Straddled Vehicle Side Cover with Detachable Outer Shell

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Straddled vehicles face challenges in maintaining intake efficiency while minimizing weight increase and maintaining accessibility, as traditional side covers obstruct access and add weight.

Innovation Solution

A straddled vehicle design featuring a detachable side cover with a gap between its outer and inner covers, allowing for easy access and reduced weight, along with an air passage system that includes an intake port, exhaust port, and a second air passage to enhance airflow efficiency and prevent foreign matter entry.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a side cover is attached to the air passage to improve intake efficiency, then intake efficiency is improved, but vehicle weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveintake efficiencyVSAvoidvehicle weight
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The side cover is divided into an inner cover and an outer cover that can be detached from each other. This segmentation allows the side cover to maintain its airflow guiding function while enabling easy removal of the outer cover to reduce weight or improve access, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining intake efficiency and reducing vehicle weight.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If a side cover is attached to the air passage to improve intake efficiency, then intake efficiency is improved, but access to vehicle interior becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveintake efficiencyVSAvoidaccess to vehicle interior
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The side cover is segmented into detachable inner and outer covers. The outer cover can be removed to provide easy access to the vehicle interior and components behind the side cover, while the inner cover remains attached to maintain the airflow passage structure and intake efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The side cover transitions from a static closed structure to a dynamic detachable structure. The outer cover can be attached or detached based on operational needs, allowing the side cover to adapt between providing airflow guidance and providing access to internal components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of repair

If the outer cover is detachably attached to the inner cover, then maintainability is improved, but structural complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovemaintainabilityVSAvoidside cover structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of repairVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The side cover is divided into two main segments (inner cover and outer cover) that can be detached. This segmentation improves maintainability by allowing easy access to internal components for repair and maintenance, while the relatively simple detachable connection mechanism minimizes the increase in structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3599149B1Straddled vehicle
Publication Date: 2020.08.19 YAMAHA MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP3599149B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3599149B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3599149B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A side cover (25) is connected to a first air passage (28). The side cover (25) includes an intake port (35), an exhaust port (36), and a second air passage (37). The intake port (35) is disposed forward of the first air passage (28) and is open forward of the vehicle. The exhaust port (36) communicates with the first air passage (28). The second air passage (37) connects the intake port (35) and the exhaust port (36). The side cover (25) includes an inner cover (41) and an outer cover (42). The outer cover (42) is disposed outward of the inner cover (41) in the vehicle width direction, and is detachably attached to the inner cover (41). A rear edge of the outer cover (42) is disposed with a gap from the inner cover (41).