Motorcycle fairing mounting bracket |
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申请号 | US11335930 | 申请日 | 2006-01-20 | 公开(公告)号 | US20060163900A1 | 公开(公告)日 | 2006-07-27 |
申请人 | Willem van der Hoeven; | 发明人 | Willem van der Hoeven; | ||||
摘要 | Two fairing mounting brackets are attached on either side of the lower portion of a fairing assembly. The brackets engage the motorcycle at the upper portions of the fork assembly via an upper and lower docking post on each side of the motorcycle. The edges of the brackets serve as guide ramps that lead to upper and lower U shaped female docking points in the brackets During attachment, the brackets guide the fairing downward by sliding the guide ramps along the male docking posts on the motorcycle into a position where the upper and lower male docking posts fully engage the upper and lower female docking points of the brackets. A locking mechanism secures the brackets to the motorcycle when in the fully engaged position. | ||||||
权利要求 | What is claimed is: |
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说明书全文 | This application claims priority to co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/645,901 filed Jan. 21, 2005 in the name of Willem van der Hoeven, entitled Easy Connect Motorcycle Fairing Brackets, which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference. This invention relates to motorcycles and more particularly to mounting brackets for motorcycle fairings. The use of motorcycle fairings is desirable as a mechanism to block the wind and thereby reduce rider fatigue and cold, as well as providing a location to mount equipment such as communication and audio gear, gauges and storage pouches in a position that can be easily viewed and accessed by the rider. This is especially true for long distance trips where the additional gear and reduced rider fatigue enhance the safety and enjoyment of the journey. It is also desirable to have the ability to remove such a motorcycle fairing for shorter distance and lower speed trips where the rider may prefer to engage the wind. In addition, the rider may prefer the appearance of the motorcycle without the fairing or sometimes with a smaller windshield mounted to the motorcycle. Traditionally, motorcycles and fairings have been designed such that the fairings are permanently mounted leaving the rider with the choice of purchasing a motorcycle with a fairing, purchasing a motorcycle without a fairing, or purchasing both motorcycles. The invention is directed at enabling a motorcycle user to connect and disconnect a fairing to and from the motorcycle using fairing mounting brackets that guide the fairing into and out of a fully engaged position on the motorcycle. Advantageously, the invention enables the user to do so without need for tools, and little fairing-related mounting hardware is left on the motorcycle if the fairing is removed. In one aspect, the invention envisions an upper and a lower female U shaped docking points oriented generally downward for engaging an upper and a lower circular male docking posts located on a motorcycle on the upper sides of the fork assembly; a rearward facing bracket edge to guide the motorcycle fairing bracket into a secure position by sliding against the upper male docking post and leading into a slotted section which the upper male docking post slides through leading to the female upper U shaped docking points in the brackets; and a lower extremity of the bracket including a substantially wide, generally downward facing opening which acts as a guide by sliding against the lower male docking post during installation, the opening tapering into a slotted section which forms the lower female U shaped docking point for receiving the lower docking post. Briefly stated, the invention envisions two fairing mounting brackets attached on either side of the lower portion of a fairing assembly. The brackets engage the motorcycle at the upper portions of the fork assembly via an upper and lower docking post on each side of the motorcycle. The edges of the brackets serve as guide ramps that lead to upper and lower U shaped female docking points in the brackets During attachment, the brackets guide the fairing downward by sliding the guide ramps along the male docking posts on the motorcycle into a position where the upper and lower male docking posts fully engage the upper and lower female docking points of the brackets. A locking mechanism can be used to secure the brackets to the motorcycle when in the fully engaged position. The bracket also defines a rearward facing guide edge 105. The rearward facing guide 105 leads upward to a slotted section 107 that is, in this embodiment, slightly wider than the width of the upper male docking post on the motorcycle. This slotted section 107 is oriented generally at a downward and slightly rearward angle off of a substantially vertical plane through the upper and lower docking points (101, 103). The upper slot 107 leads ultimately to the upper female docking point 101. The lower extremity of the bracket 100 contains a significantly wide slotted portion 111 that is oriented generally vertically in line with a vertical plane through the upper and lower docking points (101, 103). This wide lower slot 111 is tapered such that it becomes narrower higher up in the bracket 100. The tapered section leads to a slot 113 higher up in the bracket 100 that is only slightly wider than the width of the lower male docking post on the motorcycle. This narrow slot 113 is oriented generally vertically in line with the vertical plane through the upper and lower docking points (101, 103) and leads ultimately to the lower docking point 103, which is only slightly wider than the width of the lower male docking post on the motorcycle such that the docking points and the docking posts may nest snugly together. The bracket 100 further includes a fairing attachment portion 120 for attaching the bracket 100 to a fairing. In this particular implementation, the attachment portion 120 includes mounting apertures (121, 122) through which mounting hardware (e.g., bolts, rivets, etc.) can be used to securely affix the bracket 100 to the fairing. It will be apparent that the attachment portion 120 will need to be specially designed to accommodate the particular fairing on which the bracket 100 will be attached, and many different configurations will be necessary and possible. The brackets (303, 305) emanate slightly rearward (meaning toward the rear of the motorcycle if the fairing 301 were attached) and downward (meaning in the direction of gravity) from the lower portion 307 of the fairing 301. The motorcycle (not shown) has four circular male docking posts on the upper sides of the fork assembly, an upper and a lower docking post on each side. As described more fully in the following discussion, the two fairing mounting brackets 303 engage the four male docking posts to securely attach the fairing 301 to the motorcycle. Referring first to Turning now to From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that after the user initially positions the fairing mounting brackets with the rearward facing guide edge against the upper male docking points on the motorcycle, he/she is able to lower the fairing into place principally by “feel” with only general visual alignment between one of the lower female docking points on the fairing mounting brackets and one of the lower male docking points on the motorcycle as long as the user maintains enough rearward force as the fairing is lowered such that the fairing mounting bracket guide edge stays in continual contact with the upper male docking point on the motorcycle. This is so because the two fairing mounting brackets are oriented in a position parallel to each other, as are the male docking posts on the motorcycle, such that correct fore/aft alignment on one side of the motorcycle will result in correct fore/aft alignment on the other side. This is an important feature and is especially beneficial in case of a significantly large and opaque fairing where it would otherwise be nearly impossible or impractical for the user to visually align both of the lower male docking points on the motorcycle with the lower female docking points on the fairing brackets. As the upper male docking post 725 moves through the slotted section 727 on the fairing mounting bracket 700 and toward the upper female docking point 703 on the bracket (see As the docking post 725 moves fully into the female docking point 703 on the bracket 700 (see The disengagement of the spring-bolt type lock 715, which depending on its design may be through the turning of a key, pushing of a button, or turning of a knob etc., causes the spring-bolt to retract into its lock body 715. This permits the free movement of the locking mechanism body 705 about its pivot point 707, a movement which could, in one embodiment, be assisted by a return spring. The bracket 700 and thus the fairing will then be freed from the motorcycle when the user lifts upwardly on the fairing assembly while disengaging the spring-bolt type lock 715. The fairing assembly can then be easily removed from the motorcycle. The invention is not limited by the several embodiments and implementations described above and illustrated in the Figures. Rather, the invention is limited only by the scope of the appended claims. |