Motorcycle Battery Cover Hinge Layout for Seat-Free Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Straddle-type vehicles, such as motorcycles, face difficulties in efficiently accommodating and removing accommodation objects like battery packs due to complex opening mechanisms that require seat removal and low workability.
Innovation Solution
A straddle-type vehicle design featuring an accommodation space with a seat positioned behind, a hinge shaft above and in front of the seat's front end, and a cover body pivotable about the hinge shaft between open and closed positions, allowing easy access to the accommodation space without requiring seat removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the seat is disposed above the case cover and the case cover is rotatable about a shaft at the rear portion, then the battery pack can be accommodated in the battery case, but the seat must be removed to take out the battery pack, resulting in low workability
Solution Approach 1:
The cover body is divided into a first cover portion that covers the accommodation space and a second cover portion that forms a support surface for the seat. This segmentation allows the first cover portion to be opened independently for battery pack access while the second cover portion remains stationary to support the seat, eliminating the need to remove the seat for battery maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge shaft is positioned at the front end of the seat rather than at the rear portion of the cover, changing the pivot axis location. This dimensional repositioning allows the cover to open forward without interfering with the seat structure, enabling direct access to the accommodation space while maintaining seat support functionality.
2Ease of operation
If the hinge shaft is positioned at the rear portion of the case cover, then the cover can rotate to open the accommodation space, but the pivot range is restricted by the seat structure
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge shaft is extracted from the conventional rear portion location and repositioned to the front end of the seat. This extraction of the pivot point from the restricted area allows the cover body to rotate through a larger angle without colliding with the seat structure, improving both pivot range and operational efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of rotating the cover about a rear shaft while the seat remains stationary above it, the design inverts the approach by positioning the hinge at the front and allowing the cover to open forward. This inversion of the rotation direction and pivot location eliminates the conflict between cover movement and seat structure.
3Productivity
If a conventional battery case design is used with the seat above, then the structure is compact, but removing the battery pack requires seat removal which reduces operational efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The cover body is segmented into functional portions: the first cover portion providing access to the accommodation space and the second cover portion supporting the seat. This segmentation enables independent operation of the access mechanism without affecting the seat, dramatically improving operational efficiency for battery pack maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover body structure itself provides dual functionality: it protects the accommodation space and simultaneously supports the seat. The integrated design allows the cover to serve multiple purposes, enabling efficient battery access while maintaining structural compactness without requiring additional components.
Data Source
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AI summary
There is provided a straddle-type vehicle (1) including: an accommodation space (S) configured to accommodate an accommodation object; a seat (9) disposed behind the accommodation space in a front-rear direction and on which a rider straddles; a hinge shaft (32) disposed above and in front of a front end portion of the seat and extending in a left-right direction; and a cover body (30) pivotable about the hinge shaft between an open position where the accommodation space is opened upward and a closed position where the accommodation space is covered from above.