Motorcycle incorporating a supercharger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10260463-B2
Application number	US-201315026929-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2013
Priority date	Oct 3, 2013
Publication date	Apr 16, 2019
Grant date	Apr 16, 2019

Abstract

Provided is a motorcycle incorporating a supercharger which can prevent an increase in a size of a vehicle body. A motorcycle comprises a supercharger which compresses intake air; an air-intake chamber which is placed downstream of the supercharger, stores the intake air compressed in the supercharger, and guides the intake air from the air-intake chamber to a combustion chamber of an engine; a fuel tank placed above the engine, wherein the air-intake chamber is placed between the fuel tank and the engine, and wherein the fuel tank includes a recess-forming section provided with a recess on a bottom surface of the fuel tank in such a manner that the bottom surface of the fuel tank does not interfere with the air-intake chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A motorcycle incorporating a supercharger, the motorcycle comprising:
the supercharger which compresses intake air;
an air-intake chamber which is placed downstream of the supercharger, stores the intake air compressed in the supercharger, and guides the intake air from the air-intake chamber to a combustion chamber of an engine; and
a fuel tank placed above the engine,
wherein the air-intake chamber is placed between the fuel tank and the engine, and
wherein the fuel tank includes a recess-forming section provided with a recess at a bottom surface of the fuel tank in such a manner that the bottom surface of the fuel tank does not interfere with the air-intake chamber, and a rearward extension section which extends rearward and downward from the recess-forming section,
wherein the rearward extension section is placed below a seat of the motorcycle, and
wherein the rearward extension section includes a portion located below a cylinder head of the engine in a location which is rearward relative to the air-intake chamber.

2. The motorcycle incorporating the supercharger according to claim 1 ,
wherein the fuel tank is provided to cover an entire periphery of the air-intake chamber when viewed from above, in a state in which the air-intake chamber is placed in the recess of the recess-forming section.

3. The motorcycle incorporating the supercharger according to claim 1 ,
wherein the supercharger is located in front of the rearward extension section.

4. The motorcycle incorporating the supercharger according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a fuel pump which pumps fuel stored in the fuel tank,
wherein the fuel pump is accommodated in the fuel tank and placed in a region of the fuel tank which is located rearward relative to the supercharger.

5. The motorcycle incorporating the supercharger according to claim 1 ,
wherein the fuel tank is configured in such a manner that a lower surface of a front region located in front of the recess-forming section is continuous with a lower surface of a lateral region located on at least one of right and left sides of the recess of the recess-forming section, and a lower surface of the fuel tank is inclined downward, in a direction from the lower surface of the front region toward the lower surface of the lateral region, in a forward and rearward direction.

6. The motorcycle incorporating the supercharger according to claim 1 ,
wherein a specified gap is provided between the fuel tank and the air-intake chamber in the recess of the recess-forming section.

7. The motorcycle incorporating the supercharger according to claim 1 ,
wherein the supercharger is placed rearward relative to a crankcase of the engine, and
wherein the recess-forming section has a shape conforming to a shape of a connection portion at which the air-intake chamber and the supercharger are connected to each other.

8. The motorcycle incorporating the supercharger according to claim 1 ,
wherein an upper surface of the air-intake chamber has a curved surface protruding upward.

9. The motorcycle incorporating the supercharger according to claim 1 ,
wherein an upper end portion of the supercharger is located above a lower end portion of the fuel tank.

10. The motorcycle incorporating the supercharger according to claim 9 ,
wherein the supercharger is placed in such a manner that an inlet of the supercharger faces a side surface of a vehicle body.

11. The motorcycle incorporating the supercharger according to claim 1 , comprising:
an L-shaped case which has a unitary structure including a crankcase of the engine and a transmission case of a transmission which are arranged in such a manner that the transmission case is located behind the crankcase,
wherein the supercharger is placed above the transmission case and is driven by driving power generated in the engine.

12. A motorcycle incorporating a supercharger, the motorcycle comprising:
the supercharger which compresses intake air;
an air-intake chamber which is placed downstream of the supercharger, stores the intake air compressed in the supercharger, and guides the intake air from the air-intake chamber to a combustion chamber of an engine;
a fuel tank placed above the engine; and
a fuel pump which pumps fuel stored in the fuel tank,
wherein the air-intake chamber is placed between the fuel tank and the engine,
wherein the fuel tank includes a recess-forming section provided with a recess at a bottom surface of the fuel tank in such a manner that the bottom surface of the fuel tank does not interfere with the air-intake chamber, and a rearward extension section which extends rearward and downward from the recess-forming section,
wherein the rearward extension section is placed below a seat of the motorcycle,
wherein the fuel pump is accommodated in the fuel tank and placed in a region of the fuel tank which is located rearward relative to the supercharger,
wherein the fuel pump is placed to be spaced apart from the supercharger in a forward and rearward direction, and
wherein a high-heat-resistance component having a heat resistance higher than a heat resistance of the fuel pump, is placed between the fuel pump and the supercharger.

13. A motorcycle incorporating a supercharger, the motorcycle comprising:
the supercharger which compresses intake air;
an air-intake chamber which is placed downstream of the supercharger, stores the intake air compressed in the supercharger, and guides the intake air from the air-intake chamber to a combustion chamber of an engine; and
a fuel tank placed above the engine,
wherein the air-intake chamber is placed between the fuel tank and the engine, and
wherein the fuel tank includes a recess-forming section provided with a recess at a bottom surface of the fuel tank in such a manner that the bottom surface of the fuel tank does not interfere with the air-intake chamber, and a rearward extension section which extends rearward and downward from the recess-forming section,
wherein the rearward extension section is placed below a seat of the motorcycle,
wherein a specified gap is provided between the fuel tank and the air-intake chamber in the recess of the recess-forming section, and
wherein the air-intake chamber includes an inlet provided on a rear end portion thereof and an outlet provided in front of the rear end portion.

Assignees

• Kawasaki Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Ishii Hiroshi
• Saeki Daisuke
• Yamamoto Tomo

Classifications

• F02M37/14

  the pumps being combined with other apparatus · CPC title

• F02B39/04

  Mechanical drives; Variable-gear-ratio drives (non-mechanical pump drives having variable gear ratio F02B39/08) · CPC title

• B62K11/04

  characterised by the engine being between front and rear wheels · CPC title

• F02B33/44

  Passages conducting the charge from the pump to the engine inlet, e.g. reservoirs · CPC title

• B62M7/02

  with engine between front and rear wheels · CPC title