Saddle-ride Vehicle Front Cover Segmentation for Maintenance Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing sport saddle-ride type vehicles face challenges in maintaining a compact front cover member design while ensuring easy detachability for maintenance, as an integral structure hinders accessibility and a split structure compromises stiffness and space when trying to enlarge components.

Innovation Solution

A front cover member is split into a first and second front cover, where the first front cover is detachable, allowing for a larger access space while the second front cover's stiffness is enhanced through specific design features like intermediate portions, recesses, and lateral portions, preventing degradation in stiffness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the front cover member is made integral, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but ease of maintenance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidease of maintenance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The front cover member is divided into a first front cover and a second front cover that can be detached from each other. The first front cover is designed to be easily detachable for maintenance purposes, while the second front cover remains attached to the vehicle body. This segmentation allows maintenance workers to access components behind the first front cover without detaching the entire front cover assembly, thus resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and ease of maintenance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of repair

If the first front cover is enlarged to provide access space, then ease of maintenance is improved, but stiffness of the second front cover deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess spaceVSAvoidstiffness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of repairVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The second front cover is designed with an intermediate portion that has different structural characteristics from other portions. This intermediate portion is configured to maintain high stiffness to prevent degradation of the second front cover's overall strength. By applying local quality differentiation, the design achieves both adequate access space through the detachable first front cover and sufficient stiffness in the second front cover's intermediate portion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the front cover member is made compact, then aerodynamic performance is improved, but maintenance accessibility deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair resistanceVSAvoidmaintenance accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The front cover member is segmented into a detachable first front cover and a fixed second front cover. This segmentation allows the first front cover to be designed compact for aerodynamic performance while still providing adequate access space when detached for maintenance. The second front cover remains attached to maintain the compact overall structure, thus resolving the contradiction between aerodynamic performance and maintenance accessibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2876027B1Saddle-ride type vehicle
Publication Date: 2019.02.20 YAMAHA MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP2876027B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2876027B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2876027B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A saddle-ride type vehicle comprising a front cover member (15) including a first front cover (20) and a second front cover formed separately from the first front cover (20), wherein the first front cover (20) is at least partially located over a right light (19) and a left light (18), the second front cover is at least partially located under the right and left lights (19, 18), in a vehicle up-and-down direction, a dimension (H3) of the first front cover (20) is greater than a dimension (H4) of the second front cover, the second front cover includes an intermediate portion (227) in the middle of the vehicle in a vehicle width direction and the intermediate portion (227) extends more upward than inner lateral ends of lower edges of the right and left lights (19, 18).