Land vehicles – Wheeled – Running gear
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-28
2002-08-06
English, Peter C. (Department: 3619)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Running gear
C280S798000, C180S311000, C296S205000, C296S030000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06428048
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connecting structure for a vehicle body constituting member in a vehicle or the like.
2. Description of Background Art
Conventionally, in a vehicle, for example, a saddle-ride type vehicle
1
as shown in
FIG. 5
, there is provided a pair of left and right main pipes
2
constituting an upper portion of a vehicle body portion. A pair of left and right underpipes
3
are arranged along the lower sides of the main pipes
2
and are connected to the main pipes
2
at front sides thereof. A rear fork
4
is pivotably mounted to rear sides of the underpipes
3
in an up and down direction. An engine
5
is arranged in a space formed by the main pipes
2
and the underpipes
3
. The engine
5
is fixed to the underpipes
3
. A pair of left and right front wheels
6
are mounted to the left and right sides of the front portions of the main pipes
2
, and the underpipes
3
, and are movably mounted in an up and down direction. A pair of rear wheels
7
are mounted to the left and right sides of the rear fork
4
.
Further, on the front sides of the main pipes
2
, a radiator
8
is provided for cooling water circulated to the engine
5
, and an oil cooler
9
is provided for cooling oil similarly circulated to the engine
5
. At the front portions of the main pipes
2
and on rear sides of the radiator
8
and the oil cooler
9
, a steering handle
10
is provided for steering the front wheels
6
. Further, on a rear side of the steering handle
10
, a fuel tank
11
is provided.
Further, on a rear side of the fuel tank
11
, a seat
13
is supported by seat pipes
12
that extend to the rear of the main pipes
2
. On a lower side of the seat
13
, an air cleaner
14
is provided for cleaning combustion air supplied to the engine
5
.
Further, the engine
5
is connected with a silencer
15
for emitting combustion gas to the ambient air and restraining exhaust noises. The silencer
15
is arranged between the seat pipes
12
and the rear wheels
7
and is supported by the seat pipes
12
.
In the meantime, the rear fork
4
is pivotably supported by bearings
17
attached to pivot plates
16
provided at rear portions of the underpipes
3
.
Further, the left and right main pipes
2
, underpipes
3
, and seat pipes
12
are connected to each other by a plurality of crosspipes
18
arranged along a width direction of the vehicle
1
and constituting a vehicle body as a whole.
In the meantime, for example, the pivot plates
16
which are one of the vehicle body constituting members, have a strength sufficient for supporting the rear fork
4
. For that purpose, the pivot plates
16
are formed by forging or casting or the like, and are integrated to the underpipes
3
or the like by welding.
However, when such pivot plates
16
are formed by forging or casting, there poses a problem that the pivot plates
16
per se become heavy.
The problem is not limited to the pivot plates
16
, but is common in almost all the vehicle body members constituting the vehicle body portion.
In order to avoid such a problem, the vehicle body constituting member could be formed in an inverse U-shaped section thereby reducing the vehicle body weight. However, even by such a method, in order to further ensure the strength of the vehicle body constituting member per se, an improvement of vehicle body structure would be required.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been carried out in view of the above-identified problem. It is an object of the present invention to provide a connecting structure of a vehicle body constituting member in a vehicle or the like capable of promoting strength, while at the same time achieving a vehicle body that is light in weight.
In order to achieve the above-described object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a connecting structure of a vehicle body constituting member of a vehicle or the like is provided. It includes a connecting structure for connecting a main constituting member of a vehicle body portion of a vehicle, and a sub-constituting member connected to the main constituting member. The main constituting member is formed in an inverse U-shaped section. A reinforcing pin is provided along a connecting direction of the sub-constituting member to penetrate a vicinity of a connecting portion of the main constituting member connected to the sub-constituting member. A connecting member is positioned to superpose on the main constituting member, the sub-constituting member and the reinforcing pin and is provided at a comer portion of the connecting portion of the main constituting member and the sub-constituting member. The connecting member is integrated to the main constituting member. The connecting member and the reinforcing pin are connected by welding at respective superposed portions thereof. Further, both end portions of the reinforcing pin are integrated to the main constituting member by welding.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the connecting structure of a vehicle body constituting member in a vehicle according to the first aspect includes a main constituting member that is a frame member, and a sub-constituting member that is a connecting member for connecting the frame member to another framed member.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the vehicle is a saddleride type vehicle and the connecting structure of a vehicle body constituting member includes a reinforcing pin projecting at a side portion of the main constituting member, and constituting a pivot shaft of a brake pedal provided to brake the vehicle.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4662467 (1987-05-01), Arai et al.
patent: 5-105162 (1993-04-01), None
patent: 9-132188 (1997-05-01), None
patent: 9-207857 (1997-08-01), None
patent: 2001-80564 (2001-03-01), None
patent: 00/35738 (2000-06-01), None
Maki Yuji
Matsumoto Yasuhiro
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
English Peter C.
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
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