Claims:I/We claim:
1. A saddle-ride type motorcycle (100) comprising:
a rear output structure (201) extending rearwardly towards a vehicle rear, said rear output structure (201) is disposed at a close proximity to a rear wheel (105);
a swing arm (113) attached to said rear wheel (105); and
a protective structure (202) disposed in a semi-circle (206) disposed above a central axis (XY), an upper portion (205) of said protective structure (202) is disposed in said semi-circle (206) and said upper portion (205) is extending upwardly and rearwardly towards said rear wheel (105), said upper portion (205) disposed adjoiningly to said rear output structure (201), said rear output structure (201) occupies rest of the space in said semi-circle (206).
2. The saddle-ride type motorcycle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said protective structure (202) includes at least an arm of a pair of arm (202k) disposed adjoiningly to said rear output structure (201).
3. The saddle-ride type motorcycle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said protective structure (202) includes a primary attaching portion (202m) configured to be attached to at least a portion of said swing arm (113), a distal end (202d) disposed away from said primary attaching portion (202m), and said least a pair of arms (202k) joined by said distal end (202d).
4. The saddle-ride type motorcycle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said protective structure (202) is juxtaposed with at least a portion of the rear wheel (105) and with a disc brake (204) mounted to said rear wheel (105) when viewed from the side view.
5. The saddle-ride type motorcycle (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein said primary attaching portion (202m) is attached to at least an end portion (113a) of the swing arm (13) through a mounting member (203).
6. The saddle-ride type motorcycle (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said protective structure (202) is disposed in an upper half portion (Up) of the rear wheel (105).
7. A protective structure (202) for a saddle-ride type motorcycle (100) comprising:
at least one primary attaching portion (202m);
a distal end (202d) disposed away from the attaching portion (202m);
at least a pair of arms (202k) joining between the at least one primary attaching portion (202m) and the distal end (202d); and
one or more supporting members (202s) disposed between the pair of arms (202k) and between the at least one primary attaching portion (202m) and the distal end (202d).
8. The protective structure (202) as claimed in claim 7, wherein said protective structure (202) comprises a secondary attaching portion (202b), the secondary attaching portion (202b) and the at least one primary attaching portion (202b) forms a three-point mounting scheme for the protective structure (202) with the swing arm (113).
9. A mounting member (203) for a protective structure (202) of a saddle-ride type motorcycle (100) comprising:
open-ended hands (302) configured to be attached to an attaching portion (202m) of the protective structure (202); and
a closed end (303) connecting between other sides of the open-ended hands (302).
10. A saddle-ride type motorcycle (100) comprising:
a rear output structure (201) extending rearwardly towards a vehicle rear, said rear output structure (201) is disposed at a close proximity to a rear wheel (105);
a swing arm (113) attached to said rear wheel (105); and
a protective structure (202) configured to form a substantially quadrilateral shape formed by edges (Q1-Q2-Q3-Q4), which substantially overlaps a center axis of a rear wheel (105) of said motorcycle (100).
11. The saddle-ride type motorcycle (100) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the edges (Q1-Q2-Q3-Q4) of the protective structure (202) includes a bottom most edge substantially parallel to the horizontal axis (XY) and a forward most edge at a predetermined horizontal distance (Hf) from a vertical plane (Z) in a direction towards the vehicle front side.
12. The saddle-ride type motorcycle (100) as claimed in claim 10, wherein the edges (Q1-Q2-Q3-Q4) of the protective structure (202) includes a longitudinal rearmost edge disposed at a predetermined horizontal distance (Hr) from the vertical plane (Z) in a direction towards the vehicle rear side.
13. The saddle-ride type motorcycle (100) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the predetermined horizontal distance (Hf) and the predetermined horizontal distance (Hr) are disposed substantially at a predetermined ratio ranging between 0.3 to 0.7.
14. The saddle-ride type motorcycle (100) as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein the edges (Q1-Q2-Q3-Q4) of the protective structure (202) includes a topmost edge disposed at a predetermined vertical distance (Vt) from the horizontal axis (XY), said bottommost edge disposed at a predetermined vertical distance (Vb) from said horizontal axis (XY).
15. The saddle-ride type motorcycle (100) as claimed in claim 14, wherein the predetermined vertical distance (Vb) and the predetermined vertical distance (Vt) are disposed substantially at a predetermined ratio ranging between 0.3 to 0.5.
, Description:TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a straddle type motorcycle and more particularly but not exclusively to a protective structure of the saddle-ride type motorcycle.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Generally, a saddle-ride type motorcycle comprises a plurality of components providing safety to the rider while riding the vehicle. The plurality of components includes the headlamp assembly, the tail lamp assembly, the grab rail, the turn signal lamps and other safety devices like an protective structure. As a homologation requirement, the protective structure is provided on a left side of the vehicle towards a rear of the vehicle, such that the protective structure covers most portion of the rear wheel. While the pillion rider is taking a ride on the vehicle, the apparels of the pillion rider are guarded by the protective structure from getting stuck with the rear wheel, thereby preventing fatal accidents.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] The above and other features, aspects and advantages of the subject matter will be better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims and accompanying drawings where:
[0004] Fig. 1 illustrates a side view of a saddle-ride type vehicle, for example, a motorcycle according to an embodiment.
[0005] Figure 2 illustrates an assembly of the rear portion of the saddle-ride type motorcycle.
[0006] Figure 3 illustrates an exploded view of the protective structure with the swing arm.
[0007] Figure 4 illustrates a side view of the protective structure.
[0008] Figure 5 illustrates a side view of a rear portion of the protective structure.
[0009] Figure 6a illustrates a side view of the mounting member.
[00010] Figure 6(b) illustrates a side view of a rear portion of the mounting member.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[00011] In a conventional saddle-ride type motorcycle, the protective structure provided covers most of the portion between a pillion seat and until upper half portion of the rear wheel. This conventional protective structure covers a larger surface area, because of which, the protective structure is bigger. The bigger protective structure has to be sufficiently supported on the vehicle at various portions in order to provide stability to the protective structure. Further, the mounting members that are used to support the protective structure at various portions have to be structurally stable and this structural stability is provided by mounting members made up of metal. Further, to provide a sturdy protective structure that can withstand vibrations transmitted from the vehicle, the protective structure is made of metal material. The metallic protective structure that is bigger is heavier and adds to the overall weight of the vehicle, undesirable disposition of the centre of gravity of the structure being away from the vehicle center of mass which in turn affects the vehicle performance and vehicle handling. Furthermore, the metallic protective structure and plurality of metallic mounting members increases the cost.
[00012] Generally, a protective structure is required to be provided on both sides of the rear wheel to enhance the safety of the pillion rider when he/she sits as a pillion, there is chance of his/her clothes getting caught in disc of a disc brake or wheel which may be disposed on the either side of the rear wheel. Typically, the protection is provided on the left side of the rear wheel alone which leaves the right side vulnerable since during usage the pillion rider may either sit in a saddle orientation from either side or sit with both legs disposed only on one side. Replicating the protection from left side to right side is not preferred owing to the adverse impact of the lateral width of the vehicle, which tends to increase abnormally especially with the muffler & exhaust system disposed on the same side. Additionally, any parts protruding outside, increases the risk of accident with potential impact with oncoming traffic vehicles, obstacles etc. Such a design can also lead to frequent damage or breakage of the protective cover even in case of minor impacts which is undesirable from maintenance cost point of view of the vehicle. The farther the protective structure is from the vehicle centre plane as seen from plan view of the vehicle, the less stable is the structure & prone to vibrations, fluttering & its related failures. Thus, there is a need to provide a compact & effective protection especially on the opposite side of the conventional side i.e. left side of the rear wheel, which overcomes one or more of the problems of the known art.
[00013] Therefore, according to the present invention, a protective structure that is structurally stable, includes lightweight, and that provides required protection to the apparels of the pillion rider on either side for either type of seating from the pillion rider.
[00014] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the protection provided by the protective structure includes the disc of the disc brake and upper half portion of the rear wheel.
[00015] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a saddle-ride type motorcycle includes a vehicle frame assembly comprising a pair of rear frames extending rearwardly towards a vehicle rear. The pair of rear frames support a seat assembly including a rider seat and a pillion rider seat. The vehicle includes a rear output structure comprising a muffler extending rearwardly towards a vehicle rear, the rear output structure is disposed at a proximity to a rear wheel that is disposed below the pillion seat. The rear output structure in the vehicle is preferably disposed on the right side of the vehicle. The rear wheel is provided with a disc brake system disposed preferably in the right side of the rear wheel. Further, as a safety requirement, to provide safety to the apparels of the pillion rider, a protective structure is preferably disposed on the right side of the vehicle. As per an embodiment, the protective structure is disposed below the muffler body of the rear output structure, such that the most vulnerable portion of the disc brake is attached to a wheel axle of the rear wheel is covered. As per the present subject matter, the vulnerable portion is defined as the portion as viewed in the lateral direction which is encompassed by the wheel well arc on the top side & by a horizontal plane passing through the axis of the rear wheel. The protective structure is laterally disposed within the sideward boundary of the muffler body thereby ensuring compact width of the vehicle, centre-of-gravity of the structure being close to the vehicle centre of mass & it stays well protected by the muffler from any external impacts, such as, collision with other vehicles on the road, encounter with the rough surface of the road and the like.
[00016] Further, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the protective structure is attached to a swing arm attached to the rear wheel. The swing arm being a structural member, provides stability to the protective structure. The mounting between the attaching portion of the protective structure and the swing arm is also stable.
[00017] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the protective structure includes an attaching portion, a distal end disposed away from the attaching portion, at least a pair of arms joining between the attaching portion and the distal end. In other words, the distal end joins the ends of the pair of arms. Further, the protective structure includes one or more supporting members disposed between the pair of rear arms and between the attaching portion and the distal end. The attaching portion of the protective structure is configured to be attached to at least a portion of said swing arm, the distal end is a free end and does not include any attaching portions.
[00018] The one or more supporting members provide required structural strength and stability to the protective structure, because of which, the protective structure according to the present invention requires least number of mountings. Further, the protective structure is preferably made of resin material. The protective structure is lighter in weight comparatively and the manufacturing cost is reduced, which amounts to cost reduction of the system & the vehicle as a whole. Furthermore, due to reduced number of mountings, the weight added to the vehicle is reduced, which improves vehicle performance and vehicle handling. Furthermore, due to one or more supporting members, the fluttering of the protective structure is prevented, which also remains immune from unwanted vibrations transmitted by the vehicle during vehicle running condition. The prevention of unwanted fluttering prevents loosening of the mountings used to attach the protective structure, which keeps the protective structure in place as desired during the assembly. This way, the reliable operation of the protective structure is achieved.
[00019] According to an embodiment of the present invention, one of the arms of said pair of arms is disposed at a close proximity to said rear output structure and in particular, one of the arms of the pair of arms is disposed below the rear output structure.
[00020] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the protective structure is juxtaposed with at least a portion of the rear wheel and with the disc brake of the rear wheel when viewed from the side view & in the vulnerable portion of the vehicle as seen in the side view.
[00021] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the protective structure is mounted to the swing arm through the mounting portion. The mounting portion and end portions of the swing arm are attached through a mounting member. The mounting member according to the present embodiment is a ‘C’ shaped structure, including open-ended hands configured to be attached to the attaching portion of the swing arm and a closed end joining other side of the open-ended hands. The mounting member is preferably made of a material from a group of metals including steel, cast iron, and alloys.
[00022] These and other advantages of the present subject matter would be described in greater detail in conjunction with the figures & an embodiment of a two wheeled vehicle in the following description.
[00023] Fig. 1 illustrates a side view of a saddle-ride type vehicle, for example, a motorcycle according to an embodiment. The motorcycle (100) according to an embodiment includes a front wheel (104) steered by a handlebar (108) and a rear wheel (105) supported by a swing arm (113). Steering assembly parts including the handlebar (108) and the front wheel (104) are supported for pivotal steering operation on a head pipe (not shown) at the front end of the vehicle body frame (102). The vehicle body frame (102) also includes a rear body frame (103). A rider seat (109) for a rider and a seat for a pillion rider (110) are placed rearward to a fuel tank (116). An engine assembly (101) is disposed below the fuel tank (116). A front fender (115) is provided above the front wheel (104) to avoid the said motorcycle (100) and its occupants from being splashed with mud. Likewise, a rear fender (114) is placed above the rear wheel (105), and to the outer side in the radial direction of rear wheel (105). The rear fender (114) inhibits rainwater or the like from being thrown up by rear wheel (105).
[00024] The swing arm (113) along with a rear suspension assembly (107) is supported at a rear portion thereof for pivotal motion and upward and downward rocking motion on the rear side of a lower portion of the vehicle body frame (102). A front suspension assembly (106) including a pair of front forks for providing better ride comfort to the rider is provided in two-wheeled motorcycle (100). In general terms, the shock absorbers help cushion vehicles on uneven roads. In the two-wheeled motorcycle, shock absorbers reduce the effect of travelling over rough ground, leading to improved ride quality and vehicle handling. The motorcycle (100) further comprises of a headlamp (111), a tail lamp assembly (112) and at least two turn signal lamps.
[00025] Figure 2 illustrates an assembly of the rear portion of the saddle-ride type motorcycle. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the rear portion of the saddle-ride type motorcycle includes the rear wheel (105), the rear output structure (201), the swing arm (113) extending rearwardly and getting connected to the centre of the rear wheel (105), and a protective structure (202) attached to at least a portion of the swing arm (113) through at least one mounting member (203). The protective structure (202) is disposed below the rear output structure (201) such that the protective structure (202) is protected by the rear output structure (201) from upward direction and from sideways as well as it adequately encompasses the vulnerable portion of the wheel. The rear output structure (201) protects the protective structure (202) from any external impacts whenever the motorcycle encounters with other vehicles during collision or with the rough surface of the road that may occur whenever the vehicle falls down. Further, the protective structure (202) covers most portion of the upper half portion (Up) of the rear wheel (105), so that, whenever the pillion rider is seated on the pillion seat, his/her apparels are guarded from reaching the rotating rear wheel or from getting stuck into the disc brake. Furthermore, since, the protective structure (202) is mounted to the swing arm (113), the swing arm (113) provides necessary stability to the protective structure. Meaning, any unnecessary vibrations are prevented from transmitting from the swing arm (113) to the protective structure (202). Furthermore, since the protective structure (202) includes only one mounting with the swing arm (113), the weight of the mountings and the protective structure (202) is reduced, which also reduces the overall weight of the motorcycle.
[00026] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the protective structure (202) is disposed in a semi-circle (206) formed about the upper half portion (Up) of the rear wheel, which is disposed above a central plane (XY). At least a substantial portion of the protective structure (202) is disposed in a semi-circle (206). Further, an upper portion (205) of the protective structure (202) is disposed in the semi-circle (206) and said upper portion (205) is extending upwardly and rearwardly towards said rear wheel (105), such that the protective structure (202) covers substantial vulnerable portion of the rear wheel above the central axis (XY). Furthermore, the protective structure includes at least an arm of a pair of arm (202k) that is disposed adjoiningly to said rear output structure (201). The protective structure (202) is disposed in the compact space available between the central axis (XY) and the rear output structure. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the rear output structure (201) occupies rest of the space in said semi-circle (206).
[00027] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the rear output structure (201) is an exhaust system of the two or three wheeled vehicles.
[00028] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the semi-circle (206) includes at least a portion of the rear wheel (105)
[00029] Figure 3 illustrates an exploded view of the protective structure with the swing arm. The protective structure (202) includes at least one attaching portion (202m), for example, a primary attaching portion (202m), which is configured to be attached to at least a portion of the swing arm (113). The primary attaching portion (202m) includes receiving- slots (202a) that are configured to receive the at least one mounting member (203). The receiving slots (202a) guide the mounting member (203) during assembly of the mounting member (203) with the receiving slots (202a). This saves the assembly time and results in proper assembly in required position of the mounting member (203) with the protective structure (202). Furthermore, the protective structure (202), in an alternative embodiment, also includes an extended portion (202b), which acts as a secondary attaching portion (202b), which provides additional support to the protective structure (202) while mounted with the swing arm (113). For instance, the primary attaching portion (202m) and the secondary attaching portion (202b) forms a three-point mounting scheme for the protective structure (202) with the swing arm (113), which ensures that the protective structure (202) is firmly attached to the vehicle. Further, even when the protective structure (202) is made of a material such as resin material like plastic, the load bearing ability of the protective structure is not compensated. The protective structure (202) of the present invention is such that, it can be mounted to the swing arm (113) only by means of the primary attaching portion (202m), and the extended portion of the secondary attaching portion (202b) is provided as an additional support as per another embodiment.
[00030] Figure 4 illustrates a side view of the protective structure. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the protective structure (202) includes a primary attaching portion (202m), a distal end (202d) disposed away from the primary attaching portion (202m), at least a pair of arms (202k) joining between the primary attaching portion (202m) and the distal end (202d). Further, the protective structure (202) includes one or more supporting members (202s) disposed between the pair of arms (202k) and between the primary attaching portion (202m) and the distal end (202d). The primary attaching portion (202m) of the protective structure (202) is configured to be attached to at least a portion of said swing arm (not shown), the distal end (202d) is a free end and does not include any attaching portions. As per an aspect of the present subject matter, the profile of the protective structure (202) is so configured that it forms a substantially quadrilateral shape formed by edges Q1-Q2-Q3-Q4, which substantially overlaps the rear wheel center axis. Also, as per an aspect of the present subject matter, the rear mounting of the protective structure (202) is disposed substantially in close vicinity to the wheel axis & the front mounting is disposed substantially ahead of the wheel axis. To achieve good stability & rigidity of the structure & its purpose, it is configured to have a substantially open loop construction ahead of the vertical plane Z (shown in Fig 2) & a substantially closed loop formation behind the plane Z comprising support arms in the rearward portion. This enables a stable & rigid construction of the protective structure. As per an embodiment, the quadrilateral is so disposed so as to have its bottom most edge substantially parallel to the horizontal axis XY & its forward most end where the front mounting, i.e., the secondary attaching portion (202b) is disposed, is at a predetermined horizontal distance (Hf) (shown in Fig 2) from the vertical plane Z in a direction towards the vehicle front side. The longitudinal rearmost edge of the quadrilateral (Q1-Q2-Q3-Q4) is disposed at a predetermined horizontal distance (Hr) (shown in Fig 2) from the vertical plane Z in a direction towards the vehicle rear side.
[00031] As per an embodiment of the present subject matter, the ratio of Hf: Hr is in the range of 0.3 to 0.7. As per another aspect of the present subject matter, the topmost edge of the quadrilateral is disposed at a predetermined vertical distance 205 (Vt) (shown in Fig 2) from the horizontal axis XY & the bottommost edge is disposed at a vertical predetermined distance (Vb) from the horizontal axis XY. As per an embodiment, the ratio of Vb: Vt is in the range of 0.3 to 0.5. Such a construction of the protective structure (202) enables to overcome the structural failure of the protective structure (202). Further, it also provides an effective mounting with the swing arm (113) without altering the basic characteristics of the swing arm (113). Further, such a protective structure (202) also ensures that less design modifications are done to the structure of the swing arm (113).
[00032] The one or more supporting members (202s) provide required structural strength and stability to the protective structure (202), because of which, the protective structure (202) according to the present invention requires least number of mountings. Further, the protective structure (202) is preferably made of resin material. The protective structure (202) is lighter in weight comparatively and the manufacturing cost is reduced, which amounts to cost reduction to the user. Furthermore, due to reduced number of mountings, the weight added to the vehicle is reduced, which improves vehicle performance and vehicle handling. Furthermore, due to one or more supporting members, the fluttering of the protective structure is prevented, which also remains immune from unwanted vibrations transmitted by the vehicle during vehicle running condition. The prevention of unwanted fluttering does not loosen the mountings used to attach the protective structure, which keeps the protective structure in place as assembled during the assembly. This way, the reliable operation of the protective structure (202) is achieved.
[00033] Figure 5 illustrates a side view of a rear portion of the protective structure. The protective structure (202) includes plurality of flanges (301) that are provided throughout the peripheral region of the protective structure and around the one or more supporting members. The flanges (301) provide strength and stability to the protective structure (202), which also prevents flexing and bending of the protective structure, thereby preventing easy breakage of the protective structure (202).
[00034] Figure 6a illustrates a side view of the mounting member. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the mounting portion (not shown) of the protective structure and end portions of the swing arm are attached through a mounting member (203). The mounting member (203) according to the present embodiment is a ‘C’ shaped structure, including open-ended hands (302) configured to be attached to the attaching portion of the swing arm and a closed end (303) joining other side of the open-ended hands (302). The mounting member (203) is preferably made of a material from a group of metals including steel, cast iron, and alloys. Figure 6(b) illustrates a side view of a rear portion of the mounting member. The mounting member (203) includes an abutting portion (304) configured to abut against at least a portion of the swing arm (113).
[00035] Although the subject matter has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternate embodiments of the subject matter, will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description of the subject matter. It is therefore contemplated that such modifications can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present subject matter as defined.