Vehicle having engine unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10393264-B2
Application number	US-201615258126-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 7, 2016
Priority date	Sep 8, 2015
Publication date	Aug 27, 2019
Grant date	Aug 27, 2019

Abstract

An engine unit of a motorcycle has a crankcase and an overlying cylinder block. The crankcase has a magnet cover positioned outward of the cylinder block in the vehicle width direction as seen in the front-rear direction. The clutch actuator motor serving as a driving power source for a switching operation of the clutch is disposed inward of the side surface of the magnet cover in the vehicle width direction as seen in the front-rear direction. A part of the clutch actuator motor is positioned over the magnet cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle having an engine unit,
the engine unit comprising:
a crankcase provided with a crankshaft, a gearshift mechanism configured to perform a gearshift operation for rotary power transmitted from the crankshaft, and a clutch configured to connect or disconnect transmission of the rotary power between the crankshaft and the gearshift mechanism,
a cylinder block internally provided with a cylinder and disposed on the crankcase, and
a clutch actuator motor serving as a power source for switching the clutch between connection and disconnection states,

wherein at least a part of the clutch actuator motor is positioned outward of an outer side surface of the cylinder block in a vehicle width direction as seen in a front-rear direction of the vehicle,
wherein an axial direction of a rotational shaft of the clutch actuator motor is approximately in parallel with an axial direction of the cylinder of the cylinder block, and
wherein the clutch actuator motor is disposed along a rear side of the cylinder block as seen in the vehicle width direction.

2. The vehicle having the engine unit according to claim 1 , wherein the crankcase has a portion positioned outward of the cylinder block in the vehicle width direction as seen in the front-rear direction of the vehicle,
the clutch actuator motor is disposed inward of an outer side surface of the portion of the crankcase in the vehicle width direction as seen in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and
a part of the clutch actuator motor is positioned over the portion of the crankcase.

3. The vehicle having the engine unit according to claim 2 , further comprising a power transmission member provided to rotate in synchronization with a rotation output shaft of the gearshift mechanism outside the crankcase and transmit rotation of the rotation output shaft to a propulsion wheel; and
a covering member installed in the crankcase to cover the power transmission member,
wherein the clutch actuator motor is disposed inward from the outermost side surface of the portion in the vehicle width direction outside the covering member in the vehicle width direction.

4. The vehicle having the engine unit according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a release cam rotated to switch the clutch between connection and disconnection states;
a first driving gear provided in a rotational shaft of the clutch actuator motor and rotated in synchronization with the rotational shaft; and
a first driven gear provided in the release cam and rotated in synchronization with the release cam,
wherein the first driving gear and the first driven gear mesh with each other directly or by interposing a first intermediate gear, and
the release cam is rotated by the rotary power of the clutch actuator motor transmitted through the first driving gear and the first driven gear to switch the clutch between connection and disconnection states.

5. The vehicle having the engine unit according to claim 1 , further comprising a gearshift actuator motor serving as a power source for changing a gearshift position of the gearshift mechanism,
wherein the crankcase has a portion positioned outward of the cylinder block in the vehicle width direction as seen in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and
the gearshift actuator motor is disposed at the rear of the cylinder block as seen in the vehicle width direction and inward of the outermost side surface of the portion of the crankcase in the vehicle width direction as seen in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle having the engine unit according to claim 5 , wherein the gearshift actuator motor is disposed at the rear of the clutch actuator motor as seen in the vehicle width direction, and
the gearshift actuator motor partially overlaps with the clutch actuator motor as seen in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle having the engine unit according to claim 5 , wherein an axial line of a rotational shaft of the gearshift actuator motor is intersected with an axial line of a rotational shaft of the clutch actuator motor as seen in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

8. The vehicle having the engine unit according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a power transmission member provided to rotate in synchronization with a rotation output shaft of the gearshift mechanism in a position different from that of the portion of the crankcase outside in the vehicle width direction and transmit rotation of the rotation output shaft to a propulsion wheel; and
a covering member installed in the crankcase to cover the power transmission member,
wherein the gearshift actuator motor is disposed outward of the covering member in the vehicle width direction.

9. The vehicle having the engine unit according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a shift cam rotated to change a gearshift position of the gearshift mechanism;
a second driving gear provided in a rotational shaft of the gearshift actuator motor and rotated in synchronization with the rotational shaft; and
a second driven gear provided in the shift cam and rotated in synchronization with the shift cam,
wherein the second driving gear and the second driven gear mesh with each other directly or by interposing a second intermediate gear, and
the shift cam is rotated by the rotary power of the gearshift actuator motor transmitted through the second driving gear and the second driven gear to change the gearshift position of the gearshift mechanism.

10. A vehicle having an engine unit,
the engine unit comprising:
a crankcase provided with a crankshaft, a gearshift mechanism configured to perform a gearshift operation for rotary power transmitted from the crankshaft, and a clutch configured to connect or disconnect transmission of the rotary power between the crankshaft and the gearshift mechanism, wherein the crankcase has a portion positioned outward of the cylinder block in the vehicle width direction as seen in the front-rear direction of the vehicle,
a cylinder block internally provided with a cylinder and disposed on the crankcase, and
a clutch actuator motor serving as a power source for switching the clutch between connection and disconnection states, the clutch actuator motor is disposed inward of an outer side surface of the portion of the crankcase in the vehicle width direction as seen in the front-rear direction of the vehicle,

wherein at least a part of the clutch actuator motor is positioned outward of an outer side surface of the cylinder block in a vehicle width direction as seen in a front-rear direction of the vehicle, and
a part of the clutch actuator motor is positioned over the portion of the crankcase.

11. The vehicle having the engine unit according to claim 10 , wherein an axial direction of a rotational shaft of clutch actuator motor is approximately in parallel with an axial direction of the cylinder of the cylinder block, and
the clutch actuator motor is disposed along a rear side of the cylinder block as seen in the vehicle width direction.

12. The vehicle having the engine unit according to claim 10 , further comprising a power transmission member provided to rotate in synchronization with a rotation output shaft of the gearshift mechanism outside the crankcase and transmit rotation of the rotation output shaft to a propulsion wheel; and
a covering member installed in the crankcase to cover the power transmission member,
wherein the clutch actuator motor is disposed inward from the outermost side surface of the portion in the vehicle width direction outside the covering member in the vehicle width direction.

13. The vehicle having the engine unit ac

Assignees

• Suzuki Motor Corp

Inventors

• Takahashi Hideaki

Classifications

• B62M25/08

  with electrical or fluid transmitting systems · CPC title

• B62M7/02

  with engine between front and rear wheels · CPC title

• F16H2061/0462

  by controlling slip rate during gear shift transition · CPC title

• F16H2057/02065

  for motorcycles or squads · CPC title

• F16H2057/0203

  the gearbox is associated or combined with a crank case of an engine · CPC title