JP2007302168A - Fuel tank support structure for saddle riding type vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fuel tank support structure for a saddle riding type vehicle with excellent workability of assembling, which suppresses the number of assembling part items while sufficiently ensuring a capacity of the fuel tank. <P>SOLUTION: The fuel tank support structure for the saddle riding type vehicle has: a steering support bracket 11C projected in a bridge-like shape on a front part of a pair of left and right main frames toward an upper side over left and right sides; and a steering shaft 14 having an upper end fixed with a bar handle and vertically extending to the front part of the pair of left and right main frames. The steering support bracket 11C has a fuel tank front bracket 27 arranging the steering shaft 14 on a rear side, turnably supporting it and further fixing a front part of the fuel tank 18 to a rear side with the steering shaft 14 therebetween. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fuel tank support structure for a straddle-type vehicle suitable for use in a straddle-type vehicle called an irregular terrain vehicle (ATV; ALL Terrain Vehicle).

  Conventionally, a fuel tank of a saddle-ride type vehicle is disposed at an upper portion of a body frame so as to be positioned between a handle and a seat. Hereinafter, the support structure of the fuel tank thus arranged will be described with reference to the drawings.

  A first conventional fuel tank support structure will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 6, 61 is a steering shaft for steering the front wheels. Reference numeral 62 denotes a vehicle body frame that forms the skeleton of the vehicle body. In this drawing, a part of the vehicle body frame located behind the steering shaft 61 is shown. A bracket 63 is welded to the body frame 62 so as to extend horizontally rearward (Rr), and a cushion 64 formed of an elastic member is assembled to the bracket 63. In this support structure, the front portion of the fuel tank 65 is engaged by engaging with the bracket 63 to which the cushion 64 is assembled from the rear in a state where the engaging portion 66 formed in the front portion of the fuel tank 65 is maintained in parallel. The fuel tank 65 is supported by fastening the bolt and fastening the bolt to a nut portion provided on the vehicle body frame 62.

  A second conventional fuel tank support structure will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 71 denotes a steering shaft for steering the front wheels, and 72 denotes a vehicle body frame that forms a skeleton of the vehicle body. As shown in FIG. 7A, the vehicle body frame 72 has a pair of left and right main frames 72a extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction on both sides of the steering shaft 71. Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, a plate 73 is integrally welded with a welding nut 74 at a position in front of the steering shaft 71 of the main frame 72a. In this support structure, the through-holes at the tips of the bulging portions formed in a pair of left and right so as to avoid interference with the steering shaft 71 formed at the front portion of the fuel tank 75 are overlapped with the plate 73 and welded. Each of the nuts 74 is bolted to fix the front part of the fuel tank 75, and the rear part of the nut 74 is also fastened to the nut part provided on the main frame 72a. To do.

  A third conventional fuel tank support structure will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 8, 81 is a steering shaft that steers the front wheels, and 82 is a vehicle body frame that forms a skeleton of the vehicle body. As shown in FIG. 8A, the vehicle body frame 82 has a pair of left and right main frames 82a extending in the vehicle front-rear direction on both sides of the steering shaft 81, and in front of the steering shaft 81, the main frame 82a. The bridge-shaped auxiliary frame 82b is installed over the left and right sides of the frame. In this support structure, an R portion 82c (FIG. 8 (c)) of the auxiliary frame 82b is provided at the front end of the bulging portion formed in a pair of left and right so as to avoid interference with the steering shaft 81 at the front portion of the fuel tank 83. A cylindrical cushion 84 formed so as to lie along is assembled, and the front portion of the fuel tank 83 is brought into contact with the R portion 82c via the cushion 84 to be mounted on the main frame 82a. Then, the rear portion is bolted to a nut portion provided on the main frame 82 a to support the fuel tank 83. In this case, since the R portion 82c and the front portion of the fuel tank 83 are in contact with each other via the cushion 84, the front portion of the fuel tank 83 is prevented from being pulled out, and the stable state is fixed.

  Moreover, there exists patent document 1 as a prior art relevant to the support structure of another fuel tank.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-34311

  However, the conventional fuel tank support structure described above has the following problems.

  First, in the first conventional fuel tank support structure, since the vehicle body frame 63 is located on the rear side of the vehicle body from the steering shaft 61, the vehicle body frame 63 becomes an obstacle, and the size of the fuel tank 65 is limited. As a result, the tank capacity is reduced. Further, when the fuel tank 65 is assembled to the vehicle body frame 63, the fuel tank 65 is assembled from the rear so as to be engaged with the bracket 63 to which the cushion 64 is assembled, with the engaging portion 66 formed at the front thereof being maintained in parallel. Therefore, the workability of the assembly is inferior.

  Further, in the second conventional fuel tank support structure, the plate 73 and the welding nut 74 are welded to the main frame 72a, and are fixed to the welding nut 74 by screwing.

  Further, in the third conventional fuel tank support structure, the cushion 84 must be assembled to the fuel tank 83, which increases the number of parts. When the fuel tank 83 is assembled to the vehicle body frame 82, the fuel tank Since it must be assembled so that the cushion body 84 abuts against the R portion 82c in a state where 83 is maintained in parallel, the workability of the assembly is inferior.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and supports the fuel tank of a straddle-type vehicle that has a sufficient capacity of the fuel tank, suppresses the number of parts to be assembled, and is excellent in assembling workability. The purpose is to provide a structure.

The straddle-type vehicle fuel tank support structure of the present invention includes a straddle-type vehicle including front and rear wheels disposed on the left and right, a fuel tank disposed on a pair of left and right main frames, and a bar handle. A fuel tank support structure, wherein a steering support bracket formed in a bridge shape projecting upward on the left and right sides at the front of the pair of left and right main frames, and the bar handle fixed to the upper end, A steering shaft extending up and down at the front part of a pair of left and right main frames, and the steering support bracket is pivotally supported by arranging the steering shaft on the rear side and sandwiching the steering shaft. Furthermore, it has a fuel tank front bracket which fixes the front part of the said fuel tank to the back side.
In the fuel tank support structure for a saddle-ride type vehicle according to the present invention, the fuel tank front bracket is fastened together with the steering support bracket together with a bearing member for pivotally supporting the steering shaft. And
In the fuel tank support structure for a saddle-ride type vehicle according to the present invention, the front portion of the fuel tank is fixed to the fuel tank front bracket via a cushion body made of an elastic material.
Further, in the fuel tank support structure for a saddle-ride type vehicle according to the present invention, the upper surface of a horizontal plate-like fixed portion protrudingly formed at the front portion of the fuel tank is connected to the fuel tank front bracket via the cushion body It is characterized by abutting and fixing.
Further, in the fuel tank support structure for a saddle-ride type vehicle according to the present invention, the horizontal plate-shaped fixing portion and the fuel tank front bracket are formed so as to be engageable with a protrusion formed on the cushion body. It is characterized by that.
In the fuel tank support structure for a saddle-ride type vehicle according to the present invention, the fuel tank has a bulging portion formed along the pair of left and right main frames on both sides of the front portion thereof. Features.

  According to the fuel tank support structure for a straddle-type vehicle of the present invention, a sufficient capacity of the fuel tank can be secured. That is, since the steering support bracket formed at the front portion of the main frame is located on the front side of the vehicle body with respect to the steering shaft, the steering support bracket becomes an obstacle and the size of the fuel tank is not limited. Therefore, the front part of the fuel tank can be extended to the vicinity of the steering shaft, and a sufficient capacity can be ensured.

  In addition, since the front part of the fuel tank is fixed without the tightening of the fuel tank front bracket and the cushion body, the number of parts can be reduced. Further, since the fuel tank front bracket is fastened together with the bearing support member and the steering support bracket, the number of parts can be reduced and the weight can be reduced.

  In addition, the fixed part is configured to contact and be fixed to one surface of the fuel tank front bracket via a cushion body, so that the fixed part is guided to the fuel tank front bracket from an oblique direction while the fuel tank is inclined. Can be assembled. Therefore, it is not necessary to assemble the fuel tank in a parallel state, and easy assembly is possible and excellent workability is achieved.

  A preferred embodiment of a fuel tank support structure for a saddle-ride type vehicle according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The saddle riding type vehicle in the present embodiment is an example of a saddle riding type four-wheel vehicle 10. In the drawing, arrow Fr represents the front, arrow Rr represents the rear, arrow R represents the right side, and arrow L represents the left side.

  FIG. 1 is a view showing the entire side surface of the saddle riding type four-wheel vehicle 10. The straddle-type four-wheel vehicle 10 includes a steel pipe body frame 11 constituting a basic skeleton. In the basic structure, a front wheel 12 and a rear wheel 13 are disposed at a front portion and a rear portion of the vehicle body frame 11. A steering shaft 14 extending vertically is mounted on a front portion of a main frame 11A, which will be described later. The steering shaft 14 is rotatably supported by a shaft holder 15 (bearing member), and a bar handle 16 is fixed to the upper end thereof. An engine unit 17 is mounted on the lower part of the main frame 11A between the front wheel 12 and the rear wheel 13, and a fuel tank 18 is disposed on the front side and a seat 19 is disposed on the rear side above the engine unit 17. The cover 20 covers both sides from the front part of the vehicle body to form an external design.

  The engine unit 17 includes, for example, a water-cooled four-cycle single-cylinder engine, and its output is transmitted to the drive sprocket via a transmission incorporated in the unit. A drive sprocket (not shown) is coupled to a driven sprocket (not shown) of the rear wheel 13 via the chain 21, thereby driving the rear wheel 13 to rotate. An exhaust pipe 22 is attached to the front side of the engine unit 17. The exhaust pipe 22 protrudes forward, then bends back and extends rearward, and is connected to a muffler 23 located at the upper part of the rear wheel 13.

  Here, the body frame 11 will be described. The vehicle body frame 11 includes a pair of left and right main frames 11A extending in the longitudinal direction and the vertical direction of the vehicle body on both sides of the steering shaft 14, a plurality of installation frames that connect the main frames 11A across the left and right, a seat frame 11B on which the seat 19 is mounted, and the like. Are combined by welding or the like to constitute the entire skeleton. Hereinafter, each frame constituting the vehicle body frame 11 will be described.

  The main frame 11A is mounted with an engine unit 17 and the like at the lower part, and a fuel tank 18 at the upper part. Further, the seat frame 11B is coupled so as to extend rearward from the rear portion, and the seat 19 is mounted on the upper portion of the seat frame 11B.

  In addition, a steering support bracket 11C that protrudes in a bridge shape from the left and right upward is provided at a position in front of the vehicle body relative to the steering shaft 14 of the main frame 11A (see FIG. 3). In the upper part of the steering support bracket 11C, a holder bracket 11D for fixing a shaft holder 15 that pivotally supports the steering shaft 14 is formed.

  In addition to the above, as in the steering support bracket 11C, an unillustrated installation frame or the like for installing a pair of main frames 11A arranged on the left and right is provided at appropriate positions, and the entire skeleton of the vehicle body frame 11 is configured.

  Here, each part concerning the support structure of the fuel tank 18 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 is a side view of the fuel tank 18, FIG. 3 is a plan view of the fuel tank 18, FIG. 4 is a side view showing the periphery of the shaft holder 15, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the fuel tank front bracket 27.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the fuel tank 18 is mounted on the main frame 11A, and a cushion 29 (see FIG. 2) is attached to a fuel tank front bracket 27 in which a front fixing portion 30 formed at the front portion is fixed together with the shaft holder 15. 2, and the rear part is bolted to and supported by a nut part 24 provided on the rear side of the main frame 11 </ b> A. Hereinafter, details of each part related to the support will be described.

  First, the fuel tank 18 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the fuel tank 18 is formed so as to straddle the pair of left and right main frames 11 </ b> A, and its front portion bulges along the left and right main frames 11 </ b> A so as to avoid interference with the shaft holder 15. A portion 18a is formed. By forming in this way, the capacity of the fuel tank 18 can be sufficiently secured. Further, in the recess of the fuel tank 18 generated by forming the bulging portion 18a, a horizontal plate-like front fixing portion 30 that is fixed to the fuel tank front bracket 27 via the cushion 29 is projected and formed. (FIG. 4).

  Next, the periphery of the shaft holder 15 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 2, the steering support bracket 11 </ b> C has the steering shaft 14 disposed on the rear side and pivotally supported by the shaft holder 15, and further on the rear side of the steering shaft 14, the fuel tank front bracket 27. To fix. At that time, the steering support bracket 11 </ b> C fixes the fuel tank front bracket 27 together with the shaft holder 15 by fastening together. Details will be described below.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the shaft holder 15 that pivotally supports the steering shaft 14, together with the fuel tank front bracket 27, is bolted to the holder bracket 11 </ b> D at the upper part of the steering support bracket 11 </ b> C located on the front side of the vehicle body. Fixed. The shaft holder 15 has a half structure that can be divided into a shaft holder 15A and a shaft holder 15B by a dividing line (PL).

  For fixing with the bolt 25, first, the dust seal 26 is sandwiched together with the steering shaft 14 by the shaft holders 15A and 15B in the divided state. Providing the dust seal 26 prevents dust and the like from entering the bearing portion inside the shaft holder 15. In addition, the rear side of the shaft holder 15 protrudes in an arc shape in order to ensure the rigidity of the bearing portion inside (see FIG. 4).

  After sandwiching the steering shaft 14, the fuel tank front bracket 27 is superposed on the rear side of the shaft holder 15 (shaft holder 15 B side) and formed on the welding bracket 28 welded to the fuel tank front bracket 27 on the holder bracket 11 D. Fixing is completed by screwing the bolt 25 through the through hole and the through hole of the shaft holder 15. Although details will be described later, the fuel tank front bracket 27 is formed with a relief 27b for avoiding interference with the arcuate protruding portion on the rear side of the shaft holder 15 described above (FIG. 5).

  In the present embodiment, the fuel nut front bracket 27 is welded to the welding nut 28, but may be separate components.

  Next, the fuel tank front bracket 27 will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, the fuel tank front bracket 27 is formed in a bent shape so as to have three planes. The surface to which the welding nut 28 is welded is a surface that is overlapped with the shaft holder 15B described above, and the above-described relief 27b is formed at substantially the center thereof. Then, a surface having a through hole 27a is formed by bending from below this surface. The through hole 27a is used when the cushion 29 is assembled. Further, a surface that is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body is formed at the time of assembly by bending from below the surface having the through hole 27a. Further, edges 27 c are formed on both sides of the fuel tank front bracket 27 to ensure rigidity.

  Next, the cushion 29 will be described. The cushion 29 located between the fuel tank front bracket 27 and the fuel tank 18 is made of hard rubber or the like so as to be along the surface of the fuel tank front bracket 27 having the through hole 27a and the surface parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. Made of elastic material. A protrusion 29a is formed on a surface of the cushion 29 along the surface having the through hole 27a of the fuel tank front bracket 27, and is engaged with the through hole 27a so as to be hooked on the periphery of the through hole 27a. Is formed.

  In addition, a protrusion 29b that protrudes downward is formed on the lower surface of the cushion 29 that is positioned parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and the protrusion 29b is engaged with a through hole 30a formed in the front fixing portion 30. By this, it hooks on the periphery of the through-hole 29a and a coupling state is formed. In addition, by providing the protrusions 29a and 29b, it is possible to stably fix the front portion of the fuel tank 18.

  In the above configuration, the fuel tank 18 of the present embodiment is supported. The support structure will be described below along the assembly flow.

  First, the protrusion 29a of the cushion 29 is engaged with the through hole 27a of the fuel tank front bracket 27 and assembled.

  Next, the fuel tank 18 is mounted on the main frame 11A, and positioned so that the projection 29b of the cushion 29 engages with the through hole 30a of the front fixing portion 30 at the front of the fuel tank 18. After the fitting, the upper surface of the front fixing part 30 is brought into contact with the cushion 29 and fixed. The fuel tank 18 is supported by fixing the rear portion of the fuel tank 18 with the nut portion 24.

  In the present embodiment, since the front fixing portion 30 is fixed to a surface on one side of the fuel tank front bracket 27 through a cushion 29, the front portion is fixed with the fuel tank 18 inclined. The fixing portion 30 can be guided and assembled to the fuel tank front bracket 27 from an oblique direction. Therefore, it is not necessary to assemble the fuel tank 18 in a parallel state, and easy assembly is possible.

  In the support structure for the fuel tank 18 of the saddle-ride type four-wheel vehicle 10 configured as described above, a sufficient capacity of the fuel tank 18 can be secured. That is, since the steering support bracket 11C formed at the front portion of the main frame 11A of the vehicle body frame 11 is located on the vehicle body front side with respect to the steering shaft 14, the steering support bracket 11C becomes an obstacle, and the size of the fuel tank 18 is increased. Is not limited. Therefore, the front part of the fuel tank 18, in particular, the concave part generated by forming the bulging part 18 a can be extended to the vicinity of the steering shaft 14, and a sufficient capacity can be ensured.

  Further, since the front part of the fuel tank 18 is fixed, the fuel tank front bracket 27 and the cushion 29 are not tightened, so that the number of parts can be reduced. Further, since the fuel tank front bracket 27 is fastened together with the shaft holder 15, the number of parts can be reduced, and it is not necessary to provide a dedicated fixing portion for the fuel tank front bracket 27 and the weight can be reduced. .

  Further, since the front fixing part 30 is fixed to a surface of one side of the fuel tank front bracket 27 through a cushion 29, the front fixing part 30 is inclined from the oblique direction with the fuel tank 18 inclined. The fuel tank front bracket 27 can be guided and assembled. Therefore, it is not necessary to maintain and assemble the fuel tank 18 in a parallel state, and easy assembly is possible and excellent workability is achieved.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated with embodiment, this invention is not limited to this embodiment, A change etc. are possible within the scope of the present invention.

  For example, the shape of the fuel tank front bracket 27 may be formed in a substantially L shape, the cushion 29 may be a flat shape, and protrusions may be formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the cushion 29.

  Moreover, it is good also as a structure which does not form the projection part 29b formed in the lower surface of the cushion 29. FIG. Even in this case, since the upper surface of the front fixing portion 30 is in contact with the cushion 29, the fuel tank 18 is fixed in a stable state by preventing it from coming off. Moreover, it is good also as a structure which neither the projection parts 29a and 29b formed in the upper and lower surfaces of the cushion 28 form. In that case, the cushion 29 may be attached to either the fuel tank front bracket 27 or the front fixing portion 30 by bonding or the like.

  In the present embodiment, the front part of the fuel tank 18 is fixed after the cushion 29 is assembled to the fuel tank front bracket 27. However, after the cushion 29 is assembled to the fuel tank 18, You may assemble | attach so that the cushion 29 may couple | bond with the fuel tank front bracket 27. FIG.

1 is a side view of a saddle-ride type four-wheel vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a side view of the fuel tank of the saddle riding type four-wheel vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view of the fuel tank of the saddle riding type four-wheeled vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a side view for demonstrating the support structure of the fuel tank of the saddle-riding type four-wheeled vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the fuel tank front bracket concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the support structure of the conventional fuel tank. It is a figure for demonstrating the support structure of the conventional fuel tank. It is a figure for demonstrating the support structure of the conventional fuel tank.

Explanation of symbols

10 straddle-type four-wheel vehicle 11 body frame 11A main frame 11B seat frame 11C steering support bracket 11D holder bracket 12 front wheel 13 rear wheel 14 steering shaft 15 shaft holder 16 bar handle 17 engine unit 18 fuel tank 19 seat 20 cover 21 chain 22 Exhaust pipe 23 Muffler 24 Nut portion 25 Bolt 26 Dust seal 27 Fuel tank front bracket 27a Through hole 27b Escape 27c Edge 28 Weld nut 29 Cushion 29a Protruding portion 29b Protruding portion 30 Front fixing portion 30a Through hole

Claims (6)

A straddle-type vehicle fuel tank support structure comprising front and rear wheels disposed on the left and right, a fuel tank disposed on a pair of left and right main frames, and a bar handle,
Steering support brackets formed on the front part of the pair of left and right main frames so as to protrude upward in the form of a bridge over the left and right sides;
A steering shaft that fixes the bar handle to the upper end and extends up and down front portions of the pair of left and right main frames;
The steering support bracket includes a fuel tank front bracket that is disposed on the rear side and pivotally supports the steering shaft, and further fixes the front portion of the fuel tank to the rear side across the steering shaft. A fuel tank support structure for a saddle-ride type vehicle.   The fuel tank front bracket according to claim 1, wherein the fuel tank front bracket is fastened together with the steering support bracket together with a bearing member for pivotally supporting the steering shaft. Construction.   The fuel tank support structure for a straddle-type vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a front portion of the fuel tank is fixed to the fuel tank front bracket via a cushion body made of an elastic material.   4. The scissors according to claim 3, wherein an upper surface of a horizontal plate-like fixing portion projectingly formed at a front portion of the fuel tank is abutted and fixed to the fuel tank front bracket via the cushion body. Support structure for a fuel tank of a riding vehicle.   5. The straddle-type vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the horizontal plate-shaped fixing portion and the fuel tank front bracket are formed so as to be able to engage with protrusions formed on the cushion body, respectively. Fuel tank support structure.   The said fuel tank has the bulging part formed in the both sides of the front part so that the said left-right paired main frame might be followed, The scissors of any one of Claims 1-5 characterized by the above-mentioned. Support structure for a fuel tank of a riding vehicle.

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