WO2015152841A1

WO2015152841A1 - Reserve tank mounting structure for a scooter

Info

Publication number: WO2015152841A1
Application number: PCT/TH2014/000035
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ryosuke Sato; Nabhayatra PRATUANGMAN; Sakron LIMPANACHAIPONDGOON; Karoon Champati; Julapong SUPOL
Original assignee: Honda Motor Company Limited
Priority date: 2014-03-31
Filing date: 2014-07-18
Publication date: 2015-10-08
Also published as: PH12016501915A1; JP6336616B2; JP2017509537A; WO2015152841A8

Abstract

A radiator reserve tank mounting structure for a unit swing engine scooter includes a rear inner fender having a frontal portion over a frontal spherical portion of a rear tire; and a reserve tank mounted at upper left and lower right mounting points to this frontal portion, near the center of the scooter's body. A back reserve tank surface is arc-shape matched to the rear inner fender frontal portion. A cover means is mounted to the rear inner fender, and the reserve tank's cap, nozzle, initial flowing passage, and main body entirely reside in a space between the cover means and the rear inner fender. The cover means includes a monitoring window for monitoring a reserve tank coolant level indicator. An outer designed rear inner fender surface and an outer designed upper cover means surface include matching designed shapes. A radiator cover overlaps the cover means from a side view.

Description

RESERVE TANK MOUNTING STRUCTURE FOR A SCOOTER

TECHNICAL FIELD

Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to an improved mounting structure for a radiator reserve tank that is centrally mounted on a rear inner fender of a unit swing engine scooter.

BACKGROUND ART

For scooters having water-cooled engines, various layouts have been proposed to provide a predetermined amount of spatial volume in which the engine cooling components such as a radiator and a corresponding radiator reserve tank can be conveniently positioned on the scooter. Laid open Japanese Patent Publication No. JP2013-103559 discloses a scooter 10 having a radiator 80 mounted on an engine crank case 42 on one side of the scooter 10; and a reserve tank 130 mounted on a swing arm 94 and the engine crank case 172,173, and further mounted on one side of a rear inner fender 100. The reserve tank 130 and the radiator 80 are disposed on the same side of the scooter 10, and the reserve tank 80 resides within the overall width of the scooter body. The rear inner fender 100 has a sidewardly projecting hanging component 107 integrally formed therewith for hanging the reserve tank 130 on the side of the rear inner fender 100.

DISCLOSURE / DESCRIPTION

Technical Problem

The prior art discloses a reserve tank that is positioned at the swing arm, accordingly this reserve tank positioning provides a clear view of the reserve tank from a rear-side view, the lateral disposition of the reserve tank on the scooter, along with the sidewardly projecting portion of rear inner fender that covers the reserve tank, results in an extended width of the scooter body. Consequently, the design of inner fender is not so elegant or beautiful and the lateral dimension of the scooter has little probability to be what is desired. Furthermore, if the distance between the unit swing pivot and the reserve tank is long, the upward movement of reserve tank is bigger even though the rotation angle of the unit swing engine is same. For avoiding the contact to any cover members which are mounted above the reserve tank, there are only two options to resolving this problem, namely, make the upper cover member wider or shorter relative to the reserve tanks' up- down direction. In addition, the sidewardly projecting portion of the rear inner fender does not cover the reserve tank nozzle or cap, adversely affecting the scooter's aesthetic design. Moreover, the nozzle and cap of the reserve tank are directly exposed to the outside environment, resulting in dirt accumulation thereon. A dirty nozzle and/or cap causes a user's hands to become unnecessarily dirtied during maintenance operations.

It is therefore desirable to provide a reserve tank mounting structure for a scooter that results in a slimmer scooter width, improved scooter aesthetics, less upward movement of the reserve tank, and enhancement of reserve tank nozzle and cap cleanliness.

Technical Solution

This invention according to claim 1 is a reserve tank mounting structure for a unit swing engine scooter having a scooter body, said reserve tank mounting structure comprising: a radiator being integrally mounted to a water-cooled engine of the unit swing engine scooter; a rear inner fender being integrally mounted to the water-cooled engine, wherein said rear inner fender is arranged at a frontal spherical portion of a rear tire of the unit swing engine scooter; and a reserve tank in fluid communication with the water-cooled engine, wherein said reserve tank is connected to said radiator for storing reserve coolant for the water-cooled engine, characterized in that: said reserve tank is arranged close to a center position of the scooter body and at a frontal portion of said rear inner fender.

This invention according to claim 2 has, in the reserve tank mounting structure of claim 1 , a characteristic in that the frontal portion of said rear inner fender includes a mounting portion for installing said reserve tank.

This invention according to claim 3 has, in the reserve tank mounting structure of claim 1, a characteristic in that a reserve tank cover means is positioned at an upper-front portion of said rear inner fender for covering both sides, an upper part, and a frontal part of said reserve tank, wherein said cover means further covers a mounting portion of said reserve tank, and said reserve tank is mounted at a space between said cover means and said rear inner fender. This invention according to claim 4 has, in the reserve tank mounting structure of claim 3, a characteristic in that said cover means is connected to said rear inner fender by a bolt at a side of a frontal portion of said cover means, and said cover means is engaged by a hooked portion to said rear inner fender at an upper-back side portion of a mounting portion of said rear inner fender.

This invention according to claim 5 has, in the reserve tank mounting structure of claim 4, a characteristic in that said cover means includes a monitoring window for monitoring a coolant level indicator which is located on the body of said reserve tank, and said monitoring window is formed on the same side of the cover means as the mounting point of said bolt, and at a side surface of the frontal portion of said cover means.

This invention according to claim 6 has, in the reserve tank mounting structure of claim 4, a characteristic in that said mounting portion of said bolt at the side of the frontal portion of said cover means and a cover of said radiator are designed to overlap, wherein the cover of said radiator is a cover member for said radiator from a side view.

This invention according to claim 7 has, in the reserve tank mounting structure of claim 1 , a characteristic in that said reserve tank includes two mounting points at an upper-left portion and a lower-right portion from a front view, and wherein a diagonal line connecting the two mounting points passes through a center line of the scooter body from the front view.

This invention according to claim 8 has, in the reserve tank mounting structure of claim 3, a characteristic in that an outer designed surface of said rear inner fender and an outer designed upper surface of said cover means comprise matching designed shapes where the outer designed surface of said rear inner fender connects with the upper surface of said cover means. This invention according to claim 9 has, in the reserve tank mounting structure of claim 1, a characteristic in that said rear inner fender comprises: a fender portion covering an outer spherical portion of a scooter rear tire; and an extending portion projecting forwardly from said fender portion to said frontal portion of said reserve tank in a substantially flat arrangement to substantially cover the engine crankcase, and the fiat arrangement of said extended portion covers almost the width of said engine crankcase at an equal inner-width of said engine crankcase, wherein said extending portion includes clamp portions for clamping at least an electrical harness or a hose from a top view.

This invention according to claim 10 has, in the reserve tank mounting structure of claim 7, a characteristic in that a back surface of said reserve tank is formed to arc-shape match a reserve tank supporting portion of said rear inner fender.

Advantageous Effects

According to the invention disclosed in Claim 1, due to the reserve tank arrangement close to the center position of the scooter body and in front of the rear tire, the reserve tank does not present itself as a prominent structural feature as observed from the side view of the scooter body, thereby enhancing the aesthetic appearance of the scooter body's external design. In addition, the distance between the engine pivot and the reserve tank is shorter or significantly shorter than when the installation of the reserve tank is at the side of the swing arm, resulting in decreased up-down movement of the reserve tank from unit swing engine pivot motion. The reserve tank will correspondingly not affect the upper body cover members of the scooter.

According to the invention disclosed in Claim 2, the reserve tank is installed at the rear inner fender only, thus enabling it to be made as a sub-assembly to enhance the efficiency of a scooter assembly process. In addition, the rear inner fender is formed or casted by plastic injection, where the casting of the installing structure such as a boss is easily made, resulting in a simple structure for enhancing the scooter assembly process.

According to the invention disclosed in Claim 3, because the reserve tank is covered by the cover means, the external design of the scooter has an enhanced aesthetic appearance and the reserve tank is protected from ingress of water. The reserve tank's nozzle and cap remain covered by the cover means, and are protected from accumulation of dirt or debris. Thus, a user's hands will not be dirtied during scooter maintenance operations, such as filling coolant into the reserve tank.

According to the invention disclosed in Claim 4, the cover means is engaged at the upper side of the rear inner fender by a hooked portion, and connected to the rear inner fender by a bolt at its side (left side from front view), resulting in easier and faster scooter assembly because of a reduction in mounting points. The external design of the scooter is also more aesthetic in appearance as a result. According to the invention disclosed in Claim 5, the coolant level indicator of the reserve tank can be observed through the monitoring window of the cover means, which assists in verifying the accuracy of reserve tank and cover means installation when the cover means is assembled by the bolt because the monitoring window and the mounting point of the bolt are on same side. The level of coolant contained in the reserve tank can be monitored through the monitoring window during maintenance operations.

According to the invention disclosed in Claim 6, the mounting portion of the bolt for mounting the cover means to the rear inner fender is hidden from a side view. The mounting portion further matches with the hooked portion at an upper-back side of the rear inner fender, making the external design of the scooter more aesthetic.

According to the invention disclosed in Claim 7, the two mounting points at the upper left and lower right directions support the reserve tank body, thereby enabling the assembly to have a high stiffness, and eliminating additional mounting or supporting components. In addition, the mounting points are distributed on the left and right sides of the scooter body, resulting in an efficient distribution of lean forces upon the reserve tank from left and right directions and effectively supporting such lean forces of scooters by this mounting arrangement. According to the invention disclosed in Claim 8, the designed shape of the rear inner fender outer surface matches the upper surface of the cover means, providing the appearance that the rear inner fender and the cover means form a single component. This arrangement enhances the attractiveness of the scooter's design, and further renders the reserve tank unnoticeable inside the cover means.

According to the invention disclosed in Claim 9, because the rear inner fender has an extending portion projecting forwardly as a width wise-horizontal cover above the engine crank case and beneath the reserve tank, it is easier to recall or retrieve a dropped bolt or screw. In addition, the clamp portions aid establishment and maintenance of the position of an electrical harness retained thereby, and further prevent the electrical harness, hoses, and/or cables from being entangled or crushed.

According to the invention disclosed in Claim 10, the reserve tank is not only supported by the mounting bolts fixed at the upper left and lower right directions, but a portion of the reserve tank's rear surface is arc-shape matched with a supporting portion of the rear inner fender to further enhance reserve tank support and minimize the space of the reserve tank because of arc-shaped capacity.

Brief Description of the Drawings

FIG. 1 A is a right side view of a representative rear portion of a unit swing engine scooter showing a reserve tank mounting structure in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. IB is a right side view of the scooter of FIG. 1 A.

FIG. 1C is a right side view of the scooter of FIG. 1 A - IB.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the reserve tank cover means, the reserve tank, and the rear inner relative to particular mounting portions, structures, or elements in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the cover means mounted to the rear inner fender in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along line AA of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along line BB of FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a right side view showing a monitoring window located on the cover means, and a coolant level indicator located on the body of the reserve tank in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a front view showing the position of two mounting points of the reserve tank in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a rear inner fender outer designed surface and a cover means upper designed surface in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a top view showing a substantially flat arrangement on a forwardly projecting rear inner fender extending portion in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a top view showing the arrangement of the reserve tank relative to other elements of the unit swing engine scooter in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11A is a cross-sectional view along line CC of FIG. 7.

FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view along line DD of FIG. 7, without a connecting hose that connects the reserve tank to a radiator.

FIG. 11C is a cross-sectional view along line EE of FIG. 7.

FIG. 1 ID is a cross-sectional view along line FF of FIG. 7. Detailed Description of Example Embodiments

FIGs. 1A - 1C show a right side view of representative rear portions of a unit swing engine scooter 10 (hereafter referred to as "scooter"), which includes a reserve tank mounting structure in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The scooter 10 includes an underlying structural frame that supports a seat 2 on which a rider and passenger can sit. In front of the seat 2, the scooter also includes a step floor 4 having an upper surface for supporting the rider's feet. A grab rail 3 is disposed rearward of the seat 2, which can be grasped by the passenger while the scooter 10 is ridden. The scooter 10 also includes a rear combination light 8, such as a combined tail and stop light and rear winker; and a rear outer fender 30 positioned below the rear combination light 8. The scooter's structural frame is covered or overlaid by a number of panels or cover members, in a manner understood by one of ordinary skill in the relevant art. For instance, the scooter 10 can include a pair of rear body covers 50a, 50b disposed adjacent to and below the seat 2 on both sides of the scooter 10, a pair of lower covers 51, and a pair of center side covers 52 on both sides of the scooter for protecting the legs of the passenger. Additionally, a center cover 54 resides beneath a forward portion of the seat 2.

A water-cooled engine 20 (hereafter referred to as "engine") is positioned below the seat 2. The engine 20 is configured to generate a propulsion or driving force deliverable to a rear wheel 6 that carries a rear tire 7. The engine 20 is mounted to a rear arm 12 of the scooter 10 as well as an engine pivot 22 of a crank case 48 (indicated in FIGs. 7 and 10) that is linked to the scooter's structural frame, such that the engine is pivotally displaceable about the engine pivot 22, and the engine 10 as well as components carried thereby / mounted thereto are swingably displaceable in a manner readily understood by one having ordinary skill in the relevant art. With further reference to FIG. 10, the scooter 10 also includes an air cleaner 14 comprising an air cleaner body 14a and cover 14b. The air cleaner 14 on the left side of the scooter 10 is connected to a throttle body 40 by way of a connecting tube 17. The throttle body 40 controls air input to the engine 20 in operation by way of the rider's throttle. An intake passage between the throttle body and the engine has an injector. This intake system is referred to as a fuel injection system. A belt converter, which is overlaid by a belt converter cover 15 on the left side of the scooter 10, transmits the engine's driving force to the scooter's rear wheel 6. , The scooter 10 includes a rear cushion or suspension 9 on its rear left side, which absorbs the swing motion of the rear wheel 6. As also shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 10, the scooter 10 includes a rear inner fender 26 disposed at a frontal portion of the rear wheel 6, at a frontal spherical portion of the rear tire 7, and which is integrally mounted to the engine 20. The engine 20 additionally includes a radiator 24 in fluid communication with the engine 20, where the radiator 24 is mounted on the right side of the engine overlaying the lateral side engine crank case 48. The radiator 24 includes a radiator cap 24a enabling the radiator 24 to open-close for adding the coolant. In this embodiment, a central portion of the radiator 24 is aligned with the crank shaft. As indicated in FIGs. IB - 1C, a radiator cover member 25, which includes ventilation slits, mounts to the radiator 24, overlaying the radiator 26.

The scooter 10 further includes a reserve tank 28 in fluid communication with the radiator 20. The reserve tank includes a cap 28a for maintenance. The reserve tank 28 is connected to the radiator 24 through a connecting hose 19 for providing a reservoir into which heated coolant can be vented from the radiator 24, and fed back into the radiator 24 after it has cooled. The reserve tank 28 is mounted close to a center position of the scooter's body, and at a frontal portion of the rear inner fender 26. FIGs. 7 and 10 clearly indicate that a center line 94 of the scooter 10 passes through the reserve tank 28, such that right and left sides of the reserve tank 28 are disposed on right and left of the center line 94, respectively. As indicated in FIGs. 2 and 10, a connecting hose 19 between the radiator 24 and the reserve tank 28 enables venting of heated coolant from the radiator 24 into the reserve tank 28. The reserve tank 28 includes a drain hose 18 connecting at the reserve tank's nozzle, for exhausting overly-heated coolant to atmosphere.

As indicated in FIGs. 1A - 1C as well as FIGs. 2 - 4 and 8 - 9, a cover means 34 for covering, protecting, and visually concealing the reserve tank 26 is positioned or positionable at an upper-front portion 62 of the rear inner fender 26. The cover means 34 covers both sides, an upper part, and a frontal part of the reserve tank 28. The reserve tank 28 is thus positioned or stored at a frontal portion 60 of the rear inner fender 26 in a space between the cover means 34 and the rear inner fender 26. The frontal portion 60 has a recess portion being arc-shaped in cross section, for making a space with the cover means 34. The cover means 34 additionally covers mounting portions 64a,b, shown in FIG. 2, by which the reserve tank 28 is mounted to the rear inner fender 26. As indicated in FIG. 1, a pivot arm or moment arm defined across a distance 80 between the engine pivot 22 and the reserve tank 28 (e.g., from the center of the engine pivot 22 to a center of mass of the reserve tank 28) is shorter than an analogous prior art pivot arm corresponding to reserve tank installation at the side of the rear arm 12. As a result, an embodiment in accordance with the present disclosure reduces the vertical travel distance or range across which the reserve tank 28 swings compared to the prior art. Consequently, the likelihood that the reserve tank's cover means 34 (and hence a reserve tank nozzle and cap 28a) will contact a bottom-most portion of the rear body cover 50a,b or the rear outer fender 30 as a result of engine unit swing motion decreases, and thus the rear body cover 50a,b and rear outer fender 30 can be more freely designed.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the cover means 34, reserve tank 28 and the rear inner fender mountings or mounting portions 64a,b of the scooter 10. The reserve tank 28 is installed at the rear inner fender 26 only, thus enabling the rear inner fender 26, the reserve tank 28, and the cover means 34 to be manufactured as a unified sub-assembly to enhance the efficiency of a scooter assembly process. In addition, the rear inner fender 26 can be casted by a plastic injection process, where the casting of structures such as protrusions or bosses 32 that facilitate mounting of the reserve tank 28 to the rear inner fender 26 and mounting of the cover means 34 over the reserve tank 26 is easily accomplished, resulting in a simple and single rear inner fender structure for aiding the scooter assembly process.

Because the reserve tank 28 resides at or near a center or central position of the scooter body and in front of the rear inner fender 26, the reserve tank 28 being more or mostly on the inside of the scooter 10, does not appear to be a prominent feature of the scooter 10 from a side view. The cover means 34 conceals the reserve tank 28, including the reserve tank's nozzle and cap 28a, which reside completely beneath the cover means 34. Such concealing of the reserve tank 26 by the cover means 34 further reduces the prominence or noticeability of the reserve tank 28 from a side view. The external design of the scooter 10 thus visually appears to be slim and stylish, with an enhanced aesthetic appearance compared to the prior art. Furthermore, the cover means 34 protects the reserve tank 28 from ingress of water, dust, stones, etc... Additionally, the reserve tank's nozzle and cap 28a are shielded from the outside environment by the cover means 34. As a result, the nozzle and cap 28a are significantly less likely to accumulate dirt over time (e.g., they can remain clean or substantially clean), and a user's hands will not be unnecessarily dirtied during maintenance operations involving the reserve tank 28. FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration showing cross-section AA of FIG. 3; and FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration showing cross-section BB of FIG. 3. As indicated in FIG. 4, the cover means 34 is fixed to the rear inner fender 26 by a bolt 36 and clip nut 36a inserted into to the rear inner fender 26, at a frontal side portion of the rear inner fender 26. As indicated in FIG. 5, the cover means 34 is also engaged by a hooked portion 38 to the rear inner fender 26 at a mounting portion 27 of an upper-back side of the rear inner fender 26 through a hole 26a, by which the rear inner fender 26 is secured to the body of the air cleaner 14, as further indicated in FIG. 10. This arrangement results in the rear inner fender - reserve tank - cover means assembly having a reduced number of mounting points, which aids the efficiency of the scooter assembly process. Additionally, this arrangement provides the scooter 10 with an external design having an aesthetic appearance.

Referring to FIG. 6, the cover means 34 includes a monitoring window 42 for monitoring a coolant level indicator 44 provided on the body of the reserve tank 28. The monitoring window 42 is located on the same side of the cover means 34 as the mounting point of the bolt 36, that is, on a side surface of the frontal portion of the cover means 34. The coolant level indicator 44 of the reserve tank 28 indicates upper or max and lower or minimum level lines and can be observed through the cover means' monitoring window 42. Such observation through the monitoring window 42 can assist in verifying the accuracy of the installation of the reserve tank 28 and cover means 34. Additionally, the level of coolant contained in the reserve tank 28 can be determined or monitored between upper and lower level lines through the monitoring window 42 during maintenance operations. As also shown in FIG. 6, the radiator cover member 25 and the reserve tank cover means 34 are cooperatively designed relative to each other, such that the radiator cover member 25 overlaps, and thus conceals, the mounting portion and corresponding bolt 36 at the side of the frontal portion of the cover means 34. The cover means' mounting portion and the corresponding bolt 36 are thus not visible from a side view. Such concealment of the mounting portion and the bolt 36 further enhances the scooter's visual aesthetics. The mounting portions 64a,b of the reserve tank 28 are also covered by the reserve tank cover member 34.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the reserve tank 28 mounted to the rear inner fender 26, and further fluidly coupled to the radiator 24 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the reserve tank 28 is mounted to the rear inner fender 26 at two mounting points 46a,b, such as by way of bolts, screws, or other fastening elements. More particularly, a first mounting point 46a is located at an upper left portion of the reserve tank 28 in or from a front view, and a second mounting point 46b is located at a lower right portion of the reserve tank 28 in the front view. A diagonal line 92 connecting the two mounting points 46a,b (e.g., through the center of each mounting point 46a,b) passes through the center line 94 of the scooter 10. The two mounting points 46a,b support the body of the reserve tank 28 at its upper left and lower right portions, in a manner that enables high stiffness of the assembly, without requiring additional reserve tank mounting or supporting components. Additionally, the distribution of the mounting points 46a,b at left and right sides of the scooter body efficiently distributes leftward and rightward forces on the reserve tank 28 in lean situations of the scooter 10, and balances the reserve tank 28 with respect to left and right sides of the scooter's body.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view and FIG. 9 is a top view schematically illustrating a manner in which an outer surface 96 of the rear inner fender 26 and an upper surface 98 of the cover means 34 are cooperatively designed to have counterpart, matching, or identically shaped features of upper projecting ridge lines 95a-c, 95d-f where and typically beyond the rear inner fender 26 and the cover means 34 meet or join together. Such an arrangement of cooperatively shaped features 95 gives the appearance that the rear inner fender 26 and the cover means 34 for a single structural element, and makes the existence of the reserve tank 28 less noticeable to an observer. As a result, the attractiveness of the scooter's design is further enhanced. With reference again to FIGs. 2 and 3, and with further reference to FIG. 9 and 10, the rear inner fender 26 includes a fender portion 66 that covers a forward outer spherical portion of the scooter's rear tire 7; and an extending portion 68 that forwardly projects from the fender portion 66. The extending portion 68 includes a substantially flat or planar portion, region, or arrangement 69 that extends at least to the frontal portion of the reserve tank 28, and which typically extends a predetermined distance beyond the frontal portion of the reserve tank 28. In an embodiment, the substantially flat arrangement 69 has a shape corresponding to a tray. Additionally, the extending portion 68 at least partially or almost covers the width of the engine crank case 48. More particularly, the substantially flat arrangement 69 of the extending portion 68 is dimensioned be equal or approximately equal in width to an inner-width of the engine crank case 48.

As illustrated in FIG. 9, the rear inner fender 26, and more particularly the extending portion 68 thereof, includes clamp portions 72a-c suitably located for clamping one or more cables and/or hoses. For instance, as indicated in FIG. 10, the clamp portions 72a-c can be configured for receiving an electrical harness 56. The clamp portions 72a-c assist in establishing and securely maintaining an intended position of the electrical harness 56, and can further prevent the electrical harness 56 from being entangled with other cables / hoses, or damaged during the installation of other scooter parts. Additionally, because the extending portion 68 includes the substantially flat arrangement 69, it can be easier to retrieve or recall any dropped bolts, screws, or other fasteners or parts from the substantially flat arrangement 69 during scooter assembly or maintenance procedures.

FIG. 11A is a schematic illustration of cross-section CC of FIG. 7, which illustrates that an outer surface of the reserve tank 28 can be shaped or contoured to match or mate with the shape of a counterpart surface of the rear inner fender 26. More particularly, as shown in FIG. 11 A, a rear surface 29 of the reserve tank 28 is shaped to match, mate, conform, or generally register to a reserve tank supporting portion, region, or section of the forward facing surface of the rear inner fender's frontal portion 60 against which the reserve tank 28 is positioned or mounted. Such shape matching corresponds to surfaces having matching curvatures in the embodiment shown. As a result, the reserve tank 28 is supported not only by the bolts / screws at its upper left and lower right mounting points 46a,b, but a portion of the reserve tank 28 is inherently supported by the forward facing surface of the rear inner fender's frontal portion 60, because the reserve tank's rear surface 29 exhibits shape conformity with the rear inner fender's frontal portion 60. This contributes to secure mounting of the reserve tank 28 on the frontal portion 60 of the rear inner fender 26. Furthermore, a similar or counterpart arc-shaped surface of the reserve tank 28 enables positioning of the reserve tank 28 close to the rear inner fender 26, and makes a or highly compact structure that is capable of providing enough reserve tank capacity possible.

FIG. 11B is a schematic illustration of cross-section DD of FIG. 7, excluding the connecting hose 19 that fluidly couples the reserve tank 28 to the radiator 24. FIG. 1 IB shows the manner in which the upper left portion of the reserve tank 28 is mounted to the rear inner fender 26 by way of a first bolt 46a and a first clip nut 46c (e.g., which correspond to the reserve tank's upper left mounting point 46a described above with reference to FIG. 7). FIG. 11B additionally illustrates particular structural aspects of the reserve tank 28, including the reserve tank's cap 28a, an initial flowing portion or passage 28b, and a main body 28c. The first bolt 46a and first clip nut 46c are disposed above the reserve tank's main body 28c, generally or substantially at a height corresponding to the reserve tank's initial flowing passage 28a. FIG. l lC is a schematic illustration of cross-section EE of FIG. 7, showing that in an embodiment, a back side of the reserve tank's main body 28c includes the rear surface 29 which is designed to match, mate, or conform to a reserve tank supporting portion of the frontal portion 60 of the rear inner fender 26. FIG. 11C also indicates the manner in which the connecting hose 19 couples to a lower or bottom portion of the reserve tank's main body 28c. FIG. 1 ID is a schematic illustration of cross-section FF of FIG. 7, showing the manner in which the lower right portion of the reserve tank 28 is mounted to the rear inner fender 26 by way of a second bolt 46b and a second clip nut 46d (e.g., which correspond to the reserve tank's lower right mounting point 46b described above with reference to FIG. 7). The second bolt 46b and second clip nut 46d are disposed below the reserve tank's main body 28c. An individual having ordinary skill in the relevant art will readily understand that with respect to the addition of coolant to the reserve tank 28, when the cap 28a is opened coolant can flow from the opened cap 28a downward, into, and through the initial flowing passage 28b; further downward, into and through a connecting portion between the initial flowing passage 28b and the main body 28c; and further downward into the main body 28c. Such a coolant flow path is indicated in FIG. 1 ID by a series of five downwardly pointing arrows.

Aspects of particular embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure address at least one aspect, problem, limitation, and/or disadvantage associated with existing reserve tank mounting structures for scooters. While features, aspects, and/or advantages associated with certain embodiments have been described in the disclosure, other embodiments may also exhibit such features, aspects, and/or advantages, and not all embodiments need necessarily exhibit such features, aspects, and/or advantages to fall within the scope of the disclosure. It will be appreciated by a person of ordinary skill in the art that several of the above-disclosed structures, components, or alternatives thereof, can be desirably combined into alternative structures, components, and/or applications. In addition, various modifications, alterations, and/or improvements may be made to various embodiments that are disclosed by a person of ordinary skill in the art within the scope of the present disclosure, which is limited only by the following claims.

Claims

1. A reserve tank mounting structure for a unit swing engine scooter having a scooter body, said reserve tank mounting structure comprising:

a radiator being integrally mounted to a water-cooled engine of the unit swing engine scooter;

a rear inner fender being integrally mounted to the water-cooled engine, wherein said rear inner fender is arranged at a frontal spherical portion of a rear tire of the unit swing engine scooter; and

a reserve tank in fluid communication with the water-cooled engine, wherein said reserve tank is connected to said radiator for storing reserve coolant for the water- cooled engine,

characterized in that:

said reserve tank is arranged close to a center position of the scooter body and at a frontal portion of said rear inner fender.

2. The reserve tank mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the frontal portion of said rear inner fender includes a mounting portion for installing said reserve tank.

3. The reserve tank mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein a reserve tank cover means is positioned at an upper-front portion of said rear inner fender for covering both sides, an upper part, and a frontal part of said reserve tank, wherein said cover means further covers a mounting portion of said reserve tank, and said reserve tank is mounted at a space between said cover means and said rear inner fender.

4. The reserve tank mounting structure according to claim 3, wherein said cover means is connected to said rear inner fender by a bolt at a side of a frontal portion of said cover means, and said cover means is engaged by a hooked portion to said rear inner fender at an upper-back side portion of said rear inner fender.

5. The reserve tank mounting structure according to claim 4, wherein said cover means includes a monitoring window for monitoring a coolant level indicator which is indicated on the body of said reserve tank, and said monitoring window is formed on the same side of the cover means as the mounting point of said bolt, and at a side surface of the frontal portion of said cover means.

6. The reserve tank mounting structure according to claim 4, wherein said mounting portion of said bolt at the side of the frontal portion of said cover means and a cover of said radiator are designed to overlap, wherein the cover of said radiator is a cover member for said radiator from a side view.

7. The reserve tank mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein said reserve tank includes two mounting points at an upper- left portion and a lower right portion in a front view, and wherein a diagonal line connecting the two mounting points passes through a center line of the scooter body from the front view.

8. The reserve tank mounting structure according to claim 3, wherein an outer designed surface of said rear inner fender and an outer designed upper surface of said cover means comprise matching designed shapes where the outer designed surface of said rear inner fender connects with the upper surface of said cover means.

9. The reserve tank mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein said rear inner fender comprises:

a fender portion covering an outer spherical portion of a scooter rear tire; and an extending portion projecting forwardly from said fender portion to said frontal portion of said reserve tank in a substantially flat arrangement to substantially cover the engine crankcase, and the flat arrangement of said extended portion covers almost the width of said engine crankcase at an equal inner-width of said engine crankcase, wherein said extending portion includes clamp portions for clamping at least an electrical harness or a hose from a top view.

10. The reserve tank mounting structure according to claim 7, wherein a back surface of said reserve tank is formed to arc-shape match a reserve tank supporting portion of said rear inner fender.