Lid retaining structure

A component supporting section of a lid retaining structure is supported on a pipe handle, and a stay is supported on the pipe handle via the component supporting section. A main body portion of a power supply socket is supported on a main body supporting section such that an entrance is located above the main body supporting section of the stay. In the event that a lid that covers the entrance is removed, the lid is retained in a space surrounded by the flat section of the stay, the pipe handle, and the component supporting section.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-051328 filed on Mar. 15, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a lid retaining structure for a power supply socket through which supply of electrical power is carried out from a vehicle battery to an external device through a power supply terminal and an external terminal, by inserting the external terminal into an entrance of the main body portion, and connecting the external terminal to the power supply terminal of the main body portion, in a state in which a lid is removed from the main body portion.

Description of the Related Art

For example, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2009-040087, an arrangement of a power supply socket in a storage box at a location directly below a seat on a rear portion of a motorcycle is disclosed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In recent years, accessories such as a navigation device, a smart phone, etc. are arranged in the vicinity of a steering handle of a vehicle such as a motorcycle or the like in order to improve visibility of a vehicle occupant with respect to such accessories. In this case, it is desirable to provide a power supply socket in the vicinity of the handle in order to supply electrical power to such accessories from the vehicle battery.

However, with the technique of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2009-040087, supply of electrical power to an external device in the storage box is carried out in a state in which the power supply socket is provided on the side of the storage box, the lid is removed from a top part of the power supply socket that is arranged inside the storage box, and the entrance to the power supply socket is opened. Therefore, the technique of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2009-040087 cannot be applied to a situation in which the power supply socket is arranged in the vicinity of the handle.

The present invention has been devised taking into consideration the aforementioned problem, and has the object of providing a lid retaining structure in which, by suitably arranging the power supply socket in the vicinity of a handle of a vehicle, it is possible for electrical power to be supplied to an accessory arranged in the vicinity of the handle.

The present invention relates to a lid retaining structure for a power supply socket, which is equipped with a main body portion including a power supply terminal configured to supply electrical power from a battery of a vehicle by insertion of an external terminal through an entrance, and a lid configured to cover the entrance.

In addition, in order to accomplish this object, the lid retaining structure according to the present invention includes a handle of the vehicle, a component supporting section configured to support a component of the vehicle on the handle, and a stay configured to support the power supply socket on the handle.

In this case, the handle includes a pipe handle supported steerably on a front portion of the vehicle, and a grip disposed on an end of the pipe handle and which is gripped by an occupant of the vehicle. Further, the component supporting section supports the component on the pipe handle at a location closer to a vehicle body center than the grip. Furthermore, the stay is equipped with at least one supported section supported on the pipe handle, a flat section jointly forming a gap between the pipe handle and the flat section and which extends upwardly from the at least one supported section, and a main body supporting section, which is bent from the flat section so as to separate away from the handle, and configured to support the main body portion.

Further, the main body portion is supported on the main body supporting section so that the entrance is located above the main body supporting section. The lid is connected to the main body portion via a connecting part at a location above the main body supporting section. The lid, which is detached from the entrance, is retained in a space surrounded by the flat section, the pipe handle, and the component supporting section.

In the foregoing manner, according to the present invention, the lid, which is detached, from the entrance, is retained in the space, whereby movement of the lid in an axial direction of the pipe handle (in the left and right direction of the vehicle) is restricted by the component supporting section, together with movement of the lid in the front and rear direction of the vehicle being restricted by the pipe handle and the flat section.

In this case, because the pipe handle has an annular shape when viewed in cross section, in the case that the lid is inserted from above into the gap between the pipe handle and the flat section, the gap is substantially in the form of a V-shape, which is wider at the entrance and narrows in the downward direction. As a result, by holding a distal end (lower end) of the lid, which is most susceptible to swaying, with the pipe handle and the flat section, it is possible to maintain the retained state of the lid favorably while suppressing vibrations of the lid.

In the foregoing manner, according to the present invention, the power supply socket can be arranged in the vicinity of the handle, and the lid can suitably be retained after removal thereof from the entrance. As a result, by inserting the external terminal into the entrance and connecting the external terminal to the power supply terminal, through the power supply terminal and the external terminal, it is possible to supply electrical power from the battery to an accessory (external device) disposed in the vicinity of the handle.

In this instance, the lid and the connecting part preferably are made from elastic members. In accordance with this feature, since the lid and the connecting part are made to be elastically deformed, the lid can easily be arranged in the space surrounded by the flat section, the pipe handle, and the component supporting section. Further, due to surface contact between the lid, which is an elastic member, and the flat section, since the frictional force between the lid and the flat section is increased, the retained state of the lid can favorably be maintained.

In this case, the connecting part connects the main body portion and the lid on a side of the handle, and when the vehicle is viewed from the side, the lid, which is detached from the entrance, is rotated about the connecting part by approximately 270 degrees from the entrance toward the handle, and is held in the space such that the connecting part is positioned above the lid. Consequently, when the lid is held in the gap between the pipe handle and the flat section, the connecting part, which is an elastic member, presses on the lid from above. As a result, it is possible to restrict the position of the lid from any direction, i.e., the front and rear direction, the left and right direction, and the up and down direction.

Furthermore, the component supporting section includes a front support portion arranged in front of the pipe handle and configured to support the component, and a rear support portion disposed behind the pipe handle. In this case, the front support portion, the rear support portion, and the at least one supported section are supported on the pipe handle as a result of being fastened together in a front and rear direction of the vehicle by at least one fastening member.

The fastening members, originally, are members for fixing to the pipe handle the component supporting section that supports the component. Thus, by using the fastening members, the front support portion, the rear support portion, and the supported sections are fastened together in the front and rear direction of the vehicle, whereby the stay can be fixed to the pipe handle while suppressing an increase, in the weight or the handle. Further, by being fastened and fixed in place together with the stay, compared to a case or directly fixing the stay to the pipe handle, the gap is easily formed between the flat section and the pipe handle.

In this case, preferably, the at least one fastening member is provided as a pair of fastening members, while the at least one supported section is provided as a pair of supported sections, and the front support portion, the rear support portion, and the supported sections are supported on the pipe handle as a result of being fastened together in the front and rear direction of the vehicle at locations above and below the pipe handle by using the pair of fastening members. In accordance with this feature, it is possible to suitably fix and support the stay which is elongated in the up and down direction of the vehicle. Further, since the power supply socket can be fixed more firmly to the pipe handle through the stay, it is possible to prevent positional shifting of the power supply socket, which occurs when the external terminal is inserted into the entrance that is arranged above the pipe handle.

Further, the lid includes a lid portion configured to cover the entrance, and a knob portion which protrudes from a side of the lid portion and is thinner than the lid portion. In this case, the lid, which is detached from the entrance, is gripped in the space as a result of the knob portion being arranged in the gap between the pipe handle and the flat section. Consequently, the gap between the pipe handle and the flat section can be made narrower. As a result, it is possible to prevent the power supply socket from protruding in a rearward direction from the pipe handle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A preferred embodiment of the lid retaining structure according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[Schematic Configuration of Motorcycle12]

As shown inFIGS. 1 through 3, a lid retaining structure10according to the present embodiment is applied to a motorcycle12which serves as a vehicle.

A handle14is provided on a front of the motorcycle12. The handle14is equipped with a steerably supported pipe handle16, which extends in left and right directions from a vehicle body center at the front of the motorcycle12, and grips18L,18R that are gripped by a rider or a vehicle occupant on both ends of the pipe handle16.

On the pipe handle16, a component supporting section20is fixedly supported at a position closer to the vehicle body center than the right side grip18R. The component supporting section20supports a master cylinder22, which is a component of the motorcycle12, in front of the pipe handle16, and also supports a power supply socket24, which is an accessory socket, behind the pipe handle16. The master cylinder22is accommodated in a resin case26.

A brake lever28is supported on the pipe handle16in front of the grip18R, so as to enable connection thereof to the master cylinder22. When the rider operates the brake lever28with the right hand, a brake fluid pressure is applied from the master cylinder22to a braking device provided on a non-illustrated front wheel, and a braking force is applied to the front wheel.

In the pipe handle16, a vehicle-mounted device30(external device), which is used in association with an ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) system, is arranged closer to the vehicle body center than the component supporting section20, the master cylinder22, and the power supply socket24. Further, with the motorcycle12, in order to enhance visibility of the rider who is seated on the seat, a navigation device32(external device) is disposed in front of the pipe handle16. In this case, a screen34of the navigation device32is arranged at a central position of the vehicle body in front of the pipe handle16.

Moreover, inFIGS. 1 and 2, constituent elements of the motorcycle12(for example, a rearview mirror, a blinker, a front fender, a fuel tank) other than the aforementioned constituent elements are well known, and therefore, detailed description of such elements is omitted.

[Configuration of Lid Retaining Structure10]

Next, the lid retaining structure10according to the present embodiment will be described with reference toFIGS. 1 through 3.

The lid retaining structure10is a mechanism for retaining a lid36of the power supply socket24in the vicinity of the pipe handle16of the motorcycle12, and is constituted by the pipe handle16, the component supporting section20, and a stay38, which is supported on the component supporting section20while also supporting the power supply socket24.

The component supporting section20is a metal annular member attached to the pipe handle16in surrounding relation to the outer periphery of the pipe handle16, which also is annular shaped in cross section, and comprises a front support portion20fdisposed in front of the pipe handle16, and a rear support portion20rdisposed rearwardly of the pipe handle16. More specifically, when the annular shaped component supporting section20is divided in half, the front portion thereof serves as the front support portion20f, whereas the rearward portion thereof serves as the rear support portion20r.

The front support portion20fsupports the master cylinder22by being formed integrally with the case26in which the master cylinder22is accommodated. An upper part and a lower part of each of the front support portion20fand the rear support portion20rbulge respectively in upward and downward directions, and in such bulging portions, screw holes that extend in front and rear directions are formed, respectively.

The stay38is a plate-shaped member made of metal. The stay38is equipped with supported sections38a,38b, which are capable of being placed in surface contact, respectively, with the rear side of the upper part and the lower part of the rear support portion20r, a flat section38c, which is connected to and extends upwardly from the supported sections38a,38b, and a main body supporting section38d, which is bent rearwardly from an upper end of the flat section38c. Holes of substantially the same diameter as respective screw holes formed in the front support portion20fand the rear support portion20rare formed respectively in the supported sections38a,38b. Further, a large diameter hole38eis formed in the main body supporting section38d.

The power supply socket24includes a bottomed cylindrical main body portion40and the lid36. The main body portion40includes a power supply opening42, and a power supply contact44(power supply terminal) is provided in an inner part of the power supply opening42. Further, a ground terminal46(power supply terminal) is provided on an inner wall of the power supply opening42.

A concave/convex stepped portion48is formed on the outer periphery of the main body portion40. A recessed portion of the stepped portion48is fitted into the hole38eof the main body supporting section38d, whereby the power supply socket24is supported on the main body supporting section38d. As a result, an entrance50of the power supply opening42is positioned above the main body supporting section38d.

The lid36is a waterproof cover for the power supply socket24, and includes a lid portion52having a flat top surface that closes the power supply opening42. A location above the power supply opening42of the main body portion40is covered by an opening side seal member53which is formed integrally with the lid36. The opening side seal member53and the lid36are connected together through a connecting part54. Consequently, the front side of the lid portion52is supported on the main body portion40via the connecting part54and the opening side seal member53. Further, a knob portion56, the thickness of which is thinner than that of the lid portion52, is provided on a side portion (distal end) of the lid portion52that is located on the rearward side. The lid portion52, the opening side seal member53, the connecting part54, and the knob portion56are made up from elastic members such as rubber or the like.

In addition, with the lid retaining structure10, in a state in which the pipe handle16is sandwiched from front and rear directions between the front support portion20fand the rear support portion20r, and the main body supporting section38dsupports the main body portion40, the pairs of screw holes of the front support portion20fand the rear support portion20rare aligned respectively with the pair of holes that are formed in the supported sections38a,30b, and thereafter screw members58a,58b, which serve as a pair of fastening members, are screwed into the respective screw holes through the respective holes, thereby fastening together the front support portion20f, the rear support portion20r, and the supported sections38a,38b.

In this case, the upper screw member58apenetrates through the hole of the upper supported section38aand is screw-engaged with the screw holes on the upper side of the front support portion20fand the rear support portion20r. On the other hand, the lower screw member58bpenetrates through the hole of the lower supported section38band is screw-engaged with the screw holes on the lower side of the front support portion20fand the rear support portion20r.

Consequently, the front support portion20f, the rear support portion20r, and the stay38are fastened together in the front and rear direction at positions above and below the pipe handle16, and are supported on the pipe handle16. Further, as shown inFIGS. 2 and 3, at a location closer to the vehicle body center than the component supporting section20, in a space surrounded by the pipe handle16, the component supporting section20, and the flat section38cof the stay38, a gap60is formed between the pipe handle16and the flat section38c. That is, a space62including the downwardly narrowing substantially V-shaped gap60is formed by the pipe handle16, the component supporting section20, and the flat section38cof the stay38.

Next, the rider grasps the knob portion56of the lid36, and by rotating the lid portion52about the connecting part54, the entrance50of the power supply opening42is exposed to the exterior, as shown inFIG. 4. In addition, after the lid portion52is rotated by approximately 270 degrees in a frontward direction from the position (the position of the entrance50) shown inFIG. 3, the knob portion56is directed downward, and the knob portion56is inserted into the gap60of the space62. In this case, the lid portion52of the lid36abuts against the flat section38c, and by surface contact therebetween, positional shifting is prevented as a result of friction between the lid portion52and the flat section38c. Further, by insertion and sandwiching of the knob portion56between the pipe handle16and the flat section38c, the lid36is more reliably retained in the space62.

Because the pipe handle16is annularly shaped in cross section, a possibility exists that the component supporting section20may rotate, resulting in positional deviation thereof in the circumferential direction of the pipe handle16. Even in this case, since the gap60remains constant between the pipe handle16and the stay38, positional accuracy of the stay38with respect to the circumferential direction can be ignored.

Further, as shown inFIG. 5, the location where the lid portion52and the connecting part54are connected is positioned above the lid36. Since the lid36and the connecting part54are elastic members, the lid36is pressed from above by the connecting part54. As a result, the lid36can be retained in the space62.

By opening the entrance50, a power source terminal64of the vehicle-mounted device30or the navigation device32can be inserted into the power supply opening42. In this case, the power supply contact44is connected to the positive electrode of a battery66of the motorcycle12, and the ground terminal46is connected to the negative electrode of the battery66thereof. Therefore, when the positive electrode terminal of the power source terminal64and the power supply contact44are connected, and the negative electrode terminal and the ground terminal46are connected, electrical power from the battery66can be supplied to the vehicle-mounted device30or the navigation device32through the power supply contact44and the power source terminal64.

[Advantages and Effects of the Present Embodiment]

As described above, the lid retaining structure10according to the present embodiment includes the pipe handle16, the component supporting section20, and the stay38.

The component supporting section20supports the master cylinder22on the pipe handle16at a location closer to the vehicle body center than the right side grip18R. Further, the stay38is equipped with the supported sections38a,38bsupported on the pipe handle16through the component supporting section20, the flat section38c, which jointly forms the gap60between the pipe handle16and the flat section38cand which extends upwardly from the supported sections38a,38b, and a main body supporting section38d, which is bent from the flat section38cso as to separate away from the pipe handle16, and supports the main body portion40of the power supply socket24.

In addition, the main body portion40is supported on the main body supporting section38dsuch that the entrance50is positioned above the main body supporting section38d. Further, the lid36is connected to the main body portion40via the connecting part54at a location above the main body supporting section38d. In this case, the lid36, which is detached from the entrance50, is retained in the space62surrounded by the pipe handle16, the component supporting section20, and the flat section38c.

Consequently, in the lid retaining structure10, the lid36, which is detached from the entrance50, is retained in the space62, whereby movement of the lid36in an axial direction of the pipe handle16(in the left and right direction of the motorcycle12) is restricted by the component supporting section20, together with movement of the lid36in the front and rear direction being restricted by the pipe handle16and the flat section38c.

Because the pipe handle16has an annular shape when viewed in cross section as shown inFIGS. 3 through 5, in the case that the lid36is inserted from above into the gap60between the pipe handle16and the flat section38c, the gap60is substantially in the form of a V-shape, which is wider at the entrance and narrows in a downward direction. As a result, by holding the knob portion56, which is most-susceptible to swaying, on a distal end (lower end) of the lid36with the pipe handle16and the flat section38c, it is possible to maintain the retained state of the lid36favorably while suppressing vibrations of the lid36.

In the foregoing manner, according to the present embodiment, the power supply socket24can be arranged in the vicinity of the pipe handle16, and the lid36can suitably be retained after removal thereof from the entrance50. As a result, by inserting the power source terminal64, which is an external terminal, into the entrance50and connecting the external terminal to the power supply contact44and the ground terminal46, through the power supply contact44and the ground terminal46together with the power source terminal64, it is possible to supply electrical power from the battery66to the vehicle-mounted device30and the navigation device32, which are accessories arranged in the vicinity of the handle14.

More specifically, with the motorcycle12, in order to enhance visibility of the rider who is seated on the seat, an external device such as the navigation device32or the like is disposed in the vicinity of the pipe handle16. Thus, according to the present embodiment, the power supply socket24is supported on the pipe handle16, whereby supply of electrical power to the external device from the battery66can easily be performed through the power supply socket24.

Further, if the lid36and the connecting part54are elastic members, the lid36and the connecting part54are capable of being elastically deformed, and thus it becomes easy for the lid36to be arranged in the space62surrounded by the pipe handle16, the component supporting section20, and the flat section38c. Further, due to surface contact between the lid36, which is an elastic member, and the flat section38c, since the frictional force between the lid36and the flat section38cis increased, the retained state of the lid36can favorably be maintained.

Furthermore, the connecting part54connects the main body portion40and a front side of the lid36. In this case, as viewed from the side as shown inFIGS. 3 through 5, the lid36, which is detached from the entrance50, is rotated about the connecting part54by approximately 270 degrees from the entrance50toward the pipe handle16, and is held in the space62such that the connecting part54is positioned above the lid36. Consequently, when the lid36is held in the gap60between the pipe handle16and the flat section38c, the connecting part54, which is an elastic member, presses on the lid36from above. As a result, it is possible to restrict the position of the lid36from any direction, i.e., the front and rear direction, the left and right direction, or the up and down direction.

Furthermore, the component supporting section20includes the front support portion20farranged in front of the pipe handle16and which supports the master cylinder22, and the rear support portion20rdisposed behind the pipe handle16. In this case, the front support portion20f, the rear support portion20r, and the supported sections38a,38bare supported on the pipe handle16as a result of being fastened together by the screw members58a,58bin the front and rear direction.

The screw members58a,58b, originally, are fastening members for fixing the component supporting section20to the pipe handle16. Thus, by using the screw members58a,58b, the front support portion20f, the rear support portion20r, and the supported sections38a,38bare fastened together in the front and rear direction, whereby the stay38can be fixed to the pipe handle16while suppressing an increase in the weight of the handle14. Further, by being fastened and fixed in place together with the stay38, compared to a case of directly fixing the stay38to the pipe handle16, the gap60is easily formed between the flat section38cand the pipe handle16.

In addition, the front support portion20f, the rear support portion20r, and the supported sections38a,38bare fastened together in the front and rear direction at positions above and below the pipe handle16, and are supported on the pipe handle16using the pair of upper and lower screw members58a,58b. In accordance with this feature, it is possible to suitably fix and support the stay38which is elongated in the up and down direction. Further, since the power supply socket24can be fixedly supported more firmly on the pipe handle16through the stay38, it is possible to prevent positional shifting of the power supply socket24(and falling off of the power supply socket24due to the force of inserting the power source terminal64), which occurs when the power source terminal64is inserted into the entrance50that is arranged above the pipe handle16.

Furthermore, the lid36includes the lid portion52that covers the entrance50, and the knob portion56that protrudes from a rear portion of a side of the lid portion52and is thinner than the lid portion52. In this case, the lid36, which is detached from the entrance50, is gripped in the space62as a result of the knob portion56being arranged in the gap60between the pipe handle16and the flat section38c. Consequently, the gap60can be made narrower. As a result, it is possible to prevent the power supply socket24from protruding in a rearward direction from the pipe handle16.

A description concerning the present invention has been made above on the basis of a preferred embodiment. However, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the disclosed scope and content of the aforementioned embodiment. It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be made to the above-described embodiment. It is readily apparent from the disclosed content and scope of the appended claims that such modifications or improvements can be included within the technical scope of the present invention. Further, in order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, the reference characters noted in parentheses in the appended claims have been provided in accordance with the reference characters in the accompanying drawings, and the present invention is not to be construed as being limited to such elements to which the reference characters have been attached.