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A Saddle Type Vehicle

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a saddle-type vehicle (100). The saddle-type vehicle (100) includes a frame (102), a front supporting bracket (106), a pair of front shock absorbers (108), a swingarm (116), a rear supporting bracket (118), and a rear shock absorber (122). The frame (102) includes a steering column (104) defining a steering axis (S). The front supporting bracket (106) may be coupled to one end of the steering column (104). The pair of front shock absorbers (108) may be positioned between a front wheel (110) and the steering column (104). The pair of front shock absorbers (108) may be coupled to the steering column (104) through the front supporting bracket (106), such that each front shock absorber (108) defines a central axis offset (112) from the steering axis (S) and passes through a center of the front wheel (110).

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Notices, Deadlines & Correspondence

Patent Information

Application #
Filing Date
27 November 2023
Publication Number
22/2025
Publication Type
INA
Invention Field
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Status
Email
Parent Application

Applicants

Ather Energy Limited
3rd Floor, Tower D, IBC Knowledge Park, #4/1, Bannerghatta Main Road, Bengaluru - 560029, Karnataka, India

Inventors

1. BALAKRISHNAN, Padmakumar
A8-1902, Elita Promenade, JP Nagar 7th Phase, Bengaluru - 560078, India
2. DURAI, Murugan
No 496, Bhavaninagar Banashankari 2nd Stage, Bangalore - 560070, India
3. SIVAKUMAR, Aravind
B2004, Club Meadows, House of Hiranandani, Akshaya Nagar, Bengaluru - 560068, India
4. GHOSH, Sayantan
12/9 Jhawtala Road, Tegharia, Bagiati, North 24 Parganas, Kolkata - 700059, West Bengal, India
5. NELLAYI VENKATESWARAN, Shivaram
B-506, Raheja Residency Apartments, Koramangala, 3rd Block, Bangalore - 560034, India
6. SINGH, Ankur
Amul Colony, Inside Amul dairy Campus, Amul Dairy, Anand - 388001, Gujarat, India
7. RANGARAJAN, Narayan
NO 58 NAL Layout, East End Main Road, Jayanagar 4th block, Bengaluru - 560041, India

Specification

Description:FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to vehicles. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a saddle-type vehicle that can accommodate wheels of different sizes without altering the dimensional characteristics of a frame of the saddle-type vehicle to maintain the ergonomic characteristics of the saddle-type vehicle.
BACKGROUND

Generally, a saddle-type vehicle such as a two-wheeled vehicle includes a frame, front shock absorbers, rear shock absorbers, a swing arm, and a pair of wheels including a front wheel and a rear wheel. The front shock absorbers are positioned between the front wheel and the frame. Further, the rear shock absorbers are positioned between the rear wheel and the frame. Thus, the front and the rear wheels are supported by the front and rear shock absorbers, respectively. The existing saddle-type vehicles are designed to support the wheels of specific diameters.
If the front wheel and/or the rear wheel with a different diameter is required to be installed in the existing saddle-type vehicle, the dimensions of the frame and other components associated with the frame, are required to be changed. The dimensions of the frame and other components are changed to maintain the dynamics of the vehicle, such that the comfort of the rider is not compromised. For different sets of wheels, separate manufacturing setups are required to be formed while manufacturing the saddle-type vehicle. This increases the steps of the manufacturing process which consumes more time and effort. The requirement of separate manufacturing setups for the different sets of wheels also increases the overall cost associated with manufacturing of the saddle-type vehicle.
Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned problems, it is desirable to provide a saddle-type vehicle that can eliminate one or more of the above-mentioned problems associated with the existing art.
SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts, in a simplified format, that is further described in the detailed description of the invention. This summary is neither intended to identify key or essential inventive concepts of the invention and nor is it intended for determining the scope of the invention.
The present disclosure relates to a saddle-type vehicle. The saddle-type vehicle includes a frame, a front supporting bracket, a pair of front shock absorbers, a swingarm, a rear supporting bracket, and a rear shock absorber. The frame includes a steering column defining a steering axis. The front supporting bracket may be coupled to one end of the steering column. The pair of front shock absorbers may be positioned between a front wheel and the steering column. The front shock absorbers may be coupled to the steering column through the front supporting bracket, such that each front shock absorber defines a central axis offset from the steering axis and passes through a center of the front wheel. The offset is to be varied based on at least one physical characteristic of the front wheel. The swingarm may be coupled to the frame and a center of a rear wheel. The rear supporting bracket may be positioned at the center of the rear wheel.
The rear supporting bracket may be adapted to couple the swingarm with the rear shock absorber, such that an angle is defined between the swingarm and the rear shock absorber. The angle is to be varied based on at least one physical characteristic of at least one of the rear wheel, the swingarm, and the rear shock absorber. At least one geometrical characteristic of the front supporting bracket may be altered to attain different offsets based on the at least one physical characteristic of the front wheel to maintain predefined values associated with a plurality of ergonomic characteristics of the saddle-type vehicle. Further, the at least one geometrical characteristic of the rear supporting bracket may be altered based on at least one physical characteristic of the rear wheel to maintain predefined values associated with the plurality of ergonomic characteristics of the saddle-type vehicle.
To further clarify the advantages and features of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 illustrates a side view of a saddle-type vehicle, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 2(a) illustrates a side view of the saddle-type vehicle depicting wheels having a second diameter, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 2(b) illustrates a side view of the saddle-type vehicle depicting the wheels having a first diameter, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 3(a) illustrates a front view of the saddle-type vehicle, depicting a first front supporting bracket attached to a front wheel having the first diameter, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 3(b) illustrates a front view of the saddle-type vehicle, depicting a second front supporting bracket attached to the front wheel having the second diameter, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 4 illustrates a comparison between the first front supporting bracket attached to the front wheel having the first diameter, and the second front supporting bracket attached to the front wheel having the second diameter, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 5 illustrates a side view of a front section of the saddle-type vehicle, depicting the front supporting bracket, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 6(a) illustrates a side view of the saddle-type vehicle, depicting the first front supporting bracket attached to the front wheel having the first diameter, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 6(b) illustrates a side view of the saddle-type vehicle, depicting the second front supporting bracket attached to the front wheel having the second diameter, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and
Figure 7 illustrates a side view of a rear section of the saddle-type vehicle, depicting rear wheels having the first diameter and the second diameter, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
Further, skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the drawings are illustrated for simplicity and may not have necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the flow charts illustrate the method in terms of the most prominent steps involved to help to improve understanding of aspects of the present invention. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the drawings by conventional symbols, and the drawings may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the drawings with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the present disclosure, reference will now be made to the various embodiments and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the present disclosure is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated system, and such further applications of the principles of the present disclosure as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the present disclosure relates.
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are explanatory of the present disclosure and are not intended to be restrictive thereof.
Whether or not a certain feature or element was limited to being used only once, it may still be referred to as “one or more features” or “one or more elements” or “at least one feature” or “at least one element.” Furthermore, the use of the terms “one or more” or “at least one” feature or element do not preclude there being none of that feature or element, unless otherwise specified by limiting language including, but not limited to, “there needs to be one or more…” or “one or more elements is required.”
Reference is made herein to some “embodiments.” It should be understood that an embodiment is an example of a possible implementation of any features and/or elements of the present disclosure. Some embodiments have been described for the purpose of explaining one or more of the potential ways in which the specific features and/or elements of the proposed disclosure fulfil the requirements of uniqueness, utility, and non-obviousness.
Use of the phrases and/or terms including, but not limited to, “a first embodiment,” “a further embodiment,” “an alternate embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “multiple embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “other embodiments,” “further embodiment”, “furthermore embodiment”, “additional embodiment” or other variants thereof do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, one or more particular features and/or elements described in connection with one or more embodiments may be found in one embodiment, or may be found in more than one embodiment, or may be found in all embodiments, or may be found in no embodiments. Although one or more features and/or elements may be described herein in the context of only a single embodiment, or in the context of more than one embodiment, or in the context of all embodiments, the features and/or elements may instead be provided separately or in any appropriate combination or not at all. Conversely, any features and/or elements described in the context of separate embodiments may alternatively be realized as existing together in the context of a single embodiment.
Any particular and all details set forth herein are used in the context of some embodiments and therefore should not necessarily be taken as limiting factors to the proposed disclosure.
The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process or method that comprises a list of steps does not include only those steps but may include other steps not expressly listed or inherent to such process or method. Similarly, one or more devices or sub-systems or elements or structures or components proceeded by “comprises... a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other devices or other sub-systems or other elements or other structures or other components or additional devices or additional sub-systems or additional elements or additional structures or additional components.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 illustrates a side view of a saddle-type vehicle 100, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 1, the saddle-type vehicle 100 includes a frame 102, a front supporting bracket 106, a pair of front shock absorbers 108, a swingarm 116, a rear supporting bracket 118, and a rear shock absorber 122. The saddle-type vehicle 100 may be capable of accommodating wheels of different sizes without changing the dimensional characteristics of the frame 102, the pair of front shock absorbers 108, the swingarm 116, and the rear shock absorber 122. The dimensional characteristics of the frame 102, the pair of front shock absorbers 108, the swingarm 116, and the rear shock absorber 122 may not be changed, such that the comfort of a rider may be maintained. Herein, the wheels may include a front wheel 110 and a rear wheel 120. In subsequent paragraphs, the saddle-type vehicle 100 may be interchangeably referred to as the vehicle 100, without departing from the scope of the present invention.
In an embodiment, the vehicle 100 may be an Electric Vehicle (EV) or a battery powered vehicle including, and not limited to two-wheelers such as scooters, mopeds, motorbikes/motorcycles; three-wheelers such as auto-rickshaws, four-wheelers such as cars and other Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) and Heavy Commercial Vehicles (HCVs) primarily work on the principle of driving an electric motor using the power from the batteries provided in the EV. Furthermore, the electric vehicle may have the at least one wheel 110, 120 which is electrically powered to traverse such a vehicle. The term ‘wheel’ may be referred to any ground-engaging member which allows traversal of the electric vehicle over a path. The types of EVs include Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV), Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) and Range Extended Electric Vehicle. However, the subsequent paragraphs pertain to the different elements of a Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV).
Generally, the transmission systems used in vehicle 100 include a single speed transmission system and multi-speed (i.e., two-speed) transmission system, wherein the single speed transmission system comprises a single gear pair whereby the EV is maintained at a constant speed. However, the multi-speed/two-speed transmission system comprises a compound planetary gear system with a double pinion planetary gear set and a single pinion planetary gear set thereby resulting in two different gear ratios which facilitate higher torque and vehicle speed.
The frame 102 may be adapted to support the components of the vehicle 100. The frame 102 may include, but is not limited to, a front section, a rear section, and a middle section extending between the front section and rear section. The front section includes the steering column 104, the front supporting bracket 106, the front wheel 110, a handlebar 128, and the pair of front shock absorbers 108. In the front section, the steering column 104 defines a steering axis ‘S’, and the front supporting bracket 106 may be coupled to one end of the steering column 104. The pair of front shock absorbers 108 may be positioned between the front wheel 110 and the steering column 104.
The rear section may be adapted to support the swingarm 116, a saddle 130, the rear wheel 120, and the rear shock absorber 122. The saddle 130 may be mounted on the rear section. In the rear section, the swingarm 116 may be coupled to the frame 102 and a center of the rear wheel 120. Further, the middle section extends between the front section and the rear section and may be adapted to mount a footboard 132 of the vehicle 100 thereon. The swingarm 116 may be mounted at a predefined angle ‘?S’. In an embodiment, the frame 102 may be formed of a metallic material, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
Figure 2(a) illustrates a side view of the saddle-type vehicle 100 depicting the wheels 110, 120 having a second diameter D2, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2(b) illustrates a side view of the saddle-type vehicle 100 depicting the wheels 110, 120 having a first diameter D1, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figures 2(a) and 2(b), the pair of front shock absorbers 108 may be coupled to the steering column 104 through the front supporting bracket 106, such that each front shock absorber 108 defines a central axis offset 112 (as shown in Figure 1) from the steering axis ‘S’ and passes through a center of the front wheel 110.
The offset 112 may be defined as a distance between a central axis of the front shock absorber 108 and the steering axis ‘S’. In an embodiment, the offset 112 may be a horizontal offset 112. The offset 112 may be varied based on at least one physical characteristic of the front wheel 110. At least one geometrical characteristic of the front supporting bracket 106 may be altered to attain different offsets based on the at least one physical characteristic of the front wheel 110 to maintain predefined values associated with a plurality of ergonomic characteristics of the vehicle 100.
The plurality of ergonomic characteristics may include, but is not limited to, an ergonomic triangle ‘E’, a trail ‘T’, and a motion ratio. As shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b), the ergonomic triangle ‘E’ may be defined between a contact point on the handlebar 128, a contact point on the saddle 130, and a contact point on the footboard 132 of the vehicle 100 or on a ground surface G, based on a comfort of the rider driving the vehicle 100. The ergonomic triangles E are shown in Figures 2(a), and 2(b).
The trail ‘T’ may be defined between a contact point of the steering axis ‘S’ on the ground surface and a contact point of the front wheel 110 axis on the ground surface. The trail ‘T’ may be calculated based on the offset, a rake angle ‘?R’, and a radius of the front wheel 110, as shown in equation (1):
Trail=(Radius of wheel x (Sin(Rake angle)) - offset)/(Cos(Rake angle)) …..(1)

Further, the motion ratio may be defined based on a distance travelled by the rear shock absorber 122 and a distance travelled by the rear wheel 120. The motion ratio may be calculated based on the distance travelled by the rear shock absorber 122 and the distance travelled by the rear wheel 120 as shown in equation (2):
Motion Ratio=(Rear shock absorber travel )/(Wheel travel ) …….(2)

In an embodiment, at least one geometrical characteristic of the front supporting bracket 106 may be altered based on the at least one physical characteristic of the front wheel 110 to maintain dimensional characteristics of the frame 102 and the front shock absorbers 108. In an embodiment, the dimensional characteristic of the front shock absorbers 108 may be a length ‘L1’ (as shown in Figure 1) of the front shock absorbers 108. Further, at least one geometrical characteristic of the rear supporting bracket 118 may be altered based on the at least one physical characteristic of the rear wheel 120, the swingarm 116, and the rear shock absorber 122, respectively, to maintain dimensional characteristics of the frame 102, and the front shock absorbers 108.
The at least one physical characteristic of each of the front wheel 110 and the rear wheel 120 may be, but is not limited to, a diameter of the respective wheel. The diameter of each wheel 110, 120 may be defined as one of the first diameter D1 and the second diameter D2. Herein, the second diameter D2 is different from the first diameter D1. In an embodiment, the second diameter D2 is larger than the first diameter D1. The wheel 110, 120 having the first diameter D1, are shown in Figure 2(b), and the wheel 110, 120 having the second diameter D2, are shown in Figure 2(a). In an embodiment, the diameter of the wheels 110, 120 may be in range from 10 inches to 15 inches. In a non-limiting embodiment, the first diameter D1 may be 10 inches, and the second diameter D2 may be 15 inches. In an embodiment, the at least one physical characteristic of the rear shock absorber 122 may be, but is not limited to, a length ‘L2’ (as shown in Figure 1) of the rear shock absorber 122.
The at least one geometrical characteristic of the front supporting bracket 106 may be altered to vary the offset 112 based on the diameter of the front wheel 110, such that the predefined values associated with the trail ‘T’ and the ergonomic triangle ‘E’ of the vehicle 100 are maintained. In the subsequent paragraphs, the functional and constructional details of the front supporting bracket 106 and the rear supporting bracket 118 are explained.
In an embodiment, the front supporting bracket 106 may be positioned between a bottom end of the steering column 104 and a top end of each front shock absorber 108. The front supporting bracket 106 may include a base 124 (as shown in Figure 3(a)) and a protruded member 126 (as shown in Figure 3(a)). The base 124 may include an upper face and a bottom face opposite to the upper face. The bottom face may define a pair of engaging portions adapted to accommodate the top end of each front shock absorber 108. The protruded member 126 may extend from the upper face of the base 124. The protruded member 126 may be adapted to support the bottom end of the steering column 104.
In an embodiment, the geometrical characteristic of the front supporting bracket 106 may include a vertical distance between a top portion of the protruded member 126 and the top face of the base 124. Further, the geometrical characteristic of the front supporting bracket 106 may also include a lateral distance between a central axis of the protruded member 126 and a central axis of each engaging portion formed on the bottom face of the base 124.
Figure 3(a) illustrates a front view of the saddle-type vehicle 100, depicting a first front supporting bracket 106 attached to the front wheel 110 having the first diameter D1, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3(b) illustrates a front view of the saddle-type vehicle 100, depicting a second front supporting bracket 106’ attached to the front wheel 110 having the second diameter D2, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figure 3(a), the front supporting bracket 106 may be the first front supporting bracket 106. If the front wheel 110 with the first diameter D1 is to be mounted to the frame 102, then the at least one geometrical characteristic of the first front supporting bracket 106 may be altered to define a first offset 112’ (as shown in Figure 2(b)) such that the predefined values associated with the trail ‘T’ and the ergonomic triangle ‘E’ may be maintained.
Referring to Figure 3(b), the front supporting bracket 106 may be the second front supporting bracket 106’. If the front wheel 110 with the second diameter D2 is to be mounted to the frame 102, then the at least one geometrical characteristic of the front supporting bracket 106’ may be altered to define a second offset 112’’ (as shown in Figure 2(a)), such that the predefined values associated with the trail ‘T’ and the ergonomic triangle ‘E’ are maintained.
Herein, the second offset 112’’ may be different from the first offset 112’. In an embodiment, the second offset 112’’ may be larger than the first offset 112’. As explained above, if the front wheel 110 with the first diameter D1 is to be mounted to the frame 102, the first offset 112’ may be increased to the second offset 112’’. On the other hand, if the front wheel 110 with the second diameter D2 is to be mounted to the frame 102, the second offset 112’’ may be decreased to the first offset 112’. Therefore, the wheels 110, 120 of the different diameters may be mounted in the vehicle 100 by varying the geometrical characteristic of the front supporting bracket 106. Herein, the dimensional characteristics of the frame 102, the pair of front shock absorbers 108, the swingarm 116, and the rear shock absorber 122 are not changed, and still, the overall comfort of the rider is maintained.
The geometrical characteristics of the first front supporting bracket 106 and the second front supporting bracket 106’ are different, as shown in Figure 4 which illustrates a comparison between the first front supporting bracket 106 attached to the front wheel 110 having the first diameter D1, and the second front supporting bracket 106’ attached to the front wheel 110 having the second diameter D2, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Herein, the vertical distance of the first front supporting bracket 106 is different from the vertical distance of the second front supporting bracket 106’. This difference creates a vertical offset ‘V’. In an embodiment, the vertical offset ‘V’ may be formed due to changes in the geometrical characteristics of the first front supporting bracket 106 and the second front supporting bracket 106’. In an embodiment, the vertical offset ‘V’ may be defined as a vertical displacement of the front supporting bracket 106, based on the at least one physical characteristic of the front wheel 110.
Figure 5 illustrates a side view of the front section of the saddle-type vehicle 100, depicting the first front supporting bracket 106 and the second front supporting bracket 106’, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 6(a) illustrates a side view of the saddle-type vehicle 100, depicting the first front supporting bracket 106 attached to the front wheel 110 having the first diameter D1, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 6(b) illustrates a side view of the saddle-type vehicle 100, depicting the second front supporting bracket 106’ attached to the front wheel 110 having the second diameter D2, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figures 5(a) and 6(a), the first front supporting bracket 106 may be used when the front wheel 110 with the first diameter D1 is to be mounted to the frame 102. The geometrical characteristics of the first front supporting bracket 106 may be varied based on the diameter D1 of the front wheel 110 to maintain the ergonomic characteristics of the vehicle 100.
As shown in Figure 6(b), the second front supporting bracket 106’ may be used when the front wheel 110 with the second diameter D2 is to be mounted to the frame 102. The geometrical characteristics of the second front supporting bracket 106’ may be varied based on the diameter D2 of the front wheel 110 to maintain the ergonomic characteristics of the vehicle 100.
In the subsequent paragraphs, the operational and constructional details of the rear supporting bracket 118 are explained with reference to Figure 7.
Figure 7 illustrates a side view of the rear section of the saddle-type vehicle, depicting the rear wheel having the first diameter D1 and the second diameter D2, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to Figures 2(a) and 7, the rear supporting bracket 118 may be positioned at the center of the rear wheel 120. The rear supporting bracket 118 may be adapted to couple the swingarm 116 with the rear shock absorber 122, such that an angle is defined between the swingarm 116 and the rear shock absorber 122. The angle is to be varied based on at least one physical characteristic of at least one of the rear wheel 120, the swingarm 116, and the rear shock absorber 122. The at least one geometrical characteristic of the rear supporting bracket 118 may be altered based on at least one physical characteristic of the rear wheel 120 to attain different angles, to maintain predefined values associated with the plurality of ergonomic characteristics of the vehicle 100.
In an embodiment, the at least one geometrical characteristic of the rear supporting bracket 118 may be altered to vary the angle defined between the swingarm 116 and the rear shock absorber 122 based on the diameter of the rear wheel 120, such that the predefined values associated with the motion ratio and the ergonomic triangle ‘E’ of the vehicle 100 are maintained.
The geometrical characteristic of the rear supporting bracket 118 is a length of the rear supporting bracket 118. The rear supporting bracket 118 may include a first end, and a second end opposite to the first end. The first end includes a first opening adapted to be aligned with a hole of the swingarm 116 to receive a fastener to couple an end of the rear supporting bracket 118 with the swingarm 116. The second end may be adapted to be aligned with a hole of the rear shock absorber 122 to receive a fastener to couple another end of the rear supporting bracket 118 with the rear shock absorber 122.
In an embodiment, the at least one geometrical characteristic of the rear supporting bracket 118 may be altered to define a first angle when the diameter of the rear wheel 120 is the first diameter D1, such that the predefined values associated with the motion ratio and the ergonomic triangle ‘E’ are maintained. If the rear wheel 120 with the first diameter D1 is to be mounted to the frame 102, then the rear supporting bracket 118 may be altered to the first angle.
If the rear wheel 120 with the second diameter D2 is to be mounted to the frame 102, then the at least one geometrical characteristic of the rear supporting bracket 118’ may be altered to define a second angle, such that the predefined values associated with the motion ratio and the ergonomic triangle ‘E’ may be maintained. Herein, the first angle is different from the second angle. In an embodiment, the first angle is larger than the second angle.
In the present disclosure, the front supporting bracket 106 may be modified by changing the at least one geometrical characteristic, to accommodate the front wheel 110 of different sizes, without changing the ergonomic characteristics and the dimensional characteristics of the vehicle 100. Further, the rear supporting bracket 118 may be modified by changing the at least one geometrical characteristic, to accommodate the rear wheel 120 of different sizes, without changing the ergonomic characteristics and the dimensional characteristics of the vehicle 100. Thus, the vehicle 100 may accommodate the wheels of the different diameters without changing the dimensional characteristics of the frame 102, the pair of front shock absorbers 108, the swingarm 116, and the rear shock absorber 122, such that the ergonomic characteristics such as the trail ‘T’, the ergonomic triangle ‘E’, and the motion ratio may be maintained.
The implementation of the vehicle 100 may eliminate the need to manufacture separate setups for different sets of wheels 110, 120 as the vehicle 100 provides a platform that may accommodate the wheels 110, 120 of different sizes. This reduces the steps of the manufacturing process which consumes less time and effort. Further, the overall cost associated with the manufacturing of the vehicle 100 may also be reduced. Therefore, the vehicle 100 may be cost-effective and flexible to accommodate the wheels of different diameters.
In this application, unless specifically stated otherwise, the use of the singular includes the plural and the use of “or” means “and/or.” Furthermore, use of the terms “including” or “having” is not limiting. Any range described herein will be understood to include the endpoints and all values between the endpoints. Features of the disclosed embodiments may be combined, rearranged, omitted, etc., within the scope of the invention to produce additional embodiments. Furthermore, certain features may sometimes be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features. , Claims:1. A saddle-type vehicle (100) comprising:
a frame (102) having a steering column (104) defining a steering axis (S);
a front supporting bracket (106) coupled to one end of the steering column (104);
a pair of front shock absorbers (108) positioned between a front wheel (110) and the steering column (104), wherein:
the front shock absorbers (108) are coupled to the steering column (104) through the front supporting bracket (106), such that each front shock absorber (108) defines a central axis offset (112) from the steering axis (S) and passes through a center of the front wheel (110), wherein the offset (112) is to be varied based on at least one physical characteristic of the front wheel (110),
a swingarm (116) coupled to the frame (102) and a center of a rear wheel (120);
a rear supporting bracket (118) positioned at the center of the rear wheel (120), wherein:
the rear supporting bracket (118) is adapted to couple the swingarm (116) with a rear shock absorber (122), such that an angle is defined between the swingarm (116) and the rear shock absorber (122), wherein the angle is to be varied based on at least one physical characteristic of at least one of the rear wheel (120), the swingarm (116), and the rear shock absorber (122);
wherein:
at least one geometrical characteristic of the front supporting bracket (106) is altered to attain different offsets based on at least one physical characteristic of the front wheel (110) to maintain predefined values associated with a plurality of ergonomic characteristics of the saddle-type vehicle (100), and
at least one geometrical characteristic of the rear supporting bracket (118) is altered based on at least one physical characteristic of the rear wheel (120) to maintain predefined values associated with the plurality of ergonomic characteristics of the saddle-type vehicle (100).

2. The saddle-type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one geometrical characteristic of the rear supporting bracket (118) is altered based on at least one physical characteristic of the rear wheel (120) to attain different angles.

3. The saddle-type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of ergonomic characteristics comprises:
an ergonomic triangle (E) defined, based on a comfort of a rider driving the saddle-type vehicle (100), between a contact point on a handlebar (128), a contact point on a saddle (130) and a contact point on a footboard (132) of the saddle-type vehicle (100) or on a ground surface;
a trail (T) defined between a contact point of the steering axis (S) on the ground surface and a contact point of the front wheel (110) axis on the ground surface; and
a motion ratio defined based on a distance travelled by the rear shock absorber (122) and a distance travelled by the rear wheel (120).

4. The saddle-type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the offset (112) is defined as a distance between a central axis of the front shock absorber (108) and the steering axis (S).

5. The saddle-type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
the at least one physical characteristic of each of the front wheel (110) and the rear wheel (120) is a diameter of the respective wheel; and/or
the at least one physical characteristic of the rear shock absorber (122) is a length (L2) of the rear shock absorber (122).

6. The saddle-type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the diameter of each wheel is defined as one of a first diameter (D1) and a second diameter (D2), wherein the second diameter (D2) is different from the first diameter (D1).

7. The saddle-type vehicle (100) as claimed in claims 3 or 5, wherein the at least one geometrical characteristic of the front supporting bracket (106) is altered to vary the offset (112) based on the diameter of the front wheel (110), such that the predefined values associated with the trail (T) and the ergonomic triangle (E) of the saddle-type vehicle (100) are maintained.

8. The saddle-type vehicle (100) as claimed in any of claims 3 or 6, wherein:
the at least one geometrical characteristic of the front supporting bracket (106) is altered to define a first offset (112’) when the diameter of the front wheel (110) is the first diameter (D1), such that the predefined values associated with the trail (T) and the ergonomic triangle (E) are maintained; and
the at least one geometrical characteristic of the front supporting bracket (106) is altered to define a second offset (112’’) when the diameter of the front wheel (110) is the second diameter (D2), such that the predefined values associated with the trail (T) and the ergonomic triangle (E) are maintained.

9. The saddle-type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second offset (112’’) is different from the first offset (112’).

10. The saddle-type vehicle (100) as claimed in claims 3 or 5, wherein the at least one geometrical characteristic of the rear supporting bracket (118) is altered to vary the angle defined between the swingarm (116) and the rear shock absorber (122) based on the diameter of the rear wheel (120), such that the predefined values associated with the motion ratio and the ergonomic triangle (E) of the saddle-type vehicle (100) are maintained.

11. The saddle-type vehicle (100) as claimed in claims 3 or 6, wherein the at least one geometrical characteristic of the rear supporting bracket (118) is altered to define a first angle when the diameter of the rear wheel (120) is the first diameter (D1), such that the predefined values associated with the motion ratio and the ergonomic triangle (E) are maintained.

12. The saddle-type vehicle (100) as claimed in claims 3 or 6, wherein the at least one geometrical characteristic of the rear supporting bracket (118) is altered to define a second angle when the diameter of the rear wheel (120) is the second diameter (D2), such that the predefined values associated with the motion ratio and the ergonomic triangle (E) are maintained.

13. The saddle-type vehicle (100) as claimed in claims 11 or 12, wherein the first angle is different from the second angle.

14. The saddle-type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front supporting bracket (106) is positioned between a bottom end of the steering column (104) and a top end of each front shock absorber (108).

15. The saddle-type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 14, wherein the front supporting bracket (106) comprises:
a base (124) having an upper face and a bottom face opposite to the upper face, wherein the bottom face defines a pair of engaging portions adapted to accommodate the top end of each front shock absorber (108); and
a protruded member (126) extending from the upper face of the base (124) and adapted to support the bottom end of the steering column (104).

16. The saddle-type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the geometrical characteristic of the front supporting bracket (106) is at least one of:
a vertical distance between a top portion of the protruded member (126) and the top face of the base (124); and
a lateral distance between a central axis of the protruded member (126) and a central axis of each engaging portion formed on the bottom face of the base (124).

17. The saddle-type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein a vertical offset (V) defined is a vertical displacement of the front supporting bracket (106), based on the at least one physical characteristic of the front wheel (110).

18. The saddle-type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the geometrical characteristic of the rear supporting bracket (118) is a length of the rear supporting bracket (118).

19. The saddle-type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rear supporting bracket (118) comprises:
a first end including a first opening adapted to be aligned with a hole of the swingarm (116) to receive a fastener to couple an end of the rear supporting bracket (118) with the swingarm (116); and
a second end opposite to the first end and including a second opening adapted to be aligned with a hole of the rear shock absorber (122) to receive a fastener to couple another end of the rear supporting bracket (118) with the rear shock absorber (122).

20. The saddle-type vehicle (100) as claimed in claims 1 or 3, wherein the frame (102) comprises:
a front section having the steering column (104);
a rear section adapted to mount the saddle thereon; and
a middle section extending between the front section and rear section and adapted to mount the footboard (132) of the saddle-type vehicle (100) thereon.

21. The saddle-type vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one geometrical characteristic of at least one of the front supporting bracket (106) and the rear supporting bracket (118) is altered based on the at least one physical characteristic of at least one of:
the front wheel (110); and
the rear wheel (120), the swingarm (116), the rear shock absorber (122), respectively, to maintain dimensional characteristics of the frame (102), and the front shock absorbers (108).

Documents

Application Documents

# Name Date
1 202341080399-TRANSLATIOIN OF PRIOIRTY DOCUMENTS ETC. [27-11-2023(online)].pdf 2023-11-27
2 202341080399-STATEMENT OF UNDERTAKING (FORM 3) [27-11-2023(online)].pdf 2023-11-27
3 202341080399-REQUEST FOR EXAMINATION (FORM-18) [27-11-2023(online)].pdf 2023-11-27
4 202341080399-POWER OF AUTHORITY [27-11-2023(online)].pdf 2023-11-27
5 202341080399-FORM 18 [27-11-2023(online)].pdf 2023-11-27
6 202341080399-FORM 1 [27-11-2023(online)].pdf 2023-11-27
7 202341080399-DRAWINGS [27-11-2023(online)].pdf 2023-11-27
8 202341080399-DECLARATION OF INVENTORSHIP (FORM 5) [27-11-2023(online)].pdf 2023-11-27
9 202341080399-COMPLETE SPECIFICATION [27-11-2023(online)].pdf 2023-11-27
10 202341080399-Proof of Right [12-12-2023(online)].pdf 2023-12-12
11 202341080399-RELEVANT DOCUMENTS [25-09-2024(online)].pdf 2024-09-25
12 202341080399-POA [25-09-2024(online)].pdf 2024-09-25
13 202341080399-FORM 13 [25-09-2024(online)].pdf 2024-09-25
14 202341080399-AMENDED DOCUMENTS [25-09-2024(online)].pdf 2024-09-25