JP2023028982A - Front cowl support structure - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a front cowl support structure capable of suppressing an increase in vehicle weight.SOLUTION: A front cowl support structure includes: a headlight 13 arranged ahead of a head pipe 21; a headlight cowl 80 arranged along an outer periphery of the headlight 13; an extension part 85 formed of a resin material and extending toward backward from the headlight cowl 80; and a support member 50 formed of a metal material and connecting the extension part 85 and the head pipe 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a front cowl support structure.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a front cowl provided at the front of a vehicle such as a saddle type vehicle, there is a headlight cowl arranged along the outer periphery of a headlight (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this type of vehicle, the headlight cowl may be connected to the vehicle body by connecting a metal support member to the headlight cowl.

JP 2014-125063 A

However, when a metal support member is coupled to the headlight cowl, the metal member may increase the weight of the vehicle, and there is room for improvement in the front cowl support structure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a front cowl support structure capable of suppressing an increase in vehicle weight.

The front cowl support structure of the present invention includes a headlight (13) arranged in front of a vehicle body part (21), a headlight cowl (80) along the outer periphery of the headlight (13), and a resin material. an extension portion (85) extending rearward from the headlight cowl (80); and a support member (50) formed of a metal material and connecting the extension portion (85) and the vehicle body part (21). ) and

According to the present invention, the connecting portion between the extension portion and the supporting member can be provided behind the connecting portion between the headlight cowl and the supporting member in the structure in which the supporting member is connected to the headlight cowl itself. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the length of the metal support member compared to a configuration in which the support member is coupled to the headlight cowl itself. Therefore, an increase in vehicle weight can be suppressed.

In the above front cowl support structure, the extending portion (85) has a plurality of fastening portions (87) fastened to the support member (50), and at least one of the plurality of fastening portions (87) One may be located above the lower end of the headlight (13).

According to the present invention, at least one of the plurality of fastening portions can be installed in the headlight without increasing the size of the support member in the front-rear direction, compared to a configuration in which all of the plurality of fastening portions are positioned below the lower end of the headlight. It can be brought close to the light cowl. Therefore, the support strength of the headlight cowl via the extending portion can be improved.

In the front cowl support structure described above, the extending portion (85) is fastened to the support member (50) and has a plurality of fastening portions (87) spaced apart in the vertical direction of the vehicle. may

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the support strength with respect to the displacement of a roll direction of an extension part can be improved. Therefore, the headlight that swings in the vehicle width direction can be firmly supported via the headlight cowl.

In the above front cowl support structure, the extension (85) may have a recess (86).

According to the present invention, the bending strength of the extending portion can be improved. Therefore, the support strength of the headlight cowl via the extending portion can be improved.

In the front cowl support structure described above, at least part of the extending portion (85) may be positioned below the headlight (13).

According to the present invention, the support member can be arranged at a position lower than the headlight, which can be arranged at a relatively high position with respect to the vehicle body part, so that the support member can be effectively shortened. Therefore, an increase in vehicle weight can be suppressed.

The front cowl support structure may further include a reinforcing portion (92) connecting the headlight cowl (80) and the extending portion (85).

According to the present invention, the support member can support the headlight cowl via the extending portion and the reinforcing portion, so that the supporting strength of the headlight cowl via the extending portion can be further improved.

According to the front cowl support structure of the present invention, an increase in vehicle weight can be suppressed.

It is a left side view showing the motorcycle of the embodiment. It is a left side view showing the vehicle front part of an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which a vehicle body cover and front forks are removed from the vehicle shown in FIG. 2; It is a perspective view showing a vehicle front part of an embodiment. It is a perspective view showing the inner cowl of the embodiment.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that directions such as front, rear, up, down, left, and right in the following description are the same as the directions of the vehicle described below. That is, the vertical direction corresponds to the vertical direction, and the horizontal direction corresponds to the vehicle width direction. In the drawings used for the following description, an arrow UP indicates upward, an arrow FR indicates forward, and an arrow LH indicates leftward.

FIG. 1 is a left side view showing the motorcycle of the embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the motorcycle 1 of this embodiment includes a vehicle body frame 20, a steering mechanism 30 that supports the front wheels 2, and a rear suspension 40 that supports the rear wheels 3 as vehicle body parts.

The body frame 20 includes a head pipe 21, a pair of left and right main frames 22, a pair of left and right pivot frames 23, a single down frame 24, a pair of seat rails 25, and a pair of support rails 26. . The head pipe 21 is provided at the front end of the vehicle body frame 20 . The head pipe 21 is arranged on the vehicle width center of the vehicle. The head pipe 21 is provided with a bracket 27 projecting forward to which a support member 50, which will be described later, is coupled (see FIG. 3). A pair of main frames 22 branch left and right from the upper portion of the head pipe 21 and extend rearward and downward. A pair of pivot frames 23 extend downward from the rear ends of the main frames 22 respectively. The down frame 24 extends downward and rearward from the lower portion of the head pipe 21 . A hanger bracket 28 is coupled to the lower end of the down frame 24 . A pair of seat rails 25 extends rearward from the middle portion of the main frame 22 . A pair of support rails 26 extend rearward and upward from the rear end of the main frame 22 and are coupled to the seat rails 25 from below.

The steering mechanism 30 includes a pair of left and right front forks 31, a top bridge 32 and a bottom bridge 33 which are provided between the upper parts of the pair of front forks 31, and a structure which is provided between the top bridge 32 and the bottom bridge 33. and a steering stem 34 (see FIG. 3). The pair of front forks 31 pivotally support the front wheel 2 at their lower ends. A front fender 4 that covers the front wheel 2 is attached to the pair of front forks 31 . The top bridge 32 supports steering handles 35 . The steering stem 34 is inserted through the head pipe 21 of the body frame 20 and supported by the body frame 20 .

The rear suspension 40 has a swing arm 41 . The swing arm 41 is provided below the rear portion of the vehicle body. The swing arm 41 extends forward and backward. A front end portion of the swing arm 41 is bifurcated to the left and right, and is supported by the upper and lower middle portions of the pair of pivot frames 23 so as to be able to swing vertically. The vertical swing of the swing arm 41 is absorbed by a rear cushion (not shown). A rear end portion of the swing arm 41 pivotally supports the rear wheel 3 . The rear wheel 3 is connected to the engine 5 via a chain-type transmission mechanism 42 arranged on the left side of the rear portion of the vehicle body.

The motorcycle 1 further includes an engine 5 that is a prime mover, a fuel tank 7, a seat 9, and a vehicle body cover 60 that forms the outer shell of the vehicle.

The engine 5 is fixedly supported by the body frame 20 . The engine 5 has a crankcase 5a and a cylinder 5b. The crankcase 5 a constitutes the lower portion of the engine 5 . A hanger bracket 28 supports the front end of the crankcase 5a. A rear end portion of the crankcase 5 a is supported by the pivot frame 23 . The cylinder 5b stands forward and upward from the front portion of the crankcase 5a.

The fuel tank 7 is arranged above the cylinders 5 b of the engine 5 . The fuel tank 7 is supported by the body frame 20 above the main frame 22 .

The seat 9 is arranged behind the fuel tank 7 . The seat 9 is arranged above the seat rails 25 in a side view. The seat 9 is supported by a pair of seat rails 25 .

The vehicle body cover 60 covers the vehicle body frame 20 and the like. The vehicle body cover 60 has a front cowl 61 on the front part of the vehicle. The configuration of the front cowl 61 will be described later.

FIG. 2 is a left side view showing the vehicle front portion of the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which part of the vehicle body cover and the upper portion of the left front fork are removed from the vehicle shown in FIG. 2;
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , motorcycle 1 further includes meter device 11 , headlight 13 , and support member 50 .

As shown in FIG. 3 , the meter device 11 is arranged in front of the steering handle 35 . The meter device 11 is arranged on the vehicle width center of the vehicle. The meter device 11 includes instruments such as a vehicle speed meter and a tachometer.

The headlight 13 is arranged in front of the head pipe 21 . The headlight 13 is arranged on the vehicle width center in the front part of the motorcycle 1 . The headlight 13 includes a light source, a housing 13a that surrounds the light source and opens forward, and a lens 13b that closes the opening of the housing 13a and covers the light source from the front. The front surface of the lens 13b extends rearward as it goes upward from its lower end, and is curved so as to extend rearward as it goes outward in the vehicle width direction from the vehicle width center. In addition, the front surface of the lens 13b is a surface exposed to the front among the outer surfaces of the lens 13b.

Support member 50 connects meter device 11 and headlight 13 to vehicle body frame 20, which is a vehicle body component. The support member 50 is made of a metal material. Support member 50 is coupled to bracket 27 provided on head pipe 21 . The support member 50 includes a first stay 51 arranged along the vehicle width center and having a rear end fastened to the bracket 27, and a second stay 52 coupled to the front end of the first stay 51 and extending outward in the vehicle width direction. and a support tube 53 coupled to the second stay 52 and extending upward to support the meter device 11 and the housing 13 a of the headlight 13 .

The shape of the front cowl 61 will be described in detail.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the vehicle front portion of the embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 4 , the front cowl 61 covers the outer circumference of the headlight 13 in front of the head pipe 21 of the vehicle body frame 20 . The front cowl 61 includes a cowl upper portion 62 , a pair of right and left cowl side portions 63 , and a cowl lower portion 64 . The cowl upper portion 62 extends rearward and upward from a portion of the headlight 13 facing the upper edge of the front surface of the lens 13b. The cowl upper portion 62 forms the upper portion of the front surface of the front cowl 61 . The cowl side portions 63 extend rearward and outward in the vehicle width direction from portions facing the left and right side edges of the front surface of the lens 13b. The cowl side portions 63 form both left and right side portions of the front surface of the front cowl 61 . The cowl lower portion 64 extends rearward and downward from a portion facing the lower edge of the front surface of the lens 13b. The cowl lower portion 64 forms the lower portion of the front surface of the front cowl 61 . Hereinafter, the cowl upper portion 62 , the cowl side portion 63 and the cowl lower portion 64 may be referred to as the main portion of the front cowl 61 .

The front cowl 61 further includes a nose cowl 65 projecting forward from the front surface of the lower half of the main portion of the front cowl 61 . Nose cowl 65 is formed such that its front end is positioned forward of the front ends of the main portion of front cowl 61 and headlight 13 . The nose cowl 65 is formed forwardly downward. Specifically, the nose cowl 65 is formed so that the upper surface extends downward from the rear end toward the front end. The upper surface of the nose cowl extends so as to have a smaller angle of inclination with respect to the horizontal direction than the front surface of the lens 13b of the headlight 13 and the front surface of the main portion of the front cowl 61 when viewed from the side. The nose cowl 65 is formed to taper toward the front end.

Next, the component configuration of the front cowl 61 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 2, the front cowl 61 includes a meter visor 70 adjacent to the headlight 13 from above in a front view, an upper panel 72 covering the lower part of the meter visor 70, an inner cowl 74 surrounding the headlight 13, an inner An outer cowl 76 covering the cowl 74 and a side panel 78 covering the outer cowl 76 from the outside in the vehicle width direction are provided.

The meter visor 70 covers the meter device 11 from above. The meter visor 70 has a front edge facing the upper edge of the lens 13 b of the headlight 13 . The meter visor 70 extends rearward and upward from its front edge.

As shown in FIG. 4 , a screen 67 is fixed to the meter visor 70 . The screen 67 intercepts the running wind directed toward the driver when the motorcycle 1 travels forward. The screen 67 is formed in a thin plate shape from a transparent resin material. The screen 67 is arranged along the upper surface of the meter visor 70 . The screen 67 is made non-contact with the meter visor 70 except for the connecting portion between the screen 67 and the meter visor 70 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the upper panel 72 is arranged so as to cover the boundary between the lens 13b of the headlight 13 and the meter visor 70 in the appearance of the motorcycle 1. As shown in FIG. The upper surface of the upper panel 72 extends rearward and upward from the front edge of the upper panel 72 so as to continue to the front surface of the lens 13b.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the inner cowl of the embodiment.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the inner cowl 74 includes a headlight cowl 80 along the outer periphery of the headlight 13, a pair of left and right extensions 85 extending rearward from the headlight cowl 80, A protruding portion 90 protruding forward from the portion 85 and a reinforcing portion 92 connecting the headlight cowl 80 and the extending portion 85 are provided. The headlight cowl 80, the extending portion 85, the protruding portion 90 and the reinforcing portion 92 are integrally formed of a resin material. The inner cowl 74 is formed approximately bilaterally symmetrical with respect to the center of the width of the vehicle. In each figure, only the left extending portion 85 and reinforcing portion 92 of the pair of extending portions 85 and reinforcing portion 92 are shown.

The headlight cowl 80 is formed in a U shape that opens upward when viewed from the front, and is adjacent to the headlight 13 from three directions excluding the upper direction. Headlight cowl 80 directly faces housing 13 a of headlight 13 . The headlight cowl 80 includes a pair of left and right side portions 81 that adjoin the housing 13a of the headlight 13 from the outside in the vehicle width direction, and a bottom portion 83 that connects the lower ends of the side portions 81 and adjoins the housing 13a from below. Prepare.

As shown in FIG. 5, the pair of side portions 81 form inner portions of the cowl side portions 63 of the front cowl 61 (see FIG. 4). Each side portion 81 includes an outer wall 81a and an inner wall 81b extending in the front-rear direction along the housing 13a, and a lateral flange portion 81c extending in the vehicle width direction from the front edges of the outer wall 81a and the inner wall 81b. The outer wall 81a is arranged above the inner wall 81b. The upper portion of the lateral flange portion 81c protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction from the front edge of the outer wall 81a. The lower portion of the horizontal flange portion 81c protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction from the front edge of the inner wall 81b and continues to the lower end of the upper portion of the horizontal flange portion 81c.

The bottom portion 83 forms a cowl lower portion 64 (see FIG. 4) of the front cowl 61 . The bottom portion 83 includes a lower wall 83a extending in the front-rear direction along the housing 13a, a lower flange portion 83b extending downward from the front edge of the lower wall 83a, and a front portion extending downward from the lower edge of the lower flange portion 83b. a wall 83c; Both ends of the lower flange portion 83b are connected to the lower ends of the horizontal flange portions 81c. The lower collar portion 83b and the lateral collar portion 81c as a whole extend in a U shape that is open upward.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the extending portion 85 extends rearward and outward in the vehicle width direction from the outer edge in the vehicle width direction of the lower portion of the horizontal flange portion 81c. The extending portion 85 is formed to protrude rearward and downward from the lower portion of the horizontal flange portion 81c in a side view. The extending portion 85 is positioned outward of the headlight cowl 80 in the vehicle width direction. At least part of the extending portion 85 is positioned below the headlight 13 in a side view. The extending portion 85 is formed in a plate shape. The extending portion 85 includes an upper portion 85a extending rearward and outward in the vehicle width direction from the lateral flange portion 81c, a lower portion 85b extending downward from the lower edge of the upper portion 85a, and a rear portion extending rearward from the rear edges of the upper and lower portions 85a and 85b. 85c. A recessed portion 86 recessed inward in the vehicle width direction is formed in the lower portion 85b. The concave portion 86 has an aperture shape. The recessed portion 86 is formed so that its vertical width increases from the front toward the rear.

The rear portion 85c is arranged so that both main surfaces thereof are oriented in the vehicle width direction. A plurality of fastening portions 87 that are fastened to the second stay 52 of the support member 50 are provided on the rear portion 85c. All of the plurality of fastening portions 87 are arranged below the headlight 13 in a side view. The plurality of fastening portions 87 are an upper fastening portion 87A and a lower fastening portion 87B that are spaced apart in the vertical direction. The upper fastening portion 87A is positioned right above the lower fastening portion 87B in a side view. The upper fastening portion 87A is positioned above the lower end of the lens 13b of the headlight 13. As shown in FIG. On the other hand, the lower fastening portion 87B is positioned below the lower end of the headlight 13 .

Projection 90 forms nose cowl 65 . The projecting portion 90 extends forward from the front edges of the lower portions 85b of the left and right extending portions 85 and from the left and right side edges of the front wall 83c of the bottom portion 83 of the headlight cowl 80 and is joined at the front ends.

The reinforcement portion 92 connects the outer wall 81 a of the headlight cowl 80 and the rear upper portion of the extension portion 85 . The reinforcing portion 92 is formed in a V shape that opens inward in the vehicle width direction when viewed from the front, and is coupled to the upper edge of the outer wall 81a of the headlight cowl 80 and the upper edge of the rear portion 85c of the extending portion 85. there is The reinforcing portion 92 forms a through-hole 93 penetrating in the longitudinal direction between the reinforcing portion 92 and the outer wall 81 a of the headlight cowl 80 .

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 , the outer cowl 76 is formed to cover substantially the entire inner cowl 74 except for the front end of the projecting portion 90 from the front and the outside in the vehicle width direction. The outer cowl 76 is fastened to the inner cowl 74 . The outer surface of the outer cowl 76 extends to the front surface of the lens 13b outside the headlight 13 in the vehicle width direction when viewed from the front. The outer cowl 76 forms the cowl side portion 63 of the front cowl 61 and the nose cowl 65 .

The side panel 78 covers the outer cowl 76 at a rear position spaced apart from the lens 13b of the headlight 13 in side view.

As described above, the motorcycle 1 of this embodiment includes the headlight cowl 80 along the outer periphery of the headlight 13, the extension portion 85 extending rearward from the headlight cowl 80, and the extension portion 85. and a support member 50 that connects with the head pipe 21. According to this configuration, the fastening portion 87, which is the coupling portion between the extension portion 85 and the support member 50, is located behind the coupling portion between the headlight cowl and the support member in the configuration in which the support member is coupled to the headlight cowl itself. can be provided. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the length of the metal support member 50 compared to a configuration in which the support member is coupled to the headlight cowl itself. Therefore, an increase in vehicle weight can be suppressed.

The extending portion 85 has a plurality of fastening portions 87 that are fastened to the second stay 52 of the support member 50 . Among the plurality of fastening portions 87 , the upper fastening portion 87</b>A is positioned above the lower end of the headlight 13 . According to this configuration, at least one of the fastening portions 87 can be adjusted without increasing the size of the support member 50 in the front-rear direction, compared to a configuration in which all of the plurality of fastening portions are positioned below the lower end of the headlight 13 . can be brought closer to the headlight cowl 80. Therefore, according to the front cowl support structure of the present embodiment, the support strength of the headlight cowl 80 via the extending portion 85 can be improved.

Also, the plurality of fastening portions 87 are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction. According to this configuration, it is possible to improve the support strength against the displacement of the extension portion 85 in the roll direction. Therefore, according to the front cowl support structure of the present embodiment, the headlight 13 swaying in the vehicle width direction can be strongly supported via the headlight cowl 80 .

The extension 85 has a recess 86 . With this configuration, the bending strength of the extending portion 85 can be improved. Therefore, according to the front cowl support structure of the present embodiment, the support strength of the headlight cowl 80 via the extending portion 85 can be improved.

At least part of the extending portion 85 is positioned below the headlight 13 . According to this configuration, the first stay 51 and the second stay 52 of the support member 50 can be arranged at a position lower than the headlight 13, which can be arranged at a relatively high position with respect to the vehicle body part. The second stay 52 can be effectively shortened. Therefore, an increase in vehicle weight can be suppressed.

The front cowl support structure of the present embodiment further includes a reinforcing portion 92 connecting the headlight cowl 80 and the extending portion 85 together. According to this configuration, the support member 50 can support the headlight cowl 80 via the extending portion 85 and the reinforcing portion 92, so that the supporting strength of the headlight cowl 80 via the extending portion 85 can be further improved. can be done.

It should be noted that the present invention can be applied to general saddle-ride type vehicles in which the driver straddles the vehicle body. That is, the present invention is applicable not only to motorcycles, but also to three-wheeled motor vehicles or four-wheeled motor vehicles such as buggies and ATVs (All Terrain Vehicles). Moreover, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments described with reference to the drawings, and various modifications are conceivable within its technical scope.

For example, in the above embodiment, the support member 50 is coupled to the head pipe 21, but the configuration is not limited to this. The support member may be connected to the body part, for example to the top or bottom bridge of the steering mechanism. Further, although the support member 50 connects the extension portion 85 of the front cowl 61 and the head pipe 21 with the first stay 51 and the second stay 52, the structure of the support member can be changed as appropriate.

In addition, it is possible to appropriately replace the components in the above-described embodiments with well-known components without departing from the scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13... Headlight 21... Head pipe (body part) 50... Supporting member 61... Front cowl 80... Headlight cowl 85... Extension part 86... Recessed part 87... Fastening part 92... Reinforcing part

Claims (6)

a headlight (13) arranged in front of the body part (21);
a headlight cowl (80) along the periphery of the headlight (13);
an extension portion (85) made of a resin material and extending rearward from the headlight cowl (80);
a support member (50) made of a metal material and connecting the extension (85) and the vehicle body part (21);
Front cowl support structure. The extending portion (85) has a plurality of fastening portions (87) fastened to the support member (50),
At least one of the plurality of fastening portions (87) is positioned above a lower end of the headlight (13),
The front cowl support structure according to claim 1. The extending portion (85) is fastened to the support member (50) and has a plurality of fastening portions (87) spaced apart in the vertical direction of the vehicle.
The front cowl support structure according to claim 1 or 2. the extension (85) has a recess (86);
The front cowl support structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3. At least part of the extension (85) is located below the headlight (13),
The front cowl support structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4. further comprising a reinforcing portion (92) connecting the headlight cowl (80) and the extending portion (85);
The front cowl support structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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