IP Library Granted Patent US 11,919,587
Granted Patent B2
US 11,919,587 · App. 17/314,587 · Granted Mar 5, 2024

Vehicle

Inventor: Takahiro Jyouzaki (Kobe, JP)
Assignee: KAWASAKI MOTORS, LTD.
B62D63/04B60K5/04B60K13/02B60K13/04B60K17/00B60N2/005B62D33/02F01N1/00F02M35/02F02M35/10144F16H37/021
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,919,587
App. No.
17/314,587
Granted
Mar 5, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle including an engine body that has a crankcase that rotatably supports a crankshaft, a cylinder, and a cylinder head provided with an intake port and an exhaust port, in which a central axis of the crankshaft extends in the vehicle width direction, a CVT disposed on a side portion in the vehicle width direction of the engine body, a transmission disposed on one side in a front-rear direction of the engine body, an intake pipe connected to the intake port, an air cleaner connected to the intake pipe, an exhaust pipe connected to the exhaust port, and an exhaust muffler connected to the exhaust pipe. At least a part of each of the transmission, the intake pipe, the air cleaner, the exhaust pipe, and the exhaust muffler is disposed in a region where the engine body is projected in the front-rear direction.

Claims (90)

1. A vehicle, comprising:

an engine body that has a crankcase that rotatably supports a crankshaft, a cylinder, and a cylinder head provided with an intake port and an exhaust port in this order from bottom, in which a central axis of the crankshaft extends in a vehicle width direction;

a CVT disposed on a side portion in the vehicle width direction of the engine body, the CVT having a CVT input shaft connected to the crankshaft so as to be able to transmit power and a CVT output shaft that outputs drive rotation which is inputted to the CVT input shaft and then changed in rotation speed;

a transmission disposed on one side in a front-rear direction of the engine body, the transmission having a transmission input shaft connected to the CVT output shaft so as to be able to transmit power and a transmission output shaft that outputs drive rotation which is inputted to the transmission input shaft and then changed in rotation speed;

an intake pipe connected to the intake port of the cylinder head;

an air cleaner directly or indirectly connected to an upstream side of the intake pipe;

an exhaust pipe connected to the exhaust port of the cylinder head; and

an exhaust muffler directly or indirectly connected to a downstream side of the exhaust pipe, wherein

at least a part of each of the transmission, the intake pipe, the air cleaner, the exhaust pipe, and the exhaust muffler is disposed in a region where the engine body is projected in a front-rear direction.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein

the vehicle is a utility vehicle,

the utility vehicle has a seat, and

the seat is located further on front than the engine body.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein

the utility vehicle further has a cargo bed located behind the seat, and

the engine body, the CVT, the transmission, the intake pipe, the exhaust pipe, and the exhaust muffler are located under the cargo bed.

4. The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein

the cylinder head has the intake port in a front portion and the exhaust port in a rear portion.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein

the air cleaner is disposed below the seat.

6. The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein

positions of the exhaust pipe and the exhaust muffler in a front-rear direction are different.

7. The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein

a position of an upper end portion of the exhaust pipe in a vertical direction is almost same as an upper end portion of the cylinder head.

8. The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein

a position of an upper end portion of the exhaust muffler in a vertical direction is almost same as an upper end portion of the cylinder head.

9. The vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein

the transmission input shaft is located above and behind the crankshaft,

the transmission output shaft is located below and behind the transmission input shaft, and

a front end upper portion of the transmission is adjacent to a front half portion of the exhaust pipe in a vehicle width direction.

10. The vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein

the exhaust port is one of a plurality of exhaust ports formed in the cylinder head,

the exhaust pipe has a CVT side exhaust pipe connected to a CVT side exhaust port located on a side closest to the CVT in a vehicle width direction among a plurality of the exhaust ports, and

in top view, the CVT side exhaust pipe curves to a side opposite to the CVT in the vehicle width direction immediately after the CVT side exhaust port.

11. The vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein

an upper portion of the transmission is inclined downward toward rear.

12. The vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein

the CVT has

a drive pulley,

a driven pulley,

an endless belt wound over between the drive pulley and the driven pulley,

a CVT housing that accommodates the drive pulley, the driven pulley, and the endless belt, and

an exhaust duct that protrudes in a direction toward the engine body in a vehicle width direction from the CVT housing and discharges gas to rear, and

the exhaust duct is located above the transmission and below an upper end portion of the CVT housing.

13. The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein

the crankcase is provided, on a side portion opposite to a side where the CVT is located in a vehicle width direction, with an engine auxiliary that is rotationally driven by the crankshaft is attached, and

the engine auxiliary is covered from an outer side in a vehicle width direction by an auxiliary case.

14. The vehicle according to claim 13 , wherein

the auxiliary case is formed with

an intake opening through which air is introduced into the auxiliary case, and

an exhaust opening through which air is discharged from the auxiliary case.

15. A vehicle comprising:

an engine body which has a crankshaft extending in a vehicle width direction and a cylinder head;

an intake pipe disposed on a front side of the engine body;

an exhaust pipe disposed on a rear side of the engine body; and

an air cleaner located on a front side of the engine body and directly or indirectly connected to an upstream side of the intake pipe, wherein

an upper end of the air cleaner is located below an upper end of the cylinder head.

16. The vehicle according to claim 15 , further comprising a power transmission unit that is disposed on one side in a vehicle width direction of the engine body and to which power is transmitted from the engine body, wherein

in the air cleaner,

an end portion on the one side in the vehicle width direction is disposed in a region that is located on an outer side in the vehicle width direction than the engine body and located on an inner side in the vehicle width direction than an outer end portion in the vehicle width direction of the power transmission unit, and

an end portion on other side in the vehicle width direction is located on an inner side in the vehicle width direction than an end portion in the vehicle width direction of the engine body.

17. The vehicle according to claim 15 , wherein

the air cleaner is disposed on a front side with respect to the engine body with space therebetween, and

the air cleaner is disposed directly under a driver's seat.

18. The vehicle according to claim 15 , further comprising a power transmission unit that is disposed on one side in a vehicle width direction of the engine body and to which power is transmitted from the engine body, wherein

the power transmission unit includes

a driving force transmission unit that is disposed on one side in the vehicle width direction of the engine body and to which power is transmitted from the engine body as a driving force for traveling, and

an auxiliary transmission unit that is disposed on other side in the vehicle width direction of the engine body and to which power is transmitted from the engine body as a driving force for an auxiliary attached to the engine body,

the cylinder head is provided with an exhaust port on a rear side,

a cylinder head cover is fixed to an upper portion of the cylinder head,

the exhaust pipe includes

an upstream side exhaust pipe that curves toward the other side in the vehicle width direction as the upstream side exhaust pipe extends from the exhaust port to rear, and

a downstream side exhaust pipe that is connected to a rear end portion of the upstream side exhaust pipe and extends to the one side in the vehicle width direction, and

at least a part of the upstream side exhaust pipe passes through a region that is located on an outer side in the vehicle width direction than the cylinder head cover and located on an inner side in the vehicle width direction than an outer end portion in the vehicle width direction of the auxiliary transmission unit.

19. The vehicle according to claim 18 , further comprising an exhaust muffler connected to a downstream portion of the exhaust pipe, wherein

the exhaust muffler is provided with a connection portion connected to the exhaust pipe in an end portion on a front surface and on the one side in the vehicle width direction.

20. A vehicle comprising:

an engine body which has a crankshaft extending in a vehicle width direction and a cylinder head;

an intake pipe disposed on a front side of the engine body;

an exhaust pipe disposed on a rear side of the engine body; and

a power transmission unit that is disposed on an outer side in the vehicle width direction of the engine body and to which power is transmitted from the engine body, wherein

the power transmission unit includes

a driving force transmission unit that is disposed on one side in the vehicle width direction of the engine body and to which power is transmitted from the engine body as a driving force for traveling, and

an auxiliary transmission unit that is disposed on other side in the vehicle width direction of the engine body and to which power is transmitted from the engine body as a driving force for an auxiliary attached to the engine body,

the cylinder head is provided with an exhaust port on a rear side,

a cylinder head cover is fixed to an upper portion of the cylinder head,

the exhaust pipe includes

an upstream side exhaust pipe that curves toward the other side in the vehicle width direction as the upstream side exhaust pipe extends from the exhaust port to rear, and

a downstream side exhaust pipe that is connected to a rear end portion of the upstream side exhaust pipe and extends to the one side in the vehicle width direction, and

at least a part of the upstream side exhaust pipe passes through a region that is located on an outer side in the vehicle width direction than the cylinder head cover and located on an inner side in the vehicle width direction than an outer end portion in the vehicle width direction of the auxiliary transmission unit.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 21, 2022
From: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
To: KAWASAKI MOTORS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 058811/0875 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 7, 2021
From: JYOUZAKI, TAKAHIRO
To: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 056173/0643 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220355877A1 · Nov 10, 2022
Cited By (3)
US 12,522,298 US 12,583,307 US 12,669,171