Mirror adapter mount |
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申请号 | US12462263 | 申请日 | 2009-07-31 | 公开(公告)号 | US09180925B2 | 公开(公告)日 | 2015-11-10 |
申请人 | Jeffrey D. Carnevali; | 发明人 | Jeffrey D. Carnevali; | ||||
摘要 | A novel mirror adapter mount for mounting between a handlebar mirror mount and a mirror normally secured thereto. According to one embodiment, the mirror adapter mount having a substantially rigid bracket with a first and second spaced-apart apertures each structured to receive a threaded shaft of the mirror, a threaded coupler having a shaft having a threaded portion thereof that is sized to be received through the first aperture in the bracket; a first securing means for securing the threaded portion of the shaft of the coupler to the handlebar mirror mount with a portion of the bracket secured there between; and a second securing means for securing the threaded shaft of the mirror to the second aperture of the bracket. | ||||||
权利要求 | What is claimed is: |
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说明书全文 | The present invention relates generally to means for providing mounting space on motorcycle handlebars, and in particular means for expanding pre-existing mounting space. Many after-market accessories are available for mounting on the handlebars of motorcycles. However, motorcycle manufacturers leave little or no real estate on the handlebars for the mounting of after-market accessories. Therefore, innovative ways of maximizing utilization of the available real estate are required. The present invention is a novel mounting device, formed of a pivot connector having a connector base and a coupler interface with a pivot joint therebetween; a means for adjusting a rotational stiffness of the pivot joint; a ball component formed on the coupler interface opposite from the pivot joint; and a coupler adapted for securing the connector base to a mirror mount of a handlebar. According to one aspect of the novel mounting device, a substantially rigid bracket is provided having first and second spaced-apart apertures each structured to receive a threaded shaft of a mirror. The coupler has a threaded shaft sized for being received through the first aperture of the bracket. Means are provided for securing the threaded portion of the shaft of the coupler to the handlebar mirror mount with a portion of the bracket secured therebetween. Other aspects of the invention are detailed herein. The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: In the Figures, like numerals indicate like elements. A novel mirror adapter mount 10 is installed on handlebar 1 at one of the pair of mirror receivers 2. Novel mirror adapter mount 10 is mounted between mirror mount receiver eye 2 and mirror 4. Mirror adapter mount 10 is a rigid bracket 12 adapted to mate with mirror mount receiver eye 2 with a mirror mount receiver eye 14 adapted to receive and secure mounting stem 3 of mirror 4. For example, in Receiver eye 14 is cantilevered from a hub 22 of bracket 12 that is adapted to mate with mirror mount receiver eye 2 of handlebar 1. For example, hub 22 is centered on a clearance hole 24 sized to receive therethrough a stem 26 of a connector 28. When mirror mount receiver eye 2 has a threaded hole 5 for thread 6 of mirror mounting stem 3, stem 26 of connector 28 is a threaded shaft matched to threaded hole 5. Else, when mirror mount receiver eye 2 has a smooth bore clearance hole 5 for thread 6 of mirror mounting stem 3, stem 26 of connector 28 is a threaded shaft sized to slip through clearance hole 5. A nut 30 engages threaded stem 26 for securing connector 28. According to one embodiment, connector 28 has a wrench interface 32, such as a hex or socket, for tightening mirror mounting stem 3 with mirror mount receiver eye 2. Connector 28 includes a part-spherical coupler component 34 that is radially resiliently compressible because it is molded of a resiliently deformable neoprene rubber. Part-spherical coupler component 34 is spaced away from hub 22 of bracket 12 on a slender neck portion 36 of stem 26 for use as the ball component of a rotationally and spherically adjustable ball-and-socket device, such as but not limited to the universally positionable mounting device disclosed by the inventor of the present invention in U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,885, which is incorporated herein by reference. Pivot arm 42 is optionally connected directly to bracket 12 through connector base 44. However, here connector 28 is optionally inserted through connector base 44 for coupling both bracket 12 and pivot arm 42 to mirror mount receiver eye 2. Receiver eye 14 of bracket 12 includes an aperture 16 for thread 6 of mirror mounting stem 3 of mirror 4. Accordingly, aperture 16 of receiver eye 14 is a threaded hole similar to threaded aperture 5 of mirror mount receiver eye 2, and thread 6 engages threaded aperture 16 of receiver eye 14 for securing mirror mounting stem 3 to receiver eye 14. Base 44 of pivot arm 42 is formed with a shoulder 62 for engaging and nesting against hub 22 of bracket 12 when connector 28 is installed into mirror mount receiver eye 2. Pivot pin 52 has a head 72 at one end of shaft 66 and threads 74 at the other end. A nut 76 is coupled to threads 70 of pivot pin 52. Alternate tightening and loosening of pivot pin 52 tightens and loosens (arrows 78) pivot joint 40. Arms 58 of yoke 50 are slightly flexible such that tightening of pivot pin 52 flexes yoke 50 and compresses arms 58 inwardly about barrel hub 60 of coupler interface 46. Compression of yoke 50 about barrel hub 60 stiffens pivot joint 40 against rotation. Loosening of pivot pin 52 relaxes yoke 50 and decompresses arms 58 outwardly from barrel hub 60, which relaxes pivot joint 40 and permits coupler interface 46 to rotate. Adjustment of pivot joint 40 is accomplished by loosening pivot pin 52, rotating coupler component 34 is to a desired angular arrangement within radial range of motion (arrow 64), and re-tightening pivot pin 52 to secure the desired angular arrangement. According to one embodiment, head 72 of pivot pin 52 is recessed in a counter bore 80 in one arm 58 of yoke 50, and nut 76 is seated in a nut pocket 82 in opposite one arm 58. According to one embodiment, a resiliently compressible elastomeric interface 84 is seated between barrel hub 60 of coupler interface 46 and one or both arms 58 of yoke 50 for maintaining stiffness of pivot joint 40 when desired angular arrangement of coupler component 34 is achieved. For example, elastomeric interfaces 84 are o-rings which, when formed of a rubber, neoprene or another elastomeric material, have a high coefficient of friction. The high coefficient of friction of elastomeric interfaces 84 permit secured pivot joint 40 to be adjusted to and maintain a new orientation, without loosening and subsequent tightening pivot pin 52 to secure the desired angular arrangement as was required in prior art devices. While the preferred and additional alternative embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the inventor makes the following claims. |