Leaning Vehicle Leg Shield Layout for Lean Actuator Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing leaning vehicles face challenges in protecting the lean actuator from debris and adjusting airflow effectively during travel, particularly at the front portion, which can lead to the actuator being exposed to stones, sand, dust, and rain whirled up by the front wheels.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle body structure with a leg shield positioned further rearward than the front wheels, featuring a leg-shield-intermediate portion that projects forward to branch airflow into left and right portions, ensuring that debris and liquids are carried to the rear, thereby protecting the lean actuator and adjusting airflow to prevent it from hitting the actuator and driver's legs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the lean actuator is disposed at the front portion of the vehicle body, then it can control leaning effectively, but it becomes exposed to stones, sand, dust, and rain whirled up by the front wheels
Solution Approach 1:
A leg shield is introduced as an intermediary protective structure between the front wheels and the lean actuator. The leg shield includes a leg-shield-intermediate portion that projects forward to block debris and rain from reaching the lean actuator, while allowing the actuator to remain positioned for effective leaning control.
Solution Approach 2:
The leg shield is designed with differentiated regions: the leg-shield-intermediate portion projects forward to provide protection, while the leg-shield-left and leg-shield-right portions extend laterally to cover additional areas. This local differentiation optimizes protection where needed without compromising the overall vehicle structure or actuator functionality.
2Reliability
If the leg shield is designed to protect the lean actuator, then protection is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The leg shield is integrated with the vehicle body structure, combining the protective function with the existing body framework. The leg shield includes left, intermediate, and right portions that work together as a unified structure, reducing the need for separate protective components and simplifying the overall design.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the leg-shield-intermediate portion projects forward to branch airflow, then airflow adjustment is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The leg-shield-intermediate portion serves multiple functions simultaneously: it protects the lean actuator from debris and rain, and it branches airflow into left and right portions to prevent direct impact on the actuator and driver's legs. By combining these functions in a single structural element, the design achieves versatility without proportionally increasing complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively protects the lean actuator and adjusts airflow to prevent debris and liquids from hitting the actuator and driver's legs, ensuring reliable operation and safety during vehicle turns.
Implementation Method 1
a leg-shield-intermediate portion located in an intermediate portion of the leg shield in the left-right direction projects further forward than a leg-shield-left portion and a leg-shield-right portion
Data Source
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AI summary
A leaning vehicle including a left front wheel located at the left of a vehicle main body, a right front wheel located at the right of the vehicle main body, and a lean actuator configured to control leftward or rightward leaning of the vehicle is provided with a vehicle body structure capable of protecting the lean actuator and adjusting an airflow toward the leaning vehicle in a front portion of the leaning vehicle. A leaning vehicle 1 includes a vehicle main body 2, a left front wheel 31, a right front wheel 32, a linkage mechanism 5, and a linkage-mechanism-driving motor 55 connected to the linkage mechanism 5 to enable upward or downward movement of the left front wheel 31 and the right front wheel 32 relative to the vehicle main body 2. The leaning vehicle 1 includes a leg shield 265 located further rearward than the left front wheel 31 and the right front wheel 32 and at least partially located between the left and right front wheels 31 and 32, and the legs of a driver. A leg-shield-intermediate portion 2651 projects further forward than a leg-shield-left portion 2652 and a leg-shield-right portion 2653, and covers at least a part of a motor left portion 55b and a motor right portion 55c of the linkage-mechanism-driving motor 55.