Fuel tank of straddle type vehicle

• US 10,035,556 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2016
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ozawa, Eiji, Masuda, Ryuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Hurley, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US15/245,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20170057584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/03 Fuel tanks chassis frame comprising fluid storage compartment B62D21/16 ; Details of the fuel feeding system related to the fuel tank F02M37/0076
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/063 Arrangement of tanks
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/073 Tank construction specially adapted to the vehicle B60K15/077 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/0346 by welding
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/12 Motorcycles, Trikes; Quads; Scooters
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 25/02 Knee grips, e.g. on fuel tanks
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 35/00 Fuel tanks specially adapted for motorcycles or engine-assisted cycles; Arrangements thereof fuel tanks forming part of cycle frames B62K11/00; tanks in general B60K ; closure caps for fuel tanks B60K15/0406

Abstract

A fuel tank of a straddle type vehicle, whose die for bending a body can be drawn from the tank easily, and whose knee grip part can be formed easily is provided. A body is formed by integrally joining, at the center in the vehicle width direction, body half bodies divided into two in the vehicle width direction, a body flange to be placed on and welded to a bottom, is formed on the entire outer circumferential edge of the body, a rear part (specifically, a rear lateral welding portion side) of a side part (lateral welding portion side) of the body flange protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction toward the obliquely lower direction, and a part of the side part other than the rear part (specifically, a front lateral welding portion side) of the body flange protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction toward the obliquely upper direction.

Claims

1. A fuel tank of a straddle type vehicle, the vehicle comprising a body frame in which a main frame is connected to a rear part of a head pipe, the fuel tank and a seat being supported to said body frame in this order from the front at the rear of said head pipe,

wherein the fuel tank comprising:

a body and a bottom, the fuel tank being formed by placing the body, which is formed of an outer plate on the upper side, on top of the bottom, which is formed of a bottom plate on the lower side, and welding them together, and the rear end of the fuel tank being arranged below the seat, wherein;

said body is constituted by integrally joining laterally divided parts divided into two parts in the vehicle width direction;

the body includes a body joint portion placed on and welded to said bottom, the body joint portion being disposed on an entire outer circumferential edge of said body;

said body joint portion includes a side part disposed along a longitudinal side of the fuel tank,

a longitudinal rear part of the side part of said body joint portion protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction and toward an obliquely lower direction; and

a part of the side part other than the rear part of said body joint portion protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction and toward an obliquely upper direction.

2. The fuel tank of the straddle type vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:

each of said body and said bottom includes a side wall;

said body joint portion is disposed in a lower end part of the side wall of said body;

the bottom includes a bottom joint portion placed on and welded to said body joint portion, the bottom joint portion being disposed in a lower end part of the side wall of said bottom;

said body joint portion and said bottom joint portion are welded to constitute a welding surface;

a knee grip portion is disposed in the side wall of said body from a longitudinal center part to a rear part thereof; and

in the knee grip portion, said body joint portion, which is bent substantially horizontally inward in the vehicle width direction, and said bottom joint portion, which is bent substantially horizontally outward in the vehicle width direction, are placed on top of one another and welded together.

3. The fuel tank of the straddle type vehicle according to claim 2, wherein:

said knee grip portion has a width wider in the vehicle width direction at a lower part thereof than at an upper part thereof; and

said body joint portion is bent at a moderate angle directed lower with respect to the horizontal.

4. The fuel tank of the straddle type vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

a design surface is disposed along said welding surface.

5. The fuel tank of the straddle type vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

said welding surface facing said head pipe (21) is provided in a front part of said fuel tank.

6. The fuel tank of the straddle type vehicle according to claim 5, wherein

said welding surface facing said head pipe is directed toward the obliquely lower direction.

7. The fuel tank of the straddle type vehicle according to claim 2, wherein:

an engine is arranged below said fuel tank; and

a cylinder portion of the engine projects farther outward in the vehicle width direction than said welding surface.

8. The fuel tank of the straddle type vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

said welding surface disposed in a welding portion between said body joint portion and said bottom joint portion has a continuously varying tilt angle such that the welding surface is directed inward in the vehicle width direction and toward the obliquely lower direction at a position in front of said knee grip portion, and is directed outward in the vehicle width direction and toward the obliquely lower direction at a position behind said knee grip portion, and is directed lower direction at said knee grip portion.

9. The fuel tank of the straddle type vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the body joint portion is a flange and the bottom joint portion is a flange.