Saddle Vehicle Headlight Control via Balancer Beam Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing saddle riding type vehicles face challenges in maintaining proper illumination during turns by leaning the vehicle body, as existing systems require complex sensors and mechanisms to adjust the headlight, increasing manufacturing costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A saddle riding type vehicle with a balancer member that allows the right and left wheels to move up and down in opposite directions, a detector to measure the rotation angle of the balancer member relative to the vehicle body, and a controller to control the headlight's rotation based on this measurement, eliminating the need for a lean angle sensor and simplifying the system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a lean angle sensor and complex control mechanism are used to adjust the headlight during turns, then the illumination accuracy is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the lean angle sensor from the system by using the balancer member's rotation angle as a substitute measurement. The balancer member's rotational position directly correlates with vehicle lean angle, allowing the system to achieve the same headlight adjustment function without the complex sensor infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The balancer member, originally designed for its primary function of maintaining vehicle balance during turns, is repurposed to also serve as a reference for headlight positioning. By detecting the balancer member's rotation angle, the system achieves dual functionality: balance control and illumination direction control, eliminating the need for separate sensing systems.
2Illumination intensity
If a lean angle sensor and complex control mechanism are used to adjust the headlight during turns, then the illumination accuracy is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the expensive lean angle sensor from the bill of materials by leveraging the existing balancer member mechanism. The detector used to monitor balancer member position is less costly than a dedicated lean angle sensor, directly reducing manufacturing expenses while maintaining illumination accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system achieves multi-functionality by using the balancer member for both vehicle stability control and headlight positioning reference. This eliminates the need for separate sensors and control systems, reducing overall manufacturing costs while maintaining the required illumination accuracy during turns.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the headlight is fixedly supported to maintain constant positional relationship with the traveling surface, then the illumination stability is improved, but the adaptability to vehicle leaning motion is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic headlight positioning system that adjusts the headlight's orientation based on the balancer member's real-time rotation angle. This allows the headlight to adapt to vehicle leaning motion during turns while maintaining stable illumination of the intended path, combining both stability and adaptability through active control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the detector monitoring the balancer member's rotation angle to continuously adjust the headlight position. This closed-loop control ensures the headlight remains adapted to the vehicle's leaning state while maintaining stable and accurate illumination of the turning path.
Data Source
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AI summary
A saddle riding type vehicle includes a balancer beam rotatably mounted on a vehicle body to cause a right wheel and a left wheel to move up and down in opposite directions, and is capable of making turns by leaning the vehicle body. The saddle riding type vehicle also includes a headlight, a drive mechanism arranged to rotate the headlight, a front detector arranged to detect a rotation angle of the balancer beam relative to the vehicle body, and a controller programmed to control the drive mechanism based on a result of detection by the front detector. The rotation angle detected by the front detector corresponds to an angle of the vehicle body leaning sideways relative to a traveling surface (relative lean angle). The controller controls the drive mechanism based on such result of detection by the front detector. The headlight can therefore illuminate directions of movement properly.