Mud flap particularly for a bicycle mudguard

The present finding refers to a combination of spray guard profile and of a bicycle mudguard.

Different types of bicycle mudguards are known that, in the most researched versions, have shaped profiles at the end facing the ground that act as spray guards.

Very often, these spray guards are made separately from moulded synthetic material and then assembled with the mudguards so as to constitute a single body.

Some spray guards are joined with the mudguards through rivets, whereas in other cases stay bolts and suitably arranged holes are preferred.

This type of solution, as can easily be understood, involves the need to carry out a series of operations that, whilst seeming simple and run of the mill, can have a great influence from an economic point of view on such a type of product.

One only has to think that on each mudguard it is necessary to make holes, arrange the spray guard and then proceed with the riveting or fastening of the screws.

Moreover, using metal members for fastening the spray guards to the mudguards, with production intended for geographical locations with a particularly wet climate, there are often problems of oxidation, which take away a great deal from the aesthetic value of the mudguards in question.

As examples of the state of the art the following documents can be cited: DE-U-1989718, EP-A-1291273, GB-A-26995 and DE-U-29717082.

The purpose of the finding is that of producing a combination of a spray guard profile and a bicycle mudguard that are more useful and that can be produced in an easier way on respect of the already known devices.

The task outlined above, and others that shall become clearer hereafter, are accomplished by combination of a spray guard profile and of a bicycle mudguard, comprising a main support joined to a spray guard flap, it comprising snap engagement means for removably engaging said main support with a mudguard, said main support being able to be associated with said mudguard, realised according to the characterising portion of claim 1.

Further characteristics and advantages shall become clearer from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of a spray guard profile according to the finding, illustrated for indicating and not limiting purposes in the attached drawings, in which:

• figure 1 is a perspective view of a spray guard profile according to the finding and of a portion of mudguard;
• figure 2 is a plan view of a spray guard profile according to the finding and of a portion of mudguard;
• figure 3 is a plan view of a spray guard profile according to the finding joined to a mudguard;
• figure 4 is a perspective view of a spray guard profile according to the finding joined to a mudguard;
• figure 5 is a section of figure 3 carried out along the axis V-V.

With reference to the quoted figures, the spray guard profile according to the finding, globally indicated with reference numeral 1 and preferably made in a single piece with moulded synthetic material, comprises a main support 2 joined to a spray guard flap 3, advantageously shaped like a goose bill.

In the main support 2, which can be slidably associated with a bicycle mudguard 30, an inner face can be seen at the inner part 20 of the mudguard 30 and an outer face can be seen at the outer part 21 of the mudguard 30, which is the one normally visible to the user.

The main support 2, also by means of a pair of plates 5a and 5b joined to the outer face thereof and to a curved element 6 defined on the inner face of the main support 2, defines a guide 4.

The guide 4, which has a cross section substantially matching the cross section of a mudguard 30 with standard dimensions, allows the spray guard profile 1 to be associated with the mudguard 30 itself.

The curved element 6 also gives the structure thus made a certain degree of deformability, which allows the guide 4 to adapt even to mudguards with slightly different dimensions and proportions to the normal ones by slightly modifying the proportions of its cross section.

In order to give the spray guard profile 1 greater solidity with respect to possible mechanical stresses that it could encounter in the direction of longitudinal extension causing the mudguard 30 to detach, and to give the main support 2 a certain degree of rigidity, there is a pair of shaped ribs 7a and 7b defined by the main support 2 itself on its inner face, so as to constitute a single piece with the curved element 6.

According to the finding, there are snap engagement means on the spray guard profile 1, to removably engage it with the mudguard 30.

These snap engagement means firstly comprise a pair of teeth 8a and 8b defined inside the guide 4 at the plates 5a and 5b, respectively, and made with a shape substantially matching that of two notches 31a and 31b made on the mudguard 30, so as to prevent the spray guard profile 1 coming away from the mudguard 30 once it has been associated with it engaging the pair of teeth 8 with the notches 31.

To assist the action of the pair of teeth 8, the snap engagement means also comprise a projecting part 9 also defined inside the guide 4 but this time is a substantially central position, so as to be able to engage with a slot 32, with a configuration substantially matching that of the projecting part 9, defined on the mudguard 30.

Advantageously, the spray guard flap 3 is joined to the outer face of the main support 2, as shown by the section of figure 5, so that the mudguard 30 can insert into the main support 2, through the guide 4, taking its terminal edge 33 beyond the interlocking point 10 of the spray guard flap 3 in the main support 2, and thus creating an appendix 11.

The interlocking point 10 represents the fulcrum of possible mechanical stresses that the spray guard flap 3 could encounter and therefore the provision of moving it from the position relative to the terminal edge 33 of the mudguard 30, where it is situated in normal spray guards, to the back of the mudguard itself, ensures that the appendix 11 behaves like a binding that cancels out the stress by exploiting the rigidity of the mudguard 30 that partially encases it.

In this way, the mechanical stresses that the spray guard flap 3 encounters can only cause a minimal deformation of the entire structure, moreover rigidified by the shaped ribs 7, and do not manage to lead to the accidental disengagement of the pair of teeth 8 from the notches 31, which otherwise could easily happen.

The innovation described above allows a spray guard to be created with excellent aesthetic impact, since to avoid accidental detachment, it would otherwise be necessary to join the plates 5a and 5b so as to constitute a sort of strap capable of entirely embracing the back part of the mudguard, certainly ensuring a solid fastening of the teeth 8 to the notches 31 but creating an unacceptable aesthetic factor.

The way of use of the spray guard profile according to the finding is very simple and is described hereafter.

Having to install the spray guard profile 1 on a normal mudguard 30, preferably made from metal and on which the notches 31 and the slot 32 have already been made beforehand, it is first of all necessary to insert the mudguard 30 into the guide 4 so as to slidably engage it with it.

The possibility of inserting the mudguard 30 in the guide 4 is also ensured for mudguards with slightly different proportions or cross section to standard ones, thanks to the deformability of the curved element 6 that allows the proportions of the guide 4 to be modified and adapted.

To complete installation, as soon as the resistance offered by the snap engagement means towards the mudguard 30 is encountered during insertion, it is sufficient to slightly increase the force of introduction of the mudguard in the guide 4 until the engagement of the teeth 8 with the notches 31 and of the projecting part 9 with the slot 32 is caused, which occurs with a perceptible snap but above all without the contribution of any metal fastening member.

In practice it has been noted how the spray guard profile according to the finding fully fulfils the predetermined task, since it ensures the possibility of being assembled very quickly to a bicycle mudguard also without requiring the help of metal fastening members.

Given the substantial simplicity in assembly, the spray guard profile according to the finding is also very easy to replace, when necessary, even by any user.

In practice, the materials used, provided that they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the contingent shapes and sizes, can be whatever according to requirements and the state of the art.