Patent Application
20050061572
The present application claims priority under 35 USC 119 to Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2001-282455 and 2001-282464 both filed on Sep. 17, 2001 the entire contents thereof is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a braking force input system for motorcycles and the like that is controlled by being pressed down by a driver when the brake is applied. The present invention also relates to a brake pedal to be used for a motorcycle or the like, and more specifically to a foldable brake pedal.
2. Description of Background Art
The motorcycles that are called American type may be provided with a plate-shaped step called “step plate” as a step on which the driver put his/her feet. In such motorcycles, the brake pedal that is to be disposed in the vicinity of the step plate is located laterally outside, and relatively away from the vehicle body, considering the operability of the brake pedal that is controlled by the foot placed on the step.
When the brake pedal is disposed at a position away from the vehicle body toward the outside, it is not desirable in terms of design to place the operating unit to which a foot force of the driver is introduced via the brake pedal (for example, a master cylinder) also outside the vehicle body. Therefore, the operating unit is disposed at the position near the vehicle body. In order to do so, it is necessary to elongate the brake pedal in the lateral direction. Since elongating the brake pedal in the lateral direction causes a large moment at the proximal portion and the supporting portion thereof when a foot force is introduced to the brake pedal, it is then necessary to increase the strength of those portions, which may cause an increase in weight.
A brake pedal for a motorcycle is disclosed, for example, in JP-U-62-5994. The brake pedal in this publication comprises a fixed pedal portion fixed at the distal end of the lever unit, and a movable pedal portion retractably provided on the side of the fixed pedal portion.
On the other hand, the motorcycles referred to as an American type may be provided with a plate-shaped step called “step plate” as a step on which the driver places his/her feet. Since the step plate of this type has a relatively high degree of freedom in an area to place the feet, the brake pedal to be placed in the vicinity of the step plate has a laterally elongated shape, so that it can be pressed from any foot position. The brake pedal is pivotally supported so that the pedal pad unit on which a foot force from the driver is introduced is foldable with respect to the pedal lever unit that is rotatably supported on the vehicle body side.
In such brake pedals, the pedal pad unit includes a flat depressing surface forming portion to be covered by a cover on the front face on which the driver depresses the pedal. A mounting portion extends from the depressing surface forming portion in the direction opposite from the cover for being pivotally mounted on the pedal lever unit. The depressing surface forming portion and the mounting portion are separate units joined by welding.
The pedal lever unit also comprises an extending portion that is rotatably supported on the vehicle body side at the proximal end and extending obliquely from the proximal end toward the upper front. A supporting portion is provided at the distal end of the extending portion in the direction intersecting the extending portion for pivotally supporting the pedal pad unit. The extending portion and the supporting member are separate units joined by welding.
However, as described above, there is a problem in that simply joining the pressing surface forming portion and the mounting portion of the pedal pad unit by welding and joining the extended portion and the supporting portion of the pedal lever portion by welding increases the number of components and increases the manufacturing cost due to the necessity of the welding operation.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a braking force input system in which a moment generated at the proximal portion and the supporting portion of the brake pedal may be reduced and an increase in weight can be prevented even when the brake pedal is disposed outside the vehicle body and the operating unit is disposed away from the brake pedal within the vehicle body.
In order to achieve the aforementioned object, a braking force input system according to the present invention includes a step member on which the driver places his/her feet (for example, a step plate 531 in the embodiment) with a brake pedal provided in the vicinity of the step member and rotated by applying a foot force (for example, a brake pedal 525 in the embodiment). An operating unit is operated by the rotational movement of the brake pedal (for example, a master cylinder 529 in the embodiment) and further includes a supporting shaft rotated integrally with the brake pedal by being connected to the brake pedal at one end (for example, a brake pivot shaft 524 in the embodiment). A supporting member is provided for supporting both ends of the supporting shaft (for example, an integral stay 519 in the embodiment). An operating member is provided for operating the operating unit by being connected to the other end of the supporting shaft at the position away from the brake pedal and rotating the brake pedal and the supporting shaft (for example, a brake arm 526 in the embodiment).
Consequently, when the brake pedal is introduced with a foot force and is rotated, the supporting shaft connected at one end thereto rotates, and thus the operating unit is operated by the operating member connected to the other end of the supporting shaft at the position away from the brake pedal. Since the supporting shaft is interposed between the brake pedal and the operating unit, and the both ends of the supporting shaft are supported by the supporting member as described above, a foot force introduced on the brake pedal is transformed into a rotational force at a position a short offset distance from the position on which a foot force is introduced even when the brake pedal is disposed outside the vehicle body and the operating unit is disposed inside the vehicle body at the position away from the brake pedal. Thus, the moment generated at the proximal portion and the supporting portion of the brake pedal can be reduced.
The braking force input system according to the present invention includes an operating unit that is a master cylinder. The master cylinder is disposed inside the laterally outer end of the vehicle body frame (for example, the vehicle body frame 2 in the embodiment).
Since the master cylinder, which is an operating unit is disposed inside the laterally outer end of the vehicle body frame, the master cylinder may be protected by the vehicle body frame.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a brake pedal having a structure such that the pedal pad unit is pivotally supported on the pedal lever unit, in which the number of components and the manufacturing costs can be reduced.
In order to achieve the aforementioned object according to the present invention a pedal pad unit is provided to which a foot force from the driver is introduced (for example, the pedal pad unit 550 in the embodiment), and a pedal lever unit (for example, the pedal lever unit 551) is rotatably supported on the vehicle body side at the proximal end thereof and extends obliquely toward the upper front from the proximal end for pivotally supporting the pedal pad unit at the distal end thereof. The pedal pad unit includes a flat depressing surface forming portion (for example, the depressing surface forming portion 561 in the embodiment) to be covered by a cover (for example, the cover 560 in the embodiment) on the front face on which the driver depresses the pedal. A mounting portion (for example, the mounting portion 562 in the embodiment) extends from the depressing surface forming portion in the direction opposite from the cover for being pivotally mounted on the pedal lever unit. The depressing surface forming portion and the mounting portion are formed integrally with each other.
In this manner, since the pedal pad unit includes the flat depressing surface forming portion to be covered by the cover on the front face on which the driver depresses the pedal and the mounting portion extends from the depressing surface forming portion in the direction opposite from the cover for being pivotally mounted to the pedal lever unit integrally formed therewith, the number of components and the manufacturing cost may be reduced in comparison with the case in which the depressing surface forming portion and the mounting portion are separately provided and welded later.
The brake pedal according to the present invention comprises a pedal pad unit to which a foot force from the driver is introduced (for example, the pedal pad unit 550 in the embodiment), and a pedal lever unit (for example, the pedal lever unit 551) rotatably supported on the vehicle body side at the proximal end thereof and extending obliquely towards the upper front from the proximal end for pivotally supporting the pedal pad unit at the distal end thereof. The pedal lever unit includes an extending portion (for example, the extending portion 556 in the embodiment) being rotatably supported on the vehicle body side at the proximal end thereof and extending obliquely towards the upper front from the proximal end. A supporting portion (for example, the supporting portion 557 in the embodiment) is provided at the distal end of the extending portion in the direction intersecting the extending portion for pivotally supporting the pedal pad unit. The extending portion and the supporting portion are formed integrally.
In this manner, since the pedal lever unit includes the extending portion being rotatably supported on the vehicle body side at the proximal end thereof and extending obliquely towards the upper front from the proximal end, and the supporting portion provided at the distal end on the extended side of the extending portion in the direction intersecting the extending portion for pivotally supporting the pedal pad unit integrally formed with respect to each other the number of components and the manufacturing cost may be reduced in comparison with the case in which the extending portion and the supporting portion are provided separately and welded later.
The brake pedal according to the present invention includes the pedal pad unit comprises a flat depressing surface forming portion (for example, the depressing surface forming portion 561 in the embodiment) to be covered by a cover on the front face on which the driver depresses, and a pair of mounting portions (for example, the mounting portion 562 in this embodiment) extending from the depressing surface forming portion in the direction opposite from the cover for being pivotally mounted at the supporting member of the pedal lever unit in a state of being disposed on both sides of the supporting portion, and the depressing surface forming portion and the mounting portion are integrally formed.
In this manner, since the flat depressing surface forming portion to be covered by the cover on the front face on which the driver depresses the pedal and the pair of mounting portions extending from the depressing surface forming portion in the direction opposite from the cover and pivotally mounted on the supporting portion in a state of being disposed on the both sides of the supporting portion of the pedal lever unit are formed integrally in the pedal pad unit the number of components and the manufacturing cost may be reduced in comparison with the case in which the depressing surface forming portion and the mounting portion are separately provided and welded later.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:
FIGS. 20(a) and 20(b) are a plan view and a side view of a stay for supporting an ignition switch of the motorcycle according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 24(a), 24(b) and 24(c) are perspective views illustrating the action of the battery case of the motorcycle according to one embodiment of the present invention;
Referring now to the drawings, an embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the description, the terms regarding the direction such as front, rear, left, and right represent directions with respect to the vehicle body.
The motorcycle 1 comprises a front wheel 7 rotatably supported by the front forks 3 with a front fender 8 supported by the front forks 3 for covering the upper side of the front wheel 7. An engine 9 is supported by the vehicle body frame 2 with a radiator 10 disposed forwardly of the engine 9. Rear swing arm units 11 are mounted on the rear portion of the vehicle body so as to be pivotable about the lateral axis by the vehicle body frame 2. A rear wheel 12 is rotatably suspended at the rear ends of the rear swing arm units 11 and are rotated by a driving force of the engine 9. A rear fender 13 is supported by the vehicle body frame 2 for covering the upper side of the rear wheel 12.
The motorcycle 1 further includes a teardrop shaped fuel tank 14 disposed on the upper part of the vehicle body frame 2 with a main seat 15 disposed rearwardly of the fuel tank 14 for the driver to sit on. A pillion seat 16 is provided rearwardly of the main seat 15 on the rear fender 13 for a fellow passenger to sit on. A pair of left and right rear winkers 17 are provided on the rear portion of the rear fender 13 with a brake lamp 18 provided at the center of the rear portion of the rear fender 13 and a license plate mounting portion 19 provided at the rear end of the rear fender 13.
The vehicle frame 2, as shown in
The engine 9 is a V-type, two-cylinder, four-cycle engine having a pair of front and rear cylinder blocks 38 provided with a cylinder head portion 37 and a cylinder portion 36, and a crankcase 39 provided downwardly of the cylinder blocks 38 so as to be continued therefrom. A transmission 40 is connected to the rear side of the crankcase 39 of the engine 9. The engine 9 and the transmission 40 are supported on the vehicle body frame 2 in such a manner that the front portion of the crankcase 39 is connected to the down pipes 33 via a bracket 42 with the midsection of the crankcase 39 connected to the front cross pipe 35 via a bracket 43 and the lower portion on the rear side of the transmission 40 connected to the cross pipe 31 via a bracket 44. The upper portion on the rear side of the transmission 40 is connected to the cross pipe 30 via a bracket 45.
The rear swing arm units 11 comprise a pair of left and right fork portions 46 extending rearwardly from the base portions of the front ends thereof, and are pivotable in the vertical direction about pivots 47 by being supported at the base portion by the pivots 47 provided on the left and right pivot plates 29. A pair of left and right rear cushion units 48 are interposed between the respective extremities of the rear swing arm units 11 and the respective rear brackets 25, so that vibration applied on the rear wheel 12 from the road surface is alleviated and absorbed.
The front winker (winker device) 5 comprises, as shown in
The winker holder 102 comprises a pair of holder members 105, 106 formed by dividing a cylindrical body formed with a shaft hole 102a having an inner diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the outer periphery of the front fork 3 and with a column shaped projection 102b on one side (outside) formed into substantially halves along a plane laid in the direction of the axis of the cylindrical body. The winker holder 102 is detachably mounted on the front fork 3 by disposing the respective holder members 105, 106 so as to interpose the front fork 3 therebetween from the front and back, and screwing and tightening bolts 107, 107 into the screw holes 105a, 105a formed on both sides of one of the (the front) holder member 105 through the bolt holes 106a, 106a formed on both sides of the holder member 106 on the other (the rear) holder member 106.
The projection 105b of the outer side portion of the one holder member 105 is a substantially column shaped portion having a notched plane 105c on the side of the other holder member 106, so that the winker 103 is supported by the holder member 105 by connecting the projection 105b detachably to the winker supporting base portion 103a of the winker 103 by means of a certain tightening means such as a screw or the like.
The one holder member 105 is, as shown in
The portion 105f of the groove 105d positioned downwardly of the screw hole 105a is formed in a substantially semi-circular shape in lateral cross section. The groove portion 105e along the direction of the axis of the projection 105b of the groove 105d may be formed as a hole closed on the side of the other holder member 106 but not as a groove. The groove width of the groove 105d or the diameter of the hole formed instead of the groove 105d is formed so as to be slightly larger than the diameter of the winker cord 104.
The other holder member 106 is formed at the outer end (the side of the winker supporting base portion 103a) with a projection 106d forming a cylindrical projection 102b together with the projection 105b by abutting the joint surface 106b thereof against the notched plane 105c of the projection 105b of the one holder member 105 and abutting the outer end portion 106c thereof against the winker supporting base portion 103a, as shown in
The groove 106e comprises an annular groove 106g having dimensions slightly larger than the diameter of the winker cord 104 in depth and width and being formed circumferentially along the arcuate inner peripheral surface 106f that is to be brought into contact with the front fork 3. A groove portion 106i is connected into one end (the side where the projection 106b resides) of the annular grove 106g, formed along the contact surface 106h of the other holder member 106 that is to be brought into contact with the one holder member 105, and includes a semi-circular lateral cross section of a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the winker cord 104. A groove portion 106m is formed at the position in the vicinity of the opposed surface 106j of the other holder member 106 that faces towards the one holder member 105 with a gap 105g interposed therebetween for connecting to the other end (the end opposite from the projection 106b) of the annular groove 106g at the upper end (lower end in
The groove 105d of the one holder member 105 and the groove 106e of the other holder member 106 form a cord insertion hole 108 in the winker holder 102 for receiving the winker cord 104 therethrough. The winker cord 104 is drawn out from the winker supporting base portion 103a of the winker 103 and passes through the groove portion 105e of the projection 105b to circumvent the bolt hole 105a, and passes from the groove portions 105f, 106i through the annular groove 106g, then along the outer periphery of the front fork 3 by half a round, and then through the groove portion 106m, and is pulled out from the lower end of the other holder member 106 to be wired towards the required location.
Though it is not shown, a seal is provided at the mounting section between the projection 102b (projection 105b, 106b) of the winker holder 102 and the winker supporting base portion 103a of the winker 103, so that rainwater is prevented from entering into the interior of the winker 103 through the cord insertion hole 108.
Though the front winker 5 is shown as being mounted on the pipe on the right side (the right side when viewed toward the traveling direction of the motorcycle 1) of the front fork 3, the front winker (winker device) to be mounted on the left side of the front fork 3 has the same construction as the right front winker 5 except to be symmetrical.
The license plate mounting unit 19 is provided with a license light 110 and the license plate (number plate) 111 that will be illuminated thereby.
In other words, as shown in
The light cover 116 is provided with three insertion holes 116a through which the female screw members 113 are inserted on the upper portion thereof, and with a light storage section 116c having an opening 116b in the shape of a substantially circular arc or triangle with a rounded projection on the lower portion thereof so as to project rearwardly of the vehicle body when viewed from above. A light body 117 of the license light 110 is attached in the light storage section 116c. A mounting plate 118 is fixed to the female screw member 113 of the mounting plate 114 inserted into the insertion hole 116a of the light cover 116 with a bolt 118a, so that the number plate 111 is secured to the mounting plate 118 via a supporting plate 119.
The lamp body 117 includes a base 120, a lamp 123 alighted at its screwed portion with the socket 121 and secured to the base 120 though a bayonet mounting hole 122 formed on the base 120. A lens 124 is fixed to the base 120 so as to surround the lamp 123. The lens 124 comprises a horizontal upper surface 125 in the shape of a substantially circular arc or of a triangle having a rounded projection projecting towards the rear of the vehicle body when viewed from above. A vertical side surface 126 is connected around the upper surface 125 with the face down. A cylindrical surface 127 in the shape of a cylinder is connected along the base portions of the upper surface 125 and the side surface 126 so that the cross section taken along the centerline of the vehicle body is a substantially pentagonal shape with one side (obliquely lower side) opened. A part of the free end of the cylindrical surface 127 is joined to the surface of the base 120 by welding or the like, whereby the lens 124 is joined integrally to the base 120.
The upper surface 125 of the lens 124 has, as shown in
The side surface 126 is formed into a curved surface almost along the profile of the upper surface 125, and is formed with a reflecting surface 126a applied with surface roughening for reflecting light of the lamp 123 on the upper side of the inner surface being adjacent to the lamp 123 over the range in the vicinity of the prism 128 on the curved surface.
The lamp body 117 thus constructed is mounted in the light storage section 116c by being inserted into the light storage section 116c of the light cover 116 with the projection of the lens 124 facing towards the rear of the vehicle body and the upper surface 125 facing upwardly so that the upper surface 125 is exposed from the opening 116b and the side surface 126 abuts against the back side surface of the rear wall surface 116d formed in the same curved surface as the side surface 126 of the lens 124. The lamp body 117 is secured on its side surface 126 to the back surface of the rear wall surface 116d with a bolt, not shown. A back surface cover 129 is provided for covering the socket side 122 of the lamp 123, which is inserted into and engaged with the engaging hole formed on the mounting plate 114 on the upper end side thereof and fixed to the mounting plate 114 with a bolt 130 on the lower end side thereof.
Referring now to
The mounting plate 118 is formed of a substantially rectangular plate material having overhanging portions 118b, 118b on the lower side thereof with lateral lengths slightly longer than the vertical lengths and projecting on the left and the right sides. The mounting plate 118 is formed with a substantially laterally elongated rectangular notch 130 at the center on the lower end thereof with a recess 131 in the shape of a triangular pyramid upwardly of the notch 130 and a bolt hole 132a formed in the flat recess 132 which is formed continuously upwardly from the recess 131.
A triangular mounting plate portion 131a corresponding to the bottom surface of the recess 131 in the shape of triangular pyramid is inclined so as to be higher on the front side of the vehicle body, and is formed with three bolt holes 131b near the positions corresponding to the three apexes of the triangle, so that the mounting plate 118 is attached on the license plate mounting unit 19 on the upper front of the light body 117 of the license light 110 with the plate surface oriented vertically by screwing and tightening the bolt 118a inserted through the bolt hole 131b into the female screw member 113 fixed on the mounting plate 114 of the license plate mounting unit 19 (See
In addition, the mounting plate 118 is formed with bolt holes 133, 133 for mounting the license plate at symmetrical positions near the upper end of the notch 130 on both sides with laterally elongated holes 134, 134 positioned slightly upwardly thereof and holes positioned upwardly of the elongated holes 134, 134 including square holes 135, 135 at the lower sides thereof and vertically elongated slide holes 136, 136 connected to the square holes 135, 135 at the upper ends thereof and extended upwardly to the positions near the upper end of the mounting plate 118. Reflector mounting holes 137, 137 are formed at the positions lower than the bolt holes 133 on both sides of the notch 130.
The supporting plate 119 is formed of a laterally elongated rectangular plate material having the same width as the width of the upper half portion of the mounting plate 118, and formed with a projecting seat portion 138 for abutment against the rear surface of the recess 132 of the mounting plate 118 at the center of the front surface 119a thereof. A laterally elongated bolt hole 139 extends through the seat portion 138. A seat surface 140 is formed on the back surface 119b as a recess surrounding the bolt hole 139.
The supporting plate 119 is formed with a hooking strips 141, 141 on the back surface 119b on both sides at the symmetrical positions at the upper end so as to project from the back side and be bent downwardly. Engaging portions 142, 142 include a T-shaped lateral cross section on both sides at the symmetrical positions near the lower end so as to project towards the side of the front surface 119a. The engaging portions 141, 141 are square shaped in front view and are able to be inserted through the square holes 135, 135 formed on the mounting plate 118, so that the T-shape of the engaging portion 142 of the vertical portion 142a passing through the sliding hole 136 on the mounting plate 118 and the lateral portion 142b of T-shape can engage the front surface of the mounting plate 118.
With the mounting plate 118 and the supporting plate 119 thus constructed, the engaging portions 142, 142 on the supporting plate 119 are inserted through the square holes 135, 135 on the mounting plate 118 so that both plates are brought into abutment with back sides mating. Thererafter, the supporting plate 119 is slid upwardly with respect to the mounting plate 118. As a consequent, since the vertical side portion 142a of the engaging portions 142, 142 on the supporting plate 119 is inserted into the sliding holes 136, 136 of the mounting plate 118, and thus the lateral side potion 142b engages the mounting plate 118, the mounting plate 118 and the supporting plate 119 are not moved with respect to each other in the fore-and-aft direction. In this state, the height of the supporting plate 119 with respect to the mounting plate 118 is determined, and a mounting bolt 143 is inserted through the bolt hole 139 and the bolt hole 132a on the mounting plate 118 from the back side of the supporting plate 119. A nut is screwed on the front side of the mounting plate 118 for temporarily fastening for supporting the supporting plate 119 on the mounting plate 118.
Subsequently, the license plate 111 mates to the back surface of the supporting plate 119 with the upper edge abutting against the inner side of the hooking strips 141, 141 on the supporting plate 119, the bolt holes 111a, 111a formed on both sides of the lower end portion are aligned with the bolt holes 133, 133 or the elongated holes 134, 134 on the mounting plate 118, and subsequently, the mounting bolt 144 is inserted therethrough from the back side of the license plate 111, and the nut is screwed and tightened on the side of the front surface of the mounting plate 118, so that the license plate 111 is secured on the mounting plate 118.
When aligning the bolt holes 111a, 111a of the license plate 111 and the bolt holes 133, 133 or the elongated holes 134, 134 on the mounting plate 118, the supporting plate 119 is moved and adjusted in the vertical direction with respect to the mounting plate 118 via the engagement between the slide holes 136, 136 and the engaging portions 142, 142, and when those holes are aligned, the mounting bolt 143, which was inserted through the bolt hole 139 of the supporting plate 119 and the bolt hole 132a of the mounting plate 118 and fastened temporarily, is securely fastened to fixedly secure the supporting plate 119 to the mounting plate 118.
The color tones of the mounting plate 118 and the supporting plate 119 are black by using a black material or applying a black color on a suitable material. The mounting surface for the license plate constructed by combining the mounting plate 118 and the supporting plate 119 is determined to have dimensions in width and height sufficient for accommodating the license plate 111 the specification of which differs depending on the places of destination of the motorcycle. The back surface of the license plate 111 is not illuminated directly by the tail light 145 in the brake lamp unit 18 mounted on the rear fender 13 forwardly of the mounting plate 118 and the supporting plate 119.
Engine cooling by a radiator 10 and the heating device 201 for a carburetor associated therewith will be described now. As shown in
The engine cooling water discharge port of the right cylinder section 36 is connected to the engine cooling water intake port of the left cylinder portion 36 via the engine cooling water communication pipe 204. Engine cooling water flowing into the left cylinder section 36 passes through the water jacket, not shown, formed on the wall portion of the same cylinder section 36 and then reaches the engine cooling water discharge port formed on the upper surface of the left cylinder head section 37 upwardly thereof. The engine cooling water discharge port of the left cylinder head section 37 is then connected to an intake port of a valve case of a thermostat valve 206 disposed downwardly of a main pipe 22 via an engine cooling water piping 205. On the other hand, the engine cooling water discharge port of the right cylinder head section 37 is connected to the intake port of the valve case of the thermostat valve 206 via the engine cooling water piping 207.
The discharge port of the thermostat valve 206 is connected to the upper intake port of the radiator 10 via the engine cooling water piping 208, and the lower discharge port of the radiator 10 is connected to the suction opening of the cooling water pump 202 via the engine cooling water piping 209.
A carburetor heating piping 211 is bifurcated from the engine cooling water communication pipe 204 connecting the left and the right cylinder sections 36, 36, and the extremity of the carburetor heating piping 211 is connected to the engine cooling water intake port formed on the carburetor 212. A carburetor heating piping 213 extends from the engine cooling water discharge port provided on the carburetor 212, and this carburetor heating piping 213 located on the downstream side is connected to the by-pass piping 214 for connecting the discharge port of the valve case of the thermostat valve 206 and the suction opening of the cooling water pump 202 via a junction 215.
The engine cooling water piping 203, the engine cooling water communication pipe 204 and the engine cooling water piping 205, 207, 208, 209 constitute a radiator piping that is a circulation route connecting the engine 9 and the radiator 10. The inner diameters of the engine cooling water piping 208, 209 of this radiator piping are determined to be larger than the inner diameter of the by-pass piping 214.
The thermostat valve 206 is opened and closed according to the temperature of engine cooling water flowing therein, and for example, when it is “closed,” the engine cooling water piping 205, 207 is not brought into communication with the engine cooling water piping 208, but is brought into communication only with the by-pass piping 214. When the thermostat is “opened,” the engine cooling water piping 205, 207 are brought into communication both with the engine cooling water piping 208 and the by-pass piping 214.
Though the cooling water pump 202 is actuated with actuation of the engine 9, the thermostat valve 206 is kept closed when the temperature of engine cooling water does not reach the prescribed temperature. Thus, engine cooling water circulates the route from the cooling water pump 202 through the engine cooling water piping 203, the left and right cylinder sections 36, the engine cooling water piping 205, 207, the valve case of the thermostat valve 206 and the by-pass piping 214 and flows back again to the cooling pump 202.
In this case, when suitably heated engine cooling water after passing the right cylinder section 36 passes through the engine cooling water communication pipe 204, a part of it is diverged and led through the carburetor heating piping 211 to the carburetor 212 to heat up the carburetor 212. Engine cooling water that was used for heating up passes through the carburetor heating piping 213 and the by-pass piping 214 and then flows back again to the cooling water pump 202.
Subsequently, when the temperature of engine cooling water increases and exceeds a prescribed temperature, the thermostat valve 206 opens. Accordingly, the route from the engine cooling piping 205, 207 through the engine cooling water piping 208 to the radiator 10, and from there through the engine cooling water piping 209 back to the cooling water pump 202 again is opened, and thus engine cooling water circulates also into this route. In other words, engine cooling using the radiator 10 is started.
In this case, the flow rate of engine cooling water flowing through the by-pass piping 214 decreases due to piping resistance, and thus the flow rate of engine cooling water flowing in the route passing through the radiator 10 side (radiator piping system) increases. Therefore, the flow rate of engine cooling water flowing through the carburetor 212 decreases consequently, and thus excessive heating of the carburetor 212 is prevented.
The arrangement structure of the engine auxiliary equipment at substantially the center of the vehicle body and the mounting structure of the ignition switch will now be described. As shown in
The engine hanger 220 has a function to support the engine 9 and the center cover 221, as well as the ignition switch 223. This will be described later in detail.
The center cover 221 is, as shown in
The center cover 221 is not limited to resin, and may be metal such as an aluminum alloy or the like.
As shown in
As illustrated in
The engine hanger 220 is, as shown in
The engine hanger 220 is provided with an extended portion 244 extending in a direction different from the direction of engine suspension (upwardly in
The stay 247 is, as shown in FIGS. 20(a) and 20(b), formed with engaged holes 248 to be fixed on the engine hanger 220 at a distance in the vertical direction in the vicinity of the right end (rearwardly when being assembled), and with engaging holes 249 to be aligned with the mounting hole for the ignition switch 229 at a position in the vicinity of the left end. Further, a reinforcing portion 250 is formed by bending the left edge inwardly so as to be upright when assembling the vehicle body.
The engaged holes 248 of the stay 247 correspond to the engaging holes 245 of the engine hanger 220.
Subsequently, the storage structure for documents or tools will be described. As shown in
The battery case 261 comprises, as shown in FIGS. 21 to 24(c), a document/tool storage section 263 for storing documents and tools in addition to a battery storage section 262 for storing a battery formed integrally therewith. In other words, in the battery case 261, the right side in
The battery case 261 comprises, as shown in FIGS. 24(a) to 24(c), a case body 264 on the lower side and a lid 265 to be fixed on the case body 264 by a suitable fixing means so as to cover the open-top of the case body 264. The lid 265 further includes the first lid 266 and the second lid 267 so as to cover the top of the battery storage section 262 and the top of the document/tool storage section 263, respectively. The case body 264, the first lid 266 and the second lid 267 are formed of resin by blow molding.
The case body 264 comprises a first box-shaped portion 268 for defining the battery storage section 262 and a second box-shaped portion 269 for defining the document/tool storage section 263 formed on the left side in
As shown in
The second lid 267 is formed with an opening/closing lid 277 formed integrally therewith for covering the opening 273 formed on the lower sidewall of the tool storage section 274 in
The position of the opening 273 for storing or taking out the documents or the like is determined so that it is exposed towards the outside from the opened portion between the center pipe 27 and the rear pipe 28 when the battery case 261 is assembled to the vehicle body frame 2.
The rear fender 13 will now be described. The rear fender 13 is, as shown in
The rear fender 13 is formed with engaging holes 303 as attached portions at required locations on the arcuate surface portion 301 and the left and right side surfaces 302, so that the rear fender 13 can be attached to the vehicle body frame 2 for example by passing a bolt through the engaging hole 303 and tightening it with a nut. The engaging hole 303 is formed substantially at the longitudinally center of the rear fender 13.
A wider portion 304 is formed at the rear end portion on the side surface 302 of the rear fender 13 being away from the position at which the engaging hole 303 is formed as the attaching portion. The wider portion 304 has a width Wa, which is wider than the width Wb of the remaining portion of the side surface 302. The wider portion 304 is formed with three rows of recesses 305 at suitable intervals so as to extend longitudinally of the vehicle body. The reinforced portion 306 including the recesses 305 are formed at the inner position, which is the opened edge side, of the side surface 302 of the rear fender with respect to the lateral center thereof.
The recesses 305 are formed integrally when the rear fender 13 is pressed.
The cylinder head sections 37 of the aforementioned respective cylinder blocks 38 are connected to the mufflers respectively for reducing exhaust sound generated by the engine 9, as shown in
The muffler 506 to be connected to the cylinder head section 37 of the rear cylinder block 38 also comprises an exhaust pipe unit 507 to be connected to the cylinder head section 37 and a silencer unit 508 having a larger diameter relative to the exhaust pipe unit 507 for reducing sound. The muffler 506 extends rearwardly from the end of connection between the exhaust pipe unit 507 and the cylinder block 38 further extends rearwardly and obliquely downwardly along the upper side of the transmission 40 and then horizontally towards the rear, and is connected to the silencer unit 508. The silencer unit 508 is disposed on the right side of the vehicle body, which is the same side as the aforementioned silencer unit 503. The muffler 506 is also formed separately from the exhaust pipe unit 507 and is provided with a three-dimensional catalyst, not shown, in a catalyst supporting portion 509 that is to be assembled to the midsection of the exhaust pipe unit 507, so that the time period that is required until it is activated is reduced and thus catalytic performance at the startup timing is improved.
Both of the muffler 501 and the muffler 506 have the silencer unit 503 and the silencer unit 508 respectively at a distance in the horizontal direction one over another. The rear end of the lower silencer unit 503 extends horizontally to the position in the vicinity of the axis of the rear wheel 12, and the upper silencer unit 508 extends horizontally to the position further rearwardly with respect to the silencer unit 503.
The silencer unit 503 of the lower muffler 501 is, as shown in
The silencer unit 508 of the upper muffler 506 is disposed outside with respect to the lower silencer unit 503 in the lateral direction of the vehicle body, and is arranged on the right outside of the fork portion 46 of the rear swing arm unit 11. In other words, the silencer unit 508 coincides partially with the right fork portion 46 of the rear swing arm unit 11 in the vertical direction, and is shifted towards the outside with respect to the right fork portion 46 of the rear swing arm unit 11 in the lateral direction.
The lower silencer unit 503 and the upper silencer unit 508 are fixedly connected with each other by securing the linking members 510 which are fixed to them respectively by fastening with a bolt.
The upper silencer unit 508 is provided with a stopper member 511 fixed on the side of the rear swing arm unit 11 thereof. When the upper and lower mufflers 501, 506 are deformed in the lateral direction towards the vehicle body when being toppled, the stopper member 511 abuts against the rear swing arm unit 11 to prevent the upper muffler 506 from being deformed further in the lateral direction towards the vehicle body, and thus to prevent the lower muffler 501 connected to the upper muffler 506 from being deformed further in the lateral direction towards the vehicle body, thereby preventing the silencer unit 503 of the lower muffler 501 from being brought into contact with a disk 512 of a disk brake of the rear wheel 12.
The right down pipe 33 of the aforementioned vehicle body frame 2 is provided with a brake input device 520 shown in
The brake input device 520 includes a step bracket 521 to be fixed to the down pipe 33 with a bolt, and an integral stay 519 to be fixed to the step bracket 521 by welding. The integral stay 519 includes a master cylinder stay portion 522 extending upwardly, and a brake pivot holder portion 523.
The brake input device 520 comprises a brake pivot shaft (supporting shaft) 524 that is rotatably supported by the brake pivot holder portion 523 at both ends in a state of being laid along the same in the lateral direction. A brake pedal 525 is fixed to one end of the brake pivot shaft 524 on the right side of the vehicle body with a brake arm (operating member) 526 pivotally connected to the other end of the brake pivot shaft 524 on the side of the vehicle body. With such an arrangement, the brake pedal 525 is disposed outside the vehicle body on the right side at the position relatively far from the vehicle body.
In this case, the brake pedal 525 comprises a pedal pad unit 550 to which a foot force from the driver is introduced, a pedal lever unit 551 rotatably supported by the vehicle body side at the proximal end thereof and extending obliquely towards the upper front from the proximal end for pivotally supporting the pedal pad unit 550 at the distal end thereof, and a pin 552 for supporting the pedal pad unit 550 on the pedal lever unit 551.
The brake input device 520 comprises a return spring 527 to be interposed between the brake arm 526 and the integral stay 519, a master cylinder (operating portion) 529 to be mounted at the back side of the master cylinder stay portion 522 and connected to the brake arm 526 at the input portion 528 thereof, and a reservoir tank 530 attached to the upper end of the master cylinder stay portion 522 for feeding and discharging brake fluid with respect to the master cylinder 529. The master cylinder 529 in this case is disposed inside the outer end of the down pipe 33 of the vehicle body frame 2 in the lateral direction (inside the vehicle body), though it is not shown in the figure.
On the other hand, the step bracket 521 supports the step plate (step member) 531 for placing the driver's foot in a state of being disposed in the vicinity of the brake pedal 525. The step bracket 521 is also provided on the left side of the vehicle body where the brake input device 520 is not provided for supporting the step plate 531 for placing the driver's foot by the step bracket 521.
In the brake input device 520 described above, when the driver presses the brake pedal 525, the brake pedal 525 is rotated integrally with the brake pivot shaft 524 connected to one end thereof, and thus the brake arm 526 connected to the other end of the brake pivot shaft 524 away from the brake pedal 525 is rotated integrally. As a result, the brake arm 526 presses the input portion 528 of the master cylinder 529 upwardly and allows the master cylinder 529 to generate a braking fluid pressure.
The brake pedal 525 described above comprises, as shown in
The pedal lever unit 551 comprises an extending portion 556 that is rotatably supported by the vehicle body side as a result that the proximal end thereof is fixed to the end of the laterally oriented brake pivot shaft 524, which is the outer side with respect to the vehicle body. The extending portion 556 has a plate shape and is connected to the brake pivot shaft 524 at the proximal end thereof with the direction of thickness oriented in the lateral direction in a state of extending obliquely from the proximal end towards the upper front.
The pedal lever unit 551 comprises a supporting member 557 provided at the distal end on the extended side of the extending portion 556 in the direction intersecting the extending portion 556 for pivotally supporting the pedal pad unit 550. The supporting member 557 has a plate shape and extends from the distal end of the extending portion 556 rightwardly and then projects upwardly from the distal end thereof with the direction of thickness oriented in the longitudinal direction of the extending portion 556. The extending portion 556 and the supporting member 557 are formed integrally, and more specifically, they are formed by bending a plate shaped member.
The supporting member 557 is formed with a hole 559 extending through the thickness thereof at the projected portion 558 projected upwardly from the distal end thereof.
The pedal pad unit 550 comprises a pair of flat depressing surface forming portions 561 to be covered by covers 560, for example, of rubber on the front faces on which the driver depresses, a pair of mounting portions 562 extending from the depressing surface forming portion 561 in the direction opposite from the cover 560 for being pivotally mounted at the supporting member 557 in the state of being disposed on both sides of the supporting member 557 of the pedal lever unit 551, and a connecting portion 563 for connecting a pair of mounting portions 562 with each other on the opposite side thereof from the depressing surface forming portion 561.
A pair of depressing surface forming portions 561 are rectangular in shape, and extend in the opposite directions on the same plane from the opposite edges of the respective mounting portions 562 from the connecting portion 563. The pair of depressing surface forming portions 561 are oriented so that the elongated sides are laid along the extending direction.
The pair of mounting portions 562 include inclined portions 564 such that the extending amount from the depressing surface forming portion 561 decreases along the length of the depressing surface forming portion 561 towards one end thereof, and the connecting portion 563 is formed only on the inclined portion 564. A hole 565 passes through both of the mounting portions 562 at the portion where the connecting portion 563 is not formed.
The pair of depressing surface forming portions 561 and the pair of mounting portions 562 and a connecting portion 563 are formed integrally, and more specifically, they are formed by bending a plate shaped member.
Then, the pedal pad unit 550 is supported by the pedal lever unit 551 by inserting the pin 552 into the hole 565 on the mounting portion 562 and the hole on the supporting member 557, providing a spring 553 so as to dispose the pin 552 inside, and engaging a washer 554 with the pin 552 in a state in which the pair of mounting portions 562 of the pedal pad unit 550 are disposed on both sides of the supporting member 557 of the pedal lever unit 551.
In this case, one of the margins of pivotal motion of the pedal pad unit 550 with respect to the pedal lever unit 551 is determined by abutment of the connecting portion 563 of the pedal pad unit 550 against the abutting portion 566 of the supporting member 557 of the pedal lever unit 551 opposite from the extending portion 556. In addition, the pedal pad unit 550 is urged into the direction to bring the connecting portion 563 into abutment against the abutting portion 566 by an urging force of the spring 553. In other words, the pedal pad unit 550 is in the normal state when it is in the marginal position of the pivotal motion, and in this normal state, the pedal pad unit 550 is laid along the lateral direction of the vehicle body. When a certain force is exerted on the pedal pad unit 550 from underneath thereof, the pedal pad unit 550 rotates in such a manner that the right end is moved upward.
The aforementioned step plate (step member) 531 is for placing the driver's foot, and comprises, as shown in
The platform 580 is substantially a flat plate shape with curved corners at both ends of one of the edges in parallel with the length thereof and a mounting portion 582 on the other edge that is in parallel with the length thereof for being rotatably supported by the step bracket 521. In other words, as shown in
The platform 580 is formed with bank sensors 581 on the lower side and the opposite side from the mounting portion 582 at the forward and backward positions thereof along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body so as to project downwardly from the platform 580, respectively. The respective back sensors 581 are elongated in the direction longitudinally of the vehicle body, slightly curved along the corners of the platform 580, and are a mirror symmetry with respect to each other. The back sensor 581 has a substantially flat ground plane 584 on the lower face, which comes into contact with ground when the vehicle body is inclined.
In such a step plate 531, the platform 580 and the bank sensors 581 located at two positions are formed integrally with each other. In other words, the step plate 531 is a die cast article of aluminum alloy for example, and thus the platform 580 and the bank sensors 581 at the two locations are formed integrally at the time of die casting.
The constructions of the supporting portion 583 of the left and the right step brackets 521 in the vehicle body are the same. Thus, the left and the right step brackets 521 have the step plates 531 of the same configuration mounted thereon.
As regards the pillion seat 16 to be disposed further backwardly of the main seat 15 being placed on the aforementioned rear fender 13 on the rear side thereof, the seat mounting structure in which the front portion of the pillion seat 16 is mounted on the rear fender 13 includes, as shown in
The main seat 15 has a configuration including a pointed projection 601 in a V-shape in plan view and in side view at the rear thereof (so-called gun fighter type), and the front portion is placed on the vehicle body frame 2 and the rear portion is placed on the rear fender 13. In this state, the main seat 15 is bolted to the vehicle body frame 2 in the vicinity of the fuel tank 14 on the front side and bolted to the stay or the like that is attached on the vehicle body frame 2 on the rear side, though it is not shown in the figure.
The mounting stay 600 for mounting the pillion seat 16 includes a midsection 602 of a V-shape in plan view so as to fit the configuration of the projection 601 of the main seat 15 in plan view, and includes also supporting portions 603 that curve in the same direction respectively from both ends of the midsection 602. The mounting stay 600 is bolted on the rear fender 13 at the midsection 602 thereof in a state in which the midsection 602 is fitted on the outer side of the projection 601 of the main seat 15, that is, in a state in which the supporting portion 603 is disposed forwardly of the midsection 602. In this case, both supporting portions 603 of the mounting stay 600 project upwardly in the vertical direction from the rear fender 13 with its thickness oriented in the lateral direction of the vehicle body, and simultaneously coincide with the projection 601 of the main seat 15 in the for-and-aft direction.
The pillion seat 16 is formed with a recess 604 on the front portion thereof so as to be capable of covering the pointed projection 601 of the main seat 15 fixed on the rear fender 13, and is provided with a rear mounting stay 605 on the lower surface of the rear portion thereof. The pillion seat 16 further comprises mounting portions 607 on the left and right sides of the front portion thereof. While the pillion seat 16 is attached on the left and right supporting portions 603 of the mounting stay 600 via the left and right of the mounting portion 607, respectively, with screws in the state of being placed on the rear fender 13 with the projection 601 of the main seat 15 fitted into the recess 604, the rear portion thereof is attached on the rear fender 13 by means of the rear mounting stay 605. When the left and right mounting portions 607 of the pillion seat 16 are attached to the left and right supporting portions 603 of the mounting stay 600, both ends of the seat belt 608 that is to be tighten around the surface of the pillion seat 16 are also fixed to the supporting portions 603 together. In other words, the mounting stay 600 also supports the seat belt 608. Though the front portion of the pillion seat 16 formed with a recess 604 is thinner due to the formation of recess 604. Since the pillion seat 16 is overlaid on the projection 601 of the main seat 15, the substantial thickness is the sum of these thicknesses.
The aforementioned fuel tank 14 is, as shown in
The front opening 622 of the meter cover 621 is formed along a rear edge 626 with a chamfered portion 627 being linear in cross section (taken along the vertical plane along the longitudinal direction) that is inclined downward towards the front. In addition, the height of the rear edge portion 629 of the upper surface 628 of the meter 625 to be disposed in this opening 622 is determined not to be higher than the lower end 630 of the chamfered portion 627.
The front edge 633 of the opening 622 is disposed on the forward extension of the upper surface 632 continuing into the rear portion of the chamfered portion 627 of the meter cover 621. Further, the front side of the edge 634 of the upper surface 628 of the meter 625 is substantially flush with the front edge 633 of the opening 622.
As a result of such an arrangement, the angle of the upper surface 628 of the meter 625 with respect to the chamfered portion 627 of the meter cover 621 is different from that with respect to the upper surface 632 continuing into the rear portion of the chamfered portion 627. More specifically, the upper surface 632 continuing into the rear portion of the chamfered portion 627 is inclined at a prescribed angle so that the front side comes higher. The chamfered portion 627 is inclined at a prescribed angle so that the front side comes lower, and the upper surface 628 of the meter 625 is inclined at a prescribed angle larger than the upper surface 632 continuing into the rear portion of the chamfered portion 627 so that the front side comes higher.
The gusset 32 to be welded to the head pipe 21 of the vehicle body frame 2 supporting the front fork 3 is, as shown in
The gusset 32 is secured to the head pipe 21 by joining with the head pipe 21 at its mounting portion 640 and is welded along the whole periphery of the mounting portion 640. The gusset 32 is also secured to the sub-pipe 34 by fitting the square cylindrical sub-pipe 34 on the inner side of the square cylindrical rear fitting portion 641 and by welding the same along the whole periphery thereof. Further, both down pipes 33 are fixed by fitting the cylindrical down pipes 33, respectively, into the cylindrical lower fitting portions 642 of the gusset 32 and welding along the entire periphery thereof. The sub-pipe 34 and the down pipe 33 can be welded without alignment by forming the gusset 32 of white malleable cast iron and by inserting the sub-pipe 34 and the down pipe 33 therein and joining them by welding as described above. In addition, while the gusset 32 is interposed between the fuel tank 14 and the front fork 3 and thus is disposed at the position which is highly visible in appearance, the sub-pipe 34 and the down pipe 33 are integrally configured and thus the appearance is also improved.
The pair of left and right down pipes 33 extend from the head pipe 21 of the vehicle body frame 2 supporting the front fork 3 and are bifurcated via the gusset 32 with each comprising a downward extension 650 extending downwardly from the head pipe 21, a bent portion 651 bent from the lower portion of the downward extension 650 rearwardly, and a rearward extension 652 extending rearwardly from the lower portion of the bent portion 651. The radiator 10 is supported between the pair of left and right downward extensions 650 in the stored state.
In other words, the radiator 10 is in a substantially rectangular shape and is supported by the downward extension 650 in such a manner that the elongated side is laid along the downward extension 650 of the down pipe 33, and the whole length coincides longitudinally with the downward extension 650.
A fan 653 is provided on the rear side of the radiator 10, or on the side of the engine 9, and a separate cover 654 having an opening 654a is attached on the front side of the radiator 10. An intake port 657 to which a cooling water pipe 656 for flowing cooling water is to be connected is provided at the lateral center of the upper surface 655 of the radiator 10 so as to project upwardly. A discharge port 660 to which a cooling water pipe 659 for flowing cooling water is connected, is provided at the lateral one side of the lower surface 658 of the radiator 10 so as to project downwardly. In this case, cooling water before cooling is introduced from the side of the engine 9 via the cooling water pipe 656 to the inlet port 657. From the discharge port 660 the cooling water after cooling is discharged via the cooling water pipe 659 towards the side of the engine 9.
The upper surface 655 on the upper part of the radiator 10 that faces upwardly is provided with a pair of left and right upper part supporting portions 662 so as to project upwardly. On the other hand, the upper side of the radiator 10 is provided with the upper part mounting member 663 that is to be supported by the downward extensions 650 so as to connect the left and right downward extensions 650 with each other. The pair of left and right upper part supporting portions 662 of the radiator 10 is secured together by a bolt to the upper part mounting member 663. Accordingly, the radiator 10 is secured to the downward extensions 650 at the upper part thereof.
The lower surface 658 of lower part of the radiator 10 that faces downwardly is formed with a lower part supporting portion 665 at one lateral side of the vehicle body, or more specifically, on the right side so as to project downwardly, and the lower part supporting portion 665 is supported by the engine hanger (supporting member) 664 for supporting the engine 9 on the bracket 42 of the down pipe 33.
In other words, the engine hanger 664 for supporting the engine 9 on the down pipe 33 is configured as shown in
The supporting plate portion 670 is formed with a supporting hole 672 on the front end side thereof. The supporting hole 672 is attached with a grommet 673, and the lower part supporting portion 665 of the radiator 10 is inserted into the fitting hole 674 inside of the grommet 673. Accordingly, the lower portion of the radiator 10 is supported by the downward extension 650.
As described above, in the supported state the radiator 10 is supported between the left and right downward extensions 650 with the elongated side being laid along the downward extension 650 and the whole length thereof coincides with the downward extension 650 in the fore-and-aft direction in a state in which both of the upper part supporting portions 662 are bolted on the upper part mounting member 663 supported on both of the downward extensions 650, and the lower part supporting portion 665 is inserted into the grommet 673 of the engine hanger 664 mounted on the down pipe 33 on the right side of the vehicle body. The radiator 10 itself is supported by the down pipe 33 only via the upper part supporting portion 662 and the lower part supporting portion 665.
Therefore, in the supported state as described above, no separate supporting member is provided between the left and right side surface 675 of the radiator 10 and both of the downward extensions 650 of the down pipe 33 for connecting them together. In other word, the main plate portion 669 of the engine hanger 664 is positioned rearwardly of the downward extension 650 as a whole in a state of being bolted on the fixing member 666 of the down pipe 33. Thus, the engine hanger 664 will never be positioned between the radiator 10 and the downward extension 650.
The aforementioned front winker (light emitting device) 5 and the rear winker (light emitting device) 117 may be constructed as follows.
The front winker (light emitting device) 5 and the rear winker (light emitting device) 17 each comprises, as shown in
The cover 695 has an inclined front edge 696 so that the extent of exposure of the light emitting side surface section 691 in side view is larger on the lower side. In other words, it is inclined in such a manner that the upper side of the light emitting side surface section 691 is covered by a larger area. The cover 695 is fixed to the housing 693 with the lens 692. For example, a plated layer in the same color is formed on the surface of the cover 695 and on the surface of the housing 693.
As shown in
With the braking force input system 520 according to the present embodiment, since the brake pivot shaft 524 is interposed between the brake pedal 525 and the master cylinder 529, and both ends of the brake pivot shaft 524 are supported on the vehicle body frame 2 side by the integral stay 519 via the step bracket 521, a foot force introduced on the brake pedal 525 is transformed into a rotational force at the position a short offset distance from the position on which a foot force is introduced even when the master cylinder 522 is disposed inside the vehicle body at the position away from the brake pedal 525. Thus, the moment generated at the proximal portion and the supporting portion of the brake pedal 525 can be reduced.
In addition, since the master cylinder 529 is disposed inside the laterally outer end of the vehicle body frame 2, the master cylinder 529 may be protected by the vehicle body frame 2.
As is described thus far in detail, with the braking force input system according to the present invention, when the brake pedal is introduced with a foot force and rotated, the supporting shaft connected at one end thereto rotates, and thus the operating unit is operated by the operating member connected to the other end of the supporting shaft at the position away from the brake pedal. Since the supporting shaft is interposed between the brake pedal and the operating unit, and both ends of the supporting shaft are supported by the supporting member as described above, a foot force introduced on the brake pedal is transformed into a rotational force at a position a short offset distance from the position on which a foot force is introduced even when the brake pedal is disposed outside the vehicle body and the operating unit is disposed inside the vehicle body at the position away from the brake pedal. Thus, the moment generated at the proximal portion and the supporting portion of the brake pedal can be reduced.
Therefore, the moment generated at the proximal portion and the supporting portion of the brake pedal may be reduced and thus increase in weight can be prevented even when the brake pedal is disposed outside the vehicle body and the operating unit is disposed away from the brake pedal within the vehicle body.
With the braking force input system according to the present invention, since the master cylinder as an operating unit is disposed inside the laterally outer end of the vehicle body frame, the master cylinder may be protected by the frame.
According to the brake pedal 525 in the present embodiment, since the pedal lever unit 551 includes the extending portion 556 being rotatably supported on the vehicle body side at the proximal end thereof and extending obliquely toward the upper front from the proximal end, and a supporting portion 557 provided at the distal end on the extended side of the extending portion 556 in the direction intersecting the extending portion 556 for pivotally supporting the pedal pad unit 550 are formed integrally with respect to each other, and the number of components and the manufacturing cost may be reduced in comparison with the case in which the extending portion 556 and the supporting portion 557 are provided separately and welded later.
In addition, since the pedal pad unit 550 includes the flat depressing surface forming portion 561 to be covered by the cover 560 on the front face on which the driver depresses the pedal and the pair of mounting portions 562 extending from the depressing surface forming portion 561 in the direction opposite from the cover 560 and pivotally mounted on the supporting portion 557 in a state of being disposed on both sides of the supporting portion 557 of the pedal lever unit 551 and the units are formed integrally, the number of components and the manufacturing cost may be reduced in comparison with the case in which the depressing surface forming portion 561 and the mounting portion 562 are separately provided and welded later.
According to the brake pedal as set forth in the present invention, since the pedal lever unit includes a extending portion being rotatably supported on the vehicle body side at the proximal end thereof that extends obliquely toward the upper front from the proximal end, and a supporting portion provided at the distal end on the extended side of the extending portion in the direction intersecting the extending portion for pivotally supporting the pedal pad unit that are formed integrally with respect to each other the number of components and the manufacturing cost may be reduced in comparison with the case in which the extending portion and the supporting portion are provided separately and welded later.
According to the brake pedal as set forth in the present invention the pedal pad unit includes the flat depressing surface forming portion to be covered by the cover on the front face on which the driver depresses the pedal and the pair of mounting portions extending from the depressing surface forming portion in the direction opposite from the cover and pivotally mounted on the supporting portion in a state of being disposed on both sides of the supporting portion of the pedal lever unit are formed integrally, the number of components and the manufacturing cost may be reduced in comparison with the case in which the depressing surface forming portion and the mounting portion are separately provided and welded later.
Therefore, in the structure in which the pedal pad unit is pivotally supported on the pedal lever unit, the number of components and the manufacturing cost can significantly be reduced.
The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-282455 | Sep 2001 | JP | national |
| 2001-282464 | Sep 2001 | JP | national |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 10237632 | Sep 2002 | US |
| Child | 10978677 | Nov 2004 | US |
