Straddle Vehicle Shift Detection Mechanism Layout
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing shift controller in straddle type vehicles is bulky, limiting layout freedom and making it difficult for riders to mount and dismount due to its enlarged size near the rider's foot, necessitating a compact solution.
Innovation Solution
A straddle type vehicle design featuring a shift detection mechanism connected to a shift lever, supported on a front frame and centre frame, with a rotation shaft oriented in the longitudinal direction, allowing for a compact layout and protection by a skid plate, while maintaining operability and ease of use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the shift controller uses a link mechanism to detect shift operations, then the shift detection function is achieved, but the shift controller size is enlarged and affects surrounding space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the shift detection mechanism from the traditional link-based shift controller and relocates it to the front frame. By separating the detection function from the footrest area, the design eliminates the need for a bulky link mechanism near the rider's foot, thereby reducing the overall shift controller size while maintaining detection reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The shift detection mechanism is repositioned from a lateral arrangement (using a link near the footrest) to a longitudinal arrangement on the front frame. This dimensional change allows the mechanism to utilize space along the vehicle's length rather than width, reducing its lateral footprint and overall size
2Ease of operation
If the shift controller is positioned near the rider's foot, then the shift operation is easily accessible, but the enlarged size limits layout freedom and affects rider mounting/dismounting
Solution Approach 1:
The shift detection mechanism is extracted from the footrest area and relocated to the front frame. This separation maintains the shift lever's accessibility near the rider's foot while removing the bulky detection mechanism from that space, thereby preserving ease of operation while significantly improving layout freedom
Solution Approach 2:
The shift control system is segmented into two independent parts: the shift lever (operated by the rider) and the detection mechanism (mounted on the front frame). This segmentation allows each component to be optimally positioned - the lever near the foot for ease of operation and the mechanism on the front frame for layout flexibility
3Adaptability or versatility
If the shift detection mechanism is compactly arranged on the front frame, then layout freedom is improved and rider mounting/dismounting is easier, but the mechanism requires protection from dust and debris
Solution Approach 1:
The skid plate, originally designed to protect the power unit from dust and debris, is extended or redesigned to also cover the shift detection mechanism on the front frame. By merging the protection functions, the same component protects both critical areas, maintaining layout freedom while shielding the mechanism from harmful factors
Data Source
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AI summary
A straddle type vehicle includes: a body frame F; a footrest 47 on which a rider places his/her foot; a shift lever 70 arranged in front of the footrest 47 for operation by the rider's foot to shift gear; a shift detection mechanism 76 for detecting operation of the shift lever 70; and an engine 10 supported on the body frame F. The footrest 47 is supported on a centre frame 15L constituting a part of the body frame F below a seat 5 of the rider, and the shift detection mechanism 76 is connected to the shift lever 70, provided in front of the footrest 47 and the centre frame 15L, and is supported on a lower frame 17L constituting a part of the body frame F. This provides a compact shift controller for a straddle type vehicle, so that layout can be determined more freely, and a rider can mount and dismount the vehicle more easily.