Power unit arrangement structure for motorcycle

Details Power unit arrangement structure for motorcycle Power unit arrangement structure for motorcycle

2000-02-25

2001-08-21

Hess, Douglas (Department: 2167)

Motor vehicles

Special wheel base

Having only two wheels

C180S226000, C180S065230

Reexamination Certificate

active

06276481

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a power unit arrangement structure for a motorcycle, and particularly to a power unit arrangement structure suitable for a hybrid type motorcycle including an electric motor in addition to an engine.
BACKGROUND ART
Vehicles of a type using gasoline engine as a drive source are mainly available; however, vehicles of a type using an electric motor as a drive source are required at locations where occurrence of exhaust gas must be avoided. A motor-driven vehicle, however, has an inconvenience in the increased body weight and the shortened running distance. To cope with such an inconvenience, it has been increasingly required to develop a hybrid type vehicle including an electric motor in addition to an engine.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. HEI-8-175477 discloses a hybrid type motorcycle entitled “DEVICE FOR SWITCHING ENGINE POWER TO/FROM MOTOR POWER IN MOTORCYCLE OR THE LIKE”.
As shown in
FIG. 2
of the above document, although a piston and a cylinder are disposed along the center of a rear wheel
37
in the width direction of the vehicular body, main parts such as a transmission case
12
and a belt type transmission are disposed on the left side (as seen from a passenger) with respect to the center of the rear wheel
37
, and further a motor
22
shown in
FIG. 3
of the above document is disposed at a position largely shifted leftward from the center of the rear wheel.
That is to say, in the related art power unit, it is expected to take a lateral weight balance thereof.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a power unit arrangement structure capable of solving a lateral imbalance of a power unit.
To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a power unit arrangement structure for a motorcycle, in which a power transmission system for transmitting power of an engine is disposable on one side of a rear wheel of the motorcycle, an engine is disposed with a crank shaft extending in a longitudinal direction, the crank shaft and the power transmission system are disposable on one side with respect to a longitudinal center of a motorcycle body, and a cylinder head of the engine extends on the other side with respect to the longitudinal body center, characterized in that a power transmission shaft is disposed parallel to and higher than the crank shaft.
Since the crank shaft and the power transmission system are disposed on one side and the cylinder head is disposed on the other side, it is possible to improve the weight balance of the power unit, and hence to ensure a favorable steering stability of the motorcycle.
According to a further aspect of the invention, the cylinder head is a cylinder head of a four cycle engine.
Since the crank shaft and the power transmission system are disposed on one side and the cylinder head including a valve drive mechanism is disposed on the other side, it is possible to improve the weight balance of the power unit, and hence to ensure a favorable steering stability of the motorcycle.
According to a still further aspect of the invention, the power transmission system includes a power transmission system for transmitting a power of an electric motor.
Since the power transmission system including the electric motor and the crank shaft are disposed on one side and the cylinder head is disposed on the other side, it is possible to improve the weight balance of the power unit, and hence to ensure a favorable steering stability of the motorcycle.
According to a still further aspect of the invention, members of an intake system and members of an exhaust system are disposed on the cylinder head side.
Since the crank shaft and the power transmission system are disposed on one side, and the cylinder head and members of the intake and exhaust system are disposed on the other side, it is possible to improve the weight balance of the power unit, and hence to ensure a favorable steering stability of the motorcycle.


REFERENCES:
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patent: 2316477 (1943-04-01), Weaver
patent: 4214644 (1980-07-01), Matsuda
patent: 4388979 (1983-06-01), Fritzenwenger
patent: 4697664 (1987-10-01), Kohyama
patent: 5024113 (1991-06-01), Ito et al.
patent: 5501292 (1996-03-01), Kawashima et al.
patent: 5581136 (1996-12-01), Li
patent: 6109383 (2000-08-01), Matsuto et al.
patent: 60092929 (1985-05-01), None
patent: 08175477 (1996-09-01), None
patent: 800488 (1958-08-01), None

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