Patent Publication Number: US-2006012207-A1

Title: Vehicle body covering cover of riding type vehicle, riding type vehicle provided therewith and method of fabricating vehicle body covering cover of riding type vehicle

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a vehicle body covering cover of a riding type vehicle, a riding type vehicle provided therewith, and a method of fabricating a vehicle body covering cover of a riding type vehicle.  
      2. Description of Related Art  
      Conventionally, there is known a vehicle body covering cover of a riding type vehicle provided with a character, a graphic, a pattern or the like on a surface thereof.  
      A method of providing a character or the like on a surface of a vehicle body covering cover, includes pasting a film with an adhering agent printed with a character or the like on a surface of a cover.  
      Further, there is another known method that includes previously working a surface pattern on an inner face of a molding die for molding a cover and molding the surface pattern simultaneously with molding the cover in the molding die. That is, the inner face of the molding die is previously worked with a pattern the same as the surface pattern intended to form on the surface of the cover. Further, a base main body in a shape of a hard plate is set to a position inside of the molding die by being remote from a face of the surface pattern. Next, a resin for constituting a molding product as soft as a skin of a seat for seating is filled in a space between the surface of the surface pattern and the base main body. Thereby, a surface resin layer integral with the base main body is molded in the space.  
      However, according to the method of pasting the film on the surface of the cover a problem of exfoliation or breakage of the film cannot be avoided. That is, the method of pasting the film on the surface of the cover is difficult to be regarded as satisfactory necessarily in view of durability.  
      On the other hand, according to the conventional method described above, although the problem of exfoliation or breakage of the film is not posed, a pattern capable of being formed on the surface of the cover is limited to a pattern capable of being worked on the inner face of the molding die and a restriction on the pattern is considerable. That is, the pattern cannot freely be selected.  
      The invention has been carried out in view of such a point and it is an advantage thereof to provide a vehicle body covering cover excellent in durability and having a high degree of freedom of selecting a pattern or the like and a riding type vehicle provided therewith.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      A vehicle body covering cover according to an embodiment of the present invention is a vehicle body covering cover for covering a portion of a vehicle body of a riding type vehicle. The vehicle body covering cover includes a main body made of a resin, a graphic layer which is formed on a surface side of the main body and in which a predetermined graphic is drawn and a clear layer for covering a surface of the graphic layer. The graphic layer and the clear layer are integrally molded with the main body.  
      Further, a vehicle body covering cover according to an embodiment of the present invention is a vehicle body covering cover including a main body made of a resin, a graphic layer which is formed on a surface side of the main body and in which a predetermined graphic is drawn, and a clear layer for covering a surface of the graphic layer for covering a portion of a vehicle body of a riding type vehicle. The vehicle body covering cover is fabricated by setting a sheet constituted by successively laminating the resin layer constituting a portion of the main body, the graphic layer, and the clear layer to a die, injecting the resin for constituting the portion of the main body into the die and melting the resin and the resin layer to integrate.  
      According to the above-described vehicle body covering cover, the graphic layer and the clear layer are integrally molded with the main body made of the resin. Therefore, different from the conventional art of pasting a film in which a graphic is drawn to a main body, the graphic layer is fixedly attached solidly to the main body and the graphic layer is difficult to be exfoliated or broken. Further, since the graphic layer is provided separately from the main body, it is not necessary to previously work a pattern or the like on an inner face of a molding die. Therefore, a pattern or the like can freely be selected.  
      Therefore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle body covering cover excellent in durability and having a high degree of freedom of selecting a pattern or the like and a riding type vehicle having the same can be provided. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a side view of a motorcycle according to an embodiment of the invention.  
       FIG. 2  is a plane view of the motorcycle.  
       FIG. 3  is a side view of a front side cover.  
       FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the front side cover.  
      FIGS.  5 ( a ) through  5 ( d ) are views of steps of fabricating the front side cover.  
      FIGS.  6 ( a ) through  6 ( c ) are views of steps of fabricating the front side cover.  
       FIG. 7 ( a ) is a sectional view of a sheet and  FIG. 7 ( b ) is a sectional view of the front side cover.  
       FIG. 8  is a sectional view of a front side cover according to a modified example.  
       FIG. 9 ( a ) is a conceptual view showing a mode of making a resin in a die flow and  FIG. 9 ( b ) is a sectional view of the front side cover.  
       FIG. 10 ( a ) is a conceptual view showing a mode of making a resin in a die flow and  FIG. 10 ( b ) is a sectional view of the front side cover.  
       FIG. 11  is a side view of a front side cover according to a modified example.  
      FIGS.  12 ( a ) and  12 ( b ) are sectional views of a front side cover according to a modified example.  
      FIGS.  13 ( a ) and  13 ( b ) are conceptual views for explaining a direction of drawing a sheet from a vacuum forming die. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      An embodiment of the invention will be explained in detail making reference to the drawings as follows.  
      As shown by  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the riding type vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention is a motorcycle (motorcrosser) suitable for a motorcross race. However, the riding type vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention is not limited to a motorcrosser but may be a motorcycle of other type (including motorbike, a scooter or the like). Further, the riding type vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention is not limited to a motorcycle but may be, for example, ATV or the like of a four wheel buggy vehicle or the like.  
      The motorcycle is provided with a vehicle body  10 , and a vehicle body covering cover covering a portion of the vehicle body  10 . According to embodiment of the present invention, as the vehicle body covering cover, there are provided a front side cover (front cowl)  34 , a rear side cover (rear cowl)  36 , a front cover  37 , and a small cover  38 .  
      The vehicle body  10  is provided with a vehicle body frame  11 , and a single cylinder  4  cycle engine  40  attached to the vehicle body frame  11 . A rear wheel  41  is attached with a gear  42  rotated integrally with the rear wheel  41 , and a chain  44  is wound to hang on an output shaft of the engine  40  and the gear  42 . The rear wheel  41  is suspended at the vehicle body frame  11  by a mono cross type suspension  46 .  
      A front end of the vehicle body frame  11  is fixed with a head pipe  25  and an under bracket  25 A. A pair of left and right front forks  27  are supported by the head pipe  25  and the under bracket  25 A pivotably in a left and right direction. A front wheel  24  is supported by the front forks  27 . Further, notation  28  designates a damping apparatus of the front forks  27 . The head pipe  25  is fixed with a steering handle  32  via a handle crown  30 .  
      A seat  31  extended to a rear side of the vehicle body  10  is supported by the vehicle body frame  11 . A muffler  70  is arranged on a lower side of a rear portion of the seat  31 . Further, a splash board  35  for the rear wheel  41  is provided rearward from the seat  31 . On the other hand, the front forks  27  are provided with a splash board  33  for the front wheel  24 .  
      The front side cover  34  is arranged on an upper side of the engine  40  and provided on both left and right sides of the vehicle body frame  11 . The rear side cover  36  is provided on both left and right sides of a rear side of the vehicle body frame  11 . A carburetor is provided on the rear side of the vehicle body  10  and the rear side cover  36  is arranged on a side of the carburetor. The front cover  37  is fixed to a front face side of the head pipe  25 . The small cover  38  is provided at the damping mechanism  28  of the front forks  27  to cover a face on a front side (on a side of an advancing direction) of the damping mechanism  28 .  
      The front side cover  34  is provided with an attaching structure  100  for attaching the front side cover  34  of the vehicle body frame  11 . The rear side cover  36  is provided with an attaching structure  102  for attaching the rear side cover  36  to the vehicle body frame  11 . Although a specific constitution of each of the attaching structures  100 ,  102  is not limited at all, according to the embodiment, each of the attaching structures  100 ,  102  is constituted by a boss portion formed with an inserting hole for a bolt and a bolt inserted into the inserting hole of the boss portion. The front side cover  34  is formed with notched holes  200 ,  202  for exhausting air passing through a radiator, not illustrated, to the outside.  
      As is conceptually shown in  FIG. 3 , a surface side of the front side cover  34  is formed with a graphic layer  90  (a hatched portion of  FIG. 3 ) for drawing a predetermined graphic (design). A kind of a graphic formed by the graphic layer  90  is not limited at all, for example, the graphic may be a character (including a numeral) of a racing sign or the like, a sign, a graphic, a photograph, or a pattern (including a colored pattern or the like) or the like, or may be a solid matrix of a single color (may be a color the same as that of a main body of the front side cover  34  or may be a color different therefrom), or a combination of these (hereinafter, simply refer to as ‘character or the like’). Although according to the embodiment, the graphic layer  90  is formed by a resin, the graphic layer  90  may be formed by other material of a metal or the like. Further, although according to the embodiment, a character or the like of the graphic layer  90  is drawn by printing, the character or the like may be drawn by another method. Further, the graphic layer  90  may be provided at a portion of the surface of the front side cover  34  or may be provided over the entire surface.  
      As shown by  FIG. 4 , a surface side (upper side of  FIG. 4 ) of the graphic layer  90  is provided with a clear layer (transparent layer)  80  for protecting the graphic layer  90 . The clear layer  80  may be provided with a transparency to a degree capable of observing the character or the like of the graphic layer  90 , and, for example, acrylic resin or the like can preferably be used therefor.  
      The graphic layer  90  and the clear layer  80  are integrally molded with a cover main body (base material of the cover  34 )  84  and embedded in the cover main body  84  although details thereof will be described later. In other words, a portion of an outer surface portion of the cover main body  84  is formed in a recessed shape and the graphic layer  90  and the clear layer  80  are arranged inside of the recessed portion.  
      The clear layer  80  and the cover main body  84  are substantially flush with each other. That is, a surface of the clear layer  80  and a surface of the cover main body  84  are not provided with a stepped difference therebetween and are smoothly continuous. Further, although in  FIG. 4 , the surfaces of the clear layer  80  and the cover main body  84  are made to be flat, the surfaces may naturally be warped or bent.  
      The cover main body  84  is formed by a resin. As a resin of forming the cover main body  84 , a material excellent in moldability to a desired shape, durability or the like is preferable, for example, polyolefin species resin of polypropylene or the like, ABS resin or the like can preferably be used.  
      A thickness of the front side cover  34  is not limited at all, for example, the thickness may be 1.5 mm through 2 mm. Further, the thickness of the front side cover  34  may be constant or may not be constant.  
      Further, the graphic layer  90  and the clear layer  80  are similarly provided at the rear side cover  36 , the front side cover  37 , and the small cover  38  although an explanation thereof will be omitted. In the following, only the front side cover  34  will be explained and an explanation of the other covers  36 ,  37 ,  38  will be omitted.  
      Next, a method of fabricating the front side cover  34  will be explained.  
      First, as shown  FIG. 5 ( a ), a sheet  82  constituted by laminating a resin layer  92 , the graphic layer  90 , and the clear layer  80  is fabricated. A thickness of the sheet  82  is not limited at all and, for example, the sheet  82  having the thickness of 0.3 through 0.7 mm can preferably be used. The graphic layer  90  is adhered to the resin layer  92  by an adhering agent. The adhering agent is provided with an adhering force larger than that of an adhering agent used in a seal or the like of a pasting type. For example, although according to a method of the conventional art for pasting a graphic seal on the cover main body  84 , it is difficult to carry out an operation of pasting a seal inside of a controlled hermitically closed space and a kind of usable adhering agent is restricted, the sheet  82  can be fabricated in the controlled hermitically closed space or the like. Therefore, an adhering agent or the like having a large adhering force can freely be used.  
      However, the method of forming the graphic layer  90  on the surface side of the resin layer  92  is not limited to the method of adhering the resin layer  92  and the graphic layer  90  by the adhering agent but an arbitrary method can be adopted so far as the graphic layer  90  can be fixedly attached firmly on the resin layer  92 .  
      Also a method of forming the clear layer  80  on the graphic layer  90  is not limited at all. For example, a film of forming the clear layer  80  may previously be fabricated and the film may be mounted on the surface of the graphic layer  90 . At this occasion, the graphic layer  90  and the clear layer  80  may be adhered by an adhering agent or the like such that air is not brought into an interval between the graphic layer  90  and the clear layer  80  in molding, mentioned later. Further, the clear layer  80  can also be formed directly on the surface of the graphic layer  90  by using a thin film forming technology or the like.  
      Next, As shown by  FIG. 5 ( b ), the sheet  82  is formed in a predetermined shape by mounting the sheet  82  on a sucking face  21  of a vacuum forming die  20  and sucking the sheet  82  from the sucking face  21 . Further, when an angular portion is provided at the sucking face  21 , in forming the sheet  82 , there is a case in which the sheet  82  is locally elongated considerably by the angular portion. As a result, there is a concern that the color of the graphic layer  90  is locally lightened or a character or the like is warped. Hence, according to the embodiment, a roundness (R) is provided to a projected portion  21   a  and a recessed portion  21   b  of the sucking face  21 . Therefore, according to the cover  34  of the embodiment, the roundness is formed at the angular portion of the projected portion projected to the surface side or the recessed portion recessed to a rear side in the graphic layer  90 . However, the roundness at the projected portion  21   a  and the recessed portion  21   b  is not necessarily needed so far as quality of the graphic layer  90  can be maintained.  
      Further, forming of the sheet  82  by the vacuum forming die  20  is so-to-speak preparatory forming and although the shape of the sheet  82  formed by the vacuum forming die  20  may be a shape in accordance with a die  26  mentioned later, it is not necessarily needed that the shape of the sheet  82  formed by the vacuum forming die  20  is the shape in accordance with the die  26 . The shape of the sheet  82  formed by the vacuum forming die  20  can finely be adjusted in molding at inside of the die  26 . For example, it is also possible that in forming by the vacuum forming die  20 , the roundness is provided at the projected portion or the recessed portion of the sheet  82  and in insert molding by the die  26 , an angular portion is provided to the projected portion or the recessed portion.  
      Next, as shown by  FIG. 5 ( c ), the sheet  82  is cut into a predetermined shape by pressing a trimming die  23  having a cutter  22  to the sheet  82  as formed. However, cutting of the sheet  82  is not limited to the method of pressing the trimming die  23  (pressing) as in the embodiment but a method of cutting the sheet  82  by moving the cutter along a face of the sheet  82  or the like will do.  
      In cutting the sheet  82 , the sheet  82  as formed may temporarily be removed from the vacuum forming die  20  and an independent die for cutting may be used separately from the vacuum forming die  20 . However, according to the embodiment, in order to promote the accuracy of working the sheet  82 , the sheet  82  is cut as in a state of being mounted on the vacuum forming die  20 . That is, as an instrument of positioning the sheet  82 , the vacuum forming die  20  is diverted thereto. By constituting a pair of dies by the trimming die  23  and the vacuum forming die  20  in this way, a position of cutting the sheet  82  is accurately set and the accuracy of trimming can be promoted.  
      After cutting the sheet  82 , the sheet  82  is removed from the vacuum forming die  20 . Thereby, the sheet  82  formed in the predetermined shape is provided (refer to  FIG. 5 ( d )).  
      Next, as shown by  FIG. 6 ( a ), the sheet  82  is arranged inside of the die  26  for insert molding. At this occasion, the sheet  82  is arranged such that a surface side (a side thereof provided with the clear layer  80 ) is brought into contact with an inner face of the die  26  and a rear face side (a side thereof provided with the resin layer  92 ) is disposed on a cavity side of the die  26 . Further, after arranging the sheet  82  inside of the die  26 , a resin is injected into the die  26  while applying a pressure on the die  26 .  
      The injected resin melts a portion of the resin layer  92  of the sheet  82  to be integrated with the resin layer  92  (refer to  FIG. 6 ( b )). That is, in the sheet  82  having a three layer structure of the resin layer  92  and the graphic layer  90  and the clear layer  80  (refer to  FIG. 7 ( a )), a portion of the resin layer  92  is mixed with the injected resin. Further, the resin layer  92  is integrated with the injected resin to be cured and the resin layer  92  and the resin constitute the cover main body  84  by heating and cooling (refer to  FIG. 7 ( b )). As a result, the cover  34  having the predetermined shape in which the graphic layer  90  and the clear layer  80  are fixedly attached solidly to the cover main body  84  is provided (refer to  FIG. 6 ( c )).  
      Further, the graphic layer  90  and the clear layer  80  are formed by materials which are not melted by the injected resin. According to the embodiment, the resin layer  92  is formed by a resin the same as or substantially the same as the injected resin.  
      Also the other covers  36 ,  37 ,  38  can similarly be fabricated although an explanation thereof will be omitted.  
      As described above, according to the cover  34  of the embodiment (further, similarly to the other covers  36 ,  37 ,  38 ), by melting the resin layer  92  of the sheet  82  and the injected resin, the clear layer  80  and the graphic layer  90  and the cover main body  84  are integrally molded. Therefore, the graphic layer  90  is difficult to be exfoliated and difficult to be broken. Therefore, the cover  34  having the graphic layer  90  excellence in durability can be realized. The graphic layer  90  in the cover  34  can be maintained in a vivid state over a long period of time.  
      Particularly, the front side cover  34  is arranged at a position contiguous to the leg portion of a rider in a riding attitude (refer to  FIG. 1 ). Therefore, the front side cover  34  is frequently rubbed by the leg portion of the rider. However, according to the front side cover  34  of the embodiment, even when the front side cover  34  is rubbed by the leg portion of the rider, the graphic layer  90  is difficult to be exfoliated or broken.  
      Further, a motorcrosser or the like is used under a severe environment of off road riding or the like. Therefore, rain water, mud or the like is liable to be splashed to the covers  34 ,  36 ,  37 ,  38 . Further, there is a case in which a hazard (tree, glass or the like at a side of a road) is brought into contact with the covers  34 ,  36 ,  37 ,  38 . However, according to the covers  34 ,  36 ,  37 ,  38  of the embodiment, even when rain water, mud or the like is splashed thereto or a hazard is brought into contact therewith, the graphic layer  90  can be restrained from being exfoliated or broken.  
      Further, in the motorcrosser or the like, there is a case of washing off mud or the like adhered to the covers  34 ,  36 ,  37 ,  38  by high pressure water injected from a nozzle or the like. However, according to the covers  34 ,  36 ,  37 ,  38  of the embodiment, even in such a case, the graphic layer  90  can be restrained from being exfoliated or broken.  
      Further, according to the embodiment, an arbitrary character or the like can be drawn on the graphic layer  90  and therefore, a restriction on a character or the like drawn on the cover  34  is inconsiderable. Therefore, a degree of freedom of selecting a character or the like is high and a character or the like can freely be formed.  
      Further, according to the embodiment, the graphic layer  90  and the clear layer  80  are embedded in the cover main body  84  and edge portions of the graphic layer  90  and the clear layer  80  are covered by the cover main body  84 . Further, the graphic layer  90  and the clear layer  80  are not projected from the cover main body  84  to the surface side. Therefore, the graphic layer  90  and the clear layer  80  are further difficult to be exfoliated.  
      Further, the clear layer  80  is substantially flush with the cover main body  84 . Therefore, the graphic layer  90  and the clear layer  80  are made to be further difficult to be exfoliated.  
      According to the embodiment, in forming the sheet  82  in the predetermined shape, the roundness is provided to the projected portion  21   a  and the recessed portion  21   b  of the vacuum forming die  20 . Therefore, the sheet  82  can be prevented from being elongated by a large amount locally. Therefore, a shift of color or warp of a character or the like of the graphic layer  90  can be prevented and quality of the graphic layer  90  can be promoted.  
      Further, the cover and the method of fabricating the cover according to the invention are not limited to the above-described embodiment but can be embodied by other various modes. Next, a modified example of a cover and a method of fabricating the cover will be explained.  
      As shown by  FIG. 4 , according to the above-described embodiment, the surface of the clear layer  80  is not covered by the cover main body  84 . However, as shown by  FIG. 8 , a stepped difference  86  in an edge-like shape may be provided at a surrounding of the clear layer  80  and a portion of the cover main body  84  may cover a surface side of the stepped difference. That is, the stepped difference  86  may previously be provided at the surrounding of the clear layer  80  of the sheet  82  and the resin injected into the die  26  may be made to flow to the surface side of the stepped difference  86 .  
      By covering the peripheral edge of the clear layer  80  from the surface side by a portion of the cover main body  84 , the clear layer  80  can firmly be fixed to the cover main body  84 . Therefore, the clear layer  80  can further effectively be prevented from being exfoliated and therefore, the graphic layer  90  can further be prevented from being exfoliated or broken.  
      According to the above-described embodiment, the clear layer  80  and the graphic layer  90  of the sheet  82  are brought into close contact with each other and there is not a clearance between the clear layer  80  and the graphic layer  90 . However, depending on a kind or a method of fabricating the sheet  82 , there is conceivable also a case in which the clear layer  80  and the graphic layer  90  are not brought into close contact with each other. However, when there is a clearance between the clear layer  80  and the graphic layer  90  of the sheet  82 , in the case of injecting the resin into the die  26 , there is a concern of bringing the resin into the clearance. Hence, as shown by  FIG. 9 ( a ), sides of the clear layer  80  and the graphic layer  90  of the sheet  82  may be closed by a shielding member  29  including a portion of the die  26  or a separate member and the resin may be prevented from being brought into the interval between the clear layer  80  and the graphic layer  90 . In this case, as shown by  FIG. 9 ( b ), a groove  50  is formed in the cover  34  at peripheral edges of the clear layer  80  and the graphic layer  90 . The groove  50  may be filled by a filling member. However, since a pattern or the like of the graphic layer  90  can be embossed by the groove  50  and therefore, the groove  50  may be left for promoting an outlook thereof excellently. A width of the groove  50  is not limited at all, and, for example, the width may be set to 0.5 mm through 1 mm.  
      Meanwhile, in injecting the resin into the die  26 , depending on injecting conditions (temperature, pressure and the like of the resin), there is a concern that the resin layer  92  of the sheet  82  is pressed to flow away by the injected resin. Hence, the resin of the resin layer  92  may be constituted by a resin different from the resin injected into the die  26 . Further, here, the different resin is a resin having the same kind and different physical properties, or a resin of a different kind. For example, the resin layer  92  of the sheet  82  may be formed by a resin having a fluidity lower than that of the resin injected into the die  26 . Further, in order to restrain the resin layer  92  from flowing away, the resin layer  92  may be formed by a resin having a heat resistant temperature higher than that of the resin injected into the die  26 . Thereby, the resin layer  92  can be prevented from being pressed to flow away and the graphic layer  90  and the clear layer  80  can stably be formed on the surface side of the cover main body  84 .  
      In order to prevent the clear layer  80  and the graphic layer  90  of the sheet  82  from being melted and preventing the resin layer  92  from being pressed to flow away, a gate  88  ( FIG. 6 ( a )) of the die  26  may be provided at a position remote from the sheet  82 . Thereby, the resin at a high temperature immediately after being injected from the gate  88  is restrained from forcibly flowing to the sheet  82  as staying at the high temperature. Therefore, the clear layer  80  and the graphic layer  90  can be prevented from being melted and the resin layer  92  can be prevented from flowing away.  
      The resin of the resin layer  92  and the resin injected to the die  26  may be resins having different colors. However, when the resin of the resin layer  92  and the resin injected into the die  26  are constituted by the same resin or resins of colors of the same system, even when a portion of the resin layer  92  is pressed to flow away by the injected resin, a nonuniformity in color of the cover main body  84  (particularly, a peripheral portion of the graphic layer  90 ) can be prevented from being brought about.  
      As shown by  FIG. 10 ( a ), a side of the sheet  82 , that is, a side of a total of the clear layer  80 , the graphic layer  90  and the resin layer  92  may be closed by a shielding member  51  including a portion of the die  26  or a separate member and the injected resin may be prevented from directly colliding with the side of the resin layer  92 . Thereby, the resin layer  92  is made to be difficult to be pressed to flow away by the injected resin. Therefore, the graphic layer  90  and the clear layer  80  can stably be formed at the cover main body  84 . Further, even when the color of the resin of the resin layer  92  and the color of the injected resin differ from each other, a nonuniformity in color of the cover main body  84  can be prevented from being brought about.  
      Further, in this case, as shown by  FIG. 10 ( b ), the surface side of the cover  34  is formed with a groove  52  having a depth reaching portions of the clear layer  80 , the graphic layer  90  and the cover main body  84 . The groove  52  may be filled by a filling member or may be left as it is. A width of the groove  52  is not limited at all but may be set to, for example, 0.5 mm through 1 mm.  
      Meanwhile, after injecting the resin to the die  26 , the die  26  is cooled and in a procedure of cooling, there is a concern of warping the cover  34 . That is, whereas the sheet  82  before injecting the resin to the die  26  is at a normal temperature, the injected resin is at a high temperature. Therefore, although the sheet  82  is heated by the resin, the temperature thereof becomes lower than that of the resin. As a result, in cooling the die  26 , a degree of lowering the temperature of the sheet  82  becomes smaller than that of the resin. Therefore, the resin is shrinked by an amount larger than that of the sheet  82  and there is a concern of warping back the cover  34  to the surface side.  
      Hence, the resin layer  92  of the sheet  82  may be formed by a resin having a shrinking property higher than that of the resin injected into the die  26  (a resin having a large degree of shrinking with regard to a temperature drop). Further, the injected resin may be provided with a property having a low shrinking rate. By constituting the shrinking rate of the resin layer  92  and the shrinking rate of the injected resin by the same degree, the cover  34  can be prevented from being warped.  
      Further, as shown by  FIG. 11 , a rear face side of the cover  34  (further, the cover  34  of  FIG. 11  is a cover having a shape different from that of the cover  34  of the above-described embodiment (refer to  FIG. 1 )) may be provided with a rib  54  for reinforcement for preventing the cover  34  from being warped. It is preferable that the rib  54  is provided at a portion of the cover  34  which is liable to be warped by shrinking the resin. For example, as shown by  FIG. 12 ( a ), when there is a portion  34   a  projected to the surface side at a portion of the cover  34 , it is preferable to provide the rib  54  on the rear side of the projected portion  34   a . Further, as shown by  FIG. 12 ( b ), the rib  54  may be provided on a surface side of a raised portion  34   b  of the projected portion  34   a . When the rib  54  is provided on the rear side or the surface side of the cover  34  in this way, the cover  34  can effectively be prevented from being warped.  
      As shown by  FIG. 13 ( a ), in forming the sheet  82  in the predetermined shape by the vacuum forming die  20  (refer to  FIG. 5 ( b )), when a distance (depth) L between an upper end and a lower end of the sheet  82  is large, there is a case in which the end portion of the sheet  82  is elongated considerably and the end portion of the sheet  82  is thinned. Hence, a direction of drawing the sheet  82  from the vacuum forming die  20  may be changed from a direction A as illustrated to a direction B substantially perpendicular to the sheet  82 . For example, as shown by  FIG. 13 ( b ), the direction of drawing the sheet  82  from the die may be constituted by a direction of minimizing the depth L of the sheet  82  (B direction). Thereby, the sheet  82  can shallowly be formed and the end portion of the sheet  82  can be restrained from being elongated or the like. Therefore, the quality of the sheet  82  can be promoted.  
      Although according to the above-described embodiment, the cover is formed with the cowling per se, the cover according to an embodiment of the present invention may be formed separately from the cowling and fixed to the cowling. Further, a position of attaching the cover according to an embodiment of the present invention to the vehicle body is not limited at all.  
      As has been explained above, the present invention is useful for a vehicle body covering cover used for a riding type vehicle of a motorcycle, ATV or the like, a method of fabricating the same and a riding type vehicle having the vehicle body covering cover.