IP Library Granted Patent US 8,413,754
Granted Patent B2
US 8,413,754 · App. 12/973,794 · Granted Apr 9, 2013

Straddle vehicle

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,413,754
App. No.
12/973,794
Granted
Apr 9, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A straddle vehicle includes an engine; an air cleaner including an air cleaner box forming a passage through which air is supplied to the engine and an air filter for cleaning the air flowing through the passage; and a first electric component positioned laterally relative to the air cleaner box.

Claims (87)

1. A straddle vehicle comprising:

an engine;

an air cleaner including an air cleaner box forming a passage through which air is supplied to the engine and an air filter for cleaning the air flowing through the passage; and

a first electric component positioned laterally relative to the air cleaner box;

wherein the first electric component is positioned laterally relative to the air cleaner box in a vehicle width direction when viewed from above such that the first electric component overlaps with the air cleaner box when viewed from a side.

2. The straddle vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a vehicle body frame positioned laterally relative to the air cleaner box;

wherein a portion of the air cleaner box protrudes upward from the vehicle body frame; and

the first electric component is positioned to overlap with the protruding portion of the air cleaner box when viewed from the side.

3. The straddle vehicle according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first electric component is positioned at a side wall of the air cleaner box.

4. A straddle vehicle, comprising:

an engine;

an air cleaner including an air cleaner box forming a passage through which air is supplied to the engine and an air filter for cleaning the air flowing through the passage;

a first electric component positioned laterally relative to the air cleaner box; and

a support member provided to be apart from the air cleaner box and configured to support the first electric component.

5. The straddle vehicle according to claim 4 , further comprising:

a cover configured to cover at least a portion of a side surface of the air cleaner box from outside in a vehicle width direction;

wherein the support member is provided at the cover.

6. A straddle vehicle, comprising,

an engine;

an air cleaner including an air cleaner box forming a passage through which air is supplied to the engine and an air filter for cleaning the air flowing through the passage; and

a first electric component positioned laterally relative to the air cleaner box;

wherein the air cleaner box has a width gradually increasing from a front end portion thereof toward a rear end portion thereof when viewed from above;

wherein the air cleaner box is provided at a front portion thereof with an air inlet communicating with an air duct;

wherein the air cleaner box is provided at a rear portion thereof with a plurality of air outlets respectively communicating with a plurality of combustion chambers provided in the engine; and

wherein the first electric component is positioned laterally relative to the front portion of the air cleaner box.

7. A straddle vehicle, comprising:

an engine;

an air cleaner including an air cleaner box forming a passage through which air is supplied to the engine and an air filter for cleaning the air flowing through the passage; and

a first electric component positioned laterally relative to the air cleaner box; and

a second electric component positioned laterally relative to the air cleaner box,

wherein the first electric component is electrically coupled to the second electric component via an electric wire.

8. The straddle vehicle according to claim 7 ,

wherein the first electric component is positioned at one side of the air cleaner box in a rightward and leftward direction; and

the second electric component is positioned at an other side of the air cleaner box in the rightward and leftward direction.

9. A straddle vehicle, comprising,

an engine;

an air cleaner including an air cleaner box forming a passage through which air is supplied to the engine and an air filter for cleaning the air;

a fuel tank disposed above the air cleaner box and configured to store a fuel fed to the engine; and

a control unit configured to control the engine;

wherein the control unit is provided on a side surface of the air cleaner box; and

wherein the air cleaner box is provided integrally with a control unit accommodating member configured to accommodate the control unit.

10. The straddle vehicle according to claim 9 ,

wherein a wire harness is guided from the control unit in a downward direction to a location below the air cleaner box; and

the wire harness includes an electric wire electrically coupling the control unit to the engine.

11. The straddle vehicle according to claim 10 ,

wherein a connector is provided at an end portion of the wire harness;

the control unit has a coupling member to which the connector is coupled; and

the connector coupled to the coupling member is covered with a connector cover.

12. The straddle vehicle according to claim 11 ,

wherein the connector or the control unit includes a disengagement portion configured to provide disengagement between the connector and the control unit; and

the disengagement portion is covered with the connector cover.

13. The straddle vehicle according to claim 12 ,

wherein the control unit accommodating member covers a portion of the connector cover which covers the disengagement portion.

14. The straddle vehicle according to claim 11 ,

wherein an anti-vibration case accommodating the control unit and the connector cover are integral with each other to form a control unit case.

15. The straddle vehicle according to claim 11 ,

wherein the control unit accommodating member is provided on an inner surface thereof with a displacement inhibiting portion or a displacement inhibiting member configured to stop the connector cover to inhibit the connector cover from being displaced.

16. The straddle vehicle according to claim 15 ,

wherein the displacement inhibiting portion is provided on an inner surface of the control unit accommodating member; and

the control unit accommodating member has an insertion opening through which the control unit is inserted into the control unit accommodating member;

wherein an anti-vibration case accommodating the control unit is inserted into the control unit accommodating member through the insertion opening along with the control unit; and

the anti-vibration case is provided on an outer surface thereof with a groove extending in a direction in which the control unit is inserted into the control unit accommodating member, the displacement inhibiting portion being configured to pass through the groove when the control unit is inserted into the control unit accommodating member.

17. The straddle vehicle according to claim 9 ,

wherein the control unit includes a unit body containing electronic components; and

the unit body is accommodated into an anti-vibration case.

18. The straddle vehicle according to claim 17 ,

wherein a protrusion is provided on at least one of an outer surface of the anti-vibration case and an inner surface of the control unit accommodating member and is configured to contact the other of the outer surface of the anti-vibration case and the inner surface of the control unit accommodating member.

19. The straddle vehicle according to claim 9 ,

wherein the control unit accommodating member has at a lower end portion thereof, an insertion opening through which the control unit is inserted into the control unit accommodating member.

20. The straddle vehicle according to claim 19 , further comprising:

a frame to which the engine is mounted;

wherein the insertion opening is positioned below an upper end portion of a portion of the frame which is located in close proximity to the insertion opening of the control unit accommodating member.

21. The straddle vehicle according to claim 9 ,

wherein the control unit accommodating member is provided at an upper end portion thereof with an insertion opening through which the control unit is inserted into the control unit accommodating member, and the insertion opening is covered with the fuel tank.

22. A straddle vehicle comprising:

an engine;

an air cleaner including an air cleaner box forming a passage through which air is supplied to the engine and an air filter for cleaning the air;

a fuel tank disposed above the air cleaner box and configured to store a fuel fed to the engine; and

a control unit configured to control the engine;

wherein the control unit is provided on a side surface of the air cleaner box in the vehicle width direction when viewed from above.

23. The straddle vehicle according to claim 22 ,

wherein the engine includes a plurality of combustion chambers configured to combust a fuel fed from the fuel tank, valve mechanisms provided to respectively correspond to the plurality of combustion chambers, a cam mechanism configured to open and close each of the valve mechanisms, a driving power transmission mechanism configured to transmit a driving power to the cam mechanism, and a driving power transmission mechanism accommodating section provided at one side in a combustion chamber line direction in which each of the plurality of combustion chambers are aligned and configured to accommodate the driving power transmission mechanism;

wherein the air cleaner box is disposed above the engine;

wherein a space where the passage is not present is provided above the driving power transmission mechanism accommodating section; and

wherein at least a portion of the control unit is disposed in the space where the passage is not present.

Assignments (2)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Jun 2, 2022
From: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
To: KAWASAKI MOTORS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 060300/0504 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 20, 2010
From: MATSUDA, YOSHIHARU; MATSUMOTO, TAKAFUMI; KAWAI, HIDEAKI; KOGIRIMA, MASATO
To: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 025532/0230 →