Straddled vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10800489-B2
Application number	US-201815994146-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2018
Priority date	Jun 2, 2017
Publication date	Oct 13, 2020
Grant date	Oct 13, 2020

Abstract

A rider operates a driving source switching lever to switch an operation mode to a normal traveling mode or an auxiliary moving mode. During the normal traveling mode, a motorcycle travels by a driving force generated by an engine. During the auxiliary moving mode, the motorcycle moves at a low speed by a driving force generated by a vehicle driving motor. When the rider operates a forward-backward movement operator during the auxiliary moving mode to put the forward-backward movement operator in a forward movement instruction state, the vehicle driving motor is controlled such that the motorcycle moves forward. When the rider operates the forward-backward movement operator during the auxiliary moving mode to put the forward-backward movement operator in a backward movement instruction state, the vehicle driving motor is controlled such that the motorcycle moves backward.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A straddled vehicle comprising:
a vehicle main body;
an engine configured to generate a driving force for a forward movement of the vehicle main body;
a starter motor configured to start the engine;
a throttle grip for a rider to adjust an output of the engine;
a vehicle driving motor configured to generate a driving force for forward and backward movements of the vehicle main body;
a driving motor controller configured to control the vehicle driving motor;
a driving source switch system that is switchable between a first mode where the vehicle main body moves forward by a driving force generated by the engine and a second mode where the vehicle main body moves forward or backward by the driving force generated by the vehicle driving motor;
a driving source switching lever for the rider to switch the driving source switch system between the first mode and the second mode;
a handlebar configured for a rider's hand; and
a forward-backward movement switch that is provided at the handlebar separately from the throttle grip, wherein:
the forward-backward movement switch is configured to be operable to be in a first or a second state, and
the driving motor controller is configured to,
in a case where the driving source switch system is in the second mode, and the forward-backward movement switch is operated to be in the first state, rotate the vehicle driving motor in a direction such that the vehicle main body moves forward, and
in a case where the driving source switch system is in the second mode, and the forward-backward movement switch is operated to be in the second state, rotate the vehicle driving motor in a direction such that the vehicle main body moves backward.

2. The straddled vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the driving motor controller is further configured to control a moving speed of the vehicle main body by the driving force of the vehicle driving motor such that the moving speed is higher than 0 km/h and lower than 4 km/h.

3. The straddled vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the driving motor controller is further configured to control a moving speed of the vehicle main body by the driving force of the vehicle driving motor such that the moving speed is lower than 4 km/h.

4. The straddled vehicle according to claim 1 , having a wheel provided at the vehicle main body to be rotatable, wherein:
the forward-backward movement switch is configured to change to the first state or the second state by a rotating operation,
the rotating operation includes a rotation of the forward-backward movement switch in a first direction to set the forward-backward movement switch to be in the first state, and
a rotation of the forward-backward movement switch in a second direction to set the forward-backward movement switch to be in the second state,
the first direction is a same direction as a rotation direction of the wheel when the vehicle main body moves forward, and
the second direction is a same direction as a rotation direction of the wheel when the vehicle main body moves backward.

5. The straddled vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
the forward-backward movement switch has a first portion corresponding to the first state and a second portion corresponding to the second state,
the first portion is located at a position farther forward than the second portion in a vehicle front-and-rear direction, and
the forward-backward movement switch is configured to be put in the first state when the first portion is operated, and is configured to be put in the second state when the second portion is operated.

6. The straddled vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the forward-backward movement switch includes a single body that is operable to be in the first state or the second state.

7. The straddled vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein:
the single body has a neutral state,
the forward-backward movement switch includes a biasing element configured to bias the single body to be in the neutral state when being operated to be in the first state or the second state, and
the driving motor controller does not activate the vehicle driving motor when the single body is in the neutral state.

8. The straddled vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the forward-backward movement switch is provided for one or a plurality of fingers of a hand gripping the handlebar.

9. The straddled vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the handlebar has a pair of left and right grips, and
the forward-backward movement switch is provided between one of the left and right grips and a center portion of the vehicle in a vehicle width direction.

10. The straddled vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein
a vertical plane passing through the center portion of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction is defined, and a first space and a second space sectioned by the vertical plane are defined,
the throttle grip and another grip of the left and right grips are provided in the first space, and
the forward-backward movement switch is provided at a position closer to the one grip than a middle position between the one grip and the center portion of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction.

11. The straddled vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein
the driving source switching lever and the forward-backward movement switch are provided in the second space.

Assignees

• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Takayanagi Tomokazu
• Sawaoka Joji
• Maeda Kazuyuki
• Hirata Kosuke
• Kitamura Naoki

Classifications

• B62M7/02

  with engine between front and rear wheels · CPC title

• B62M23/02

  characterised by the use of two or more dissimilar sources of power, e.g. transmissions for hybrid motorcycles (transmissions for wheeled vehicles using rider propulsion with additional source of power B62M6/00) · CPC title

• B62K23/02

  hand actuated (arrangements of controls on handle-bars of engine-driven cycles B62K11/14) · CPC title

• B62K23/06

  Levers · CPC title

• G05G5/05

  Means for returning or tending to return controlling members to an inoperative or neutral position, e.g. by providing return springs or resilient end-stops (G05G5/28 takes precedence) · CPC title