CN110431069B

CN110431069B - Frame structure for motorcycle

Info

Publication number: CN110431069B
Application number: CN201880018243.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: N·桑卡拉那拉亚南; K·B·纳加拉贾; K·文卡塔曼加拉朱
Original assignee: TVS Motor Co Ltd
Current assignee: TVS Motor Co Ltd
Priority date: 2017-03-14
Filing date: 2018-03-13
Publication date: 2021-05-07
Anticipated expiration: 2038-03-13
Also published as: WO2018167647A1; BR112019018868A2; CN110431069A

Abstract

A motorcycle (10) is disclosed, wherein an electronic unit (30) is fixed to at least a part of a frame structure (20), preferably to a bridging frame member (26), by a primary support member (27), said primary support member (27) being mountable on said at least a part of said frame structure (20) directly or by a secondary support member (28), wherein said primary support member (27) has a support cusp (27c), said support cusp (27c) preventing rotation of said primary support member (27) around said secondary support member (28) or around said at least a part of said frame structure (20).

Description

Frame structure for motorcycle

Technical Field

The subject matter described herein relates generally to motorcycles or straddle-type vehicles and particularly, but not exclusively, to a frame structure for such motorcycles or straddle-type vehicles.

Background

Contemporary motorcycles use a plurality of electronic devices. The electronic device is used for many vehicle-related control operations. Generally, to ensure a reliable mounting of said electronic devices, they are fixed to a portion of the frame structure of the motorcycle. It is particularly important to ensure reliable installation of the electronic equipment, which is usually connected to a wire harness, because even slight damage to the electronic equipment or the wire harness may result in serious accidents including fire accidents. Furthermore, it is also desirable to ensure that there is no change in orientation of the electronic device due to vehicle vibrations. The change in orientation typically results in loosening of the fasteners used to secure the electronic device, which further results in loosening of the electronic device. Furthermore, changes in the orientation of the electronic equipment due to rotation about the mounting point cause the electronic equipment to interfere with adjacent vehicle components, resulting in incidental damage. Therefore, there is a need to ensure reliable mounting of electronic equipment in a motorcycle, while ensuring easy assembly and maintenance of the electronic equipment. Furthermore, there is also a need to ensure that while the electronic equipment is secured to a portion of the frame structure, no significant modifications are made to the frame structure so that the versatility of the frame structure can be maintained in several motorcycle sections even with minor changes to the electronic equipment.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a frame structure for a motorcycle, said frame structure being adapted to support an electronic unit comprising an electrical coil connected thereto.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a frame structure for a motorcycle that includes a main support member configured to limit rotation of an electronic unit about a portion of the frame structure.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a frame structure for a motorcycle that includes a main support member that does not rotate about a portion of the frame structure.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a frame structure for motorcycles which comprises a main support member which can be easily fixed to the frame structure without requiring significant modifications to the frame structure.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a frame structure for a motorcycle that includes a primary support member to enable the electronics unit to be retrofitted to the frame structure of any existing motorcycle.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a frame structure for a motorcycle, said frame structure comprising a main support member which allows an electronic unit to be easily assembled to a portion of said frame structure.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a frame structure for motorcycles which comprises a main supporting member which facilitates the easy maintenance of the electronic unit.

Thus, the above and other objects are achieved by providing a frame structure for a motorcycle, according to the detailed embodiments provided in the description. The frame structure according to the present invention comprises: a head pipe; a lower frame member extending downward and rearward from the head pipe toward a first engine mounting bracket; a main frame member extending rearwardly from the head tube and further downwardly toward a second engine mounting bracket; and a bridging frame member supported between at least a portion of the lower frame member and at least a portion of the main frame member. In particular, the bridge frame member is disposed above a cylinder head of an internal combustion engine supported by the first and second engine mounting brackets.

According to one aspect of the invention, the frame structure is used to support an electronic unit. In particular, the frame structure is adapted to reliably support the electronic unit, in particular by ensuring that the orientation of the electronic device is not changed. According to one embodiment, the bridging frame member is provided with a main support member for holding the electronic unit. In one embodiment, the primary support member is removably attached to the bridging frame member by a secondary support member. In another embodiment, the primary support member is rigidly attached directly to a portion of the frame structure.

According to one embodiment, the main support member is an elongated bracket including mounting bosses protruding from a surface thereof to removably receive the electronic unit. In one embodiment, the electronic unit comprises an electrical coil. The mounting boss is flanked from at least two sides by L-shaped flanges integrally formed at one end of the main support member for limiting rotation of the electronic unit about the mounting boss. Therefore, damage of the electronic unit due to interference of the electronic unit with adjacent components is prevented.

According to another aspect of the invention, the main support member is provided with a support prong extending from one end thereof, which in the assembled state abuts against said secondary support member, thereby preventing rotation of said main support member around said secondary support member. In embodiments where the primary support member is supported directly against a portion of the frame structure, the support prongs help prevent rotation of the primary support member about a portion of the frame structure.

Thus, the structure and configuration of the primary support member according to the present invention serves not only to limit rotation of the electronic unit about the mounting bosses provided therein, but also to limit rotation of the primary support member itself about a portion of the frame structure.

In one embodiment, the electronic unit is an ignition control unit. The ignition control unit is operatively connected to a spark plug of the internal combustion engine and is used to improve combustion efficiency by providing a long spark duration and better spark energy.

The summary of the invention provided above explains the essential features of the invention, and does not limit the scope of the invention. The nature and further features of the invention will become more apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

The above and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present subject matter will become better understood with regard to the following description and accompanying drawings where:

fig. 1 shows a side view of a motorcycle comprising a frame structure according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 shows a detailed right side view of a portion of the frame structure depicting an electronic unit mounted to the frame structure, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 shows an exploded view depicting the mounting of the electronic unit with a portion of the frame structure via a primary support member, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the primary support member according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Exemplary embodiments of detailed features of the frame structure according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Various aspects of the different embodiments of the invention will be apparent from the description set forth below. Indeed, the following description provides convenient illustrations for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Further, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "right", "left", "front", "forward", "rearward", "downward", "upward", "top", "bottom", and the like are used herein based on the illustrated state or the standing state when the rider is riding on the motorcycle. Furthermore, the longitudinal axis of the motorcycle refers to the front-to-rear axis relative to the motorcycle, while the motorcycle transverse axis refers to the side-to-side or left-to-right axis relative to the motorcycle. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

Fig. 1 shows a side view of a motorcycle 10 according to the present invention. The motorcycle 10 includes a frame structure 20 to support various portions of the motorcycle 10. The frame structure 20 includes a head pipe 21 at a front end thereof. The head pipe 21 rotatably supports a steering shaft (not shown) within a certain range. In the upper portion of the head pipe 21, the handlebar 15 is rotatably integrally connected to the steering shaft. The handlebar 15 is used to steer the motorcycle 10 and is connected to a front wheel 17 by a steering shaft and front fork assembly 16. The upper part of the front wheel 17 is covered by a front fender 18, which front fender 18 prevents mud and water from deflecting towards the steering shaft. Further, the front fork assembly 16 is supported on a front fender 18 by a bracket fender (not shown).

In the front portion of the frame structure 20, a fuel tank 40 is disposed directly behind the handlebar 15 and is provided on an internal combustion engine 45, hereinafter referred to as "engine". The seat 50 is located rearward of the fuel tank 40. The seat 50 includes a front operator portion and a rear seat cushion portion.

A headlamp unit 55 and a turn signal lamp unit 56 are provided at the front of the motorcycle 10 for the safety of the driver and in conformity with traffic regulations. The headlamp unit 55 and the turn signal lamp unit 56 are accommodated in a front cover assembly 57, and the front cover assembly 57 includes a front housing cover and a rear housing cover coupled to each other by a housing holder.

A suspension system is provided to steer the motorcycle 10 comfortably on the road. The front fork assembly 16 forming the front suspension system functions as a rigid member as the main body frame. The front fork assembly 16 clamped to the head pipe 21 by the upper bracket 21a and the lower bracket 21b can move leftward and rightward. Further, a rear suspension system as a hydraulic damping device is connected to the main body frame 20. The rear suspension system includes at least one rear suspension 60, preferably located on the left side of the motorcycle 10. However, in a motorcycle having two rear suspensions, the two rear suspensions may be provided on the left and right sides of the motorcycle, respectively.

The engine 45 is mounted to the lower front portion of the frame structure 20 by two or more engine mounting brackets. The engine 45 is equipped with an exhaust system including an exhaust pipe (not shown) connected to the engine 45 and a muffler (not shown) connected to the exhaust pipe. A muffler (not shown) extends rearward along the right side of the rear wheel 61.

Further, a swing arm (not shown) extending rearward is swingably connected to a lower rear portion of the frame structure 20. The rear wheel 61 is rotatably supported at a rear end of a swing arm (not shown). Power from the engine 45 is transmitted to the rear wheels 61 through a power drive mechanism (such as a drive chain) so as to drive and rotate the rear wheels 61.

A rear fender 66 for covering the upper side of the rear wheel 61 is mounted to the rear of the frame structure 20 to prevent mud and water splashed by the rotating rear wheel 61 from entering the muffler, the engine 45, and other components disposed nearby.

To enhance the overall aesthetics of the motorcycle 10 and to prevent unwanted foreign matter from entering the components of the motorcycle, a plurality of rear covers 70 are attached to the rear of the frame structure 20.

Fig. 2 shows a detailed view of the front of the frame structure 20 according to an embodiment of the invention. As can be seen, the frame structure 20 comprises: the head pipe 21 at the foremost end thereof; a lower frame member 22 extending downward and rearward from the head pipe 21 toward a first engine mounting bracket 21a fixed to a lower end of the lower frame member 22; a main frame member 23 extending rearward and partially downward toward a second engine mounting bracket 23a fixed to a lower portion of the main frame member 23; a pair of seat rail members 24 extending rearward from an intermediate portion of the main frame member 23 for supporting a seat 50; and a pair of side frame members 25 extending from a portion of the pair of seat rail members 24 obliquely forward and downward toward the second engine mounting bracket 23 a. In addition, the frame structure 20 further includes a bridging frame member 26, the bridging frame member 26 being supported between at least a portion of the main frame member 23 and at least a portion of the lower frame member 22. The member 26 is arranged substantially downstream of the head tube 21 and downstream of the lower tube of the frame structure 20. In addition, the member 26 is disposed downstream of the main pipe frame structure 23 and substantially above the engine 45 and the power drive mechanism.

According to the embodiment of the invention, the engine 45 is disposed in the space formed between the main frame member 23 and the lower frame member 22, supported by the first and second

engine mounting brackets

21a and 23 a. In particular, the engine 45 is disposed in such a manner that a cylinder head 45a of the engine is located below the bridge frame member 26. According to one aspect of the invention, the bridging frame member 26 is adapted to support an electronic unit 30 comprising an electrical coil 30 a. In the present embodiment, said electronic unit 30 is an ignition control unit comprising an electric coil operatively connected to a spark plug 46 of the engine 45. The ignition control unit is used to provide a long spark duration and better spark energy to allow better combustion of the air-fuel mixture in the engine 45. However, in another embodiment, the electronic unit 30 may include an electronic unit for performing other vehicle controls, including battery control, lighting control, vehicle display control, and the like. For optimum function, ease of assembly and maintenance, good thermal efficiency, high rigidity and low harness cost, the electronic unit 30 is disposed substantially on the downstream side of the bridge frame member 26 and overlaps the cylinder head unit of the engine 45 when viewed in side elevation of the motorcycle 10.

Fig. 3 shows an exploded view depicting the mounting of the electronic unit 30, according to an embodiment of the invention. According to one aspect of the invention, the electronics unit 30 is secured to the bridging frame member 26 by a primary support member 27. In one embodiment, the primary support member 27 is secured to the bridging frame member 26 by a secondary support member 28. However, in another embodiment, the primary support member 27 may be rigidly secured directly to the bridging frame member 26. In the present embodiment, first, the main support member 27 is detachably attached to the secondary support member 28, and then the electronic unit 30 is detachably attached to the main support member 27.

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the main support member 27 according to an embodiment of the invention. The main support member 27 according to the present invention is an elongated bracket having a mounting boss 27a projecting forward from a surface thereof. The mounting boss 27a is for removably receiving the electronics unit 30 (as shown in fig. 3). In particular, in the present embodiment, the mounting boss 27a is rigidly attached to one of the one or more mounting holes 27 m. However, in another embodiment, the mounting boss 27a may be integrally formed with the main support member 27. As can be seen in fig. 3, fasteners are used to removably attach the electronics unit 30 to the mounting boss 27 a. The mounting boss 27a includes a central threaded bore 27aa to receive the fastener. Further, the mounting boss 27a includes a front collar 27ab having a diameter greater than a diameter of a rear end 27ac of the mounting boss 27 a. Providing a larger diameter for the front collar 27ab helps ensure that the rear surface of the electronics unit 30 abuts the front collar 27ab when the electronics unit 30 is attached to the mounting boss 27 a. In addition, providing the rear ends 27ac of the mounting bosses 27a with a smaller diameter facilitates access by a tool used to rigidly secure the mounting bosses 27a to a surface of the main support member 27 or to the one of the one or more mounting holes 27 m. In the present embodiment, the one or more mounting holes 27m include a first mounting hole 27ma and a second mounting hole 27mb respectively located at upper and lower portions of the main support member 27. While the first mounting hole 27ma is used to secure the primary support member 27 to the secondary support member 28 (as shown in fig. 3), the second mounting hole 27mb is provided to receive the mounting boss 27 a. In embodiments where the primary support member 27 is secured directly to a portion of the frame structure 20 including the bridging frame member 26, the first mounting hole 27ma may be omitted.

Further, as shown in fig. 4, the main support member 27 includes an L-shaped flange 27b integrally formed at a lower end of the main support member 27 and flanking the mounting bosses 27a from at least two sides. In particular, the L-shaped flange 27b serves to limit the rotational movement of the electronic unit 30 about the mounting boss 27 a. Accordingly, the orientation of the electronic unit 30 is prevented from being changed due to the rotation, thereby preventing damage to the electronic unit 30 due to interference with adjacent components such as a fuel tank, a canister, and the like. Further, loosening of the fasteners for fixing the electronic unit 30 to the mounting bosses 27a is also prevented because the L-shaped flanges 27b ensure that there is no movement of the electronic unit 30 due to vehicle vibration. At least a portion of the L-shaped flange 27b also serves to support a base of said electronic unit 30 comprising said electrical coil 30 a. Thus, even a large electronic unit 30 comprising said electrical coil 30a can be comfortably supported against the front collar 27ab and at least a part of said L-shaped flange 27 b. Furthermore, support prongs 27c are provided to prevent rotation of the primary support member 27 about the secondary support member 28. Thus, the support prongs 27c prevent a change in orientation of the electronic unit 30 due to rotation/movement of the main support member 27. In this embodiment, the support prongs 27c extend from a side adjacent to the first mounting hole 27 ma. Further, since the electronic unit 30 is independently detachably attached to the main support member 27, ease of assembly and disassembly of the electronic unit 30 is ensured. Thus, the maintainability of the electronic unit 30 is also facilitated.

Further, the main support member 27 includes a recess 27d, the recess 27d being formed above the mounting boss 27a and preferably in the upper portion of the main support member 27. In order to prevent bending due to overhang, the groove 27d is provided. Further, an S-shaped bent portion 27e is formed along the periphery 27p of the main support member 27 in the vicinity of the groove 27 d. The provision of the groove 27d and the S-shaped bent portion 27e contributes to improving the local rigidity of the main support member 27. Thus, the durability of the main support member 27 receiving the electronic unit 30 is ensured.

In addition to bridging the frame member 26, the primary support member 27 may be supported directly against any other part of the frame structure 20 and serves to support the electronics unit 30, as described in the above paragraph. Thus, the primary support member 27 may be adapted to any frame structure without significant modification to the frame structure. Thus, the retrofittability of the electronic unit 30 with any existing motorcycle using the main support member 27 can be ensured.

Claims

1. A motorcycle (10) comprising:

a frame structure (20) including a bridging frame member (26) supported between at least a portion of the lower frame member (22) and at least a portion of the main frame member (23);

an engine (45) provided in a space formed between the main frame member (23) and the lower frame member (22);

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

an electronic unit (30) is fixed to at least a portion of the frame structure (20) by a primary support member (27),

the main support member (27) is configured to have a support prong (27c) extending from one end of the main support member (27),

the primary support member (27) is attached to the at least a portion of the frame structure (20) by a secondary support member (28); and

an L-shaped flange (27b) is integrally formed at one end of the main support member (27),

the support tip (27c) is adapted to be attached to one of the at least a part of the frame structure (20) and the secondary support member (28), the support tip (27c) being adapted to prevent rotation of the primary support member (27) around the one of the at least a part of the frame structure (20) and the secondary support member (28), respectively.

2. Motorcycle (10) according to claim 1, wherein the electronic unit (30) is fixed to the bridging frame member (26) by a main support member (27).

3. Motorcycle (10) according to claim 1, wherein the main support member (27) is an elongated bracket comprising a mounting boss (27a) projecting from a surface of the main support member (27), said mounting boss (27a) being adapted to receive the electronic unit (30).

4. Motorcycle (10) according to claim 3, wherein the mounting boss (27a) is integrally formed with the main support member (27).

5. Motorcycle (10) according to claim 3, wherein the mounting boss (27a) is attached to the main support member (27) at least through a mounting hole (27 m).

6. Motorcycle (10) according to claim 3, wherein the main support member (27) comprises a groove (27d) formed above the mounting boss (27 a).

7. Motorcycle (10) according to claim 6, wherein an S-shaped bend (27e) is formed along the perimeter (27p) of the main support member (27), said S-shaped bend (27e) being formed close to said groove (27d), said S-shaped bend (27 e).

8. Motorcycle (10) according to claim 3, wherein said L-shaped flanges (27b) are located on at least two sides of said mounting boss (27a), said L-shaped flanges (27b) being adapted to limit the rotation of said electronic unit (30) around said mounting boss (27 a).

9. Motorcycle (10) according to claim 1, wherein said electronic unit (30) comprises an electric coil (30 a).

10. Motorcycle (10) according to claim 9, wherein said L-shaped flange (27b) is suitable for supporting the base of said electronic unit (30) and said electric coil (30 a).

11. Motorcycle (10) according to claim 1, wherein the main support member (27) is arranged substantially downstream of the bridging frame member (26), the main support member (27) being adapted to overlap with a cylinder unit of the engine (45) in a side view of the motorcycle (10).