Straddled Vehicle Engine Cylinder Axis Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Straddled type vehicles face challenges in optimizing the angle of the cylinder axis while maintaining accessibility and leg comfort, as existing designs either compromise accessibility or leg space due to the placement of the actuator and engine components.
Innovation Solution
The design features a cylinder axis arrangement that allows the actuator to extend either rightward or leftward from the cylinder unit, positioning the main frame and covers at a higher level to enhance accessibility while increasing the engine's transverse length for knee-gripping capabilities, incorporating additional constructions to protrude covers outward and create more riding positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the actuator is positioned to extend upward from the cylinder unit, then the cylinder axis can be positioned lower, but accessibility is reduced due to the main frame being located at a lower position
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator is repositioned from extending upward (vertical dimension) to extending in the transverse direction (horizontal dimension). This dimensional change allows the cylinder axis to be positioned higher, improving accessibility, while the actuator body is arranged to not extend upward, maintaining leg comfort space.
2Ease of operation
If the engine transverse length is increased to provide knee-gripping space, then leg comfort is improved, but the vehicle width increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is designed with asymmetric protrusions on the right and left sides, creating localized extensions that provide knee-gripping space without uniformly increasing the engine transverse length. This allows leg comfort to be improved while minimizing the overall vehicle width increase.
3Ease of operation
If the cylinder axis is positioned to overlap the front wheel, then the engine layout is compact, but accessibility and leg space are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The cylinder axis is repositioned from overlapping the front wheel in the longitudinal direction to being positioned higher and more rearward, utilizing the vertical and transverse dimensions. This allows better accessibility and leg space while maintaining a compact engine layout through optimized spatial arrangement.
Data Source
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AI summary
A moped type vehicle (1) includes a main frame (4), a cylinder unit (28), an actuator body (86), a right cover (53R), and a left cover (53L). A cylinder axis (B) of the cylinder unit (28) passes a position above a front wheel (25) without overlapping the front wheel (25) in side view of the vehicle. An actuator body (86) is attached to the cylinder unit (28). The actuator body (86) extends rightward from the cylinder unit (28). At least part of the actuator body (86) is located rightward of the main frame (4) in plan view of the vehicle. The actuator body (86) is entirely positioned leftward of the right cover (53R) and rightward of the left cover (53L). The actuator body (86) entirely overlaps the right cover (53R) and the left cover (53L) in the side view of the vehicle.