JP2598390B2 - Air cleaner - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an air cleaner for purifying intake air such as a vehicle engine.

(Prior art) In an air cleaner, an inlet and an outlet are opened in a case, a filter housed in the case is covered on the outlet, and air sucked in from the inlet is transmitted through the filter from the outside to be led out from the outlet. There is. In this case, the arrangement of the inlet and the outlet is selected at various positions depending on the relationship with other parts on the case layout, and there are many examples in which the inlet is disposed at the top of the case and the outlet and the filter are disposed at the bottom of the case. For example, many air cleaners for motorcycle engines which have an air cleaner laid out above the engine have the above-described configuration.

As described above, in the air cleaner in which the inlet is located at the upper part of the case and the filter is located at the lower part of the lower part of the case, when rainwater or the like intrudes from the inlet, it is unavoidable that the filter is directly applied to the filter. If the filter gets wet, not only does its function deteriorate significantly, but also in the case of an engine, there is a problem that water enters the carburetor and the crankcase, leading to poor running or inability to run.

Conventionally, in order to prevent water leakage from the filter, there is a device provided with a waterproof device for preventing water from entering the inlet outside of the case. When it is difficult to avoid inundation on many rough terrain vehicles, etc.
Another problem arises, which is the resistance to air inhalation. In some cases, a guide passage is provided so as to prevent intruded water from entering the filter, and the case is drained. However, there still remains a problem that the suction efficiency is impaired.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention does not reduce the inflow resistance of intake air, and allows air to be efficiently filtered by sufficiently using a transmission area of a filter. Providing an air cleaner that protects the filter from water that has entered through the inlet, effectively removes moisture and foreign substances contained in the belt cooling air, and forms a belt cooling air passage that is independent of the engine intake air passage. With the goal.

[Configuration of the invention]

(Means for Solving the Problems) An air cleaner according to the present invention supports a front end portion of a unit swing type engine on a vehicle body, provides an air cleaner case above the engine, and accommodates a filter in a lower portion of the air cleaner case. In an air cleaner having a drain hole at the bottom of the case, an inlet for intake air and an air intake for belt cooling are respectively opened at the upper part of the air cleaner case, and the air is introduced into the air cleaner case from the inlet and the air intake to the outside of the filter. A cylindrical passage hanging downward is formed separately and independently by a partition plate, and the lower half of the cylindrical passage communicating with the inlet is opened in the air cleaner case while leaving at least the inlet opening width of the filter side passage inner wall. On the other hand, the cylindrical passage of the belt cooling air is The belt cooling air that hangs down from the bottom surface of the case of the air cleaner case, passes through a passage formed by the bottom surface of the case, and opens at a high position on the bottom surface of the case where the air cleaner case is inclined at different circumferential positions. The belt cooling air outlet communicates with the outlet through a suction hose into the engine swing case.

(Operation) In the air cleaner of the present invention having the above-described structure, the air sucked from the inlet is guided downward through the passage, and the lower half of the passage is opened into the air cleaner case leaving the filter-side passage inner wall. Diffuses laterally through
It travels to the outer circumference of the filter, transmits from the entire circumference of the filter,
Derived from outlet. Therefore, the resistance is low and the efficiency of inhalation is high. On the other hand, the water that has entered through the inlet is guided downward at the top of the passage, falls directly or flows down along the inner wall, and falls to the lower bottom through the outside of the filter.
Do not wet the filter.

In addition, the cylindrical passage introduced into the case from the belt cooling air intake opening at the top of the air cleaner case is configured to hang down independently of the cylindrical passage for intake air, while the belt cooling air is The cylindrical passage hangs down toward the lower surface of the case of the air cleaner case, and opens through a passage formed by the lower surface of the case to a high position on the lower surface of the inclined case of the air cleaner case at a different circumferential position. Since the belt cooling air is communicated with the belt cooling air outlet, moisture and foreign substances are effectively removed while the belt cooling air is being guided from the cylindrical passage to the air outlet, so that water in the belt chamber is prevented, and The removed belt cooling air is smoothly guided into the swing case. At this time, the belt cooling air passage is formed almost independently of the intake air passage in the air cleaner case, so that the influence of the intake air pulsation is small and the belt is guided smoothly.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Air cleaner case 1 consists of upper half case 1a and lower half case
Combined with 1b. The upper case 1a has an inlet 2 at the top, and the lower case 1b has an outlet 3 at the bottom.
Opens. A filter mounting bracket 4 is integrally erected from an upper end edge of the opening of the outlet 3, and a holder 5 is superimposed on the filter mounting bracket 4, and a container-like filter 6 is laid down. Reference numeral 7 denotes a fixing screw of the filter 6. The air sucked from the inlet 2 permeates into the inner space from around the filter 6, is purified, and is derived from the outlet 3.

This air cleaner case 1 is, as shown in FIG.
Fuel tank 8 straddling the upper front part of the vehicle for all-terrain vehicles
And supplies air to an engine 9 mounted at the lower center of the vehicle body. The engine 9 supports a rear wheel 12 at a rear end of a swing case 11 connected rearward from a crankcase 10, and has a front end portion pivotally supported by a vehicle body by a pivot shaft 13 and a unit swing suspended by a shock absorber unit 14. It is an expression. A belt-type transmission device is housed in the swing case 11. The outlet 3 is a flexible joint
It is connected to the carburetor 16 via 15. Engine 9
Is a forced air cooling type, and supplies cooling air into the cowling 17 around the cylinder by a blowing fan (not shown). Reference numeral 18 denotes the suction hose, and 19 denotes the exhaust pipe. A suction hose 20 for belt cooling air is introduced into the swing case 11.

Next, a cylindrical passage 22 protrudes from an upper surface 21 of the upper half case 1a of the case 1 at a front edge thereof (in a traveling direction of the vehicle when mounted on the vehicle), and the inlet 2 is opened at an upper rear portion thereof. I do. The cylindrical passage 22 is extended into the upper half case 1a, and the lower half 22a of the passage penetrating into the upper half case 1a lacks one side wall, and the rear inner wall 23 hangs down at the same width as the inlet 2. However, the lower end is set so as to be located outside the filter 6. Ring-shaped lower bottom 24 around outlet 3
Is inclined to one side, and a drain hole 25 is opened at the bottom.
A drain tube 26 is connected to the drain hole 25 and is led to the other.

Note that, on the upper surface 21 of the upper half case 1a, side plates 27 are provided on both sides, and a rear plate 27a connecting the rear ends thereof is provided with a cylinder cooling air suction port 28, and the front end of the suction hose 18 is connected thereto. . A belt cooling air inlet 30 and a passage separated by a partition 31 adjacent to the inlet 2 and the passages 22 and 22a.
32 are provided. The passage 32 communicates with a belt cooling air outlet 35 that opens to the lower bottom surface 24 through a passage 34 defined in the lower half case 1b by a partition 33 in a fan shape. The upper end of the suction hose 20 is connected to the belt cooling air outlet 35. Further, a thin tongue 29 extends upward from the front upper edge of the inlet 2 and the belt cooling air inlet 30.

With the above-described configuration, the air introduced from the inlet 2 descends through the passage 22, passes through the cutout portion of the passage side wall in the passage 22 a, flows out to the side, and travels to the upper surface and the outer peripheral surface of the filter 6. From the filter 6 to the inner space using the entire surface of the filter 6 to be purified. The purified air is sent from the outlet 3 to the carburetor 16 via the joint 15. For this reason, the air permeation amount per unit area of the filter 6 is small, the flow resistance is minimized, and the intake efficiency of the engine is increased.

On the other hand, when water may enter from the inlet 2,
The passage 22a is directed downward through the passage 22.
, And is guided by the inner wall 23 and falls to the lower bottom surface 24 through the outside of the filter 6. The fallen water is collected in the drain hole 25 and immediately drained. Thus, even if water enters from the inlet 2, the filter 6 does not wet the filter 6, so that the suction efficiency is reduced due to clogging of the filter 6 with water, and the carburetor 16 and the crankcase 10
Prevent engine trouble caused by flooding.

Similarly, the water which has entered through the bell and the cooling air inlet 30 descends through the passage 32 independent of the cylindrical passage 22 toward the bottom surface 24 of the air cleaner case 1 as shown in FIG. The case 1b is guided to the fan-shaped passage 34 formed by the case lower bottom surface 24, and the intruding water is guided through the fan-shaped passage 34 to the belt cooling air outlet 35 opening at a high position of the case lower bottom surface 24 inclined. Is separated from the air on the way.
The separated water forms a ring-shaped case lower bottom surface that is inclined through a gap δ formed between the partition plate 33 and the inner peripheral wall of the lower half case 1b.
It flows down along 24 and is collected and drained in a drain hole 25 that opens at the bottom.

On the other hand, a cylindrical passage 32 hanging from the belt cooling air inlet 30 toward the case bottom surface 24 of the air cleaner case 1.
The circumferential position of the air cleaner case 1 is different from that of the belt cooling air outlet 35 which is opened at a height of the inclined lower case bottom surface of the air cleaner case 1.
Because it communicates via a fan-shaped passage 34 formed inside,
Moisture is separated and removed from the air while passing through the fan-shaped passage 34, and the air from which the moisture has been removed is guided to the belt chamber in the swing case 11 via the suction hose 20 to reliably prevent water from entering the belt chamber. Can be. At this time, the cylindrical passage 32 and the fan-shaped passage 34 are constituted almost independently by the partition plate 33 and the like. The belt cooling air passage locally communicates with the intake air passage from the inlet 2 to the outlet 3 in the air cleaner case 1 through a gap δ formed in the partition plate 33 and the inner peripheral wall of the lower half case 1b. Since the area of the gap δ is very small, the belt cooling air passage is formed almost independently by the partition plate 33 and the like in the air cleaner case 1, and the adverse effect of the intake air pulsation is small and hardly affected.

Further, in the air cleaner case 1 shown in this embodiment, the inlet 2 and the belt cooling air inlet 30 are opened on the rear surface in the traveling direction, and the tongue piece 29 on the front upper edge thereof elastically contacts the bottom surface of the fuel tank 8. In addition, the side wall 27 prevents aggression of rainwater and splashed muddy water during driving, prevents tree waves and pieces of paper from being sucked into the engine cooling air, and pipes various hoses. It has multiple functions such as useful for

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, in the air cleaner according to the present invention, in which the inlet is opened at the upper part of the case and the filter is mounted at the lower part of the case, the water penetrating from the inlet wets the filter without impairing the suction efficiency. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the inconvenience of deteriorating the function of the vehicle, and to dispose the air cleaner in an exposed state, and to use the air cleaner for an engine air cleaner of a vehicle for traveling on uneven terrain such as a muddy road, and has a high effect.

In addition, the cylindrical passage introduced into the case from the belt cooling air intake opening at the top of the air cleaner case is configured to hang down independently of the cylindrical passage for intake air, while the belt cooling air is The cylindrical passage hangs down toward the lower surface of the case of the air cleaner case, passes through the passage formed by the lower surface of the case, and opens at a high position on the lower surface of the inclined case of the air cleaner case at different circumferential positions. Since the belt cooling air is communicated with the cooling air outlet, moisture and foreign substances are effectively removed while the belt cooling air is guided from the cylindrical passage to the air outlet, preventing water from entering the belt chamber and removing moisture. The cooled belt cooling air is smoothly guided into the swing case. At this time, the belt cooling air passage is formed almost independently of the intake air passage in the air cleaner case, so that the influence of the intake air pulsation is small and the belt is guided smoothly.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional side view of an air cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention, taken along the line AA of FIG. 3, FIG.
3 is a plan view of the same, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional plan view of FIG. 1 taken along the line BB, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional plan view of FIG.
FIG. 1 is a plan view of the lower half case as viewed in the direction of the arrow D-D in FIG. 1, and FIG. 7 is a side view of an all-terrain vehicle exemplifying arrangement in the vehicle. 1 ... air cleaner case, 2 ... inlet, 3 ...
Outlet, 6 ... Filter, 22, 22a ... Passage, 23 ...
… Passage inner wall, 24… bottom case bottom, 25… drain hole.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An air cleaner having a front end portion of a unit swing type engine supported on a vehicle body, an air cleaner case provided above the engine, a filter housed in a lower portion of the air cleaner case, and a drain hole opened in a lower bottom portion of the case. An inlet for intake air and an air inlet for belt cooling are respectively opened in the upper portion of the air cleaner case, and a cylindrical passage introduced from the inlet and the air inlet into the air cleaner case and hanging down to the outside of the filter is provided. The lower half of the cylindrical passage communicating with the inlet is opened in the air cleaner case while leaving at least the inlet opening width of the filter-side passage, while the cylindrical shape of the belt cooling air is formed. Passageways hang down toward the bottom of the air cleaner case. Then, through a passage formed at the lower surface of the case, it passes through a belt cooling air outlet opening at a high position on the inclined lower surface of the air cleaner case at a different circumferential position, and this belt cooling air outlet is An air cleaner characterized in that it communicates with the inside of an engine swing case via a suction hose.