DESC:Technical Field
[0001] The present subject matter described herein generally relates to a cooling assembly for a two-wheeled vehicle, and particularly but not exclusively relates to a cooling assembly for a tail lamp member of said two-wheeled vehicle.
Background
[0002] Contemporary automobiles including two-wheeled vehicles are seeing an increased use of light emitting diodes, hereinafter “LEDs” for lighting purposes, owing to their energy, long life and excellent optical characteristics. However, typically use of LEDs results in a significant portion of electric power being converted to heat. There is therefore a need to control heat around a LED device; otherwise it may lead to problems such as reduced efficiency, reduced life, light colour shift and even failure. Typically, two wheeled vehicles have a densely packed layout, especially with LED lamps being located in small enclosures, and having little scope for ventilation around the LED lamps. Therefore, heat transfer from the LED lamps to the surrounding environment becomes a challenge, especially in high performance two-wheeled vehicles where a LED tail lamp is squeezed into a tiny enclosure. There is therefore a need to provide an appropriate cooling assembly for said LED tail lamp without affecting aesthetics of said LED tail lamp.

Summary of the Invention
[0003] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances.
[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a cooling assembly which aids cooling a tail lamp member of a two-wheeled vehicle.
[0005] It is another object of the present invention to improve life of a tail lamp member of the two-wheeled vehicle.
[0006] It is yet another object of the present invention to improve aesthetic appeal in a tail portion of said two-wheeled vehicle.
[0007] Accordingly, in order to achieve the above and other objects, the present invention provides a two-wheeled vehicle including a cooling assembly provided in a rear structure thereof. The two-wheeled vehicle as per an embodiment of the present invention includes a tail cover assembly extending from a portion below a seat assembly, up to a tail portion of the two-wheeled vehicle; and a rear fender disposed below said tail cover assembly and substantially covered by said tail cover assembly when viewed from a vehicle plan view.
[0008] As per an aspect of the present invention, a cooling assembly is provided for enabling cooling of said tail lamp member. The cooling assembly as per the present invention includes at least a pair of front cooling mesh, a pair of rear cooling mesh, a cooling duct formed between said pair of front cooling mesh and said pair of rear cooling mesh, and a cooling passage formed above said cooling duct. Particularly, while said pair of front cooling mesh is provided in the tail cover assembly, the pair of rear cooling mesh is provided in the rear fender. The pair of front cooling mesh and the pair of rear cooling mesh remain in communication with each other through said cooling duct. Thus, cooling air entering the pair of front cooling mesh in a vehicle running condition is allowed to exit through the pair of rear cooling mesh via the cooling duct. Further, since the pair of rear cooling mesh provided in the rear fender adjoins the tail lamp member disposed therein, cooling air exiting through said pair of rear cooling mesh cools said tail lamp member. Additionally, the cooling passage formed above the cooling duct in a top portion of the tail cover assembly, also allows passage of cooling air; aiding in directing cooling air away from the tail cover assembly, thereby taking away heat from the tail lamp member. Thus, the cooling assembly as per the present invention serves to cool a tail lamp member disposed in the rear structure of the two-wheeled vehicle.
[0009] Summary provided above explains the basic features of the invention and does not limit the scope of the invention. The nature and further characteristic features of the present invention will be made clearer from the following descriptions made with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Brief Description of Drawings
[0001] 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:
[0002] FIG.1 illustrates a left side view of a two-wheeled vehicle in accordance with the present invention.
[0003] FIG.2 illustrates an enlarged side view depicting air flow through a cooling assembly provided in a rear structure of said two-wheeled vehicle.
[0004] FIG.3 illustrates a rear perspective view of said rear structure depicting air flow through the cooling assembly provided therein.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments
[0010] Exemplary embodiments detailing features of the cooling assembly, in accordance with the present invention will be described hereunder with reference to the accompanying drawings. Various aspects of different embodiments of the present invention will become discernible from the following description set out hereunder. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Further, it is to be noted that terms “upper”, “lower”, “right”, “left”, “front”, “forward”, “rearward”, “downward”, “upward”, “top”, “bottom” and like terms are used herein based on the illustrated state or in a standing state of the two wheeled vehicle with a driver riding thereon unless otherwise elaborated. Furthermore, a longitudinal axis refers to a front to rear axis relative to said two-wheeled vehicle, while a lateral axis refers to a side to side, or left to right axis relative to the two wheeled vehicle. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
[0011] FIG.1 illustrates a left side view of an exemplary two-wheeled vehicle 100 such as a motorcycle, in accordance with an embodiment of the present subject matter. Arrows provided in a right corner of said figure depicts directions with respect to the vehicle, whereas arrow F denotes a front direction, an arrow R indicates rear direction, an arrow Up denotes upward direction, and an arrow Dw denotes downward direction.
[0012] Said two-wheeled vehicle 100 depicted in FIG.1 includes a frame assembly 105 including a head tube 105a in a front portion thereof, said frame assembly 105 extending from said head tube 105a, towards a rear portion of said vehicle 100. The frame assembly 105 includes a mainframe (not shown) comprising a main tube extending rearwards from the head tube 105a, and a down tube (not shown) that extends rearwardly downward from the head tube 105a. The frame assembly 105 may further comprise a sub-frame formed by a pair of rear tubes (not shown) that extend rearwards and obliquely upward from a portion of the main frame.
[0013] In a front end portion of the motorcycle 100, a steering shaft (not shown) is supported rotatably in a certain range. Further a handlebar 140 steerably supported to the head tube 105a is connected to a front wheel 135 through the steering shaft. An upper portion of the front wheel 135 is covered by a front fender 145 which prevents mud and water from getting deflected towards the steering shaft. Further, a front fork assembly (not shown) extending upwards from the front wheel 135 is also steerably supported to the head tube 105a.
[0014] Further, in a front portion of the vehicle 100, a fuel tank 150 is arranged immediately behind the head tube 105a and is disposed above an engine 110. The engine 110 is supported by the main frame of the frame assembly 105. The engine 110 acts as a power unit of the vehicle 100.
[0015] A seat assembly 155 is disposed rearwardly of the fuel tank 150 and is supported by the pair of rear tubes. In the present embodiment, said seat assembly 155 includes a single seat member having a rider portion and a pillion portion.
[0016] A swing arm 115 extending rearwards is swingably connected at its front end to the main frame, and at its rear end to a rear wheel 120. The rear wheel 120 is functionally coupled to the engine 110 through a transmission system. A rear fender 180a which is provided to cover the rear wheel 120 is disposed upwardly of the rear wheel 120 and extends obliquely upwardly towards a tail portion of said vehicle 100. Further, the swing arm 115 is coupled to the frame assembly 105 through one or more rear suspension(s). In the present embodiment, a single mono-shock rear suspension (not shown) connects the swing arm 115 to the frame assembly 105. Furthermore, a front end portion of the swing arm 115 supports a portion of a footrest assembly 190. As may be seen, said footrest assembly 190 is disposed adjacent to a transmission case 200 when viewed from a vehicle left hand side direction, said transmission case 200 housing a transmission system including the gearbox. In the present embodiment, said transmission case 200 includes a transparent cover (not shown) detachably attached thereto. Said transparent cover enables visibility of a chain (not shown) to check if there is any chain slackness and thus enables easy serviceability of said chain.
[0017] Further, said vehicle 100 includes a front fairing assembly 165 that is disposed forwardly of the head tube 105a and extending sidewardly covering at least a portion of the fuel tank 150. Also, said vehicle 100 includes a bottom cowl assembly 170 that covers at least a portion of the engine 110, protecting the same from dust, dirt, and water. Furthermore, said vehicle 100 includes one or more side panel(s) 175 disposed symmetrically or asymmetrically on either sides thereof and is mounted to the main frame covering various parts including an air filter, and one or more electrical components that are mounted to the frame assembly 105. A tail cover assembly 180b including a left tail cover and a right tail cover disposed below a portion of said seat assembly 155 and disposed rearwardly of the side panel(s) 175 extends along the pair of rear tubes to cover at least a portion of the pair of rear tubes, and up to a tail portion of said vehicle 100. Particularly, the tail cover assembly 180b is disposed adjoining at least a portion of the seat assembly 155 and extends above the rear fender 180a in a manner so as to cover at least a portion of the rear fender 180a when viewed from a vehicle plan view. In the present embodiment, the tail cover assembly 180b is detachably attached to the rear fender 180a, and both the tail cover assembly 180b and rear fender 180a together form a rear structure 180 of said two wheeled vehicle 100.
[0018] FIG.2 is an enlarged side view of the rear structure 180. As per an aspect of the present invention, the rear structure 180 includes a cooling assembly 210 for cooling a tail lamp member 180c (shown in FIG.3) disposed therein.
[0019] With reference to FIG.2 and FIG.3, detailed description is made of the cooling assembly 210, and its features for cooling said tail lamp member 180c. The cooling assembly 210 as per the present invention includes a pair of front cooling mesh 210a, a pair of rear cooling mesh 210b, a cooling duct 210c formed between the pair of front cooling mesh and the pair of rear cooling mesh 210b, and a cooling passage 210d formed above said cooling duct 210c. Particularly, whereas the pair of front cooling mesh 210a is provided in an upper portion of the tail cover assembly 180b, and in a manner such that said pair of front cooling mesh 210a open towards a vehicle front; the pair of rear cooling mesh 210b is provided in an upper portion of the rear fender 180a, in a manner such that said pair of rear cooling mesh 210b open towards a vehicle rear. More particularly, each front cooling mesh of the pair of front cooling mesh 210a is disposed in an elevated portion of a left tail cover 180b(L) and a right tail cover 180b(R) of the tail cover assembly 180b, adjoining the pillion portion of the seat assembly 155. As per one embodiment, each front cooling mesh of the pair of front cooling mesh 210a is detachably secured to the left tail cover 180b(L) and the right tail cover 180b(R) of the tail cover assembly 180. Further, each rear cooling mesh of the pair of rear cooling mesh 210b is disposed in the rear fender 180a, and on either sides of the tail lamp member 180c secured therein. In the present embodiment, said pair of front cooling mesh 210a and said pair of rear cooling mesh 210b remains in communication with each other through said cooling duct 210c formed in the tail cover assembly 180b. Particularly, in the present embodiment, the cooling duct 210c is provided in the form of a through passage, so that cooling air passes from the pair of front cooling mesh 210a and exits through the pair of rear cooling mesh 210b. Thus, as may be seen in FIG.3, cooling air for cooling the tail lamp member 180c exits from the pair of rear cooling mesh 210b provided just below the tail lamp member 180c and adjoining said tail lamp member 180c. Thus, air/running wind flowing from the pair front cooling mesh 210a and exiting through the pair of rear cooling mesh 210b serves to cool a lower portion of the tail lamp member 180c. Furthermore, the cooling passage 210d created by a space formed between spoiler member 212 of the tail cover assembly 180b disposed above the left tail cover 180b(L) and the right tail cover 180b(R), and an joining surface of the left tail cover 180b(L) and the right tail cover 180(R) serves to direct air away from the tail cover assembly 180b, taking away the heat dissipated from an upper portion of the tail lamp member 180c. Therefore, as the cooling assembly 210 as per the present invention aids in cooling the tail lamp member 180c having one or more LED bulbs, without allowing said LED bulbs to get overheated; it aids in improving life of the tail lamp member 180c.
[0020] Thus, the cooling assembly 210 provided in a rear structure of the two-wheeled vehicle as per the present invention serves to take away heat from a tail lamp member disposed in a portion of said rear structure. The cooling assembly as per the present invention is not only simple in construction but also aesthetic in appeal, contributing to enhanced appearance in a tail portion of the two-wheeled vehicle.
[0021] While the present invention has been shown and described with reference to the foregoing preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes in form, connection, and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
,CLAIMS:I/We Claim:
1. A cooling assembly (210) for a two-wheeled vehicle (100), wherein said two-wheeled vehicle (100) comprises:
a frame assembly (105);
a seat assembly (155) disposed over a portion of said frame assembly (105);
a tail cover assembly (180b) covering a portion of said frame assembly (105) and disposed below a portion of said seat assembly (155); and
a rear fender (180a) disposed below said tail cover assembly (180b);
characterized in that, said cooling assembly (210) provided in a rear structure (180) of said two-wheeled vehicle enables cooling of a tail lamp member (180c) disposed in said rear fender (180a) by allowing cooling air to flow towards said tail lamp member (180c), wherein said rear structure (180) is formed by detachable attachment of the tail cover assembly (180b) with said rear fender (180a).
2. The cooling assembly (210) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cooling assembly (210) includes a pair of front cooling mesh (210a), a pair of rear cooling mesh (210b), a cooling duct (210c), and a cooling passage (210d).
3. The cooling assembly (210) as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said pair of front cooling mesh (210a) is disposed in an upper portion of a left tail cover (180b(L)) and a right tail cover (180b(R)) of said tail cover assembly (180b), and open towards a vehicle front.
4. The cooling assembly (210) as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said pair of rear cooling mesh (210b) is disposed in the rear fender (180a) adjoining the tail lamp member (180c), with the pair of rear cooling mesh (210b) opening towards a vehicle rear.
5. The cooling assembly (210) as claimed in claim 2, wherein said pair of front cooling mesh (210a) and said pair of rear cooling mesh (210b) remain in communication with each other through the cooling duct (210c).
6. The cooling assembly (210) as claimed in 2, wherein said cooling passage (210d) is formed above the cooling duct (210c).
7. The cooling assembly (210) as claimed in claim 3, wherein said pair of front cooling mesh (210a) is detachably attached to said left tail cover (180b(L)) and said right tail cover (180b(R)).
8. The cooling assembly (210) as claimed in claim 4, wherein said pair of rear cooling mesh (210b) is detachably attached to said rear fender (180a).
9. The cooling assembly (210) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tail lamp member (180c) includes one or more LED bulbs.
10. A two-wheeled vehicle (100) including the cooling assembly (210) as claimed in claims 1-9.