JPH0295996A - Saddle type vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To sink the center of gravity of a motorcycle body while the capacity of a fuel tank is provided amply, by arranging the undersurface of the fuel tank in such a way as close to the body pivoting part of a swing arm immediately thereover and striding over it, and forming a recess to accommodate a damper in the fuel tank. CONSTITUTION:The upper part 32 of a fuel tank 31 has a large width, while the lower part 35 swells to the lower part of a seat 15, with the undersurface 36 arranged close to the pivoting part P of a swing arm 17 with the main frame 3 immediately over it. The tank bottom 35 is arranged eccentrically to the left, and a damper 41 is arranged in a recess formed on the right thereof. This sinks the center of gravity of the motorcycle body while the tank capacity is secured amply. Surrounding the left and right sides of the tank bottom 35, a rear frame 11 in open form is installed to allow the tank bottom rear surface and the rear frame to function directly as fender for the rear wheel 16, and suppression of the car height is accomplished.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a straddle-type vehicle such as a motorcycle, and particularly relates to the arrangement of a fuel tank. [Prior Art] Swing arm that supports a rear wheel In saddle type vehicles such as motorcycles, three-wheelers, and four-wheelers that are pivoted to the lower part of the vehicle body and have a fuel tank in the vehicle body, it is known that the fuel tank is located close to the engine located in the lower part of the vehicle body. (For example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 18568/1983).

[Problem to be solved by the invention] By the way, a swing arm that supports the rear wheel is attached to the rear of the engine at the bottom of the vehicle body, and a shock absorber is disposed between the vehicle body and the swing arm, so the swing arm pivot portion Furthermore, the bottom of the fuel tank could only be lowered, making it impossible to lower the center of gravity any further.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a straddle-type vehicle that can lower the center of gravity of the vehicle while increasing the capacity of its fuel tank.

Additionally, the present invention makes it possible to increase the swing stroke of the swing arm using a single long shock absorber without interfering with the tank, and also allows the tank catcher frame to function as a rear fender, reducing the number of parts. The aim is to make it possible to lower the overall height of the vehicle.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a straddle-type vehicle that is pivotally connected to the lower part of the vehicle body, such as a swing arm that supports the rear wheels, and has a fuel tank in the vehicle body. The lower surface of the swing arm is disposed directly above and close to the pivot point of the swing arm to the vehicle body, and the recess that accommodates the shock absorber, which is disposed straddling the pivot point and is installed between the swing arm and the vehicle body, is connected to the fuel tank. It is characterized by being formed into a tank.

A portion of the fuel tank is located above the shock absorber, which is connected to a stay protruding from the side of the vehicle on the swing arm.

Furthermore, the present invention similarly arranges the lower surface of the fuel tank close to the upper part of the pivot point of the swing arm to the vehicle body, and also includes a rear frame that surrounds both left and right sides of the fuel tank and extends rearward, or has a downwardly open shape. Another feature of the vehicle is that the inner surface of the rear frame and the rear surface of the fuel tank are located close to the movable range of the rear wheel due to the upward swing of the swing arm.

The seat is placed directly on the rear frame.

[Function] By arranging the lower surface of the fuel tank directly above and close to the pivot point of the swing arm of the vehicle body, it is possible to lower the center of gravity of the vehicle while increasing the tank capacity.

In addition, the fuel tank has four parts that accommodate the shock absorbers, which are placed over the pivot joint and installed between the swing arm and the vehicle body, so even if a long shock absorber is used, the tank and It is possible to take a large swing stroke of the swing arm without interference.

Then, by connecting the shock absorber to the stay protruding from the side of the vehicle body on the swing arm, and placing a part of the fuel tank above the shock absorber, the M shock absorber is offset to the side of the vehicle body. At the same time, sufficient space for arranging the shock absorber and its operating range can be ensured.

Similarly, above the swing arm pivot joint, a rear frame is provided that surrounds both left and right sides of the fuel tank, the lower surface of which is placed close to the pivot point, and has a cross section that extends rearward or has a downwardly open shape. Since the rear wheel is located close to the range of movement of the rear wheel due to the upward swing of the swing arm, the rear surface of the fuel tank and the inner surface of the rear frame, which has a downwardly open cross section, function directly as a fender for the rear wheel, and a separate No fenders are required, so the number of parts can be reduced and the overall vehicle height can be lowered.

By placing the seat directly on the rear frame, the seat height can be made even lower.

[Example] Examples will be described below based on the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 1 showing a motorcycle, there is a front wheel 7 that supports a front wheel 6 on a head tube 5 that is fixed between the front ends of a pair of left and right main frames 3.3 that suspend and support an engine 1. The assembled engine 1 includes a cylinder part 2 that is tilted forward on the front part, and the front fork 7 is provided with a handle 8 at the upper part and a front fender 9 at the middle part. The vehicle body is constructed by connecting the rear frame 11 to the rear of the main frame 3.3.
A tandem seat 15 is directly mounted on the rear frame 11.
It has been cW1. Further, a swing arm 1 supporting a rear wheel 16 between the lower part of the main frame 3.3 behind the engine l
It is pivoted to 7. This swing arm 17 is a rear fork.

As shown in FIG. 2, an upper air cleaner 22 is connected to the cylinder portion 2 of the engine 1 via a rear carburetor 21, and a battery 29 is disposed in front of the air cleaner 22. The air cleaner 22 houses a cylindrical element 24 in the front part of the case 23, which can be detached from above.
A carburetor 21 is installed on the rear bottom of the case 23 that bulges downward.
Furthermore, an intake duct 25 that opens rearward is removably integrated into the upper part of the case 23. As shown in FIG. 3, this air cleaner 22 is mounted on the upper surface of the main frame 3, which has a hollow rectangular cross section, with a bulge 26 on the side of the case 23 and a cushion rubber 27 interposed therebetween.

A fuel tank 31 is arranged in the space formed behind the air cleaner 22 and in front of the seat 15, and as shown in FIGS.
It is located two rearward and in front of the seat 15, and is wide as shown in FIG. 4, and is provided with an injection port 33 and a fuel cap 34 on the upper surface. Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the tank lower part 35 bulges out below the seat 15, and the lower surface 36 is disposed close to and directly above the pivot point P of the swing arm 17 relative to the main frame 3, as shown in FIG. ing. As shown in FIG. 4, the tank lower part 35 is disposed offset to the left, and a buffer 41 is disposed in the space of the recess 39 formed on the right side thereof. Here, 18 is a pivot shaft that passes through the front end of the swing arm 17 and is installed between the main frames 3 .

The shock absorber 41 is made up of a hydraulic tamper 42 and a coil spring 43, and as shown in FIGS. It is pivotally connected with a pin 45 to a stay 44 that projects rearward from the cross pipe 4 installed between them. The rear end portion of the shock absorber 41 is pivotally connected by a pin 47 to a stay 46 which is integrally and largely raised on the upper surface of the right fork pipe of the right and left fork pipes 19 and 19 forming the rectangular shape of the swing arm 17.

In the above, the rear frame 11 has left and right side plates 12.1.
2 joined by an upper plate 13, the cross section is downwardly open (downward U-shaped), and is bolted to the rear of the main frame 3.3 so as to cover the lower part of the fuel tank 35 and the shock absorber 41. The side plates 12, 12 are formed in a shape that tapers toward the rear. A cowl member 14 including a tail light unit 14a and a rear fender rear piece 14b is provided at the rear of the rear frame 11. The inner surface of the upper plate 13 of the rear frame 11 and the lower part of the fuel tank 35
The rear surface 36 is formed close to the movable range of the rear wheel 16 due to upward swinging of the swing arm 17, as shown by the imaginary line in FIG.

Note that the rear frame upper plate 13 is formed with a bulge 13a that maintains a clearance with respect to the upper limit position of the rear wheel 16.

By the way, in front of the seat 15, the main frame 3,
A resin cover 51 is provided above the air cleaner 3 and the rear frame 11 to cover the air cleaner 22, the battery 29, and the fuel tank upper part 32.

The lower surface of the cover 51 is open, and a battery 29 is placed and housed in the front part, and a storage box 52 located directly above the air cleaner 22 is formed integrally with the cover 51. The fuel cap 34 is exposed at the rear of the storage box 52, and a lid member 55 that can open and close the box 52 and the cap exposed portion 54 is provided. The lid member 55 is connected to the cover 51 on the left and right sides by a hinge 56, and a lock 57 is provided on the opposite side of the hinge 56 for fixing the lid member 55 to the cover 51. Also storage box 52
The bottom plate 53 is removable as shown. As shown in FIG. 3, a watertight seal 59 that does not appear on the outside is fitted inside the lower edge of the side of the cover 51, and the cover 51 is attached to the upper surface of the main frame 3 via this watertight seal 59.
It is placed on the lower edge of the side. And the air is cover 51
The air flows through passages formed on the left and right sides of the air to an intake tact 25 that opens at the rear of the air cleaner 22.

Since the storage box 52 is provided on the cover 51 in front of the seat 15 in this way, the lid member 55 with the opening 57
It is convenient to be able to open and close the bag to put in and take out luggage while riding. Further, since there is no need to form a storage section below the seat 15 as in the conventional case, the seat height can be lowered, and since the engine is stored above the engine l, which is approximately at the center of the vehicle body, weight change is not a problem. Furthermore, by opening the lid member 55 and removing the bottom plate 53 of the storage box 52, maintenance work on the air cleaner 22 below can be easily performed, that is, the cylindrical element 24 can be removed from the case 23 together with the intake duct 25.

The above motorcycle has a body (main frame 3)
Since the lower surface 36 of the fuel tank 31 is located close to and directly above the pivot point P of the swing arm 17, the center of gravity of the vehicle can be lowered while increasing the tank capacity. Moreover, since the fuel tank 31 is provided with a recess 39 which is placed across the upper part of the swing arm pivot point P and accommodates the shock absorber 41, even if one relatively long shock absorber 41 is used as shown in FIG. , without interfering with tank 31,
The swinging stroke of the swing arm 17 can be increased.

In addition, a shock absorber 41 is connected to a stay 46 protruding from the side of the vehicle body on the swing arm 17, and a tank upper portion 32, which is a part of the fuel tank 31, is disposed above the shock absorber 41. Although the shock absorber 41 is arranged in an offset manner, the arrangement space for the shock absorber 41 and its operating range are sufficiently secured.

Further, there is provided a rear frame 11 with a downwardly open cross section that extends rearward and surrounds both left and right sides of the lower part of the fuel tank 35 (including the shock absorber 41), and the inner surface (upper plate 13) of this rear frame 11 and the lower part of the fuel tank are provided. Since the rear surface 37 of the rear wheel 16 is located close to the movable range of the rear wheel 16 due to the upward swinging of the swing arm 17, the lower rear surface 37 of the fuel tank and the inner upper surface of the carrier frame 11, which has a downwardly open cross section, are located close to the rear wheel 16. As the fender of the machine directly comes to me. This eliminates the need for a separate fender as in the past, and thus reduces the number of parts and reduces the vehicle height of the vehicle as a whole. Furthermore, since the seat 15 is placed directly on the rear frame 11, the height of the seat 15 is even lower.

Although the embodiments have been described based on motorcycles, the present invention can be applied to other straddle-type vehicles such as tricycles and four-wheeled vehicles. Further, although the upper part of the fuel tank is disposed so as to bulge above the shock absorber, a space may be formed above the 1M shock absorber.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, in a straddle-type vehicle such as a motorcycle, the lower surface of the fuel tank is arranged close to the swing arm pivot portion of the vehicle body, in particular, directly above the swing arm pivot portion. The fuel tank has a concave part that accommodates the shock absorber, which is placed across the top of the swing arm and the vehicle body, making it possible to lower the center of gravity of the vehicle while increasing tank capacity. Even if a long shock absorber is used, it will not interfere with the tank and the swing arm can have a large swing stroke.

In this case, if you connect the shock absorber to the stay protruding from the side of the vehicle on the swing arm and place a part of the fuel tank above the shock absorber, you can offset the shock absorber to the side of the vehicle. At the same time, sufficient space for arranging the shock absorber and its operating range can be ensured.

Furthermore, a rear frame having a cross section extending rearward or having a downwardly open shape is provided which surrounds both left and right sides of the fuel tank, the lower surface of which is disposed close to the upper part of the swing arm pivot joint, and the inner surface of the rear frame and the rear surface of the fuel tank. Because it is placed close to the range of movement of the rear wheel due to the upward swing of the swing arm, it can be directly attached to the rear surface of the fuel tank, the inner surface of the rear frame with a downwardly open cross section, or the fender of the rear wheel.
A separate fender is not required, so the number of parts can be reduced and the overall vehicle height can be lowered.

In this case, if the seat is placed directly on the rear frame, the seat height can be made even lower.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is an external side view of a motorcycle as an example of a straddle-type vehicle embodying the present invention, Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view with the main parts of the front part of the vehicle body including the fuel tank cut away, and Fig. 3 is an A half-cut sectional view along the arrow ■-■ line in Figure 1, Figures 4 and 5 are
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow IV-IV line and the arrow v-v line in the figure. In addition, in the drawing, 3 is a main frame, 11 is a rear frame, 15 is a seat, 16 is a rear wheel, 17 is a swing arm,
31 is a fuel tank, 31 is an upper part of the tank, 35 is a lower part of the tank, 36 is a lower surface, 37 is a rear surface, 39 is a recessed part, 41 is a shock absorber, 46 is a stay, and P is a swing arm pivot portion of the vehicle body. Fourth

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In a straddle-type vehicle in which a swing arm supporting a rear wheel is pivotally connected to the lower part of the vehicle body and a fuel tank is provided in the vehicle body, the lower surface of the fuel tank is directly connected to the pivot point of the swing arm to the vehicle body. A straddle-type fuel tank characterized in that a recess is formed in the fuel tank to house a shock absorber which is disposed close to above and straddles above the pivot joint and is installed between the swing arm and the vehicle body. vehicle. 2. The straddle-type vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the shock absorber is connected to a stay protruding from a side of the vehicle body on the swing arm, and a portion of the fuel tank is disposed above the shock absorber. . 3. In a straddle-type vehicle in which the swing arm that supports the rear wheels is pivotally attached to the lower part of the vehicle body and the fuel tank is provided in the vehicle body, the lower surface of the fuel tank is placed close to above the pivot point of the swing arm to the vehicle body. At the same time, a rear frame is provided that surrounds the left and right sides of the fuel tank and extends rearward, and has a downwardly open cross-section. A straddle-type vehicle characterized by being placed close to the range. 4. The straddle-type vehicle according to claim 3, wherein a seat is placed directly on the rear frame.