Patent Application
20090008180
The present invention relates to motorcycle construction. More particularly, the invention relates to mounting arrangements for a radiator assembly.
In the prior art, motorcycles have been provided with various protective elements (e.g., pucks, sliders, etc.) that are designed to provide some level of protection to various components of the motorcycle, such as the frame, engine, or drive components. The protective elements may protect against damage from impact and/or abrasion.
In one embodiment, the invention provides a mounting member for mounting a radiator assembly to a motorcycle. The mounting member includes a central portion having a mounting location configured to be attached to a rigid structure of the motorcycle. The mounting member further includes first and second resilient legs extending outwardly from the central portion and including respective mounting locations configured to be attached to the radiator assembly.
In another embodiment, the invention provides a mounting arrangement for mounting a radiator assembly on a motorcycle. The mounting arrangement includes a radiator housing and a resilient mounting member coupled to the radiator housing and configured to secure the radiator assembly on the motorcycle. The resilient mounting member is configured to absorb impact loads to the radiator assembly by elastic deformation.
In yet another embodiment, the invention provides a motorcycle including a frame, an engine, a radiator in fluid communication with the engine, and a mounting arrangement for mounting the radiator on the motorcycle. The mounting arrangement includes a resilient mounting member positioned between the radiator and at least one of the frame and the engine.
Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.
As shown in
Although the motorcycle 20 is illustrated with a radiator assembly 36 on each side, a majority of the detailed description below is directed to a single one of the radiator assemblies 36. It should be noted that some embodiments of the invention do not require more than one radiator assembly 36 and that the two illustrated radiator assemblies 36 and corresponding mounting arrangements are mirror image replicas of each other. In light of the description of one radiator assembly 36 and its mounting arrangement provided below, further description particularly directed to the opposite radiator assembly 36 is not given.
A fan assembly 72 is mounted directly to an interior side of the radiator 44. The fan assembly 72 is configured to generate a forced flow of air through the radiator 44, for example, when the engine 32 is idling and/or the motorcycle 20 is traveling at a relatively low speed. Also, as illustrated in
As shown in
As illustrated in
The rigid mounting member 104 further includes mounting locations 112, 116 configured to be coupled to the frame 30 and to the engine 32, respectively. The first mounting location 112 is configured to be coupled to a mount 120 (e.g., a casting with a threaded hole) of the frame 30. The second mounting location 116 is configured to be coupled to a mount (not shown), such as a casting with a threaded hole, of the engine 32.
Thus, the mounting arrangement for the radiator assembly 36 is substantially rigid in one region and substantially resilient in another region. The rigid mounting member 104 is coupled to both the frame 30 and the engine 32, which are also securely mounted to each other at additional mounting locations. Therefore, the rigid mounting member 104 is configured to remain substantially stationary with respect to the frame 30 and the engine 32 and to provide a rigid structure to which the radiator assembly 36 can be mounted. In some embodiments, the rigid mounting member 104 is constructed of aluminum (e.g., forged 6061 aluminum alloy).
As shown in
Each of the resilient leg portions 128, 132 of the resilient mounting member 76 has a length L between the central portion 96 and the respective end portions 86, 88. Furthermore, the resilient leg portions 128, 132 have respective widths W and thicknesses T. Generally, the resilient leg portions 128, 132 are long and flat, the length L being greater than the width W, and the width W being greater than the thickness T. In addition, the thickness T decreases along the resilient leg portions 128, 132 from the central portion 96 to the respective end portions 86, 88.
The configuration of the resilient mounting member 76, and particularly the configuration of the resilient leg portions 128, 132, allows for substantial deflection at the end portions 86, 88 while the central portion 96 remains substantially fixed with respect to the rigid mounting member 104, the frame 30, and the engine 32. The configuration of the resilient mounting member 76, and particularly the configuration of the resilient leg portions 128, 132, allows for substantial deflection within the elastic deformation range so that the radiator assembly 36 can move a substantial distance relative to the frame 30 and the engine 32 without permanently deforming the resilient mounting member 76.
Even though the resilient mounting member 76 is constructed of the same or similar material as the rigid mounting member 104 in some embodiments, the configuration of the resilient mounting member 76 (including the shape and relative dimensions of the resilient leg portions 128, 132 and the arrangement of the mounting locations 80, 82, 100) enable the resilient mounting member 76 to undergo a significant amount of deflection without plastic deformation or breakage.
As illustrated in
The resilient mounting arrangement of the radiator assembly 36 provides an energy absorption mechanism between the radiator assembly 36 and the remainder of the motorcycle 20. Specifically, the resilient mounting arrangement of the radiator assembly 36 provides an energy absorption mechanism between the radiator housing 40 and both the frame 30 and the engine 32. In a tip over event of the motorcycle 20, for example, the resilient mounting arrangement (and particularly the deflection afforded by the resilient mounting member 76) protects the radiator 44, the frame 30, and the engine 32 from damage due to impact. The housing 40 may contact the ground or another object and receive an impact force. Some of the impact force is then absorbed by the mounting arrangement including the resilient mounting member 76. The energy-absorbing elastic deformation of the resilient mounting member 76 limits the impact force transmitted to the frame 30 and the engine 32. The energy-absorbing elastic deformation of the resilient mounting member 76 also limits the compressive force on the housing 40 between the struck object and the mounting arrangement, which can help prevent crushing of the housing 40 and damage to the radiator 44 therein. Therefore, the radiator 44, the frame 30, and the engine 32, which are relatively expensive and/or difficult components to repair/replace, may be preserved.
Thus, the invention provides, among other things, a resilient mounting arrangement including a resilient mounting member 76 for mounting a radiator assembly 36 on a motorcycle 20. Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
