Intake apparatus of engine for vehicle

• US 6,422,332 B1
• Filed: 01/27/2000
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Shibata, Hisayoshi, Takata, Hiroshi, Idei, Shoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Lanna
• Assistant Examiner(s): TO, TOAN C
• Application Number:
  US09/492,312
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 180/229, 180/219, 180/68.3, 180/68.1, 180/225, 180/41.56, 123/41.01
• US Class Current: 180/68.3
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 17/02 shielding only the rider's front
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 17/10 Ventilation or air guiding devices forming part of fairings
• 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: B62J 40/10 characterised by air duct arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 61/02 for driving cycles
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10013 Means upstream of the air filter; Connection to the ambient air
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10118 with variable cross-sections of intake ducts along their length; Venturis; Diffusers
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/12 Intake silencers ; Sound modulation, transmission or amplification intake silencers also used as exhaust silencer F01N13/007; filters for compressors F04B39/16
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/1255 using resonance
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/162 Motorcycles; All-terrain vehicles, e.g. quads, snowmobiles; Small vehicles, e.g. forklifts

Abstract

An intake apparatus is provided for an engine of a vehicle. The intake apparatus can introduce fresh air under the vehicle'"'"'s large running wind pressure. The intake apparatus also allows the opening area and profile of an air inlet to be selected freely. The intake apparatus includes a pair of intake ducts 13 for introducing the air into the engine and an air-introducing duct 15 connected to respective upstream ends of the intake ducts 13 to provide the air inlet 14. The air-introducing duct 15 is formed independently of a cowling 16 fitted to a front of the vehicle. The air-introducing duct 15 has its leading end 15a positioned ahead of a leading end 16a of the cowling 16.

Claims

1. An intake apparatus of an engine for a vehicle, the intake apparatus comprising:

a cowling fitted to a front of a vehicle body;

an intake duct connected with the engine for introducing air into the engine; and

an air-introducing duct opening into an outside atmosphere and being connected to the upstream end of the intake duct to form an air inlet of the engine, wherein the air-introducing duct is constituted independently of the cowling and located below the bottom edge of the cowling at a central area between a left and a right side of the cowling, a leading end of the air-introducing duct being positioned ahead of a leading end of the cowling so that pressure at an inlet of the air-introducing duct is prevented from decreasing by an influence of an air flow along the cowling.

2. An intake apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air-introducing duct is formed so that an air passage formed therethrough extends along a longitudinal axis of the air-introducing duct making a designated angle to a horizontal plane.

3. An intake apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air-introducing duct is formed so that the leading end has a bell-mouth configuration in which a diameter of the leading end is bigger than a diameter of a main portion of the air-introducing duct.

4. An intake apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the designated angle is substantially 0 degree under condition that the vehicle with a rider travels at a vehicle'"'"'s design speed.

5. An intake apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the leading end having the bell-mouth configuration is formed so as to cover the leading end of the cowling.

6. An intake apparatus of an engine for a vehicle, the intake apparatus comprising:

a cowling fitted to a front of a vehicle body;

an intake duct connected with the engine for introducing air into the engine; and

an air-introducing duct opening into an outside atmosphere and being connected to the upstream end of the intake duct to form an air inlet of the engine, wherein the air-introducing duct is constituted independently of the cowling located under the cowling at a central area between a left and a right side of the cowling, the air-introducing duct being fastened to the cowling by at least one fastening member inserted from the interior of the cowling, wherein the air introducing duct is arranged so that a leading end of the air introducing duct is positioned ahead of the leading end of the cowling.

7. An intake apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the air-introducing duct is provided, at a downstream side thereof, with an enlarged socket part into which the intake duct is inserted.

8. An intake apparatus as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a screen in the form of a mesh, which is disposed in the air-introducing duct and also interposed between an upstream end of the enlarged socket part and the intake duct.

9. An intake apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein an under part of the cowling has hole, the air-introducing duct being provided with a boss projecting upwardly from the upper surface of the air-introducing duct, having a fastening thread and being inserted in the hole, the fastening member inserted from the interior of the cowling fastening the air-introducing duct to the cowling.