Cylinder Head Cover Overlap Reduces Vehicle Width
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Solution Overview
Problem
Saddle-ride type vehicles with a cylinder head cover that interferes with the seat rail during mounting and dismounting, requiring a wider seat rail than the cylinder head cover, complicating the process and affecting ease of use and maneuverability.
Innovation Solution
Designing a vehicle with a V-type engine where the rear cylinder inclines rearward and upward, and a cylinder head cover that overlaps the adjoining portion of the vehicle body frame, allowing for a reduced left-right width and enabling the cylinder head cover to be attached or detached from either side, along with chamfered outer walls for improved leg fit and ease of use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the seat rail width is increased to prevent interference with the cylinder head cover during mounting and dismounting, then the cylinder head cover can be properly accommodated, but the ease of mounting and dismounting for the occupant deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the spatial relationship between the cylinder head cover and seat rail by making the cylinder head cover overlap the head cover adjoining portion in the vertical direction (when viewed from the cylinder axis direction). This vertical stacking arrangement eliminates the need for horizontal clearance, allowing the seat rail to maintain a narrow left-right width while still accommodating the cylinder head cover assembly.
2Ease of manufacture
If the left-right width of the vehicle body frame is reduced to improve ease of mounting and dismounting, then the occupant can mount and dismount more easily, but the cylinder head cover becomes difficult to attach and detach
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by arranging the cylinder head cover to overlap the head cover adjoining portion in the vertical direction rather than horizontally. This allows the vehicle body frame to have a reduced left-right width for easier occupant access, while the cylinder head cover can still be attached and detached from the side without interference, as the overlap arrangement provides sufficient vertical clearance for maintenance operations.
3Volume of moving object
If the cylinder head cover is arranged inside the head cover adjoining portions in the vehicle width direction, then the structure is compact, but the left-right width of the vehicle body frame increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the need for horizontal arrangement by implementing vertical overlap between the cylinder head cover and head cover adjoining portion. When viewed from the cylinder axis direction, the cylinder head cover overlaps the head cover adjoining portion, which means the cylinder head cover is positioned above or below the adjoining portion in the vertical direction rather than inside it horizontally. This resolves the contradiction by achieving compactness through vertical stacking instead of horizontal placement, maintaining a narrow vehicle body frame width.
Data Source
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AI summary
A saddle-ride type vehicle comprises a cylinder (14) including a cylinder head (14b) and a cylinder head cover (14c) that covers an upper portion of the cylinder head (14b), a vehicle body frame (2) including a head cover adjoining portion (32) that adjoins the cylinder head cover (14c), at least a part of the cylinder head cover (14c) overlapping the head cover adjoining portion (32) as viewed from a direction along a cylinder axis C1 that is a center axis of the cylinder (14), and the head cover adjoining portion (32) extending rearward such that the cylinder head cover (14c) is exposed outside in a side view. Ease of mounting and dismounting the saddle-ride type vehicle for the occupant is improved by reducing the left-right width of the vehicle body frame while allowing the cylinder head cover to be attachable and detachable in the vehicle having a power unit with a cylinder standing upward and with the vehicle body frame supporting the power unit.