Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Auxiliary article compartments
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-21
2002-12-31
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Auxiliary article compartments
C224S413000, C224S433000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06499784
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an article storage device of a motorcycle.
In a motorcycle, particularly, of a scooter type, an article storage device or compartment of box structure having a large capacity capable of storing or accommodating a large article such as a helmet or the like is provided below a seat formed so as to be opened and closed. As conventional examples of an article storage device (or box) of the type mentioned above, there are, for example, structures shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 1-148679, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 1-58388 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 6-156344.
In such conventional examples, the article storage box disposed below the seat is formed of synthetic resin in shape of a bottomed container having an article access port opened above, and the storage box is provided with an article access port having an opening area which is equal to or more than an area of a bottom surface of the storage box so as to provide a taper shape narrowed in the whole structure towards the lower portion thereof. This is because of intending to make simple a die to be used and improve a draft property at a time of forming the storage box, as well as to enable the storage boxes to be stacked, and hence, improve a transferring efficiency thereof.
However, in a scooter type motorcycle, independent frame covers are provided in both sides of the article storage box, and each of the frame covers is formed so as to be expanded in a width direction towards the lower portion thereof in order to cover both side portions of a power unit installed below the storage box in a standing attitude. Therefore, an unnecessary dead space is formed between the storage box having a taper shape narrowing towards the lower portion and the frame cover having the width expanded towards the lower portion. Furthermore, the dead space will be easily formed in front of and at the rear of the storage box, and hence, the article storage box is made small in storing capacity in comparison with an outer appearance.
Furthermore, in order to accommodate a helmet or like article in the storage box, it is necessary to align the bottom surface area of the storage box with a size of the helmet. However, since the storage box is formed in the downward narrowed taper shape, an opening area of the article access port becomes larger than the size of the helmet, and it is unavoidable that the seat closing the article access port becomes necessarily large scaled, so that not only a sitting feeling (a step-over easiness) and a foot placing property of a rider and a passenger are deteriorated, but also a design of the motorcycle will be damaged.
On the contrary, in the case of increasing the capacity of the article storage box, in particular, increasing a longitudinal size of the storage box so as to make it possible to accommodate or store an article having a long size or scale such as tennis racket or umbrella, it is hard to place the helmet and the other small articles at a fixed position within the storage box, thus providing another disadvantage such that these articles roll within the storage box and the article itself and an interior portion of the storage box will be damaged.
In such case, a hook or the like member may be provided within the storage box to prevent the article, such as the helmet or the like, from rolling and the article is fastened and fixed by using a rope, a net or the like. However, in the case of storing a large article, there is a fear that the hook protruding in the storage box damages the article.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to substantially eliminate defects or drawbacks encountered in the prior art mentioned above and to provide an article storage device of a motorcycle capable of effectively utilizing a dead space in an interior portion of a motorcycle (vehicle) body and improving a productivity of an article storage box while maintaining an increased capacity of the storage box without deteriorating a sitting feeling and a foot placing property of a rider and a passenger.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an article storage device of a motorcycle capable of preventing an article such as helmet, small article and the like from rolling within the storage box and accommodating a long article such as umbrella while making it easy to access the article, as well as safely forming a hook within the storage box.
The above and other objects can be achieved according to the present invention by providing, in one aspect, an article storage device of a motorcycle in which a seat member has a structure including a rider seat section and a pillion section which is continuous to a rear portion of the rider seat section and the article storage device is arranged below the seat member, the article storage device comprising:
an article storage box as a body of the storage device disposed below the seat member; and
an article access port formed to the article storage box and opened upward in an installed state of the storage box, the article access port being opened and closed by opening and closing the seat member,
wherein the article storage box is arranged to a rear portion of a vehicle body of the motorcycle and above a rear wheel, a recessed portion protruding upward is formed at a central portion of a bottom surface of the article storage box for preventing an interference with the rear wheel, the bottom surface has a front side portion in front of a top portion of the recessed portion inclined forward downward, the bottom surface also has a rear portion at the rear of the top portion of the recessed portion inclined rearward downward, and the article access port has a rear edge portion positioned at the rear of the top portion of the recessed portion.
In accordance with the structure mentioned above, the bottom surface of the storage box is formed to provide a recessed portion (shape), an interior portion of the storage box is separated into a front half portion and a rear half portion on the boundary of the top portion of the recessed portion, and the article such as helmet, small article and the like respectively accommodated in the front half portion and the rear half portion are prevented from rolling in a longitudinal direction due to the location of the recessed portion. Further, since the article access port is opened rearward from the top portion of the recessed shape, it becomes easy to access the article accommodated in the rear half portion of the storage box.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an article storage device of a motorcycle in which a seat member has a structure including a rider seat section and a pillion section which is continuous to a rear portion of the rider seat section and the article storage device is arranged below the seat member, the article storage device comprising:
an article storage box as a body of the storage device disposed below the seat member; and
an article access port formed to the article storage box and opened upward in an installed state of the storage box, the article access port being opened and closed by opening and closing the seat member,
wherein the article storage box has an inner shape so that front side and rear side two full-faced helmets are longitudinally arranged in a state of directing upper portions thereof upward, the two helmets are respectively accommodated so as to direct, in attitudes, a bottom edge portion forward downward and direct bottom edge portions thereof rearward downward and the rear edge portion of the article access port is positioned so that at least a front portion of the rear side helmet faces an external portion.
In accordance with the structure mentioned above, since the front and rear two helmets are accommodated within the storage box in the state of directing the bottom edge portion downward, the front side helmet and the rear side helmet are respectively accommodated within the article storage box in the forward tilted attit
Blankenship G
Dayoan D. Glenn
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Suzuki Kabushiki Kaisha
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