Patent Application
20230137274
This disclosure relates to foot rests for motorcycles and other ground passenger vehicles employing foot rests, including, floorboard and/or peg-type foot rests for motorcycles.
Motorcycles have foot rests that a user can rest their feet on while operating the motorcycle. When a motorcycle turns, the motorcycle is often angled with respect to the roll axis—in some instances during a turn, the foot rest, which may extend laterally outward from the motorcycle, may contact the ground if the roll angle of the motorcycle is sufficiently large. When the foot rest contacts the ground, the driver or operator may lose control and potentially crash. And, even in instances where no crash occurs, the friction between the foot rest and the ground slows down the motorcycle and causes wear to the foot rest.
According to a first aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a foot rest assembly for a motorcycle, including a main body extending from a first end to a second end, a mounting bracket attached to the first end of the main body, and a rotatable body rotatably supported on the motorcycle foot rest assembly. The main body is configured to support a foot of a user when the foot rest assembly is mounted to a motorcycle. The rotatable body is configured to rotate when the rotatable body contacts the ground as a result of motorcycle operation.
According to a second aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a foot rest assembly for a motorcycle, including a main body extending along a main body axis from a first end to a second end, a mounting bracket attached to the first end of the main body, and a rotatable body rotatably supported on the motorcycle foot rest assembly and configured to rotate around a rotary axis that is obliquely angled relative to the main body axis. The main body is configured to support a foot of a user when the foot rest assembly is mounted to a motorcycle. The rotatable body is configured to rotate along the ground when the rotatable body contacts the ground as a result of motorcycle operation.
According to a third aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a foot rest assembly for a motorcycle, including a main body extending along a main body axis from a first end to a second end, a mounting bracket attached to the first end of the main body, and one or more wheels and/or rollers rotatably supported on the motorcycle foot rest assembly and configured to rotate around a rotary axis that is obliquely angled relative to the main body axis. The main body is configured to support a foot of a user when the foot rest assembly is mounted to a motorcycle. The rotatable body is configured to rotate along the ground when the rotatable body contacts the ground as a result of motorcycle operation.
According to various embodiments, the foot rest assembly according to the first aspect, the second aspect, and/or the third aspect may further include any one of the following features or any technically-feasible combination of some or all of the following features:
According to a fourth aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a passenger vehicle having the foot rest assembly according to the first aspect, the second aspect, the third aspect, and/or any technically-feasible combination of those aspects or features listed above. According to various embodiments based on this fourth aspect, the foot rest assembly is a first foot rest assembly, and the passenger vehicle further includes a second foot rest assembly having a main body extending from a first end to a second end, a mounting bracket attached to the first end of the main body of the second foot rest assembly, and a rotatable body rotatably supported on the second foot rest assembly. The main body is configured to support a foot of a user when the second foot rest assembly is mounted to the passenger vehicle. The rotatable body is configured to rotate when the rotatable body contacts the ground as a result of passenger vehicle operation. According to some embodiments, the passenger vehicle of the fourth aspect is a motorcycle having a driver's seat for a driver, and wherein the first foot rest assembly and the second foot rest assembly are each configured to receive a different foot of the driver when seated in the driver's seat.
According to other aspects of the disclosure, the foot rest assembly provided herein, which may be configured for use with a motorcycle or other passenger vehicle, for example, may further have any of the features described herein or any technically-feasible combination of some or all of the features described herein.
Preferred exemplary embodiments will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements, and wherein:
The foot rest assembly described herein includes a main body (e.g., a foot peg or a floorboard) connected to the motorcycle via a mounting bracket at a first end thereof and a rotatable body connected to a second end of the main body, and is so configured such that, when the rotatable body contacts the ground, such as the result of leaning the motorcycle during a turn, the rotatable body rotates along the ground. As discussed above, conventional foot rest assemblies for motorcycles typically include an elongated foot rest that extends laterally outward from the motorcycle, and may a foot peg configuration or a floorboard configuration. An outer-most end of such conventional foot rest assemblies may contact the ground during a maneuver of the motorcycle, such as leaning during a sharp turn. This contact between the end of the foot rest assembly and the ground may cause the motorcycle to jerk, may cause drag on the motorcycle due to friction between the ground and foot rest assembly, and/or may otherwise cause the operator to have less control (and potentially even lose control) of the motorcycle. According to at least some embodiments, the rotatable body of the foot rest assembly is provided at an outside lateral end of the foot rest assembly and is configured so that, when the foot rest assembly comes into contact with the ground, such as the result of leaning the motorcycle during a turn, the rotatable body (e.g., wheel, roller) contacts the ground first and rotates along the ground thereby reducing frictional forces between the foot rest assembly and the ground (and, thus, reducing wear on the foot rest assembly) as well as reducing the chances that the operator loses control of the motorcycle.
With reference to
With reference to
The main body 12 is rectangular in cross-section and is shaped as an elongated cuboid or rectangular bar. However, in other embodiments, the cross-section of the main body 12 could be other geometric shapes including but not limited to circular, oval, or flat. The main body 12 includes a top surface 22 (
In embodiments, the foot rest assembly may use a floorboard configuration in which a floorboard configured to receive a sole of a foot is provided. The floorboard may be a separate piece that is connected to the main body 12 or may be integral with the main body 12. In other embodiments, however, such as the illustrated embodiment, the foot rest assembly 10 has a foot peg configuration in which the main body is elongated in a rod-like manner.
The main body 12 also includes a bottom surface 24, as well as two side surfaces 26,28, which are also referred to herein as a first side surface 26 and a second side surface 28. The bottom surface 24 is planar, extends from the first end 18 of the main body 12 to the second end 20 of the main body, opposes the top surface 22, and is parallel to the top surface 22. The first side surface 26 is planar, extends from the first end 18 of the main body 12 to the second end 20 of the main body 12, opposes the second side surface 28, and is parallel to the second side surface 28. Likewise, the second side surface 28 is planar and extends from the first end 18 of the main body 12 to the second end 20 of the main body 12. The main body 12 further includes an outward-facing end surface 30 and an inward-facing end surface 32. The outward-facing end surface 30 extends between a peripheral edge of the top surface 22, the first side surface 26, and the second side surface 28. The inward-facing end surface 32 extends between a peripheral edge of the top surface 22, the first side surface 26, the second side surface 28, and the bottom surface 24. Each of the outward-facing end surface 30 and the inward-facing end surface 32 is planar and is shaped as a rectangle. In other embodiments, the main body 12 is cylindrically- or rod-shaped and includes an outer cylindrical surface that is defined by the main body axis A12, which extends from the first end 18 toward the second end 20. In such an embodiment, the user may rest their foot on a top or upward-facing portion of the outer cylindrical surface.
As shown in
The upper housing portion 36 of the rotatable body fixing portion 34 includes an angled surface 48 (
The rotatable body 16 is rotatably supported on the foot rest assembly 10 and, in particular, by the axle 44 of the main body 12. The rotatable body 16 is illustrated as a wheel, but it should be appreciated that other rotatable bodies may be used. Such other examples of rotatable bodies include rollers, continuous tracks, roller balls or bearings configured to engage a surface (e.g., rollerball guides having a captured roller ball), etc. And, it should be appreciated that, in some embodiments, multiple rotatable bodies, such as multiple wheels or rollers, may be used. For example, in one embodiment, two wheels, each of which constitutes a rotatable body, is rotatably supported by the axle 44. The rotatable body 16 may be comprised of a polymeric material and, in a particular embodiment, a rubber material, such as a hard synthetic rubber. For example, the rotating body 16 may be a polyurethane wheel that is between 20 mm and 100 mm. In some embodiments, the Shore A hardness of the rotatable body 16 is at least 90 and, in one embodiment, at least 97. In some embodiments, the Shore D hardness of the rotatable body 16 is at least 50 and, in one embodiment, at least 65.
The mounting bracket 14 includes a plate 54 and a bore 56 that is disposed within the plate 54. The plate 54 is generally rectangularly-shaped (or cuboid-shaped), but includes a rounded edge 58. The plate 54 is integrally formed with the main body 12 and is connected to the main body 12 at the first end 18. The plate 54 projects axially, with respect to the main body axis A12, from the inward-facing surface 32 of the main body 12. The bore 56 is configured to receive a mounting pin or other implement (not shown) that fixes or holds the foot rest assembly 10 to the motorcycle. In at least one embodiment, the mounting pin may be attached at each end to the motorcycle, such as to a frame component thereof, and the mounting pin passes through the bore 56. In one embodiment, the main body 12 of the foot rest assembly 10 is rotatably coupled or fixed to, and rotatably supported on, the motorcycle by way of the mounting pin passing through the bore 56. This enables the foot rest assembly 10 to be rotated about a mounting bore axis A56 so that, for example, the foot rest assembly 10 may be rotated/folded upward so that the assembly 10 is in a stowed position and then rotated/folded downward from the stowed position into an extended or deployed position, such as that which is shown in
With reference to
The foot rest assembly 110 includes a main body 112, a mounting bracket or portion 114, and a rotatable body 116. The foot rest assembly 110 includes certain features that are the same as or similar to those of the foot rest assembly 10 described above and, to the extent that discussion is not inconsistent with the discussion below, that discussion above is hereby attributed to the foot rest assembly 110. Moreover, the reference numerals of like or analogous components of the foot rest assembly 10 and the foot rest assembly 110 are indicated by like numerals—for example, the mounting bracket 114 of the foot rest assembly 110 is analogous to the mounting bracket 14 of the foot rest assembly 10 and that discussion above relating to the mounting bracket 14 is hereby attributed to the mounting bracket 114. A difference between the foot rest assembly 10 and the foot rest assembly 110 is that the foot rest assembly 110 includes a rotatable body extension 160 that extends away from the main body 112 and that rotatable supports the rotatable body 116. Other similarities and differences between the foot rest assembly 10 and the foot rest assembly 110 will be appreciated by those skilled in the art in light of the discussion below and associated figures.
The mounting bracket 114 includes a plate 154 having a bore 156, and the plate 154 includes a rounded edge 158. The mounting bracket 114 is analogous to the mounting bracket 14 of the foot rest assembly 10 and that discussion is hereby attributed to the mounting bracket 114 of the foot rest assembly 110.
The main body 112 extends from a first end 118 to a second end 120 along a main body axis A 112, is rectangular in cross-section, and is shaped as an elongated cuboid or rectangular bar. However, in other embodiments, the cross-section of the main body 112 could be other geometric shapes including but not limited to circular, oval or flat. The main body 112 includes a top surface 122 (
The rotatable body extension 160 is shaped as an elongated cuboid or rectangular bar; however, it should be appreciated that the rotatable body extension 160 may be cylindrically- or rod-shaped, or otherwise configured as another suitable shape. The rotatable body extension 160 is integrally formed with the main body 112; however, it should be appreciated that the rotatable body extension 160 and the main body 112 may be provided as separate pieces that are connected or attached to one another, such as through use of rivets, screws, bolts, welds, adhesives, etc. The rotatable body extension 160 includes a bore 168 at the second end 166. The bore 168 is configured to receive the axle 162 so that the rotatable body 116 is thereby rotatably coupled to, or supported on, the rotatable body extension 160 and the main body 112. The bore 168 may pass entirely through the rotatable body extension 160 or may be formed as a cavity or well that does not pass through the front side of the rotatable body extension 160.
The axle 162 may be constructed from or as a pin or screw and is used to rotatably support the rotatable body 116 such that the rotatable body 116 rotates around a rotary axis AR (
In one embodiment, the rotatable body extension 160 includes a shock absorber (not shown), such as a hydraulic shock absorber, a mono-tube shock absorber, a twin-tube shock absorber, etc. The shock absorber may include a piston or extension that extends parallel to the rotatable body extension axis A160 as well as a spring and may be configured to dampen and absorb shock impulses generated as a result of the rotatable body 116 contacting the ground G, such as during motorcycle operation. In such embodiments, dampening or absorption of such shock impulses, which may occur while driving the motorcycle around a turn, may reduce the amount of jerk or undesirable movement of the motorcycle and may reduce the likelihood of an accident and/or improve user comfort during maneuvers when the rotatable body 116 contacts the ground G.
In at least some embodiments, including in the illustrated embodiments, the rotary axis AR,AR′ is disposed at a non-zero angle relative to the relative to the main body axis A12,A112 (or axial direction of the main body 12,112). In one embodiment, this angle is between 15° to 75° and, in a particular embodiment, between 30° to 60°. With reference to
As used herein, the roll angle at which the foot rest assembly 10,110 first contacts the ground G during a turn is referred to as the ground-contact roll angle. The ground-contact roll angle may vary depending on the configuration and arrangement of components of the motorcycle and/or the foot rest assembly 10,110. In some embodiments, the foot rest assembly 10,110 is configured so that the rotary axis AR,AR′, around which the rotatable body 16,116 rotates, is parallel (or substantially parallel—i.e., within 20°) to the ground G when the motorcycle is disposed at the ground-contact roll angle or when the rotatable body 16,116 contacts the ground G. Thus, in instances where the rotatable body 16,116 contacts the ground G as a result of the motorcycle being disposed at the ground-contact roll angle (or a greater angle) (e.g., as a result of a turn), the rotatable body 16,116 travels straight along the ground as the rotary axis AR,AR′ is parallel (or substantially parallel) to the ground G. When the motorcycle is balanced side-to-side (with zero roll, such as is shown in
In some embodiments, the foot rest assembly 10,110 may be configured so that the angle of the rotary axis AR,AR′ relative to the main body axis A12,A112 of the main body 12,112 is set based on a length of the foot rest assembly 10,110 (or portion thereof, such as the main body 12,112), which may be taken along the main body axis A12,A112 of the main body 12,112 from an end of the mounting bracket 14,114 toward an outside end of the main body 12,112. Additionally, in some embodiments, the angle of the rotary axis AR,AR′ may be set based on a height of the foot rest assembly 10,110 when installed on the motorcycle, such as a height from the ground to a bottom edge of the second end 20,120 of the main body 12,112 or to a bottom edge of the rotatable body 16,116. Such a calculation for determining a preferred or desired angle at which the rotary axis AR,AR′ is disposed relative to the main body axis A12,A112 (or axial direction of the main body 12,112) may be determined based on a variety of factors. In at least some embodiments, such a determination takes into consideration various known factors, such as the dimensionality of the foot rest assembly 10,110 and the motorcycle M, such as the angle between the longitudinal axis of the front tire T of the motorcycle AT (
In at least some embodiments, the angle at which the rotary axis AR,AR′ is disposed relative to the main body axis A12,A112 (or axial direction of the main body 12,112) is based on both a length of the foot rest assembly 10,110 (e.g., a distance representing the extent to which the rotatable body 16,116 is disposed as measured along the main body axis A12,A112) and a height or elevation of the foot rest assembly 10,110 when installed on the motorcycle (e.g., a distance between a bottom-most surface of the rotatable body 16,116 and the ground G). Such factors affect the ground-contact roll angle of the motorcycle having the foot rest assembly 10,110, which may be used to determine the angle at which the rotary axis AR,AR′ is disposed. Of course, it should be appreciated that other factors may be used to set the angle at which the rotary axis AR is disposed relative to the main body axis A12,A112. Also, it should be appreciated that other points of reference and/or dimensions of the motorcycle and/or foot rest assembly 10,110 may be used as a part of determining the angle at which the rotary axis AR,AR′ is disposed relative to the main body axis A12,A112 (or axial direction of the main body 12,112). In some embodiments, one or more standard, empirically-derived, conventional, or typical dimensions, such as a typical or conventional height or elevation of the foot rest assembly, are determined and used as a basis for determining the angle at which the rotary axis AR,AR′ is disposed relative to the main body axis A12,A112 (or axial direction of the main body 12,112).
According to some embodiments, the rotatable body 16,116 is replaceable, such as when the rotatable body 16,116 becomes worn down, for example. Conventional foot rest assemblies for motorcycles may be removed from the motorcycle and replaced with a new foot rest assembly, such as when the outer peripheral edge of the foot rest assembly becomes worn down from use. While such removable foot rest assemblies are replaceable, the entire foot rest assembly, or at least the main body, must be replaced even though the primary wear occurs at the outer peripheral edge. According to at least one embodiment, the foot rest assembly 10,110 is configured so that the rotatable body 16,116 is removable from the foot rest assembly 10,110, which allows for only the rotatable body (or bodies) to be replaced by another rotatable body (or bodies). Thus, according to such embodiments, the entire foot rest assembly or substantial portion thereof need not be replaced, but only the rotatable body (or bodies), which is the part most likely to experience the most wear as it may contact the ground during turns or other vehicle maneuvers. In one embodiment, the axle 34 is removable from the first bore 30 and the second bore 32 of the main body 12, and is likewise removable from the rotatable body 16, which then permits the rotatable body 16 from being removed from the foot rest assembly 10. The axle 34 may then be inserted into another rotatable body, and then inserted into the first bore 30 and the second bore 32 of the main body 12. Likewise, in one embodiment, the axle 162 is removable from the bore 168 of the rotatable body extension 160, and is likewise removable from the rotatable body 116, which then permits the rotatable body 116 from being removed from the foot rest assembly 110. The axle 162 may then be inserted into another rotatable body, and then inserted into the bore 168 of the rotatable body extension 160.
It is to be understood that the foregoing description is of one or more embodiments of the invention. The invention is not limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed herein, but rather is defined solely by the claims below. Furthermore, the statements contained in the foregoing description relate to the disclosed embodiment(s) and are not to be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention or on the definition of terms used in the claims, except where a term or phrase is expressly defined above. Various other embodiments and various changes and modifications to the disclosed embodiment(s) will become apparent to those skilled in the art.
As used in this specification and claims, the terms “e.g.,” “for example,” “for instance,” “such as,” and “like,” and the verbs “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and their other verb forms, when used in conjunction with a listing of one or more components or other items, are each to be construed as open-ended, meaning that the listing is not to be considered as excluding other, additional components or items. Other terms are to be construed using their broadest reasonable meaning unless they are used in a context that requires a different interpretation. In addition, the term “and/or” is to be construed as an inclusive OR. Therefore, for example, the phrase “A, B, and/or C” is to be interpreted as covering all of the following: “A”; “B”; “C”; “A and B”; “A and C”; “B and C”; and “A, B, and C.” All ranges herein are inclusive unless stated otherwise.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63272780 | Oct 2021 | US |
