JP2021142875A - Front cowl - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a front cowl that provides improved protection performance while maintaining detection accuracy of a drive assist sensor when the drive assist sensor is provided.SOLUTION: A front cowl (40) covers a vehicle front part of a straddle-type vehicle in which drive assist control is to be executed. The front cowl includes a first cowl (41) from which a transparent surface of a head lamp (55) configured to illuminate the front of the vehicle is exposed and a second cowl (42) protruding from a lower side of the first cowl toward the front of the vehicle. A recessed portion (44) is formed on an upper surface of the second cowl from a base end side toward a distal end side, and a housing space that houses at least a portion of a drive assist sensor (51) is formed below the first cowl by the recessed portion of the second cowl.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a front cowl.

In recent years, in four-wheeled vehicles, a driving support technique for automatically controlling driving operations such as acceleration / deceleration has been developed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). For the vehicle described in Patent Document 1, the driving environment around the vehicle is detected by the driving support sensor, and the output result of the driving support sensor is analyzed by the ECU (Electronic Control Unit) to provide driving support according to the driving environment. doing. Vehicles that have adopted driving assistance technology are equipped with, for example, cameras, millimeter-wave radars, LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors, and GPS (Global Positioning System) sensors as driving assistance sensors.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-0193038

When such a driving support technology is applied to a saddle-type vehicle such as a saddle-type vehicle, it is difficult to secure a space for installing a driving support sensor in the saddle-type vehicle. When securing the installation space, it is necessary to consider not only the detection accuracy of the driving support sensor but also the protection performance from foreign substances outside the vehicle. In particular, when a vehicle travels on an unpaved road and foreign matter such as stones, sand, mud, and water adheres to the driving support sensor, there is a problem that the detection accuracy of the driving support sensor is lowered.

The present invention has been made in view of this point, and an object of the present invention is to provide a front cowl capable of improving protection performance while maintaining the detection accuracy of the driving support sensor when the driving support sensor is installed. And.

The front cowl according to one aspect of the present invention is a front cowl that covers the front portion of a saddle-mounted vehicle on which driving support control is performed, and is a first cowl that exposes a translucent surface of a headlamp that illuminates the front of the vehicle. A cowl and a second cowl projecting from below the first cowl to the front of the vehicle are provided, and a recess is formed on the upper surface of the second cowl from the base end side to the tip end side. The above problem is solved by forming a storage space for accommodating at least a part of the driving support sensor below the first cowl by the recess of the cowl 2.

According to the front cowl of one aspect of the present invention, the recess of the second cowl secures the installation space of the driving support sensor below the first cowl. Since at least a part of the driving support sensor is exposed to the outside, the detection accuracy can be maintained without the detection surface of the driving support sensor being obstructed by other members. Further, since the second cowl protrudes in front of the vehicle, the driving support sensor is protected from foreign matter that is flipped up from below, and the deterioration of the detection accuracy due to the dirt on the detection surface of the driving support sensor is suppressed. ..

It is a left side view of the saddle type vehicle which adopted the front cowl of this embodiment. It is a front view of the front part of the vehicle of this embodiment. It is a perspective view of the front part of the vehicle of this embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the front part of the vehicle of this Example. It is a side view of the driving support sensor of this embodiment. It is a top view of the periphery of the driving support sensor of this embodiment.

The front cowl of one aspect of the present invention includes a first cowl and a second cowl that cover the front portion of the saddle-type vehicle on which driving support control is performed. The first cowl exposes the translucent surface of the headlamp that illuminates the front of the vehicle, and the second cowl projects from below the first cowl to the front of the vehicle. A recess is formed on the upper surface of the second cowl from the base end side to the tip end side, and the recess of the second cowl accommodates at least a part of the driving support sensor below the first cowl. Is secured. Since at least a part of the driving support sensor is exposed to the outside, the detection accuracy is maintained without the detection surface of the driving support sensor being obstructed by other members. Further, since the second cowl protrudes in front of the vehicle, the driving support sensor is protected from foreign matter that is flipped up from below, and the deterioration of the detection accuracy due to the dirt on the detection surface of the driving support sensor is suppressed. ..

Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a left side view of a saddle-mounted vehicle using the front cowl of this embodiment. Further, in the following figures, 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-mounted vehicle 1 is configured by mounting various parts such as a V-twin engine 16 and an electrical system on a twin spar type body frame 10 formed by aluminum casting. There is. The vehicle body frame 10 includes a pair of main frames 12 that branch left and right from the head pipe 11 (see FIG. 4) and extend rearward, and a pair of down frames (not shown) that branch left and right from the head pipe 11 and extend downward. Have. A pair of mainframes 12 support the rear portion of the engine 16 and a pair of downframes support the front portion of the engine 16. Since the engine 16 is supported by the vehicle body frame 10, the rigidity of the entire vehicle is ensured.

The front part of the main frame 12 is a tank rail 13 that supports the fuel tank 17, and the front part of the tank rail 13 is covered from the side by the fuel tank 17. The rear portion of the main frame 12 is a body frame 14 located behind the engine 16, and a swing arm 18 is swingably supported at a substantially intermediate position in the vertical direction of the body frame 14. A seat rail (not shown) and a back stay 15 extend rearward from the upper part of the body frame 14. A rider seat 21 and a pillion seat 22 are provided on the seat rail.

A pair of front forks 23 are steerably supported on the head pipe 11 via a steering shaft (not shown). The front wheel 25 is rotatably supported at the lower part of the front fork 23, and the upper part of the front wheel 25 is covered with the front fender 26. The swing arm 18 extends rearward from the body frame 14. A rear wheel 27 is rotatably supported at the rear end of the swing arm 18, and the upper part of the rear wheel 27 is covered with a rear fender 28. The engine 16 is connected to the rear wheels 27 via a chain drive type speed reduction mechanism, and the power from the engine 16 is transmitted to the rear wheels 27 via the speed reduction mechanism.

Various covers are attached to the body frame 10 of the saddle-mounted vehicle 1 as a body exterior. For example, the front part of the vehicle is covered with front cowls 40 such as a body cowl (first cowl) 41 and a center body cowl (second cowl) 42. On the vehicle side, the front of the fuel tank 17 is covered with a pair of side covers 31, and the rear of the fuel tank 17 is covered with a pair of frame covers 32. The upper part of the vehicle is covered with a center cover 33, a rider seat 21, and a pillion seat 22 in which a pair of side covers 31 are connected. Further, the rear side of the pair of frame covers 32 and the lower part of the pillion seat 22 are covered with the pair of rear covers 34.

In order to apply the driving support technology to such a saddle-mounted vehicle 1, it is necessary to install a driving support sensor 51 for automatically controlling driving operations such as acceleration / deceleration. When the installation space takes into consideration the detection accuracy of the driving support sensor 51, the driving support sensor 51 is exposed to the outside of the vehicle, so the driving support sensor 51 must be protected from foreign substances such as stones, sand, mud, and water. Must be. Therefore, a cowl structure is formed in which the center body cowl 42 is greatly projected from below the body cowl 41 to the front of the vehicle, and a recess 44 (see FIG. 3) is formed on the upper surface of the center body cowl 42 to install the driving support sensor 51. Space is secured.

The front cowl of the saddle-mounted vehicle will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4. FIG. 2 is a front view of the front portion of the vehicle of this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the front portion of the vehicle of this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the front portion of the vehicle of this embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the saddle-mounted vehicle 1 is provided with a pair of resin side covers 31 that cover the vehicle side. The pair of side covers 31 have a main cover 36 in which the front end portion 35 projects like a beak in a side view, and a sub cover 37 attached to the main cover 36. The lower side of the main cover 36 than the beak-shaped front end portion 35 is cut out in a substantially triangular shape in a side view from the front end edge toward the rear, and the notched portion of the main cover 36 is cut out in a substantially triangular shape in a side view. 37 is attached. When viewed from the front, the front end portions 35 of the pair of side covers 31 are curved so that the facing distance becomes narrower toward the front of the vehicle.

Between the front ends 35 of the pair of side covers 31, the body cowl 41 that exposes the translucent surface of the headlamp 55 and the center body cowl 42 that protrudes from below the body cowl 41 to the front of the vehicle are made of resin. The front cowl 40 is provided. The body cowl 41 is attached to the head pipe 11 via a cowling brace 61 (particularly see FIG. 4), and the headlamp 55 is attached to the cowling brace 61 via a stay 62 (particularly see FIG. 4). The front surface of the body cowl 41 is formed in a frame shape that covers the periphery of the headlamp 55. A windscreen 64 is provided on the upper part of the body cowl 41 via a windscreen brace 63.

The base end side of the center body cowl 42 is attached to the lower part of the body cowl 41, and the center body cowl 42 projects from the body cowl 41 to the front of the vehicle in a side view beak shape. A body cowl lower 43 (particularly see FIG. 4) is attached to the lower part of the center body cowl 42. The front end 35 of the pair of side covers 31 is attached to both sides of the center body cowl 42 and the body cowl lower 43, and the front end 35 of the pair of side covers 31 is connected by the center body cowl 42 and the body cowl lower 43. There is. For attaching the exterior members such as the cowl and the cover to each other, any attachment method of screwing, hooking, and clipping may be used.

A recess 44 is formed on the upper surface of the center body cowl 42 from the base end side to the tip end side. The base end side of the recess 44 of the center body cowl 42 enters below the body cowl 41, and the recess 44 of the center body cowl 42 and the lower part of the body cowl 41 provide a storage space for accommodating the rectangular parallelepiped driving support sensor 51. It is formed. The rear end side of the driving support sensor 51 is housed below the body cowl 41, and the front end side of the driving support sensor 51 protrudes in front of the body cowl 41. Therefore, the detection surface 52 on the front end side of the driving support sensor 51 is exposed to the outside on the recess 44 of the center body cowl 42.

The tip end side of the center body cowl 42 protrudes from the driving support sensor 51 to the front end side of the front fender 26 in front of the vehicle. Since the upper part of the front wheel 25 is covered by the front fender 26 and the upper part of the front fender 26 is covered by the center body cowl 42, the driving support sensor 51 and the headlamp 55 are effectively protected from foreign substances flipped up by the front wheel 25. Has been done. As described above, the recess 44 is provided on the upper surface of the center body cowl 42 that functions as a protective member for the front part of the vehicle, and the installation space for the driving support sensor 51 for detecting the traveling environment in front of the vehicle is secured.

The pair of side walls 45 of the center body cowl 42 are lowered from the base end side toward the tip end side, but at the position where the driving support sensor 51 is installed in the recess 44, the side wall 45 is higher than the height of the driving support sensor 51. The height is getting bigger. That is, the driving support sensor 51 is entirely overlapped with the side wall 45 of the center body cowl 42 when viewed from the side of the vehicle. Therefore, the side wall 45 effectively protects the driving support sensor 51 from foreign matter on the side of the vehicle. Further, since the driving support sensor 51 cannot be seen from the side of the vehicle due to the center body cowl 42, the driving support sensor 51 becomes inconspicuous and the appearance of the saddle-mounted vehicle 1 is improved.

The recess 44 of the center body cowl 42 extends to the tip end side, and there is nothing blocking the front of the detection surface 52 of the driving support sensor 51. The detection surface 52 of the driving support sensor 51 is positioned in front of the vehicle with respect to the translucent surface of the headlamp 55. Therefore, the directivity range of the driving support sensor 51 is not narrowed to the headlamp 55, and the directivity range of the driving support sensor 51 is widened to improve the detection accuracy. Further, since the driving support sensor 51 is separated downward from the headlamp 55 when viewed from the front of the vehicle, even if the driving support sensor 51 is installed in the vicinity of the headlamp 55, the headlamp 55 is used by the driving support sensor 51. The irradiation area of the is not narrowed.

The bottom surface 46 of the recess on the base end side of the center body cowl 42 is formed horizontally, and the bottom surface 47 of the recess on the tip end side of the center body cowl 42 is inclined so as to be lowered toward the front of the vehicle. The detection accuracy is improved by installing the driving support sensor 51 on the horizontal recess bottom surface 46, and the drainage property in the recess 44 is improved by the inclined recess bottom surface 47. Further, the inclination of the bottom surface 47 of the recess widens the directivity range of the driving support sensor 51 in the vertical direction. The horizontal recessed bottom surface 46 is not limited to the completely horizontal recessed bottom surface 46, but also includes the recessed bottom surface 46 having an error that can be regarded as substantially horizontal.

The pair of recessed side surfaces 48 on the base end side of the center body cowl 42 are formed in parallel so as to maintain a constant facing distance, and the pair of recessed side surfaces 49 on the tip end side of the center body cowl 42 face each other toward the front of the vehicle. Is tilted so that is larger (see FIG. 5). The driving support sensor 51 is positioned inside the pair of parallel concave side surfaces 48, and the horizontal direction range of the driving support sensor 51 is widened by the pair of inclined concave side surfaces 49. The pair of parallel concave side surfaces 48 is not limited to the pair of completely parallel concave side surfaces 48, but also includes the pair of concave side surfaces 48 having an error that can be regarded as substantially parallel.

The driving support sensor 51 is a device that detects the traveling environment in front of the vehicle. Examples of the driving support sensor 51 include a camera that recognizes the driving environment by a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor, a millimeter-wave radar that detects the driving environment by emitting radio waves, and a LiDAR sensor that detects the driving environment by laser irradiation. Will be installed. As the traveling environment, for example, pedestrians around the vehicle, other vehicles, the presence or absence of obstacles, and the extending direction of the traveling road are detected. The detection result of the driving support sensor 51 is output to the ECU 29 below the rider seat 21 (see FIG. 1), and the driving environment of the vehicle is monitored by the ECU 29.

The ECU 29 analyzes the output result of the driving support sensor 51 and provides driving support according to the driving environment. The driving support means that the ECU 29 performs a part or all of the driving operations such as acceleration / deceleration instead of the rider. As an example of driving support by the ECU 29, for example, ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) that follows the preceding vehicle while maintaining the inter-vehicle distance and LKAS (Lane Keeping Assistant System) that travels while maintaining the center of the lane are implemented. The driving support sensor 51 may be at least one such as a camera, a millimeter wave radar, a LiDAR sensor, or a sensor unit composed of a plurality of sensors.

The installation structure of the driving support sensor will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a side view of the driving support sensor of this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a top view of the periphery of the driving support sensor of this embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a driving support sensor 51 is installed in the recess 44 of the center body cowl 42 with the front end side protruding from the translucent surface of the headlamp 55. As described above, since the recess bottom surface 46 is formed horizontally and the pair of recess side surfaces 48 are formed in parallel, the operation support sensor 51 is positioned in the horizontal posture by the recess bottom surface 46 and the pair of recess side surfaces 48. .. Further, the upper surface of the driving support sensor 51 is pressed by the lower part of the body cowl 41. The installation posture of the driving support sensor 51 does not change due to vibration during traveling or the like, and deterioration of the detection accuracy of the driving support sensor 51 is prevented.

The bottom surface 47 of the recess is inclined so as to be lowered toward the front of the vehicle, and the pair of side surfaces 49 of the recess are inclined so as to increase the facing distance toward the front of the vehicle. Since the space in front of the driving support sensor 51 is widened, the directivity range RA of the driving support sensor 51 is widened in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and the detection accuracy is improved. Therefore, it is preferable that the inclination angle of the recess bottom surface 47 with respect to the recess bottom surface 46 and the inclination angle of the recess side surface 49 with respect to the recess side surface 48 are designed based on the directivity range RA of the driving support sensor 51. In this way, the driving support sensor 51 is installed in a horizontal posture at a predetermined height position from the travel path, and an appropriate direction range RA of the driving support sensor 51 is realized.

Since the tip of the center body cowl 42 projects to the front end side of the front fender 26, the driving support sensor 51 is effectively protected from foreign matter that is flipped up in front of the vehicle. Since the pair of side walls 45 of the center body cowl 42 are formed high at the location where the driving support sensor 51 is installed, the driving support sensor 51 is effectively protected from foreign matter that is flipped up to the side of the vehicle. When foreign matter such as water droplets enters the recess 44 of the center body cowl 42, the foreign matter is discharged by the inclination of the bottom surface 47 of the recess in front of the driving support sensor 51. Therefore, foreign matter can be suppressed from entering the directivity range RA of the driving support sensor 51.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the recess 44 of the center body cowl 42 secures the installation space of the driving support sensor 51 below the body cowl 41. Since at least a part of the driving support sensor 51 is exposed to the outside, the detection surface 52 of the driving support sensor 51 is not obstructed by other members, and the detection accuracy can be maintained. Further, since the center body cowl 42 protrudes in front of the vehicle, the driving support sensor 51 is protected from foreign matter flipped up from below, and the deterioration of the detection accuracy due to the dirt on the detection surface 52 of the driving support sensor 51 is suppressed. Has been done.

In this embodiment, as the driving support sensor, a camera for detecting obstacles, a millimeter wave radar, and a LiDAR sensor are exemplified, but the driving support sensor is a GPS sensor for detecting the position of the own vehicle or the like. , An acceleration sensor for detecting the attitude of the own vehicle, etc. may be used.

Further, in this embodiment, the driving support sensor is installed in the recess of the center body cowl, but a relatively small sensor such as a camera is built in the headlamp, and a relatively large sensor such as a millimeter wave radar or a LiDAR sensor is installed. Sensor may be installed in the recess.

Further, in this embodiment, the body cowl and the center body cowl are formed separately, but the body cowl and the center body cowl may be integrally formed.

Further, in this embodiment, the rear end side of the driving support sensor is housed below the body cowl by the recess of the center body cowl, but at least a part of the driving support sensor is housed below the body cowl. Just do it. Therefore, the entire driving support sensor may be accommodated below the body cowl by the recess of the center body cowl.

Further, in this embodiment, the tip side of the center body cowl is configured to protrude to the front end side of the front fender, but if sufficient protection performance of the driving support sensor can be obtained, the tip side of the center body cowl is the front fender. It does not have to protrude to the front end side of.

Further, in this embodiment, the driving support sensor is installed on the horizontal concave bottom surface of the center body cowl, but the surface shape of the concave bottom surface is not particularly limited as long as the driving support sensor can be installed.

Further, in this embodiment, the driving support sensor is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, but the outer shape of the driving support sensor is not particularly limited as long as it can be installed in the recess of the center body cowl.

Further, the front cowl of the saddle-mounted vehicle of this embodiment is not limited to the adventure type motorcycle, and may be adopted for other types of motorcycles. Further, the saddle-type vehicle is not limited to all vehicles in which the rider rides in a posture of straddling the seat, but also includes a scooter-type vehicle in which the rider rides without straddling the seat.

As described above, the front cowl (40) of this embodiment is a front cowl that covers the front part of the saddle-mounted vehicle (1) on which driving support control is performed, and is a headlamp (55) that illuminates the front of the vehicle. The second cowl is provided with a first cowl (body cowl 41) that exposes the translucent surface of the cowl and a second cowl (center body cowl 42) that protrudes from below the first cowl to the front of the vehicle. A recess (44) is formed on the upper surface of the cowl from the base end side to the tip end side, and at least a part of the driving support sensor (51) is housed under the first cowl by the recess of the second cowl. There is. According to this configuration, the recess of the second cowl secures an installation space for the driving support sensor below the first cowl. Since at least a part of the driving support sensor is exposed to the outside, the detection surface (52) of the driving support sensor is not obstructed by other members, and the detection accuracy can be maintained. Further, since the second cowl protrudes in front of the vehicle, the driving support sensor is protected from foreign matter that is flipped up from below, and the deterioration of the detection accuracy due to the dirt on the detection surface of the driving support sensor is suppressed. ..

In the front cowl of this embodiment, the tip end side of the second cowl protrudes in front of the vehicle from the driving support sensor. According to this configuration, the second cowl effectively protects the driving support sensor from foreign matter in front.

In the front cowl of this embodiment, the bottom surface (46) of the recess on the base end side of the second cowl is formed horizontally, and the bottom surface (47) of the recess on the tip side of the second cowl is lowered toward the front of the vehicle. It is inclined to. According to this configuration, the detection accuracy is improved by installing the driving support sensor on the bottom surface of the horizontal recess, and the drainage property in the recess is improved by the inclined bottom surface of the recess.

In the front cowl of this embodiment, the entire driving support sensor overlaps the side wall (45) of the second cowl in both side views. According to this configuration, the second cowl effectively protects the driving support sensor from foreign matter on the side of the vehicle. Further, since the sensor cannot be seen from the side of the vehicle, the sensor becomes inconspicuous and the appearance of the vehicle is improved.

In the front cowl of this embodiment, the driving support sensor is separated from the headlamp when the vehicle is viewed from the front. According to this configuration, the irradiation area of the headlamp is not narrowed by the driving support sensor.

In the front cowl of this embodiment, the detection surface of the driving support sensor is located in front of the vehicle front of the translucent surface of the headlamp. According to this configuration, there is nothing blocking the front of the driving support sensor, and the detection accuracy of the sensor is improved.

In the front cowl of this embodiment, the tip end side of the second cowl projects to the front end side of the front fender (26) that covers the upper part of the front wheel (25). According to this configuration, since the upper part of the front wheel is covered by the second cowl, the driving support sensor is more effectively protected from the foreign matter splashed on the front wheel.

Although this embodiment has been described, as another embodiment, the above embodiment and the modified example may be combined in whole or in part.

Further, the technique of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be variously modified, replaced, or modified without departing from the spirit of the technical idea. Furthermore, if the technical idea can be realized in another way by the advancement of the technology or another technology derived from it, it may be carried out by using that method. Therefore, the claims cover all embodiments that may be included within the scope of the technical idea.

1: Saddle-mounted vehicle 25: Front wheel 26: Front fender 40: Front cowl 41: Body cowl (first cowl)
42: Center body cowl (second cowl)
44: Recessed portion 45: Side wall 46: Bottom surface of recessed portion on the base end side 47: Bottom surface of recessed portion on the tip end side 51: Sensor for driving support 55: Headlamp

Claims (7)

A front cowl that covers the front of a saddle-type vehicle for which driving support control is implemented.
The first cowl that exposes the translucent surface of the headlamp that illuminates the front of the vehicle,
A second cowl projecting from below the first cowl to the front of the vehicle is provided.
A recess is formed on the upper surface of the second cowl from the base end side to the tip end side.
A front cowl characterized in that at least a part of a driving support sensor is housed below the first cowl by a recess of the second cowl. The front cowl according to claim 1, wherein the tip end side of the second cowl protrudes in front of the vehicle with respect to the driving support sensor. The claim is characterized in that the bottom surface of the recess on the base end side of the second cowl is formed horizontally, and the bottom surface of the recess on the tip end side of the second cowl is inclined so as to be lowered toward the front of the vehicle. 1 or the front cowl according to claim 2. The front cowl according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the entire driving support sensor overlaps the side wall of the second cowl when viewed from the side of the vehicle. The front cowl according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the driving support sensor is separated from the headlamp when viewed from the front of the vehicle. The front cowl according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the detection surface of the driving support sensor is located in front of the vehicle with respect to the translucent surface of the headlamp. The front cowl according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the tip end side of the second cowl projects to the front end side of the front fender that covers the upper portion of the front wheel.

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