Description:FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present disclosure relates to a side stand for a two-wheeler vehicle. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a side stand capable of an angular rotation of 360 degrees provided in a two-wheeler vehicle.

BACKGROUND

A side stand, also known as a kickstand, is a component of a two-wheeler vehicle that enables a rider to park the two-wheeler vehicle on the ground. The side stand supports the weight of the two-wheeler vehicle and facilitates parking of the two-wheeler vehicle in a balanced position. Typically, the side stand has a metallic body that is hinged along a side of the vehicle, wherein the side stand is deployed by flipping out the metallic body of the side stand and leaning the vehicle to the same side as that of the side stand. This facilitates the application of the weight of the vehicle on the side stand. Some of the side stands may have a foot section that has a greater width than the leg to increase a surface area for better support on the ground.

There are some limitations with the current type of side stand. For example, the current type of side stand is unstable particularly on terrains like an inclined plane, a sloping surface, a stony surface, a rough surface, or an uneven surface like a bumpy surface or a pothole. The side stand tends to encounter irregular forces and irregular torque from these surfaces. This may lead to bending or buckling of the side stand or even in some cases may lead to failure of the side stand over a period of time. Many times, the side stand loses balance due to the irregular surfaces as mentioned above causing the vehicle to fall leading to greater damage to the two-wheeler. This problem tends to affect the ownership cost as inadvertent falls of the vehicle increase the cost of repair and maintenance thereby increasing the overall cost of ownership of the vehicle.

. Hence, there is a need for a side stand for the vehicle, particularly for the two-wheeler vehicle that can withstand irregular forces and irregular torques from the ground and prevent any failure or off balancing of the side stand.

SUMMARY
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts, in a simplified format, that are further described in the detailed description of the invention. This summary is neither intended to identify key or essential inventive concepts of the invention and nor is it intended for determining the scope of the invention.

The present disclosure is related to a side stand assembly for a two-wheeler vehicle, also referred to as “vehicle” hereafter. The side stand assembly includes an arm that is pivotably attached to a chassis of the vehicle, a base plate that is pivotably attached to a bottom end of the arm, and a ball-socket assembly disposed between the base plate and the arm. The base plate is adapted to rest on the ground for supporting the weight of the vehicle in a deployed state of the side stand assembly. The ball-socket assembly facilitates the mating between the base plate and the arm. The ball-socket assembly further facilitates the rotation of the base plate about a central axis of the ball-socket assembly and the arm.

The side stand assembly with the ball-socket assembly allows for greater flexibility in the angle of the base plate, thereby providing stable positioning of the vehicle on uneven or sloped surfaces. In addition, the deployment of the side stand assembly is easy and reduces the risk of the vehicle becoming unstable. Additionally, the side stand assembly with the ball-socket assembly provides greater durability and resistance to damage for the vehicle as it prevents any bending or twisting of the side stand assembly.

The ball-socket assembly allows the stand to pivot and move in multiple directions, accommodating uneven surfaces and ensuring that the vehicle remains upright. In addition, maneuvering the vehicle may be done via the side stand assembly, for doing so, the vehicle may be pivoted on the side stand assembly, and the vehicle may be rotated in response to the rotation of the base plate. So, when the rider wants to turn his/her vehicle they may easily turn their vehicle by pivoting the vehicle on upon the side stand. This is possible as the side stand assembly has the capability of rotating 360 degrees on its central axis (Z-Z). In this manner, stable positioning of the vehicle is performed while parking.

Moreover, the maintaining the upright position of the arm ensures that the vehicle does not fall off thereby preventing any accidental damages to the vehicle. This reduces the overall maintenance cost and the repair cost of the vehicle thereby reducing the overall cost of ownership of the vehicle.

To further clarify advantages and features of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which is illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a side stand assembly for a vehicle such as a two-wheeler, in accordance with an embodiment of present disclosure;
Figure 2 illustrates a side view and a cross-sectional view of the side stand assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 3 illustrates an enhanced cross-sectional view of a base plate and an arm of the side stand assembly as shown in Figure 2, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 4 illustrates a perspective view of a ball-socket assembly of the side stand assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 5 illustrates a perspective view of the side stand assembly with the base plate decoupled from the side stand assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 6 illustrates a first portion of the base plate of the side stand assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and
Figure 7 illustrates a second portion of the base plate of the side stand assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Further, skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the drawings are illustrated for simplicity and may not have necessarily been drawn to scale. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the drawings by conventional symbols, and the drawings may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the drawings with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated system, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skilled in the art to which this invention belongs. The system, methods, and examples provided herein are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.

For example, the term “some” as used herein may be understood as “none” or “one” or “more than one” or “all.” Therefore, the terms “none,” “one,” “more than one,” “more than one, but not all” or “all” would fall under the definition of “some.” It should be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the terminology and structure employed herein is for describing, teaching, and illuminating some embodiments and their specific features and elements and therefore, should not be construed to limit, restrict or reduce the spirit and scope of the present disclosure in any way.

For example, any terms used herein such as, “includes,” “comprises,” “has,” “consists,” and similar grammatical variants do not specify an exact limitation or restriction, and certainly do not exclude the possible addition of one or more features or elements, unless otherwise stated. Further, such terms must not be taken to exclude the possible removal of one or more of the listed features and elements, unless otherwise stated, for example, by using the limiting language including, but not limited to, “must comprise” or “needs to include.”

Whether or not a certain feature or element was limited to being used only once, it may still be referred to as “one or more features” or “one or more elements” or “at least one feature” or “at least one element.” Furthermore, the use of the terms “one or more” or “at least one” feature or element do not preclude there being none of that feature or element, unless otherwise specified by limiting language including, but not limited to, “there needs to be one or more…” or “one or more elements is required.”

Unless otherwise defined, all terms and especially any technical and/or scientific terms, used herein may be taken to have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person ordinarily skilled in the art.

Reference is made herein to some “embodiments.” It should be understood that an embodiment is an example of a possible implementation of any features and/or elements of the present disclosure. Some embodiments have been described for the purpose of explaining one or more of the potential ways in which the specific features and/or elements of the proposed disclosure fulfil the requirements of uniqueness, utility, and non-obviousness.

Use of the phrases and/or terms including, but not limited to, “a first embodiment,” “a further embodiment,” “an alternate embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “multiple embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “other embodiments,” “further embodiment”, “furthermore embodiment”, “additional embodiment” or other variants thereof do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, one or more particular features and/or elements described in connection with one or more embodiments may be found in one embodiment, or may be found in more than one embodiment, or may be found in all embodiments, or may be found in no embodiments. Although one or more features and/or elements may be described herein in the context of only a single embodiment, or in the context of more than one embodiment, or in the context of all embodiments, the features and/or elements may instead be provided separately or in any appropriate combination or not at all. Conversely, any features and/or elements described in the context of separate embodiments may alternatively be realized as existing together in the context of a single embodiment.

Any particular and all details set forth herein are used in the context of some embodiments and therefore should not necessarily be taken as limiting factors to the proposed disclosure.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate various aspects of a side stand assembly (100) for a vehicle (not shown) such as a two-wheeler to facilitate the resting of the vehicle along the side stand assembly (100). Particularly, Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of the side stand assembly (100) for the vehicle. Figure 2 illustrates a side view and a cross-sectional view of the side stand assembly (100) for the vehicle.

The vehicle typically includes a chassis on which other components, such a drive train, a handlebar, seats, a storage unit of the vehicle may be mounted. The chassis may be embodied as a tubular chassis on which other parts of the vehicle, including the side stand assembly (100) are mounted. In one example, the side stand assembly (100) may include an arm (102) adapted to securely couple to the chassis of the vehicle. In addition, the side stand assembly (100) may include a base plate (104) adapted to be pivotably coupled/attached to the arm (102). In addition, the side stand assembly (100) may include a ball-socket assembly (105) disposed between the base plate (104) and the arm (102) to facilitate the mating of the base plate (104) and the arm (102) and further facilitate the rotation of the base plate (104) about a central axis (Z-Z) of the ball-socket assembly (105) and the arm (102). Details of each of these components will be explained in detail hereafter.

As illustrated in Figure 1 and Figure 2, the arm (102) of the side stand assembly (100) may include a top end (106) adapted to couple with the chassis of the vehicle and a bottom end (108) disposed opposite to the top end (106) and adapted to couple with the base plate (104). In addition, the arm (102) may include a longitudinal member (110) extending between the top end (106) and the bottom end (108). In an example, the longitudinal member (110) may be a cylindrical member, a cuboidal member having a rectangular or a square area of cross-section.

In addition, the top end (106) of the arm (102) may be pivotally coupled to the chassis of the vehicle and adapted to operate between a deployed state position and a retracted state position. In the deployed state, the arm (102) may be extending outwardly from the chassis and facilitates the resting of the vehicle on the side stand assembly (100). Further, in the deployed state, the side stand assembly (100) contacts the ground and the weight of the vehicle may be supported by the side stand assembly (100). In the retracted state, the arm (102) is tucked into the vehicle, such that the arm (102) is disposed in proximity to the chassis of the vehicle. Further, as shown, a portion of the longitudinal member (110) is disposed in proximity to the bottom end (108) and includes a hole (112) to facilitate the mounting of a spring (not shown). In an example, the spring may be a tensile spring or a compression-based spring. A first end of the spring may be coupled with the chassis of the vehicle and a second end of the spring may be coupled with the hole (112). For deploying the side stand assembly 100, the longitudinal member (110) may be manually actuated by the feet of a user causing the longitudinal member to extend outwardly. Similarly, for placing the side stand assembly (100) in a retracted state position, the longitudinal member (110) may be manually actuated in a sideward direction. In addition, the hole (112) and the spring coupled with the chassis facilitate reducing any play in the system and facilitate a secure arrangement with the chassis of the vehicle.

In an example, a cuboidal shape configuration of the longitudinal member (110) is envisioned, however, the longitudinal member (110) may include an oblate, a spheroid, a cylindrical shape configuration, or any other irregular shape configured to facilitate the ergonomic interaction of the feet of the user with the longitudinal member (110) of the side stand assembly (100). In an example, the shape of the longitudinal member (110) of the side stand assembly (100) is such that the longitudinal member (110) blends within the shape of the vehicle avoiding any external protrusion from a side plan of the vehicle, thereby restricting any interaction of the user or the clothes of the user or a pillion or the clothes of the pillion when the side stand assembly (100) is positioned in a retracted state.

Referring to Figure 3, an enhanced view “A” of a cross-sectional view of the base plate (104) and the arm (102) of the side stand assembly (100) of the Figure 2 is shown. The cross-sectional view of the base plate (104) and the arm (102) defines an enhanced section for clarity and brevity.

Further, Figure 4 illustrates a perspective view of the side stand assembly (100) with the base plate (104) decoupled from the side stand assembly (100). The bottom end (108) of the arm (102) defines a first surface (114) to facilitate the mounting of the one or more components of the base plate (104). As shown, the bottom end (108) of the arm (102) may include a protruding surface (116) adapted to extend outwardly from the first surface (114) of the bottom end (108). In addition, the protruding surface (116) includes a hole (118) extending inwardly from the protruding surface (116). The hole (118) includes a first end defining an open end and extending along a surface of the protruding surface (116) and a second end disposed opposite to the first end defining a closed end adapted to rest within the hole (118). In addition, the bottom end (108) of the arm (102) may include a plurality of guide assemblies (120) to facilitate the rotation of the base plate (104) with reference to the arm (102) of the side stand assembly (100). In an example, the hole (118) extending inwardly from the protruding surface (116) includes a plurality of threads to facilitate the coupling of the ball-joint assembly (105).

As shown, the guide assemblies (120) may include a plurality of slots (122) that may be formed from the bottom end (108) of the arm (102). Further, the guide assemblies (120) may include a plurality of spring assemblies (124) partially disposed in the plurality of slots (122) in the bottom end (108) of the arms (102). The plurality of spring assemblies (124) may include a first end (not shown) adapted to rest inside the plurality of slots (122) and a second end (126) adapted to extend outwardly from the slot (122) and disposed spaced apart from the first surface (114) of the bottom end (108) of the arm (102). In an example, the first end of the spring assemblies (124) is securely coupled with the plurality of slots (122) to facilitate a secure coupling of the spring assemblies (124). In addition, the second end (126) of the spring assemblies (124) is substantially perpendicularly and spaced apart from the first surface (114) of the bottom end (108) of the arm (102). In addition, the second end (126) of the spring assemblies (124) may include a bearing (128). In an example, the bearing (128) is securely coupled with the second end (126) of the spring assemblies (124) and the pushing of the bearing (128) facilitates the compression of the spring assemblies (124).

In one example, the ball-socket assembly (105) may be disposed between the base plate (104) and the arm (102) to facilitate the rotation and tilting of the base plate (104) with respect to the central axis (Z-Z). In addition, the ball-socket assembly (105) facilitates the tilting movement of the base plate (104) with reference to the central axis (Z-Z) facilitating the aligning of the base plate (104) with any uneven surface/ground.

Details of the base plate (104) is provided with respect to Figure 5 and 6. Specifically, Figure 5, illustrates a perspective view of the side stand assembly (100) with the base plate (104) decoupled from the side stand assembly (100). The base plate (104) is adapted to couple with the bottom end (108) of the arm (102) of the side stand assembly (100). As shown, the base plate (104) may include a first portion (130) adapted to couple with the guide assembly (120) of the arm (102) and a second portion (132) defining a distal end from the first portion (130) and adapted to rest on the ground while the side stand assembly (100) is erected upright for supporting the vehicle.

Figure 6 illustrates the first portion (130) of the base plate (104) of the side stand assembly (100). As shown, the first portion (130) of the base plate (104) defines a cuboidal shape configuration having a first surface (134) adapted to face towards the first surface (114) of the arm (102) and a second surface (136) disposed opposite to the first surface (134) and adapted to face the second portion (132). In addition, the first portion (130) of the base plate (104) may include an opening (138) extending from the first surface (134) to the second surface (136), such that the opening (138) is disposed in proximity to a central portion of the first portion (130).

In addition, the first surface (134) of the first portion (130) may include a groove (140) adapted to extend inwardly from the first surface (134). As shown, the grooves (140) are disposed around the opening (138) thereby defining a circular shape configuration extending around a circumference of the opening (138). In an example, the grooves (140) may be disposed at an offset from the opening (138) to facilitate the positioning/resting of the guide assemblies (120) into the grooves (140). Additionally, the grooves (140) may include a one or more motion-inhibiting elements (142) disposed within the grooves (140). The one or more motion-inhibiting elements (142) are adapted to receive the bearing (128) of the guide assemblies (120) for locking the rotation of the base plate (104) with reference to the arm (102) of the side stand assembly (100). In an embodiment, the one or more motion-inhibiting elements (142) may define a depression, a protrusion, or a cavity extending inwardly from the grooves (140) towards the second surface (136) of the second portion (130). In an example, a width of each of the set of motion-inhibiting elements (142) is greater than a width of the groove (140) and equal to a diameter of the each bearing (128) from the plurality of the bearings (128).

Details of the second portion are provided with respect to Figure 7 that illustrates the second portion (132) of the base plate (102) of the side stand assembly 100. The second portion (132) defines a cuboidal shape configuration having a first surface (144) adapted to couple with the second surface (136) of the first portion (130) of the base plate (104) and a lower face (146) (hereinafter referred as a second surface (146) disposed opposite to the first surface (144) and adapted to abut the ground/floor when the side stand assembly (100) is erected to support the vehicle. In addition, the second portion (132) of the base plate (104) may include a ball-joint cavity (148) extending inwardly from the first surface (144) toward the second surface (146). As shown, the ball-joint cavity (148) may include an open-end defining access to the ball-joint cavity (148) and a closed end disposed opposite to the first end. In an example, the ball-joint cavity (148) may be a hemispherical cavity extending along a thickness of the second portion (132) of the base plate (102).

As shown, the ball-socket assembly (105) may include a ball portion (150) adapted to rest inside the ball joint cavity (148) of the second portion (132), and a pin portion (152) attached to the ball portion (150) and extend upwardly from the ball portion (150). As shown, the pin portion (152) is adapted to pass through the opening (138) of the first portion (130) and enclosed within the first portion (130) and the second portion (132). In an example, the pin portion (152) may be threaded to facilitate a secure coupling of the pin portion (152) with the arm (102) of the side stand assembly (100).

According to the present disclosure, the ball portion (150) of the ball-socket assembly (105) may be adapted to rotate within the second portion (132) of the base plate (104) to facilitate the rotation of the base plate (104) in response to the rotation of the ball portion (150) and the pin portion (152) of the ball-socket assembly (105). In an example, the ball-joint cavity (148) extending inside the second portion (132) of the base plate (104) may include a tolerance defining a space between the ball portion (150) and the ball-joint cavity (148). The space may be filled with any lubrication such as but not limited to oil or grease to facilitate the rotation of the ball-socket assembly (105). In addition, the side stand assembly (100) may include a gap/free space extending between the arm (102) and the base plate (104) to facilitate the tilting of the base plate (104) with reference to the arm (102). Further, the at least one of the guide assemblies (120) may compress to accommodate the tilting motion of the base plate (104) with reference to the arm (102).

The application and the working of the side stand assembly (100) is now explained. The base plate (104) is adapted to completely rotate with reference to the central axis (Z-Z), while doing so, the ball-socket assembly (105) rotates with reference to the central axis (Z-Z), and the rotation is performed of the base plate (104) with reference to the arm (102). In addition, the base plate (104) may be tilted with reference to the arm (102) of the side stand assembly (100) to facilitate any tilting of the base plate (104). The tilting of the base plate (104) facilitates the adjustment of the side stand assembly (100) with reference to any inclined plane or the ground.

The side stand assembly (100) with the ball-socket assembly (105) solves the problem by allowing the base plate (104) to be adjusted to the angle of the surface/ground. In addition, the ball-socket assembly (105) allows for greater flexibility in the angle of the base plate (104), which helps to provide a stable positioning of the vehicle on any uneven or sloping surfaces. In addition, the deployment of the side stand assembly (100) is easy and reduces the risk of the vehicle becoming unstable.

In this manner, the rotation of the side stand assembly (100) around 360 degrees and the tilting of the side stand assembly (100) on any uneven surface provides a stable positioning of the vehicle while parking. This reduces the chances of falling off the vehicle thereby reducing the accidental damages incurred on the vehicle. This reduces the overall maintenance cost and the repair cost of the vehicle thereby reducing the overall cost of ownership of the vehicle. In addition, the ergonomic design improves the user experience of the vehicle.

Additionally, the side stand assembly (100) with the ball-socket assembly (105) provides greater durability and resistance to damage for the vehicle as it prevents any bending or twisting of the side stand assembly (100). The ball-socket assembly (105) allows the stand to pivot and move in multiple directions, accommodating uneven surfaces and ensuring that the vehicle remains upright. In addition, maneuvering the vehicle may be done via the side stand assembly (100), for doing so, the vehicle may be kept on the side stand assembly (100), and the vehicle may be rotated in response to the rotation of the base plate (104). So, when the rider wants to turn his/her vehicle they may easily turn their vehicle by tilting the vehicle on upon the side stand (100). This is possible as this side stand assembly has 360 degrees of freedom on its central axis (Z-Z) and after rotating it gets locked to its turned position via engaging the bearings in the guide assemblies (120).

While specific language has been used to describe the present disclosure, any limitations arising on account thereto, are not intended. As would be apparent to a person in the art, various working modifications may be made to the method in order to implement the inventive concept as taught herein. The drawings and the foregoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment.
, Claims:We claim:

1. A side stand assembly for a vehicle, the side stand assembly comprising:
a) an arm (102) which is pivotably attached to a chassis of the vehicle;
b) a base plate (104) which is pivotably attached to a bottom end (108) of the arm (102) and adapted to rest on a ground for supporting a weight of the vehicle in a deployed state of the side stand assembly (100); and
c) a ball-socket assembly (105) disposed between the base plate (104) and the arm (102), wherein the ball-socket assembly (105),
which facilitates:
the mating between the base plate (104) and the arm (102); and
the rotation of the base plate (104) about a central axis of the ball-socket assembly (105) and the arm (102).

2. The side stand assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base plate (104) comprising:
a) a first portion (130) having an opening (138) and a groove (140) provided around a circumference of the opening (138); and
b) a second portion (132) formed on a distal end of the first portion (130), and having a lower face (146) adapted to rest on the ground in the deployed state, wherein the first portion (130) and the second portion (132) forms a ball joint cavity (148).

3. The side stand assembly (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the ball-socket assembly (105) comprising:
a) a ball portion (150) disposed in the ball joint cavity (148) of the base plate (104); and
b) a pin portion (152) attached to the ball portion (150) and protruding from the opening (138) of the first portion (130) of the base plate (104), wherein the pin portion (152) is threaded along the bottom end (108) of the arm (102) and facilitates a rotational and a tilting movement of the ball portion (150) within the ball joint cavity (148) with respect to the bottom end (108).

4. The side stand assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, comprising a plurality of guide assemblies (120), the each guide assembly (120) comprising:
a) a bearing (128) disposed in the groove (149) and adapted to facilitate the rotation of the base plate (104); and
b) a spring assembly (124) partially disposed in a slot (122) in the bottom end (108) of the arm (102) and adapted to push the bearing (128) in the groove (140).

5. The side stand assembly (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the bottom end (108) of the arm (102) comprising a one or more motion-inhibiting elements (142) disposed within the groove (140) and adapted to receive the bearing (128) for locking the rotation of the base plate (104).

6. The side stand assembly (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the more motion-inhibiting elements are a depression, a protrusion, and a circular cavity.

7. The side stand assembly (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein a width of each of the each of the motion-inhibiting elements (142) is greater than a width of the groove (140) and equal to a diameter of the each bearing (128) from the plurality of bearings (128).

8. The side stand assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ball-socket assembly (105) is adapted to partially rest inside the base plate (104) and the arm (102).