TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a motor vehicle and more particularly, but
not exclusively to a rear structure for a motor vehicle.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Typically, vehicle layout design for a motor vehicle features frame
defining the layout. The vehicle can be a step-through- type vehicle or a step-over
type vehicle depending on the manner in which the user is getting on to the vehicle.
For example, in case of step-through type vehicle, the user can operate the vehicle
in a seated posture by resting his feet at floorboard region. Irrespective of the
vehicle layout, all the vehicles are provided with a power unit that is directly or
indirectly driving one or more wheels of the vehicle.
[0002] The power unit can include an internal combustion engine or traction or a
combination of both that is selectively operated. The internal combination engine
makes use of gasoline for generating the requisite power/torque. Typically, a fuel
tank is used for storing gasoline in the vehicle. In case of a traction motor, an
auxiliary power source electrically drives the traction motor. The auxiliary power
source can be a battery, which is an exemplary device that is used for storing energy
therein.
[0003] Conventionally, the fuel tank is provided with a fuel tank lid that is used
for refilling with gasoline. Similarly, the batteries can be charged on board by using
a power socket provided on the vehicle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] The above and other features, aspects and advantages of the subject matter
will be better understood with regard to the following description and
accompanying drawings where:
[0006] Fig. 1 shows a left side view of an exemplary vehicle, in accordance with
an embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0007] Fig. 2 illustrates a rear perspective view of a rear portion of the motor
vehicle, in accordance with the embodiment of Fig. 1.
[0008] Fig. 3 illustrates an exploded view of selected portions of the rear
- [-structure, in accordance with the embodiment of Fig. 2. -r-i Lt L HEN NAT 7Q/^
[0009] Fig. 4 illustrates a top view of a rear structure of the motor vehicle, in
accordance with the embodiment of Fig. 1.
[00010] Fig. 5 illustrates a schematic sectional view of the rear structure, in
accordance with the embodiment of Fig. 3.
[00011] Fig. 6 illustrates another top perspective view of the rear structure with
selected parts thereon, in accordance with the embodiment of Fig. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION [00012] Generally, in two-wheeled or three-wheeled motor vehicles, the vehicle includes a frame structure substantially extending in a longitudinal direction. The frame structure supports various system and sub-systems of the vehicle. For example, the power unit is either fixedly supported or is swingably supported by the frame structure. Also, the frame structure securely supports the fuel tank that is storing gasoline and the fuel tank is functionally connected to the internal combustion engine. Similarly, a battery is securely mounted to the structural member that is capable of electrically driving electrical components like traction motor of the vehicle.
[00013] Typically, vehicles with a step-through layout are gaining popularity because of the comfortable operating posture offered by the vehicle layout and also due to the utility space offered by these vehicles. In the aforementioned motor vehicles, the fuel tank lid or the charging socket for the battery are provided in a location on the vehicle that is convenient for the user to access. Generally, in step-over type vehicle, which are colloquially referred to as motorcycles, the fuel tank is exposed as it is provided between handle bar and seat, which is easy to access for the user to open or close the lid. However, in case of step-through type vehicle, the fuel tank is either placed below the seat or at a rear portion of the vehicle and is substantially enclosed. Thus, the user has to open the seat to access the fuel tank lid. Also in such vehicles, a traction motor or an electrical assist system may be deployed alongside the IC engine or as a standalone system. In such a case, the batteries for driving such electrical systems may be disposed below the seat or at the center of the vehicle. A charging socket is to be provided on the vehicle that
enables the user to charge the battery without the need for removing the battery Fl CE C H F W M A T
from the vehicles. In case of remote charging, it is cumbersome as the user has to remove the batteries from the vehicle and place the batteries at remote place to charge. This requires the user to physically remove the battery from the vehicle. Therefore, on-board charging is preferred by the users. Nevertheless, the vehicle should be provided with a charging socket that can be easily accessed and connected to the vehicle.
[00014] In the step-through type vehicle with the fuel tank lid provided below a seat, it requires user to remove the seat or open the seat to access the fuel tank lid. For performing this task, the user may have to put the vehicle on stand. Therefore, this is considered to be a tedious process. In the art, some of the' fuel tank lids are provided in a rear portion of the vehicle in an exposed manner, specifically behind the seat. Thus user can open the lid through a key without the need for opening the seat. However, these lids are provided to open in such a way that, with time, the lid tends to damage the seat and the panels of the vehicle due to lid hitting the parts frequently. For example, a lid that is hinged at a front portion of the opening tends to open the lid towards the seat, damaging the seat at the contact portion due to repeated hitting damaging the seat and tampering the cover of the seat exposing the cushion portion of the seat. The exposed cushion portion is prone to absorb moisture or water making the ride uncomfortable to the user. Nevertheless, the fuel tank cannot be placed beyond a certain portion in the rear portion of the vehicle in order to avoid the fuel tank for getting damaged during any impact at the rear portion, because of which the fuel tank opening is in proximity to the seat. [00015] Moreover, all the vehicles are provided with a pillion-handle that is used by the pillion rider to get support. This pillion-handle is also provided in the vicinity of the seat at the rear portion. In the art, pillion-handles have a lateral member that is protruded upwards. This causes discomfort when the vehicle is in motion or when the vehicle goes through non uniform or bad roads, which makes the pillion rider to move towards the lateral member thereby causing bruises or other injuries to the pillion rider. Additionally, the central member of the pillion-handle may cause obstruction during fuel filling as it would come in the way for the fuel supply nozzle unless the length of the vehicle is increased. Some fuel tank openings are provided FICE CHENNAI 29/03/2019 14- on
at a rear portion of the vehicle, which is downwards or at an inclination to avoid aforementioned problems. Generally, in the vicinity of the fuel tank opening there is a possibility of fuel spillage that tends to flow on to the tail lamp which is below the fuel tank opening/cover. This spilled fuel collects dirt or mud at the spilled region covering the tail lamp region thereby reducing the visibility of the tail lamp. Moreover, the conventional fuel lid may come in contact with pillion rider or with the goods mounted at the pillion position which is undesired as the fuel lid has accumulated fuel. Moreover, the fuel lid may cause corrosion/discoloration of the seat or the pillion-handle when it comes in contact, which affects the aesthetics of the vehicle and may also reduce life of the corresponding part. This is a cause of safety concern as the rider coming behind the vehicle cannot know the riding condition of the vehicle clearly. Moreover, the prior art rear structure enclosing the fuel tank and the fuel tank lid offers poor aesthetics due to downward inclination of the fuel tank cover.
[00016] Also, some pillion-handles extend rearward beyond a rear panel assembly of the vehicle. This makes the pillion-handle to be difficult to grab by the pillion rider. Also, the pillion-handle made of rigid material may come in contact with the person/ object placed in the vicinity of the vehicle. Moreover, some vehicles are provided with a split type pillion-handle that is extending in a rearward direction beyond the rear panel assembly. This type of split pillion-handles is a safety concern as the pillion-handle may have sharp ends/edges and can get in contact with sensitive objects or with persons standing close to the rear portion of the vehicle causing damage due to the split design.
[00017] Therefore, there is a need for providing a rear structure for a motor vehicle that addresses the aforementioned and the other problems in the prior art. [00018] Thus, the present subject matter provides a rear structure for a motor vehicle that addresses the aforementioned and other problems in the prior and thereby providing improved rear structure.
[00019] The rear structure includes a rear cover assembly formed by plurality of panels. Further, the rear structure includes a storage unit, which is secured to a body
frame of the vehicle. A storage unit capable of containing gasoline or a power source therein.
[00020] The rear cover assembly includes one or more side panels that extend downward from a down portion of the seat assembly substantially extending on lateral sides between the floorboard and the rear portion of the vehicle. It is a feature of the present subject matter that the rear cover assembly includes a central member which accommodates an input portion for the storage unit.
[00021] It is a feature of the present subject matter that the rear structure includes a sub-frame supporting the side panels, a utility box, a seat assembly, a pillion-handle, and also a central member of the rear cover assembly. [00022] It is a feature of the present subject matter that the pillion-handle is extending rearward from a rear portion of the seat assembly. The pillion-handle includes a first arm member, a second arm member, a connecting member, and one or more mounting portion(s). The first arm member and the second arm member are spaced apart in a lateral direction and are disposed at an inclination with respect to the central member of rear cover assembly.
[00023] It is another feature of the present subject matter that the pillion-handle is secured to the sub-frame through one or more mounting portion(s). The mounting portion(s) of the pillion-handle are disposed in a straight line in a lateral direction, wherein the connecting member is substantially disposed at an inclination from the height of the mounting portion(s). Further, the connecting member is extending in lateral direction in a curved manner.
[00024] The first arm member and the second arm member are secured to the connecting member at a portion at which the central member is connected to the mounting portion(s). The connecting member having a curved profile is disposed substantially below a rear end portion of the seat assembly whereby the connecting member does not interfere with the seat assembly especially during seat closing condition.
[00025] Further feature being the connecting member is substantially abutting a rear end portion of the utility box and includes an anti-theft extension portion
extending downward from a bottom portion thereof, wherein the anti-theft OFFICE C H E N N AI 2 3 A) 3 / 2 G 1 3 U' fell
extension portion seals any gap at rear portion thereby avoiding any possibility of theft through tampering of seat latch.
[00026] It is another aspect of the present subject matter that the connecting member is made of a rigid material like metal thereby offering load sharing between the mounting portion(s) therethrough and the rigid pillion-handle securely protects the gap at a rear portion below the seat.
[00027] It is another feature of the present subject matter that the first arm member and the second arm member are disposed such that a rear end portion thereof is substantially inward in vehicle longitudinal direction with respect to a rear end portion of the rear cover assembly. It is an advantage that the pill ion-handle does not come in contact with sensitive objects or persons behind the vehicle. [00028] It is a feature that the first arm member and the second arm member are having a tapering profile when moving towards rear portion. This offers the advantage of wider contact area with the connecting member/mounting portion(s) and tapering width for the user to grab the pillion-handle.
[00029] It is yet another feature of the present subject matter that, when viewed from top/ plan view, the pillion-handle substantially overlaps with the rear cover assembly of the vehicle. This implies that the pillion-handle is substantially within the outer periphery defined by the rear cover assembly thereby keeping the first arm member and the second arm member within the vehicle layout. [00030] It is yet another feature that the first arm member and the second arm . member define a gap therebetween, wherein the gap is higher in proximity to the seat assembly and the gap is reducing when moving away from the seat assembly in the rear direction aligning to profile of the rear cover assembly. [00031] It is yet another feature that the first arm member and the second arm member are provided with maximum thickness at the connecting portion between the members and the connecting member thereby providing rigid structure that can withstand cantilever effect acting on the members.
[00032] It is a feature that the rear structure includes a storage unit comprising a
body portion and a neck portion, wherein the neck portion extends from the body
, --portion towards .the .input portion having an end secured to the central member. In
a first embodiment, the storage unit is a fuel tank having inlet passage through the neck portion and the input portion forming an inlet to the fuel tank. In a second embodiment, the storage unit is power source accommodating portion or a power source casing and the neck portion guides electrical connection from the input portion to the power source. The input portion of storage unit enables charging of the power source from an external source.
[00033] It is a feature that the rear structure provides a substantial gap between the fuel tank and the tail lamp so as to avoid any immediate impact on the fuel tank during any impact from any rear portion.
[00034] It an additional feature of the present subject matter that the seat assembly is having an upper profile disposed at a seat inclination and the first arm member and the second arm member of the pillion-handle are disposed at a handle inclination, wherein the seat inclination and the handle inclination are substantially parallel. It is another aspect that a vertical offset is provided between the seat inclination and the handle inclination, and the seat inclination is upward at a vertical reference. Thus, a pillion rider even when moves rearward due to the seating requirement or any other reasons, the pillion-handle does not interfere directly with the body of the pillion rider till a certain length.
[00035] Further, the rear structure comprising the central member, supporting the input portion, is extending inclinedly rearward and is disposed at a panel inclination. The panel inclination is at an angle with respect to an imaginary horizontal line. The central member disposed at the inclination avoids any fuel that has spilled from flowing rearward towards the tail lamp. In an embodiment, a fuel collector portion or a fuel absorbent material may be provided in the vicinity for collecting any fuel that spills near the fuel filler lid.
[00036] It is yet an additional feature that the input portion, in a first embodiment, is having a fuel filler lid that is hinged at a portion away from the rear portion of the seat.
[00037] It is a feature that the input portion is having a circular inner profile and
the fuel filler lid is hinged through a hinge portion on a circumference region of the
FiSputtpo%orTcbVermg,'at3leTast an angle'b'eirTg less than 6r equattto 270.degrees. The
angle is formed by covering an angle of 135 degrees on either sides from a central line from rear side.
[00038] In one embodiment, the fuel filler lid opens towards the side without interfering with the seat assembly or without affecting the length of the vehicle. Thus the distance between the fuel tank cap to the seat/ connecting member of the pillion-handle is lesser than or equal to the radius of the fuel filler lid. This enables the input portion of the storage unit to be placed near to the seat assembly making the vehicle compact.
[00039J It is an additional advantage that the fuel filler lid even in an open condition does not interference with pillion rider while still sitting on vehicle. Also, discoloration of the vehicle panels or the pillion-handle is also avoided. [00040] In case of the fuel cap opening disposed toward the right, the scooter has the side stand placed on the left side. This makes the vehicles inclined towards the left when the vehicle rests on the side stand. While refueling the resulting opening to the fuel tank aids the fuel filler nozzle into the fuel tank opening with more ease. [00041] The lock to open the fuel tank cap is placed on the same panel which has the opening to accommodate the fuel tank. This makes the actuator mechanism which opens the fuel tank cap simple as the distance between the actuator and the fuel cap reduces.
[00042] The aforementioned and other advantages of the present subject matter would be described in detail in conjunction with the figures in the following description.
[00043] Arrows wherever provided in the top right comer of figure(s) in the drawings depicts direction with respect to the vehicle, wherein an arrow F denotes front direction, an arrow R indicates rear direction, an arrow Up denotes upward direction, an arrow Dw denotes downward direction, an arrow RH denotes right side, and an arrow LH denotes left side.
[00044] Fig. 1 shows a left side view of an exemplary motor vehicle. The vehicle
100 has a body frame 105 made up of several tubes welded together that usually
supports various parts of the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 has a steerable front
) FwEeeUlOl an3 aidrivehi rear wheeftl-fe The bbayfiframe 10'5 o^hfe)vehicle is an
elongated structure, which typically extends from a front portion to a rear portion of the vehicle 100. In a step-through type motor vehicle, it is generally convex in shape, as viewed from a side inclination view. The body frame 105 includes a head tube 104, a main frame 111 and also may have a sub-frame. The sub-frame is attached to the main frame 111 using appropriate joining mechanism. The body frame 105 is covered by a plurality of vehicle body covers including a front panel 103, a foot guard 113, and a rear structure 200 shown in Fig 2. [00045] A handlebar assembly 109 and a seat assembly 116 are supported by the body frame 105 and an open area is defined therebetween known as a floorboard 108, which functions as a step through space. The seat assembly 116 includes a driver seat and a pillion seat placed rearward of floorboard 108 in the stated order. A front fender 107 is provided above the front wheel 101 to avoid the vehicle 100 and its ancillary parts from being splashed with mud. Likewise, a rear fender 112 is provided covering at least a portion of the rear wheel 102, and to the outer side in the radial direction of rear wheel 102. Rear fender 112 inhibits rain water or the like from being thrown up by rear wheel 102 towards the power unit 120. A front cover assembly 115 is disposed rearwardly to the floorboard 108. [00028] Suspensions are provided for comfortable riding of the vehicle on the road. A front suspension assembly is connected to a front fork 118. The rear suspension assembly comprises of at least one rear suspension 117 preferably on the left side of the vehicle. A single rear suspension may also be provided at the center or at an offset from the center. A vehicle with two rear suspensions, namely a left side suspension and a right side suspension is also possible. For the safety of the user and in conformance with the safety rules, a headlamp assembly 110 in the front portion of the vehicle and a tail lamp 114 in the rear portion of the vehicle is also provided.
[00029] Fig. 2 illustrates a rear perspective view of the motor vehicle depicting the rear structure, in accordance with the embodiment of Fig. 1. The rear structure 200 includes a rear cover assembly 216 formed by plurality of panels. In the present embodiment, the rear cover assembly 216 includes a pair of side panels 201, 208 J F(shown m Fig. H)3hat
a,fuel tfiller/lid @lfl)3s hinged through a hinge
portion on a circumference region of said input portion (204) covering at least an angle (a), said angle (a) is less than or equal to 270 degrees, and said hinge portion is provided within an angle of 135 degrees from a rear lateral centre (C-C) of a central member (205).
9. The motor vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said input portion (204) is disposed between a region defined between inward rear end portion (IE) of said pair of arm member(s) (209, 210), taken in longitudinal direction (F-R), when viewed in plan view of said vehicle (100), and said pair of arm member(s) (209, 210) are having a tapering thickness in a rearward direction.
10. The motor vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rear structure (200) defines a space (S) formed between an inward rear end portion (IE), and an inward side edge (240) of each of a first arm member (209) and a second arm member (210) forming said pair of arm member(s) (209, 210).
11. The motor vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein said at least one connecting member (217) is configured to abut a rear end portion of a utility box (220) and said at least one connecting member (217) includes an anti-theft extension portion extending downward from a bottom portion thereof.
12. The motor vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said storage unit (218) includes a power source capable of providing electrical energy and said input portion (204) is configured to enable charging of said power source from an external source.
13. The motor vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pair of arm(s) (209, 210) extending rearward are extending in an inward lateral direction (RH-LH) and said pillion-handle (203) is accommodated substantially inward with respect to an outer periphery (235) of the rear cover assembly (216), when viewed in a vehicle plan view.
14. The motor vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said input portion (204) is disposed at a first distance, in a longitudinal direction (F-R) from a connecting member (217) of said pillion-handle (203), and said first distance is less than or equal to a radius of a fuel filler lid (211) of said input portion (204).
15. The motor vehicle (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein said connecting member
(217) is substantially overlapped by a seat assembly (116) of said motor vehicle
(100) when viewed in a plan view of said motor vehicle (100).
Dated this 28th day of March 2019 ^.