Tapered Motorcycle Side-Stand Structure for Lower Weight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing side-stands for motorcycles face challenges in achieving a balance between appearance and weight reduction, as forming a tapered shape using a pipe member often results in increased wall thickness and weight on the distal end side due to direct swaging, which affects the strength and visual appeal.
Innovation Solution
A side-stand design featuring an elongate portion with a hollow structure and a tapered outer shape, where the distal end side has a wall thickness equivalent to or smaller than the proximal end side, achieved by cutting the inner peripheral portion of a round pipe member and then swaging the outer peripheral portion to reduce the diameter, resulting in an elliptical cross-section oriented in the vehicle widthwise direction, and a grounding portion with a hollow structure and attachment hole for weight reduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If swaging is performed directly on the pipe member to create a tapered shape, then the appearance is improved, but the wall thickness on the distal end side increases excessively, resulting in increased weight
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the distal end side inner peripheral portion of the pipe member before performing swaging. This preliminary removal of material prevents the wall thickness from increasing excessively during the subsequent swaging process, thereby achieving the tapered shape without the harmful effect of excessive weight gain on the distal end side.
2Shape
If swaging is performed directly on the pipe member to create a tapered shape, then the appearance is improved, but the wall thickness on the distal end side increases, resulting in excessive strength
Solution Approach 1:
The distal end side inner peripheral portion is removed in advance before swaging. This preliminary action ensures that when swaging is performed, the wall thickness does not increase excessively, thereby avoiding the creation of overly strong (excessively rigid) distal end side that would be harmful to the overall performance of the side-stand.
3Shape
If a tapered pipe member is used to improve appearance, then the visual appeal is enhanced, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is divided into distinct segments: first removing the distal end side inner peripheral portion, then performing swaging on the outer peripheral portion. This segmentation of the manufacturing process makes the creation of the tapered shape more manageable and easier to execute compared to attempting to achieve the same shape through a single complex operation.
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
The design achieves a lightweight side-stand with a superior appearance, suppressing excessive wall thickness and weight increase while enhancing load resistance and presenting a sharp impression in the side view, while also reducing production costs.
Implementation Method 1
Through swaging in which a pipe member is hammered while being rotated to reduce the diameter, it is possible to obtain a tapered elongate portion with relatively low cost.
Implementation Method 2
the elongate portion (71) is formed by increasing a diameter of a distal end side inner peripheral portion (73) of a round pipe member by cutting
Implementation Method 3
by performing pressing after the swaging, a cross sectional shape of the elongate portion (71) becomes an ellipse having a major axis (C1, C2) oriented in a vehicle widthwise direction
Data Source
AI summary
A side-stand for a motorcycle enables both improvement in appearance and weight reduction by using a tapered pipe member. A side-stand for a motorcycle includes an elongate portion having a hollow structure, and a grounding portion. An outer shape of the elongate portion is tapered in appearance toward the grounding portion and, in a state in which the side-stand is unfolded, the elongate portion looks thinner as a whole in a side view than in a front view of a vehicle body. The elongate portion has a wall thickness on the distal end side equivalent to or smaller than a wall thickness on a proximal end side. The elongate portion is formed by increasing a diameter of a distal end side inner peripheral portion of a round pipe member by cutting, and then swaging an outer peripheral portion to reduce the diameter and obtain a tapered shape.