Technical Field
[0001] The present subject matter as described herein generally
relates to a two wheeled vehicle and particularly relates to a fender for a two wheeled vehicle. Background
[0002] Typically, a two wheeled vehicle such as a motorcycle
includes a fender to cover a front wheel and a rear wheel so as to
safeguard internal parts of the motorcycle from undesirable foreign matter
including mud splash and water splash. Generally, the fender is designed
in a manner sucfiThaflt^ifoll^s'an'archshaped profile of a wheel so that it
, obstructs water or mud splashed by a rotating wheel from entering into the
internal parts of the two wheeled vehicle. While a front fender prevents
water and mud from splashing onto parts lying in a front portion of the two
wheeled vehicle such as a suspension member, engine and the like; a
rear fender prevents water and mud from entering into parts lying in a rear
portion thereof such as a battery box, air cleaner, a muffler and the like.
[0003] Typically, in order to prevent water or mud from striking the
muffler, a rear portion of the rear fender is extended in a rearward and downward direction. However, due to a minimum clearance requirement from the wheel, the rear fender cannot be extended beyond a limit. Moreover, under heavy rain conditions, or when a rider has to cross a pool of water, an extended portion of the fender does not serve to prevent water or mud from entering the muffler or from depositing over the same,

as muddy water striking a smooth inner surface of the extended portion tangentially from the rear wheel gets diverted sideward after striking the inner surface. Thereby, damaging the muffler over a period of time and affecting durability of the two wheeled vehicle as a whole. Moreover, water and mud are also splashed onto the pillion footrest and onto a pillion rider's clothes, causing discomfort.
[0004] A known art tries to address problems associated with
conventional fenders by providing a plurality of skirts extending transversely across a width of the fender. Said plurality of skirts is integrally™ moulded" with" the fender in the inner surface thereof. The plurality of skirts provided obstruct water and mud from splashing onto the muffler by deflecting the direction of water splash and mud splash away from the fender. However, integrally moulding the plurality of skirts along with the fender not only leads to mould complexity but also increases a cycle time. Also, degree of freedom is low in the fender provided with said plurality of skirts, since the plurality of skirts are limited only to said fender. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above
circumstances.
[0006] It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a two
wheeled vehicle including a fender adapted to deflect undesired foreign matter such as water and mud splashed by a rotating wheel away from

parts of the two wheeled vehicle including a muffler, a pillion foot rest and
the like.
[0007] It is a secondary object of the present invention to provide a
two wheeled vehicle including fender adapted to deflect water and mud
splashed by a rotating wheel, wherein the fender has a simple structure
capable of being easily manufactured.
[0008] It is another object of the present invention to provide a two
wheeled vehicle with a fender adapted to deflect water and mud splashed
by a rotating wheel, said fender being retro fit able in nature.
[0009] "■" the above and other objects are achieved in accordance
with the present invention by providing a fender with a deflector member
disposed in an inner surface thereof."
[0010] According to a first embodiment of the present invention, a
deflector member is disposed in the inner surface of the fender and
preferably at a lower portion thereof. The deflector member is detachably
attached to the inner surface of the fender. The deflector member is
disposed in a manner such that it is inclined with respect to the inner
surface of the fender, so that a clearance is maintained between a rear
surface of said deflector member and the inner surface of the fender.
Further, the deflector member is disposed in a manner such that a base
portion of the deflector member extends transversely between side walls
of the fender. Thus, water and mud striking,the inner surface of the fender
tangentially from a rotating wheel get deflected downwards by a rear

surface of the deflector member and are obstructed from getting directed
sideward towards the muffler and the pillion footrest.
[0011] According to a second embodiment of the present invention,
at least one deflector assembly comprising a plurality of deflecting fins is
disposed along an axis parallel to a central longitudinal axis of the fender
in the inner surface thereof and preferably at a lower portion thereof. The
at least one deflector assembly is detachably attached to the inner surface
of the fender. According to a first aspect of the second embodiment, the at
least one deflector assembly is disposed in a side portion of the inner
surface of said fender. According to a second aspect of the second
embodiment, the plurality of deflecting fins is adjustably movable in a
manner so that an angle of opening and closing of said plurality of
deflecting fins can be adjusted by an adjusting means depending on an
angle of deflection required for deflecting water or mud. Thus, water and
mud striking the fender gets deflected downwards by the plurality of
deflecting fins comprised in the at least one deflector assembly.
[0012] Thus, as per the above disclosure, water and mud deflection
is achieved effectively by the fender in accordance with the present invention. Since, water and mud striking the inner surface of the fender get deflected downwards; water and mud are obstructed from getting directed sidewards towards the muffler and pillion footrest. Moreover, complexity of integrally moulding deflector members along with the fender does not arise as per the present disclosure since the deflector member is detachably

attached to the fender. Additionally, the deflector member also has a
simple construction, and can be easily attached to the fender. Thus, the
fender comprising the deflector member can be retro fitted onto any two
wheeled vehicle.
Brief Description of Accompanying Drawings
[0013] The above and other features, aspects, and advantages of
the subject matter will be better understood with regard to the following
description and accompanying drawings where:
[0014] FIG.1 illustrates a side view of a two wheeled vehicle such
as"a motorcycle in accordance with the present invention.
[0015] FIG-2 illustrates a perspective view depicting an inner
surface of a fender of the motorcycle in accordance with a first
embodiment of the present invention.
[0016] FIG.3a illustrates a rear view of the fender depicting an outer
surface thereof.
[0017] FIG.3b illustrates a side view of the fender taken along line
D-D of FIG.3a depicting a cross section of a deflector member in
accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention.
[0018] FIG.4 illustrates a perspective view of the fender depicting at
least one deflector assembly in accordance with a second embodiment of
the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments
[0019] The present invention relates to a fender for a two wheeled
vehicle such as a motorcycle. Generally, the motorcycle includes a fender to cover a front wheel and a rear wheel so as to protect internal parts of the motorcycle from mud splash and water splash. The fender typically prevents water and mud splashed by a rotating wheel from splashing onto internal parts of the motorcycle. However, at most times, the fender fails to obstruct water and mud from getting splashed onto parts lying adjacent to a rear wheel such as a muffler, a pillion footrest and the like. Especially, under heavy rain conditions, water and mud striking a fender tangentially from a rotating rear wheel, get directed towards the muffler and pillion footrest after striking a smooth inner surface of the fender. Blockage of an exhaust hole of the muffler due to mud splash affects the performance and durability of the muffler. Additionally, water and mud splashed onto the pillion footrest and clothes of a pillion rider causes much inconvenience to the pillion rider.
[0020] Therefore, it is essential to provide deflector members in the
fender to enable deflection of water and mud away from the muffler and
the pillion footrest. The deflector members provided therein should be
detachably attached to the fender so as to reduce the complexity of
integrally moulding said deflector members along with the fender.
[0021] To this end, the present invention discloses a fender
comprising a deflector member. In the present embodiment, said fender is

a rear fender. However, in another embodiment, said fender may be a rear fender provided with said deflector member.
[0022] In a first embodiment of the present invention, the deflector
member is a plate disposed in an inner surface of the fender. Preferably, the deflector member is disposed in a lower portion of said inner surface so that water and mud get deflected downwards, away from the muffler and the pillion footrest.
[0023] In a second embodiment of the present invention, at least
one deflector assembly comprising a plurality of deflecting fins is detachably attached to the inner surface of the fender; As per an aspect of the second embodiment, the plurality of deflecting fins is adjustably movable by an adjusting means.
[0024] The first and second embodiments of the present invention
would now be described in greater detail in conjunction with the figures in the following description. Various other features and embodiments of the present invention will be discernible from the following further description thereof, set out hereunder. The brief description is to be understood as an exemplary embodiment and reading of the invention is not intended to be taken restrictively. Also, it is to be noted that although the embodiments of the present invention have been exemplified for a motorcycle, the present invention may be used in any other two wheeled vehicle including a scooter. It is to be further noted that "front" and "rear", and "left" and "right" wherever referred to in the ensuing description, refer to front and rear, and

left and right directions as seen in a state of being seated on a seat of the vehicle and looking forward. Furthermore, a longitudinal axis unless otherwise mentioned refers to a front to rear axis relative to the vehicle, while a lateral axis unless otherwise mentioned refers generally to a side to side, or left to right axis relative to the vehicle.
[0025] FIG.1 illustrates a side view of a motorcycle 10 in
accordance with the present invention. The motorcycle 10 includes a body frame 13 to support parts of said motorcycle 10. A head pipe 14 is provided at a front end of the body frame 13. The head pipe 14 supports a steering shaft (not shown) rotatably in a certain range and a front fork 15 pivotally. In an upper portion of the head pipe 14, a handlebar 16 is rotatably integrally connected to the steering shaft. A front wheel 18 is journaled to a lower end of the front fork 15 and is rotated in a certain range by steering the handlebar 16.
[0026] In a front portion of the body frame 13 a fuel tank 19 is
arranged immediately behind the handle bar 16 and is disposed over an engine 12.
[0027] A seat 20 is placed behind the fuel tank 19. The seat 20
includes a front rider portion and rear pillion portion. A cloth protecting member 25 is disposed below the seat 20 to cover a side portion of a rear wheel 30. Further, a pillion footrest 27 is provided at a lower portion of the cloth protecting member 25 so as to facilitate a pillion rider to place his/her feet.
L

[0028] Suspensions are provided for comfortable steering of the
motorcycle on the road. A front suspension assembly is connected to the front fork 15 while a rear suspension assembly is a hydraulic damped arrangement and is connected to the body frame 13. The rear suspension assembly comprises of at least one rear suspension 17.preferably on a left hand side of the motorcycle. However, in a motorcycle with two rear suspensions, the same may be disposed on the left side and the right side respectively of the motorcycle. For the safety of the rider and in conformance with the traffic rules, a headlight 31 in the front portion of the motorcycle and a taillight 32 in the rear portion of the motorcycle is also provided.
[0029] The engine 12 is supported to the body frame 13 by being
suspended in a front lower portion of the body frame 13. The engine 12 is equipped with an exhaust system that includes an exhaust pipe (not shown) connected to the engine 12 and a muffler (not shown) connected to the exhaust pipe. The muffler (not shown) extends rearwards along the right side of the rear wheel 30.
[0030] Further, a swing arm 35 extending rearwards is swingably
connected to a rear lower portion of the body frame 13. The rear wheel 30 is rotatably supported at a rear end of the swing arm 35. Power from the engine 12, suspended in a front lower portion of the body frame 13 is transmitted to the rear wheel 30 through a power drive mechanism, such as a drive chain, so as to drive and rotate the rear wheel30.

[0031] , A fender 40 for covering an upper side of the rear wheel 30
is mounted to a rear portion of body frame 13. Most of the rear portion of
the body frame 13 is covered with a rear cowl 50. Whereas, the muffler
extends rearwards along the right side of the rear wheel 30, the pillion
footrest 27 is disposed along the left hand side of the rear wheel 30.
[0032] FIG.2 illustrates a perspective view of the fender 40 of the
motorcycle in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG.2 depicts an inner surface 40a of the fender 40. A deflector member 41 is detachably attached to the inner surface 40a of the fender 40. As per an aspect of the first embodiment, the deflector member 41 is a plate having a base portion 41a and an end portion 41b joined to each other to have a trapezoidal profile. In an embodiment, the deflector member 41 is detachably attached to the inner surface 40a of the fender 40 by detachably mounting said deflector member 41 on a mounting ridge 40aa (shown in FIG.3b) formed in said inner surface 40a due to a mounting provision provided in an outer surface thereof, for mounting a rear reflex reflector 43 (shown in FIG.3a). In other words, the deflector member 41 is sandwich mounted along with the rear reflex reflector 43 (shown in FIG.3a) from the inner surface 40a of the fender 40 by means of a fastener 44. Thus, the trapezoidal profile of the deflector member 41 is complimentary to that of the mounting ridge 40aa formed in said inner surface 40a of the fender 40.

[0033] However, in another embodiment, the deflector member 41
having a trapezoidal profile can be mounted at a different location in the
inner surface 40a by providing a slot therein, so that the base portion 41a
of the deflector member 41 may be fitted into said slot.
[0034] Further, the deflector member 41 is disposed in a manner
such that it is inclined with respect to the inner surface 40a. Preferably, the member 41 is disposed in a manner such that an acute angle is formed by the base portion 41a with the inner surface 40a at the location where said deflector member 41 is mounted. Thus, the deflector member 41 is made to slope downwards when viewed from a vehicle sideward direction. As a result of such disposition, a clearance gets maintained between a rear surface of the deflector member 41 and the inner surface 40a of the fender 41 due to such disposition.
[0035] FIG.3a illustrates a front view of the fender 40. Dotted line D-
D represents a central longitudinal axis of the fender 40. FIG.3b illustrates a side view of the fender 40 depicting a cross section of .the deflector member 41 taken along the dotted line D-D. As may be seen in the figure, the deflector member 41 extends downwards from the mounting ridge 40aa. Thus, mud and water splashed onto the fender 40 by the rotating rear wheel 30 are obstructed by the deflector member.41. Since the deflector member 41 slopes downwards, mud and water striking front and rear surface thereof slides downwards. Therefore, mud and water are

obstructed from getting directed sidewards towards the muffler and the footrest.
[0036] FIG.4 illustrates a second embodiment of the present
invention. As per the second embodiment, at least one deflecting assembly 42 comprising at least a guide 42a, a plurality of deflecting fins 42b and an adjusting means 42c is disposed in the inner, surface 40a of the fender 40. Preferably, the deflecting assembly 42 is disposed at a lower portion of said inner surface 40a. As per a first aspect of the second embodiment, the deflecting assembly 42 is detachably attached to the inner surface 40a Of the fender 40. Preferably, said deflecting assembly 42 is disposed in a manner such that said plurality of deflecting fins 42b is supported at one side thereof by a side flange 45 of said fender 40, and at its other side thereof by said guide 42a, said guide 42a being affixed to the . inner surface 40a of the fender. In the present embodiment, said guide 42a is a longitudinal member disposed substantially parallely to the longitudinal axis D-D of the fender 40 and provided with a plurality of slots to receive said plurality of deflecting fins 42b. Particularly, the guide 42a is provided in a manner such that said plurality of deflecting fins 42b are movable in said plurality of slots.;In another embodiment, said plurality of deflecting fins 42b may be supported,between said guide 42b on its either sides to facilitate better movement thereof.
[0037] Further, as per a second aspect of the second embodiment,
the plurality of deflecting fins 42b is adjustably movable upwards and

downwards by the adjusting means 42c. The adjusting means 42c provided may preferably be in the form of a flap or a knob. Opening and closing angles of said plurality of deflecting fins 42b is adjusted by said adjusting means 42c. Orientation of the plurality of deflecting fins 42b can thus be adjusted so that water and mud striking the inner surface 40a of the fender 40 can be directed away from the muffler and the pillion footrest.
[0038] While the present invention has been shown and described
with reference to the foregoing preferred embodiments, it will be apparent
to those skilled in the art that changes in form, connection, and detail may
be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention as defined in the appended claims.

I/ We Claim:
1. A fender (40) for a two wheeled vehicle (10), said fender (40) comprising a deflector member (41) disposed in an inner surface (40a) thereof, characterized in that, the deflector member (41) including a base portion (41a) and an end portion (41b) is adapted to be detachably attached to said inner surface (40a) thereof, and wherein, the deflector member (41) forming an acute angle with the inner surface (40a) of said fender (40), and sloping downwards is adapted to deflect undesirable foreign matter away from said fender (40).
2. The fender (40) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base portion (41a) and said end portion (41b) are joined to form a trapezoidal profile.
3. The fender (40) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said deflector member (41) is sandwich mounted to said fender (40) together with a rear reflex reflector (43).
4. A fender (40) for a two wheeled vehicle (10), wherein said fender (40) comprises a deflector assembly (42) including at least a guide (42a), a plurality of deflecting fins (42b), and an adjusting means (42c), and capable of being detachably attached to said fender (40) is adapted to deflect undesirable foreign matter away from said fender (40).

5. The fender (40) as claimed in claim 4, wherein said plurality of deflecting fins (42b) is movably supported between said at least a guide (42a) at least a portion of said fender (40).
6. The fender (40) as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5, wherein said adjusting means (42c) enables upward and downward movement of said plurality of deflecting fins (42b) about said at least a guide (42a).
7. The fender (40) as claimed in claim 6, wherein said adjusting
means (42c) is a knob which enables adjustment of movement of
said plurality of deflecting fins (42b).