Straddled Vehicle Storage Box Operating Member Placement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional straddled vehicles face challenges in efficiently disposing a storage box inside a side cover while maintaining accessibility to the storage box from the operating member, which often requires additional space on the external surface of the tank shroud.

Innovation Solution

The straddled vehicle design incorporates an operating member disposed on the inner side of the storage box, remote from the side cover, allowing for efficient storage box placement within the side cover without compromising accessibility or visibility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the operating member is disposed on the external surface of the side cover, then the accessibility to the storage box is maintained, but the storage box cannot be efficiently disposed inside the side cover and the structure becomes complicated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccessibility to storage boxVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The operating member is relocated from the external surface (2D surface) to the inner side of the storage box (3D internal space), utilizing the third dimension internally. This allows the storage box to be efficiently disposed inside the side cover while maintaining accessibility through the operating member positioned on the inner side of the storage box, thereby reducing structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of operation

If the operating member is disposed on the external surface of the side cover, then the accessibility is maintained, but the anti-crime performance is reduced due to visibility

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccessibility to storage boxVSAvoidanti-crime performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The operating member is extracted from the external surface where it was visible to third parties and relocated to the inner side of the storage box. This extraction removes the visible operating member from the external environment, enhancing anti-crime performance while maintaining accessibility functionality through the operating member's new position on the inner side of the storage box.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Area of stationary object

If the storage box is efficiently disposed inside the side cover, then the space utilization is improved, but the accessibility to the storage box may be degraded

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespace utilizationVSAvoidaccessibility to storage box
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The operating member serves as an intermediary element positioned on the inner side of the storage box. This intermediary allows the storage box to be efficiently disposed inside the side cover while maintaining accessibility, as the operating member mediates between the user and the storage box, enabling easy access without compromising space utilization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4393799B1Straddled vehicle
Publication Date: 2025.06.11 YAMAHA MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP4393799B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4393799B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4393799B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

There is disclosed a straddled vehicle including a head pipe, a steering device, a side cover (25), a storage box, and an operating member (62); the steering device is turnably supported by the head pipe; the side cover (25) is disposed lateral to the steering device and on one side of the head pipe in a vehicle width direction; the storage box is disposed inside the side cover (25); the storage box includes a storage portion (31), provided with an opening (41) for putting-in and taking-out of an item, and a lid portion (32) for opening and closing the storage portion (31); the operating member (62) serves as a member for causing the lid portion (32) to perform an opening action; the operating member (62) is disposed apart from the side cover (25) on the one side of the head pipe in the vehicle width direction and on an inner side of the storage box in the vehicle width direction.