US 6,695,083 B2Granted

Saddle-mounted type four-wheel vehicle

AssigneeSuzuki Motor Corporation

InventorsEiichi Nakamura, Kazutatsu Suzuki, Mitsuhiro Sugimoto, Hiroyasu Yada

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Abstract

Separation of, or damage to, the inlet duct and outlet duct connected to a belt-type variable transmission is reduced, and durability of the belt-type variable transmission is improved, by preventing induction of foreign matter such as water, mud, sand or dust into the inlet duct. An induction box is provided between a front cover and a front upper part of a vehicle frame that extends above the front wheel axle shaft, and this induction box is fixed to a side of the vehicle frame. A cooling air induction port is provided in an upper face of the induction box adjacent to the bottom face of the front cover. A duct linkage port in the bottom face of the induction box and an air induction port of the belt-type variable transmission are connected by an inlet duct. A positioning element in the form of a fitting hook is formed unitarily and in one piece with the inlet duct on a middle portion of the inlet duct so that the positioning element positions the middle portion of the inlet duct with respect to structural members of the vehicle frame.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A saddle-mounted type four-wheel vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle frame;
left and right front wheels and rear wheels provided at the front and rear of said vehicle frame;
an engine unit including an engine and a variable transmission, said engine unit being mounted on said vehicle frame between said front and rear wheels;
a saddle seat provided at the top of said vehicle frame;
a steering handle provided in front of said seat;
a front cover that covers said front wheels and an upper front part of said vehicle frame;
an induction box provided between the upper front part of said vehicle frame and said front cover, said induction box being fixed directly to said vehicle frame and including a cooling air induction port provided in an upper face thereof adjacent to a bottom face of said front cover;
an inlet duct connecting a duct linkage port provided in a bottom face of said induction box and an air induction port of said variable transmission;
a first positioning element formed in a portion of said inlet duct for positioning the portion of said inlet duct with respect to structural members of said vehicle frame;
an outlet duct connecting a discharge port of said variable transmission and a cooling air discharge port provided at a downstream end of said outlet duct;
and
a second positioning element formed in a middle portion of said outlet duct for positioning the middle portion of said outlet duct with respect to structural members of said vehicle frame.

9 more elements

An air cooling system for a vehicle transmission, said system comprising:

an induction box provided between an upper front part of a vehicle frame and a vehicle front cover, said induction box being fixed directly to the vehicle frame and including a cooling air induction port provided in an upper face thereof adjacent to a bottom face of the front cover, said induction box further including a duct linkage port provided in a bottom face thereof for connection of an inlet duct thereto;
and
an outlet duct connecting a discharge port of a vehicle transmission and a cooling air discharge port provided at a downstream end of said outlet duct, said outlet duct including a positioning element formed in a middle portion thereof for positioning the middle portion of said outlet duct with respect to structural members of the vehicle frame.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/012,385Filed 12 Dec 2001
Priority: JP 2001-08340222 Mar 2001
Published: US 2002/0134598 A126 Sep 2002
Granted: 24 Feb 2004
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

F16H 57/04
General details of gearing: features relating to lubrication or cooling or heating
B60K 11/08
Arrangement in connection with cooling of propulsion units: air inlets for cooling; Shutters or blinds therefor
B62J 50/30
Arrangements specially adapted for use on cycles not provided for in main groups B62J1/00 - B62J45/00: means for ventilation within devices…
F01P 1/06
Air cooling: arrangements for cooling other engine or machine parts