Lean detector of vehicle

• US 7,389,592 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Morino, Yuichi, Funayose, Yusuke, Tsuruta, Yuichiro, Iwadate, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): BENNETT, GEORGE B
• Application Number:
  US11/392,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20060218808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 333/661.1, 333/661.3, 333/661.5, 333/661.8, 333/662.4, 333/55.R, 333/00, 333/65, 333/91, 333/33, 340/439, 340/440, 340/441, 701/116, 701/124
• US Class Current: 33/366.16
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/16 Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/18 Roll
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/18 by using liquids

Abstract

A lean detector for a vehicle is capable of reducing the cost of the parts of a lean sensor and enhancing the waterproof property thereof. The lean detector also detects when the leaning of the vehicle body has reached a prescribed angle in the right, left, front or rear direction. The lean sensor is installed at a position above a bottom end of a baseplate of the seat of a saddle-ride type four-wheeled vehicle.

Claims

1. A lean detector for a vehicle, the vehicle including an engine supported by a vehicle body frame, a steering shaft supported by the vehicle body frame through a handle stem, a fuel tank above the engine, an air cleaner box to a rear of the engine, a fuel injector between the engine and the air cleaner box, and a seat to a rear of the fuel tank and above the air cleaner box,

wherein said lean detector detects leaning of the vehicle body, said lean detector being disposed at a position above a bottom end of a baseplate of the seat and overlapping with the steering shaft in side view.

2. The lean detector for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said lean detector further comprises:

a space formed therein and having of a U-shaped contour;

a swinging float, said swinging float being mounted to pivot near the center of said space, said swinging float being provided with magnet components at opposite ends thereof; and

detection sections to detect that said magnet components, together with said swinging float, have swung up to a prescribed detection angle at ends of said space,

wherein when said swinging float swings up to the predetermined detection angle for a prescribed time period, said lean sensor detects that the leaning of the vehicle body is at a prescribed angle.

3. The lean detector for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle is a rough terrain traveling four-wheeled vehicle, and the prescribed time period is set at a time period longer than a time period during which said swinging float reaches the predetermined detection angle during turning of the rough terrain traveling four-wheeled vehicle.

4. The lean detector for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said lean detector is an acceleration sensor that has a float in the form of a pendulum that is detected by a detection circuit when the vehicle body leans to a prescribed angle for a prescribed period of time.

5. The lean detector for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a casing, said casing forming a space therein; and

a float, said float being swingably mounted within said space, said float including first and second opposed ends;

first and second sensors mounted within said casing,

wherein said first and second sensors respectively detect said first and second opposed ends of said float when said float swings to a prescribed angle.

6. The lean detector for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said first and second ends include magnets attached thereto, and said first and second sensors are magnetic sensors.

7. The lean detector for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said space is generally U-shaped, and said float has a semicircular shape generally corresponding to a shape of a lower part of said space.

8. The lean detector for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said space is filled with damper oil to damp the swinging of said float.

9. The lean detector for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a swing axis of said float is parallel to a front, rear direction of the vehicle body, said float being configured to swing in a right or left direction of the vehicle body when the vehicle body is tilted in the right or left direction and when the vehicle body is tilted in the front or rear direction of the vehicle body.

10. The lean detector for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the lean detector is located within a space defined by the baseplate of the seat in rear view.

11. A lean detector for a vehicle that detects leaning of a vehicle body of the vehicle, comprising:

a casing, said casing supporting the lean detector therein and being mounted to the vehicle body at a position above a bottom end of a baseplate of a seat of the vehicle and overlapping with a steering shaft of the vehicle in side view.

12. The lean detector for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said lean detector further comprises:

a space formed within said casing and having of a U-shaped contour;

a swinging float, said swinging float being mounted to pivot near the center of said space, said swinging float being provided with magnet components at opposite ends thereof; and

detection sections to detect that said magnet components, together with said swinging float, have swung up to a prescribed detection angle at ends of said space,

wherein when said swinging float swings up to the predetermined detection angle for a prescribed time period, said lean sensor detects that the leaning of the vehicle body is at a prescribed angle.

13. The lean detector for a vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the vehicle is a rough terrain traveling four-wheeled vehicle, and the prescribed time period is set at a time period longer than a time period during which said swinging float reaches the predetermined detection angle during turning of the rough terrain traveling four-wheeled vehicle.

14. The lean detector for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said lean detector is an acceleration sensor that has a float in the form of a pendulum that is detected by a detection circuit when the vehicle body leans to a prescribed angle for a prescribed period of time.

15. The lean detector for a vehicle according to claim 11, further comprising:

a float, said float being swingably mounted within a space formed within said casing, said float including first and second opposed ends;

first and second sensors mounted within said casing,

wherein said first and second sensors respectively detect said first and second opposed ends of said float when said float swings to a prescribed angle.

16. The lean detector for a vehicle according to claim 15, wherein said first and second ends include magnets attached thereto, and said first and second sensors are magnetic sensors.

17. The lean detector for a vehicle according to claim 15, wherein said space is generally U-shaped, and said float has a semicircular shape generally corresponding to a shape of a lower part of said space.

18. The lean detector for a vehicle according to claim 15, wherein said space is filled with damper oil to damp the swinging of said float.

19. The lean detector for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein a swing axis of said float is parallel to a front, rear direction of the vehicle body, said float being configured to swing in a right or left direction of the vehicle body when the vehicle body is tilted in the right or left direction and when the vehicle body is tilted in the front or rear direction of the vehicle body.

20. The lean detector for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the lean detector is located within a space defined by the baseplate of the seat in rear view.