Fuel tank structure of straddle type vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9278615-B2
Application number	US-201414224150-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2014
Priority date	Mar 28, 2013
Publication date	Mar 8, 2016
Grant date	Mar 8, 2016

Abstract

A fuel tank structure of straddle type vehicle in which a wide space below the fuel tank can be secured and a clearance portion for avoiding the fuel tank interfering with the vehicle body side can be downsized. The fuel tank is supported on and disposed above a main frame with a fuel pump being installed to a bottom plate of the rear portion of the fuel tank. A maintenance space formed below the fuel pump when the rear portion of the fuel tank is lifted in a state wherein an installation portion of a front bracket installed to the front lower portion of the fuel tank is rotatably supported on the main frame. The fuel tank is configured such that the installation portion of the lower end of the front bracket is disposed below the bottom plate, simultaneously, and is installed to the main frame with a bolt.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. In a fuel tank structure for a straddle vehicle including:
a body frame having a head pipe and a main frame extending from the head pipe in a rearward direction;
a fuel tank supported on the main frame and disposed above said main frame, said fuel tank having a recess portion recessed in a rearward direction in a center of a front end of the fuel tank;
a fuel pump installed to a tank bottom plate of a rear portion of the fuel tank; and
a maintenance space formed below said fuel pump when the rear portion of the fuel tank is lifted in a state wherein left and right front supporting portions of the fuel tank are rotatably supported on said main frame;
said left and right front supporting portions of said fuel tank being connected to left and right front brackets, respectively, extending from said tank bottom plate from a rearward side to a front side in a downward direction;
wherein said main frames are provided in a right and left pair and bifurcated from said head pipe to the right and left and extending in the rearward direction so as to be inclined downwardly, and
front end portions of said left and right front supporting portions are supported by bolts screwed in a width direction of the vehicle to a boss portion formed on a left side surface and a right side surface of said main frame.

2. The fuel tank structure for the straddle vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said left and right front supporting portions are disposed below the front end of said fuel tank when said fuel tank is mounted on the vehicle body.

3. The fuel tank structure for the straddle vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a fuel piping extending from said fuel pump is connected with one end of the fuel piping to said fuel pump below said fuel tank, to pass in the rearward direction and on one side of the fuel pump in the width direction of the vehicle and to extend to a forward direction of the fuel pump.

4. The fuel tank structure for the straddle vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein a fuel piping extending from said fuel pump is connected with one end of the fuel piping to said fuel pump below said fuel tank, to pass in the rearward direction and on one side of the fuel pump in the width direction of the vehicle and to extend to a forward direction of the fuel pump.

5. The fuel tank structure for the straddle vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a side stand is disposed on one side of a straddle vehicle in a width direction of the vehicle.

6. The fuel tank structure for the straddle vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein a side stand is disposed on one side of a straddle vehicle in a width direction of the vehicle.

7. The fuel tank structure for the straddle vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein a side stand is disposed on one side of a straddle vehicle in the width direction of the vehicle.

8. The fuel tank structure for the straddle vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a radiator is disposed in an outer side direction of the body frame; and
a side radiator shroud covers an upper portion of the radiator and a side direction of said front supporting portion.

9. The fuel tank structure for the straddle vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein a radiator is disposed in an outer side direction of the body frame; and
a side radiator shroud covers an upper portion of the radiator and a side direction of said front supporting portion.

10. The fuel tank structure for the straddle vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a center frame is connected to a rear end of said main frame;
a rear installation portion provided on the rear portion of said fuel tank is installed to the center frame; and
a side cover is disposed below said fuel tank and covers said rear installation portion.

11. The fuel tank structure for the straddle vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein a center frame is connected to a rear end of said main frame;
a rear installation portion provided on the rear portion of said fuel tank is installed to the center frame; and
a side cover is disposed below said fuel tank and covers said rear installation portion.

12. The fuel tank structure for the straddle vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein said rear installation portions are provided on both ends projecting to the outer side in a in the width direction of the vehicle of a rear bracket installed to said tank bottom plate; and
said rear bracket is installed to said tank bottom plate along a pump installation portion provided on said tank bottom plate for installing said fuel pump.

13. A fuel tank structure for a straddle vehicle comprising:
a fuel tank supported on a main frame and disposed above said main frame said fuel tank having a recess portion recessed in a rearward direction in a center of a front end of the fuel tank;
a fuel pump installed to a tank bottom plate of a rear portion of the fuel tank;
a pivot point for rotation of the fuel tank relative to the main frame;
a maintenance space formed below said fuel pump when the rear portion of the fuel tank is lifted in a state wherein left and right front supporting portions of the fuel tank are rotatably supported on said main frame about the pivot point; and
said left and right front supporting portions of said fuel tank being connected to left and right front brackets, respectively, extending from said tank bottom plate from a rearward side to a front side in a downward direction and connected to the pivot point;
wherein said main frames are provided in a right and left pair and bifurcated from said head pipe to the right and left and extending in the rearward direction so as to be inclined downwardly, and
front end portions of said left and right front supporting portions are supported by bolts screwed in a width direction of the vehicle to a boss portion formed on a left side surface and a right side surface of said main frame.

14. The fuel tank structure for the straddle vehicle according to claim 13 , wherein said left and right front supporting portions are disposed below the front end of said fuel tank when said fuel tank is mounted on the vehicle body.

15. The fuel tank structure for the straddle vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the width between left and right front supporting portions is larger relative to a width between left and right rear supporting portions.

16. The fuel tank structure for the straddle vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the left and right front supporting portions are overlapped by the fuel tank in a plan view.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd
• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nishida Yoichi
• Inoue Yoshihiro

Classifications

• 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

• Y10T137/86035

  Combined with fluid receiver · CPC title

• B60K15/03006 Primary

  Gas tanks (B60K15/07 takes precedence) · CPC title