Straddle-Vehicle Rear Structure for Visible Fuel-Port Lighting

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Solution Overview

Problem

In straddle-type vehicles, positioning the lighting device below the fuel supply port leads to visibility issues and potential fuel adhesion, necessitating costly materials or protective members to prevent lens deterioration.

Innovation Solution

Position the lighting device above or beside a concave housing surrounding the fuel tank or battery, ensuring the lighting device is not below the fuel supply port, and design the fuel supply or charging port to be obliquely upward for easy access, using a simple structure that minimizes fuel adhesion and maintains visibility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the lighting device is disposed below the opening and closing cover, then the lighting device can be positioned in the housing space, but the visibility of the lighting device deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccessibility of lighting deviceVSAvoidvisibility of lighting device
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions the lighting device from a two-dimensional position (below the cover) to a three-dimensional position (above the cover on the rear surface), utilizing vertical space dimensionality to resolve the conflict between accessibility and visibility

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

2Ease of operation

If the lighting device is disposed below the opening and closing cover, then the housing space can be accessed, but the lighting device may be exposed to fuel and lens deterioration occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccessibility of housing spaceVSAvoidresistance to fuel
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the lighting device from the fuel-exposed zone below the cover and relocates it to the fuel-safe zone above the cover, separating the lighting function from the fuel storage environment to eliminate the need for special fuel-resistant materials

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Illumination intensity

If the lighting device is positioned at a high position to ensure visibility, then visibility improves, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisibility of lighting deviceVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The opening and closing cover serves multiple functions: it provides access to the housing space, protects the lighting device from fuel exposure, and establishes the spatial relationship between the lighting device and fuel supply port, eliminating the need for additional protective structures

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4324730B1Rear structure of straddle-type vehicle
Publication Date: 2026.05.06 SUZUKI MOTOR CORP
  • EP4324730B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4324730B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4324730B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A rear structure of a straddle-type vehicle, in which a fuel tank (35) or a battery is disposed below a seat, includes a lighting device (31) configured to illuminate a vehicle rear side, behind the fuel tank (35) or the battery, and a concave housing (41) surrounding a filler port (37) of the fuel tank (35) or a charging port of the battery. The lighting device (31) is positioned at least one of above the concave housing (41) and on a side of the concave housing (41).