Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Auxiliary article compartments
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-06
2003-01-07
Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Auxiliary article compartments
Reexamination Certificate
active
06502884
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement in a structure for mounting a CD changer on a motorcycle or a passenger vehicle and an improvement in a CD changer support device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there are few examples of CD changers mounted on motorcycles, but with the increase in the size of motorcycles, there is now a desire to mount a CD changer thereon.
Some larger motorcycles have a trunk above their rear wheel, and it is therefore possible to house a CD changer within the trunk in such motorcycles. However, if a CD changer is housed within the trunk, the effective capacity of the trunk is correspondingly decreased. In order to secure an effective capacity, it is necessary to increase the overall size of the trunk, but there is a possibility that enlarging the trunk may adversely influence the balance of the motorcycle. Moreover, since the vibration of motorcycles during travel is greater than that of passenger vehicles, to prevent the occurrence of sound skipping, it is necessary to be careful as to where the CD changer is positioned.
With regard to conventional passenger vehicles in which a CD changer is mounted, a CD changer is often housed in the luggage compartment portion of the trunk of the vehicle with the CD changer fixed to the floor of the luggage compartment. However, fixing the CD changer to the floor of the luggage compartment reduces the capacity of the luggage compartment by the amount occupied by the CD changer. Moreover, since it is necessary to secure a space in front of the CD changer for inserting and removing a compact disc (CD), the capacity of the luggage compartment usable to effectively load luggage is further decreased.
Furthermore, a cushion mechanism is built into the CD changer so as to prevent the occurrence of sound skipping due to vibrations caused by the vehicle traveling. However, the conventional structure in which the CD changer is supported in a fixed manner on the floor in the trunk or on an inner panel cannot prevent the occurrence of sound skipping. There has therefore been a desire for a support structure that can more reliably prevent sound skipping from occurring.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a CD changer mounting structure that minimizes the vibrations acting on the CD changer and avoids adversely influencing the balance of a motorcycle.
In order to achieve this object, in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, a motorcycle is provided with a trunk that is disposed above a rear fender covering the upper part of a rear wheel. The trunk has a trunk main part with a horizontal base and a protrusion disposed between a rear downward curve of the rear fender and the trunk main part so as to protrude downward from a lower front part of the trunk main part. The CD changer is placed in a central area relative to a width of the motorcycle and stored within the protrusion.
In accordance with the above-mentioned arrangement, because the CD changer is placed in the central area relative to the width of the motorcycle, vibrations acting on the CD changer from the vehicle is minimized. Moreover, since the protrusion in which the CD changer is stored protrudes downward from the lower front part of the trunk main part using the rear space above the rear fender, the CD changer is effectively placed while avoiding the adverse influences on the balance of the motorcycle as well as having to change the dimensions of the trunk when compared with those in the art.
Furthermore, in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, a storage recess, which can store the CD changer having an opening on a front surface to insert and remove a CD, is provided in the luggage compartment-forming trunk. Swing support means that allow the CD changer to be swung between a protruding position where the front surface of the CD changer protrudes inside the luggage compartment from an inner surface of the trunk, and a storage position where the CD changer is stored within the storage recess, is provided among the trunk and a pair of support plates supporting either side of the CD changer. A cover plate covers the CD changer so that when the CD changer is in the storage position, the cover plate blocks the open end of the storage recess so as to be on the same plane as the inner surface of the trunk. The cover plate is connected to the two support plates, wherein an operating force for swinging the CD changer from the protruding position to the storage position is applied to the swing support means.
In accordance with such an arrangement of the second aspect, since the CD changer can swing between the storage position where the CD changer is stored within the storage recess provided on the inner surface of the trunk, and the protruding position where the front surface of the CD changer protrudes inside the luggage compartment from the inner surface of the trunk so that a CD can be inserted and removed, the CD changer is stored within the storage recess except for when a CD is inserted and removed. Any decrease in the effective capacity of the luggage compartment due to the placement of the CD changer therein is avoided, thus securing a sufficient effective capacity. Moreover, since the cover plate blocks the open end of the storage recess when the CD changer is in the storage position so as to be on the same plane as the internal surface of the trunk, the internal appearance of the luggage compartment is not degraded. Moreover, it is possible to reliably prevent any foreign matter from coming into contact with and damaging the CD changer. Furthermore, since the cover plate connects the two support plates to each other, the rigidity with which the CD changer is supported by the two support plates is enhanced, and the operating force to swing the CD changer from the protruding position to the storage position is applied from the cover plate to the swing support means, thereby making swinging of the CD changer from the protruding position to the storage position easy.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, an operating part that operates the swing support means so as to swing the CD changer from the storage position to the protruding position is placed to face a window provided in the cover plate. In accordance with the above-mentioned arrangement, when the CD changer is swung from the protruding position to the storage position, the cover plate is operated directly. When swinging the CD changer from the storage position to the protruding position, the operating part facing the window of the cover plate is operated, and the operation of swinging the CD changer thus becomes easy.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, the swing support means includes a pair of base plates fixed to the trunk so that each base plate corresponds to one of the two support plates. Support shafts connect the two support plates to rear parts of the base plates so that the CD changer can be swung between the storage position and the protruding position. Swing biasing springs are provided between each of the two support plates and the corresponding base plates so as to spring-bias the CD changer toward the protruding position. A pair of levers are supported so as to swing around the support shafts and operate in association with each other. Pins are provided that have axes parallel to the support shafts and are fixed to corresponding levers. A pair of lever biasing springs are provided between the two levers and the two support plates. Provided on side edges on a support shaft side of guide plates provided on the two base plates are guide recesses formed in arc shapes with their centers on the axes of the support shafts and making sliding contact with the pins; first engagement recesses formed on one end along the circumferential direction of the guide recesses so that the corresponding pins engage the first engagement recesses when the two support plates are in the storage position; and second
Kusakari Hidehiko
Sakamoto Tsuneaki
Shimazaki Takayuki
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Honda Access Corp.
Pedder Dennis H.
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