Offset Fuel Heater for Compact Motorcycle Engine Clearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Compact equipment such as motorcycles face challenges in accommodating a heater device while maintaining clearances with peripheral parts, which is essential for reducing carbon dioxide emissions and mitigating climate change.
Innovation Solution
A fuel supply device configuration where the heater device is offset relative to the frame member in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, allowing for closer disposition of the internal combustion engine and frame member while securing clearance, thus enabling a more compact design and improved maintainability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the heater device is disposed close to the frame member to reduce equipment size, then the equipment becomes more compact, but the clearance between the heater device and frame member is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The heater device is disposed offset from the frame member in the width direction (lateral dimension) rather than only in the longitudinal direction, creating clearance in a different spatial dimension. This allows the equipment to maintain compact overall dimensions while ensuring adequate clearance between the heater device and frame member for reliability and maintenance purposes.
2Reliability
If the heater device is disposed with offset from the frame member in the width direction to secure clearance, then the clearance is sufficient, but the equipment size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The offset disposition of the heater device in the width direction utilizes the lateral dimension of the equipment space efficiently. By arranging components in three-dimensional space rather than linearly, the design achieves adequate clearance without proportionally increasing the overall equipment volume, thus balancing reliability requirements with compactness.
3Volume of moving object
If the internal combustion engine and frame member are disposed close to each other to reduce equipment size, then the equipment becomes more compact, but the clearance for maintenance access is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The heater device is positioned offset in the width direction, which creates a maintenance access pathway from the width direction rather than requiring access from the top or bottom. This dimensional arrangement allows technicians to access and maintain the heater device without needing extensive clearance in the vertical direction, thus enabling compact equipment design while preserving ease of repair.
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
This configuration allows for a more compact equipment design by securing clearance between the heater device and the frame member, enhancing the degree of freedom in device disposition and maintainability, contributing to reduced carbon dioxide emissions.
Implementation Method 1
a heater device (60) connected to the fuel chamber portion (50) and heating the fuel accumulated in the fuel chamber portion (50)
Data Source
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AI summary
A fuel supply device includes: a main frame 22 disposed above an engine 10 in a vehicle vertical direction and extending in a first direction (front-rear direction of the vehicle) as viewed from the vehicle vertical direction; an injector injecting fuel to be supplied to the engine 10, a fuel chamber portion 50 connected to the injector and accumulating fuel to be supplied to the injector, and a heater device 60 connected to the fuel chamber portion 50 and heating the fuel accumulated in the fuel chamber portion 50. The heater device 60 is disposed to be offset with respect to the main frame 22 in a second direction (vehicle left-right direction) that is orthogonal to the first direction as viewed from the vehicle vertical direction.