Straddle Vehicle Headlight Mud Adhesion Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

In straddle type vehicles, such as motorcycles, mud or sand often adheres to the headlight due to its location below the front cover, which is compactly designed, leading to reduced illumination area when attempting to prevent debris accumulation by using a smaller headlight.

Innovation Solution

The design includes a headlight positioned within a front cover with a unique bottom edge configuration, where the middle bottom edge is higher than other edges, allowing a bottom cover to be placed below the headlight, elevating the headlight and reducing debris adherence without decreasing its size.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the headlight is located below the front cover in a compact arrangement, then the vehicle components are disposed in an efficient manner minimizing unused space, but mud or sand adheres to the headlight

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomponent arrangement efficiencyVSAvoidmud or sand adherence
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a new spatial dimension by adding a bottom cover element that extends downward from the front cover, creating a protective barrier below the headlight. This vertical extension into the lower dimension allows the headlight to be positioned lower for compact arrangement while preventing debris adherence through the extended protective structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a smaller headlight is provided to prevent mud or sand from adhering, then debris adherence is reduced, but the illumination area in front of the motorcycle becomes smaller

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemud or sand adherenceVSAvoidillumination area
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the protective function from the headlight itself by introducing a separate bottom cover structure. This segmentation allows the headlight to maintain its full size and illumination area while the separate protective element handles the debris prevention function, eliminating the need to reduce headlight size

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Device complexity

If the lowermost point of the headlight is located in the middle in vehicle width direction, then the headlight is positioned compactly, but this is the lowermost portion that is most susceptible to mud or sand adherence

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheadlight positioning simplicityVSAvoidmud or sand adherence
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a bottom cover element as an intermediary structure between the headlight and the environment. This intermediary extends downward from the front cover to create a physical barrier that shields the headlight's lowermost portion from debris while maintaining the simple centralized positioning arrangement

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2669160B1Straddle type vehicle
Publication Date: 2015.05.06 YAMAHA MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP2669160B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2669160B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2669160B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An object of the present invention is to provide a straddle type vehicle including a headlight (32a) of a sufficient size where mud or sand is unlikely to adhere to the headlight (32a). A front cover (24) includes a bottom cover (242) located below a light cover (323). The light cover (323) includes a first bottom edge portion (323b), second bottom edge portion (323c) and third bottom edge portion (323d). The third bottom edge portion (323d) is located in the middle of the vehicle in a vehicle width direction. The first bottom edge portion (323b) is located lower than the third bottom edge portion (323d) and outward of the third bottom edge portion (323d) in a vehicle width direction. The second bottom edge portion (323c) is located lower than the third bottom edge portion (323d) and opposite the first bottom edge portion (323b) in a vehicle width direction, with the third bottom edge portion (323d) in between. The bottom cover (242) includes a middle portion (242d). The middle portion (242d) is located below the third bottom edge portion (323d) and higher than the first bottom edge portion (323b) and second bottom edge portion (323c).