US20190313714A1

US20190313714A1 - Motorcyclist Knee Roller

Info

Publication number: US20190313714A1
Application number: US15/842,283
Authority: US
Inventors: Kevin Leon Henderson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2017-12-14
Filing date: 2017-12-14
Publication date: 2019-10-17

Abstract

A motorcyclist's knee-roller comprises free rolling abrasion resistant balls incased, so as to be capable of rolling free when engaging the road or ground surface. The knee-roller case portion can be connected to fastening sheet material to the shape of a co-operating fastening sheet material

Description

The invention relates to a knee roller for use in motorcycling.
Riders of motorcycles and scooters, especially motorcycle racers, are forced during fast cornering to lean their motor vehicles in an inclined position as to safely corner at the highest speed possible.
Through continued developments in tire technology, it is possible in recent times to take greater lean angles resulting in driving through the corner or curve with much higher speeds than before. To achieve this, a cornering style has been developed which involves contact between the rider's knee and the road or ground surface on the inside of the corner or curve.
The motorcycle racer will thereby consciously seek contact with the ground or road in road races to find the necessary for fast when corning during motor sports.
Such protection devices currently are generally made of plastic molding, furthermore, it has been determined that the conscious search by the driver contact with the ground or road is not always optimal, because the friction pair plastic body-asphalt is not ideal and acts as a brake or grip as to create discomfort when leaning to angles necessary to turn or corner, resulting in the rider simply avoiding touching the ground. This comes after statement by riders or racers to so called “stick-slip” effect, the driver will intuitively reduce the “stick slip” effects to road contact.
The ground contact has a stabilizing effect, permitting better control of the motorcycle through the cornering maneuver. It is necessary to provide the best protection possible to the rider during such an operation, a Knee Roller, in the form of free flowing balls uncased or cased in an abrasion resistant material that has been secured externally to the rider's clothing at the knee or upper shin position would provide optimal stability and low friction, allowing the rider to freely seek engagement with the ground or road.
The free rolling abrasion resistant balls uncased or cased in an abrasion resistant material has the advantage that it is relatively low in friction, therefore negating the “stick-slip” or otherwise “braking feel” when the motorcyclist makes contact between the knee-roller and the ground or road surface.
It is conventional to have releasable secure placement of the knee roller to the users clothing by means of the tried and tested hook and loop fastener elements. The fastener element with loops is stitched to the outside of clothing, garment or racing suit and the other element with hooks is secured to the knee roller by adhesive secure placement.
Other forms of attachment to the outside of clothing, garment or racing suit can also be in zippers, snaps or the like.
The knee roller is made up of free rolling abrasion resistant balls uncased or cased in an abrasion resistant material that can be arranged in any type of shape or size as to help the motorcyclist engage the ground or road and feel the low resistance roll, thus encouraging the three point contact, the motorcycle wheels and riders knee, forming stability through the turn.
The knee roller's abrasion resistant balls can be held together with high wear rings, high wear bearings, or abrasion resistant casing material as to allow the balls to move freely.

The invention is further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective front view of a motorcycle and rider in a turning or cornering position in which a knee roller is actively in use.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are top views in accordance of the present invention.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are side views in accordance to the present invention.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a turning or cornering style developed by motorcycle riders and racers requires the machine (2) and the rider (1) to adopt lean angles close to that of the road or track surface (3) such that the rider's knee (4) comes in contact with the road surface to provide with the motorcycle wheels three point contact or support. To provide this support and protection a knee roller (5) is secured to the clothing at the knee or upper shin position. The knee roller (5) presents a smooth low friction engagement with the surface (3).
The knee roller (13) illustrated in FIGS. 2-5, with use of bearings or rings (12), comprises free rolling balls (11) that can be in any size, shape, contour or arrangement, i.e., convex, concave, triangle, oval, hexagon, octagon, circle etc.
A hook fastener member (14) is secured to the back or inner side of the knee roller for releasable connection to a loop fastener member stitched onto the user's clothing. The member (14) can be secured to the knee roller either by heat lamination, adhesive or by stitching.
The invention can be embodied in a variety of ways other than specifically described and illustrated.

Claims

1. A knee roller for use by motorcyclists comprising of free rolling abrasion resistant balls (11) uncased or cased in an abrasion resistant material (13) providing low friction, free movement and free rolling when engaging the ground or road surface, and means (14) for mounting the knee roller on motorcyclists clothing.