Front wheel supporting frame structure of saddle-ride vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9725127-B2
Application number	US-201615077907-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2016
Priority date	Mar 30, 2015
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

A front wheel supporting frame structure of a saddle-ride vehicle includes a main frame, upper and lower arms and a lower frame. The main frame has a front portion and a rear portion. The main frame includes an upper connection portion, a lower connection portion, and an extending portion. The extending portion extends downward. The upper arm has an upper front end portion and an upper rear end portion. The upper rear end portion is movably connected to the upper connection portion. The lower arm has a lower front end portion and a lower rear end portion. The lower rear end portion of is movably connected to the lower connection portion. The lower frame includes a bottom portion and an upright portion. The bottom portion extends in the vehicle front-rear direction. The upright portion has a top portion connected to the extending portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A front wheel supporting frame structure of a saddle-ride vehicle, comprising:
a main frame which extends in vehicle front-rear directions; and
upper and lower arms which extend in the vehicle front-rear directions and by which a front wheel is supported to be swingable in up-down directions,
wherein the front wheel supporting frame structure further comprises:
a lower frame extending forward in a vehicle lower portion from a rear portion of the main frame and then extending upward in a vehicle front portion,
an upper connection portion to which a rear end portion of the upper arm is swingably connected is formed in an upper front portion of the main frame,
an extending portion extending downward is formed in a lower front portion of the main frame,
a lower connection portion to which a rear end portion of the lower arm is swingably connected is formed in the extending portion, and
an upper front portion of the lower frame is connected to the extending portion,

wherein a joining portion is formed in the extending portion, the joining portion being joined to the upper front portion of the lower frame using a fastener,
wherein the joining portion is formed in a front portion of the extending portion, and
wherein the upper front portion of the lower frame is joined to the joining portion by using the fastener configured to fasten the upper front portion in the vehicle front-rear directions.

2. The front wheel supporting frame structure of a saddle-ride vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the upper front portion of the lower frame is joined to the front portion of the extending portion.

3. The front wheel supporting frame structure of a saddle-ride vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the upper front portion of the lower frame is joined to the joining portion by using the fastener configured to fasten the upper front portion from a front side of the vehicle.

4. The front wheel supporting frame structure of a saddle-ride vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein a plurality of the fasteners are provided to be offset from each other in the up-down directions and left-right directions in a front view.

5. The front wheel supporting frame structure of a saddle-ride vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
a rear portion of the lower frame is separable from the main frame, and
a second joining portion between the rear portion of the lower frame and the main frame is covered with a step supporting member in a side view.

6. The front wheel supporting frame structure of a saddle-ride vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the step supporting member is fixed to both of the rear portion of the lower frame and the main frame.

7. The front wheel supporting frame structure of a saddle-ride vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a supporting portion which supports an engine is formed in the extending portion.

8. A front wheel supporting frame structure of a saddle-ride vehicle, comprising:
a main frame which extends in vehicle front-rear directions; and
upper and lower arms which extend in the vehicle front-rear directions and by which a front wheel is supported to be swingable in up-down directions,
wherein the front wheel supporting frame structure further comprises:
a lower frame extending forward in a vehicle lower portion from a rear portion of the main frame and then extending upward in a vehicle front portion,
an upper connection portion to which a rear end portion of the upper arm is swingably connected is formed in an upper front portion of the main frame,
an extending portion extending downward is formed in a lower front portion of the main frame,
a lower connection portion to which a rear end portion of the lower arm is swingably connected is formed in the extending portion, and
an upper front portion of the lower frame is connected to the extending portion, and

wherein the extending portion inclines toward a center in vehicle width directions as extending upward in a front view.

9. A front wheel supporting frame structure of a saddle-ride vehicle, comprising:
a main frame which has a front portion and a rear portion opposite to the front portion in a vehicle front-rear direction, the main frame including an upper connection portion, a lower connection portion, and an extending portion, the upper connection portion being provided at an upper part of the front portion, the lower connection portion being provided at a lower part of the front portion, the extending portion extending downward from the lower connection portion;
an upper arm which has an upper front end portion and an upper rear end portion opposite to the upper front end portion in the vehicle front-rear direction and which supports at the upper front end portion a front wheel to be movable in an up-down direction substantially perpendicular to the vehicle front-rear direction, the upper rear end portion of the upper arm being movably connected to the upper connection portion of the main frame;
a lower arm which is provided under the upper arm, which has a lower front end portion and a lower rear end portion opposite to the lower front end portion in the vehicle front-rear direction, and which supports at the lower front end portion a front wheel to be movable in the up-down direction, the lower rear end portion of the lower arm being movably connected to the lower connection portion of the main frame; and
a lower frame including a bottom portion and an upright portion which are connected at a corner portion, the bottom portion extending in the vehicle front-rear direction from the rear portion of the main frame to the corner portion, the upright portion having a top portion opposite to the corner portion in the up-down direction, the top portion being connected to the extending portion of the main frame,
wherein a joining portion is provided in the extending portion, the joining portion being joined to the top portion of the upright portion using at least one fastener,
wherein the joining portion is provided in a front portion of the extending portion, and
wherein the top portion of the upright portion is joined to the joining portion by the at least one fastener configured to fasten the top portion of the upright portion in the vehicle front-rear direction.

10. The front wheel supporting frame structure of a saddle-ride vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein the top portion of the upright portion is joined to the front portion of the extending portion.

11. The front wheel supporting frame structure of a saddle-ride vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein
the top portion of the upright portion is joined to the joining portion by the at least one fastener configured to fasten the top portion of the upright portion from a front side of the vehicle.

12. The front wheel supporting frame structure of a saddle-ride vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein
the at least one fastener includes a plurality of the fasteners, and
the plurality of the fasteners are provided to be offset from each other in the up-down direction and a left-right direction substantially perpendicular to the vehicle front-rear direction and the up-down direction in a front view.

13. The front wheel supporting frame structure of a saddle-ride vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one fastener is covered with a side wall portion in a side view, the side wall portion being provided with the top portion of the upright portion.

14. The front wheel supporting frame structure of a saddle-ride vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein
a rear portion of the lower frame is detachably connected to the main frame, and
a second joining portion between

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Aoki Koji
• Kuramochi Daisuke
• Suzuki Tatsuya

Classifications

• B62K21/22

  adjustable · CPC title

• B62K11/04

  characterised by the engine being between front and rear wheels · CPC title

• B62K19/24

  Screwed joints · CPC title

• B62K21/18

  Connections between forks and handlebars or handlebar stems · CPC title

• B62K21/02 Primary

  Front wheel forks or equivalent, e.g. single tine · CPC title