Two-wheeled vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11077910-B2
Application number	US-201816146249-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2018
Priority date	Sep 28, 2018
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

A two-wheeled vehicle includes a frame assembly having a front end and a rear end extending along a longitudinally-extending centerline, a front ground-engaging member operably coupled to the front end of the frame assembly at a front rotational axis, and a rear ground-engaging member operably coupled to the rear end of the frame assembly at a rear rotational axis. The vehicle further includes an engine supported by the frame assembly and operably coupled to the front and rear ground-engaging members, and the engine includes a throttle body assembly. Additionally, the vehicle includes an air intake assembly fluidly coupled to the engine and including an airbox and a mounting plate having a first channel and a second channel. The first and second channels are configured to align with the throttle body assembly. The mounting plate is configured to couple the airbox to the throttle body assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A two-wheeled vehicle, comprising:
a frame assembly having a front end and a rear end extending along a longitudinally-extending centerline;
a front ground-engaging member operably coupled to the front end of the frame assembly at a front rotational axis;
a rear ground-engaging member operably coupled to the rear end of the frame assembly at a rear rotational axis;
an engine supported by the frame assembly and operably coupled to the front and rear ground-engaging members, the engine including a throttle body assembly; and
an air intake assembly fluidly coupled to the engine and including
an airbox defining an internal air volume having first and second tubes each extending from a forwardly-facing inlet toward an engine-facing outlet, and
a mounting plate having a first channel and a second channel, and the first and second channels are configured to align with the throttle body assembly and with the engine-facing outlets of the first and second tubes respectively, and the mounting plate is configured to couple the airbox to the throttle body assembly.

2. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the mounting plate is positioned vertically intermediate the airbox and the throttle body assembly.

3. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first channel defines a first overmolded boot configured to align with a first output of the airbox and a first throttle body of the throttle body assembly, and the second channel defines a second overmolded boot configured to align with a second output of the airbox and a second throttle body of the throttle body assembly.

4. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the first and second boots are integral with a body portion of the mounting plate.

5. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 1 , wherein an outer surface of the airbox couples with the mounting plate with upper fasteners.

6. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the mounting plate includes a seal generally surrounding the first and second channels, and the fasteners are received through a portion of the seal.

7. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the upper fasteners extend downwardly through a lower surface of the airbox and are received through an upper surface of the seal.

8. A two-wheeled vehicle, comprising:
a frame assembly having a front end and a rear end extending along a longitudinally-extending centerline;
a front ground-engaging member operably coupled to the front end of the frame assembly at a front rotational axis;
a rear ground-engaging member operably coupled to the rear end of the frame assembly at a rear rotational axis;
an engine supported by the frame assembly and operably coupled to the front and rear ground-engaging members, and the engine including at least a first cylinder and a second cylinder;
an airbox defining an internal air volume having first and second tubes each extending from a forwardly-facing inlet toward an engine-facing outlet, each engine-facing outlet fluidly coupled to the engine; and
a mounting member removably coupled to the engine and removably coupled to the airbox, and the mounting member defining a first flow path configured to provide air from the airbox to the first cylinder of the engine via the first tube and defining a second flow path configured to provide air from the airbox to the second cylinder of the engine via the second tube.

9. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the first flow path is spaced apart from the second flow path.

10. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the mounting member includes a body portion, and the first flow path is defined by a first channel extending through the body portion and the second flow path is defined by a second channel extending through the body portion, and the first and second channels are separated from each other by a portion of the body portion.

11. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the first channel defines a first overmolded boot and the second channel defines a second overmolded boot.

12. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the mounting member includes a seal defining an outer surface of the mounting member.

13. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the seal includes coupling locations for securing the mounting member to the airbox.

14. A two-wheeled vehicle, comprising:
a frame assembly having a front end and a rear end extending along a longitudinally-extending centerline;
a front ground-engaging member operably coupled to the front end of the frame assembly at a front rotational axis;
a rear ground-engaging member operably coupled to the rear end of the frame assembly at a rear rotational axis;
an engine supported by the frame assembly and operably coupled to the front and rear ground-engaging members, and the engine including a throttle body assembly; and
an air intake assembly fluidly coupled to the engine and including
an airbox defining an internal air volume having first and second tubes each extending from a forwardly-facing inlet toward an engine-facing outlet, and
a mounting plate, and the airbox is removably coupled to an upper surface of the mounting plate and the throttle body assembly is removably coupled to a lower surface of the mounting plate, the mounting plate having first and second channels configured to align with the throttle body assembly and with the engine-facing outlets of the first and second tubes respectively.

15. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the airbox includes a plurality of fasteners extending from a lower surface of the airbox and configured to be received within an upper surface of the mounting plate.

16. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the mounting plate includes a first overmolded boot sealingly coupled to the airbox and a first throttle body of the throttle body assembly and a second overmolded booth sealingly coupled to the airbox and a second throttle body of the throttle body assembly.

17. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the first and second overmolded boots each extends at least partially within a portion of the airbox.

18. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the first and second overmolded boots each extends at least partially within a portion of the throttle body assembly.

19. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the mounting plate include a seal defining the outer surface of the mounting plate.

20. The two-wheeled vehicle of claim 19 , wherein the mounting plate includes a body portion and the seal generally surrounds the body portion, and the seal includes at least one coupling location for coupling the mounting plate to the airbox.

21. A two-wheeled vehicle, comprising:
a frame assembly having a front end and a rear end extending along a longitudinally-extending centerline;
a front ground-engaging member operably coupled to the front end of the frame assembly at a front rotational axis;
a rear ground-engaging member operably coupled to the rear end of the frame assembly at a rear rotational axis;
an engine supported by the frame assembly and operably coupled to the front and rear ground-engaging members, the engine including a throttle body assembly; and
an air intake assembly fluidly coupled to the engine and including
an airbox and
a mounting plate having a first channel and a second channel, and the first and second channels are configured to align with the throttle body assembly, and the mounting plate is configured to couple the airbox to the throttle body assembly,

Assignees

• Indian Motorcycle International Llc

Inventors

• Pelz Martin
• Botta Matthias
• Schwintek Scott M
• Keller Michael
• Warns Jason A
• Hefti Severin

Classifications

• B62J17/04

  Windscreens · CPC title

• B62J40/00

  Arrangements of air cleaners specially adapted for cycles · CPC title

• F02M35/162 Primary

  Motorcycles; All-terrain vehicles, e.g. quads, snowmobiles; Small vehicles, e.g. forklifts · CPC title

• B62K19/20

  welded, soldered, or brazed · CPC title

• B62K11/04 Primary

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