Vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9821874-B2
Application number	US-201414901353-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2014
Priority date	Jul 1, 2013
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

A fan generates an air flow that cools a portion of an engine unit. A ventilation opening causes air flow directed to the fan to pass therethrough. Under a condition that a body frame is in an upright state and a condition that a left front wheel and a right front wheel are not turned by a steering device, the ventilation opening is disposed directly behind a lower cover of an inner fender, ahead of a rear end of a rear wheel, on the right of a left end of the left front wheel, and on the left of a right end of the right front wheel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a body frame that leans to the left when the vehicle turns left, and that leans to the right when the vehicle turns right;
a left front wheel and a right front wheel arranged side by side in a left-right direction of the body frame;
a rear wheel disposed behind the left front wheel and the right front wheel in a front-rear direction of the body frame;
a link mechanism that changes positions of the left front wheel and the right front wheel relative to the body frame to cause the body frame to lean to the left or to the right;
a front cover covering at least a portion of the link mechanism;
a steering device that turns the left front wheel and the right front wheel;
an engine unit including an engine, the engine unit being disposed behind the left front wheel and the right front wheel in the front-rear direction of the body frame;
an inner fender including a lower cover portion disposed behind rear ends of the left front wheel and the right front wheel in the front-rear direction of the body frame, disposed ahead of the engine unit in the front-rear direction of the body frame, and disposed below upper ends of the left front wheel and the right front wheel in an up-down direction of the body frame;
a fan that generates, at least when the vehicle is running, an air flow to cool a portion of the engine unit by dissipating heat generated from the engine; and
a ventilation opening that causes, at least when the vehicle is running, air flow directed to the fan to pass therethrough; wherein
under a condition that the body frame is in an upright state and a condition that the left front wheel and the right front wheel are not turned by the steering device, the ventilation opening is disposed directly behind the lower cover portion in the front-rear direction of the body frame, disposed ahead of a rear end of the rear wheel, disposed on the right of a left end of the left front wheel in the left-right direction of the body frame, and disposed on the left of a right end of the right front wheel in the left-right direction of the body frame.

2. The vehicle as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the ventilation opening opens in the left-right direction of the body frame.

3. The vehicle as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the engine unit includes a radiator, and the radiator is disposed such that the air flow having passed through the ventilation opening comes into contact with the radiator.

4. The vehicle as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the radiator is disposed such that the air flow directed to the fan passes through the radiator.

5. The vehicle as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the engine is disposed such that the air flow having passed through the ventilation opening comes into contact with the engine.

6. The vehicle as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the fan is disposed such that the air flow directed to the engine passes through the fan.

Assignees

• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Takano Kazuhisa

Classifications

• B62J23/00

  Other protectors specially adapted for cycles · CPC title

• B62K5/05

  characterised by a single rear wheel · CPC title

• B62K5/027

  Motorcycles with three wheels (specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/023) · CPC title

• B62K5/10 Primary

  with means for inwardly inclining the vehicle body on bends · CPC title

• B60K11/04

  Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds · CPC title