Claims:We claim:
1. A front structure assembly (200) for a saddle type two or three wheeled vehicle (100), said front structure assembly (200) comprising:
a lower bracket assembly (201);
a pair of front forks (116) secured to said lower bracket assembly (201); and
a front fender assembly (107) attached to said lower bracket assembly (201),
said lower bracket assembly (201) comprising an angled member (201a) extending forwardly towards a vehicle front from a frontal attachment surface (201fs) of said lower bracket (201), said frontal attachment surface (201fs) is adjoining the pair of front forks (116) in an assembled condition, said angled member (201a) is configured to receive at least a portion of said front fender assembly (107).
2. The front structure assembly (200) for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said front fender assembly (107) includes a left side fender (107a), a right side fender (107b) and a center fender (107c), said right side fender (107b) and said left side fender (107a) are detachably attached to a right peripheral surface (107bs) and a left peripheral surface (107as) of said center fender (107c) respectively.

3. The front structure assembly (200) for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said angled member (201a) includes one or more mounting portions (203) to receive one or more mounting members that enable detachable attachment of said center fender (107c) to said angled member (201a).

4. The front structure assembly (200) for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lower bracket (201) includes an under surface (201s) comprising one or more receiving portions (204) to receive at least a portion of said center fender (107c).

5. The front structure assembly (200) for a vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein said center fender (107c) includes a middle portion disposed along a plane higher than other two planes including a front portion and a rear portion of said front fender assembly.

6. The front structure assembly (200) for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1 or claim 3, wherein said center fender (107c) includes a front portion and a rear portion adjoined with a middle portion, said middle portion is configured to be attached to said one or more mounting portions (203) of said angled member (201a).

7. The front structure assembly (200) for a vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein said center fender (107c) includes inwardly projecting troughs (107T) comprising profile in conformation with at least a portion of said pair of front forks (116) disposed at a close proximity to said center fender (107c) and an outer portion of said pair of front forks (116) is covered by a rear portion of said right side fender (107b) and said left side fender (107a).

8. A method to assemble a front structure assembly (200) for a saddle type vehicle to a lower bracket (201), said method comprising the steps of:
attaching each of a left side fender (107a) and a right side fender (107b) to a center fender (107c);
mounting said center fender (107c) to an angled member (201a);
mounting a middle portion of said center fender (107c) in a plane higher than other two planes including a front portion and a rear portion of said front fender assembly (107); and
enabling enclosing of at least a portion of a pair of front forks (116) by said left side fender (107a) and said right side fender (107b) by attaching said front structure assembly (200) to said angled member (201a).
9. A lower bracket assembly (201) for a saddle type two or three wheeled vehicle (100), said lower bracket assembly (201) comprising an angled member (201a) extending forwardly towards a vehicle front from a frontal attachment surface (201fs) of said lower bracket (201), said angled member (201a) comprises at least two orthogonal attachment portions extending forwardly towards a vehicle front from the frontal attachment surface (201fs), and one middle portion joining the at least two orthogonal attachment portions, said middle portion forming a substantially c-shaped angled member (201a).

10. The lower bracket assembly (201) as claimed in claim 9, wherein said angled member (201a) is configured with at least three mounting portions (203) forming a substantially triangular region (A) symmetrically disposed across a front rear plane of the vehicle (100).

11. The lower bracket assembly (201) as claimed in claim 9, wherein said one middle portion is disposed in vicinity of a torsional axis (T) and farthest from a lateral axis (L), said at least two orthogonal attachment portions are disposed symmetrically about said torsional axis (T) and rearward of said middle portion closer to the lateral axis (L).

12. The lower bracket assembly (201) as claimed in claim 10, wherein said at least three mounting portions (203) are configured to be bound by a circle of radius (R).

13. The lower bracket assembly (201) as claimed in claim 9, wherein said angled member (201a) comprises at least one rib (207) on one of the periphery of each of the at least two orthogonal attachment portions and said at least one middle portion.

14. The lower bracket assembly (201) as claimed in claim 13, wherein said at least one rib (207) is of varying height with highest height being disposed closest to the frontal attachment surface (201fs).
, Description:TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present subject matter relates generally to a saddle type vehicle. More particularly but not exclusively, the present invention relates to a fender assembly for the saddle type vehicle.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Generally, in a saddle type two or three-wheeled vehicle, fenders are disposed one above each of the front & rear wheels. The fender forms a wheel arch to prevent mud or any other foreign particles from entering into the internal parts of the vehicle. The front fender is typically disposed above a front wheel and in between a pair of front suspension of the vehicle which is rigidly attached to the triple clamp portion often referred as upper & / or lower bracket. The front fender mounting may differ from one vehicle to another depending upon the user requirement. The front fender could be disposed just above the front wheel to prevent splashing of mud on to the rider’s feet & other peripheral parts. The front fender could also be mounted to a lower bracket with a gap maintained between the front fender and the front wheel. In particular, a front fender assembly is provided above the front wheel to avoid the said vehicle and its occupants from being splashed with mud. Likewise, at least one rear fender is placed between a rear portion of the vehicle and the rear wheel, and to the outer side in the radial direction of rear wheel. The rear fender inhibits rainwater or the like from being thrown up by the rear wheel. Further, the front fender also protects a pair of front forks in a suspension system from stones and pebbles hitting during rough road driving conditions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to reference like features and components.
[0004] Fig. 1 shows a left side perspective view of the scooter type vehicle.
[0005] Fig. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a front structure assembly.
[0006] Fig. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a front structure assembly assembled to a front fender assembly.
[0007] Fig. 4(a) illustrates a top view of the lower bracket.
[0008] Fig. 4(b) illustrates a bottom perspective view of the lower bracket.
[0009] Fig. 5 illustrates a front perspective view of an exploded view of the front fender assembly and the front structure assembly.
[00010] Fig. 6 illustrates a bottom view of an exploded view of the front fender assembly.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[00011] The front fender assembly and the rear fender assembly are disposed in a vehicle front and a vehicle rear respectively, to protect the vehicle from stones and pebbles hitting the vehicle, and entering into the vehicular parts. The front fender assembly prevents the stones and pebbles from entering into the engine area and surrounding parts. It is also desirable to protect the front forks of the suspension system from stones and pebbles in vehicle riding condition. The front fender assembly may be configured to extend downwards to cover a portion of the front forks and capable of protecting the front forks from stones or pebbles hitting the front forks in vehicle riding condition. The front fender assembly configured with the downward extension / side members does not substantially protect the front forks from stones or pebbles hitting. The problem involved in the front fender assembly configured to include side members is that, the downward extension may not be substantially capable of covering the front fork to its full length. The length of the downward extension may be substantially increased to cover a substantial length of the front forks, but the manufacturability of the fender itself becomes a concern.
[00012] Further, the downward extension forming part of the front fender assembly is more prone to fluttering due to increased amount of wind hitting the surface of the extended portion & excitation arising out of road & powertrain input vibration loads. The durability of the extended portion is reduced considerably due to continuous fluttering which can lead to adverse crack or breakage of the fender assembly and further, the stability of the vehicle is affected at high-speed condition.
[00013] Further, it is known in the art wherein, to provide better stability to the front fender assembly, the front fender assembly is secure to two welded brackets provided on the lower bracket of the front suspension assembly. These two welded brackets are independent brackets that hold the front fender in a secured manner. However, with the need to widen the coverage area of the fender to improve its effectiveness in mud slash prevention, size, weight & overhang of the fender adversely increases. There also exists requirements to accommodate larger tyres & enhance the stability of the fender. Thus the & two independent brackets do not provide sufficient support to all portions of the front fender assembly. This leads to continuous vibrations and fluttering of the front fender assembly in bumpy road conditions. Further, the continuous rattling can lead to abrupt breakage, which may pose a major safety issue. Adding more brackets makes the design very complex & difficult to manufacture with stable geometric dimensions especially when the mounting bracket portions are welded to the lower triple clamp assembly. Additionally, multiple brackets increase the weight of the system adversely affecting the steering inertia, maneuverability & stability of the vehicle as well as increasing the cost of the system. Furthermore, the independent welded brackets cannot accommodate any minor dimensional deviation or variance of various portions of the front fender assembly thereby reducing flexibility in design & difficulty in assembly of the front fender assembly. Such a design is vulnerable to stressed assembly or distorted assembly leading to undesirable vibration noise, flutter & potential breakage of the parts. One of the main challenges is to enable adequate compliance of the fender & its mounting system to be able to adequately absorb & dampen the vibration loads experienced by the entire system. Multiple brackets tend to make the structure exceedingly rigid & prone to vibration failures. While there is need to provide stable mounting with minimum overhang, there is also a need to enable good compliance & flexibility of the mounting in the torsional direction i.e. around a front rear axis of the vehicle & at same time good rigidity & stiffness in the vertical direction i.e. across the top down direction of the vehicle across a lateral axis or passing through the attachment centres of the lower bracket to front suspension.
[00014] Furthermore, due to inappropriate support to various portions of the front fender assembly, the front portion and the rear portion that are not supported by the independent brackets undergo overhanging. These overhanging portions, during dynamic whipping motion arising out of execution of pot holes, humps etc., come in contact with the front wheel during bumpy road conditions leading to unsafe riding conditions & noise cum irritation. Further, the independent welded brackets increase dimensional variation, assembly mismatch, and complexity in the design. This further leads to drastic reduction in durability and reliability of the front fender assembly. Further from manufacturing point of view, a large fender which is typically made of resin or sheet metal or the like is prone to manufacturing issues like warpage, spring-back effects etc. which lead to poor dimensional stability making it complex to manufacture, assemble in production / service as well as a undesirable stressed assembly scenario on the vehicle.
[00015] Thereby, a robust assembly of the front fender assembly is required overcoming all of the above problems & other problems known in the art. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a lower bracket of the front structure assembly includes an angled member extending forwardly of a front surface of the lower bracket. The angled member includes one or more mounting portions, for example, in one embodiment, the one or more mounting portions can include one or more mounting holes to receive one or more mounting members that enable detachable attachment of said center fender to said angled member. Further, the one or more mounting portions are in line with the one or more provisions on the front fender assembly in assembled condition. The angled member is a single continuous member configured with two portions in an orthogonal disposition to the lower bracket frontal attachment surface & a third connecting portion joining the orthogonal portions forming a substantially C-shaped profile collectively. As per an embodiment, the three portions have at least one vertical rib portion running across the periphery of the substantial C-shaped profile. The C-shaped profile member when attached to the lower bracket enables providing multiple fender attachment portions further away from the base portion (frontal attachment portion where the angled member is attached to the lower bracket) & can have at least three attachment provisions which form a substantially triangular shape. As per an aspect of the present subject matter such an angled member profile enables required structural stiffness in the vertical direction i.e. top down direction of the vehicle across a lateral bending axis passing substantially through the lower bracket portion & good torsional compliance around a front rear axis passing substantially through the joint attaching the steering shaft with the lower bracket. As per another embodiment, the lower bracket and the angled member are integrally formed.
[00016] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the front fender assembly includes a right side fender, a left side fender, and a centre fender. The right side fender and the left side fender are detachably attached to the centre fender. The center fender includes the one or more provisions that are in line with the one or more mounting portions on the angled member and are configured to receive the one or more mounting members in assembled condition. The angled member supports most portions of the center fender in assembled condition. In a preferred embodiment, the angled member includes at least three mounting portions to receive the center portion of the front fender. This way, the angled member supports most portions of the center fender and provides a stable mounting of the center fender. Further, the stable mounting of the center fender provides stability to the detachably attached right side fender and the left side fender. The stable mounting also prevents any vibrations between the center fender, the right side fender, and the left side fender. The reduction of vibrations does not cause any fluttering of the front fender assembly. This also improves the fit and finish with the associated parts. Further, a more reliable functioning of the front fender assembly is achieved.
[00017] The fender front centre lies in close conjunction to the top end of a front wheel of the vehicle. There is always a possibility of fouling and severe rattling and vibration of the fender front centre, if not secured well at sufficient locations. Thus, the three-point mounting ensures limited or insignificant part movement, and thereby maintaining desired clearance between fender front centre and the wheel.
[00018] Further, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the right side fender, and the left side fender includes one or more mounting portions that enable mounting of the right side fender and the left side fender to the right peripheral surface and the left peripheral surface of the center fender through one or more fastening members.
[00019] The constant vibration of front fender assembly at high speeds could also lead to breakage, which affects the safety of the rider. Finally, the angled member that is integrated with the lower bracket ensures curbing any kind of warpage in centre fender and increased area of contact with the lower bracket. It addresses the primary concerns of the vehicle, thereby fulfilling the major prerequisites.
[00020] These and other advantages of the present invention are explained along with the detailed description with an embodiment of a two wheeled saddle type vehicle of the figures as follows.
[00021] Fig. 1 shows a left side perspective view of the scooter type vehicle. The vehicle has a body frame assembly made up of several tubes welded together which usually supports the body of the said vehicle. The vehicle has a steerable front wheel 101 and a driven rear wheel 102. The body frame assembly of the vehicle is an elongated structure, which typically extends from a forward end to a rearward end of the vehicle. It is generally convex in shape, as viewed from a side elevation view. The said frame assembly 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 using appropriate joining mechanism. The frame assembly is covered by a plurality of vehicle body covers including a front panel 103, a rear cover (not shown), a left front bottom panel 105, and a side panel 106.
[00022] A handlebar assembly 109 and a seat assembly (not shown) are supported at opposing ends of the frame assembly and a generally open area is defined there between known as floorboard 108 which functions as a step through space. The seat for a driver and a pillion is placed forward to a fuel tank and rear side of floorboard space 108. A front fender 107 is provided above the front wheel 101 to avoid the vehicle100 and its occupants from being splashed with mud, etc. Likewise, a rear fender 112 is placed between fuel tank and 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. A front cover assembly 115 is disposed rearwardly to the floorboard 108.
[00023] Suspensions are provided for comfortable steering of the vehicle on the road. A front structure assembly (not shown) is connected to a front fork 116. The rear suspension assembly comprises of at least one rear suspension (not shown) preferably on the left side of the vehicle. However, a vehicle with two rear suspensions, namely on the left side and the right side is also possible. For the safety of the user and in conformance with the traffic rules, a headlamp assembly 110 in the front portion of the vehicle and a taillight 114 in the rear portion of the vehicle is also provided. For the utility of the rider, a secondary storage assembly 113 is disposed in front of the front cover assembly 115.
[00024] Fig. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a front structure assembly. The front structure assembly 200 includes a lower bracket assembly 201, also interchangeably denoted as a lower bracket 201 being a structural member. The lower bracket 201 is configured to support a pair of front forks 116 extending downwards from the lower bracket 201. The lower bracket is also capable of supporting a steering shaft 202 disposed in between the pair of front forks 116, but extending upwards and to be connected to a handle bar assembly (not shown). The steering shaft provides steering to the vehicle, as desired by the user. Further, the lower bracket 201 includes an angled member 201a extending forwardly along a vehicle longitudinal direction. The angled member 201a is configured in a substantially C-shaped profile with three mounting or attachment portion for the fender disposed towards the forward direction of the vehicle, for example, three mounting portions 203. The three mounting portions are configured such that the middle mounting portion substantially overlaps or crosses the torsional axis ‘T’ passing in the front rear direction of the vehicle which is passing substantially through joining portion of the steering shaft 202 with the lower bracket 201, is the farthest from an substantial lateral axis ‘L’ passing through the lower bracket portion & the other two mounting portions are disposed laterally at equal distance & rearward of the middle mounting portion in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 100. As per an embodiment, the three mounting portions form a triangular region ‘A’ symmetrically disposed across the front rear plane of the vehicle. As per another embodiment, the angled member 201a; which is formed in a substantially ‘C-shape’ with three portions which includes two portions which are substantially orthogonally disposed with reference to the lower bracket 201 in the vehicle front rear direction & a curved middle portion joining the two orthogonal portions; has at least one vertical rib 207 running circumferentially across the periphery of the angled member. As per another embodiment, the rib 207 is of varying height so as to be of maximum height towards the end joining the angled member 201a with the lower bracket 201 & reducing gradually towards the middle portion close to the middle & forwardmost fender assembly mounting portion. In an embodiment, the three mounting portions 203 are configured to be bound by a circle of radius (R).
[00025] The angled member 201a is configured to support & receive at least a portion of the front fender assembly 107 as shown in Fig. 3. As per an embodiment, the front fender assembly 116 includes one or more side fenders that are configured to cover most portions of the pair of front forks 116. In particular, the front fender assembly 116 also prevents the fine dust, sharp objects, and other foreign materials from entering into the pair of front forks 116. In particular, the pair of front forks 116 are protected along the length by the front fender assembly 107.
[00026] Fig. 4(a) illustrates a top view of the lower bracket assembly. The lower bracket assembly 201 includes the angled member 201a. The angled member 201a configured in a substantially C-shaped profile includes one or more mounting portions 203 disposed laterally equidistant on the orthogonal portions & one mounting disposed on the middle joining portion to receive one or more mounting members that enable detachable attachment of the front fender assembly to the angled member 201a. Further, an undersurface 201s of the lower bracket 201 includes at least one receiving portions 204 to receive at least a middle portion of the front fender assembly. The undersurface 201s is depicted in the Fig. 4(b). The angled member 201a is extending from a frontal attachment surface 201fs of the lower bracket 201. The frontal attachment surface 201fs is facing the vehicle front in front rear direction as illustrated in the figure and adjoins the pair of front forks 116 in assembled condition. As per an embodiment, all the mounting portions of the angled member are disposed within a circular boundary defined by circle C where the radius of the circle R is equal to the distance from the steering axis to the axis of the each of the symmetrically disposed suspension central axis.
[00027] Fig. 5 illustrates a front perspective view of an partially exploded view of the front fender assembly and the front structure assembly. The front structure assembly 200 includes the lower bracket 201 comprising the angled member 201a. The angled member 201a includes the one or more mounting portions 203 capable of receiving the first provisions 301a of the front fender assembly 107 through the one or more mounting members. Furthermore, the lower bracket 201 undersurface includes at least one receiving portion 204 to receive at least a portion of the front fender assembly 107.
[00028] Fig. 6 illustrates a bottom view of an exploded view of the front fender assembly. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the front fender assembly 107 includes a right side fender 107b and a left side fender 107a detachably attached to a center fender 107c. The right side fender 107b and the left side fender 107a are detachably attached to a right peripheral surface and a left peripheral surface of the center fender 107c. One or more mounting members 107m enable detachable attachment of the right side fender 107b and the left side fender 107a with the center fender 107. As per an embodiment, the fender assembly mounting portion 204 (shown in Fig 4b) are also disposed within the circle C. This specific configuration enables achieving desirable rigidity, stable structure of the assembly as well as good torsional compliance & high bending stiffness around the longitudinal & lateral axis respectively.
[00029] Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the center fender 107c includes a middle portion attached to the lower bracket assembly 201. In an embodiment, the center fender 107c includes a front portion and a rear portion adjoined with a middle portion. The middle portion of the center fender 107c is configured to be attached to the one or more mounting portions 203 of the angled member 201a. In one embodiment, the middle portion of the center fender 107c is disposed along a plane higher than other two planes including a front portion and a rear portion of said front fender assembly. During assembling and disassembling the center fender 107c on to the lower bracket, the center fender may undergo stress due to operation of the tool used during assembly. In order to withstand such a stress, the center fender has to be structurally strong enough to take sufficient load. The same is achieved by provide one or more reinforcing members 107R on a rear surface of the center fender 107c. The center fender 107c provides required structural support to the front fender assembly 107c. Further, also prevents any breakage that may occur during fastening the center fender 107c to the lower bracket. In one embodiment, the center fender 107c includes inwardly projecting troughs 107T having a profile in conformation with at least a portion of the pair of front forks 116, which is disposed at a close proximity to the center fender 107c. An outer portion of the pair of front forks 116 is covered by a rear portion of the right side fender 107b and the left side fender 107a.
[00030] Although the subject matter has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain embodiments thereof, other embodiments are possible. Rather, the features are disclosed as embodiments of the front fender assembly of a two-wheeled motorcycle.