Saddled vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11718171-B2
Application number	US-201916292837-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2019
Priority date	Mar 30, 2018
Publication date	Aug 8, 2023
Grant date	Aug 8, 2023

Abstract

It is intended to enable a saddled vehicle, including an internal combustion engine supported by a lower part of a vehicle body frame, a fuel tank supported by an upper part of the vehicle body frame, a canister including an external air introducing pipe for introducing an external air, and a vehicle body cover covering the vehicle body frame, the internal combustion engine and the fuel tank, to efficiently discharge steam, released from the external air introducing pipe of the canister, to the outside of the vehicle. An external air introducing tubular pathway extends inside the vehicle body cover while continuing at one end thereof to the external air introducing pipe of the canister. An other end-side opened portion of the external air introducing tubular pathway is opened to the outside of the vehicle body cover while penetrating a through hole formed in the vehicle body cover.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A saddled vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body frame including at a front end thereof a head pipe supporting a steering handle so as to make the steering handle steerable;
an internal combustion engine supported by a lower part of the vehicle body frame;
a fuel tank supported by an upper part of the vehicle body frame;
a canister including an external air introducing pipe for introducing an external air, the canister enabling absorbing a vaporized fuel generated in the fuel tank and purging the vaporized fuel to an inlet system of the internal combustion engine;
a vehicle body cover covering the vehicle body frame, the internal combustion engine and the fuel tank, the vehicle body cover having a through hole; and
an external air introducing tubular pathway extending inside the vehicle body cover while continuing at one end thereof to the external air introducing pipe of the canister, the external air introducing tubular pathway having an other end-side opened portion being opened to an outside of the vehicle body cover while penetrating the through hole such that vapor from the canister is directly discharged to outside air.

2. The saddled vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the other end-side opened portion of the external air introducing tubular pathway is disposed above the fuel tank.

3. The saddled vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the other end-side opened portion of the external air introducing tubular pathway is covered with a masking member, the masking member being attached to the vehicle body cover while forming at least one discharge pathway together with an outer surface of the vehicle body cover therebetween, the at least one discharge pathway communicating with the outside.

4. The saddled vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the masking member integrally includes a masking member main portion and a louver portion, the masking member main portion covering the other end-side opened portion of the external air introducing tubular pathway, the louver portion bulging sideward from the masking member main portion while forming the discharge pathway together with the outer surface of the vehicle body cover therebetween.

5. The saddled vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the vehicle body cover is formed in part by a fender covering a wheel, the fender including a wall portion disposed below the louver portion, the wall portion being shaped to include an uppermost portion, a front slant portion and a rear slant portion, the uppermost portion being disposed below the discharge pathway, the front slant portion slanting down forward from the uppermost portion, the rear slant portion slanting down rearward from the uppermost portion.

6. The saddled vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the other end-side opened portion of the external air introducing tubular pathway is covered with a masking member, the masking member being attached to the vehicle body cover while forming at least one discharge pathway together with an outer surface of the vehicle body cover therebetween, the at least one discharge pathway communicating with the outside.

7. The saddled vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the masking member integrally includes a masking member main portion and a louver portion, the masking member main portion covering the other end-side opened portion of the external air introducing tubular pathway, the louver portion bulging sideward from the masking member main portion while forming the discharge pathway together with the outer surface of the vehicle body cover therebetween.

8. The saddled vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the vehicle body cover is formed in part by a fender covering a wheel, the fender including a wall portion disposed below the louver portion, the wall portion being shaped to include an uppermost portion, a front slant portion and a rear slant portion, the uppermost portion being disposed below the discharge pathway, the front slant portion slanting down forward from the uppermost portion, the rear slant portion slanting down rearward from the uppermost portion.

9. The saddled vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein a plurality of ribs are disposed to protrude from an inner surface of the masking member, the plurality of ribs guiding a steam flowing thereto from the other end-side opened portion of the external air introducing tubular pathway, at least one rib of the plurality of ribs being formed in opposition to a flow direction of the steam flowing toward the discharge pathway.

10. The saddled vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one rib is disposed to protrude from the inner surface of the masking member while extending from the masking member main portion to the louver portion.

11. The saddled vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein at least one rib is disposed to protrude at least from an inner surface of the louver portion of the masking member.

12. The saddled vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein a plurality of ribs are disposed to protrude from an inner surface of the masking member, the plurality of ribs guiding a steam flowing thereto from the other end-side opened portion of the external air introducing tubular pathway, at least one rib of the plurality of ribs being formed in opposition to a flow direction of the steam flowing toward the discharge pathway.

13. The saddled vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one rib is disposed to protrude from the inner surface of the masking member while extending from the masking member main portion to the louver portion.

14. The saddled vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein at least one rib is disposed to protrude at least from an inner surface of the louver portion of the masking member.

15. The saddled vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein a plurality of ribs are disposed to protrude from an inner surface of the masking member, the plurality of ribs guiding a steam flowing thereto from the other end-side opened portion of the external air introducing tubular pathway, at least one rib of the plurality of ribs being formed in opposition to a flow direction of the steam flowing toward the discharge pathway.

16. The saddled vehicle according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one rib is disposed to protrude from the inner surface of the masking member while extending from the masking member main portion to the louver portion.

17. The saddled vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein at least one rib is disposed to protrude at least from an inner surface of the louver portion of the masking member.

18. The saddled vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel tank is arranged above the internal combustion engine.

19. The saddled vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a drain pipe extending from the canister;
a purge hose extending from the canister to an intake of the internal combustion engine; and
a charge pipe extending from the canister to the fuel tank.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kobayashi Shinji
• Nakashima Yoshiaki

Classifications

• B60K15/035 Primary

  characterised by venting means · CPC title

• B60K15/07

  of gas tanks · CPC title

• B60K15/073

  Tank construction specially adapted to the vehicle (B60K15/077 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62J35/00 Primary

  Fuel tanks specially adapted for motorcycles or engine-assisted cycles; Arrangements thereof (fuel tanks forming part of cycle frames B62K11/00; tanks in general B60K {; closure caps for fuel tanks B60K15/0406}) · CPC title

• B62J37/00 Primary

  Arrangements of fuel supply lines, taps, or the like, on motor cycles or engine-assisted cycles · CPC title