Fuel tank system of a motor bicycle

• US 6,213,514 B1
• Filed: 12/15/1997
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Suzuki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Suzuki Kaisha Toshiba
• Inventors: Natsume, Tetsuji, Tokunaga, Katsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Hurley, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fischer, Andrew J.
• Application Number:
  US08/990,454
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• Field of Search: 280/833, 280/834, 280/835, 180/219, 220/562, 220/500, 220/86.2
• US Class Current: 280/833
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 6/55 power-driven at crank shafts parts

Abstract

A fuel tank system of a motor bicycle according to the present invention comprises: a tank main body made of a synthetic resin, which is formed into a reverse U-letter shape in its longitudinal section in a manner of riding on a front head portion of a vehicle-body frame; a fuel supply port which is provided on an upper portion of the tank main body; a receiving pan portion which is provided in the fuel supply port; a relay joint which is arranged in a vicinity of a bottom portion of the tank main body and whose attaching direction is the substantially same as an attaching direction of the receiving pan portion; and a drain pipe which comprises a soft hose, passes through an interior of the tank main body, and connects between the receiving pan portion and the relay joint.

Further, a fixing member for fixing the tank main body to the vehicle-body frame is formed out of a rigid material independently from the tank main body, a fixing portion on the tank main body side of the fixing member has a shape formed so as to surround a fixture plate of the relay joint, and the fixing member has a shape in its side view such that at least part of the fixing member is situated on a position lower than the relay joint when the fixing member is fixed to the tank main body.

Claims

1. A motor bicycle fuel tank system comprising:

a tank main body made of a synthetic resin material and configured into a reverse U-shaped sectional portion with respect to a longitudinal axis of the tank main body so as to straddle a front head portion of a motor bicycle body frame when the motor bicycle fuel tank system is arranged on the motor bicycle while in an assembled state;

a fuel supply port provided on an upper portion of the tank main body;

a receiving pan portion provided in the fuel supply port and configured to extend along an attachment direction when attached to the fuel supply port;

a relay joint arranged in a vicinity of a bottom portion of the tank main body and configured to be attached to the bottom portion of the tank main body along a direction that is substantially the same as the attachment direction of the receiving pan portion; and

a drain pipe comprising a soft hose passing through an interior of the tank main body and connected to the receiving pan portion and the relay joint when the receiving pan portion is attached to the fuel supply portion and when relay joint is attached to the bottom portion of the tank main body.

2. The motor bicycle fuel tank system according to claim 1, further comprising

a fixing member formed out of a rigid material independent from the tank main body and configured to fix the tank main body to the motor bicycle frame when the motor bicycle fuel tank system is in the assembled state, said fixing member having a fixing portion on the tank main body side and configured to surround a fixture plate of the relay joint, and wherein the fixing member has a shape in its side view such that at least part of the fixing member is situated on a position lower than the relay joint when the fixing member is fixed to the tank main body.

3. The motor bicycle fuel tank system according to claim 1, further comprising

a front portion fixing member provided at a top front location of the reverse U-shaped sectional portion of the tank main body and having a load acting surface extending from the top front location along a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tank main body so as to define a side view angle between a horizontal direction and an angle substantially orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of a front fork of the motor bicycle so that the load acting surface of the front portion fixing member is floatingly fixed to the motor bicycle body frame when the fuel tank system is arranged on the motor bicycle while in the assembled state.

4. The motor bicycle fuel tank system according to claims 1 or 3, further comprising

a plurality of side portion fixing members each provided at a forward location of the tank main body and on both sides of a lower portion of the reverse U-shaped sectional portion and each having a load acting surface extending from the forward location along a direction substantially perpendicular to a dimensional enlargement direction of the tank main body and defining an angle substantially parallel to a central surface of the motor bicycle body frame so that the respective load acting surfaces are floatingly fixed and relatively movable with respect to the motor bicycle body frame when the motor bicycle fuel tank system is arranged on the motor bicycle while in the assembled state, and such that a relative movement direction of each of the respective load acting surfaces of the side portion fixing members is parallel to the dimensional enlargement direction when the tank main body swells.

5. The motor bicycle fuel tank system according to any of claims 1, 2, or 3, further comprising

a rear portion fixing member provided on a rearmost portion of the tank main body and having a load acting surface extending from the rearmost portion along a direction substantially perpendicular to a dimensional enlargement direction of the tank main body so as to be floatingly fixed and relatively movable with respect to the motor bicycle body frame when the motor bicycle fuel tank system is arranged on the motor bicycle while in the assembled state, and such that a relative movement direction of the load acting surface is parallel to the dimensional enlargement direction when the tank main body swells.

6. The motor bicycle fuel tank system according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one recessed knee grip surface formed on a side surface of the tank main body; and

a plurality of grip grooves formed on opposite sides of the at least one recessed knee grip surface so that the side surface of the tank main body defines a wave shape, and configured such that a longitudinal direction of each respective grip groove is parallel to a divisional direction of a mold for molding the tank main body, said plurality of grip grooves each having a draft configured such that a width dimension of an upper end of the grip groove is greater than a width dimension of a lower end thereof, and the upper end of the grip groove defines an open shape and the lower end of the grip groove defines a closed shape.

7. The motor bicycle fuel tank system according to claim 1, further comprising

a frame cover configured to cover the tank main body, said frame cover having a fixing reference portion fitted into a fuel supply portion positioned at a top location of the tank main body, and a plurality of tank fastening parts each configured to cooperate with a respective fastening member and a respective cushion member so as to floatingly fix the frame cover to the tank main body when the motor bicycle fuel tank system is in the assembled state, said tank fastening parts each having fastening member insertion holes formed into a slot extending along a radial direction from the fixing reference portion.

8. The motor bicycle fuel tank system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a recess portion provided on a side of the tank main body; and

an independent cover bracket having a first end fixed into the recess portion provided on the side of the tank main body, a second end fixed to the frame cover when the motor bicycle fuel tank system is in the assembled state, and a rigid lowering structure configured for allowing a side of the cover bracket to be lowered in an bending fashion about a position adjacent to a side profile of the tank main body in response to a force applied to a side of the cover bracket.

9. The motor bicycle fuel tank system according to claim 1, further comprising:

recess portions provided on inner longitudinal wall surfaces of the reverse U-shaped sectional portion of the tank main body, each of the recess portions configured relative to a side view so as to be open in a direction separating from each other substantially at the right angle with respect to the upper portion of the reverse U-shaped sectional portion, and

elastic cushion members each individually interposed between one of the recess portions and a respective side surface of the motor bicycle body frame, said elastic cushion members configured to be fixed to the motor bicycle body frame side surface so that a clearance is defined between each of the elastic cushion members and each of the recess portions when the fuel tank system is placed on the motor bicycle such that the tank main body straddles the front head portion of the motor bicycle body frame.

10. The motor bicycle fuel tank system according to any of claims 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 or 9, further comprising

an insert nut embedded in the tank main body, so as to define and external exposure and an insert nut embedded surface of the tank main body, said insert nut being configured so that other components are fastened thereto, and such that the external exposure surface thereof becomes lower than the insert nut embedded surface of the tank main body when embedded in the tank main body.

11. A motor bicycle fuel tank system comprising:

a tank main body made of a synthetic resin material and configured into a reverse U-shaped sectional portion with respect to a longitudinal axis of the tank main body so as to straddle a front head portion of a motor bicycle body frame when the motor bicycle fuel tank system is arranged on the motor bicycle while in an assembled state;

a fuel supply port provided on an upper portion of the tank main body;

a front portion fixing member provided at a top front location of the reverse U-shaped sectional portion of the tank main body and having a load acting surface extending from the top front location so as to define a side view angle between a horizontal direction and a direction substantially orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of a front fork of the motor bicycle, the load acting surface including an aperture supporting a fastening member having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the front fork such that the load acting surface of the front portion fixing member is floating fixed to the motor bicycle body frame when the motor bicycle fuel tank system is in the assembled state.

12. The motor bicycle fuel tank system according to claim 11, wherein the load acting surface of the front portion fixing member extends from the top front location of the reverse U-shaped sectional portion along a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tank main body.

20. The motor bicycle fuel tank system according to claims 11, 13, 16, 18 or 19, further comprising

a fixing member formed out of a rigid material independent from the tank main body and configured to fix the tank main body to the motor bicycle body frame when the fuel tank system is in the assembled state, said fixing member having a fixing portion on the tank main body side and configured to surround a fixture plate of the relay joint, and wherein the fixing member has a shape in its side view such that at least part of the fixing member is situated on a position lower than the relay joint when the fixing member is fixed to the tank main body.

21. The motor bicycle fuel tank system according to any of claims 11, 13, 16, 18, or 19, further comprising

an insert nut embedded in the tank main body, so as to define and external exposure and an insert nut embedded surface of the tank main body, said insert nut being configured for being fastened to a plurality of fastening components, and such that the external exposure surface thereof becomes lower than the insert nut embedded surface of the tank main body when embedded in the tank main body.

22. The motor bicycle fuel tank system according to claim 11, further comprising at least one rubber cushion having an aperture for supporting the fastening member while the load acting surface of the front portion fixing member is floatingly fixed to the motor bicycle body frame.

23. The motor bicycle fuel tank system according to claim 11, wherein the fastening member is fastened to a fixing bracket located on a head pipe of the motor bicycle body frame.

13. A motor bicycle fuel tank system comprising:

a tank main body made of a synthetic resin material and configured into a reverse U-shaped sectional portion with respect to a longitudinal axis of the tank main body so as to straddle a front head portion of a motor bicycle body frame when the motor bicycle fuel tank system is arranged on the motor bicycle while in an assembled state;

a fuel supply port provided on an upper portion of the tank main body;

at least one fixing member provided on a portion of the tank main body and having a load acting surface extending from the portion along a direction substantially perpendicular to a dimensional enlargement direction of the tank main body so as to be moveably connected with respect to the motor bicycle body frame when the fuel tank system is in the assembled state, and such that a movement direction of the load acting surface relative to the motor bicycle body frame is parallel to the dimensional enlargement direction when the tank main body swells.

14. The motor bicycle fuel tank system according to claim 13, wherein the at least one fixing member comprises a rear portion fixing member provided on a rearmost portion of the tank main body, said load acting surface extending from the rearmost portion along a direction substantially perpendicular to the dimensional enlargement direction of the tank main body.

15. The motor bicycle fuel tank system according to claim 13, wherein the at least one fixing member comprises a side portion fixing member provided at a forward location of the tank main body and on a side of a lower portion of the reverse U-shaped sectional portion, said load acting surface extending from the forward location along a direction substantially perpendicular to the dimensional enlargement direction of the tank main body.

16. A motor bicycle fuel tank system comprising:

a tank main body made of a synthetic resin material and configured into a reverse U-shaped sectional portion with respect to a longitudinal axis of the tank main body so as to straddle a front head portion of a motor bicycle body frame when the fuel tank system is arranged on the motor bicycle while in an assembled state;

a fuel supply port provided on an upper portion of the tank main body;

at least one recessed knee grip surface formed on a side surface of the tank main body; and

a plurality of grip grooves formed on opposite sides of the at least one recessed knee grip surface so that the side surface of the tank main body defines a wave shape, and configured such that a longitudinal direction of each respective grip groove is parallel to a divisional direction of a mold for molding the tank main body, said plurality of grip grooves each having a draft configured such that a width dimension of an upper end of the grip groove is greater than a width dimension of a lower end thereof.

17. The motor bicycle fuel tank system according to claim 16, wherein the upper end of the grip groove defines an open shape and the lower end of the grip groove defines a closed shape.

18. A motor bicycle fuel tank system comprising:

a tank main body made of a synthetic resin material and configured into a reverse U-shaped sectional portion with respect to a longitudinal axis of the tank main body so as to straddle a front head portion of a motor bicycle body frame when the fuel tank system is arranged on the motor bicycle while in an assembled state;

a fuel supply port provided on an upper portion of the tank main body;

a recess portion provided on a side of the tank main body; and

an independent cover bracket having a first end fixed into the recess portion provided on the side of the tank main body, a second end fixed to the frame cover when the fuel tank system is in the assembled state, and a rigid lowering structure configured for allowing a side of the cover bracket to be lowered in a bending fashion about a position adjacent to a side portion of the tank main body in response to a force applied to a side of the cover bracket.

19. A motor bicycle fuel tank system comprising:

a tank main body made of a synthetic resin material and configured into a reverse U-shaped sectional portion with respect to a longitudinal axis of the tank main body so as to straddle a front head portion of a motor bicycle body frame when the fuel tank system is placed on the motor bicycle while in an assembled state;

a fuel supply port provided on an upper portion of the tank main body;

recess portions provided on inner longitudinal wall surfaces of the reverse U-shaped sectional portion of the tank main body, each of the recess portions having a perpendicular indent and configured relative to a cross sectional view so as to extend away from each other and define inner side clearance spaces;

a support member slidably supported by the motor bicycle body frame so as to extend between each of the recess portions; and

elastic cushion members each individually interposed between one of the recess portions and a respective side surface of the motor bicycle body frame, said elastic cushion members configured to be fixed to the support member supported by the motor bicycle body frame so that a clearance is defined between each of the elastic cushion members and each of the recess portions when the fuel tank system is placed on the motor bicycle such that the tank main body straddles the front head portion of the motor bicycle body frame.

24. The motor bicycle fuel tank system according to claim 19, wherein the support member is slideably connected to reinforcement plates of the motor bicycle body frame.

25. The motor bicycle fuel tank system according to claim 19, wherein each of the elastic cushion members include a plate configured for abutting respective ends of the support member when the elastic cushion members are fixed to the support member.