Air cleaner system for motorcycle

• US 6,409,783 B1
• Filed: 09/07/2000
• Issued: 06/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Miyajima, Yoshikazu, Hirao, Naohisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Duane
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, MINH CHAU THI
• Application Number:
  US09/656,994
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 553/851, 553/853, 55/27--28, 123/198.E, 180/219, 180/225, 180/227
• US Class Current: 55/385.3
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 61/02 for driving cycles
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/02 Air cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/04 specially arranged with respect to engine , to intake system or specially adapted to vehicle; Mounting thereon ; Combinations with other devices combined with silencers F02M35/14
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10013 Means upstream of the air filter; Connection to the ambient air
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10039 Intake ducts situated partly within or on the plenum chamber housing
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10262 Flow guides, obstructions, deflectors or the like for generating a charge motion in the cylinder F02B31/00; for re-atomising condensed fuel or homogenising fuel-air mixture F02M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/162 Motorcycles; All-terrain vehicles, e.g. quads, snowmobiles; Small vehicles, e.g. forklifts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

To dispose an air cleaner having a large capacity under a fuel tank without changing the capacity and mounting height of the fuel tank. An air cleaner is disposed under a fuel tank in such a manner as to be housed in a space surrounded by a head box and right and left main frames. Independent air cleaner elements and are disposed in parallel in the air cleaner and are connected to independent intake passages A and B, respectively. The intake passages A and B form a dirty room formed in a front portion of a case main body, and are disposed on the left and right sides of water drip walls integrally formed on the bottom of the case main body. The right and left water drip walls are each formed into an approximately V-shape in a plan view and project in the intake passages. The water drip walls also separate an intake pipe opened upwardly in the clean room C from the intake passages A and B. The intake passages A and B are connected to the rear end of an intake space passing through the head box in the longitudinal direction.

Claims

1. An air cleaner for a motorcycle having a longitudinal center line in which the air cleaner is disposed between a fuel tank supported over a body frame and an engine supported under the body frame, comprising:

a common case main body for holding the air cleaner, said common case main body being positioned beneath the fuel tank and on the longitudinal center line of the motorcycle; and

a plurality of independent air cleaner elements disposed sideways in the common case main body for said air cleaner.

2. The air cleaner for a motorcycle according to claim 1, wherein a dirty room is provided in said case of said air cleaner, said dirty room being partitioned into a plurality of independent intake passages, each intake passage being connected to a corresponding one of said air cleaner elements;

and part of each of a wall surface for partitioning said dirty room into said plurality of intake passages is taken as a water drip wall projecting in said intake passage.

3. The air cleaner for a motorcycle according to claim 2, wherein ribs are formed on said water drip wall, said ribs project into said intake passage.

4. The air cleaner for a motorcycle according to claim 1, and further including an intake duct disposed on an upstream side of said case and being in communication with said plurality of independent air cleaner elements for supplying air thereto.

5. The air cleaner for a motorcycle according to claim 4, and further including a partition for dividing the case into a dirty air portion and a clean air portion, said partition separating a flow of air from the air intake duct to direct the air to each of the independent air cleaner elements.

6. The air cleaner for a motorcycle according to claim 5, wherein said partition is a water drip wall for separating moisture from the air supplied from the air intake duct and further including a discharge drain formed in said case for discharging moisture therefrom.

7. The air cleaner for a motorcycle according to claim 6, wherein said case is disposed at an angle for assisting in the discharge of moisture through the discharge drain.

8. An air cleaner for a motorcycle having a longitudinal center line, comprising:

a fuel tank having a recessed portion provided in a lower surface thereof,

a common case main body for holding the air cleaner, said common case main body being positioned within said recess formed in the lower surface of said fuel tank and on the longitudinal center line of the motorcycle; and

a plurality of independent air cleaner elements disposed sideways in the common case main body for said air cleaner.

9. The air cleaner for a motorcycle according to claim 8, wherein a dirty room is provided in said case of said air cleaner, said dirty room being partitioned into a plurality of independent intake passages, each intake passage being connected to a corresponding one of said air cleaner elements;

and part of each of a wall surface for partitioning said dirty room into said plurality of intake passages is taken as a water drip wall projecting in said intake passage.

10. The air cleaner for a motorcycle according to claim 9, wherein ribs are formed on said water drip wall, said ribs project into said intake passage.

11. The air cleaner for a motorcycle according to claim 8, and further including an intake duct disposed on an upstream side of said case and being in communication with said plurality of independent air cleaner elements for supplying air thereto.

12. The air cleaner for a motorcycle according to claim 11, and further including a partition for dividing the case into a dirty air portion and a clean air portion, said partition separating a flow of air from the air intake duct to direct the air to each of the independent air cleaner elements.

13. The air cleaner for a motorcycle according to claim 12, wherein said partition is a water drip wall for separating moisture from the air supplied from the air intake duct and further including a discharge drain formed in said case for discharging moisture therefrom.

14. The air cleaner for a motorcycle according to claim 13, wherein said case is disposed at an angle for assisting in the discharge of moisture through the discharge drain.

15. An air cleaner for a motorcycle in which an air cleaner is disposed between a fuel tank supported over a body frame and an engine supported under the body frame, comprising:

a case for holding an air cleaner, said case being positioned beneath the fuel tank; and

a plurality of independent air cleaner elements disposed sideways in the case for said air cleaner,

wherein a dirty room is provided in said case of said air cleaner, said dirty room being partitioned into a plurality of independent intake passages, each intake passage being connected to a corresponding one of said air cleaner elements, and part of each of a wall surface for partitioning said dirty room into said plurality of intake passages is taken as a water drip wall projecting in said intake passage.

16. The air cleaner for a motorcycle according to claim 15, wherein ribs are formed on said water drip wall, said ribs project into said intake passage.

17. The air cleaner for a motorcycle according to claim 15, and further including an intake duct disposed on an upstream side of said case and being in communication with said plurality of independent air cleaner elements for supplying air thereto.

18. The air cleaner for a motorcycle according to claim 17, and further including a partition for dividing the case into a dirty air portion and a clean air portion, said partition separating a flow of air from the air intake duct to direct the air to each of the independent air cleaner elements.

19. The air cleaner for a motorcycle according to claim 18, wherein said partition is a water drip wall for separating moisture from the air supplied from the air intake duct and further including a discharge drain formed in said case for discharging moisture therefrom.

20. The air cleaner for a motorcycle according to claim 19, wherein said case is disposed at an angle for assisting in the discharge of moisture through the discharge drain.