Straddled Vehicle Control Unit Layout for Compact Thermal Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Straddled vehicles face challenges in accommodating multiple control units without increasing vehicle size and managing thermal effects between closely spaced control units, particularly those with heat-generating components like regulators and rectifiers.
Innovation Solution
The control units are strategically placed in a rear narrow area of the vehicle, separated and oriented flatly, with a lead wire routed between them to minimize thermal transfer, and a case is used to support and restrict the lead wire's motion, optimizing space utilization and reducing thermal effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If control units are arranged in an integrated manner to increase the number of control units, then the vehicle size increases, but maneuverability and agility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the flat section of the vehicle body (area dimension) rather than stacking control units vertically (length dimension). By arranging control units side-by-side in the left-right direction within the flat section, the design accommodates multiple control units without increasing the vehicle's overall length, thereby maintaining maneuverability while increasing control unit capacity.
2Area of stationary object
If control units are placed close together to save space, then space utilization improves, but thermal transfer between control units increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a partition wall as an intermediary structure between adjacent control units. This partition wall acts as a thermal barrier that reduces heat transfer between control units while still allowing them to be positioned close together in the flat section, thus maintaining good space utilization while mitigating thermal effects.
3Area of stationary object
If control units are placed in the flat section to utilize available space, then space utilization improves, but access for maintenance becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the flat section into multiple independent compartments using partition walls, with each compartment housing a control unit. This segmentation allows individual control units to be accessed and maintained separately by removing specific partitions or accessing dedicated maintenance ports, improving maintainability while maintaining efficient space utilization in the flat section.
Data Source
Figure 1(A)~1(B)
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
In a straddled vehicle 1, an upper control unit 15 and a lower control unit 14 are placed in a flat orientation in a rear narrow area A1. The rear narrow area A1 is located further backward than a front end 111 of a rear wheel 11 in side view, further upward than a top end 112 of the rear wheel 11 in side view, and between a left seat rail and a right seat rail in top view. The upper control unit 15 and the lower control unit 14 are spaced apart. A lead wire 17 is routed under the upper control unit 15 and over the lower control unit 14, and runs between the upper control unit 15 and the lower control unit 14 in side view to be connected to an electrical component 16. Thus, the number of control units to be mounted in a straddled vehicle is increased while thermal effects that are exerted by the control units on each other are reduced.