GB2088798A

GB2088798A - Motorcycle cover

Info

Publication number: GB2088798A
Application number: GB8036670A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1980-11-14
Filing date: 1980-11-14
Publication date: 1982-06-16
Also published as: GB2088798B

Abstract

A motor-cycle cover includes a housing, e.g. to be mounted to the rear of the saddle and having a spindle to which a three-dimensional flexible cover is secured. The cover may be made of coated thin plastics material which is of a weight not exceeding 3 ozs per square yard. By this means the cover can be drawn in to the housing by rotation of the spindle, manually, or by spring means or by electric motor, without the necessity of prior folding of the cover. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Motorcycle cover This invention relates to retractable motorcycle cover assemblies and is concerned with constructions which are extremely simple, both in the mechanisms themselves and also in their manner of use.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a retractable motor-cycle cover assembly, comprises a housing, a rotary spindle in the housing and a three-dimensional flexible cover attached to the spindle at an attachment region of the cover which is at a point inboard of its periphery.

According to another aspect of the present invention a motor-cycle cover assembly of a retractable nature comprises a housing, a rotary spindle in the housing and a three-dimensional flexible cover attached to the spindle, the cover being formed of a thin flexible material which is substantially wider than the length of the spindle, and the arrangement being such that rotation of the spindle bunches the cover as it is drawn into the housing without the necessity of prior folding of the cover.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, a retractable motor-cycle cover assembly comprises a housing, a rotary spindle in the housing and a thin flexible water resistant cover attached to the spindle, the weight of the cover being up to 3 oz per square yard. The material of the cover may for example be of the type sold under the trade mark Ripstop which comprises a continuous filament woven nylon fabric with spaced reinforcing filaments. The fabric may conveniently have a water repellant finish of a flexible coating nature.

The cover may conveniently be formed from three sown or welded sections one of which comprises integral top, front and rear end panels and the others a pair of side panels. Alternatively the cover may be blow-moulded in one piece in a suitable thin flexible plastics material.

The invention may be carried into practice in a number of ways but two specific embodiments will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 A shows a motor-cycle with a cover according to the present invention covering the whole vehicle.

FIGURE 1 E; shows a first stage in retraction of the cover into its housing.

FIGURE 1C illustrates a further stage in the retraction of the cover.

FIGURE 2 illustrates the manner in which the cover is withdrawn from the housing.

FIGURE 3 illustrates the manner in which the cover is drawn into the housing by bunching and without prior folding.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-section of one end of the housing, showing the manner of latching of a handle.

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic cross-section of the housing with the cover retracted.

FIGURE 6 is a longitudinal cross-section of the housing of figure 5.

FIGURE 7 is a diagrammatic representation of the three sections of the cover prior to being secured together, and FIGURE 8 is a view of a further embodiment.

The drawings show a retractable cover assembly for a motor-cycle which includes a generally cylindrical housing 10 mounted on the motor-cycle behind the saddle and which housing may in certain instances comprise part of a shaped fairing positioned behind the saddle as shown in Figure 8. The housing has in it a horizontal spindle 11, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the spindle being mounted at its left hand end in an end wall 1 OA of the housing. At its right hand end the spindle 11 carries a boss 12 having a handle 13 pivoted thereto, as shown in Figure 4, for movement between a winding position shown in chain lines in Figure 4, (and also in Figures 2 and 3) and a folded position shown in full lines in Figure 3 in which it can be secured to the boss 12 by a lock having a key 1 5.

Secured to the spindle is a cover for the motorcycle of the kind generally shown in Figures 1 A, B and C and formed from three sections as shown in Figure 7. Thus Figure 7 illustrates a main section 1 7 having an upper panel 18, a front-end panel 1 9 and a rear-end panel 20. A pair of side sections 22 complete the cover and the three sections are secured either by sewing or welding along their opposed edges.In this manner a threedimensional cover is formed which is capable of covering the whole of the motor-cycle as shown in Figure 1 A or of being inverted during withdrawal into the housing 10 by rotation of the spindle 11 as shown in Figures 1 B and 1C. For this purpose the cover is secured to the spindle 11 at an inboard region 26 generally indicated in Figure 7 which is towards the rear-end of the top panel 18 and just above the fold line 28 between the top panel and the rear panel 20. Preferably a flap is secured to the cover in the region 26, e.g. by a sliding fastener and extends onto the spindle 11 in order to permit full withdrawal of the cover from the housing.

The material employed for making the cover comprises a continuous-filament woven nylon fabric of the type sold under the trade mark Ripstop and having a water repellant finish.

Preferably the fabric is of a reinforced type in which spaced filaments are provided considerably to strengthen the material. Such materials are commonly used for spinnakers. In order to enable the cover to be withdrawn into the housing in the manner shown in Figures 1 A and 1 B, and Figure 3.

without folding of the cover, it is found that the cover should be formed from a thin flexible coated plastics material having a weight of not more than 3 oz per square yard and preferably between .75 oz and 2.5 oz per square yard.

It will be seen from Figure 1 A that the cover can completely encircle the motor-cycle as shown.

In order to secure the cover to the motor-cycle, when in its operative position, press-studs or Velcro (trade mark) material may be employed to secure the two side panels 22 one to the other through the spokes of the front and rear wheels.

Covers formed according to the present invention and as shown in the drawings are found to be extremely simple to use in contrast to any known structures. By virtue of the type of material and the housing employed, as has been described, it is possible to wind the spindle to withdraw the cover into the housing without any prior folding of the cover. It is found in practice that the mouth of slit 30 formed in the housing 10 through which the cover passes, being of restricted size, tends to squeeze moisture from the cover as it is withdrawn into the housing.

The cover may be wound manually into the housing, or alternatively the spindle may be powered by an electric motor connected to a spring driven tensioning device in such a manner that extracting the cover automatically tensions the spindle.

The cover will then rewind automatically when released from its secured extended position. Such an arrangement has the advantage both of tensioning the erected cover and simplifying and speeding up the uncovering process.

Claims

1. A retractable motor-cycle cover assembly comprising a housing, a rotary spindle in the housing, and a three-dimensional flexible cover attached to the spindle at an attachment region of the cover which is at a point inboard of its periphery.

2. A cover assembly as claimed in Ciaim 1 in which the cover, in an extended position is capable of covering an entire motor-cycle and the housing.

3. A motor-cycle cover assembly of a retractable nature comprising a housing, a rotary spindle in the housing and a three-dimensional flexible cover attached to the spindle, the cover being formed of a thin flexible material which is substantially wider than the length of the spindle, and the arrangement being such that the rotation of the spindle bunches the cover as it is drawn into the housing without the necessity of prior folding of the cover.

4. A retractable motor-cycle cover assembly comprising a housing, a rotary spindle in the housing, and a thin flexible water resistant threedimensional cover attached to the spindle, the weight of the cover being up to 3 oz per square yard.

5. The combination of a motor-cycle and a motor-cycle cover assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the assembly is mounted on the motor-cycle to the rear of the saddle.

6. The combination as claimed in Claim 4 in which the cover is mounted in a fairing forming an integral part of the motor-cycle to the rear of the saddle.

7. A cover assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims'including a spring-operated system for retracting the cover into the housing.

8. A cover assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 including a retracting system for the cover which is operated by an electric motor.

9. A motor-cycle cover assembly substantially as specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings.