Air intake duct of saddle-ridden vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9638149-B2
Application number	US-201514590900-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2015
Priority date	Jul 11, 2012
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

An air intake duct of a motorcycle forms an air intake passage for supplying an intake air to a supercharger. The air intake duct forms a curve portion and is connected to the supercharger. The air intake passage has a transverse cross-section which is shaped such that a dimension in an orthogonal direction that is orthogonal to a radial direction of the curve portion is gradually reduced from the center of the curve portion toward an outer side, in the radial direction, of the curve portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air intake duct of a saddle-riding type vehicle forming an air intake passage for supplying an intake air to a supercharger, wherein
the air intake duct includes a curve portion and is connected to the supercharger,
the air intake passage has a transverse cross-section which is shaped such that a dimension in an orthogonal direction that is orthogonal to a radial direction of the curve portion is gradually reduced from a center of the curve portion toward an outer side, in the radial direction, of the curve portion; and
a dimension-reducing shape in which the dimension in the orthogonal direction is gradually reduced is formed in at least the curved portion of the air intake duct from the front-rear direction to the widthwise direction in the air intake duct.

2. The air intake duct of a saddle-riding type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transverse cross-section of the air intake passage is shaped such that a maximum dimension in the orthogonal direction is set so as to be greater than a maximum dimension in the radial direction of the curve portion.

3. The air intake duct of a saddle-riding type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , comprising an air intake port opened forward and through which incoming wind is taken as the intake air.

4. The air intake duct of a saddle-riding type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the supercharger is disposed rearwardly of a cylinder block of a combustion engine, and
the air intake duct extends so as to be curved from a front of the cylinder block toward one side of a vehicle body, and pass laterally by one side of the cylinder block, to be connected to the supercharger.

5. The air intake duct of a saddle-riding type vehicle as claimed in claim 4 , comprising an air intake port arranged at a front end thereof, the air intake port being disposed on the one side of the vehicle body.

6. The air intake duct of a saddle-riding type vehicle as claimed in claim 5 , wherein an outer side surface of the air intake port in a vehicle widthwise direction is disposed outward of an inner side surface of an outermost curved portion of the air intake duct, in the vehicle widthwise direction.

7. The air intake duct of a saddle-riding type vehicle as claimed in claim 4 , wherein a suction port of the supercharger is disposed inward of a side surface of the combustion engine and is opened to the one side of the vehicle body, and
in a region lateral to the combustion engine, the air intake duct passes above the crankshaft and below a throttle body, as viewed from the side, in a vehicle widthwise direction.

8. The air intake duct of a saddle-riding type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a passage area of the air intake passage is set so as to be gradually reduced from an upstream side toward a downstream side.

9. The air intake duct of a saddle-riding type vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transverse cross-section is a D-shaped cross-section in which an outer side edge projects or bulges in the radial direction of the curve portion.

10. The air intake duct of a saddle-riding vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a dimension-reducing shape in which the dimension in the orthogonal direction is gradually reduced is formed over an entirety of the air intake duct.

11. The air intake duct of a saddle-riding vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a portion of the air intake duct extends in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle at a region outward of a vehicle frame structure in a vehicle widthwise direction.

12. An air intake duct of a saddle-riding type vehicle forming an air intake passage for supplying an intake air, flowing forward of a combustion engine, to a supercharger disposed rearwardly of a cylinder block of the combustion engine, wherein
the air intake duct passes laterally outwardly of the cylinder block and curves inwardly in a vehicle widthwise direction to be connected to the supercharger,
the air intake passage has a transverse cross-section which is shaped such that a dimension in an orthogonal direction that is orthogonal to radial direction of a curve portion is gradually reduced from a center of the curve portion toward an outer side, in the radial direction, of the curve portion,
a knee grip portion is formed frontwardly of a driver's seat so as to have a dimension reduced in the vehicle widthwise direction,
the air intake duct includes a projecting portion configured to project laterally outward of a vehicle frame structure in front of the knee grip portion,
the air intake duct is positioned inwardly of the vehicle frame structure at a region rearwardly of the projection portion, and
a dimension-reducing shape in which the dimension in the orthogonal direction is gradually reduced is formed in at least the curved portion of the air intake duct from the front-rear direction to the widthwise direction in the air intake duct.

13. An air intake duct of a saddle-riding type vehicle forming an air intake passage for supplying an intake air, flowing forward of a combustion engine, to the combustion engine, wherein
the air intake duct includes an air intake port opened forward, whereby pressure of the intake air introduced via the air intake port is enhanced by a ram effect,
the air intake duct passes laterally outwardly of the cylinder block and curves inwardly in a vehicle widthwise direction to be connected to a supercharger at a rear portion of a cylinder head of the combustion engine,
the air intake passage has a transverse cross-section which is shaped such that a dimension in an orthogonal direction that is orthogonal to radial direction of a curve portion is gradually reduced from a center of the curve portion toward an outer side, in the radial direction, of the curve portion,
a knee grip portion is formed frontwardly of a driver's seat so as to have a dimension reduced in the vehicle widthwise direction,
the air intake duct includes a projecting portion configured to project laterally outward of a vehicle frame structure in front of the knee grip portion,
the air intake duct is positioned inwardly of the vehicle frame structure at a region rearwardly of the projecting portion, and
a dimension-reducing shape in which the dimension in the orthogonal direction is gradually reduced is formed in at least the curved portion of the air intake duct from the front-rear direction to the widthwise direction in the air intake duct.

Assignees

• Kawasaki Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Naruoka Shohei
• Arima Hisatoyo
• Ichi Satoaki
• Watanabe Hiroyuki
• Arai Kozo
• Tanaka Yoshinobu

Classifications

• B62J37/00

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

• F02M35/10157

  Supercharged engines · CPC title

• F02M35/10144

  Connections of intake ducts to each other or to another device · CPC title

• F02B61/02

  for driving cycles · CPC title

• F02B37/00

  Engines characterised by provision of pumps driven at least for part of the time by exhaust · CPC title