JP2534228B2 - Air cleaner device for saddle type vehicle - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optimum air cleaner device for a saddle type vehicle for traveling on rough terrain, for example, and particularly to prevention of water from entering the air cleaner device during underwater traveling.

[Conventional technology]

Generally, a saddle-ride type vehicle has an engine mounted substantially in the center of the body frame, wheels with wide ultra-low pressure tires mounted on the front and rear, and steering handles, fuel tanks, and saddle-type seats on the top. In addition, it is a vehicle suitable for running on rough terrain such as rocky places and swamps, and has recently been used for sports running or leisure.

By the way, in the above-mentioned application, the wheel is often driven in water to a depth such that the wheel is submerged, and in such underwater driving, water is sucked into the air cleaner device for supplying clean combustion air to the engine. It is necessary to adopt a structure that can prevent it. Therefore, conventionally, as a structure capable of preventing water from entering the air cleaner device, there is a structure in which an intake duct is connected to a main pipe of a vehicle body frame and a supply port is formed at a tip portion of the main pipe. Since the intake port of the duct is at a high position, it is possible to prevent water from entering.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional structure, the pipe length as the intake duct becomes long, and it is necessary to make the pipe diameter thick in order to reduce the intake resistance. In particular, if the engine displacement increases, the diameter will increase accordingly, and the size of the main pipe will eventually be determined not by the strength of the frame itself but by the intake resistance. There is a problem that Moreover, since the fuel tank is generally shaped so as to straddle the main pipe, there is a problem that the capacity of the fuel tank decreases as the diameter of the main pipe increases.

The present invention has been made to solve the above conventional problems, and can prevent water from entering without using a main pipe, and can shorten the pipe length of the intake duct to achieve a vehicle weight reduction. An object is to provide an air cleaner device for a riding type vehicle.

[Means for solving problems]

According to the present invention, an engine 8 is mounted substantially in the center of a vehicle body frame 1, and wheels 11 and 14 with wide ultra-low pressure tires are provided at a front portion and a rear portion.
The steering handle 15 above the engine 8
In a saddle-ride type vehicle in which a fuel tank 16 and a saddle type seat 17 are sequentially mounted behind the fuel tank 16, the fuel tank 16 is continuously covered with a tank cover 21 from at least an upper portion to an upper surface of the peripheral side surface of the fuel tank 16. The front portion of the lower end opening of the space surrounded by the outer surface of the rear wall 16a of the 16 and the inner surface of the rear wall 21a of the tank cover 21 is closed by a shielding member 24 to form a substantially hermetically sealed space 22. An outer surface of the rear wall 21a is covered with a front portion of the seat 17, an air cleaner body 9 is disposed below the seat 17, and an intake duct 9c extending forward and upward from a front portion of an upper surface of the air cleaner body 9 is substantially sealed. In the vicinity of the rear end of the space 22 and so as to project upward from the shielding member 24, the lower end of the rear wall 21a of the tank cover 21 extends downward so as to cover the rear side of the intake duct opening 9d. The above tank cover An air introduction passage 22a for introducing outside air into the substantially sealed space 22 from the front of the vehicle is provided in the front-rear direction by providing a space between the inner surface of the fuel tank 16 and the outer surfaces of the left and right corners 16c of the upper surface of the fuel tank 16. It is characterized in that it is formed in a long shape before and after connecting to.

[Action]

According to the air cleaner device for a saddle-ride type vehicle according to the present invention, the rear wall 21a of the tank cover 21 that continuously covers at least the upper portion of the fuel tank, the rear wall 16a of the fuel tank 16, and the shielding plate 24 form a substantially sealed state. Since the space 22 has been formed,
It can completely prevent rainwater etc. from entering the inside,
It is also possible to prevent the water splashed from below from entering, and thus it is possible to reliably prevent rainwater, jumping water, and the like from entering the intake duct 9c opening in the space 22.

Further, since the air introduction passage 22a has a long shape in the front-rear direction, rainwater or the like that has entered the passage 22a flows down downward before reaching the space 22 and hardly enters the space 22. Further, since the opening 9d of the intake duct 9c is located near the rear end of the space 22 and so as to project above the shielding member 24, if rainwater or the like passes through the air introduction passage 22a into the space 22. Even if it does, rainwater will not enter the intake duct 9c. That is, the rainwater etc. is in the tank
Although it flows down along the rear wall 16a of the 16, the opening 9d is located rearward of the downflow position and projects above the shielding member 24, so that rainwater or the like does not flow into the opening 9d,
It flows down the shielding member 24 and flows out downward.

Further, since the lower end of the rear wall 21a of the tank cover 21 is extended downward to cover the rear side of the opening 9d of the duct 9c, rainwater and the like may be temporarily intruded from between the rear wall 21a of the tank cover 21 and the seat 17. Even then, it can be prevented from entering the intake duct 9c.

Further, by opening a space between the left and right corners 16c of the upper portion of the fuel tank 16 and the tank cover 21, that is, the space
Since the air introduction passage 22a is formed only by the same members as the constituent members of 22, the outside air can be surely introduced into the space 22 without providing a special passage.

Furthermore, the space introduction passage 22a is provided at a high place on the upper and left corners of the upper surface of the fuel tank, and the intake duct is provided.
Since 9c is opened in the lower part of the substantially closed space 22, the effect similar to that of extending the intake duct to a high place can be obtained while making the intake duct 9c short.

〔Example〕

 Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 4 are views for explaining an air cleaner device for a saddle type vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a steel pipe body frame, which is formed by connecting a pair of left and right side frames 2 with a cross pipe 3 and connecting a seat rail 4 to a rear portion thereof. This body frame 1
The front bumper 5, front fender 19, and front unlit 20 are arranged in the front part of the vehicle, and the rear bumper 6 and the rear fender 18 are arranged in the rear part, and the front wheels 11 with wide ultra-low pressure tires are arranged on the front left and right sides. The rear wheels 14 with wide ultra-low pressure tires are also mounted on the left and right rear sides via the rear arm 13, and the rear wheel suspension device 12 is disposed between the rear arm 13 and the body frame 1. ing.

A steering handlebar 16 and a saddle-type seat 17 are attached to the upper part of the body frame 1 in order from the front, and the fuel tank 16 straddles the left and right side frames 2 and 2. It is located in.

The fuel tank 16 has a box-like shape, and a front bulge portion 16 for increasing the tank capacity is provided at the front left and right portions of the fuel tank 16.
e is formed, the vehicle width direction central portion 16b of the rear wall 16a is recessed forward, and the upper left and right corner portions 16c thereof are also chamfered when seen in the front-rear direction. Further, the fuel tank 16 is covered by a tank cover 21 on its upper surface and peripheral side surfaces. This tank cover 21 is the rear wall of the fuel tank 16.
The rear wall 21a extends rearward from 16a, and the rear wall 21a is a bottom plate 17 of the seat 17.
It is close to the lower surface of a, and as a result, a space 22 surrounded by a wall is formed between the central portion 16b of the rear wall of the fuel tank 16 and the rear wall 21a of the tank cover 21. Further, the gap between the upper left and right corners 16c of the fuel tank 16 and the tank cover 21 is an air introduction passage 22a that connects the vehicle front portion and the space 22.

An engine 8 coupled to a crankcase 7 is mounted in the substantial center of the body frame 1, and an exhaust pipe 10 from the engine 8 extends rearward on the side of the body frame 1. . Further, the carburetor 23 connected to the rear of the engine 8 includes a supply duct 9a of the air cleaner device 9.
The air cleaner main body 9b that accommodates the elements of the air cleaner device 9 is connected to the cushion unit 12a of the rear wheel suspension device 12 below the saddle-type seat 17.
It is located above. And this air cleaner body
The intake duct 9c connected to 9b extends toward the space 22, and the upper end opening 9d is located in the space 22.

Further, a rubber shield plate 24 is disposed between the intake duct 9c and the rear wall center portion 16b of the fuel tank 16, and a front edge 24a of the shield plate 24 has a rear wall center portion. It abuts on 16b without a gap, and engages with an engaging piece 16d protruding from the central portion 16b. Further, the rear edge portion 24b of the shielding plate 24 is fitted with the front half portion of the intake duct 9c. And this shielding plate 24
An air bend pipe 23a from the carburetor 23 is inserted into c, and the pipe 23a opens into the space 22. Further, 7a is a breather pipe connected to the crankcase 7, which also opens into the space 22.

 Next, the function and effect of the apparatus of this embodiment will be described.

When traveling underwater with a saddle-ride type vehicle, water is more likely to enter as the intake duct is opened at a lower position, but in this embodiment, the intake duct 9c is substantially the same as the seating surface of the seat 17. The vehicle 8 is located at a high place when viewed as a whole, and since it is opened in the space 22 surrounded by the rear wall 16a of the fuel tank 16, the rear wall 21a of the tank cover 21, and the shield plate 24, the engine 8 is almost submerged in water. Water can be prevented from entering even when the water is deep, and the waterproof effect against water splashed by the vehicle, rainwater, etc. can be improved, and the running performance can be improved accordingly. Further, in this case, since the shielding plate 24 is disposed between the intake duct 9c and the fuel tank 16, as described above, it is possible to prevent the jumping of water from below, and the hot air around the engine 8 prevents the hot air from flowing into the space.
It also has the effect of blocking the flow into 22.

Further, in the conventional structure in which the main pipe is also used as the intake duct, in order to reduce the intake resistance, it was necessary to use a pipe having a large diameter for the length of the intake pipe, but in the present embodiment, the air cleaner main body 9a is used. Intake duct 9c in the nearest space 22
Since the pipe is opened, the pipe length is very short, and since the intake resistance is small due to the short pipe length, the diameter can be made small.

Further, the upper left and right corners 16c of the fuel tank 16 are chamfered, and the gap between this and the tank cover 21 is provided with an air introduction passage.
Since it is set to 22a, a sufficient cross-sectional area is obtained as the intake passage, and the combustion air to the air cleaner body 9b is sucked from the front of the vehicle body through the air introduction passage 22a, and the intake resistance does not increase.

Furthermore, since the air cleaner main body 9b is arranged near the carburetor 21 between the seat 17 and the cushion unit 12a and in a wide space, the supply duct 9a can be short, which also reduces the intake resistance. Since it is located in a wide space, the element can be enlarged to increase the filtration capacity.

It should be noted that in the above-described embodiment, the four-wheeled vehicle having two front wheels and two rear wheels has been described, but the present invention is not limited to the four-wheeled vehicle.
It can also be applied to three-wheeled vehicles with one wheel, one rear wheel, or the opposite one front wheel, two rear wheels, or two-wheeled motorcycles with one front and one rear wheel. What is important is that the vehicle has a fuel tank with a tank cover. It can also be applied to vehicles.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the air cleaner device for a straddle-type vehicle according to the present invention, a substantially hermetic space is formed by the rear wall of the tank cover that continuously covers at least the upper portion of the fuel tank, the rear wall of the fuel tank, and the shield plate. Since it is possible to completely prevent rainwater and the like from entering the space, it is also possible to prevent the water splashed from below from entering, so that rainwater, jumping water, etc. can be prevented from entering the air intake duct opening in the space. There is an effect that it can be surely prevented from entering.

Since the air introduction passage has a long shape in the front-rear direction, rainwater and the like that have entered the passage flow down before reaching the space.
Even if rainwater or the like enters the space, since the opening of the intake duct is positioned near the rear end of the space and above the shielding plate, rainwater or the like can be prevented from entering the intake duct. There is an effect that can be surely prevented.

Further, since the rear side of the opening of the intake duct is covered with the rear wall of the tank cover, even if rainwater or the like enters from between the tank cover and the seat, it can be prevented from entering the intake duct.

In addition, a space is provided between the left and right corners of the upper portion of the fuel tank and the tank cover, that is, because the air introduction passage is formed only by the same member as the constituent member of the space, a special passage is provided separately. There is an effect that the outside air can be surely introduced into the above-mentioned space.

Furthermore, since the space introduction passage is provided at a high place of the left and right corners of the upper surface of the fuel tank, and the intake duct is opened in the lower part of the substantially closed space, the intake duct is made short and The same effect as extending the duct to a high place can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 to 4 are views for explaining an air cleaner device for a saddle-ride type vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a partial sectional side view of an intake duct portion thereof, and FIG. 1
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. 3, FIG. 3 is a plan view of an intake duct portion, and FIG. 4 is a side view of a saddle-ride type vehicle to which the above embodiment is applied. In the figure, 1 is a body frame, 8 is an engine, 9 is an air cleaner device, 9b is an air cleaner body, 9c is an intake duct, 11 and 14 are front wheels and rear wheels, 13 is a rear arm, 15 is a steering wheel, and 16 is a fuel tank. , 16a is the rear wall of the fuel tank, 17
Is a saddle type seat, 21 is a tank cover, 21a is a rear part of the tank cover, and 22 is a space.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An engine is mounted substantially in the center of a vehicle body frame, wheels with wide ultra-low pressure tires are mounted on a front part and a rear part, and a fuel tank and a saddle are arranged above the engine and behind a steering handle in order. In a straddle-type vehicle equipped with a mold sheet, the fuel tank is continuously covered with a tank cover from at least an upper portion to an upper surface of a peripheral side surface of the fuel tank, and a rear wall outer surface of the fuel tank and a rear wall inner surface of the fuel tank cover. The front part of the lower end opening of the enclosed space is closed by a shielding member to form a substantially sealed space, the outer surface of the rear wall of the tank cover is covered with the front part of the seat, and the air cleaner main body is provided below the seat. An air intake duct that extends forwardly and upwardly from the front portion of the upper surface of the air cleaner body is opened near the rear end in the substantially sealed space and upwardly from the shielding member. At the same time, the lower end of the rear wall of the tank cover is extended downward to cover the rear side of the intake duct opening, and a space is provided between the inner surface of the tank cover and the outer surfaces of the left and right corners of the upper surface of the fuel tank. An air cleaner device for a saddle-ride type vehicle, characterized in that an air introduction passage for introducing outside air from the front of the vehicle into the substantially hermetically closed space is formed in a long shape extending in the front-rear direction.