Patent Application
20080150317
The present invention is in the field of trailers for motorcycles.
Advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the accompanying drawings in which, like references may indicate similar elements:
The following is a detailed description of example embodiments of the invention depicted in the accompanying drawings. The example embodiments are in such detail as to clearly communicate the invention. However, the amount of detail offered is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; but, on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. The detailed description below is designed to render various embodiments obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art.
A trailer for a motorcycle is provided. In one embodiment, the trailer comprises an aerodynamic body with an undercarriage and hitch arm with a mount for a spare tire under the body, and a mounting rack in front of the body for mounting a removable container. The body comprises an openable top hatch extending from one side of the body to the other to enable access to the storage interior of the body.
In one embodiment, an interior wooden and/or metal frame provides support for a metal exterior. The wooden and/or metal frame may be constructed of a light weight material and the exterior metal body may be made of aluminum. For fuel efficiency, a light weight but sturdy construction is desirable. Thus, the exterior sides may be formed by wrapping a sheet of metal, such as aluminum, around a light-weight interior wooden and/or metal frame. In particular, substantially the entire periphery can be formed from a single sheet of metal, such as aluminum. In one embodiment, an arch is cut into each of a left side and a right side of the metal exterior to expose a wheel on each side so that each of the two tires of the trailer may be easily accessed for replacement.
At a top of a front end of body 102 of trailer 100 is a corner exhibiting curvature for aerodynamic stability. The curvature is formed by curved plates 108. In one embodiment, more than 3 curved plates form the curved front top corner for aerodynamic stability. The more than three curved plates may be partially but substantially overlapped to secure the interior in a water proof and wind proof manner. At a top of a rear end of body 102 of trailer 100 is another corner exhibiting curvature for aerodynamic stability. The curvature is, again, formed by curved plates 108. In one embodiment, more than 3 curved plates form the curved rear corner. The more than three curved plates may be partially but substantially overlapped to secure the interior in a water proof and wind proof manner.
The top of body 102 of trailer 100 comprises a top hatch 110. Top hatch 110 has two sides situated on the left and right sides of body 102 above wheels 112. A lockable latch mechanism 114 is provided on one side to latch and unlatch top hatch 110. On the opposite side are hinges (not shown). By unlatching latch mechanism 114 and lifting top hatch 110, hatch 110 pivots about the hinges so that top hatch 110 lifts upward to expose the interior of body 102 so that access is gained to items stored within body 102. The hinges of top hatch 110 may be spring loaded or otherwise biased so that when the top hatch is lifted, it remains in an up position until force is applied to bring it back down to the closed position. Thus, a traveler may accessibly store within the body 102, tents, blankets, camping supplies, compact stoves, clothing, food, water, fuel, oil, tools, etc. A substantial volume of weatherproof interior space is provided by body 102 for this purpose.
In one embodiment, a mounting rack 116 is provided. Mounting rack 116 is mounted on hitch arm 104 just in front of body 102. Mounting rack 116 may be used to mount a cooler or storage box. Thus, for example, an insulated cooler may be mounted on rack 116 and secured with straps, or other means. The cooler may store ice, cold drinks, and food. Access to the interior of the cooler is easily obtained without having to open top hatch 110 of body 102 of trailer 100.
Thus, one embodiment is a motorcycle trailer to be towed behind a motorcycle, comprising a body enveloping storage space there within. The body has a top, a bottom, and four vertical sides. Within the body, encompassed by outer surfaces formed of rigid but flexibile material such as aluminum is a light-weight frame to which the outer surfaces are formed there about. The body exhibits curvature, for aerodynamic efficiency and stability, around the corners of the top and around corners of the sides thereof. The curvature around the corners of a front end of the top is formed by more than three separate panels of curved material at a front end of the body and the curvature around a rear end of the top is formed by more than three separate panels of curved material at a rear end of the body. The front and rear panels substantially and partially overlap to weather proof the space within the body.
The top has an open-able top hatch to allow access to an interior of the body. The top hatch is curved around two sides with a lockable latch on one of the two sides to provide opening of the top hatch, and with hinges at an opposite one of the two sides. The hinges are biased to hold the top hatch in an open position. The body further exhibits on a left side and on a right side, an arch to expose a wheel on each of the left and right side.
An embodiment further comprises a steel undercarriage with a tubular hitch arm and a tubular bumper. The undercarriage supports the body at a bottom surface of the body. The undercarriage further comprises a mounting mechanism to securely mount a spare tire under the body. Mounted to the hitch arm of the undercarriage exterior to the body, is a mounting rack for mounting a removable container. The hitch arm has a swivel eye for receiving a securable pin connected to the motorcycle. The bumper is spaced apart from the rear of the body and conformal to the curvature of the corners of a rear end side of the body so that the bumper is curved at least partially around curved rear side corners of the body. The embodiment further comprises an independent action torsion suspension single axle system with two wheels mounted to the undercarriage. The embodiment also comprises side marker lights, license plate light and tail lights on the rear end of the body, the lights electrically connected to an electrical system of the motor cycle to indicate braking and left and right turn signals.
As shown in
At a rear end of undercarriage 418 is a rear bumper 406. In one embodiment, bumper 406 comprises a tubular structure integrally formed with undercarriage 418. In another, embodiment, bumper 406 is removably connectable to undercarriage 418.
Thus, one embodiment is a motorcycle trailer, comprising a body enclosing storage space there within. The body has an openable top hatch to expose the interior space of the body. The hatch has biased hinges to hold the top hatch in an open position when opened. An undercarriage is mounted to a bottom of the body to provide support there for. The undercarriage comprises a mounting mechanism to mount a spare tire underneath the body. An axle and two wheels are mounted to the undercarriage with torsion suspension. A hitch arm is connected to the undercarriage and extends forward from the body to couple with the motorcycle. A mounting rack is mounted to the hitch arm exterior to the body to hold a removable storage container.
In one embodiment, the body has four vertical sides with rounded corners and a top with rounded corners on the front and rear ends and the sides there of. The rounded corners on the front and rear ends of the top comprise more than three shaped panels on each end. The panels are substantially and partially overlapped to provide weatherproofing of the interior of the body. In some embodiments, the four vertical sides comprise a sheet of metal, such as aluminum, wrapped around and connected to an interior light-weight wooden and/or metal frame with arches cut into the sheet to expose the two wheels. In one embodiment the front and rear corners of a top of the body are molded from 18 individual panels into a single piece of material.
The openable top hatch extends across the top to both a left and right side of the body with curvature on the sides there of. The openable top hatch has a lockable latch mechanism to lock the top hatch in a closed position and to open the top hatch. In some embodiments, the hitch arm comprises a swivel eye to receive a securable pin connected to the motorcycle for coupling there to. Some embodiments also have a tubular bumper connected to the undercarriage and rounded at the ends to at least partially encompass curved rear corners of sides of the body. Also, embodiments may further comprise side marker lights, license plate light and rear tail lights connected to an electrical system of the motorcycle to provide braking lights and left and right turn signals.
Although the present invention and some of its advantages have been described in detail for some embodiments, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Although an embodiment of the invention may achieve multiple objectives, not every embodiment falling within the scope of the attached claims will achieve every objective. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.
