JP7655028B2 - Body Cover - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a body cover.

Generally, saddle-type vehicles have various cover members attached to the body frame as the exterior of the vehicle. A known saddle-type vehicle is equipped with a body cover that forms the side of the front part of the vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The body cover described in Patent Document 1 is arranged behind the front cowl so as to cover the head pipe, radiator, etc. from the side. The lower part of the front fork protrudes forward from the body cover, exposing the front wheel supported by the lower part of the front fork. When the saddle-type vehicle is traveling, the traveling wind enters the inside of the body cover in the left-right direction to cool the radiator, etc.

JP 2018-052171 A

However, when body covers are made compact to achieve a light and airy appearance, hot air from the radiator can pass between the vehicle frame and the body cover and be dispersed toward the occupants.

The present invention was made in consideration of these points, and aims to provide a body cover that can protect occupants from hot air blowing rearward from the radiator.

One embodiment of the body cover of the present invention is a body cover for a saddle-type vehicle having a radiator arranged at the front of the vehicle body, and includes a base body cover that covers the radiator from the side, and the base body cover has an opening that directs driving wind from outside the base body cover into the space behind the radiator , and a wall surface facing the front of the vehicle body at the rear edge of the opening , the wall surface extends outward in the left-right direction beyond the front edge of the opening, the driving wind hits the wall surface and flows into the opening, and the driving wind is directed from the opening into the space behind the radiator, and the driving wind joins the hot air heading rearward from the radiator from the outside in the left-right direction, and the flow of hot air is pushed inward in the vehicle width direction by the driving wind, thereby solving the above-mentioned problem.

According to one aspect of the body cover of the present invention, the traveling wind is taken in from the outside to the inside of the base body cover through the opening. The traveling wind is guided from the opening into the space behind the radiator, and merges with the hot wind flowing rearward from the radiator from the outside in the left-right direction. The traveling wind pushes the flow of hot wind inward in the vehicle width direction, suppressing the diffusion of the hot wind in the left-right direction. Therefore, the legs of the occupants located on the outside in the left-right direction of the vehicle body are effectively protected from the hot wind from the radiator.

1 is a perspective view of a front portion of a saddle-type vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a left side view of the front part of the vehicle according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a left side view of the vehicle according to the present embodiment with a part of the body cover removed from the front of the vehicle. FIG. 2 is a front view of the front part of the vehicle according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view in which a part of the body cover of the present embodiment is cut away. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the body cover of FIG. 2 taken along line AA. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the body cover of FIG. 2 taken along line BB. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the body cover of FIG. 2 taken along line CC.

The body cover of one aspect of the present invention is attached to the front of a vehicle body of a saddle-type vehicle in which a radiator is disposed. The body cover covers the radiator from the side with a base body cover. An opening is formed in the base body cover to guide the traveling wind from the outside of the base body cover to the space behind the radiator, and the traveling wind is taken in from the outside to the inside of the base body cover through the opening. The traveling wind is guided from the opening to the space behind the radiator, and merges with the hot wind flowing rearward from the radiator from the outside in the left and right directions. The traveling wind pushes the flow of hot air inward in the vehicle width direction, suppressing the diffusion of the hot air in the left and right directions. Therefore, the legs of the occupant located on the outside of the vehicle body in the left and right directions are effectively protected from the hot air from the radiator.

The saddle-type vehicle to which the body cover of this embodiment is applied will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the front of the saddle-type vehicle of this embodiment. In addition, in the following drawings, the arrow FR indicates the front of the vehicle, the arrow RE indicates the rear of the vehicle, the arrow L indicates the left side of the vehicle, and the arrow R indicates the right side of the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 1, the saddle-type vehicle 1 is constructed by mounting various parts such as an engine 16 and an electrical system on a twin-spar body frame 10 formed by aluminum casting. The body frame 10 has a pair of main frames 12 that branch off to the left and right from a head pipe 11 and extend rearward, and a pair of down frames 13 that branch off to the left and right from the head pipe 11 and extend downward. The pair of main frames 12 support the rear of the engine 16, and the pair of down frames 13 support the front of the engine 16. The rigidity of the entire vehicle is ensured by supporting the engine 16 on the body frame 10.

The front portion of the main frame 12 forms a tank rail, and a fuel tank 17 is disposed on the tank rail. The rear portion of the main frame 12 forms a body frame, and a seat rail 14 and a back stay 15 extend rearward from the upper portion of the body frame. A rider seat 18 is disposed on the seat rail 14. A pair of front forks 21 are supported on the head pipe 11 via a steering shaft (not shown) so as to be steerable. A front wheel 22 is rotatably supported on the lower portion of the front forks 21, and the upper portion of the front wheel 22 is covered by a front fender 23.

A radiator 24 is disposed below the head pipe 11 and in front of the cylinder head of the engine 16. The radiator 24 is provided with a radiator core having numerous thin tubes or heat dissipation fins. Heat is exchanged between the refrigerant flowing through the radiator core and the running wind blown onto the radiator core. A headlamp unit 25 is provided in front of the head pipe 11. The headlamp unit 25 is formed vertically long, with two light-emitting parts arranged vertically. A headlamp cover 26 is attached around the headlamp unit 25.

A pair of body covers 30 are attached to the saddle-type vehicle 1 to cover the radiator 24 from the left and right sides. With a compact body cover 30 like that of this embodiment, it is difficult to deflect the hot air diffused in the left and right directions from the back of the radiator 24 outward in the left and right direction from the legs of the occupant to protect the legs of the occupant from the hot air of the radiator 24. Therefore, the body cover 30 of this embodiment is formed with an opening 36 that takes in the traveling wind from the outside of the body cover 30 into the space behind the radiator 24, and the traveling wind that enters from the opening 36 (see Figure 2) merges with the hot air from the outside in the left and right direction, thereby suppressing the diffusion of the hot air in the left and right directions.

The detailed configuration of the body cover will be described below with reference to Figures 2 to 4. Figure 2 is a left side view of the front part of the vehicle in this embodiment. Figure 3 is a left side view of the front part of the vehicle in this embodiment with a part of the body cover removed. Figure 4 is a front view of the front part of the vehicle in this embodiment.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the body cover 30 is disposed behind the headlamp cover 26, and together with the headlamp cover 26 forms the exterior of the front part of the saddle-type vehicle 1. The body cover 30 has a base body cover 31 fixed to the front part of the vehicle frame 10, an upper body cover 61 and an outer body cover 51 on the outside of the base body cover 31, and an inner body cover 65 on the inside of the base body cover 31. The outer body cover 51 is disposed from the middle to the lower part in the height direction of the outer surface of the base body cover 31, and the upper body cover 61 is disposed on the upper part of the outer surface of the base body cover 31.

The base body cover 31 laterally covers the body frame 10 (main frame 12) above the front wheels 22 and laterally covers the radiator 24 behind the front wheels 22. The base body cover 31 has an upper half 32 with a narrow left-right width and a lower half 33 with a wide left-right width. The lower side of the outer surface of the base body cover 31 protrudes outward in the left-right direction further down than the upper side, i.e., the outer surface of the lower half 33 protrudes further outward in the left-right direction than the outer surface of the upper half 32, forming a step surface 34 (see FIG. 4 in particular). The step surface 34 extends obliquely upward from the front edge of the base body cover 31 toward the rear, and the base body cover 31 is divided into the upper half 32 and the lower half 33 at the step surface 34.

The front edge of the step surface 34 is located above the upper end of the front wheel 22. The step surface 34 is partially cut out at a midpoint in the extending direction to form a vertical groove 35. The vertical groove 35 extends toward an opening 36 in the lower half 33, which will be described later. The step surface 34 is divided into a front half and a rear half by the vertical groove 35, and a long hole 37 is formed along the step surface 34 above the front half of the step surface 34, and a protrusion 38 is formed along the step surface 34 above the rear half of the step surface 34. A plate-shaped portion 52 of an outer body cover 51, which will be described later, is attached to the long hole 37, and the upper surface of the protrusion 38 is formed so as to be continuous with the upper surface of the plate-shaped portion 52.

An opening 36 that is triangular in side view is formed in the lower half 33 of the base body cover 31 below the step surface 34. The opening 36 connects the inside and outside of the base body cover 31 to the side of the radiator 24 and in front of the main frame 12. As will be described in detail later, the traveling wind is guided to the opening 36 through the vertical groove 35 and taken into the inside of the base body cover 31. The front edge of the opening 36 is located laterally inward than the rear edge, and a wall surface 39 (see Figure 6) with a large left-right width is formed at the rear edge of the opening 36. The traveling wind from the front hits the wall surface 39 at the rear edge of the opening 36, so that the traveling wind is taken into the inside of the base body cover 31 from the opening 36.

When viewed from the front, the lower front surface 41 is formed above the lower side of the step surface 34 of the base body cover 31, i.e., the front surface of the lower half 33 extends outward in the left-right direction more than the front surface of the upper half 32. The lower front surface 41 is formed by a front portion facing forward and a sloped portion facing diagonally forward. The lower front surface 41 is recessed below the step surface 34, and the lower front surface 41 protrudes forward from the recess 42 toward the front edge of the step surface 34 (see FIG. 3 in particular). Because the slope from the lower front surface 41 toward the step surface 34 is steep, even if the muddy water received on the lower front surface 41 is blown by the wind from driving, it is difficult for the muddy water to overcome the front edge of the step surface 34.

In addition, the lower outer surface 43 of the base body cover 31 below the step surface 34 protrudes outward in the left-right direction toward the side edge of the step surface 34 (see FIG. 4 in particular). Even if the wind blows on the muddy water adhering to the lower outer surface 43, the muddy water is less likely to climb over the side edge of the step surface 34. In the front part of the base body cover 31, the front edge and side edge of the step surface 34 protrude outward, making it difficult for the muddy water to flow above the step surface 34, thereby preventing the muddy water from adhering to the occupant. In a side view, the lower half 33 of the base body cover 31 partially overlaps the rear part of the front wheel 22. A shielding plate 44 (see FIG. 6) protrudes from the inner surface of the lower half 33 toward the main frame 12. This shielding plate 44 makes it difficult for water or mud to enter the inside of the vehicle body, such as the intake port of the air cleaner (not shown) at the upper rear, even if water or mud enters the inside of the opening 36.

Above the long holes 37 and protrusions 38 of the base body cover 31, the outer surface of the upper half 32 bulges outward in the left-right direction to form a bulge 45. The bulge 45 extends diagonally upward from the front edge of the base body cover 31 toward the rear, and multiple openings are formed in the bulge 45. At the upper edge of the upper half 32, the outer surface of the upper half 32 is recessed inward in the left-right direction to form a horizontal groove 46 along the bulge 45. An upper body cover 61 is attached to the outer surface of the bulge 45. The upper body cover 61 extends diagonally upward from the front edge of the base body cover 31 toward the rear so as to cover the entire bulge 45 from the outside.

The outer body cover 51 is attached to the outside of the base body cover 31 below the upper body cover 61. The outer body cover 51 is formed with a eaves-shaped plate-like portion 52 that covers the step surface 34 of the base body cover 31 from above, and a rear cover portion 54 that is connected to the rear of the plate-like portion 52 via a connecting portion 53. The plate-like portion 52 is attached to the long hole 37 of the base body cover 31, and extends forward and backward above the step surface 34. The front edge of the plate-like portion 52 is located forward of the front edge of the step surface 34, and muddy water splashed up by the front wheels 22 is received over a wide area by the eaves-shaped plate-like portion 52.

The plate-shaped portion 52 is inclined downward from the outer surface of the base body cover 31 toward the outside in the left-right direction, and a downwardly bent return portion 55 is formed on the left-right outer side edge of the plate-shaped portion 52. A gap is provided between the inner surface of the return portion 55 and the left-right outer side edge of the step surface 34, and the return portion 55 extends below the side edge of the step surface 34 (see FIG. 4 in particular). Muddy water received by the plate-shaped portion 52 easily flows down from the return portion 55 to below the step surface 34, and muddy water is less likely to flow above the plate-shaped portion 52, preventing the muddy water from adhering to the occupant. Although the return portion 55 is formed in the front half of the plate-shaped portion 52, the return portion 55 may be formed along the entire longitudinal direction of the plate-shaped portion 52.

The step surface 34 and the eaves-shaped plate-like portion 52 form a passage for the traveling wind. The front edge of the step surface 34 and the front edge of the plate-like portion 52 form an inlet for the traveling wind, and the traveling wind from the front enters the inlet for the traveling wind. As described above, there is a gap between the inner surface of the return portion 55 and the step surface 34, and the traveling wind also enters the gap. This traveling wind is rectified on the inside of the plate-like portion 52, reducing the traveling resistance caused by the traveling wind. In this way, the step surface 34 and the plate-like portion 52 not only catch the muddy water splashed up from the front wheels 22, but also form a passage for the traveling wind in the body cover 30 that can reduce the traveling resistance.

The rear of the plate-shaped part 52 is located above the vertical groove 35, and a connecting part 53 is provided at the rear of the plate-shaped part 52. The connecting part 53 has an inner wall surface 56 (see FIG. 6) that is inclined inward in the left-right direction toward the rear, and the inner wall surface 56 of the connecting part 53 guides the running wind passing inside the plate-shaped part 52 to the vertical groove 35. A rear cover part 54 is provided at the bottom of the connecting part 53. The rear cover part 54 spreads out in the front-rear and up-down directions to cover the outside of the base body cover 31. As a result of a part of the rear cover part 54 overlapping the vertical groove 35 and the opening 36 in a side view, the running wind is guided from the vertical groove 35 to the opening 36, and the running wind is efficiently taken inside the base body cover 31.

The inner body cover 65 is attached to the inside of the base body cover 31 along the front edge of the base body cover 31. The lower part of the inner body cover 65 is formed along the lower front surface 41 of the base body cover 31. The lower part of the inner body cover 65 forms a slope facing diagonally forward, and together with the lower front surface 41 of the base body cover 31, it receives water droplets from the front. The method of fixing the base body cover 31, inner body cover 65, outer body cover 51, and upper body cover 61 is not particularly limited, and they may be fixed by, for example, screws, hooks, clips, etc.

The passage of the wind through the body cover will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 8. Figure 5 is a side view of a portion of the body cover of this embodiment cut away. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the body cover of Figure 2 cut along line A-A. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the body cover of Figure 2 cut along line B-B. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the body cover of Figure 2 cut along line C-C.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, a passage for the traveling wind is formed by the step surface 34 of the base body cover 31 and the plate-shaped portion 52 of the outer body cover 51. In the base body cover 31, the outer side edge of the step surface 34 on the left and right direction is cut out in a concave shape to form a vertical groove 35. The inner wall surface 56 of the connecting portion 53 is positioned on the outer side of the vertical groove 35 in the left and right direction. In addition, the base body cover 31 has an opening 36 below the step surface 34 that connects the inside and outside of the base body cover 31. The upper end of the vertical groove 35 connects to the step surface 34, and the lower end of the vertical groove 35 extends to the opening 36.

In a side view, the opening 36 is located below the upper end of the radiator 24 and to the rear of the radiator 24 (see FIG. 3 in particular). That is, the opening 36 is formed in the base body cover 31 so as to expose the space behind the radiator 24. In this embodiment, the radiator 24 is curved rearward, so the rear surface of the radiator 24 is exposed from the opening 36. A wall surface 39 facing the front of the vehicle body is formed at the rear edge of the opening 36, and the wall surface 39 extends outward in the left-right direction beyond the front edge of the opening 36. As described above, the vertical groove 35 and the opening 36 are partially covered from the outside in the left-right direction by the rear cover portion 54.

As shown by arrow F1, when the wind blows against the body cover 30 from the front, it flows rearward between the step surface 34 and the plate-shaped portion 52. As shown by arrow F2, the wind also enters through the gap between the side edge of the step surface 34 and the return portion 55, and flows rearward between the plate-shaped portion 52 of the step surface 34. Then, as shown by arrow F3, the wind is guided toward the vertical groove 35 by the inner wall surface 56 of the connecting portion 53, and flows through the vertical groove 35 into the opening 36. At this time, the vertical groove 35 is partially covered from the side by the rear cover portion 54, making it easier for the wind to flow into the opening 36.

As shown in FIG. 7, in horizontal cross section, the outer surface of the base body cover 31 is inclined inward in the left-right direction toward the front edge of the opening 36. Since there is no wall surface 39 on the extension line of the slope of this base body cover 31, the traveling wind indicated by arrow F4 flows directly into the opening 36 from the slope of the base body cover 31. As shown in FIG. 8, in horizontal cross section, the outer surface of the base body cover 31 is inclined outward in the left-right direction toward the front edge of the opening 36. Since there is a wall surface 39 on the extension line of the slope of this base body cover 31, the traveling wind along the base body cover 31 indicated by arrow F5 hits the wall surface 39 and flows into the opening 36.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, a shielding plate 44 is formed on the base body cover 31 to separate the gap between the base body cover 31 and the main frame 12. The inner edge of the shielding plate 44 extends forward and backward along the outer surface of the main frame 12, and the gap between the base body cover 31 and the main frame 12 is separated by the shielding plate 44. The shielding plate 44 is also located above the opening 36. As a result, for example, the running wind as indicated by the arrows F3-F5 is more likely to flow toward the space behind the radiator 24 inside the main frame 12, rather than flowing from the opening 36 toward the gap between the base body cover 31 and the main frame 12.

As shown by arrow F6 in Figures 7 and 8, hot air flows rearward from the back surface of the radiator core of the radiator 24. As the wind from the road flows into the space behind the radiator 24 from the opening 36, the hot air is pushed in from the outside in the left and right directions by the wind from the road in the space behind the radiator 24. The wind from the road prevents the hot air from diffusing left and right, making it difficult for the hot air to pass through the gap between the main frame 12 and the body cover 30 and head toward the legs of the occupant. In this way, even with a compact body cover 30, the legs of the occupant are protected by preventing the diffusion of hot air from the radiator 24. The temperature of the hot air is also lowered by the outside air.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the traveling wind is taken in from the outside to the inside of the base body cover 31 through the opening 36. The traveling wind is guided from the opening 36 to the space behind the radiator 24, and merges with the hot air flowing rearward from the radiator 24 from the outside in the left-right direction. The traveling wind pushes the flow of hot air inward in the vehicle width direction, suppressing the diffusion of the hot air in the left-right direction. Therefore, the legs of the occupants located on the outside in the left-right direction of the vehicle body are effectively protected from the hot air from the radiator 24.

In this embodiment, the body cover includes a base body cover, an upper body cover, an outer body cover, and an inner body cover, but it is sufficient that the body cover includes at least the base body cover.

In addition, in this embodiment, a passage for the wind passing through the vehicle is formed by the stepped surface of the base body cover and the plate-shaped portion of the outer body cover, but the external shape of the base body cover is not particularly limited as long as an opening is formed in the base body cover.

In addition, in this embodiment, the outer body cover is formed by connecting the plate-shaped portion and the rear cover portion with a connecting portion, but the outer shape of the outer body cover is not particularly limited.

In addition, in this embodiment, the base body cover has an opening formed below the top end of the radiator and to the rear of the radiator in a side view, but the position of the opening is not particularly limited. The opening only needs to be formed so as to guide the running wind from outside the base body cover to the space behind the radiator.

In addition, in this embodiment, a wall surface facing the front of the vehicle body is formed at the rear edge of the opening in the base body cover, and a shielding plate is formed on the base body cover, but the wall surface and shielding plate do not necessarily have to be formed on the base body cover.

In addition, in this embodiment, the space behind the radiator refers to the space between the radiator and the engine, but it may be any space inside a pair of body covers where hot air is generated from the radiator.

In addition, a saddle-type vehicle is not limited to all vehicles in which the rider sits astride the seat, but also includes small scooter-type vehicles in which the rider does not sit astride the seat.

As described above, the body cover (30) of this embodiment is a body cover for a saddle-type vehicle (1) with a radiator (24) disposed at the front of the vehicle body, and includes a base body cover (31) that covers the radiator from the side, and an opening (36) is formed in the base body cover to guide the traveling wind from the outside of the base body cover to the space behind the radiator. With this configuration, the traveling wind is taken in from the outside to the inside of the base body cover through the opening. The traveling wind is guided from the opening to the space behind the radiator, and merges with the hot wind flowing rearward from the radiator from the outside in the left-right direction. The traveling wind pushes the flow of hot air inward in the vehicle width direction, suppressing the diffusion of the hot air in the left-right direction. Therefore, the legs of the occupant located on the outside of the vehicle body in the left-right direction are effectively protected from the hot air from the radiator.

In the body cover of this embodiment, when viewed from the side, the base body cover has an opening that exposes the space behind the radiator. With this configuration, the wind from the vehicle is guided directly into the space behind the radiator, effectively preventing the hot air from diffusing outward in the left and right directions.

In the body cover of this embodiment, the base body cover has a wall surface (39) formed at the rear edge of the opening that faces the front of the vehicle body, and the wall surface extends outward in the left-right direction beyond the front edge of the opening. With this configuration, the wind from the front hits the wall surface at the rear edge of the opening, and the wind is guided from the opening into the space behind the radiator, effectively preventing the hot air from diffusing outward in the left-right direction.

In the body cover of this embodiment, the base body cover covers the main frame (12) from the side, and the base body cover is formed with a shielding plate (44) that separates the gap between the base body cover and the main frame. With this configuration, the shielding plate makes it difficult for the wind to flow into the gap between the base body cover and the main frame, and makes it easier for the wind to flow into the inside of the base body cover through the opening.

The body cover of this embodiment includes an outer body cover (51) attached to the outside of the base body cover, and a portion of the outer body cover overlaps the opening in a side view. With this configuration, the opening is partially covered from the side by a portion of the outer body cover, and traveling wind is efficiently drawn inside the base body cover.

Although this embodiment has been described, other embodiments may be combinations of the above embodiments and variations in whole or in part.

Furthermore, the technology of the present invention is not limited to the above examples, and may be modified, substituted, or altered in various ways without departing from the spirit of the technical idea. Furthermore, if the technical idea can be realized in a different way due to technological advances or other derived technologies, it may be implemented using that method. Therefore, the claims cover all embodiments that may fall within the scope of the technical idea.

1: saddle-type vehicle 12: main frame 24: radiator 30: body cover 31: base body cover 36: opening 39: wall surface 43: lower outer surface 44: shielding plate 51: outer body cover

Claims (5)

A body cover for a saddle-type vehicle having a radiator disposed at the front of the vehicle body,
A base body cover is provided to cover the radiator from a side,
The base body cover is formed with an opening for guiding a traveling wind from the outside of the base body cover to a rear space of the radiator, and a wall surface facing the front of the vehicle body is formed at a rear edge of the opening ,
The wall surface extends beyond the front edge of the opening in the left-right direction, and the wind blows against the wall surface and flows into the opening.
This body cover is characterized in that the airflow is guided from the opening into the space behind the radiator, and the airflow joins the hot air flowing rearward from the radiator from the outside in the left and right directions, and the flow of hot air is pushed inward in the vehicle width direction by the airflow. The body cover according to claim 1, characterized in that, in a side view, the base body cover has an opening that exposes the rear space of the radiator. The base body cover covers the main frame from the side,
3. The body cover according to claim 1 , wherein the base body cover is formed with a shielding plate for separating a gap between the base body cover and the main frame. an outer body cover attached to an outer side of the base body cover;
The body cover according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein a portion of the outer body cover overlaps the opening in a side view. A body cover for a saddle-type vehicle having a radiator disposed at the front of the vehicle body,
a base body cover that covers the radiator from a side ;
an outer body cover attached to the outside of the base body cover ;
The base body cover is formed with an opening for guiding a traveling wind from the outside of the base body cover to a rear space of the radiator, and a wall surface facing the front of the vehicle body is formed at a rear edge of the opening ,
In a side view, a portion of the outer body cover overlaps with the opening,
The wall surface extends toward an inner surface of the outer body cover,
This body cover is characterized in that the airflow is guided from the opening into the space behind the radiator, and the airflow joins the hot air flowing rearward from the radiator from the outside in the left and right directions, and the flow of hot air is pushed inward in the vehicle width direction by the airflow.

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