Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
  • B62K—CYCLES; CYCLE FRAMES; CYCLE STEERING DEVICES; RIDER-OPERATED TERMINAL CONTROLS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR CYCLES; CYCLE AXLE SUSPENSIONS; CYCLE SIDE-CARS, FORECARS, OR THE LIKE
  • B62K23/00—Rider-operated controls specially adapted for cycles, i.e. means for initiating control operations, e.g. levers, grips
  • B62K23/08—Rider-operated controls specially adapted for cycles, i.e. means for initiating control operations, e.g. levers, grips foot actuated
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
  • B62J—CYCLE SADDLES OR SEATS; AUXILIARY DEVICES OR ACCESSORIES SPECIALLY ADAPTED TO CYCLES AND NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, e.g. ARTICLE CARRIERS OR CYCLE PROTECTORS
  • B62J21/00—Dress protectors, e.g. clips attached to the cycle
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
  • G05G—CONTROL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS INSOFAR AS CHARACTERISED BY MECHANICAL FEATURES ONLY
  • G05G1/00—Controlling members, e.g. knobs or handles; Assemblies or arrangements thereof; Indicating position of controlling members
  • G05G1/30—Controlling members actuated by foot
  • G05G1/48—Non-slip pedal treads; Pedal extensions or attachments characterised by mechanical features only
  • G05G1/483—Non-slip treads; Pedal extensions or attachments characterised by mechanical features only

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an accessory for the gear lever of motorcycles.
• gear levers of motorcycles are constituted substantially by an L-shaped lever made of steel, which has an engagement part that during use lies parallel to the ground and can be engaged by the foot of the motorcyclist to act on the gear.
• This engagement part has a grooved tubular covering made of rubber that is substantially similar, in terms of type, to the rubber that constitutes tires.
• the aim of the present invention is to provide an accessory for the gear lever of motorcycles that is capable of eliminating, or at least reducing drastically, the above-mentioned drawbacks.
• an object of the present invention is to provide an accessory for the gear lever of motorcycles that can ensure use of the gear lever without the risk of dirtying the upper and can drastically reduce its abrasion.
• Another object of the invention is to provide an accessory for the gear lever of motorcycles that has a low production cost, so that its use is advantageous also from an economic standpoint.
• an accessory for the gear lever of motorcycles characterized in that it comprises a protective body that has at least one tubular part designed to fit around an abutment region of the lever that can be moved by the foot of the user, at least one portion of the tubular part being elastically deformable radially in order to adhere snugly to a respective mating portion formed on the abutment region.
• Figure 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a part of a motorcycle with a corresponding gear lever and an accessory according to the invention
• Figure 2 is an enlarged-scale view of Figure 1 , in which the accessory according to the invention is associated with an adapter;
• Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a first embodiment of the accessory for the gear lever
• Figure 4 is another longitudinal sectional view of a second embodiment of the accessory for the gear lever according to the invention.
• Figure 5 is a view of the gear lever associated with the accessory according to the invention in its first embodiment, shown for the sake of clarity;
• Figure 6 is a view of the gear lever associated with the accessory according to the invention in a third embodiment
• Figure 7 is a view of the gear lever associated with the accessory according to the invention in a fourth embodiment.
• an accessory generally designated by the reference numeral 1 for a gear lever 2 of motorcycles, comprises a protective body 3.
• the protective body 3 has at least one tubular part 4 that is designed to fit around an abutment region 2a of the lever 2, the abutment region 2a being movable by the foot of the user.
• At least one portion of the tubular part 4 is elastically deformable in a radial direction, so as to adhere snugly around a respective mating portion that is formed on the abutment region 2a.
• the portion that is elastically deformable in a radial direction lies along the entire extension of the tubular part 4.
• the protective body 3 is provided with means 5 for preventing its removal from the gear lever 2, which are adapted to contrast the movement of the tubular part 4 (and in general of the protective body 3) with respect to the abutment region 2a along its own longitudinal axis 100.
• the abutment region 2a is generally constituted by a tubular covering made of grooved rubber, which has a plurality of mutually spaced grooves 2b.
• the removal-prevention means 5 are designed, during the use of the lever 2, to prevent the protective body 3 from sliding off the abutment region 2a.
• the protective body 3 can be made of a polymeric material and particularly of polyurethane. This material in fact allows to ensure the elasticity needed for the accessory 1 to adhere to the abutment region 2a and at the same time a surface that is capable of not dirtying the user's shoe by releasing unwanted residues or by scuffing the upper as a consequence of rubbing against it.
• the removal-prevention means 5 comprise at least one annular protrusion 5 a, which protrudes radially from the internal surface of the tubular part 4 and is designed to engage at a groove 2b formed on the abutment region 2a.
• the removal-prevention means 5 comprises a plurality of annular protrusions 5a which are mutually spaced along the longitudinal axis 100; in this case, as shown in Figure 5, at least one of the annular protrusions 5a is designed to engage at a groove 2b formed on the abutment region 2a.
• the protective body 3 can be provided with an end portion 6 that is at least partially closed and is designed, during use, to be arranged proximate to the free end of the gear lever 2. As shown in Figure 3, this end portion can be provided with at least one vent 6a, which is typically arranged at the longitudinal axis 100 and facilitates the fitting operations, allowing the residual air between the tubular body 3 and the lever 2 to exit freely through the vent 6a.
• the accessory 1 can be associable with an adapter 7 capable of allowing the application of the protective body 3 also on levers that have an abutment region 2a whose transverse dimension is smaller than that of the tubular part
• the adapter 7 comprises a sheet-like element that can be cut to size and has an adhesive surface designed to be mated with the abutment region 2a.
• the sheet-like element can be constituted by a hook- and-loop tape, which can be folded back onto itself around the abutment region 2a.
• the hook-and-loop tape can be provided by a strip of Velcro.
• the adapter 7 can be constituted by an adapter body 8, which can be for example co- molded inside the tubular body 3.
• the adapter body 8 also can be provided, at its internal surface, with second annular protrusions 8a designed to engage in the grooves 2b formed on the lever 2 to provide the removal-prevention means.
• the adapter body 8 has, on its outer surface, a plurality of intermediate grooves 8b, which are shaped complementary with respect, to the annular protrusions 5a formed on the internal surface of the tubular body
• This embodiment allows to use practically and effectively the same accessory 1 on levers 2 that have different transverse dimensions.
• levers 2 that have a "standard" diameter it is in fact sufficient to separate the adapter body 8 from the tubular body 3 and then fit the tubular body 3 around the abutment region 2a of the lever 2, making the annular protrusions 5a engage in the grooves 2b, while in the case of levers 2 with a reduced transverse dimension the adapter body 8 is kept within the tubular body 3 and the accessoiy 1 is fitted fully around the abutment region 2a of the lever 2.
• the second annular protrusions 8a engage in the grooves 2b formed on the abutment region 2a of the lever 2.
• the user fits the protective body 3 around the abutment region 2a of the gear lever 2 that can be moved by the foot of the user.
• annular protrusions 5a engage in the grooves 2b formed on the abutment region 2a and in particular on the tubular covering of grooved rubber that forms the abutment region 2a.
• This solution prevents in practice the protective body 3 from being able to slip off due to use of the lever 2 by the user.
• the abutment region 2a has a smaller transverse dimension than the internal surface of the tubular part 4, it is possible to wrap stably around the abutment region 2a the adapter 7 so as to allow the tubular part 4 to adhere snugly to the outer surface of the adapter 7.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
• Gears, Cams (AREA)
• Steering Devices For Bicycles And Motorcycles (AREA)
• Mechanical Control Devices (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=40293385

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (3)

Citations (6)

• 2008
  • 2008-03-28 IT ITVR20080039 patent/ITVR20080039A1/it unknown
• 2009
  • 2009-03-27 WO PCT/EP2009/053676 patent/WO2009118413A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (6)

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