Land vehicles – Wheeled – Attachment
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-11
2001-12-18
Hess, Douglas (Department: 2167)
Land vehicles
Wheeled
Attachment
C280S152300, C280S852000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06331011
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates to a wheel guard for a two-wheeled vehicle, comprising a device for detachably fastening the wheel guard proximate to the fork of the two-wheeled vehicle.
In the case of modern two-wheeled vehicles, in particular so-called mountain bikes, users are known to ride either with or without wheel guards, depending on the weather. The wheel guard is usually not needed in good weather, so that there is interest in creating an easily detachable device for fastening the wheel guard that enables the user to detach the wheel guard from the front wheel of the two-wheeled vehicle, preferably without tools. On the other hand, many two-wheeled vehicles, in particular mountain bikes, which are ridden off-road, are already equipped with a spring-mounted front wheel fork to achieve a corresponding shock-absorption effect when the rider is riding on an uneven surface with potholes and the like. Previously known two-wheeled vehicles with detachable wheel guards for the front wheel generally have fastening devices that are cumbersome and permit assembly only with the help of a tool. In addition, the fastening devices for the wheel guards are not always suitable for two-wheeled vehicles with spring-mounted front wheel forks.
Therefore, the object of this invention is to create a wheel guard for a two-wheeled vehicle with a device for detachably fastening the wheel guard proximate to the fork of the two-wheeled vehicle, in which the wheel guard can be disassembled or assembled easily without a tool, wherein the wheel guard fastening device is also suitable for two-wheeled vehicles with spring-mounted front wheel forks.
This object is achieved by a wheel guard according to the invention for a two-wheeled vehicle of the kind mentioned at the outset, in which the device for fastening the wheel guard comprises at least one expansion element that can be inserted into a tubular part of the fork and clamped in place there, and at least one sliding element that can be joined with the expansion element, wherein the sliding element can be inserted into a groove or rail on the wheel guard, and detachably fixed in an end position.
The mentioned sliding element can be plate-shaped, for example, and inserted into a rail-like part molded onto the wheel guard. In a preferred structural solution, for example, this can be done by having the sliding element exhibit lateral grooves, into which engage segments of the rail-like parts molded onto the wheel guard. For example, a latching device that is preferably mounted under the sliding element and interacts with corresponding latching elements on the wheel guard can be used to detachably fasten the sliding element to the wheel guard. In one preferred further development according to the invention, an elbow is fastened to the wheel guard, usually in a detachable manner, and the mentioned latching elements for the sliding element are molded onto the elbow. The wheel guard can be detached, for example, by molding a elastic tongue onto the elbow, wherein the tongue is adjacent to the latching elements, and can then be pushed down, thereby disengaging the latching elements with the latching device on the sliding element. To this end, the elastic tongue exhibits an unlatching device at its end, for example, which preferably can be operated from the top of the wheel guard, wherein, after unlatched by exerting pressure from above, the sliding element can slide out of the rail-like molded on parts, so that the wheel guard can be detached.
The mentioned elbow need not be detached from the wheel guard during normal use. The ability to detachably fasten the elbow to the wheel guard, preferably through latching by means of latching elements, offers mainly production-related advantages during assembly at the manufacturer.
In principle, then, this invention involves the interaction between two elements that constitute the fastening device of the wheel guard, the first being the expansion element, which can be inserted into a tubular part of the fork (front wheel fork) of the two-wheeled vehicle and clamped in place there. When detaching the wheel guard from the two-wheeled vehicle, this expansion element can then remain inside the fork, even if the user subsequently rides the bicycle without a wheel guard, so that when the wheel guard is needed again later on, it can be refastened by hand in just a few steps, specifically by way of the mentioned sliding element, which represents the second key element of the fastening device, and can be joined with the expansion element, wherein the sliding element can also remain on the front wheel fork when detaching the wheel guard. The wheel guard is detached from this sliding clement in a simple sliding motion, wherein an unlatching device is preferably disengaged first, and the wheel guard can be slid out of the sliding element only thereafter.
In a preferred further development of the invention, the expansion element comprises at least one expansion sleeve along with an expansion cone, which moves parts of the expansion sleeve radially toward the outside when pushed into the expansion sleeve, thereby clamping the expansion sleeve inside the tubular part of the fork. To this end, radially elastic tongues are preferably molded onto the expansion sleeve. In addition, the expansion cone preferably exhibits an internal thread, which can also be situated on an inserted nut, for example, and a screw is provided that engages the thread of the expansion cone axially through a hole in the expansion sleeve. These screws can then be tightened, which draws the expansion cone into the expansion sleeve, as a result of which the radially elastic tongues of the expansion sleeve expand outwardly, becoming clamped inside the tubular part of the fork. As already mentioned, however, the user generally mounts the sliding element and expansion element on the front wheel fork only if retrofitting with such a detachable wheel guard is desired, so that the screw need only be loosened in that case, or given a defect, e.g., damage to the sliding element, while this screw does not have to be loosened to remove the wheel guard, so that no tool is required.
In a preferred further development of the invention, the wheel guard exhibits a stepped offset in the area where it is fastened to the front wheel fork. A vertical wheel guard wall is located proximate to this stepped offset. This vertical wall preferably has one recess or opening, and is shaped in such a way that the wheel guard can glide by the fixed part of the front wheel when spring-mounting the front wheel fork. This is because front wheel forks often have an annular ring at about the height of the wheel guard that provides the required space when spring-mounting the front wheel fork. The opening or recess preferred according to the invention makes it possible to mount the wheel guard flush against the front wheel fork proximate to the vertical wall of the stepped offset.
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Feldmann Stefan
Wahl Oliver
Gort Elaine
Hess Douglas
Hoffman Wasson & Gitler, P.C.
SKS Metaplast Scheffer-Klute GmbH
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