Engine Exhaust Sensor Layout Protected by Radiator Placement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing engines for straddle-type vehicles expose exhaust gas sensors to the outside, increasing the risk of damage due to their positioning, which is not addressed by prior art.

Innovation Solution

The exhaust gas sensor is positioned between the cylinder head and a radiator, covered from the front side, ensuring protection and reducing the risk of damage by integrating it with peripheral components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Length of stationary object

If the exhaust gas sensor is attached to the exhaust pipe on the lateral side of the cylinder to ensure minimum ground clearance, then the ground clearance is maintained, but the exhaust gas sensor is exposed to the outside increasing the risk of damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveground clearanceVSAvoidrisk of damage to exhaust gas sensor

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The radiator is positioned as an intermediary component between the exhaust gas sensor and the external environment. The radiator's front surface covers and protects the exhaust gas sensor from direct exposure to external objects, while the exhaust gas sensor remains attached to the exhaust pipe on the lateral side of the cylinder, maintaining ground clearance. This intermediary structure resolves the contradiction by providing protection without compromising clearance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the exhaust gas sensor is positioned between the cylinder head and the radiator, covered from the front side, then the protection against damage is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection of exhaust gas sensorVSAvoidarrangement of components

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The radiator serves multiple functions: its primary cooling function and an additional protective function for the exhaust gas sensor. By positioning the radiator such that its front surface covers the exhaust gas sensor, the same component provides both thermal management and physical protection, eliminating the need for separate protective structures and thus not increasing overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The protective function for the exhaust gas sensor is merged with the radiator structure. Instead of adding a separate protective cover or housing, the design integrates the protection function into the existing radiator component, combining multiple functions into a single structure and avoiding increased complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP4545764B1engine

Publication Date: 2026.03.25 SUZUKI MOTOR CORP

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AI summary

An engine (40) to be mounted on a straddle-type vehicle (1). The engine (40) includes a cylinder (42) and a cylinder head (43) stacked on an upper portion of a crank case (41), an exhaust pipe (70) extending from the cylinder head (43) and passing through a lateral side of the cylinder (42), an exhaust gas sensor (86) attached to the exhaust pipe (70), on the lateral side of the cylinder (42), and a radiator (51) positioned in front of the cylinder head (43). The exhaust gas sensor (86) is covered by the radiator (51) from a front side.