Vehicle structure for mounting air-cooled internal combustion engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10683052-B2
Application number	US-201815900161-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2018
Priority date	Mar 16, 2017
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

Abstract

In the vehicle structure for mounting an air-cooled internal combustion engine, a crankcase is supported by a body frame in such a manner that crankcase hanger bosses on the crankcase are joined to the body frame via crankcase hanger plates. A cylinder head has left and right cylinder head hanger seating surfaces formed perpendicular to a left-right horizontal direction by cutting out right and left symmetric areas close to side edges of left and right side faces of the cylinder head along with parts of cooling fins. One ends of left and right cylinder head hanger members are fastened respectively to cylinder head hanger attaching seats on which the left and right cylinder head hanger seating surfaces of the cylinder head are formed. The other ends of the left and right cylinder head hanger members are fastened individually to the body frame. The structure is capable of using an engine body itself to improve stiffness of a body frame without use of any particular reinforcing members.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle structure comprising:
an air-cooled internal combustion engine, in which the air-cooled internal combustion engine is mounted on a double cradle body frame of a saddle riding vehicle, the air-cooled internal combustion engine is configured such that a cylinder and a cylinder head are vertically stacked on a crankcase in this order and cooling fins are formed on an outer periphery of at least the cylinder head,
wherein the crankcase has hanger bosses formed at predetermined forward and rearward positions, the crankcase being supported by the body frame with the hanger bosses joined to the body frame via crankcase hanger members,
wherein the cylinder head has left and right cylinder head hanger seating surfaces formed to be perpendicular to a left-right horizontal direction by cutting out right and left symmetric areas of the cylinder head as well as part of the cooling fins, the right and left symmetric areas being adjacent to side edges of left and right side faces of the cylinder head and being respectively located closest to a pair of left and right upper frame portions of the double body cradle body frame,
wherein the left and right cylinder head hanger seating surfaces of the cylinder head are formed on cylinder head hanger attaching seats,
wherein the pair of left and right upper frame portions is situated respectively upward of the left and right cylinder head hanger seating surfaces,
wherein the cylinder head hanger members are cylinder head hanger plates,
wherein the left and right cylinder head hanger plates have respective first ends facing the cylinder head seating surfaces of the cylinder head, the first ends being fastened respectively to the cylinder head hanger attaching seats, and the left and right cylinder head hanger plates have respective second ends fastened to the left and right upper frame portions, and
wherein the first ends of the cylinder head hanger plates are fastened, respectively, to the cylinder head hanger attaching seats of the cylinder head by interposition of spacer members to create distances equal to or greater than the amount of protrusion of the cooling fins away from the cylinder head hanger seating surfaces toward outside in a left/right direction.

2. The vehicle structure for mounting an air-cooled internal combustion engine according to claim 1 , wherein one of the left and right cylinder head hanger plates has an inner side to which a clutch cable guide is attached.

3. The vehicle structure for mounting an air-cooled internal combustion engine according to claim 2 , wherein the upper frame portion of the double cradle frame extends obliquely upward and rearward of the cylinder head to slope downward toward the rear in side view,
wherein the cylinder and the cylinder head, which are stacked in this order on the crankcase, stand while tilting forward, and
wherein the left and right cylinder head hanger seating surfaces are formed respectively in the left and right symmetric areas closest to the upper frame portions along rear edges of the left and right side faces of the cylinder head.

4. The vehicle structure for mounting an air-cooled internal combustion engine according to claim 1 , wherein the upper frame portion of the double cradle frame extends obliquely upward and rearward of the cylinder head to slope downward toward the rear in side view,
wherein the cylinder and the cylinder head, which are stacked in this order on the crankcase, stand while tilting forward, and
wherein the left and right cylinder head hanger seating surfaces are formed respectively in the left and right symmetric areas closest to the upper frame portions along rear edges of the left and right side faces of the cylinder head.

5. The vehicle structure for mounting an air-cooled internal combustion engine according to claim 4 , wherein the cylinder head has a rear side face from which an intake passage extends rearward,
wherein the intake passage is provided with a throttle body in proximity to the cylinder head, and
wherein the left and right cylinder head hanger plates cover left and right sides of the throttle body.

6. The vehicle structure for mounting an air-cooled internal combustion engine according to claim 5 , wherein one of the left and right cylinder head hanger plates has an inner side to which a clutch cable guide is attached.

7. The vehicle structure for mounting an air-cooled internal combustion engine according to claim 4 , wherein one of the left and right cylinder head hanger plates has an inner side to which a clutch cable guide is attached.

8. A vehicle structure comprising:
an air-cooled internal combustion engine, in which the air-cooled internal combustion engine is mounted on a body frame of a saddle riding vehicle, the air-cooled internal combustion engine is configured such that a cylinder and a cylinder head are vertically stacked on a crankcase in this order and cooling fins are formed on an outer periphery of at least the cylinder head,
wherein the crankcase has hanger bosses formed at predetermined forward and rearward positions, and the crankcase is supported by the body frame with the hanger bosses joined to the body frame via crankcase hanger members,
wherein the cylinder head has left and right cylinder head hanger seating surfaces formed to be perpendicular to a left-right horizontal direction by cutting out right and left symmetric areas of the cylinder head as well as part of the cooling fins, the right and left symmetric areas being adjacent to side edges of left and right side faces of the cylinder head,
wherein the left and right cylinder head hanger seating surfaces of the cylinder head are formed on cylinder head hanger attaching seats to which one ends of left and right cylinder head hanger members are fastened respectively,
wherein the left and right cylinder head hanger members have respectively the other ends fastened to the body frame,
wherein the body frame is a double cradle frame,
wherein the cylinder head is configured to stand above the crankcase,
wherein the left and right cylinder head hanger seating surfaces are formed respectively in areas on the left and right side faces of the cylinder head, the areas being respectively located closest to a pair of left and right upper frame portions of the double cradle frame,
wherein the pair of left and right upper frame portions is situated respectively upward of the left and right cylinder head hanger seating surfaces,
wherein the cylinder head hanger members are cylinder head hanger plates,
wherein the left and right cylinder head hanger plates have respective one ends facing the cylinder head seating surfaces of the cylinder head, the one ends being fastened respectively to the cylinder head hanger attaching seats, and the left and right cylinder head hanger plates have the other ends respectively fastened to the left and right upper frame portions,
wherein the upper frame portion of the double cradle frame extends obliquely upward and rearward of the cylinder head to slope downward toward the rear in side view,
wherein the cylinder and the cylinder head, which are stacked in this order on the crankcase, stand while tilting forward,
wherein the left and right cylinder head hanger seating surfaces are formed respectively in the left and right symmetric areas closest to the upper frame portions along rear edges of the left and right side faces of the cylinder head,
wherein the cylinder head has a rear side face from which an intake passage extends rearward,
wherein the intake passage is provided with a throttle body in proximity to the cylinder head, and
wherein the left and right cylinder head hanger plates cover left and right sides of the throttle body.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sugiyama Masanori
• Ito Katsuhiko

Classifications

• F01P2001/026

  Cooling cylinder heads (F01P2003/025 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62K11/04 Primary

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

• B62M7/02

  with engine between front and rear wheels · CPC title

• F01P1/02

  Arrangements for cooling cylinders or cylinder heads, e.g. ducting cooling-air from its pressure source to cylinders or along cylinders · CPC title

• B62J11/13

  specially adapted for mechanical cables · CPC title