Claims:We claim:

1. A saddle-ride type vehicle (100) comprising of a frame structure (14), the frame structure further comprising:
a main frame (141) markedly extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction for supporting at least a front portion of the vehicle, the said main frame further comprising a main frame front portion (151) and a main frame rear portion (152),
a cradle frame (142) extending substantially downwards and then substantially rearwards from the main frame front portion, the cradle frame supporting at least a middle portion of the vehicle; and
a posterior frame (143) extending rearwards from the main frame rear portion for supporting at least a rear portion of the vehicle, the posterior frame further comprising of a posterior frame front portion (153) and a posterior frame rear portion (154),
characterised in that
the said posterior frame front portion (153) is detachably attached to the said main frame rear portion (152).
2. A saddle-ride type vehicle (100) according to Claim 1, wherein the main frame (141), the cradle frame (142) and the posterior frame (143) is essentially made up of tubular steel members.
3. A saddle-ride type vehicle (100) according to Claim 1, wherein the posterior frame front portion (153) is attached to the main from rear portion (152) using a fastener (155).
4. A saddle-ride type vehicle (100) according to Claim 1, wherein the main frame front portion (151) and the main frame rear portion (152) are formed integrally.
5. A saddle-ride type vehicle (100) according to Claim 1, wherein the posterior frame front portion (153) and the posterior frame rear portion (154) are formed integrally.
6. A saddle-ride type vehicle (100) according to Claim 1, wherein the cradle frame (142) is rotatably supported onto the main frame front portion (151).
7. A saddle-ride type vehicle (100) according to Claim 1, wherein the posterior frame rear portion (153) is disposed higher than the posterior frame rear portion (154).
, Description:FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
[39 of 1970]
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(Section 10; Rule 13)

TITLE OF THE INVENTION
FRAME STRUCTURE FOR A SADDLE-RIDE TYPE VEHICLE

APPLICANT
ULTRAVIOLETTE AUTOMOTIVE PRIVATE LIMITED
529-530, Amarjyoti Layout, Intermediate Ring Road,
Domlur, Bengaluru – 560071,
Karnataka, India
An Indian Company

The following Specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed

FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] The embodiments of present disclosure relate to a saddle-ride type vehicle and more particularly to the frame structure of a saddle-ride type vehicle.
BACKGROUND
[0002] A frame is one of the basic structural members of a vehicle. It supports the load of the various components of the vehicle and the passengers. In addition, it is often subjected to fatigue and impact loads during riding conditions. There are different kinds of frame depending on the type of vehicle. In cars, trucks and jeeps, the frame structure is considerably simpler in terms of shape and design criteria due to the inbuilt stability of such types of vehicles. However, in saddle-ride type vehicles, the design of the frame structure becomes more complicated due to the fact that the frame must be compact and bear the load of all essential as well as auxiliary components. Thus, in saddle-ride type vehicles, the design of the frame is critical due the various dynamic loads as mentioned above, the fatigue loads as well as the impact loads acting on it.
[0003] In a typical saddle-ride type vehicle, the frame is a single integrated structure comprising a front frame that supports a front portion of the vehicle; a down tube extending downwards and rearwards from the front frame portion that typically supports the power unit and other associated components; and a rear frame that support the rear portion of the vehicle. The components of the frame are formed from standardized tubes and are often welded together to form a single integrated structure. In addition, there are various mounting brackets to support other units of the vehicle such as headlamp, suspension, wheels, etc. These mounting brackets are typically welded onto the frame. The advantage of a single integrated structure is the ease of handling a single component in that all the mounting brackets can be welded in a single operation stage. However, the single integrated frame structure mentioned above has the following problems.
[0004] Firstly, the process of welding generates substantial amount of heat thereby causing distortion in the dimensions of the brackets. The lengthier the frame, the more the distortion. This impacts the orientation of supported components which further leads to an uneven gap between the components that are mounted on these brackets. In known designs, the variation is such dimensions is accommodated to an extent by the tolerance provided in the individual parts. However, too large tolerances lead to undesirable gap that further leads to rattling of the components. Thus, the functionality of primary components of the vehicle is impacted by such huge variations in dimensions.
[0005] Secondly, there has been an increase in the modular components used in the vehicle, such as the recently developed electronic control units, the sensors, etc. The design of the welding fixture for a single integrated frame becomes complex as the accessibility for welding the individual brackets becomes more difficult and restricted in case the number of components to be supported increases.
[0006] Thirdly, if the vehicle incurs a damage even on a single portion of the frame due to, say, an accident, the entire frame has to be replaced. This leads to high cost of part replacement for the customers as well as part wastage.
[0007] Fourthly, if it may be so desired to modify layout of the vehicle for different purposes, for example, in a saddle-ride type vehicles used for high-speed rides, the rear frame profile is to be modified to improve the aerodynamics and the seating posture of the rear passenger. For a single integrated frame structure, this means the re-design of the entire frame and the welding fixture to meet the above requirements. This leads to time consuming re-designing of the entire frame for local modifications.
[0008] Attempts have been made to solve some of the above-mentioned failure modes. For example, in known prior art, the portion of the frame that supports the power generating unit is formed separately and mounted onto the front frame portion as a sub-assembly. This eases the handling and assembling of the component. Different size of the power units can also be accommodated, and the welding distortion can be minimised. However, there have been no attempts made to resolve the other failure modes, namely the welding distortions caused due to the lengthier frame structure.
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION
[0009] Considering the above-mentioned failure modes, it is an objective of the current invention to develop a simple frame structure with minimised welding distortions.
[0010] It is yet another objective of the current invention to simplify the welding process for the various brackets mounted onto the frame.
[0011] It is yet another objective of the current invention to make the replacement cost of the frame cheaper and easier.
[0012] It is yet another objective of the current invention to design a frame structure capable of accommodating any kind of futuristic requirements as needed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The saddle-ride type vehicle, as per the current invention, comprises of a frame structure, the frame structure further comprising of a main frame, a cradle frame, and a posterior frame. The main frame extends markedly longitudinally and supports the front portion of the vehicle. The main frame further comprises a main frame front portion and a main frame rear portion. The cradle frame extends substantially downwards and then substantially rearwards from the main frame front portion and supports at least a middle portion of the vehicle. The posterior frame extends rearwardly from the main frame and supports the rear portion of the vehicle. The posterior frame further comprises of a posterior frame front portion and a posterior frame rear portion.
[0014] As per an embodiment of the current invention, the posterior frame front portion is detachably attached to the main frame rear portion.
[0015] As per yet another embodiment of the current invention, the main frame, the cradle frame, and the posterior frame are essentially made up of steel tubes.
[0016] As per yet another embodiment of the current invention the rear frame front portion joins the main frame rear portion through a fastener.
[0017] In order to clarify the detailed features of the present invention, a detailed description of the invention will be provided. Reference of specific embodiments are illustrated with the help of appended figures. It is to be noted that these figures depict solely the typical embodiments of the invention. The figures are not to be considered as limiting in scope.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] Figure 1 represents a side view of a typical saddle-ride type vehicle.
[0019] Figure 2 represents a frame structure of the saddle-ride type vehicle according to an embodiment of the current invention.
[0020] Figure 3 represents an exploded view of the frame structure according to an embodiment of the current invention.
[0021] It is to be noted that a person skilled in the art shall comprehend that the elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and may not have necessarily been drawn to scale. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the figures by conventional symbols, and the figures may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the figures with details that will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the description herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] For promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the figures and specific language will be used to describe them. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated system, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as would normally occur to those skilled in the art are to be construed as being within the scope of the present invention.
[0023] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory of the invention and are not intended to be restrictive thereof.
[0024] The terms "comprises", "comprising", or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process or method that comprises a list of steps does not include only those steps but may include other steps not expressly listed or inherent to such a process or method. Similarly, one or more devices or sub-systems or elements or structures or components preceded by "comprises... a" does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other devices, sub-systems, elements, structures, components, additional devices, additional sub-systems, additional elements, additional structures, or additional components. Appearances of the phrase "in an embodiment", "in another embodiment" and similar language throughout this specification may, but not necessarily do, all refer to the same embodiment.
[0025] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention belongs. The system, methods, and examples provided herein are only illustrative and not intended to be limiting.
[0026] Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying figures.
[0027] In the following specification and the claims, reference will be made to a number of terms, which shall be defined to have the following meanings. The singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[0028] Figure 1 represents a side view of a typical saddle-ride type vehicle (100).
[0029] The front portion of the vehicle indicates the portion of the vehicle that lies ahead of the rider while the rider is seated on the vehicle. Thus, the direction that a rider faces while being seated on the vehicle is the vehicle front direction. The rear portion of the vehicle indicates the portion of the vehicle that lies behind the rider while the rider is seated on the vehicle. A longitudinal direction is the direction from the front of the vehicle to the rear of the vehicle. The middle portion of the vehicle lies between the front portion and the rear portion.
[0030] A typical saddle-ride type vehicle(100) comprises, inter alia, of a power generation (10) that generates the desired power move the vehicle forward, a power transmission unit (20) that supplies the power generated by the power generation unit(10) to a rear wheel (30) of the vehicle, a front wheel (40) that is steerable controlled by the rider to go in a desired direction using a handlebar unit (50) , a rider seating unit(60) for the rider to sit on and operate the vehicle, a passenger seating unit(70) for a passenger to sit on, a braking system (80) to decelerate or stop the vehicle or to station the vehicle on a slope, a front suspension unit (90) to prevent the transmission of shocks from the front wheel to the other components and passenger of the vehicle, a rear suspension unit (11) to prevent transmission of road shocks from the rear wheel to other components or passengers of the vehicle, a headlight unit (12) for clear visibility to the rider, a taillight unit (13) for alerting the passengers of other following vehicles during a full stop or rapid deceleration of the vehicle, other primary components (not shown), other auxiliary components (not shown) and a frame structure (14) that directly or indirectly supports the above mentioned components,.
[0031] Figure. 2 represents the frame structure (14) of the saddle-ride type vehicle (100) according to an embodiment of the current invention. For ease of understanding, a front portion of the vehicle can be considered to be comprising typically of the handlebar unit, the front wheel, the front suspension, the headlight, portion of other surrounding components, etc. Similarly, a middle portion of the vehicle can be considered to be comprising typically of the power generation unit (10), the rider seating unit, a portion of other surrounding components, etc. and the rear portion can be considered to be comprising typically of the passenger seat, the taillight, the rear wheel, a portion of power transmission unit, portion of other surrounding components, etc. The frame structure directly or indirectly supports the front portion, the rear portion, and the middle portion of the vehicle.
[0032] According to an embodiment of the current invention, the frame structure (14) further comprises of a main frame (141), a cradle frame (142), and a posterior frame (143). The main frame (141) extends markedly longitudinally and supports a front portion of the vehicle. The main frame (141) further comprises a main frame front portion (151) and a main frame rear portion (152). The cradle frame (142) extends substantially downwards and then substantially rearwards from the main frame front portion (151) and supports at least a middle portion of the vehicle. The posterior frame (143) extends rearwardly from the main frame rear portion (152) and supports the rear portion of the vehicle. The posterior frame further comprises of a posterior frame front portion (153) and a posterior frame rear portion (154). The posterior frame front portion (153) is detachably attached to the said main frame rear portion (152).
[0033] As per yet another embodiment of the current invention, the main frame (141), the cradle frame (142), and the posterior frame (143) are essentially made up of steel tubes.
[0034] As per yet another embodiment of the current invention the posterior frame front portion (153) is attached to the main frame rear portion (152) using a fastener.
[0035] The main frame, the cradle frame and the posterior frame further have some metal brackets that are either welded on to them or detachably attached using fasteners (not shown). Most of the components of the vehicle are mounted or supported on these welded metal brackets.
[0036] Thus, as per the current invention the posterior frame can be formed separate from the main frame. This minimises the welding distortion that would have been caused if the posterior frame was to be integrated to the main frame.
[0037] Moreover, the access for welding the metal brackets is improved as it is east to handle the main frame, the posterior frame and the cradle frame that are formed separately of each other.
[0038] Also, if there is a damage incurred by any portion of the frame structure, there is no need to replace the entire frame structure. The main frame, the cradle frame or the posterior frame can be independently replaced.
[0039] Also, if there is a localised change in the vehicle layout either due to change of desired vehicle configuration or to accommodate futuristic requirements, only the main frame, the posterior frame or the cradle frame will need to undergo modification – the entire frame structure need not be modified.
[0040] Thus, the current invention achieves the objective of designing a simpler frame structure that can be easily handled, easily replaced and is flexible to accommodate any local futuristic changes in the vehicle layout.
[0041] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory of the disclosure and are not intended to be restrictive thereof.
[0042] While specific language has been used to describe the invention, any limitations arising on account of the same are not intended. As would be apparent to a person skilled in the art, various working modifications may be made to the method in order to implement the inventive concept as taught herein.
[0043] The figures and the foregoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another em-bodiment. For example, order of processes described herein may be changed and are not lim-ited to the manner described herein. Moreover, the actions of any flow diagram need not be implemented in the order shown; nor do all the acts need to be necessarily performed. Also, those acts that are not dependent on other acts may be performed in parallel with the other acts. The scope of embodiments is by no means limited by these specific examples.
REFERENCES
Saddle-ride type vehicle – 100
Power generation unit – 10
Power transmission unit – 20
Rear wheel - 30
Front wheel - 40
Handlebar unit - 50
Rider seating unit - 60
Passenger seating unit - 70
Braking system - 80
Front suspension unit -90
Rear suspension unit - 11
Headlight unit - 12
Taillight unit - 13
Frame structure - 14
Main frame – 141
Main frame front portion - 151
Main frame rear portion - 152
Cradle frame – 142
Posterior frame - 143
Posterior frame front portion - 153
Posterior frame rear portion – 154
Fastener - 155