Arrangement structure of inclination angle sensor

• US 7,882,923 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2006
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Inami, Shigeto, Yamamoto, Takao
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILHELM, TIMOTHY
• Application Number:
  US11/510,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20070045028A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,625 Days
• Field of Search: 180/282, 180/311, 280/735
• US Class Current: 180/282
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 45/415 Inclination sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 45/423 on or besides the wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/01 Motorcycles with four or more wheels specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/003

Abstract

In a vehicle of a type which does not bank a vehicle body at the time of turning, an inclination angle sensor is provided which receives the least influence of a centrifugal force at the time of turning. In a four-wheeled buggy that includes a vehicle body frame, four longitudinal wheels including front wheels and rear wheels are provided together with an engine, a fuel tank and a fuel pump. A steering shaft is connected to a steering handle with an inclination angle sensor arranged above a seat and being positioned in front of the steering shaft. Accordingly, the inclination angle sensor is hardly influenced by a centrifugal force at the time of turning.

Claims

1. An arrangement structure of an inclination angle sensor mounted on a vehicle which includes a body frame, at least three wheels which are supported on the body frame, and a steering shaft which is connected to a steering handle comprising:

an inclination angle sensor having a mounting projection portion on left and right sides thereof, said inclination angle sensor being arranged in front of the steering shaft and above an axis of a front wheel, and

a cross member extending between left and right sides of the body frame,

the body frame including front down frame members and a lower frame, and the cross member being disposed between the front down frame members at a position displaced upwardly relative to a front portion of the lower frame,

wherein the cross member includes a back portion formed with a pair of downward projection portions, and

wherein the inclination angle sensor is mounted on the cross member via the mounting projection portions on the left and right sides thereof which are fixed to the downward projection portions on the back portion of the cross member.

2. The arrangement structure of an inclination angle sensor according to claim 1, and further including

a radiator and a reservoir tank arranged behind the radiator, said inclination angle sensor being arranged behind the reservoir tank.

3. The arrangement structure of an inclination angle sensor according to claim 1, wherein the cross member supports an upper end of a front shock absorber of a front-wheel suspension.

4. The arrangement structure of an inclination angle sensor according to claim 1, wherein the inclination angle sensor is arranged in the vicinity of the center of turning for reducing the influence of centrifugal force on the inclination angle sensor.

5. The arrangement structure of an inclination angle sensor according to claim 1, wherein

when the vehicle body frame is viewed in side elevation view, the front down frame members are seen to overlap portions of the inclination angle sensor, the reservoir tank, and the radiator.

6. The arrangement structure of an inclination angle sensor according to claim 5, wherein the cross member is disposed at an intermediate portion of the front down frame members.

7. The arrangement structure of an inclination angle sensor according to claim 6, wherein the cross member is approximately an inverse U-shape as viewed from the side with a lower portion of the cross member being welded to the front down frame members.

8. The arrangement structure of an inclination angle sensor according to claim 7, wherein the inclination angle sensor includes a float having a semicircular shape that is pivotally mounted on a swinging shaft mounting nut with a damper being provided for limiting the swinging movement of the float.

9. The arrangement structure according to claim 8, wherein the swinging shaft of the float is arranged substantially parallel to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.

10. The arrangement structure of an inclination angle sensor according to claim 1, wherein the inclination angle sensor is concealed by a surface of the reservoir to prevent exhaust heat from the radiator from thermally damaging the inclination angle sensor.

11. An arrangement structure comprising:

a vehicle body frame;

an inclination angle sensor mounted on the vehicle body frame; and

a steering shaft operatively connected to a steering handle; and

said inclination angle sensor being positioned in front of the steering shaft and above an axis of a front wheel, the inclination angle sensor having a mounting projection portion on left and right sides thereof,

a cross member extending between left and right sides of the vehicle body frame,

the vehicle body frame including front down frame members and a lower frame, the cross member being disposed between the front down frame members at a position displaced upwardly relative to a front portion of the lower frame,

wherein the cross member includes a back portion formed with a pair of downward projection portions, and

wherein the inclination angle sensor is mounted on the cross member via the mounting projection portions on the left and right sides thereof which are fixed to the downward projection portions on the back portion of the of the cross member.

12. The arrangement structure according to claim 11, and further including

a radiator and a reservoir tank arranged behind the radiator, said inclination angle sensor being arranged behind the reservoir tank.

13. The arrangement structure according to claim 11, wherein the cross member supports an upper end of a front shock absorber of a front-wheel suspension.

14. The arrangement structure according to claim 11, wherein the inclination angle sensor is arranged in the vicinity of the center of turning for reducing the influence of centrifugal force on the inclination angle sensor.

15. The arrangement structure according to claim 11, wherein

when the vehicle body frame is viewed in side elevation view, the front down frame members are seen to overlap portions of the inclination angle sensor, the reservoir tank, and the radiator.

16. The arrangement structure according to claim 15, wherein the cross member is disposed at an intermediate portion of the front down frame members.

17. The arrangement structure according to claim 16, wherein the cross member is approximately an inverse U-shape as viewed from the side with a lower portion of the cross member being welded to the front down frame members.

18. The arrangement structure according to claim 17, wherein the inclination angle sensor includes a float having a semicircular shape that is pivotally mounted on a swinging shaft mounting nut with a damper being provided for limiting the swinging movement of the float.

19. The arrangement structure according to claim 18, wherein the swinging shaft of the float is arranged substantially parallel to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.

20. The arrangement structure according to claim 11, wherein the inclination angle sensor is concealed by a surface of the reservoir to prevent exhaust heat from the radiator from thermally damaging the inclination angle sensor.