Saddle Vehicle Side Cover Water Splash Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional saddle type vehicles face challenges in reducing water splatter towards the rider's legs while maintaining a compact vehicle width, as existing designs either compromise on water discharge efficiency or increase vehicle width to achieve this.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates a side cover with a guide portion and a second cover that overlaps with the first cover's inner edge, allowing for a larger dimension between the inner and outer edges of the guide portion, enabling effective water capture and discharge without increasing the vehicle's width, with the second cover positioned outside the first cover to capture splashing water and the first cover's bent portion located rearward to avoid directing water towards the rider.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the first inner end edge of the guide portion is located outside in the vehicle width direction to reduce water flowing along the guide portion, then water splatter toward the rider's leg is reduced, but the dimension in the vehicle width direction from the first inner end edge to the first outer end edge is reduced, making it difficult to form the side cover portion into a shape to easily discharge water

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater splatter toward rider's legVSAvoidease of forming side cover portion shape
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a second cover that overlaps with the first cover in the vehicle width direction, effectively adding a dimensional layer to the water discharge system. This allows the guide portion to maintain a larger dimension in the vehicle width direction for easier water discharge shaping, while the second cover captures water that would otherwise flow along the guide portion and splatter toward the rider's leg.

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

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the dimension in the vehicle width direction from the vehicle center to the first inner end edge of the guide portion is increased, then water splatter toward the rider's leg is reduced, but the vehicle width increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater splatter toward rider's legVSAvoidvehicle width
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The second cover is positioned to overlap with the first cover, creating a nested configuration where the second cover is effectively nested within or alongside the first cover structure. This nesting allows the system to achieve water capture functionality without proportionally increasing the overall vehicle width, as the second cover utilizes the existing spatial envelope of the first cover.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the first bent portion is located at the rear to discharge water rearward on a lateral side of the rider's leg, then water is unlikely to be directed toward the rider's leg, but it is difficult to form the side cover portion into a shape to easily discharge water outwardly in the vehicle width direction

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater directed toward rider's legVSAvoidease of discharging water outwardly
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The side cover portion is segmented into a first cover with a guide portion and a second cover that overlaps with it. This segmentation allows the first cover to be optimized for water discharge shape with its guide portion and bent portion, while the second cover independently captures water that would otherwise flow along the guide portion, enabling both functions to coexist without compromising either water discharge efficiency or rider protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2974950B1Saddle type vehicle
Publication Date: 2017.02.08 YAMAHA MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP2974950B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2974950B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2974950B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A side cover portion (25) includes a first cover (26) and a second cover (27). The first cover (26) includes a guide portion (80) including a first inner end edge (851) and a first outer end edge (810). The second cover (27) is disposed outside of the guide portion (80) and overlaps with the first inner end edge (851) in a side view. A second inner end edge (951) of the second cover (27) is disposed further on the outer side than the first inner end edge (851) in a front view. A second outer end edge (900) of the second cover (27) is disposed between the second inner end edge (951) and the first outer end edge (81O) in a side view, and is disposed further on the outer side than the second inner end edge (951) in a front view.