Tilt angle sensor layout structure for a vehicle, and vehicle incorporating same

• US 7,426,788 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2006
• Issued: 09/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Toru, Hanafusa, Seiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Fulton; Christopher W
• Application Number:
  US11/511,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20070051001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 333/366.24, 333/333, 333/366.11, 180/282
• US Class Current: 33/366.24
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/14 responsive to accident or emergency, e.g. deceleration, tilt of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/16 Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0616 Position of fuel or air injector
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 27/00 Safety equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/01 Motorcycles with four or more wheels specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/003
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/027 Motorcycles with three wheels specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/023
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/12 by using a single pendulum plumb lines G01C15/10

Abstract

In a saddle-type vehicle having at least three wheels, a tilt angle sensor layout structure is provided which ensures that a tilt angle sensor is minimally influenced by a centrifugal force or vibration of a vehicle body while the vehicle is turned, and the tilt angle sensor is protected against flying stones and the like. The vehicle includes an engine, and a fuel injection system for supplying fuel from a fuel tank to the engine, with a steering mechanism including a steering shaft provided on the front side of the vehicle body. A plurality of frame members constituting the vehicle body frame supporting the steering mechanism are connected in the shape of a frame loop in vehicle side view, and the tilt angle sensor for detecting the tilt angle in the left-right direction of the vehicle body is attached to the loop-shaped portion of the vehicle body frame.

Claims

1. A tilt angle sensor layout structure for a vehicle, the vehicle comprising

a vehicle body,

a steering mechanism provided at a front portion of the vehicle body and including a handlebar and a steering shaft,

a vehicle body frame comprising a plurality of frame members which support said steering mechanism,

at least three wheels operatively attached to the vehicle body frame,

a power unit having an engine supported on said vehicle body frame,

a fuel tank supported on said vehicle body frame,

a fuel injection system for supplying fuel from the fuel tank to said engine, and

a tilt angle sensor operatively attached to a portion of said vehicle body frame, wherein:

the tilt angle sensor is operable to detect a tilt angle in a left-right direction of said vehicle body,

the plurality of frame members cooperate to define a substantially triangular closed frame loop,

the plurality of frame members comprise an upper frame member which extends from an area proximate a front one of said wheels rearwardly to an area proximate a rear one of said wheels, said upper frame member having an uppermost portion,

said tilt angle sensor is disposed on said substantially triangular closed frame loop at a position below the uppermost portion of said upper frame member and spaced away from said fuel tank; and

wherein the plurality of frame members of the vehicle body frame comprises;

a left-right pair of lower frames supporting a lower portion of the power unit;

a left-right pair of upper frames attached to upper portions of the lower frames so as to surround the power unit in side view,

a left-right pair of front frames providing connection between front upper portions of the upper frames and front end portions of the lower frames,

a left-right pair of front connection frames providing connection between the front frames and the upper frames.

2. The tilt angle sensor layout structure for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said fuel injection system comprises a relay for controlling fuel supply to said engine on the basis of a signal from said tilt angle sensor, and said relay is operatively attached to said vehicle body frame proximate said tilt angle sensor.

3. The tilt angle sensor layout structure for a vehicle as set forth in claim 2, wherein said tilt angle sensor and said relay are attached to said vehicle body frame via a common bracket.

4. The tilt angle sensor layout structure for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said fuel injection system comprises a relay for controlling fuel supply to said engine on the basis of a signal from said tilt angle sensor, and

said tilt angle sensor and said relay are attached to one of said plurality of frame members so as to be disposed on opposed sides thereof.

5. The tilt angle sensor layout structure for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tilt angle sensor is attached to one of said plurality of frame members on a rearward side thereof, such that the tilt angle sensor is substantially shielded from impact with airborne debris via the frame member to which it is attached,

wherein the substantially triangular closed frame loop comprises a substantially vertical frame portion, and wherein the tilt angle sensor is affixed to a rear side of said substantially vertical frame portion.

6. The tilt angle sensor layout structure for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said tilt angle sensor comprises

a sensor housing,

a partition wall partitioning the sensor housing into plural chambers,

a weighted member pivotally extending from said partition wall,

the partition wall comprising at least one sensing body for detecting a proximity of the weighted member with respect to the partition wall,

wherein the tilt angle sensor outputs a signal when said sensing body detects proximity of the weighted member within a predetermined proximity range.

7. The tilt angle sensor layout structure for a vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein a shape of said fuel tank is independent of a shape of the tilt angle sensor.

8. In a vehicle of the type comprising

a vehicle body,

a steering mechanism provided at a front portion of the vehicle body and including a handlebar and a steering shaft,

a vehicle body frame comprising a plurality of frame members which support said steering mechanism,

at least three wheels operatively attached to the vehicle body frame,

an engine supported on said vehicle body frame,

a fuel tank supported on said vehicle body frame, and

a fuel injection system for supplying fuel from the fuel tank to said engine, the improvement comprising a tilt angle sensor layout structure, in which:

the plurality of frame members comprise an upper frame member which extends from an area proximate a front one of said wheels rearwardly to an area proximate a rear one of said wheels, said upper frame member having an uppermost portion,

a tilt angle sensor is operatively attached to a portion of said vehicle body frame, said tilt angle sensor being operable to detect a tilt angle in a left-right direction of said vehicle body, wherein said tilt angle sensor is disposed on said a substantially triangular closed frame loop at a position situated below the uppermost portion of said upper frame member and spaced away from said fuel tank.

9. The vehicle as set forth in claim 8, wherein said fuel injection system comprises a relay for controlling fuel supply to said engine on the basis of a signal from said tilt angle sensor, and wherein said relay is attached to said vehicle body frame proximate said tilt angle sensor.

10. The vehicle as set forth in claim 8, wherein said fuel injection system comprises a relay for controlling fuel supply to said engine, wherein the relay operates based on a signal from said tilt angle sensor, and

wherein said tilt angle sensor and said relay are attached to said vehicle body frame via a common bracket.

11. The vehicle as set forth in claim 8, wherein said fuel injection system comprises a relay for controlling fuel supply to said engine on the basis of a signal from said tilt angle sensor, and

wherein said tilt angle sensor and said relay are attached to one of said plurality of frame members so as to be disposed on opposed sides thereof.

12. The vehicle as set forth in claim 8, wherein the tilt angle sensor is attached to one of said plurality of frame members on a rearward side thereof, such that the tilt angle sensor is substantially shielded from impact with airborne debris via the frame member to which it is attached.

13. The vehicle as set forth in claim 8, wherein said tilt angle sensor comprises

a sensor housing,

a partition wall partitioning the sensor housing into plural chambers,

a weighted member pivotally extending from said partition wall,

the partition wall comprising at least one sensing body for detecting a proximity of the weighted member with respect to the partition wall,

wherein the tilt angle sensor outputs a signal when said sensing body detects proximity of the weighted member within a predetermined proximity range.

14. The vehicle as set forth in claim 8, wherein a shape of said fuel tank is independent of a shape of the tilt angle sensor.

15. An all-terrain vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle body,

a steering mechanism provided at a front portion of the vehicle body and including a handlebar and a steering shaft,

a vehicle body frame comprising a plurality of frame members which support said steering mechanism,

at least three wheels operatively attached to the vehicle body frame,

an engine supported on said vehicle body frame,

a fuel tank supported on said vehicle body frame,

a fuel injection system for supplying fuel from the fuel tank to said engine, and

a tilt angle sensor operatively attached to a portion of said vehicle body frame, wherein;

the plurality of frame members comprise an upper frame member which extends from an area proximate a front one of said wheels rearwardly to an area proximate a rear one of said wheels, said upper frame member having an uppermost portion,

the tilt angle sensor is operable to detect a tilt angle in a left-right direction of said vehicle body,

the plurality of frame members cooperate to define a substantially triangular closed frame loop, and said tilt angle sensor is disposed on said substantially triangular closed frame loop at a position situated below the uppermost portion of said upper frame member, and spaced away from said fuel tank.

16. The vehicle as set forth in claim 15, wherein said fuel injection system comprises a relay for controlling fuel supply to said engine on the basis of a signal from said tilt angle sensor, and wherein said relay is operatively attached to said vehicle body frame proximate said tilt angle sensor.

17. The vehicle as set forth in claim 16, wherein said tilt angle sensor and said relay are attached to said vehicle body frame via a common bracket.

18. The vehicle as set forth in claim 15, wherein:

said fuel injection system comprises a relay for controlling fuel supply to said engine on the basis of a signal from said tilt angle sensor, and

said tilt angle sensor and said relay are attached to one of said plurality of frame members so as to be disposed on opposed sides thereof.

19. The vehicle as set forth in claim 15, wherein the tilt angle sensor is attached to one of said plurality of frame members on a rearward side thereof, such that the tilt angle sensor is substantially shielded from impact with airborne debris via the frame member to which it is attached.

20. The vehicle as set forth in claim 15, wherein said tilt angle sensor comprises

a sensor housing,

a partition wall partitioning the sensor housing into plural chambers,

a weighted member pivotally extending from said partition wall,

the partition wall comprising at least one sensing body for detecting a proximity of the weighted member with respect to the partition wall,

wherein the tilt angle sensor outputs a signal when said sensing body detects proximity of the weighted member within a predetermined proximity range.