Air cleaner device in motorcycles

• US 4,438,828 A
• Filed: 05/18/1982
• Issued: 03/27/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Mitsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Nozick, Bernard
• Application Number:
  US06/379,326
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 180/219, 55/385 B
• US Class Current: 180/219
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/027 four
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 61/02 for driving cycles
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/02 Air cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10275 Means to avoid a change in direction of incoming fluid, e.g. all intake ducts diverging from plenum chamber at acute angles; Check valves; Flame arrestors for backfire prevention
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/162 Motorcycles; All-terrain vehicles, e.g. quads, snowmobiles; Small vehicles, e.g. forklifts

Abstract

An air cleaner device in a motorcycle comprising an air cleaner disposed within a fairing in front of a front fork, the cleaner including a case which is generally in the form of an inverted L comprising a transverse portion extending in a transverse direction of the motorcycle body and a longitudinal portion extending at one side of the transverse portion in a longitudinal direction of the motorcycle body along one side inner wall of the fairing, the wall surface of the case opposed to the front fork being curved so as not to interfere with a steering motion of the front fork. In this manner, the clean side of the air cleaner comprises a portion extending in the direction of the vehicle width and a longitudinal portion adjacent one end thereof to thereby ensure a sufficient capacity.

Claims

1. An air cleaner device in a motorcycle, wherein said motorcycle includes a body frame;

a front fork pivotably connected to said body frame;

an engine mounted on said body frame;

at least one meter disposed forwardly of a top portion of said front fork; and

a fairing mounted on said body frame and substantially covering the front of said body frame, said front fork and said meter;

wherein said fairing includes a front wall supporting a headlight mounted thereon, right and left side walls extending substantially rearwardly from right and left sides, respectively, of said front wall and a bottom wall disposed adjacent the lower side of said front wall; and

wherein said air cleaner device comprises;

a casing including a transverse portion extending in a transverse direction of said body frame and a longitudinal portion extending from one end of said transverse portion in a longitudinal direction of said body frame;

said transverse portion of said casing being disposed rearwardly of said headlight, forwardly of said front fork, between said right and left side walls of said fairing, substantially below said meter and above said bottom wall of said fairing;

said longitudinal portion of said casing being disposed between one of said right and left side walls of said fairing and said front fork;

said transverse portion and said longitudinal portion of said casing being connected with each other such that said casing is substantially L-shaped in plan;

said casing having a wall which defines substantially a rear part of said transverse portion and a side part of said longitudinal portion facing said front fork;

said wall of said casing being curved substantially concentrically with the pivoting locus of said front fork;

a filter element disposed within said casing; and

a connecting pipe connected at one end thereof to said casing and at the other end thereof to said engine so as to conduct air from said casing to said engine.

2. An air cleaner device according to claim 1, wherein said motorcycle further includes a turbocharger interposed between said connecting pipe and said engine, and wherein said air cleaner device further comprises:

a resonance chamber communicating with said turbocharger through a branch pipe; and

said resonance chamber being disposed between the other one of said right and left side walls of said fairing and said front fork, opposite to said longitudinal portion of said casing with respect to said transverse portion of said casing, and adjacent said casing.