Patent Grant
8171660
The present invention generally relates to decals and more particularly relates to the protection of decals from wear such as may be used, for example, in the motocross industry where decals are applied to different external portions of a motocross motorcycle.
In the motocross industry and other racing industries, decals are used for a variety of purposes. For example, decals may be used to convey branding information, sponsor information and information about the rider to often include numbers that identify the rider of the motorcycle. The decals typically cover plastic plates or, alternatively, metal plates that are arranged all over the motorcycle. Typically the decals comprise of vinyl support sheet with an adhesive layer thereon that provides for adhesive attachment of the decal to a plate of the motorcycle. Such decals may also be integrally molded into the plastic plate and thereby integrally attached to the underlying plate. Decals may be made from a variety of materials to include paper or other such material, but typically in the motocross industry such decals are made of vinyl or other similar material with an adhesive layer on one side and printed indicia to include graphics and/or a number or lettering on the other side opposite the adhesive.
Given that motocross is a fairly intense sport as are other racing sports, motocross motorcycles undergo a certain amount of wear and tear which can occur due to dropping the bike or for other reasons such as the rider rubbing up against the decal plates. This can, unfortunately, cause premature destruction and require replacement of decals on the plates which is undesirable. For example, one well-known wear location is in the boot region where a rider's boot tends to wear in the number plate and/or air box in a region just above the foot rest on the motorcycle. Thus, the desire to have graphics and information on the bike is not easily reconciled with the high wear environment in which the motor bike operates.
The invention provides an advancement over the state of the art.
The present invention is directed in part toward a transparent cover plate that at least partially covers a decal on a vehicle such as a motocross bike to prevent premature wear and replacement of such a decal or to otherwise provide for increased life-span as to the aesthetic appearance of decals and graphics contained thereon.
According to one aspect, a decal plate for a vehicle comprises a base plate configured for mounting to the vehicle. A transparent cover plate at least partially covers at least a portion of the base plate. A decal having printed indicia thereon is interposed between the base plate and the transparent cover plate. For example, in this regard the decal may be any conventional decal provided such as an adhesive label or, alternatively, a label that is integrally molded into the underlying base plate. In either instance, the decal is interposed between the base plate and the transparent cover plate where it can be visually seen.
Preferably the base plate and the transparent cover plate are molded plastic plates sharing a common contoured shape such that the contours on the base plate and the cover plate cause the plates to mate in substantially complete surface-to-surface contact. The contoured shape may be sized and configured to cover a portion of a motocross motorcycle. This may be particularly applied to high wear regions such as most notably the number plate and/or air box on the sides of the motorcycle in a region right above the foot rest. In this high wear region, the decal often will co-act and engage with the boot of the rider due to the maneuvering of the rider on a motor bike during a ride.
Another aspect is that the cover plate may also include corresponding bolt holes to those of the underlying base plate such that at least one aligned bolt hole formed through the cover plate aligns with a hole formed through the base plate such that the bolt which attaches the base plate to the vehicle also attaches the cover plate to the vehicle. Additional or alternative attachment means may be provided such as molded snaps on the transparent cover plate and/or a side periphery that tightly engages in the outer periphery of the underlying base plate.
According to some embodiments, the transparent cover plate only partially covers the underlying base plate, and according to other embodiments, the cover plate may fully cover the underlying base plate.
Another aspect of the present invention is an apparatus for protecting a decal that is disposed on a decal plate in which the decal plate is contoured with a contoured surface to conform to the dimensions of a motocross motorcycle. The apparatus comprises a transparent cover plate molded of plastic material that is sized and configured to at least partially cover the decal. The transparent cover plate has a contoured plate body substantially matching the contoured surface of the decal plate such that the transparent cover plate is adapted to mate in substantial surface-to-surface relation with the decal plate.
Preferably, the cover plate includes a sidewall depending from the contoured plate body that is adapted to closely surround a periphery of the decal plate.
Yet another aspect of the present invention is directed toward a method of protecting decals on a motocross motorcycle comprising protecting at least a portion of the decal with a transparent cover plate and mounting the transparent cover plate to the motocross motorcycle.
Other aspects, objectives and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate several aspects of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
While the invention will be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, there is no intent to limit it to those embodiments. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention,
One particular decal base plate 18 is often referred in the art as a number plate 22; and another base plate 18 is known as an air box plate 24 (sometimes simply “air box”). It is in this region of the number plate 22 and air box plate 24 where a rider's boots tend to scrape and rub against decals 26 that are located in this region. Specifically, many or all of the decal base plates 18 are typically covered with decals 26 to provide for branding information, marketing and sponsorship information, and information about the rider such as a number. In the case of the number plate 22, the decal 26 therefore typically includes printed indicia such as a number indicative of the driver as well as graphics such as stripes for aesthetics.
In accordance with the embodiment, the decal plate assembly 10 includes the underlying base plate indicated as number plate 22, a decal 26 and a transparent cover plate 28 that is arranged to protect and cover the decal 26 in the region of high wear, which in this case is the boot region in the area above the foot peg 20.
Referring to the decal plate assembly 10 in greater detail and with reference to
Preferably, the cover plate 28 also includes a sidewall 36 that depends from the contoured plate body 34. The sidewall 36 is adapted to closely surround a periphery of the decal plate. The sidewall 36 may snuggly fit and thereby help attach the cover plate to the underlying number plate and/or carry snap-on structure 38 that can attach the cover plate 28 to the underlying number plate by engaging the reverse side of the number plate. However, it should be appreciated that these features are optional and that the cover plate may merely be attached by bolt on attachment as described in the next paragraph.
In this regard, it is seen that the number plate 22 typically includes one or more bolt holes 40 that receive bolts 42 that facilitate bolt-on attachment of the number plate 22 to the frame 16 of the motor bike 12 (a portion of a frame 16 is also depicted in
The transparent cover plate 28 also includes at least one aligned bolt hole 46 that is diametrically aligned with the corresponding bolt hole 40 of the underlying number plate 22 when the cover plate and number plate are arranged in mating surface-to-surface contact. As a result, the bolt 42 that can secure the number plate 22 to the frame 16 can also secure the transparent cover plate 28 to the number plate 22, and retain it there in substantially complete surface-to-surface contact. Other features of the cover plate and the base plate can be common such as having vent holes 48, 50 that are commonly formed at the same relative locations in the cover plate and number plate. The bolt-on attachment also allows the cover plate to be removable from the base plate thereby allowing a replacement and/or updating of the decal as may be desired. As shown, the decal 26 has printed indicia that is formed and created on a base sheet 54 of suitable material such as vinyl (or alternatively paper material or other substrate sheet material). On the other side opposite the printed indicia 52, the base sheet 54 may include an adhesive layer 56 to facilitate adhesive attachment to the underlying decal plate.
As shown in the embodiment of
Alternatively, as shown in the alternative embodiment of
In addition to bolt-on attachment, yet another means for attachment of the cover plate to the underlying base plate is by means of adhesive attachment in that an adhesive may be used in a portion or, if it is sufficiently transparent over the contoured surface, to facilitate attachment of the cover plate to the number plate. However, this may be permanent and thereby not allow for readily replacement of the underlying decal. Adhesive attachment may be useful for facilitating cover plates in other regions. For example, transparent cover plates may be employed in other high wear regions such as the air box plate 64 and bottom plate 66 which is along the bottom side of the frame and facing the front wheel. Other attachment areas may be better suited for adhesive attachment. In any event, the embodiments described above protect at least a portion of the decal with a transparent cover plate and facilitate mounting of the transparent cover plate to the motocross motorcycle.
All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) is to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.
Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
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