clean side 42b behind the element 42. A supercharger 50, which will be described later, is located on the clean side 42b of the air cleaner device 40.

[0042] The air cleaner device 40 is connected to a supercharger suction pipe 51 connected to a supercharger 50 and a bypass pipe 52 connected to a surge tank 60. The running air taken into the case body 41 is filtered after passing through the element 42, and then is sucked from the supercharger suction pipe 51 into the supercharger 50, or is selectively introduced from the bypass pipe 52 that does not pass through the supercharger 50 into the surge tank 60 by a control valve (not shown).

[0043] In the figure, reference numeral 44 indicates a first opening that opens at the rear side of the case body 41 and communicates with the supercharger suction pipe 51, and reference numeral 46 indicates a second opening that opens on the right side surface side (outer side in the vehicle width direction) of the case body 41 and communicates with the bypass pipe 52.

[0044] <Supercharger 50> As shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the supercharger 50 compresses the 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 in the form of a so-called blower fan. By the rotation of a fan body (impeller) (not shown), the outside air is sucked from the axial direction and discharged in a direction (tangential direction) perpendicular to the axial direction. The supercharger 50 is arranged in a region R2 between frames surrounded by a pair of left and right seat frames 9 in a plan view.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 4, the supercharger 50 is arranged adjacent to the rear of the air cleaner device 40. The supercharger 50 is arranged directly above the cylinder head of the rear bank 34. At least the upper part of the supercharger 50 is above the upper edge of the seat frame 9, and the lower part overlaps the seat frame 9 in a side view. The supercharger 50 may be arranged at a position overlapping in the front-rear direction in a top view and at a position arranged at the center of the vehicle body.

[0046] The supercharger 50 includes the fan main body, a blower case 54 that houses the fan main body, and an electric motor 55 (driving source) that drives the fan main 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 has a vortex flow type in which the rotation axis and the discharge port 53a are orthogonal, and is arranged with the axial direction (the axial direction of the fan main body) facing the vehicle width direction. In the embodiment, the rotation axis of the supercharger 50 is substantially parallel to the vehicle width direction, but may be completely parallel or may be more inclined with respect to the vehicle width direction. On the upper surface side of the electric motor 55, a drive control unit (not shown) having a rectangular shape in plan view is integrally provided.

[0047] The vehicle body may be an electric two-wheeled vehicle equipped with a battery (not shown) as a driving source. In this case, the supercharger 50 is provided integrally with a motor, and the fan main body (impeller) is driven by this motor.

[0048] The electric motor 55 is a rotating electric machine having a rotation axis as a driving center, and outputs rotational power to drive the fan main body. The driving of the electric motor 55 and thus the driving of the supercharger 50 are controlled by an electronic control device (not shown). The electronic control device appropriately drives the supercharger 50 according to, for example, the operating condition of the engine E, the running condition of the vehicle, and the acceleration request of the driver.

[0049] The suction port 54a of the blower case 54 is arranged in the opening region R2 between the main frames 7 in plan view. From the suction port 54a, a supercharger suction pipe 51 extends forward. The supercharger suction pipe 51 is connected to the clean side 42b of the air cleaner device 40 from the rear side. In side view, the suction port 54a of the supercharger 50 does not overlap with the main frame 7. Thus, the supercharger suction pipe 51 extends rearward from the first opening 44 provided at the rear of the air cleaner device 40 at a position above the main frame 7 and the seat frame 9 in side view and is connected to the supercharger 50. The supercharger 50 is arranged adjacent to the clean side 42b of the air cleaner device 40 in the front-rear direction.

[0050] A turbocharger discharge pipe 53 is connected to the right side of the blower case 54. The turbocharger discharge pipe 53 is cylindrical and extends outward from the blower case 54 in the vehicle width direction of the main frame 7, then bends downward. The upstream end of the turbocharger discharge pipe 53 is connected to the discharge port 53a of the turbocharger 50, which opens to the right.

[0051] 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.

[0052] As shown in Figure 5, in a top view, the turbocharger 50 has its turbocharger intake pipe 51 connected in the direction of the connection axis J1 overlapping with the air cleaner device 40, and its turbocharger discharge pipe 53 connected in the direction of the connection axis J3 overlapping with the surge tank 60, which will be described later. The bypass pipe 52 extends from the clean side 42b of the cleaner device 40 in the vehicle width direction and is connected to the surge tank 60. The turbocharger discharge pipe 53 and the bypass pipe 52 are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. That is, the connection axis J3 of the turbocharger discharge pipe 53 and the connection axis J2 of the bypass pipe 52 are parallel.

[0053] <Surge Tank 60> As shown in Figures 1 to 7, the surge tank 60 is located to the right of the supercharger 50 and the air cleaner device 40 in the vehicle width direction. The surge tank 60 has a hollow tank body 61. At least a portion of the surge tank 60 is located to the side of the vehicle body between the front bank 33 and the rear bank 34 in a side view. The surge tank 60 is located on the outer side (right side) of the vehicle width of the main frame 7 in a front view. In a top view, the surge tank 60 is located in a position that overlaps with the air cleaner 40 and the supercharger 50 in the vehicle width direction.

[0054] A turbocharger discharge pipe 53, extending in the direction of extension of the discharge port 53a, is connected to the discharge port 53a, which opens to the right side of the turbocharger 50. The downstream end of the turbocharger discharge pipe 53 is connected to a turbocharger-side intake port 62 provided on the upper wall of the surge tank 60. The turbocharger-side intake port 62 opens upward. The turbocharger intake air discharged from the turbocharger 50 reaches the turbocharger-side intake port 62 via the turbocharger discharge pipe 53 and is introduced into the surge tank 60 from the turbocharger-side intake port 62. The turbocharger 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.

[0055] The upper part of the surge tank 60 is provided with a bypass-side intake port 63 that opens upward. The downstream end of the bypass piping 52, which extends from the right side 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's front-to-rear direction. The bypass piping 52 and the turbocharger discharge piping 53 are connected to the surge tank 60, straddling the main frame 7 or seat frame 9 in the vehicle's width direction. Pipelines extend from the surge tank 60 inward across the vehicle's width, straddling the frame, and are drawn in to the front and rear banks 33 and 34. 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 piping 52. This outside air, as naturally aspirated air not pressurized by the turbocharger 50, diffuses within the surge tank 60 to stabilize its pressure, and is then supplied to each cylinder from multiple funnels 33F and 34F. The bypass intake port 63 is provided with a control valve (not shown) to prevent the supercharged intake air introduced from the supercharger 50 into the surge tank 60 from flowing back into the bypass piping 52.

[0056] The turbocharger-side intake port 62 (turbocharger discharge pipe 53) and the bypass-side intake port 63 (bypass pipe 52) are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction. The turbocharger 50 is a volute / centrifugal pump, and the axes of the intake port and discharge port are approximately perpendicular to each other, so by positioning the surge tank 60 on the side of the vehicle body, the bypass pipe 52 and the turbocharger discharge pipe 53 can be arranged in a straight line. In other words, the axis of the intake port of the turbocharger 50 is directed in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and the axis of the discharge port is directed in the width direction of the vehicle. The air cleaner device 40 and the surge tank 60 are arranged in the extension direction of these axes, respectively.

[0057] 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.

[0058] As shown in Figure 6, the air cleaner device 40 and the supercharger 50 are installed on the inside of the vehicle width of the main frame 7 in a front view. The air cleaner device 40, the supercharger 50, and the surge tank 60 are arranged overlapping with the seat frame 9 in a side view. The surge tank 60, the supercharger 50, and the air cleaner device 40 may be installed at the same height, and their respective lines may be connected in a straight line.

[0059] 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, a supercharger 50 that compresses and supplies outside air to the internal combustion engine E, an air cleaner device 40 having an intake port and connected to the upstream side of the supercharger 50, and a surge tank 60 connected to the downstream side of the supercharger 50 and supplying intake air to the internal combustion engine E. At least a portion of the surge tank 60 is located between the front bank 33 and the rear bank 34 in a side view and is located laterally in the vehicle width direction from the center of the vehicle body. At least a portion of the air cleaner device 40 is provided between the front bank 33 and the rear bank 34 in the center in the vehicle width direction. The supercharger 50 is provided in a position that overlaps with the air cleaner device 40 in the front-rear direction. With this configuration, at least a portion of the surge tank 60 is extended to the side of the vehicle body in the space midway between the front bank 33 and the rear bank 34 in the longitudinal direction, and the air cleaner device 40 and the supercharger 50 are located in the center in the vehicle width direction, allowing for efficient arrangement. Furthermore, since the supercharger 50 and the air cleaner device 40 are located close together and overlapping in the longitudinal direction, it is possible to achieve an efficient supercharging layout by arranging the supercharger 50 and the necessary components associated with the supercharger 50 near the intake of the internal combustion engine within the limited vehicle body space. Moreover, since the supercharger 50 and the air cleaner device 40 are arranged overlapping in the longitudinal direction, they can be positioned closer to the center of the vehicle body, resulting in good weight balance and efficient arrangement.

[0060] The above-described motorcycle 1 is equipped with a body frame 5 having a head pipe 6 that supports the steering system, a pair of left and right main frames 7 that extend downward and rearward from the head pipe 6, and a seat frame 9 that extends upward and rearward from the rear of the main frame 7. The air cleaner device 40 and the supercharger 50 are located inside the vehicle width of the main frame 7 when viewed from the front. The surge tank 60 is located outside the vehicle width of the main frame 7 when viewed from the front. With this configuration, because the surge tank 60 is located outside the vehicle width, space can be secured for the supercharger 50 and the air cleaner device 40 which are located inside the frame, and the components necessary to accompany the supercharger 50 can be efficiently arranged near the intake of the internal combustion engine.

[0061] In the above-described motorcycle 1, the air cleaner device 40, the supercharger 50, and the surge tank 60 overlap with the vehicle frame 5 in a side view. With this configuration, the supercharger 50, which is a drive component, is protected by being placed within the vehicle frame 5, and the components can be concentrated in close proximity to each other, thereby improving intake efficiency.

[0062] In the above-described motorcycle 1, the air cleaner device 40 is connected to a supercharger intake pipe 51 connected to a supercharger 50 and a bypass pipe 52 connected to a 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 positioned so as to overlap with the air cleaner device 40 and the supercharger 50 in the vehicle width direction when viewed from above. With this configuration, the piping connecting the supercharger 50, the surge tank 60, and the air cleaner device 40 can be arranged at the shortest distance and with fewer bends, thereby reducing intake pressure loss.

[0063] In the above-described motorcycle 1, the air cleaner device 40 comprises an air element 42, a dirty side 42a before the intake air passes through the air element 42, and a clean side 42b after the intake air passes through the air element 42. The supercharger 50 is positioned adjacent to the clean side 42b. With this configuration, the length of the supercharger intake pipe 51 connecting the supercharger 50 and the air cleaner device 40 can be set shorter, thereby reducing pressure loss.

[0064] In the above-described motorcycle 1, the supercharger 50 is a vortex-type compressor in which the connection directions of the supercharger intake pipe 51 and the supercharger discharge pipe 53 are approximately perpendicular. In a top view, the connection axis direction of the supercharger intake pipe 51 coincides with the air cleaner device 40, and the connection axis direction of the supercharger discharge pipe 53 coincides with the surge tank 60. With this configuration, even a compressor whose intake and discharge directions must be perpendicular can be efficiently arranged without unnecessarily bending the piping.

[0065] In the above-described motorcycle 1, the bypass pipe 52 extends from the clean side 42b in the vehicle width direction and is connected to the surge tank 60. The turbocharger discharge pipe 53 and the bypass pipe 52 are arranged side by side in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle. With this configuration, the respective pipe lengths of the bypass pipe 52 and the turbocharger discharge pipe 53 can be made approximately equal, thereby suppressing the pressure loss difference during turbocharging and natural aspiration.

[0066] 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.

[0067] 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.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 1 Motorcycle (saddle-type vehicle) 5 Body frame 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 forward-inclined cylinder (33A) and a rear bank (34) with a rear-inclined cylinder (34A); a supercharger (50) that compresses and supplies outside air to the internal combustion engine (E); an air cleaner (40) having an intake port and connected to the upstream side of the supercharger (50); and a surge tank (60) connected to the downstream side of the supercharger (50) and supplying intake air to the internal combustion engine (E), wherein at least a portion of the surge tank (60) is located between the front bank (33) and the rear bank (34) in a side view and is located laterally in the vehicle width direction from the center of the vehicle body; and at least a portion of the air cleaner (40) is provided between the front bank (33) and the rear bank (34) in the center in the vehicle width direction. The supercharger (50) is installed in a position that overlaps with the air cleaner (40) in the front-rear direction, in a saddle-type vehicle.

2. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 1, comprising a body frame (5) having a head pipe (6) supporting the steering system, a pair of left and right main frames (7) extending rearward and downward from the head pipe (6), and a seat frame (9) extending rearward and upward from the rear of the main frame (7), wherein the air cleaner (40) and the supercharger (50) are provided inward from the main frame (7) in a front view, and the surge tank (60) is provided outward from the main frame (7) in a front view.

3. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the air cleaner (40), the supercharger (50), and the surge tank (60) overlap with the vehicle body frame (5) in a side view.

4. The saddle-type vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, 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 the surge tank (60) is provided in a position that overlaps with the air cleaner (40) and the turbocharger (50) in the vehicle width direction when viewed from above.

5. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the air cleaner (40) comprises an air element (42), a dirty side (42a) before the intake air passes through the air element (42), and a clean side (42b) after the intake air passes through the air element (42), and the supercharger (50) is arranged adjacent to the clean side (42b).

6. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the supercharger (50) is a vortex-type compressor in which the connection directions of the supercharger intake pipe (51) and the supercharger discharge pipe (53) are substantially perpendicular, and in a top view, the connection axis direction of the supercharger intake pipe (51) coincides with the air cleaner (40), and the connection axis direction of the supercharger discharge pipe (53) coincides with the surge tank (60).

7. The saddle-type vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the bypass piping (52) extends from the clean side (42b) in the vehicle width direction and is connected to the surge tank (60), and the turbocharger discharge piping (53) and the bypass piping (52) are arranged side by side in the vehicle body longitudinal direction.

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