Motor vehicles – Special wheel base – Having only two wheels
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-29
2001-11-13
Boehler, Anne Marie (Department: 3618)
Motor vehicles
Special wheel base
Having only two wheels
C180S219000, C180S230000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06315072
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a mounting assembly for a motorcycle internal combustion engine.
BACKGROUND
Prior art motorcycles typically include an engine mounted within a frame. One such frame includes an upper portion running generally horizontally, a front portion extending downwardly from the upper portion at the front of the motorcycle, a lower portion extending rearwardly from the bottom of the front portion, and a swing arm mounting portion at the rear of the frame. The front, lower, and swing arm mounting portions of the frame typically include spaced-apart, generally parallel tubular members.
In such prior art motorcycles, the engine is commonly mounted to the frame with fasteners at the front of the engine, the bottom of the engine, and the top of the engine. The bottom of the engine is typically mounted to a cross member joining the tubular members of the lower portion of the frame, and the cross member is usually machined to provide a level surface for the engine. The top of the engine is usually mounted to the upper portion of the frame with a bolt. A first fastener is typically used to mount one side of the front portion of the engine to one of the tubular members of the front portion, and a second fastener is used to mount the other side of the front portion of the engine to the other front portion member of the frame.
Some prior art engines are mounted to the transmission assembly along a horizontal interface with generally vertical fasteners. Alternatively, the engine and transmission are independently mounted to the frame and are then aligned with each other without directly attaching the engine to the transmission. In such motorcycles, a drive chain or belt housing interconnects the engine and transmission assembly.
One well-known classic motorcycle includes a seat post extending from the seat down between the engine and transmission to a cross member joining the tubular members of the lower portion of the frame. Many motorcycle riders and enthusiasts agree that it is desirable to maintain this classic look.
SUMMARY
It has been found that prior art engines can be difficult to mount to the motorcycle frame. Because of the many bolts and other fasteners used to mount the engine to the frame, alignment of the several mounting points with corresponding mounting points on the frame is critical in prior art motorcycles. Also, the cross member to which the bottom of the engine is mounted in the prior art must be machined to level the engine and transmission.
One reason for the multiple mounting points required by the prior art is the nature of the transmission-to-engine interface. As mentioned above, it is common to have no direct attachment between the engine and transmission assembly, and the drive chain or belt housing does not provide significant rigidity. For those motorcycles having a horizontal interface between the engine and the transmission assembly, there is also a lack of resistance to the engine and transmission assembly pivoting with respect to each other about a horizontal, transverse axis. Thus, several mounting points are commonly used to stiffen some prior art transmission and engine assemblies.
The present invention provides a motorcycle having a transmission assembly mounted to the motorcycle frame, an engine having a rear portion mounted only to the transmission assembly, a top portion mounted to an upper frame member, and a front portion mounted to the frame with exactly two fasteners that are non-coaxial. The rear portion of the engine and transmission assembly are joined along a vertical interface with generally horizontally-oriented fasteners. This vertical interface provides a very stiff engine and transmission assembly. Preferably, the frame includes a generally vertical forward member to which the engine is mounted with one of the non-coaxial fasteners, and a lower member to which the engine is mounted with the other non-coaxial fastener. The transmission assembly is mounted in two locations on opposite sides of the transmission assembly to a cross member of the frame, and an upper support interconnects the upper frame member to the transmission assembly.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed description, claims, and drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3811528 (1974-05-01), Hooper
patent: 4396084 (1983-08-01), Yoshimura et al.
patent: 4412597 (1983-11-01), Aiba
patent: 4465157 (1984-08-01), Onishi et al.
patent: 4550698 (1985-11-01), Konneker
patent: 5248012 (1993-09-01), Kurawaki et al.
patent: 5390758 (1995-02-01), Hunter et al.
patent: 5469930 (1995-11-01), Wiers
patent: 5857538 (1999-01-01), Chambers
patent: 5876013 (1999-03-01), Ott
patent: 6085855 (2000-07-01), Schanz et al.
patent: 866584 (1971-03-01), None
patent: 662587 (1929-08-01), None
Yamaha Star 1998 Catalog—2 facing pages (not numbered).
1993 and 1994 XLH Models Service Manual—p. 3-9.
Brown William H.
Schanz John W.
Wollmer James A.
Boehler Anne Marie
Harley-Davidson Motor Company Group Inc.
Michael Best & Fiedrich LLP
LandOfFree
Motorcycle engine mounting assembly does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Motorcycle engine mounting assembly, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Motorcycle engine mounting assembly will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2573944