Vehicle body front structure of saddle-type vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9440702-B2
Application number	US-201314063306-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2013
Priority date	Nov 30, 2012
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

A vehicle body front structure of a saddle-type vehicle includes a headlight and a front cowl with rearview mirrors being attached on the left and right sides of the upper part thereof. A lens surface of the headlight and the upper part of the front cowl each have a surface that is inclined so as to extend upwardly and rearwardly to form a front cowl surface continuously covering the vehicle body front surface. A step part protruding more in a forward direction than the lens surface is made at the connection part between the front cowl and an upper edge of the lens surface of the headlight. This step part extends outwardly in the vehicle width direction to the base parts of the rearview mirrors along the upper edge of the lens surface with mirror-side overhang surfaces continuously leading to the step part.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle body front structure of a saddle vehicle, comprising:
a headlight in a front surface; and
a front cowl to which rearview mirrors are attached on left and right sides of an upper part of the front cowl;
a lens surface of the headlight and the upper part of the front cowl each having a surface that is inclined so as to extend upwardly and rearwardly and forming a front cowl surface continuously covering a vehicle body front surface in combination;
wherein a step part is provided at a connection part between the front cowl and an upper edge of the lens surface of the headlight;
the step part inclined outwardly and rearwardly in a vehicle width direction to base parts of the rearview mirrors along the upper edge of the lens surface; and
inclined surfaces continuously leading to the step part are made in the lower surfaces of the rearview mirrors whereby the inclination of the step part substantially corresponds to the inclination of the lower surfaces of the rearview mirror.

2. The vehicle body front structure of a saddle vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the upper edge of the headlight is low at a center and rises obliquely upwardly toward lateral sides.

3. The vehicle body front structure of a saddle vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
the rearview mirrors have monolithic shapes that are smoothly continuous from the front cowl to bodies of the rearview mirrors; and
an angle of mirror surfaces is allowed to be independently adjusted.

4. The vehicle body front structure of a saddle vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein:
the rearview mirrors have monolithic shapes that are smoothly continuous from the front cowl to bodies of the rearview mirrors; and
an angle of mirror surfaces is allowed to be independently adjusted.

5. The vehicle body front structure of a saddle vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
the front cowl has an inclination change point at which a change of shape of a top surface toward a horizontal plane from a substantially vertical front end surface is made in a side view;
the front cowl has side inclination change points from which the step part extends with change in orientation to lateral directions from side edge parts of the front end surface in front view; and
the inclination change point and the side inclination change points are set at positions substantially corresponding with each other in a side view or the side inclination change points are set at positions more in a rearward direction than the inclination change point in a side view.

6. The vehicle body front structure of a saddle vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein:
the front cowl has an inclination change point at which a change of shape of a top surface toward a horizontal plane from a substantially vertical front end surface is made in a side view;
the front cowl has side inclination change points from which the step part extends with change in orientation to lateral directions from side edge parts of the front end surface in front view; and
the inclination change point and the side inclination change points are set at positions substantially corresponding with each other in a side view or the side inclination change points are set at positions more in a rearward direction than the inclination change point in a side view.

7. The vehicle body front structure of a saddle vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein:
the front cowl has an inclination change point at which a change of shape of a top surface toward a horizontal plane from a substantially vertical front end surface is made in a side view;
the front cowl has side inclination change points from which the step part extends with change in orientation to lateral directions from side edge parts of the front end surface in front view; and
the inclination change point and the side inclination change points are set at positions substantially corresponding with each other in a side view or the side inclination change points are set at positions more in a rearward direction than the inclination change point in a side view.

8. The vehicle body front structure of a saddle vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
blinkers are provided monolithically with the bodies of the rearview mirrors and lenses of the blinkers are disposed in the inclined surfaces as the lower surfaces of the rearview mirrors.

9. The vehicle body front structure of a saddle vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein:
blinkers are provided monolithically with the bodies of the rearview mirrors and lenses of the blinkers are disposed in the inclined surfaces as the lower surfaces of the rearview mirrors.

10. The vehicle body front structure of a saddle vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
the headlight has lamps that are disposed so as to be separated into left and right sides and the lens surface covering the lamps, and
a center part of the headlight between the lamps on the left and right sides is formed so as to be vertically narrower than parts where the lamps are disposed, and only the lens surface is laterally continuous.

11. The vehicle body front structure of a saddle vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein:
the headlight has lamps that are disposed so as to be separated into left and right sides and the lens surface covering the lamps, and
a center part of the headlight between the lamps on the left and right sides is formed so as to be vertically narrower than parts where the lamps are disposed, and only the lens surface is laterally continuous.

12. A vehicle body front structure of a saddle vehicle, comprising:
a front cowl including left and right sides of an upper part of the front cowl;
a headlight having a lens surface;
said lens surface of the headlight and the upper part of the front cowl each having a surface that is inclined and extending upwardly and rearwardly and forming a front cowl surface continuously covering a vehicle body front surface;
a step part is provided at a connection part between the front cowl and an upper edge of the lens surface of the headlight;
said step part extending outwardly in a vehicle width direction to base parts of the rearview mirrors along the upper edge of the lens surface; and
inclined surfaces continuously leading to the step part are formed in a left rearview mirror operatively connected to the left side of the upper part of the front cowl and a right rearview mirror operatively connected to the right side of the upper part of the front cowl,
said inclined surfaces being in the lower surfaces of the rearview mirrors, whereby the lower inclined surfaces of the rearview mirrors have a width which is greater than the width of the step part of the front cowl, in a vehicle height direction, whereby the raindrop is from the headlight lens reaches the end points of the rearview mirrors.

13. The vehicle body front structure of a saddle vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein the upper edge of the headlight is low at a center and rises obliquely upwardly toward lateral sides.

14. The vehicle body front structure of a saddle vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein:
the rearview mirrors have monolithic shapes that are smoothly continuous from the front cowl to bodies of the rearview mirrors; and
an angle of mirror surfaces is allowed to be independently adjusted.

15. The vehicle body front structure of a saddle vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein:
the front cowl has an inclination change point at which a change of shape of a top surface toward a horizontal plane from a substantially vertical front end surface is made in a side view;
the front cowl has side inclination change points fro

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tako Kenji
• Ueno Hirotsugu

Classifications

• B62K19/40 Primary

  for attaching accessories, e.g. article carriers, lamps · CPC title

• B62J29/00

  Adaptations or arrangements of mirrors for use on cycles · CPC title

• B62J17/02

  shielding only the rider's front · CPC title

• B62J6/02

  Headlights · CPC title

• B62J6/027

  Supporting means therefor, e.g. mounting brackets · CPC title