CN109131653B

CN109131653B - Backseat handle for two-wheeled vehicle

Info

Publication number: CN109131653B
Application number: CN201810622078.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: R·拉贾马尼; G·安奴玛拉塞提; P·加内桑; V·阿洛美; M·锡尔尤马尔
Original assignee: TVS Motor Co Ltd
Current assignee: TVS Motor Co Ltd
Priority date: 2017-06-15
Filing date: 2018-06-15
Publication date: 2022-05-24
Anticipated expiration: 2038-06-15
Also published as: CN109131653A

Abstract

The invention relates to a rear seat handle (6) for a two-wheeled vehicle (100). The mounting bracket (16) is arranged between the side pipes (17, 18). A mounting bracket (16) is provided for receiving the rear seat handle (6) and the seat lock (15). Thus, a suitable space utilization is provided by the invention. The mounting bracket (16) also helps to increase the cushioning of the seat assembly (5).

Description

Backseat handle for two-wheeled vehicle

Technical Field

The present subject matter relates generally to saddle type motor vehicles and, more particularly, to a frame assembly attached to a saddle type vehicle.

Background

Typically, a saddle type vehicle includes a frame assembly extending rearwardly from a head pipe. The frame assembly serves as a framework and structural member of the vehicle supporting the vehicle load. The front wheels are connected to the front portion of the frame assembly by one or more front suspensions. The frame assembly extends toward a rear portion of the vehicle. The rear wheels are connected to the frame assembly by one or more rear suspensions. The frame assembly includes an engine assembly mounted thereto. The engine assembly is functionally connected to the rear wheels, which provide forward motion to the vehicle. The muffler assembly is provided on a lateral side of the vehicle, mounted to the frame assembly or the vehicle by a mounting bracket. Typically, a plurality of panels are mounted to a frame assembly of the vehicle that covers the various vehicle component parts mounted thereon.

Conventionally, a rear seat handle is provided at the extreme end of the seat assembly to facilitate support of a rear seat occupant. The rear seat handle includes a grip portion that extends around the legs of the rear seat and further extends rearwardly to form a rear grip portion of the same rear seat handle. The use of either grip portion for support and comfort is a privilege for rear seat passengers. The rear seat handle also includes a mounting lug for attaching the rear seat handle to a vehicle frame assembly. To provide minimal operating clearance, a cutout or space is provided in the tailgate or in the seat assembly so that the rear seat handle can be attached to the frame by means of the mounting lugs. However, in this case, the entire system may degrade the aesthetic characteristics of the vehicle and also allow water and mud to splash in.

However, in some known techniques, another arrangement of a rear seat handle is provided to ameliorate the above problem. A single mounting bracket is provided in a space between side pipes of a frame assembly extending in a vehicle width direction, placed at extreme ends of the side pipes, and welded to the left and right side pipes. The rear seat handle is mounted above the mounting bracket through mounting openings provided on the mounting bracket and the surface of the rear seat handle and fasteners provided to hold the system attached.

The systems described in the above-mentioned known art also face some functional challenges. The rear seat handle in the above system is heavy and the size of the mounting bracket is not optimized due to its bulkiness. The rear seat handle is mounted by hex screws which act as fasteners and this arrangement is in conflict with the rear seat foam thickness, while a different arrangement is also required for the seat lock which also plays a role in the reduced rear seat foam thickness. Such packaging challenges can have undesirable adverse effects on seat foam and seat comfort. Increasing the foam thickness by increasing the seat height is also undesirable due to the difficulty of riding on the vehicle. Therefore, a solution is needed that can solve the above problems without compromising the conflicting requirements.

Disclosure of Invention

According to an embodiment of the present subject matter, a saddle type vehicle is provided. The saddle-type vehicle includes: a frame assembly including a head tube disposed in a front portion of the vehicle; a main tube extending in a rearward direction from the head tube; a pair of side pipes, i.e., a left side pipe and a right side pipe extending in a further rearward direction from the main pipe; a seat assembly including a rider seat assembly and a rear seat assembly disposed above the pair of side tubes; an integral mounting bracket attached to the pair of side tubes, the integral mounting bracket disposed in a region between the left side tube and the right side tube; and a rear seat handle disposed at a rearmost end of the rear seat assembly attached to the integrated mounting bracket, wherein the rear seat handle is centrally mounted having a mounting portion disposed in a central portion of the vehicle at a rear end of the vehicle, wherein the integrated mounting bracket is a stepped structure including a recessed portion and a raised portion, wherein the recessed portion further extends in an upward direction to form the raised portion, and wherein the recessed portion extends in a straight lateral direction along a width of the vehicle, the raised portion also extends in a straight lateral direction along the width of the vehicle, and the raised portion is formed in a plane above the recessed portion.

Drawings

A detailed description of the present subject matter is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to reference like features and components.

Fig. 1 illustrates a left side view of an exemplary two-wheeled vehicle, in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter.

Figure 2 illustrates a side view of a rear seat assembly having a rear seat handle and seat lock of the arrangement of the two-wheeled vehicle shown in figure 1, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter.

Fig. 3 illustrates an enlarged view of a rear seat handle attached to a side tube of the frame assembly of the two-wheeled vehicle shown in fig. 1, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter.

Fig. 4 illustrates an exploded view of a mounting bracket attached to a side tube of the two-wheeled vehicle shown in fig. 1, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter.

Fig. 5 illustrates an exploded view of a mounting bracket for disposing a rear seat handle between side tubes of the two-wheeled vehicle shown in fig. 1, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter.

Fig. 6 illustrates an exploded view of a mounting bracket with a seat lock arranged to be placed between side tubes of a two-wheeled vehicle as shown in fig. 1, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter.

Fig. 7 illustrates an enlarged view of the rear seat handle of the two-wheeled vehicle shown in fig. 1, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter.

Detailed Description

The present subject matter is directed to overcoming the deficiencies of the prior art discussed above. In this view, the present invention provides a structure of a rear seat handle that does not interfere with the aesthetic features of the vehicle, nor does it provide a cutout portion or gap between the seat and the tailgate through which the possibility of mud and water ingress is high. Further, the present subject matter also provides a rear seat handle that is lighter in weight and has optimized mounting bracket dimensions. The present subject matter also provides an arrangement in which the rear seat foam thickness is increased to provide a comfortable ride, and thereby overcomes all of the problems and inconsistencies described above.

Typically, a saddle type motor vehicle includes a frame assembly that extends rearward from the head pipe along the length of the vehicle. The frame assembly serves as a structural member and skeleton of the vehicle supporting the vehicle load. The frame assembly includes a front portion connected to the front wheel by one or more front suspensions, wherein it further extends in a rearward manner, including a rear wheel connected to the frame by one or more rear suspensions. A set of left and right side tubes diverge from the frame assembly and extend in a rearward direction along the length of the vehicle. A saddle-type vehicle includes a seat assembly mounted above a side tube and a rear wheel connected to the seat assembly by one or more rear suspensions.

Further, when a rear seat passenger sits on the vehicle, he/she needs a support for holding while the vehicle is running. To achieve such an object, a rear seat handle is provided, which is attached to the frame assembly, is attached to the side tubes at the extreme ends of the side tubes and is placed above the rear fender so that a rear seat passenger can use it for comfortable riding. Generally, the rear seat handle is connected to the side tube by a mounting lug extending in a lateral manner in the vehicle width direction. A cutout or space is provided between the seat assembly and the tail cap to allow the mounting lugs to be attached to the frame assembly so that the rear seat handle can be connected to the frame assembly. However, such systems compromise the aesthetic characteristics of the vehicle and also face vibration problems. There is also the problem of mud and water entering through the crevices and cut-outs.

In one known technique, the above problems are addressed and attempted to be solved. A mounting bracket is provided in the space between the side tubes. The mounting bracket extends in a straight plane in the vehicle width direction in a lateral manner while being welded to the left and right side pipes. The rear seat handle is attached to the mounting bracket through mounting holes provided on surfaces of both the rear seat handle and the mounting bracket. The system is attached by hex screws used as fasteners to maintain structural integrity. However, the improved subject matter in this case also faces challenges because the mounting brackets become bulky and not optimized. In this case, the weight of the rear seat handle also increases, and the seat lock requires additional space. In fact, the arrangement of the hex head screws to keep the system intact results in a reduction in the rear seat foam thickness.

The present subject matter thus overcomes the above-mentioned problems of the systems known in the prior art. It is an object of the present subject matter to provide a saddle-type vehicle that employs a rear seat handle having reduced weight. It is another object of the present subject matter to provide a rear seat handle system that overcomes the vibration problem and does not compromise the rear seat foam thickness. Further, the present subject matter also provides a mounting bracket that is optimized and reduced in size and still robust as compared to previous systems. Finally, the present subject matter is directed to eliminating some of the extra components required to attach the entire system, resulting in a light and robust system.

In one embodiment according to the present subject matter, a saddle-type vehicle is provided that employs a rear seat handle having a secure, centrally mounted mounting portion that is disposed substantially in a central portion of the vehicle at a rear end. Typically, a frame assembly for a saddle type vehicle includes a head tube assembly disposed between a handle assembly and a front fork assembly. The frame assembly is then bifurcated at its ends into a pair of side tubes, a left side tube and a right side tube. The seat assemblies of the rider and the rear seat passenger are mounted on the lateral tubes, and the footrest assemblies are also connected to the lateral tubes. The rear wheels are also connected to the side tubes of the frame assembly by one or more rear suspensions. Comfort provided to a rear seat occupant is one of the primary aspects that any vehicle is intended to provide. Maintaining the comfort of the rear seat occupant as a priority, a rear seat handle that can be used as a support when the vehicle is traveling is provided.

In one embodiment, a rear seat handle is provided at the rearmost end of the vehicle, which is placed above the rear fender, and the rear seat passenger can use the rear seat handle as his/her support while the vehicle is traveling. The backseat handle has an upstream portion with a minimum of two mounts, followed by a downstream portion substantially above the upstream portion. In another embodiment, the two portions may be connected by an intermediate portion. The downstream portion of the centered rear seat handle has substantially symmetrical extension arms that extend downstream toward the rear of the vehicle. The arms have forward extending portions that are symmetrically disposed about a longitudinal plane of the vehicle, and the arms form gripping members for comfortable and safe gripping by a rear seat occupant. In one embodiment, the centered rear seat handle forms a triangular shaped profile. An integrated mounting bracket is arranged in the space between the left side pipe and the right side pipe. The integrated mounting bracket extends in a straight lateral direction along the vehicle width direction, being disposed at an extreme end of the side tube assembly. In one embodiment, the mounting bracket is located below the seat assembly and is welded to both the left and right side tubes. The mounting bracket is optimized to a more compact shape so that it can be seen as comprising two parts, a first recessed part to which the seat lock is attached and another raised part to which the rear seat handle is attached. The mounting bracket may be considered as a stepped structure in which the recessed portion extends in an upward manner to form a second elevated portion. The second elevated portion also extends in a laterally straight manner similar to the first recessed portion, but lies in a plane above and substantially parallel to the plane of the recessed portion.

In one embodiment, the rear seat handle is attached to the integral mounting bracket on the second elevated portion through at least two mounting openings provided on the surface of the mounting bracket and also the rear seat handle. The rear seat handle may be considered to be made up of two parts, the first part extending in a laterally straight manner along the length of the vehicle under the seat assembly, thereby facilitating a secure attachment of the rear seat handle to the mounting bracket. The second portion extends upwardly at an angle oblique to the first portion such that it is synchronized with and extends along an endmost surface of the rear seat assembly.

In one embodiment, the rear seat handle includes two grip portions, a left grip portion and a right grip portion. The grip portion extends outwardly from an extreme corner of the second inclined portion. However, the gripping portion is further shaped to project inwardly to form a substantially triangular structure and extends in a forward direction along the periphery of the tail cap and is substantially similar in shape thereto. These gripping portions of the rear seat handle are used by the rear seat occupant for support and comfort while the vehicle is traveling.

The present subject matter provides a system that allows a rear seat passenger to ride as comfortably as possible. In one embodiment, the present subject matter provides such an arrangement of a rear seat handle that increases the rear seat foam thickness by almost 1.5 times as compared to known solutions. Further, the present subject matter provides a system that allows for locked seats to be placed in the same arrangement and reduces some of the extra components required. The present subject matter provides a system that is more robust and less prone to vibration problems.

The foregoing and other advantages of the present subject matter will be described in more detail in the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

The arrow provided in the upper right corner of each figure depicts the direction relative to the vehicle, wherein, where applicable, arrow F represents the front, arrow R represents the rear, arrow Up represents the upward direction, arrow Dw represents the downward direction, arrow Rh represents the right side, and arrow Lh represents the left side.

Fig. 1 shows a left side view of an exemplary two-wheeled vehicle (100) according to an embodiment of the present subject matter. The vehicle (100) includes a frame assembly (not shown) extending from a head pipe (not shown) disposed in a front portion of the vehicle (100). The frame assembly includes a main frame (not shown) including a main tube extending rearward from a rear portion of the head tube and a down tube (not shown) extending rearward and downward from the head tube. The frame assembly may further include a sub-frame formed of a pair of side tubes (not shown) extending rearwardly from the main frame. An engine assembly (11) is supported by the main frame of the frame assembly. The rear wheel (9) is functionally coupled to the engine assembly (11) through a transmission system. A rear fender (12) provided above the rear wheel (9) covers at least a part of the rear wheel (9). A pair of front forks (13) support the front wheel (10) and are steerably supported by the head pipe. A handle assembly (14) is connected to an upper portion of the pair of front forks (13). Further, the front fender assembly (8) covers at least a portion of the front wheel (10), and the front fender assembly (8) is mounted to the front fork (13).

The fuel tank (2) is mounted to the main pipe of the frame assembly and is arranged behind the handle assembly (14). It can be seen that the seat assembly is made up of two parts, one being the rider seat assembly (4) and the other being the rear seat assembly (5) disposed behind the fuel tank assembly (2) and supported by the pair of rear tubes. It can be seen that the front cover (3) abuts below the rider seat assembly (4) of the vehicle (100). Further, the vehicle (100) includes a headlight (1) disposed forward and upward of the pair of front forks (13). A tail cap assembly (7) is disposed rearward of the side panel assembly and extends along the pair of rear tubes so as to cover at least a portion of the pair of rear tubes. A tailgate assembly (7) extends toward a rear portion of the frame assembly and is adapted to receive a rear seat handle (6) attached to a side thereof. In the following drawings, arrow F indicates the front of the vehicle (100), and arrow R indicates the rear of the vehicle (100).

Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional side view of a rear seat assembly (5) having a rear seat handle (6) and a seat lock (15) of the two-wheeled vehicle (100) shown in fig. 1 while arranged relative to each other, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter. In one embodiment, the mounting bracket (16) is placed under the rear seat assembly (5) and the seat lock (15) is placed on the rear seat assembly (5). A rear seat handle (6) of the two-wheeled vehicle (100) is also attached to the mounting bracket (16). Thus, the mounting bracket (16) serves as a common interface for the seat lock (15) and the rear seat handle (6).

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged view of a rear seat handle (6) attached to a pair of side tubes (17, 18) of a two-wheeled vehicle (100) as shown in fig. 1, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter. In one embodiment, a two-wheeled vehicle (100) includes a pair of side tubes, a left side tube (17) and a right side tube (18) forming part of a frame assembly. The rear seat handle (6) is attached to a mounting bracket (16) placed between a left side tube (17) and a right side tube (18). In one embodiment, the seat lock (15) also forms part of the arrangement and is also attached to the mounting bracket (16).

Fig. 4 shows an exploded view of a mounting bracket (16) attached to a side tube (17, 18) of a two-wheeled vehicle as shown in fig. 1, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter. In one embodiment, the mounting bracket (16) is welded to a side tube disposed in the space between the left side tube (17) and the right side tube (18). The mounting bracket (16) extends in a straight lateral direction along the width of the vehicle (100) and is arranged at the tip of the side tube. In one embodiment, the mounting bracket (16) is shaped to appear like a step comprising two parts. The first part is a recessed portion (19) and the other part is a raised portion (20). The recessed portion (19) also extends in a transverse manner along the width direction of the vehicle (100), whereas after a point it extends in an upward manner to form a raised portion (20) also extending along the width direction of the vehicle (100), but the raised portion is formed on a plane higher than the plane of the recessed portion (19) and substantially parallel to the plane of the recessed portion (19). In one embodiment, the seat lock (15) is attached to the mounting bracket (16) in a recessed drop-down portion (19) and the rear seat handle (6) is attached to the mounting bracket (16) in an elevated portion (20).

Fig. 5 illustrates an exploded view of the arrangement of the rear seat handle (6) and the mounting bracket (16) of the two-wheeled vehicle (100) shown in fig. 1, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter. In one embodiment, the rear seat handle (6) is removably attached to the mounting bracket (16) at an elevated portion (20) of the mounting bracket (16). A set of mounting openings (21) are provided on the mounting bracket (16) and the surface of the rear seat handle (6), the rear seat handle (6) being detachably attached through the mounting openings (21). In one embodiment, a set of screws (22) are provided that act as fasteners and hold the rear seat handle (6) intact to the mounting bracket (16).

Fig. 6 illustrates an exploded view of the arrangement of the seat lock (15) and the mounting bracket (16) of the two-wheeled vehicle (100) shown in fig. 1, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter. In one embodiment, the seat lock (15) is removably attached to the mounting bracket (16) at a recessed portion (19) of the mounting bracket (16) such that no additional embodiment or space is required for the arrangement of the seat lock (15). The seat lock (15) is removably attached to the mounting bracket (16) through a second set of mounting openings (23) provided on the surface of the seat lock (15) and the mounting bracket (16). A second set of screws (24) is provided which hold the seat lock (15) intact to the mounting bracket (16) through a second set of mounting openings (23) provided. In addition, a seat lock catch cavity (29) is provided that will engage with a locking feature, i.e., a pin on the seat (not shown).

Fig. 7 shows an enlarged view of the rear seat handle (6) of the two-wheeled vehicle (100) as shown in fig. 1, according to an embodiment of the present subject matter. In one embodiment, the rear seat handle (6) comprises two portions, a first portion (25) extending in a rearward manner along the length of the vehicle (100), the first portion being disposed below the rear seat assembly (5). The second portion (26) extends in an inclined manner at an angle to the first portion (25) such that it is synchronised with and extends along the endmost surface of the rear seat assembly (5). In one embodiment, a pair of grip portions (27, 28), a left side grip portion (27) and a right side grip portion (28), extend in an outward manner from the extreme corners of the second portion (26) of the rear seat handle (6). However, the left-hand grip portion (27) and the right-hand grip portion (28) are further shaped to project inwardly, forming a substantially triangular structure, while extending forwardly along the periphery of the tail cap (7), substantially similar in shape to the periphery of the tail cap (7).

It should be understood that aspects of the embodiments are not necessarily limited to the features described herein. Many modifications and variations of the present subject matter are possible in light of the above disclosure. Therefore, within the scope of the claims of the present subject matter, the present disclosure may be practiced other than as specifically described.

Claims

1. A saddle type vehicle (100) comprising:

a frame assembly comprising a head tube arranged in a front portion of the vehicle (100);

a main tube extending in a rearward direction from the head tube;

a pair of side pipes (17, 18), namely a left side pipe (17) and a right side pipe (18) extending from the main pipe in a further rearward direction;

a seat assembly comprising a rider seat assembly (4) and a rear seat assembly (5) arranged above the pair of side tubes (17, 18);

an integral mounting bracket (16) attached to the pair of side tubes (17, 18), the integral mounting bracket (16) being disposed in a region between the left side tube (17) and the right side tube (18); and

a rear seat handle (6), the rear seat handle (6) being disposed at a rearmost end of the rear seat assembly (5) attached to the integrated mounting bracket (16),

wherein the rear seat handle (6) is centrally mounted, having a mounting portion arranged in a central portion of the vehicle (100) at a rear end of the vehicle (100),

wherein the integral mounting bracket (16) is a stepped structure comprising a recessed portion (19) and a raised portion (20), wherein the recessed portion (19) further extends in an upward direction to form the raised portion (20), and

wherein the recessed portion (19) extends in a straight lateral direction along a width of the vehicle (100), the elevated portion (20) also extends in a straight lateral direction along the width of the vehicle (100), and the elevated portion (20) is formed in a plane above the recessed portion (19).

2. A saddle-type vehicle (100) according to claim 1, wherein said integrated mounting bracket (16) extends in a laterally straight manner along the width direction of the vehicle (100) and is placed under said rear seat assembly (5), and is welded at the rear ends of said pair of side pipes (17, 18).

3. A saddle type vehicle (100) according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle (100) further comprises a seat lock (15) detachably attached to said integrated mounting bracket (16) in said recessed portion (19).

4. A saddle-type vehicle (100) according to claim 1, wherein said rear seat handle (6) is detachably attached to said integral mounting bracket (16) at said elevated portion (20) through at least one pair of mounting openings (21), said at least one pair of mounting openings (21) being provided on the same transverse line on the surface of said integral mounting bracket (16) and said rear seat handle (6).

5. A saddle-type vehicle (100) according to claim 1, wherein the rear seat handle (6) comprises two parts, a first part (25) and a second part (26), wherein the first part (25) extends in a straight rearward manner along the length of the vehicle (100) and the first part (25) comprises at least two mounting openings (21), the mounting openings (21) being provided for attaching the rear seat handle (6) to the integrated mounting bracket (16).

6. A saddle-type vehicle (100) according to claim 5, wherein said first portion (25) extends upwardly at an angle of inclination to form said second portion (26) which extends along the periphery of the extreme end of the surface of said rear seat assembly (5).

7. A saddle type vehicle (100) according to claim 5, wherein said rear seat handle (6) comprises two grip portions, a left grip portion (27) and a right grip portion (28), wherein said grip portions (27, 28) extend and protrude from the corner endmost of said second portion (26).

8. A saddle-type vehicle (100) according to claim 7, wherein said grip portions (27, 28) form a triangular structure, curvedly extending along the periphery of a tail cap (7) in a curved manner, said tail cap (7) being attached at both sides of said pair of side pipes (17, 18) in a forward direction along the length of the vehicle (100).

9. A rear seat handle assembly for a saddle type vehicle (100), the saddle type vehicle (100) including a pair of side tubes (17, 18) arranged at a rear portion, wherein the rear seat handle assembly comprises:

an integral mounting bracket (16), the integral mounting bracket (16) being arranged in a region between the pair of side tubes (17, 18), attached to the pair of side tubes (17, 18);

a rear seat handle (6) arranged at a rearmost end of the vehicle (100) and attached to the integral mounting bracket (16), wherein the rear seat handle (6) is centrally mounted, having a mounting portion arranged in a central portion of the vehicle (100) at a rear end of the vehicle (100); and

a seat lock (15), the seat lock (15) attached to the integrated mounting bracket (16),

wherein the integral mounting bracket (16) is a stepped structure including a recessed portion (19) and a raised portion (20),

wherein the recessed portion (19) further extends in an upward direction to form the elevated portion (20), and

10. A rear seat handle assembly for a saddle-type vehicle (100) according to claim 9 wherein the rear seat handle (6) comprises an upstream portion with a minimum of two mountings followed by a downstream portion which is located above the upstream portion, the upstream and downstream portions being connected by an intermediate portion.

11. The rear seat handle assembly for a saddle type vehicle (100) according to claim 10 wherein said downstream portion comprises a plurality of symmetrical extension arms extending downstream towards the rear of the vehicle (100).

12. A rear seat handle assembly for a saddle type vehicle (100) according to claim 11 wherein said extension arm comprises a forward extension portion symmetrically placed about a longitudinal plane of the vehicle (100) forming a gripping member for gripping by a rear seat passenger.