Saddle-type vehicle with automatic transmission

Details Saddle-type vehicle with automatic transmission Saddle-type vehicle with automatic transmission

2001-03-30

2003-04-22

Dickson, Paul N. (Department: 3616)

Motor vehicles

Manually actuated controlling devices

With transmission control

C180S908000, C074S473230, C280S833000, C280S835000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06550564

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a three- or four-wheeled saddle-type vehicle and, more particularly, to a saddle-type vehicle mounted with an automatic transmission.
2. Background Art
A conventional saddle-type vehicle structure
1
is shown in
FIGS. 4 and 5
. A conventional vehicle
1
is comprised of a vehicle frame
2
, front wheels
3
mounted on both sides of the front part of the vehicle frame
2
, rear wheels
4
mounted on both sides of the rear part of the vehicle frame
2
, a steering handlebar
5
for steering the front wheels
3
, a fuel tank
6
mounted behind the steering handlebar
5
, a seat
7
mounted behind the fuel tank
6
, a front fender
8
mounted to cover the upper part of the front wheels
3
, and a rear fender
9
mounted to cover the upper part the rear wheel
4
.
Braking levers
10
and
11
are installed at both ends of the steering handlebar
5
for brake application to the vehicle
1
as shown in FIG.
5
. An engine
12
equipped with an automatic transmission is mounted below the fuel tank
6
and the seat
7
. Furthermore, a gearshift lever
13
, which is connected to the automatic transmission, is installed on a side of the fuel tank
6
.
The above-described conventional vehicle
1
structure has been found by the present inventors to suffer from the following problems. The installation of the gearshift lever
13
on the side of the fuel tank
6
presents space/accomodation difficulties. For instance, the space around the driver's leg is substantially decreased, and, depending on the position of the fuel tank
6
, the gearshift lever
13
will be undesirably far from the driver's reach.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings associated with the related art and achieves other advantages not realized by the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a saddle-type vehicle mounted with an automatic transmission that provides a wide, comfortable space around an operator's legs.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a saddle-type vehicle that enables convenient, accessible mounting of a gearshift lever closer to the vehicle operator than heretofore possible.
These and other objects are accomplished by a saddle-type vehicle with an automatic transmission, the vehicle comprising a fuel tank mounted at a central upper part of the vehicle; a tank cover provided to cover said fuel tank; a gearshift lever for said automatic transmission; and a recess formed in a left or right side of said fuel tank, wherein said gearshift lever is mounted in a space formed by said recess and said tank cover.
These and other objects are accomplished by a saddle-type vehicle comprising a vehicle body having a longitudinal centerline, wherein said vehicle body has a front portion, a central portion, and a rear portion with respect to said longitudinal centerline, and an upper portion located in a portion above said longitudinal centerline and a lower portion located below said longitudinal centerline; a fuel tank mounted adjacent to a steering handlebar in said central and said upper portion of said vehicle body; a tank cover provided to cover said fuel tank; a gearshift lever for a transmission; and a recess formed in a left side or a right side of said fuel tank, wherein said gearshift lever is mounted in a space formed by said recess and said tank cover.
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: 4545589 (1985-10-01), Watanabe et al.
patent: 4938092 (1990-07-01), Nebu et al.
patent: 6186263 (2001-02-01), Takano
patent: 6213514 (2001-04-01), Natsume et al.
patent: 401223089 (1989-09-01), None
patent: 411198882 (1999-07-01), None

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