Description:TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present subject matter relates generally to a vehicle having an air-fuel supply system, and more particularly but not exclusively to a vehicle having an air-fuel supply system.
BACKGROUND

5 [0002] Generally, a vehicle comprises of a frame extending rearwardly from a head tube. The frame acts as a skeleton and a structural member for the vehicle that supports the vehicle loads. An engine that drives the vehicle is situated at a suitable position on the frame within the vehicle. At least one front wheel is connected to a front portion of the frame through one or more front suspension (also referred to as
10 shock absorber/suspensions). The frame extends towards a rear portion of the vehicle. At least one rear wheel is connected to a frame through one or more rear suspension. The frame comprises of an engine assembly coupled to it. The engine assembly is functionally connected to the rear wheel, which provides forward motion to the vehicle.
15 [0003] These vehicles incorporating the internal combustion engine are powered by gasoline. Typically, a two-wheeled vehicle is operated through an engine assembly which is horizontally coupled to the rear end of the frame and a fuel tank disposed between the rear portions of the pair of the side tubes. Air fuel mixture is supplied to the engine assembly by means of a carburetor. Thereafter combustion
20 of the air fuel mixture takes place so that a piston disposed in the engine assembly is set into motion. There are a plurality of other systems and subsystems within the vehicle because of which it is essential to maximize the utilization of space available within the vehicle.
[0004] For improved performance and efficiency, it is desirable to have the air
25 cleaner at a place where the air intake volume is higher. Further, the air filter within the air cleaner needs to be replaced periodically. Therefore, it is desirable to have an air cleaner that intakes greater volume without affecting the ergonomics and other performance parameters of the vehicle while ensuring convenience is serviceability and maintenance.

SUMMARY

[0005] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features
5 described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.
[0006] An aspect of the present disclosure pertains to a vehicle comprising a frame with an air cleaner. The frame being comprised of a main tube extending rearward from a portion of a head tube and a down tube that extends rearwardly downward
10 from the head tube. A fuel tank is mounted on the frame. A seat is disposed behind the fuel tank and the seat is supported by a shock absorber. The air cleaner is mounted below the seat wherein the air cleaner being positioned rearwardly to the fuel tank and above the shock absorber.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

15 [0007] The detailed description of the present subject matter is described with reference to the accompanying figures. Same numbers are used throughout the drawings to reference like features and components. The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and
20 thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein,
[0008] Fig. 1 illustrates a left side view of an exemplary two-wheeled vehicle 200, comprising an engine assembly 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
[0009] Fig. 2 depicts a left side view of an exemplary air cleaner 210 mounted
25 onto the frame 201 of the two-wheeler vehicle 200 in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
[00010] Fig. 3 is a side view 200 that illustrates position of the air cleaner 210 mounted onto the frame 201 of the two-wheeler vehicle 200 in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.

[00011] Fig. 4 is a top view of the air cleaner 210 mounted onto the frame 201 of the vehicle 200 in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter. [00012] Fig. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the air cleaner 210 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
5 [00013] Fig. 6 is a side view 200 that illustrates position of the air cleaner mounted onto the frame 201 of the two-wheeler vehicle 200 above a suspension 214 in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[00014] The present disclosure may be best understood with reference to the
10 detailed figures and description set forth herein. Various embodiments are discussed below with reference to the figures. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed descriptions given herein with respect to the figures are simply for explanatory purposes as the methods and systems may extend beyond the described embodiments. For example, the teachings presented
15 and the needs of a particular application may yield multiple alternative and suitable approaches to implement the functionality of any detail described herein. Therefore, any approach may extend beyond the particular implementation choices in the following embodiments described and shown.
[00015] References to “one embodiment,” “at least one embodiment,” “an
20 embodiment,” “one example,” “an example,” “for example,” and so on indicate that the embodiment(s) or example(s) may include a particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation but that not every embodiment or example necessarily includes that particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation. Further, repeated use of the phrase “in an
25 embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.
[00016] The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with different embodiments. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather those embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be
30 thorough and complete, and fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[00017] Typically, in a two-wheeled vehicle, the engine assembly is mounted to the body frame or is swingably connected to the frame. The engine assembly is provided with an air supply system and a fuel supply system that supply air-fuel mixture from an air filter and a fuel tank respectively. Combustion of air-fuel
5 mixture takes place in a cylinder portion of the engine assembly. The combustion process either in two-stroke or four-stroke engine creates reciprocating motion of a piston disposed therein. The reciprocating motion of the piston is converted into rotary motion of the crankshaft thereby generating desired power/torque that gets transmitted to at least one wheel of the vehicle.
10 [00018] Typically, a two-wheeled vehicle is operated through an engine assembly which is horizontally coupled to the rear end of the frame and a fuel tank disposed between the rear portions of the pair of the side tubes. Air fuel mixture is supplied to the engine assembly by means of a carburetor. Air to the carburetor is provided by an intake manifold Thereafter combustion of the air fuel mixture takes place so
15 that a piston disposed in the engine assembly is set into motion. The piston is operated in a linear motion, after which said liner motion is converted to a rotational motion, wherein said rotational motion is transferred to the rear wheel finally resulting into motion of the vehicle. This mechanism also results in generation of power and torque by the engine assembly. There are a plurality of
20 other systems and subsystems within the vehicle because of which it is essential to maximize the utilization of space available within the vehicle.
[00019] Conventionally, the seat height is increased for greater air intake volume. However, raising the seat height affects the vehicle dynamics and the ancillary parts of the vehicle must be styled and redesigned to accommodate the increased
25 seat height. In addition, increased seat height would raise the overall vehicle height making it difficult for some riders. Further, this would bring about vehicle styling, interface parts design & layout constraints. Therefore, it is an object of the invention to increase the air intake for combustion without changing the ergonomics of the vehicle.

[00020] Further, the air filter within the air cleaner needs to be replaced periodically. Therefore, it is yet another object to provide a vehicle with an air filter that ensures convenience in serviceability and maintenance.
[00021] Furthermore, there are various systems and sub-systems mounted onto the
5 vehicle. However, it is observed that conventional mounting approach leaves substantial dead space under the seat that can be utilized. Therefore, it is yet another objective to maximize space utilization on the vehicle while simultaneously maintaining the ergonomics of the vehicle.
[00022] Furthermore, the air cleaner within the vehicle should be provided in a
10 position that enables easy access to the cleaner to periodically change the air filter within the air cleaner. Therefore, it is yet another object of the present invention to provide an air filter that ensures convenience in serviceability and maintenance. [00023] Therefore, aspects of the present subject matter relate generally to a vehicle and an air-fuel supply system, and more particularly but not exclusively
15 to a vehicle with an air cleaner.
[00024] An aspect of the present disclosure pertains to a vehicle 200 comprising a frame 201. The frame 201 being comprised of a main tube 201B extending rearward from a portion of a head tube 201A and a down tube 201C that extends rearwardly downward from the head tube 201A. A fuel tank 150 is mounted on the
20 frame 201. A seat 155 is disposed behind the fuel tank 150 and the seat is supported by a shock absorber 214. The air cleaner 210, is mounted below the seat 155 wherein the air cleaner 210 being positioned rearwardly to the fuel tank 150 and above the shock absorber 214.
[00025] The vehicle 200 is configured such that the filter is provided at an
25 interface of the first part 302 and the second part 304.
[00026] The vehicle 200 is configured a seat 155 and a shock absorber mounted onto the frame 201 of the vehicle 200, the seat 155 being supported on the frame 201 and the shock absorber wherein, the air cleaner 210 being mounted below the seat 155, rearwardly to the fuel tank 150 and above the shock absorber of the
30 vehicle.

[00027] The vehicle 200 is configured such that the frame 201 comprises a sub-frame formed by a pair of rear frame tubes 201D that extend obliquely rearward from the main frame 201.
[00028] The vehicle 200 is configured such that the third part 306 of the air filter is
5 attached to the main frame 201B and rear frame 201D through a plurality of front mounts 212A and rear mounts 212B.
[00029] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to an air cleaner along with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the present embodiments. The present
10 subject matter is further described with reference to accompanying figures. It should be noted that the description and figures merely illustrate principles of the present subject matter. Various arrangements may be devised that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, encompass the principles of the present subject matter. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and
15 examples of the present subject matter, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass equivalents thereof.
[00030] Fig. 1 illustrates a left side view of an exemplary two-wheeled vehicle 200, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter. Arrows provided in the top right corner of each figure depicts direction with respect to the
20 vehicle, wherein an arrow F denotes front direction, an arrow R indicates rear direction, an arrow Up denotes upward direction, and an arrow Dw denotes downward direction. The vehicle 200 includes a frame 201 (also referred to as frame) that extends rearward from a head tube 201A. The frame 201 extends along in a longitudinal direction F-R of the vehicle 200. The frame 201 includes a
25 mainframe comprising a main tube 201B extending rearward from a portion of the head tube 201A and a down tube 201C that extends rearwardly downward from the head tube 201A. The frame 201 may further comprise a sub-frame formed by a pair of rear frame tubes (also referred to as rear tubes) 201D that extend obliquely rearward from the main frame. An engine assembly 100 is
30 mounted to the main frame of the frame 201.

[00031] The engine assembly 100 acts as the power unit of the vehicle 200, wherein the power unit may also include a traction/electrical motor (not shown). The engine assembly 100 is coupled to an exhaust assembly 110 that scavenges exhaust gases there through. A front portion of a swing arm 115 is swingably
5 connected to the frame 201 and a rear portion of the swing arm 115 rotatably supports a rear wheel 120. The rear wheel 120 is functionally coupled to the engine assembly 100 through a transmission (also referred to as a transmission system/ transmission member/ transmission components throughout the entirety of this document) 125. In a preferred embodiment, the transmission system 125
10 includes a chain drive coupled to an output of manual gear transmission. The transmission system is immersed in a fluid for lubrication when the power is transmitted by the transmission system to the drive wheel. However, the transmission system 125 may include an automatic transmission or continuously variable transmission. Further, the swing arm 115 is coupled to the frame 201
15 through one or more rear suspension(s) (not shown). In the present embodiment, a mono-shock rear suspension connects the swing arm 115 to the frame 201. Similarly, a pair of front forks 130 supports a front wheel 135 and is steerably supported by the head tube 201A. A handlebar assembly 140 is connected to an upper portion of the pair of front forks 130. Further, a front fender 145 covers at
20 least a portion of the front wheel 135 and the front fender assembly 145 is mounted to the front forks 130.
[00032] A fuel tank 150 is mounted to the main tube 201B of the frame 201 and disposed rearwardly of the handlebar assembly 140. A seat assembly including a rider seat 155 and a pillion seat 160 is disposed rearwardly of the fuel tank
25 assembly 150 and is supported by the rear tubes. A pair of rider foot pegs 165 is disposed on either sides and is mounted to the frame 201 of the vehicle that supports rider foot. A rear fender 170 is disposed upwardly of the rear wheel 120 covering at least a portion of the rear wheel 120.
[00033] Further, the engine assembly 100 is functionally coupled to an air-fuel
30 supply system (not shown) that supplies air and fuel to the engine assembly 100. The air cleaner 210 forms a part of the air fuel supply system and filters the air

received from the atmosphere. The torque/power output of the engine assembly 100 is transferred to a drive sprocket (not shown). A chain drive 125 is coupled to the drive sprocket. A sprocket cover encloses the drive sprocket and at least a portion of the chain drive 125.
5 [00034] Furthermore, the vehicle 200 may include various electrical and electronic systems including a starter motor (not shown), a headlamp 175, a vehicle control unit, and a tail lamp 180. In addition, the vehicle includes safety systems including a synchronous braking system (not shown), and an anti-lock braking system.
10 [00035] Figure 2 depicts a left side view of an exemplary air cleaner 210 mounted onto the frame 201 of the two-wheeler vehicle 200 in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter. The air-fuel supply system (not shown) that supplies air and fuel to the engine assembly 100 forms the air cleaner
210. The air cleaner 210 forms a part of the air fuel supply system and filters the
15 air received from the atmosphere. The air cleaner is mounted onto the main tube 201B of the frame 201. The main tube 201B is extending rearward from a portion of the head tube 201A and a down tube 201C that extends rearwardly downward from the head tube 201A as shown in the figure. The frame 201 may further comprise a sub-frame formed by a pair of rear frame tubes (also referred to as
20 rear tubes) 201D that extend obliquely rearward from the main frame. An engine assembly 100 is mounted to the main frame of the frame 201. Mounting points 212 may be provided on the air cleaner 210 to enable fastening of the air cleaner 210 onto the frame 201. In an embodiment, at least two front mountings 212A may be provided on the main tube 201B. Similarly, at least two rear mountings
25 212B may be provided on the air cleaner 210 that then fasten onto the rear frame tubes 201D.
[00036] Referring now to figure 3 which is a side view of the vehicle 200 that illustrates position of the air cleaner mounted onto the frame 201 of the two-wheeler vehicle 200 underneath the seat 155. As illustrated, the air cleaner
30 210 is comprised of the first part 302, the second part 304 and the third part 306. As shown in figure 4, a top view of the air cleaner 210 mounted onto the frame

201 of the vehicle 200 in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter can be seen. The air cleaner 210 is comprised of the first part 302, the second part 304 as shown. The third part 306 is positioned beneath the second part 304. At the intersection of the first and the second part, the air filter is placed
5 to filter the air intake from the first part 302.
[00037] Figure 5 illustrates a perspective view 210 of the vehicle 200 with the air cleaner 210 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The air cleaner 210 comprises of a first part 302 (also referred to as nose in some embodiments), a second part (also referred to as air box in some embodiments)
10 304 and a third part (also referred to as base in some embodiments) 306 that are detachably attached to form the air cleaner. The air box 304 receives the air from the first part 302. The first part 302 is designed to receive air from free space under the seat 155. An air filter (not shown) is provided at the intersection of the first part 302 and the second part 304. The air filter filters the air incoming from
15 the first part 302 and the filtered air then moves to the air-fuel supply system. [00038] Figure 6 is a side view of the vehicle 200 that illustrates position of the air cleaner 210 mounted onto the frame 201 of the two-wheeler vehicle 200 above a suspension 214 in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter. As shown, the frame 201 comprise the sub-frame formed by a pair of rear
20 frame tubes (also referred to as rear tubes) 201D that extend obliquely rearward from the main frame. In an embodiment, said pair of rear tubes may align and merge with one another 201E towards the rear end of the vehicle to form a part of the frame 201. An engine assembly 100 is mounted to the main frame of the frame 201.
25 [00039] The air cleaner 210 packaging is done below the seat 155, behind & below the fuel tank to achieve intended air cleaner volume and easy paper serviceability.
[00040] In an embodiment, the air cleaner 210 has at least two front mounts on the main frame 201B and two rear mounts on rear frame tube 201D and hence
30 can be easily assembled on the frame 201. Further, access to the air cleaner is easy because of the positioning beneath the seat 155. Removal of the seat 155

provides direct access to the air cleaner 210. In yet another embodiment, there can be more than two mounts. Serviceability of the air filter and replaceability of the air filter is improved because of the interface of the first part 302 and the second part 304 being directly beneath the seat 155.
5 [00041] Further, the air cleaner volume is increased because of extended length of first part/nose 302 that is placed directly beneath the seat 155. Further, the first part 302 is increased in comparison with the conventional nose length which enables greater air volume and larger space to accommodate a larger sized air filter. Conventionally, the solution to increasing the effective air volume is
10 increasing the seat height. However, the positioning of the air cleaner 210 beneath the seat 155 and immediately rearward to the fuel tank 150 increases the effective air volume and effective filtration area for the air filter provided within the air cleaner.
[00042] Further, as the air cleaner is placed above the frame main tube, mounting
15 is easily accessible and it consume least time for assembly / de-assembly onto vehicle. By removing the rider seat, air cleaner top cover can be accessed easily without disturbing the fuel tank for removing the filter element during service in short time.
[00043] The terms “an embodiment”, “embodiment”, “embodiments”, “the
20 embodiment”, “the embodiments”, “one or more embodiments”, “some embodiments”, and “one embodiment” mean “one or more (but not all) embodiments of the invention(s)” unless expressly specified otherwise. The terms “including”, “comprising”, “having” and variations thereof mean “including but not limited to”, unless expressly specified otherwise. The terms “a”, “an” and
25 “the” mean “one or more”, unless expressly specified otherwise.
[00044] In light of the above-mentioned advantages and the technical advancements provided by the disclosed method and system, the claimed steps as discussed above are not routine, conventional, or well understood in the art, as the claimed steps enable the following solutions to the existing problems in
30 conventional technologies. Further, the claimed steps clearly bring an

improvement in the functioning of the device itself as the claimed steps provide a technical solution to a technical problem.
[00045] A description of an embodiment with several components in communication with another does not imply that all such components are
5 required, On the contrary, a variety of optional components are described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the invention,
[00046] Finally, the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and it may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter and is therefore
10 intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by any claims that issue on an application based here on. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present invention are intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.
15 [00047] While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.
20 [00048] A person with ordinary skills in the art will appreciate that the systems, modules, and sub-modules have been illustrated and explained to serve as examples and should not be considered limiting in any manner. It will be further appreciated that the variants of the above disclosed system elements, modules, and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be combined to
25 create other different systems or applications.
[00049] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any of the aforementioned steps and/or system modules may be suitably replaced, reordered, or removed, and additional steps and/or system modules may be inserted, depending on the needs of a particular application. In addition, the systems of the aforementioned
30 embodiments may be implemented using a wide variety of suitable processes and system modules, and are not limited to any particular computer hardware,

software, middleware, firmware, microcode, and the like. The claims can encompass embodiments for hardware and software, or a combination thereof. [00050] While the present disclosure has been described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various
5 changes may be made, and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that
10 the present disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
, Claims:We claim:

1. A vehicle 200 comprising:

5 a frame 201, the frame 201 being comprised of a main tube 201B extending rearward from a portion of a head tube 201A and a down tube 201C that extends rearwardly downward from the head tube 201A;
a fuel tank 150, said fuel tank 150 being mounted on the frame 201; a seat 155, said seat 155 being disposed behind the fuel tank 150;
10 a shock absorber 214; and

an air cleaner 210, being mounted below the seat 155 wherein, the air cleaner 210 being positioned rearwardly to the fuel tank 150 and above the shock absorber 214.

15 2. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air cleaner 210 for the vehicle 200 is comprised of:
a first part 302, said first part 302 being configured to receive an air from atmosphere and deliver received air to a filter;
a second part 304 configured to receive the air from the first part
20 302; and
a third part 306 configured to detachably couple the air cleaner 210 to a frame 201 of the vehicle 200.

3. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the filter being provided at an
25 interface of the first part 302 and the second part 304.

4. The vehicle as claimed in claim 1 comprising a seat 155 and a shock absorber 214 mounted onto the frame 201 of the vehicle 200, the seat 155

being supported on the frame 201 and the shock absorber 214 wherein, the air cleaner 210 being mounted below the seat 155, rearwardly to the fuel tank 150 and above the shock absorber 214 of the vehicle.

5 5. The vehicle 200 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the frame 201 comprises a sub-frame formed by a pair of rear frame tubes 201D that extend obliquely rearward from the main frame 201.

6. The vehicle 200 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third part 306 being
10 attached to the main frame 201B and rear frame 201D through a plurality of front mounts 212A and rear mounts 212B