Land vehicles – Wheeled – Occupant propelled type
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-09
2001-03-13
Hurley, Kevin (Department: 3619)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Occupant propelled type
Reexamination Certificate
active
06199888
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement in a main stand structure for a motorcycle.
2. Background Art
Many motorcycles have a main stand which is erected for use when the motorcycle is parked or stopped. For example, such a main stand structure is disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent publication No. Hei 2-74487 entitled “Riding-type vehicle”.
According to the above conventional art, as shown in
FIGS. 2 and 6
of the publication, a pair of left and right stand brackets
43
is mounted on a rear lower portion of a frame
2
(reference numerals are cited from the publication), and a main stand
44
, which is substantially portal-shaped as viewed from behind, is attached to the stand brackets
43
. The main stand
44
comprises a pivot shaft
45
vertically swingably supported by the stand brackets
43
, a left leg, (no reference numeral) and a right leg
44
a
extending downwardly from the pivot shaft
45
, and a cross member extending between the left and right legs.
The motorcycle has an engine exhaust system having four exhaust pipes
36
extending from an engine
27
on a front portion of the vehicle body and joined to a common pipe
37
which is connected to an exhaust muffler
38
on a rear portion of the vehicle body.
The common pipe
37
extends upwardly and outwardly of the right leg
44
a
of the main stand
44
as it is erected. A passage for the common pipe
37
should be provided as closely to the center of the vehicle body as possible. To meet this requirement, as shown in
FIG. 6
, the right leg
44
a
has an upper end positioned closely to the center of the vehicle body, extends downwardly from the upper end, is curved downwardly to the right from a certain portion thereof and then further curved downwardly from a certain portion thereof. Therefore, the right leg
44
a
comprises a bent member with two bends.
According to the above conventional art, with the upper end of the right leg
44
a
being positioned closely to the center of the vehicle body, there is a certain limitation on efforts to maintain a passage for the common pipe
37
close to the center of the vehicle body. Since the upper end of the right leg
44
a
is positioned close to the center of the vehicle body, when the weight of the vehicle body is borne by the main stand
44
, the left leg and the right leg
44
a
are subject to an unbalanced load. Therefore, it is necessary to take measures to stably bear the weight of the vehicle body, and also to increase the rigidity of the right leg
44
a
. As a result, the weight of the main stand
44
increases.
Furthermore, because the right leg
44
a
has a complex shape with two bends, it is tedious and time-consuming to bend the right leg. Furthermore, since the right leg
44
a
has many bends, the weight thereof increases in order to maintain a required level of rigidity. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a technology which is capable of easily providing a passage for engine exhaust pipes (including a common pipe) at the position of a main stand in the vicinity of the center of a vehicle body, and also of reducing the weight of the main stand.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the above object, there is provided a main stand structure for a motorcycle, having a pivot tube mounted on a vehicle body frame or an engine by a pivot shaft and left and right legs, characterized in that one of the left and right legs extends from a first point spaced a predetermined distance from a vehicle body center on the pivot tube, and the other of the left and right legs has an upper end joined to a portion of the one leg, a reinforcement member extends obliquely outwardly and upwardly from a portion of the other leg and has an end joined to the pivot tube at a second point which is in substantially symmetrical relationship to the first point with respect to the vehicle body center, so that the reinforcement member and the other leg jointly make up a V-shaped portion which allows an exhaust pipe to extend.
Since the reinforcement member and the other leg jointly make a V-shaped portion which allows the exhaust pipes to extend, a passage for an engine exhaust pipe can easily be provided at the erected position of a main stand in the vicinity of the center of a vehicle body.
The weight of a vehicle body can be borne in a well-balanced manner by the first and second points that are substantially symmetrical in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the main stand, whose weight is well balanced, can stably bear the weight of the vehicle body.
In as much as the left leg and the right leg support each other, the main stand has a high level of rigidity. Because of the high level of rigidity, the diameter and thickness of the members of the main stand can be reduced for a reduction in the weight thereof.
Furthermore, each of the left and right legs comprises a bent member which has a single bend. Since the left and right legs have few bends, they can easily be bent. The left and right legs have a higher level of rigidity than if they had more bends, so that the diameter and thickness of the members of the main stand can be reduced for a reduction in the weight thereof.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 518022 (1894-04-01), Crunkleton
patent: 4775164 (1988-10-01), Jan
patent: 274487 (1990-03-01), None
patent: 5-65091 (1993-03-01), None
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabishiki Kaisha
Hurley Kevin
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