Motorcycle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11548589-B2
Application number	US-201916378801-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2019
Priority date	Jul 11, 2018
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

A motorcycle includes a pair of left and right front forks, a headlight, cover members (side cowls and light covers), and camera units. A front wheel is rotatably attached to the pair of left and right front forks. The headlight irradiates a forward side. The cover members each having an internal space are disposed at least laterally outside the pair of left and right front forks in a front view. The camera units detect the forward side by acquiring visible light which is one kind of electromagnetic waves (by acquiring images). In a front view, the camera units are disposed below the headlight and laterally outside the pair of left and right front forks. The camera units are disposed in the internal spaces of the cover members.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A motorcycle, comprising:
a pair of left and right front forks to which a front wheel is rotatably attached;
a headlight irradiating a forward side;
a cover member disposed at least laterally outside the pair of left and right front forks in a front view, the cover member having an internal space; and
at least one forward detector configured to detect sounds or electromagnetic waves forward of the motorcycle,
wherein, in a front view, the at least one forward detector is disposed below the headlight and laterally outside the pair of left and right front forks, and
wherein at least one the forward detector is disposed in the internal space of the cover member.

2. The motorcycle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one lighting equipment provided separately from the headlight,
wherein the at least one lighting equipment includes at least one light emitter and the cover member also covers the at least one light emitter, and
wherein the cover member serves as a light cover.

3. The motorcycle according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a side cowl disposed on a side of a vehicle body,
wherein the light cover includes a transmissive portion that allows light to be transmitted therethrough, and
wherein the at least one lighting equipment is covered with the side cowl such that the transmissive portion is exposed from the side cowl.

4. The motorcycle according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one lighting equipment is a cornering light that turns on when a vehicle body is tilted.

5. The motorcycle according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a controller performing a vehicle body control based on a detection result obtained by the at least one forward detector,
wherein the cornering light is turned on when the vehicle body is tilted about its front-rear direction as a rotation axis, and
wherein while the vehicle body is tilted and the cornering light is on, the controller does not perform the vehicle body control based on a detection result obtained by the at least one forward detector.

6. The motorcycle according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one forward detector is disposed below the light emitter of the cornering light.

7. The motorcycle according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one cornering light comprises a pair of left and right cornering lights that are disposed with the pair of left and right front forks laterally interposed therebetween,
wherein the at least one forward detector comprises of a pair of left and right camera units that are disposed with the pair of left and right front forks laterally interposed therebetween, and
wherein during straight traveling, a distance to an object ahead is measured based on detection results obtained by the pair of left and right camera units.

8. The motorcycle according to claim 2 , wherein a power cable is connected to the light cover, the power cable being configured to supply electric power to both the at least one lighting equipment and the at least one forward detector.

9. The motorcycle according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one lighting equipment is a direction indicator.

10. The motorcycle according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one forward detector comprises a pair of left and right forward detectors that are disposed with the pair of left and right front forks laterally interposed therebetween.

11. The motorcycle according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one forward detector is a camera unit.

Assignees

• Kawasaki Motors Ltd

Inventors

• Saeki Daisuke

Classifications

• B62J45/423

  on or besides the wheel · CPC title

• B62J6/05

  Direction indicators · CPC title

• B60W40/112

  Roll movement · CPC title

• B62J45/41 Primary

  characterised by the type of sensor · CPC title

• B60W40/103

  Side slip angle of vehicle body · CPC title