Unit Swing Power Unit Cylinder Offset Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional unit swing type power units for vehicles face challenges in compacting the engine body's vertical dimension and reducing loss horsepower due to the arrangement and construction of drive members and electric motors, which increase fuel consumption.
Innovation Solution
The power unit features a transmission casing with a continuously variable transmission mechanism and an engine body where the cylinder axis is offset relative to the crank axis, allowing the engine to swing, with support structures positioned to minimize vertical space and reduce bearing loads, and key components like the electric motor and balancer are strategically placed to optimize space and balance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the drive member and electric motor are arranged in a conventional configuration, then the transmission mechanism can function properly, but the vertical dimension of the engine body becomes large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensional reconfiguration by changing the spatial arrangement of the cylinder body relative to the crankshaft. Specifically, the cylinder body is positioned such that the virtual plane including the cylinder axis and parallel to the crankshaft axis passes through a position displaced downward from the crankshaft axis. This dimensional shift allows the drive member and electric motor to be arranged in available spaces without increasing the vertical dimension of the engine body, thereby resolving the contradiction between compact vertical size and functional component arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the swing capability of the engine body to dynamically adjust the position of the cylinder body. By allowing the engine body to swing, the system can optimize the spatial relationship between the cylinder body, crankshaft, and drive components during operation. This dynamic adjustment enables compact vertical dimensions while maintaining proper function of the drive member and electric motor throughout the swing range.
2Productivity
If the electric motor and drive member are included in the power unit, then the transmission can be controlled, but loss horsepower increases and fuel consumption worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the spatial parameters and positioning of the electric motor and drive member to minimize energy losses. By carefully selecting the displacement position of the cylinder body and arranging the electric motor in available spaces, the design reduces unnecessary friction, improves mechanical efficiency, and minimizes loss horsepower. This parameter optimization allows the power unit to maintain better fuel consumption efficiency despite including the electric motor for transmission control.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a unit swing type power unit for a vehicle, in particular a saddle-ride type vehicle, in which a transmission casing accommodating therein a continuously variable transmission mechanism with a V-belt wound around a drive side sheave and a driven side sheave, and an engine body having a cylinder body and a crankshaft defining a crank axis are joined integrally to be supported on a vehicle body frame to be able to swing, wherein the cylinder body is formed so that a virtual plane, which includes a cylinder axis and is in parallel to the crank axis, passes through a position displaced toward a side of the crank axis, and vehicle provided with said power unit.