Description:FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[001] Present invention relates to a fender of a vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a front fender for the vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[002] A front fender is provided in a vehicle, such as a two-wheeled vehicle, over a front wheel. The front fender can be of continuous profile or can be a split type construction mounted onto a front portion of a frame member of the vehicle. The front fender is positioned to cover a top portion of the front wheel to prevent splash of mud and/or dirt from the front wheel onto a rider during vehicle movement.
[003] Typically, the conventional front fender is provided with either a continuous or unibody profile or a split-type profile. In unibody construction, the front fender comprises a flange for covering a suspension assembly or a front fork assembly of the vehicle. The flange is adapted to prevent ingress of mud and/or dirt into a sealing joint of the front fork assembly. However, size of the flange in the unibody front fender is small or minimal as compared to size of the front fork assembly to be protected and thus, capable of protecting only a minor portion or a small portion of the sealing joint of the front fork assembly of the vehicle. In other words, the conventional unibody front fender is incapable of protecting the entire front fork assembly primarily due to its smaller size relative to the front fork assembly. Also, due to the smaller dimensions, the flange is incapable of preventing ingress of mud and/or dirt across the entire length of the front fork assembly.
[004] Further in split-type front fenders, an external flange is required to be assembled as a separate part. Such an assembly increases part count, tooling count, design complexity, increased use of number of fasteners and assembly time.
[005] In view of the above, there is a need for a front fender for a vehicle, that addresses at least some of the limitations mentioned above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[006] In one aspect, a front fender for a vehicle is disclosed. The front fender comprises a front-side fender adapted to cover a front portion of a front wheel of the vehicle. A rear-side fender is provided that is adapted to cover a rear portion of the front wheel. One or more side flanges extend from the front-side fender, wherein each of the one or more side flanges comprises a body member and a top portion extending upwardly from the body member in a top-down direction of the vehicle. The top portion being adapted to cover at least a portion of a sealing joint on a front fork assembly of the vehicle for providing ingress protection.
[007] In an embodiment, the top portion is provided with a curved profile for covering at least a portion of the sealing joint of the front fork assembly.
[008] In an embodiment, the body member of each of the one or more side flanges is mounted onto an outer tube of the front fork assembly.
[009] In an embodiment, the body member of each of the one or more side flanges extends vertically along a top-down direction of the vehicle to cover at least a portion of an outer tube of the front fork assembly.
[010] In an embodiment, each of the one or more side flanges are positioned in front of the front fork assembly in a front-rear direction of the vehicle.
[011] In an embodiment, each of the one or more side flanges comprises a left side flange extending leftwardly from the front-side fender and a right side flange extending rightwardly from the front-side fender.
[012] In an embodiment, the body member is adapted to engage with one or more first mounting tabs provided on the front fork assembly.
[013] In an embodiment, the rear-side fender is adapted to engage with one or more second mounting tabs provided on the front fork assembly.
[014] In an embodiment, the rear-side fender is positioned lower than the front-side fender in the top-down direction of the vehicle.
[015] In an embodiment, the top portion of each of the one or more side flanges extends from the body member such that in a front view of the vehicle the top portion positioned below the front-side fender. In an embodiment, the body member is integrated with the front-side fender.

BREIF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMAPNYING DRAWINGS
[016] Reference will be made to embodiments of the invention, examples of which may be illustrated in accompanying figures. These figures are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Although the invention is generally described in context of these embodiments, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to these particular embodiments.
Figure 1 is a side perspective view of a front fender positioned over a front wheel of a vehicle, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a front perspective view of the front fender positioned over the front wheel, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a rear perspective view of one or more side flanges of the front fender being mounted on a front fork assembly, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a rear perspective view of the front fender positioned over the front wheel, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a top perspective view of the front fender positioned over the front wheel, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is an enlarged view of a portion ‘A’ in Figure 5, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[017] The present invention relates to a front fender for a vehicle. The front fender comprises one or more side flanges that extend along a front fork assembly. Accordingly, each of the one or more side flanges are adapted to protect the front fork assembly. Also, each of the one or more side flanges cover a sealing joint of the front fork assembly. Thus, each of the one or more side flanges provide ingress protection to the sealing joint of the front fork assembly.
[018] In the present disclosure, arrow indications provided in Figures pertain to directional indications of the vehicle. As such, the terms “top side”, “bottom side”, “left side” and “right side” respectively correspond to top, bottom, left and right sides of the vehicle, until and unless specified otherwise.
[019] Figure 1 is a side perspective view of a front fender 100 positioned over a front wheel 104 of a vehicle, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The front fender 100 is positioned over the front wheel 104 of the vehicle such as a two-wheeled vehicle or a three-wheeled vehicle or a trike. The front fender 100 covers a top portion of the front wheel 104 to prevent splashing of dirt and/or mud onto a rider during vehicle movement. The term ‘top portion’ pertains to a portion of the front wheel 104 that is facing towards a handlebar (not shown) of the vehicle.
[020] The front wheel 104 is connected to a front fork assembly 116. The front fork assembly 116 has one end (not shown) connected to a frame assembly (not shown) or a chassis (not shown) of the vehicle, while an other end of the front fork assembly 116 is connected to a wheel hub (not shown) of the front wheel 104. The front fork assembly 116 may be connected to the frame assembly through a triple clamp unit (not shown). The front fork assembly 116 comprises an inner tube 124 mounted telescopically to an outer tube 118. The outer tube 118 comprises a damping assembly (not shown) adapted to dampen vibrations received by the front wheel 104 during vehicle movement. The damper assembly provided in the front-fork assembly 116 can be a conventional damping assembly known in the art such as a spring-damper assembly, a hydraulic damper assembly and the like. In an embodiment, the front fender 100 is mounted onto an axle bracket (not shown) of the front wheel 104.
[021] In an embodiment, the front fork assembly 116 is a single fork assembly (not shown in drawings). In such a construction, the front fork assembly 116 comprises one outer tube 118 and one inner tube 124, that connects to the front wheel 104 and the frame member. In an embodiment, the single fork assembly construction of the front fork assembly 116 is provided on a left-side or a right-side of the front wheel 104.
[022] In an embodiment, the front fork assembly 116 is a dual fork assembly (as shown in Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5) comprising a left front fork 116a and a right front fork 116. The left front fork 116a is mounted onto a left-side of the front wheel 104, while the right front fork is mounted onto a right-side of the front wheel 104.
[023] In an embodiment, the front fork assembly 116 is a standard fork assembly, wherein the outer tube 118 is connected to the wheel hub, while the inner tube 124 is mounted to the triple clamp. In an embodiment, the front fork assembly 116 is an upside fork assembly, wherein the outer tube 118 us mounted to the triple clamp, while the inner tube 124 is mounted to the wheel hub.
[024] Referring to Figure 2 in conjunction with Figure 1, a front perspective view of the front fender 100 is shown. As depicted, the front fender 100 is supported or mounted onto the front fork assembly 116. The front fender 100 is mounted onto one or more first mounting tabs 120 and/or one or more second mounting tabs 122 provided on the front fork assembly 116. In an embodiment, the one or more first mounting tabs 120 and/or the one or more second mounting tabs 122 are fastening tabs provided onto the outer tube 118 of the front fork assembly 116. Accordingly, the front fender 100 is fastened to the outer tube 118 of the front fork assembly 116. In an embodiment, the one or more first mounting tabs 120 are provided on a top portion (not shown) of the outer tube 118, while the one or more second mounting tabs 122 are provided on a bottom portion (not shown) of the outer tube 118, when viewed from a side view of the vehicle. In an embodiment, the front fender 100 is supported onto the frame assembly through one or more supporting brackets (not shown).
[025] Further, the front fender 100 comprises a front-side fender 102. The front-side fender 102 is a panel member that covers a front portion 104a of the front wheel 104. The extension of the front-side fender 102 for covering the front portion 104a of the front wheel 104 can be selected as per design feasibility and requirement in the vehicle. In an embodiment, the term “front portion” corresponds to a portion of the front wheel 104 that is in front of the front fork assembly 116 along a front-rear direction of the vehicle.
[026] The front fender 100 also comprises a rear-side fender 106. The rear-side fender 106 is a panel member that is positioned lower than the front-side fender 102 in a top-down direction of the vehicle. The rear-side fender 106 covers a rear portion 104b of the front wheel 104. The extension of the rear-side fender 106 for covering the rear portion 104b of the front wheel 104 can be selected as per design feasibility and requirement in the vehicle. In an embodiment, the term “rear portion” corresponds to a portion of the front wheel that is behind the front fork assembly 116 along the front-rear direction of the vehicle.
[027] In an embodiment, the front-side fender 102 and/or the rear-side fender 106 is mounted onto the front fork assembly 116. In an embodiment, the front-side fender 102 engages with the one or more first mounting tabs 120, while the rear-side fender 106 engages with the one or more second mounting tabs 122 for mounting the front fender 100 to the front fork assembly 160. In an embodiment the front-side fender 102 engages with the one or more second mounting tabs 122, while the rear-side fender 106 engages with the one or more first mounting tabs 122.
[028] The front fender 100 further comprises one or more side flanges 108 extending from the front-side fender 102 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and is positioned in front of the front fork assembly 116. Each of the one or more side flanges 108 extends vertically about the front fork assembly 116 in the top-down direction of the vehicle and covers a sealing joint 114 of the front fork assembly 116. As such, each of the one or more side flanges 108 provides ingress protection to the sealing joint 114 of the front fork assembly 116. In an embodiment, the sealing joint 114 comprises an interior portion 128 (as shown in Figure 6) and an exterior portion 130 (as shown in Figure 6). The interior portion 128 corresponds to a portion of the sealing joint 114 that is facing towards the front fender 100, while the exterior portion 128 corresponds to a portion of the sealing joint 114 that is away from the front fender 100.
[029] Further, each of the one or more side flanges 108 comprises a body member 110 that extends from the front-side fender 102 in a rearward direction and towards the front fork assembly 116. In an embodiment, the body member 110 is integrated with the front-side fender 102. In other words, the body member 110 and the front-side fender 102 forms a unibody construction. Alternatively, the body member 110 is attached onto the front-side fender 102 by fastening or any other conventional attachment techniques known in the art. The body member 110 extends vertically in the top-down direction to cover a front portion (not shown) of the front fork assembly 116. Such an extension of the body member 110 enhances aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle. In an embodiment the body member 110 extends vertically in the top-down direction to cover front portion (not shown) of the outer tube 118 of the front fork assembly 116. The vertical extension of the body member 110 is selected based on length of the outer tube 118.
[030] In an embodiment, the body member 110 is provided with one or more mounting units 126 (as shown in Figure 3). In the present embodiment, the one or more mounting units 126 are slots provided on the body member 110. The one or more mounting units 126 are adapted to engage with the one or more first mounting tabs 120 and/or the one or more second mounting tabs 122 for enabling mounting of the one or more side flanges 108 and hence the front fender 100, onto the front fork assembly 116. The one or more mounting units 126 engage with one or more first mounting tabs 120 and/or the one or more second mounting tabs 122 through conventional engagement techniques known in the art such as fastening, clamping and the like.
[031] A top portion 112 extends upwardly from the body member 110 in the top-down direction of the vehicle such that, at least a portion of the sealing joint 114 of the front fork assembly 116 is covered. The top portion 112 is positioned below the front-side fender 102 in a front view of the vehicle, for preventing entry of dirt or pebbles on the front wheel 104. Additionally, the top portion 112 is provided with a curved profile to cover the exterior portion 130 of the sealing joint 114. Thus, the top portion 112 is adapted to provide ingress protection to the sealing joint 114, particularly the exterior portion 130 of the sealing joint. In an embodiment, the top portion 112 is provided with a C-shaped curved profile or an inverted C-shape profile for covering the sealing joint 114.
[032] In the present embodiment, referring to Figures 4 and 5, the front fender 100 mounted onto the dual fork construction of the front fork assembly 116 is depicted. As such, in order to provide ingress protection to the left front fork 116a and the right front fork 116b (as shown in Figure 4), the one or more side flanges 108 of the front fender 100 comprises a left side flange 108a and a right side flange 108b respectively.
[033] The left side flange 108a comprises a body member 110a that extends leftwardly from the front-side fender 102 and towards the left-side fork 116a in a rearward direction. As such, the left-side flange 108a is adapted to cover and protect the left front fork 116a. In an embodiment, the body member 110a is integrated with the front-side fender 102. In other words, the body member 110a and the front-side fender 102 form a unibody construction. Alternatively, the body member 110a is attached onto the front-side fender 102 by fastening or any other conventional attachment techniques known in the art. The body member 110a extends vertically in the top-down direction to cover a front portion (not shown) of the left front fork 116a. In an embodiment the body member 110a extends vertically in the top-down direction to cover front portion (not shown) of the outer tube 118a of the left front fork 116a.
[034] Further, the body member 110a is provided with one or more mounting units 126 (as shown in Figure 3). The one or more mounting units 126 are adapted to engage with the one or more first mounting tabs 120 and/or the one or more second mounting tabs 122 for enabling mounting of the left-side flange 108a onto the left front fork 116a. The one or more mounting units 126 engage with one or more first mounting tabs 120 and/or the one or more second mounting tabs 122 through conventional engagement techniques known in the art such as fastening, clamping and the like.
[035] Further, a top portion 112a extends upwardly from the body member 110a in the top-down direction of the vehicle such that, at least a portion of a sealing joint 114a of the left front fork 116a is covered. The top portion 112a is positioned below the front-side fender 102 in the front view of the vehicle. Additionally, the top portion 112a is provided with a curved profile to cover the exterior portion 130 (as shown in Figure 6) of the sealing joint 114a. Thus, the top portion 112a is adapted to provide ingress protection to the sealing joint 114a. In an embodiment, the top portion 112a is provided with a C-shaped curved profile or an inverted C-shape profile for covering the sealing joint 114a.
[036] Further, the right side flange 108b comprises a body member 110b that extends rightwardly from the front-side fender 102 and towards the right-side fork 116b in the rearward direction of the vehicle. As such, the right-side flange 108b is adapted to cover and protect the right front fork 116b. The body member 110b extends such that, the left-side flange 108a and the right-side flange 108b are symmetrical to one another about a central axis (not shown) of the vehicle. In an embodiment, the body member 110b is integrated with the front-side fender 102. In other words, the body member 110b and the front-side fender 102 form a unibody construction. Alternatively, the body member 110b is attached onto the front-side fender 102 by fastening or any other conventional attachment techniques known in the art. The body member 110b extends vertically in the top-down direction to cover a front portion (not shown) of the right front fork 116b. In an embodiment the body member 110b extends vertically in the top-down direction to cover front portion (not shown) of the outer tube 118b of the right front fork 116b.
[037] Further, the body member 110b is provided with one or more mounting units 126. The one or more mounting units 126 are adapted to engage with the one or more first mounting tabs 120 and/or the one or more second mounting tabs 122 for enabling mounting of the right-side flange 108b onto the right front fork 116b. The one or more mounting units 126 engage with one or more first mounting tabs 120 and/or the one or more second mounting tabs 122 through conventional engagement techniques known in the art such as fastening, clamping and the like.
[038] Further, a top portion 112b extends upwardly from the body member 110b in the top-down direction of the vehicle such that, at least a portion of a sealing joint 114b of the right front fork 116b is covered. The top portion 112b is positioned below the front-side fender 102 in the front view of the vehicle. Additionally, the top portion 112b is provided with a curved profile to cover the exterior portion 130 (as shown in Figure 6) of the sealing joint 114b. Thus, the top portion 112b is adapted to provide ingress protection to the sealing joint 114b. In an embodiment, the top portion 112b is provided with a C-shaped curved profile or an inverted C-shape profile for covering the sealing joint 114b.
[039] In an embodiment, during assembly, the front fender 100 is positioned above the front wheel 104 and between the front fork assembly 116. At this position, the front-side fender 102 is fastened to the outer tube 118 through fastening between the one or more first mounting tabs 120 and the one or more mounting units 126 provided on the one or more side flanges 108. Subsequently, the rear-side fender 102 is also fastened to the outer tube 118 through fastening between the one or more second mounting tabs 122 and the one or more mounting units 126 provided on the one or more side flanges 108.
[040] In an embodiment, if the front fender 100 is to be mounted onto the dual fork construction type of the front fork assembly 116, the left-side flanges 108a and the right-side flange 108b engage with the outer tube 118a of the left front fork 116a and the outer tube 118b of the right front fork 116b in the manner as mentioned above.
[041] The claimed invention as disclosed above is not routine, conventional, or well understood in the art, as the claimed aspects enable the following solutions to the existing problems in conventional technologies. Specifically, the claimed aspect of providing a top portion to cover at least a portion of the sealing joint of the front fork assembly, provides ingress protection to the sealing joint. Consequently, enhancing life of the front fork assembly. Further, the one or more side flanges being integrated to the front-side fender mitigates the hassle required in split-type fenders, reduces part count and easing the process of assembly and replaceability of the front fender. Consequently, reducing the use of fasteners and brackets required for mounting the front fender. Additionally, the one or more side flanges cover the front portion of the front fork assembly, inherently enhancing aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle.
[042] While the present invention has been described with respect to certain embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modification may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Reference Numerals and Characters
100 – Front fender
102 – Front-side fender
104 – Front wheel
104a – Front portion of the front wheel
104b – Rear portion of the front wheel
106 – Rear-side fender
108 – One or more side flanges
108a – Left side flange
108b – Right side flange
110 – Body member
110a – Body member of the left-side flange
110b - Body member of the right-side flange
112 – Top portion
112a – Top portion of the left-side flange
112b – Top portion of the right-side flange
114 – Sealing joint
114a – Sealing joint of the left-side flange
114b – Sealing joint of the right-side flange
116 – Front fork assembly
116a – Left front fork
116b – Right front fork
118 – Outer tube of the front fork assembly
118a – Outer tube of the left fork
118b – Outer tube of the right fork
120 – First mounting tabs
122 – Second mounting tabs
124 – Inner tube of the front fork assembly
124a – Inner tube of left-front fork
124b – Inner tube of right-front fork
126 – One or more mounting units
128 – Interior portion of sealing joint
130 – Exterior portion of sealing joint

, Claims:WE CLAIM:
1. A front fender (100) for a vehicle, the front fender (100) comprising:
a front-side fender (102) adapted to cover a front portion (104a) of a front wheel (104) of the vehicle;
a rear-side fender (106) adapted to cover a rear portion (104b) of the front wheel (104);
one or more side flanges (108) extending from the front-side fender (102), each of the one or more side flanges (108) comprising:
a body member (110); and
a top portion (112) extending upwardly from the body member (110) in a top-down direction of the vehicle, the top portion (112) being adapted to cover at least a portion of a sealing joint (114) on a front fork assembly (116) of the vehicle for providing ingress protection.

2. The front fender (100) as claimed in claim 1, the top portion (112) is provided with a curved profile for covering at least a portion of the sealing joint (114) of the front fork assembly (116).

3. The front fender (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body member (110) of each of the one or more side flanges (108) is mounted onto an outer tube (118) of the front fork assembly (116).

4. The front fender (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body member (110) of each of the one or more side flanges (108) extends vertically along a top-down direction of the vehicle to cover at least a portion of an outer tube (118) of the front fork assembly (116).

5. The front fender (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the one or more side flanges (108) are positioned in front of the front fork assembly (116) in a front-rear direction of the vehicle.

6. The front fender (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the one or more side flanges (108) comprises:
a left side flange (108a) extending leftwardly from the front-side fender (102); and
a right side flange (108b) extending rightwardly from the front-side fender (102).

7. The front fender (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body member (110) being adapted to engage with one or more first mounting tabs (120) provided on the front fork assembly (116).

8. The front fender (100) as claimed in claim 1, the rear-side fender (106) is adapted to engage with one or more second mounting tabs (122) provided on the front fork assembly (116).

9. The front fender (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rear-side fender (106) being positioned lower than the front-side fender (102) in the top-down direction of the vehicle.

10. The front fender (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the top portion (112) of each of the one or more side flanges (108) extends from the body member (110) such that in a front view of the vehicle the top portion (112) is positioned below the front-side fender (102) and wherein the body member (108) is integrated with the top portion (112).

Dated this 18th day of December 2023

TVS MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED
By their Agent & Attorney

(Nikhil Ranjan)
of Khaitan & Co
Reg No IN/PA-1471