JP7579216B2 - Saddle-type vehicle equipped with auxiliary brakes - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a saddle-type vehicle equipped with an auxiliary brake in addition to a main brake.

In saddle-type vehicles such as motorcycles, braking of the vehicle is generally performed by wheel brakes such as the front brake and rear brake (for example, see Patent Document 1). In such saddle-type vehicles, the wheel brakes are turned ON when entering a corner, and the vehicle speed is reduced. After that, the wheel brakes are turned OFF, and the cornering is performed.

JP 2003-072665 A

However, in a saddle-type vehicle such as a motorcycle, the behavior of the vehicle body changes when the wheel brake is turned off, i.e., when the brake is released. Specifically, operating the wheel brake can change the center of gravity of the vehicle body and transmit vibrations to the grips held by the rider.

The present invention aims to provide a saddle-type vehicle that can suppress changes in the vehicle body behavior and reduce the reduction in the driver's operating feeling.

To achieve the above object, the saddle-type vehicle of the present invention is equipped with a drive source that drives the wheels, and an auxiliary brake that brakes the vehicle by slowing down the drive source on the output shaft of the drive source. The auxiliary brake is, for example, an electromagnetic brake.

With this configuration, by providing an auxiliary brake on the output shaft of the drive source, the impact on the posture of the vehicle body (rider) can be reduced. This allows for effective brake assistance. Also, because the output shaft is slower than the input shaft, more types of brakes can be applied compared to when an auxiliary brake is provided on the input shaft.

The present invention may further include a power transmission member that transmits power from the drive source to the drive wheels, and an upstream connecting member that is provided on the output shaft of the drive source and connected to the power transmission member, and the auxiliary brake may be provided on the outer side of the upstream connecting member in the vehicle width direction. Here, the power transmission member is, for example, a chain, a belt, etc., and the upstream connecting member is, for example, a sprocket, a pulley, etc. With this configuration, the auxiliary brake can be provided without changing the positional relationship between the upstream connecting member and the drive source. Therefore, the auxiliary brake can be easily applied to existing engines.

The present invention further includes a power transmission member that transmits power from the drive source to the drive wheel, an upstream connecting member that is provided on the output shaft of the drive source and connected to the power transmission member, and an adjacent member that is adjacent to the upstream connecting member and fixed to the drive source, and at least a part of the auxiliary brake may be fastened to the drive source together with the adjacent member. Here, the adjacent member includes a guide member that guides the power transmission member, a cover member that covers the power transmission member and/or the upstream connecting member from the outside, etc. According to this configuration, the auxiliary brake can be fixed to the drive source using a fixing part for fixing the adjacent member to the drive source. Therefore, there is no need to newly provide a fixing part dedicated to the auxiliary brake on the drive source.

The present invention may further include a power transmission member that transmits the power of the drive source to the drive wheels, a body frame that supports the drive source, and a swing arm that supports the drive wheels on the body frame so that they can swing freely. With this configuration, the effect on vehicle behavior when the auxiliary brake is operated can be reduced compared to when an auxiliary brake is provided downstream of the swing arm, i.e., on the drive wheel side.

In the present invention, the drive source may have a drive source body having a drive shaft and a transmission capable of switching the reduction ratio of the drive shaft, and the auxiliary brake may be provided on the output shaft of the transmission. With this configuration, the output shaft of the transmission is decelerated, so braking at high revolutions by the auxiliary brake can be prevented.

In the present invention, the auxiliary brake may perform braking operation at a timing different from the braking command by the driver, based on the vehicle body state. In this case, the auxiliary brake may perform braking operation on the output shaft of the drive source when the vehicle attitude changes or when the vehicle speed becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined value. Furthermore, the auxiliary brake may be switched from an ON state to an OFF state when a predetermined condition is satisfied. With this configuration, the auxiliary brake can be applied only when necessary.

The saddle-type vehicle of the present invention can suppress changes in the vehicle body behavior and suppress a decrease in the driver's operating feeling.

1 is a side view showing a motorcycle, which is a type of saddle-ride type vehicle, according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the engine of the motorcycle. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective cross-sectional view showing a mounting structure for an auxiliary brake of the engine. FIG. 4A to 4C are perspective views showing the mounting structure of the auxiliary brake.

Below, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view showing the front of a motorcycle, which is a type of saddle-ride vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In this specification, "right" and "left" refer to the "right" and "left" seen by a driver riding on the vehicle. Additionally, "front" and "rear" refer to the "front" and "rear" in the direction of travel of the vehicle.

The motorcycle body frame FR of this embodiment has a main frame 1 that forms the front half, and a rear frame 2 that forms the rear half. The main frame 1 extends diagonally rearward and downward from the head pipe 4 at the front end, then curves downward and extends in the vertical direction. The rear frame 2 extends rearward from the rear of the main frame 1.

A steering shaft (not shown) is inserted through the head pipe 4, and a front fork 6 is supported via this steering shaft. A front wheel 8 is supported at the lower end of the front fork 6, and a handlebar 10 is attached to the upper end of the front fork 6. The front fork 6 forms a front suspension that absorbs shocks acting on the front wheel 8.

A swing arm bracket 12 is provided at the rear end of the main frame 1. A swing arm 14 is supported by the swing arm bracket 12 so that it can swing up and down. A rear wheel 16 is attached to the rear end of the swing arm 14. In other words, the swing arm 14 supports the rear wheel 16 so that it can swing freely relative to the vehicle frame FR. A rear suspension (not shown) that absorbs shocks acting on the rear wheel 16 is suspended between the swing arm 14 and the vehicle frame FR.

An engine E, which is a drive source, is disposed below the main frame 1 and in front of the swing arm bracket 12, and is supported by the vehicle body frame FR. The power of the engine E is transmitted to the rear wheel 16 via a power transmission member 18, which drives the rear wheel 16. In other words, in this embodiment, the rear wheel 16 is the drive wheel. In this embodiment, a drive chain is used as the power transmission member 18, but this is not limited thereto, and it may be, for example, a timing belt.

A fuel tank 22 is placed on top of the main frame 1, and a seat 24 on which the operator sits is attached to the rear frame 2. The fuel tank 22 is located directly above the engine E, behind the head pipe 4 and in front of the seat 24.

As shown in FIG. 2, the engine E of this embodiment has a crankcase 28 that rotatably supports the crankshaft 26, and a cylinder 30 that protrudes upward from the crankcase 28. The crankshaft 26 constitutes the drive shaft of the engine E (drive source). In this embodiment, the axis 26a of the crankshaft 26 extends in the vehicle width direction (left-right direction). The crankshaft 26, the crankcase 28, and the cylinder 30 constitute the engine body EB.

The engine E of this embodiment has a transmission 32. The transmission 32 is configured to be able to switch the reduction ratio of the crankshaft 26 (drive shaft). The transmission 32 is disposed behind the crankshaft 26. In this embodiment, the crankcase 28 also serves as the transmission case. The transmission 32 has an input shaft (not shown) to which the rotation of the crankshaft 26 is input, and an output shaft 34 (Fig. 3) that switches the reduction ratio of the input rotation and outputs it. In other words, the output shaft 34 of the transmission 32 constitutes the output shaft of the engine E (drive source). The axis 34a of the output shaft 34 (Fig. 3) extends in the vehicle width direction.

An auxiliary brake 40 is provided on the output shaft of the engine E, i.e., the output shaft 34 of the transmission 32. The auxiliary brake 40 is provided in addition to the main brake, and brakes the vehicle by decelerating the engine E without the driver's operation. As shown in FIG. 3, the auxiliary brake 40 is provided on the outer end (left end) of the output shaft 34 in the vehicle width direction. In detail, the auxiliary brake 40 is provided on the output shaft 34 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the sprocket 35 to which the chain 18 is attached.

The sprocket 35 constitutes the upstream connecting member 35 that is provided on the output shaft 34 of the drive source and connected to the power transmission member 18 (Figure 1). The upstream connecting member 35 is not limited to a sprocket, and may be, for example, a pulley. In this way, by providing the auxiliary brake 40 on the outside in the vehicle width direction, it is possible to effectively utilize the free space on the outside, and it is easy to add the auxiliary brake 40 to an existing engine without changing the conventional structure. In addition, because it is on the outside of the vehicle body, the brake friction plate is easy to cool.

As shown in FIG. 1, the auxiliary brake 40 is covered from the outside by a removable chain cover 38. In other words, the auxiliary brake 40 cannot be seen from the outside. For the sake of explanation, the chain cover 38 has been omitted from FIG. 2.

The auxiliary brake 40 of this embodiment is an electromagnetic brake. In particular, the auxiliary brake 40 of this embodiment is an excitation-activated electromagnetic brake that exerts a braking force when current is applied. However, the auxiliary brake 40 may be a non-excitation-activated electromagnetic brake that exerts a braking force when current is cut off. In addition, the auxiliary brake 40 is not limited to an electromagnetic brake, and may be one that moves the brake friction plate using, for example, a hydraulic actuator, an electric actuator, or the like.

As shown in FIG. 4, the auxiliary brake 40 has a rotor (hub) 42, which is a rotating member, and a stator 44, which is a stationary member. The rotor 42 is cylindrical with an annular flange 42a formed on one end (the inner side in the vehicle width direction). A key groove 46 is formed in the hollow portion of the rotor 42. A key 45 (FIG. 3) formed on the output shaft 34 of the engine E engages with this key groove 46, causing the rotor 42 to rotate integrally with the output shaft 34 of the engine E.

Threaded holes 42b are formed in the flange 42a of the rotor 42. Four threaded holes 42b are provided spaced apart in the circumferential direction. However, the number of threaded holes 42b is not limited to this. An annular lining 48 is attached to the rotor 42 through the threaded holes 42. The lining 48 is a type of friction material. In detail, the lining 48 is abutted against the other end face (the outer surface in the vehicle width direction) of the flange 42a, and a threaded body 50 is tightened into the threaded hole 42b from the outside in the vehicle width direction. This allows the lining 48 to rotate integrally with the rotor 42.

Through holes 42c are formed in the flange 42a of the rotor 42. Four through holes 42c are provided spaced apart in the circumferential direction. However, the number of through holes 42c is not limited to this. In this embodiment, the through holes 42c and the screw holes 42 are alternately formed in the circumferential direction.

An annular brake armature 52 is attached to the rotor 42. The brake armature 52 is a type of magnetic material. The brake armature 52 is attached to the lining 48 by a spring member 54, such as a cylindrical constant-force spring with a flange. In detail, one end 54a (inner part in the vehicle width direction) of the spring member 54 is engaged with the lining 48, and the other end 54b (outer part in the vehicle width direction) of the spring member 54 is engaged with the brake armature 52. This allows the brake armature 52 to rotate integrally with the rotor 42 while being movable in the axial direction AX.

The stator 44 has a cylindrical body 44a and an annular flange 44b formed on the other end side (outside in the vehicle width direction). The inner diameter of the hollow hole 44d of the body 44a of the stator 44 is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion of the rotor 42, and a part of the cylindrical portion of the rotor 42 is inserted into the hollow hole 44d of the stator 44. The rotor 42 and the stator 44 are positioned so that a predetermined axial gap G is formed between the other end face (outer end face) of the brake armature 52 of the rotor 42 and one end face (inner end face) of the body 44a of the stator 44.

A coil 56 is provided on the main body 44a of the stator 44. One end of a cable 58 that supplies electricity to the coil 56 is connected to the main body 44a of the stator 44. The other end of the cable 58 is connected to a power source 59. The supply of electricity to the coil 56 is turned on and off by a control device 60, which will be described later. When a current flows from the cable 58 to the coil 56, the stator 44 functions as an electromagnet.

Through holes 44c are formed in the flange 44b of the stator 44. As shown in FIG. 3, four through holes 44c are provided spaced apart in the circumferential direction. However, the number of through holes 44c is not limited to this. The stator 44 is attached to the engine E using these through holes 44c.

In detail, the stator 44 is attached to the holder 64 using a fastening member 62 inserted into the insertion hole 44c, and the holder 64 is attached to the crankcase 28 of the engine E. The holder 64 has a cylindrical holder body 64a and an attachment portion 64b extending radially from the holder body 64a, and holds the auxiliary brake 40 inside the holder body 64a. In FIG. 3, only one of the four fastening members 62 is shown.

In this embodiment, the holder 64 is fastened together with the chain guide 66 to the boss portion 65 of the crankcase 28. The boss portion 65 is for attaching the chain guide 66, and is also provided on existing engines that do not have an auxiliary brake 40. In this embodiment, the chain guide 66 is fastened to four boss portions 65 provided on the crankcase 28, and the auxiliary brake 40 is fastened together at three of these points.

The chain guide 66 is a guide member that guides the chain 18 (Figure 1) and constitutes an adjacent member that is adjacent to the upstream connecting member (sprocket 35) and fixed to the drive source (engine E). The adjacent member 66 is not limited to the chain guide 66, and may be, for example, a sprocket cover that covers the sprocket 35 from the outside, or a chain cover that covers the chain from the outside, etc.

The support structure of the auxiliary brake 40 will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 5. First, the rotor 42 (Figure 4) of the auxiliary brake 40 shown in Figure 3 is inserted onto the output shaft 34 of the engine E, and the key 45 of the output shaft 34 is engaged with the key groove (Figure 4) of the rotor 42. In this state, the nut member 69 is fastened to the output shaft 34 from the outside in the vehicle width direction. This prevents the rotor 42 from coming loose and connects it to the output shaft 34 so that it cannot rotate relative to it.

As shown in FIG. 5(a), the chain guide 66 is placed on the outer surface of the crankcase 28, and a fastening member 68 such as a bolt is inserted into the insertion hole 66a provided in the chain guide 66 from the outside in the vehicle width direction, and then fastened to the threaded hole 65a (FIG. 3) of the boss portion 65. At this time, the fastening member 68 is inserted into only one of the four insertion holes 66a (the lowest in FIG. 5(a)), which is not used for co-fastening with the auxiliary brake 40. This temporarily fastens the chain guide 66 to the crankcase 28. The rotor 42 is attached to the output shaft 34, but is omitted in FIGS. 5(a) to (c).

Next, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the holder 64 is placed on the outer surface of the chain guide 66, and the holder 64 and the chain guide 66 are fastened together to the crankcase 28 with a fastening member 70 such as a bolt. Specifically, the fastening member 70 is inserted from the outside in the vehicle width direction through the insertion hole 64c provided in the mounting portion 64b of the holder 64 and the insertion hole 66a (FIG. 5(a)) of the chain guide 66, in that order, and is fastened to the screw hole 65a (FIG. 3) of the boss portion 65. As shown in the figure, four screw holes 64d corresponding to the insertion holes 44c (FIG. 4) of the stator 44 are formed in the other end surface (the outer end surface in the vehicle width direction) of the holder body 64.

The stator 44 of the auxiliary brake 40 in FIG. 4 is then attached to the holder body 64 of the holder 64, and as shown in FIG. 5(c), the holder 64 and the stator 44 are fastened together by a fastening member 72 such as a bolt. Specifically, the fastening member 72 is inserted into the insertion hole 44c of the stator 44 from the outside in the vehicle width direction and is tightened into the screw hole 64d of the holder body 64. At this time, a shim (not shown) is interposed between the flange 44b of the stator 44 and the holder body 64 of the holder 64, and the rotor 42 and the stator 44 are positioned so that a predetermined axial gap G (FIG. 4) is formed between them.

Next, the operation of the auxiliary brake 40 will be explained using FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows the state in which the power supply 59 is OFF (non-braking state). When the power supply 59 is turned ON, a current flows through the coil 56 via the cable 58. This causes the stator 44 to function as an electromagnet. The magnetic force of the stator 44 attracts the brake armature 52 toward the stator 44.

At this time, the action of the spring member 54 causes the brake armature 52 to move toward the stator by the amount of the axial gap G, and the magnetic force causes the brake armature 52 to come into close contact with the stator 44. As a result, a frictional force is generated by the lining 48 (friction material) connected to the brake armature 52 via the spring member 54, resulting in a braking state. When the power is turned off, the magnetic force disappears, and the brake armature 52 returns to its original position due to the restoring force of the spring member 54, and the auxiliary brake 40 enters a released state (non-braking state).

Next, the timing of operation (ON/OFF) of the auxiliary brake 40 will be described. The auxiliary brake 40 performs braking operation (ON operation) at a timing different from the braking command from the driver, based on the state of the vehicle body. The state of the vehicle body is, for example, when the vehicle attitude changes, or when the vehicle speed falls below a predetermined value. An example of a change in vehicle attitude is when the vehicle enters a corner. These determinations are made by various sensors attached to the vehicle body. For example, a change in vehicle attitude can be detected by a bank angle sensor or a suspension stroke sensor. Vehicle speed falling below a predetermined value can be detected by a vehicle speed sensor.

For example, the auxiliary brake 40 may be turned ON when the stroke sensor detects that the front suspension has been significantly extended. The auxiliary brake 40 may also be turned ON when the stroke sensor detects that the rear suspension has been significantly compressed. In addition, the auxiliary brake 40 may be turned ON when the vehicle speed falls below a predetermined value or when the engine speed falls below a predetermined value. Alternatively, the auxiliary brake 40 may be turned ON when the bank angle sensor detects that the vehicle body has been significantly tilted. These are merely examples, and the timing of operation (ON/OFF) of the auxiliary brake 40 is not limited to these.

Furthermore, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the auxiliary brake 40 is switched from the ON state to the OFF state. For example, when the auxiliary brake 40 has been in the ON state for a predetermined time, the auxiliary brake 40 is turned OFF.

The auxiliary brake 40 is turned on and off by the control device 60. In other words, the vehicle's condition (signals from various sensors) are input to the control device 60, and the power source 59 is turned on and off by signals from the control device 60.

The control device 60 is composed of, for example, a program and a processing device that executes the program. The control device 60 may be included in the engine E or the vehicle's electronic control unit (ECU), or may be provided as a dedicated device.

When the brake on the front wheel 8 in Figure 1 is turned on and off, the front suspension (front fork 6) expands and contracts significantly, which can change the center of gravity of the vehicle body and transmit grip vibrations from the handlebars 10. Also, when the brake on the rear wheel 16 is turned on and off, the swing arm 14 and the rear suspension (not shown) suspended from it expand and contract significantly, which can change the center of gravity of the vehicle body.

According to the above configuration, the auxiliary brake 40 is provided on the output shaft 34 of the engine E shown in FIG. 3, so that the impact on the posture of the vehicle body (rider) can be reduced. In this way, compared to a case where a brake is provided closer to the wheels 8, 16 than the front fork 6 or swing arm 14, the impact on the front fork 6 or swing arm 14 when the brake is operated is smaller, and the impact on the vehicle body behavior when the auxiliary brake 40 is operated can be suppressed. This makes it possible to suppress a decrease in the driver's operating feeling, and to realize effective brake assistance. In addition, since the output shaft 34 is reduced in speed compared to the input shaft (not shown) of the reduction gear 32, braking at high revolutions by the auxiliary brake 40 can be prevented, so that a larger number of brake types can be applied compared to a case where the auxiliary brake 40 is provided on the input shaft.

The auxiliary brake 40 is provided on the output shaft 34 on the outer side of the sprocket 35 in the vehicle width direction. This allows the auxiliary brake 40 to be provided without changing the positional relationship between the sprocket 35 and the crankcase 28. Therefore, the auxiliary brake 40 can be easily applied to an existing engine E.

Furthermore, the auxiliary brake 40 is fastened to the engine E together with the chain guide 66. In this way, the auxiliary brake 40 can be fixed to the engine E by utilizing the existing boss portion 65 for fixing the chain guide 66 to the engine E. Therefore, there is no need to provide a new fixing portion dedicated to the auxiliary brake to the drive source, and the auxiliary brake 40 can be easily applied to an existing engine E.

The auxiliary brake 40 shown in FIG. 4 applies braking at a timing different from the driver's braking command, based on the vehicle body state. In detail, when the vehicle's posture changes or the vehicle speed drops below a predetermined value, the auxiliary brake 40 applies braking to the output shaft 34 of the engine E. Furthermore, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the auxiliary brake 40 is switched from the ON state to the OFF state. This allows the auxiliary brake 40 to be applied only when necessary.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various additions, modifications, or deletions are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, a motorcycle was described, but the present invention can also be applied to saddle-type vehicles other than motorcycles, such as three-wheeled vehicles and four-wheeled buggies. Therefore, such vehicles are also included in the scope of the present invention.

14 Swing arm 16 Rear wheel (drive wheel)
18 Drive chain (power transmission member)
32 Transmission 34 Transmission output shaft (output shaft of drive source)
35 Sprocket (upstream connecting member)
40 Auxiliary brake (electromagnetic brake)
60 Control device 66 Chain guide (adjacent member)
E Engine (power source)
EB Engine body (power source body)
FR Body frame

Claims (9)

A drive source that drives the wheels;
a power transmission member formed of a drive chain or a timing belt for transmitting power from the drive source to a drive wheel;
an auxiliary brake provided on an output shaft of the drive source and configured to brake the vehicle by decelerating the drive source;
an upstream connecting member provided on an output shaft of the drive source and around which the power transmission member is hung;
The auxiliary brake of the saddle-type vehicle is an electromagnetic brake . 2. The saddle-ride type vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary brake is provided outboard of the upstream connecting member in a vehicle width direction. 3. The saddle-ride type vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the auxiliary brake is disposed relative to the drive source so as to sandwich the upstream connecting member. A drive source that drives the wheels;
an auxiliary brake connected to an output shaft of the drive source, the auxiliary brake decelerating the drive source to brake the vehicle;
a power transmission member that transmits power from the drive source to a drive wheel;
an upstream connecting member provided on an output shaft of the driving source and connected to the power transmission member;
an adjacent member adjacent to the upstream connection member and fixed to the drive source,
At least a portion of the auxiliary brake is fastened to the drive source together with the adjacent member. The saddle type vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , further comprising:
a vehicle body frame supporting the drive source;
a swing arm that swingably supports the drive wheel on the body frame ,
A saddle-type vehicle , wherein the auxiliary brake is disposed forward of the swing arm . 6. The saddle-ride type vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary brake has a cylindrical rotor which is a rotating member that rotates integrally with the output shaft of the drive source, and a cylindrical stator which is a stationary member,
A saddle-type vehicle in which a portion of the cylindrical rotor is inserted into a hollow hole of the cylindrical stator. 7. The saddle-ride type vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the drive source includes a drive source body having a drive shaft and a transmission capable of changing a reduction ratio of the drive shaft,
A saddle-type vehicle in which the auxiliary brake is provided on an output shaft of the transmission. A drive source that drives the wheels;
an auxiliary brake connected to an output shaft of the drive source, the auxiliary brake decelerating the drive source to brake the vehicle;
A control device for controlling the auxiliary brake,
The auxiliary brake performs braking operation at a timing different from a braking command by a driver based on a vehicle body state,
The control device of the saddle-type vehicle brakes the output shaft of the drive source by the auxiliary brake when the posture of the vehicle changes . A saddle-type vehicle as described in claim 8, in which the control device switches the auxiliary brake from an ON state to an OFF state when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

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