Straddled Vehicle Footrest Adaptability and Width Constraint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing straddled vehicles, such as scooters, often have tandem footrests that are not accommodating for passengers of varying sizes or sitting positions, leading to discomfort due to restricted foot placement and posture.
Innovation Solution
A straddled vehicle design featuring multiple footrests, including a front footrest, an upper footrest, a lower footrest, and an intermediate footrest, with adjustable positions and heights to accommodate different passenger sizes and driver sitting positions, and an exterior cover configuration that allows for wider foot placement without increasing the vehicle's width.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single tandem footrest is provided for the passenger, then the vehicle width is kept compact, but the passenger cannot place his/her foot comfortably depending on physical size or driver sitting position
Solution Approach 1:
The footrest system is divided into multiple independent footrests (first footrest, second footrest, third footrest) positioned at different locations. Each footrest can be independently used by the passenger based on their physical size and the driver's sitting position, providing segmented comfort zones that accommodate various body types and riding configurations without requiring a single complex adjustable mechanism.
2Ease of operation
If the rear footrest board width is widened to accommodate different passengers, then foot placement comfort improves, but the vehicle width increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of widening the footrest board in the vehicle width direction, the solution adds a third dimension by positioning footrests at different front-rear locations along the vehicle length. The first, second, and third footrests are arranged sequentially from front to rear, allowing passengers to choose comfortable foot placement positions along the length direction without increasing vehicle width, thus solving the comfort-width contradiction through dimensional redistribution.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the pillion step is made foldable and movable, then storage space and adjustability improve, but the structural complexity and stability may worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The first, second, and third footrests are integrated with the vehicle frame structure rather than being separate movable components. This merging of the footrests with the rigid frame provides inherent structural stability while still allowing the passenger to select different footrest positions based on needs. The integration eliminates the need for complex folding mechanisms while maintaining adaptability through the multi-position configuration.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
A straddled vehicle 1 includes an upper and lower footrests 45 and 46 for a passenger and an exterior cover including a ceiling portion 49 that faces the lower footrest 46 in an up-down direction. The lower footrest 46 is disposed at a position farther to the rear than a front footrest for a driver and lower than the upper footrest 45. In a vertical cross section of the ceiling portion 49, an upper end 49u of the ceiling portion 49 is disposed above an upper end of the lower footrest 46, and a lower end 49L of the ceiling portion 49 is disposed farther inward than the upper end 49u, and at least a portion of the lower footrest 46 is disposed at a position farther inward than the upper end 49u and farther outward than the lower end 49L.