The present invention claims priority under 35 USC 119 based on Japanese patent application No. 2014-065298, filed on Mar. 27, 2014. The entire subject matter of this priority document, including specification claims and drawings thereof, is incorporated by reference herein.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a step structure for a saddle riding type vehicle, and particularly to such a step structure which may be selectively adjusted between different operative positions thereof to accommodate occupants having different sizes and preferences.
2. Background Art
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-018363, for example, a conventional step structure for a saddle riding type vehicle is known which includes a rear step corresponding to a sports mode and a front step corresponding to a cruising mode, with an objective of enabling an occupant's riding posture to be changed greatly according to the preferences of a driver.
The above-described conventional step structure for a saddle riding type vehicle desirably includes the rear step and the front step. However, each of the steps has only a single footrest portion having a given operative position. It is, therefore, not possible to move the single footrest portion to different operative position or to select footrest positions according to the constitution, the length of legs, or the like of an occupant.
In order to overcome this limitation of the conventional step structure, it is an object of the present invention to provide a step structure for a saddle riding type vehicle which makes it possible for a vehicle occupant to select footrest positions according to the constitution, the length of legs, or other characteristics or preferences of an occupant.
In order to satisfy such object, according to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a step structure for a saddle riding type vehicle, comprising:
With the step structure for the saddle riding type vehicle according to the first aspect of the present invention, the first footrest formed by the base portion and the second footrest formed by the movable portion at the different position from the first footrest are obtained. Hence, an occupant of the saddle riding type vehicle can select an appropriate or desired footrest position from the footrest position provided by the first footrest and the footrest position provided by the second footrest. Again, the occupant may prefer one footrest position over the other according to the constitution, the length of the legs, etc. of the occupant.
Moreover, the movable portion is rotatably coupled to the base portion, and can selectively assume the first position and the second position thereof simply by being rotated relative to the base portion. Thus, the footrest position provided by the first footrest and the footrest position provided by the second footrest can be formed by a simple structure.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the step structure for the saddle riding type vehicle can adopt a constitution wherein the base portion forms part of the first footrest, and when the movable portion is at the first operative position thereof the movable portion forms another part of the first footrest such that the base portion and the movable portion jointly form the first footrest.
With such a constitution, the movable portion at the first position thereof and the base portion jointly form the first footrest portion. Thus, the first position of the movable portion can be utilized as a position for incorporating or combining the movable portion with the base portion, so to speak, while the first footrest is easily increased in size. Therefore, the step structure as a whole can be made compact.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the step structure for the saddle riding type vehicle can adopt a constitution wherein one surface of the movable portion forms a surface of the first footrest configured to be engaged by the occupant and another, different surface of the movable portion forms a surface of the second footrest configured to be engaged by the occupant.
With such a constitution, coupled with the first aspect of the invention whereby the movable portion is rotatably coupled to the base portion and able to assume the first position and the second position by rotation relative to the base portion, the footrest position provided by the first footrest and the footrest position provided by the second footrest can be formed by a more simple structure.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the step structure for the saddle riding type vehicle can adopt a constitution wherein the movable portion is rotatably coupled to the base portion by a shaft, and the step structure further includes a toggle mechanism provided between the shaft and the base portion, and which provides a secure click fit for the movable member at each of the first and second positions thereof.
With such a constitution, state retentions at the first position and the second position of the movable portion are each improved, and the occupant is given an improved feeling.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the step structure for the saddle riding type vehicle can adopt a constitution wherein the base portion is foldable toward and away from the vehicle body jointly together with the movable portion, and the step structure further includes a lock mechanism provided between the base portion or the movable portion and the vehicle body, and which prevents the base portion from being folded toward the vehicle body when the movable portion is disposed in the second position thereof.
Such a constitution permits the entire step structure to be folded closely adjacent the vehicle body, and can eliminate a fear of the vehicle body being scratched due to the folding of the base portion toward the vehicle body when the movable portion is at the second position thereof.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the step structure for the saddle riding type vehicle can adopt a constitution wherein the toggle mechanism includes a toggle mechanism cam provided to one end portion of the shaft, and the lock mechanism includes a lock mechanism cam provided to another end portion of the shaft.
With such a constitution, the toggle mechanism and the lock mechanism can be efficiently formed by making effective use of both ends of the shaft for configuring the movable portion to be rotatable relative to the base portion.
For a more complete understanding of the present invention, the reader is referred to the following detailed description section, which should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the following detailed description and in the drawings, like numbers refer to like parts.
Although the following disclosure offered for public dissemination is detailed to ensure adequacy and aid in understanding of the invention, this is not intended to prejudice that purpose of a patent which is to cover each new inventive concept therein no matter how it may later be disguised by variations in form or additions of further improvements. The claims at the end hereof are the chief aid toward this purpose, as it is these that meet the requirement of pointing out the improvements, combinations and methods in which the inventive concepts are found. There has been chosen a specific exemplary embodiment of a step structure according to the present invention and specific alternative structures and modifications thereto, the embodiment chosen for the purposes of illustration and description of the structure and method of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification.
An exemplary, non-limiting embodiment of a step structure of a saddle riding type vehicle according to the present invention will hereinafter be described with reference to the drawings. Incidentally, the drawings are to be viewed in the orientation of reference numerals. In the following description, a forward-rearward direction, a left-right direction, and an up-down direction are in accordance with directions as viewed from an operator sitting on the saddle riding type vehicle. In the drawings, a forward direction of the vehicle will be denoted as Fr, a rearward direction of the vehicle will be denoted as Rr, a left side of the vehicle will be denoted as L, a right side of the vehicle will be denoted as R, an upward direction of the vehicle will be denoted as U, and a downward direction of the vehicle will be denoted as D. In each of the drawings, the same parts or corresponding parts are identified by the same reference numerals.
In the present exemplary embodiment, as will be described later, the step structure of the embodiment is applied to the steps 12s for the passenger at right and left sides of the motorcycle. However, depending on a kind of saddle riding type vehicle (for example a saddle riding type four-wheeled vehicle), the step structure according to the present invention may also be applicable as the steps for a driver. In addition, while the step structure according to the present embodiment is applied to the steps 12s provided to the left and right of the saddle riding type vehicle (see
The step structure 20 according to the present embodiment includes a base portion 30 supported by the vehicle body 10 and the movable portion 40 rotatably coupled to the base portion 30. The base portion 30 forms part of a first footrest 21, e.g., the base portion 30 shown in the figures forms mainly a front portion of the first footrest 21. The movable portion 40 is rotatably coupled to the base portion 30. By rotation relative to the base portion 30, the movable portion 40 can assume a first position P1 shown in
Incidentally, the present exemplary embodiment has a constitution in which the base portion 30 forms part (mainly a front portion) of the first footrest 21. However, a constitution is also possible in which the base portion 30 forms the whole of the first footrest 21, that is to say, in which the first footrest 21 is formed only by the base portion 30, and the movable portion 40 does not form any part of the first footrest 21.
According to the step structure 20 for the saddle riding type vehicle in the exemplary embodiment, the first footrest 21 (
Moreover, the movable portion 40 is rotatably coupled to the base portion 30, and can assume the first position P1 and the second position P2 by simply being rotated relative to the base portion 30. Thus, the footrest position provided by the first footrest 21 and the footrest position provided by the second footrest 22 can be formed by a simple structure.
In the present exemplary embodiment, as described above, the base portion 30 forms part of the first footrest 21, and when the movable portion 40 is at the first position P1, the movable portion 40 also forms part of the first footrest 21 in conjunction with the base portion 30. With such a constitution, as shown in
When the movable portion 40 is in its first position as part of the first footrest 21 a surface on one side of the movable portion will be operatively engaged by the occupant's foot when it rests on the first footrest 21 (
As shown in
Both ends of the shaft 43 are rotatably supported by the base portion 30. The shaft 43 rotates together with the movable portion 40. As shown in
The toggle mechanism cam 51 includes: a first abutting surface 511 that stably abuts against the cam follower 53 when the movable portion 40 is at the first position P1 shown in
The base portion 30 can be folded toward the vehicle body 10 (
In
The base portion 30 includes: a shaft cylindrical portion 31 extending in the forward-rearward direction of the vehicle; a footrest portion 32 extending integrally from a front portion of the shaft cylindrical portion 31 to the outside in a vehicle width direction; and a shaft receiving portion 33 extending rearward from an outer end of the footrest portion 32 to rotatably support one end of the above-described shaft 43.
The shaft 43 is rotatably supported by the shaft receiving portion 33 and the shaft cylindrical portion 31 so as to be laid laterally between the shaft receiving portion 33 and the shaft cylindrical portion 31. The shaft 43 rotatably supports a front portion 44 of the movable portion 40 such that the front portion 44 of the movable portion 40 is rotatable relative to the base portion 30. The front portion 44 of the movable portion 40 is loosely (rotatably) inserted between the shaft cylindrical portion 31 and the shaft receiving portion 33 of the base portion 30.
A shaft 35 extending in the vehicle forward-rearward direction is inserted into the inside of the shaft cylindrical portion 31. Both ends of the shaft 35 are each supported by a shaft receiving portion 62 in the attaching member 60. Thus, the base portion 30 can rotate about the shaft 35 such that the base portion moves together with the movable portion 40, as indicated by the arrow A in
A lock mechanism 70 (see
As shown in
The lock mechanism cam 71 includes: a receiving face 711 that receives the locking rod 73 by abutting against a front end 74 of the locking rod 73 when the movable portion 40 is at the first position P1 shown in
Meanwhile, as shown in
The lock mechanism 70 operates as follows. When the movable portion 40 is at the first position P1 shown in
When the movable portion 40 is at the second position P2 as shown in
As shown in
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiment, but can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the spirit of the present invention, as will be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2014-065298 | Mar 2014 | JP | national |