JP2004156445A - Air cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air cleaner having a function of effectively capturing rainwater on the upstream side of a cleaner element without increasing intake resistance. <P>SOLUTION: The air cleaner has an air inlet 24 and an air outlet 25, and accommodates a cleaner element 22 inside thereof. Partitions 27 and 28 to deflect air inflow A are provided on the air inlet 24. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention mainly relates to an air cleaner that is attached to an air intake of an engine mounted on a vehicle such as a motorcycle and purifies combustion air supplied to the engine.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In motorcycles, the air taken into the air intake duct from the air intake opening to the cowling attached to the vehicle body is guided to the air cleaner via the air intake duct, and passes through the cleaner element stored in the air cleaner. After cleaning, the fuel is supplied to the fuel supply device as combustion air, where the air is mixed with the fuel.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, when many parts of the cleaner element get wet by rainwater mixed with the air entering from the air intake when traveling in the rain, the cleaner element is clogged and the intake resistance increases. Therefore, conventionally, it has been considered to provide a mechanism or a device for catching rainwater inside the air intake passage (see Patent Document 1). However, a more compact device that can catch rainwater while suppressing an increase in intake resistance is considered. Such a mechanism is desired.
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent No. 2841035 (paragraph 0015, FIG. 2)
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and provides an air cleaner having a function of effectively capturing rainwater on the upstream side of a cleaner element in a compact configuration without increasing intake resistance. It is intended to do so.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, an air cleaner according to the present invention has an air inlet and an air outlet, and is an air cleaner containing a cleaner element therein. A partition plate is provided for partitioning in the transverse direction.
[0007]
According to this configuration, the air that has flowed in from the air inlet contacts the partition plate provided in the air inlet, so that rainwater contained in the inflowing air adheres to the partition plate, forming a water droplet. As it falls along the board, it is caught before reaching the cleaner element. At this time, the air flow is decelerated by the contact between the air and the partition plate, so that the capture of rainwater is promoted. Therefore, in this air cleaner, the adhesion of water droplets to the cleaner element can be effectively prevented by a simple and compact structure. In addition, since the air that has flowed in from the air inlet is laterally dispersed by the partition plate, local concentration of the air flow in the air cleaner can be avoided.
[0008]
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the partition plate deflects the inflowing air to perform drainage. According to this configuration, when the air is deflected, rainwater having a higher density than the air adheres to the partition plate and becomes water droplets, so that the rainwater is more effectively captured.
[0009]
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus further includes a discharge hole for discharging the water dropped along the partition plate to the outside. According to this configuration, the rainwater captured by the partition plate and collected in the lower part of the partition plate can be quickly discharged to the outside of the air cleaner.
[0010]
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the air passage on the upstream side of the cleaner element in the air cleaner expands air obliquely flowing from the left and right sides with respect to the air inflow port to the upper air cleaner element. And a central partition plate extending along the center line of the air inlet, and a pair of left and right sides positioned on both sides of the central partition plate to deflect air to the side. And a partition plate.
[0011]
According to this configuration, in addition to the effect of catching rainwater by the partition plate, the speed of the air that has flowed in from the air inlet and expanded is reduced, so that the rainwater contained in the air is more effectively separated. . In addition, as the speed decreases due to the expansion of air, air vortices are likely to be generated on the upstream side of the cleaner element.However, the generation of the vortices can be prevented by the side partition plate, so that the pressure loss of air is Be suppressed.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a motorcycle equipped with an air cleaner 21 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this motorcycle, a front fork 4 is supported by a head pipe 3 integrally formed with a head block 2 at a front end portion of a body frame 1 via a steering shaft (not shown), and a front wheel 7 is mounted on the front fork 4. Installed. On the other hand, a swing arm 9 is pivotally supported by a swing arm bracket 8 at the lower center of the body frame 1 so as to be vertically swingable, and a rear wheel 10 is attached to the swing arm 9. An engine E is attached to the lower center of the body frame 1. The engine E drives a rear wheel 10 via a chain (not shown), and a handle 12 fixed to the steering shaft and the upper end of the front fork 4. It is configured to steer. A fuel tank 13 is disposed above the main frame 11 of the body frame 1.
[0013]
A seat rail 14 and a reinforcing rail 15 constituting the rear part of the body frame 1 are attached to a rear part of the main frame 11, and a seat of an operator is mounted on the seat rail 14. One rear suspension 18 is mounted between the vehicle body frame 1 and the swing arm 9.
[0014]
FIG. 2 is a cut-away plan view of a main part including an air cleaner 21. In FIG. 2, the head block 2 is formed by integrally forming an air intake duct 30 having an open front end and the head pipe 3. In other words, the head block 2 uses the side portion of the head pipe 3 as the air suction duct 30. The front end of the air intake duct 30 is connected to the air intake duct 31. The air intake duct 31 has a shape in which the passage area gradually decreases from the front end opening toward the downstream side (rear side). The air suction duct 30 forms a part of the air cleaner 21.
[0015]
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, a cowling 19 is mounted on a front portion of the vehicle body frame 1 via a cowling stay (not shown), and the cowling 19 is provided with an air inlet 20 formed therein. The intake duct 31 is mounted at a position matching the front end opening. Combustion air A to the engine E is taken in from the air intake 20.
[0016]
As shown in FIG. 2, the main frame 11 is composed of a pair of left and right frame halves 11A and 11B whose front ends are connected to the head block 2 by welding. It has a forked shape extending downward (downward in the figure). Therefore, the body frame 1 of FIG. 1 includes a main frame 11 composed of a pair of frame halves 11A and 11B (FIG. 2), and the swing arm bracket 8 extending downward from the left and right rear ends of the main frame 11. .
[0017]
A cleaner case 23 accommodating the cleaner element 22 of the air cleaner 21 is disposed in the inner space of the forked main frame 11 shown in FIG. 2, that is, the space between the two frame halves 11A and 11B. The cleaner case 23 is attached to the air intake duct 30 and supported by a fuel supply device 33 such as a carburetor or a fuel injector of the engine E, as shown in FIG.
[0018]
As shown in the side view of FIG. 3, an air inlet 24 opened at the front end of the cleaner case 23 communicates with an air suction duct 30. Therefore, the air intake duct 31 and the air intake duct 30 form an air introduction passage for introducing the air A taken in from the air intake 20 of the cowling 19 to the air cleaner 21 through both sides of the head pipe 3 shown in FIG. 34.
[0019]
An air passage 45 upstream of the cleaner element 22 in the cleaner case 23 communicates with the air introduction passage 34, and the passage area increases toward the downstream side. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 3, the air flowing obliquely into the air inlet 24 from both the left and right sides is expanded to both sides, and is guided to the upper cleaner element 22.
[0020]
In the vicinity of the downstream side of the air inlet 24, a central partition plate 27 extending along the center line C of the air inlet 24 shown in FIG. 2, and a pair of left and right sides located on both sides of the central partition plate 27 A partition plate 28 is provided. The two side partition plates 28 are arranged so as to spread rearward (downstream), and are respectively provided in a state inclined rearward and outward with respect to the center line C, so that the air A flowing from the air inlet 24 is provided. Deflected smoothly to the side. Each of the plurality (three in this example) of the partition plates 27 and 28 is a flat plate having no bend, and divides the air passage 45 into a plurality (four in this example) in a transverse direction orthogonal to the flow of the air A. are doing. The four partition passages 45a to 45d are set so as to smoothly spread toward the downstream side (the passage area increases). Thereby, the air A comes into contact with the partition plates 27 and 28, is deflected, and is further decelerated by the diverging partition passages 45a to 45d. As shown in FIG. 4, each of the partition plates 27 and 28 of the air passage 45 is a drain unit 26 integrally formed of resin. The drain unit 26 is connected to the drain unit 26 by a fastening member 39 such as a bolt. Of the cleaner case 23.
[0021]
As shown in FIG. 3, a discharge hole 29 for discharging moisture to the outside is formed in a lowermost portion of the bottom wall of the cleaner case 23 when the cleaner case 23 is mounted on the motorcycle. As shown in FIG. 2, the discharge holes 29 are provided on both sides of the partition plates 28 in the ventilation passage near the air inlet 24.
[0022]
The cleaner case 23 is provided with four air outlets 25 corresponding to the four-cylinder engine E (FIG. 1). The engine E is not limited to four cylinders. As shown in FIG. 3, the ducts 37 of the four fuel supply devices 33 individually connected to the respective cylinders of the four-cylinder engine E (FIG. 1) are connected to the respective air outlets 25. Accordingly, the combustion air A is introduced into the air introduction passage 34 of the air intake duct 31 from the air intake 20 of the cowling 19 as shown by an arrow in FIG. After passing through both sides of the head pipe 3 inside the air suction duct 30, the air is sent from the rear end of the air suction duct 30 into the cleaner case 23, purified by the cleaner element 22, and then from the clean air chamber 41 downstream thereof. Through the duct 37, the fuel enters the fuel supply device 33, where the fuel is mixed with the air A.
[0023]
In the above-described flow of the air A, the air intake duct 31 shown in FIG. 2 has a shape narrowed from the front end opening toward the rear so that the area of the air passage gradually decreases. The air A that has flowed into the vicinity of the opening edge of the front end of the duct 31 collides with the side wall surface and is deflected toward the center. At this time, after rainwater and the like contained in the air A adhere to the side wall surface as water droplets, Part of the air falls along the side wall surface and falls to the bottom, and the other part is carried downstream by the flow of air A.
[0024]
Further, when the air A flowing into the air suction duct 30 is deflected to both sides by the head pipe 3, rainwater or the like contained in the air A is formed as water droplets on the outer peripheral surface of the head pipe 3. It adheres and a part of the air A flows down the head pipe 3 and falls to the bottom of the air suction duct 30, and the other part is carried downstream by the flow of the air A.
[0025]
Part of the water once captured on the side wall surface of the air intake duct 31 and the outer peripheral surface of the head pipe 3 is discharged to the outside through the lowermost discharge hole 29 as described above. The remaining moisture flows into the cleaner case 23 of the air cleaner 21 from the air inlet 24 together with the air A. At this time, since the air A that has flowed into the vicinity of the center of the air inlet 24 has been deflected to both sides by the head pipe 3, as shown by arrows in FIG. It flows obliquely into the side surface of the central partition plate 27. Therefore, the rainwater contained in the air A comes into contact with the side surface of the central partition plate 27 and the air flow is decelerated with the contact, so that the rainwater is captured by attaching as water droplets. Moreover, since the air flow is further decelerated in the central divergent passages 45b and 45c, the capture of water droplets is promoted. On the other hand, the air A that has flowed in the vicinity of the periphery of the air inlet 24 obliquely flows into the left and right side partition plates 28 that are arranged to spread rearward, so that the rainwater included in the air A Are trapped by adhering as water droplets to the partition plates 28 on both sides. In addition, since the airflow is further decelerated in the divergent partition passages 45a and 45d on both sides, the capture of water droplets is promoted.
[0026]
As shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 3, each of the partition plates 27 and 28 is provided so as to protrude above the rear end edge 38 of the inclined portion rising rearward of the air passage 45 continuing from the air inlet 24. The cleaner element 22 is arranged above each of the partition plates 27 and 28. Therefore, as described above, the water captured by each of the partition plates 27 and 28 cannot flow upward along with the flow of the air A, and flows down on the bottom surface of the cleaner case 23 to discharge the lowermost portion. It is collected in the hole 29 and discharged outside through the discharge hole 29. Therefore, most of the rainwater contained in the air A and flowing into the cleaner case 23 is caught and discharged to the outside before reaching the cleaner element 22, so that the adhesion of the rainwater to the cleaner element 22 can be effectively prevented. Can be prevented. In addition, the air A flowing from the air inlet 24 is merely deflected in the flow direction by the partition plates 27 and 28, so that an increase in intake resistance is suppressed and no air pressure loss occurs.
[0027]
Further, the both-side partition plate 28 shown in FIG. 2 has not only a function of effectively catching rainwater but also a function of effectively rectifying the flow of the air A. That is, the air A that flows in from the air inlet 24 and expands to the left and right sides in the cleaner case 23 flows downstream along the pair of left and right side partition plates 28 before the flow velocity decreases and vortices are generated. Since the flow is rectified so as to flow smoothly toward the side, the generation of a vortex is prevented, and the pressure loss of the air is also suppressed from this surface.
[0028]
In the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a motorcycle is described as an example. However, the air cleaner of the present invention can be applied not only to a vehicle but also to various devices having an engine.
[0029]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the air cleaner of the present invention, the air flowing in from the air inlet is deflected in the flow direction by the partition plate provided in the air inlet, and then guided to the downstream cleaner element. At this time, the rainwater contained in the inflowing air is also deflected by the partition plate, and falls while traveling along the partition plate, so that the rainwater is effectively captured before reaching the cleaner element. Therefore, it is possible to prevent water droplets from adhering to the cleaner element due to water. Further, the air flowing from the air inlet is merely deflected in the direction of the flow to the side, so that an increase in the intake resistance is suppressed, so that no air pressure loss is caused.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a motorcycle equipped with an air cleaner according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cut-away plan view of a main part of the motorcycle.
FIG. 3 is a side view, partially broken away, of a main part of the motorcycle.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a drain unit of the air cleaner.
[Explanation of symbols]
21 ... air cleaner, 22 ... cleaner element, 24 ... air inlet, 25 ... air outlet, 27 ... central partition plate, 28 ... side partition plate, 29 ... discharge hole, A ... air.

Claims (4)

An air cleaner having an air inlet and an air outlet, and containing a cleaner element therein,
An air cleaner having a partition plate at the air inlet, which partitions a passage of inflowing air in a transverse direction. 2. The air cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the partition plate deflects the inflowing air to drain water. 3. The air cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising a discharge hole for discharging the water dropped along the partition plate to the outside. 4. The air cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the air passage upstream of the cleaner element in the air cleaner is provided to the upper cleaner element while inflating air obliquely flowing from the left and right sides to the air inlet into both sides. It is formed to guide, and further,
An air cleaner having a center partition plate extending along the center line of the air inlet, and a pair of left and right side partition plates located on both sides of the center partition plate to deflect air to the side.

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