Straddled Vehicle Side Cover Shielding and Reinforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Muddy water scattered by the front wheel of a straddled vehicle often falls onto the driver's legs due to the design of the side covers, which allows the water to flow rearward under airflow, and this can lead to insufficient coupling rigidity between the front cover and leg shield, causing shifting during travel.
Innovation Solution
The side covers are redesigned with shielding cover portions positioned below a virtual horizontal line passing through the seat, and reinforcement covers are added to restrict movement, with recessed shapes to enhance muddy water suppression without increasing size, thereby blocking muddy water and reducing external forces from wind.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If the surface area of the outer surfaces of the right and left side covers is reduced, then the amount of muddy water adhering to the side covers is reduced, but the muddy water scattered by the front wheel is scattered directly onto the legs of the driver
Solution Approach 1:
The side covers are designed with different surface area characteristics in different regions. The upper portions have reduced surface area to minimize muddy water adhesion, while the lower portions maintain or extend surface area to block scattered muddy water from reaching the driver's legs. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by addressing different functional requirements in different locations.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the left and right side covers are formed with shielding cover portions on the outer surfaces facing forward, then muddy water scattered by the front wheel is blocked and stopped on the shielding cover portions, but external forces increase due to muddy water and traveling wind received by the shielding cover portions
Solution Approach 1:
The side covers incorporate shielding cover portions with specific surface area characteristics. The shielding portions have sufficient surface area to block muddy water while the overall design controls the surface area exposed to traveling wind. This local quality differentiation allows the shielding portions to perform their protective function while minimizing the total external forces acting on the covers.
3Loss of substance
If the surface area of the outer surfaces of the right and left side covers is reduced, then the amount of muddy water blocked by the outer surfaces is reduced, but the coupling rigidity between the front cover and leg shield becomes insufficient and the front cover and leg shield shift easily
Solution Approach 1:
The side covers are designed with differentiated surface areas in different regions. The upper portions have reduced surface area to minimize muddy water blockage, while the lower portions maintain sufficient surface area and structural integrity to ensure proper coupling rigidity with the front cover and leg shield. This local quality variation allows the design to achieve both reduced water blockage and maintained structural stability.
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 design effectively prevents muddy water from reaching the driver's legs and enhances the stability of the front cover and leg shield by reducing wind-induced forces, preventing shifting and improving muddy water suppression without increasing the size of the shielding cover portions.
Implementation Method 1
The left and right side covers respectively include left and right shielding cover portions on outer surfaces facing forward of the vehicle. The muddy water scattered by the movement of the front wheel is blocked by the left and right shielding cover portions and stopped on the left and right shielding cover portions
Implementation Method 2
muddy water that adheres to the outer surfaces of the left and right side covers 937, 938 when the straddled vehicle is traveling flows along the outer surface of the left and right side covers 937, 938 and toward the rear due to the air flow produced when traveling
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A left side cover lower left portion (101) of a left side cover (101L, 101, 937, 938) and a right side cover lower right portion (101) of a right side cover (101R, 101, 938, S1) respectively include a left shielding cover portion (101) and a right shielding cover portion (101). A left shielding cover recess portion (101R, 101) of the left shielding cover portion (101) and a right shielding cover recess portion (101) of the right shielding cover portion (101) respectively have the shapes recessed toward the rear of the vehicle as seen in the vehicle side view and are arranged facing forward of the vehicle. A left reinforcement cover (1030, 103) includes a left reinforcement cover recess portion (10301, 10302, 1030, 104) that is positioned further to the rear than the left shielding cover recess portion (101R, 101) as seen in the vehicle left side view and is recessed toward the front of the vehicle as seen in the vehicle left side view. A right reinforcement cover (1040, 104) 104 includes a right reinforcement cover recess portion (10401, 10402, 1040, 11) that is positioned further to the rear than the right shielding cover recess portion (101) as seen in the vehicle right side view and is recessed toward the front of the vehicle as seen in the vehicle right side view. At least portions of the left reinforcement cover recess portion (10301, 10302, 1030, 104) and the right reinforcement cover recess portion (10401, 10402, 1040, 11) respectively overlap the left side cover lower left portion (101) and the right side cover lower right portion (101) as seen in the respective vehicle side views.