Present disclosure generally relates to vehicles. Particularly, but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to a lever mechanism of a vehicle. Further, embodiments of the present disclosure disclose the lever mechanism for operating a seat between flat position and raised position in the vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
[002] Two-wheeled vehicles include a body frame which serves as a supporting and reinforcing framework for various components of the vehicle. The body frame not only provides stability to the vehicle, but also takes part in distribution of loads along with other elements of the vehicle. A typical body frame has a number of interconnected members including head tube, upper frame, lower frame, seat rails extending from the fore end till the aft end of the vehicle, as well as along lateral dimensions of the vehicle. One of the primary purposes of the body frame is to support a seat on which the passenger(s) [rider and pillion] sits for the purpose of riding the vehicle. The part of body frame supporting the seat may include side rails extending from the mid-section of the body frame to the aft end of the vehicle. The side rails in turn support left and right seat rails which allow the seat to be mounted and firmly affixed to them. One or more cross members may also extend between the left and right seat rails to serve various purposes, including but not limited to reinforcing the seat rails, providing mounting/connecting points to auxiliary parts/members, and so on. An extreme aft end of a typical seat subframe [or subassembly] may include a grip [commonly known as rear grip or grab handle or grab bar] which is rigidly connected to the seat rails or other subframe of the chassis by any of the known connecting mechanisms. The purpose of the grip is to ensure that the pillion has some sturdy member to grab on to when the vehicle is moving. For example, when there is abrupt increase or decrease in speed of the vehicle, the pillion can quickly grab the grip so that safety of pillion as well as the vehicle balance and stability can be ensured.
[003] Conventional grip may be of a unitary configuration with a single member extending along the profile of rear portion of seat subframe with free ends connected by the connecting mechanism. In some segments of two wheeled vehicles, the grip may extend upwardly or at an angle so that a cushion may be affixed to the grip to serve as a backrest to the pillion. In some vehicles, the grip extending upwardly above the seat level may pose problems with respect to proper positioning and supporting the loads, for example, luggage. Further, the upwardly extending grip may also serve as backrest in the absence of a cushion in some two wheeled

segments. However, such upwardly extending grips may not provide desired comfort levels or complete support like an actual backrest provides. In some of the other conventional two wheeled vehicle segments, the grip may be of split configuration, which apart from providing grip to the pillion may take part in improving visual appeal of the vehicle. The grip in some instance may also assist in placing and supporting luggage.
[004] Existing grip, especially the split type of grip, faces number of shortcomings such as lack of flexibility to support luggage as compared to unitary configuration rear grips. The split type of grips also extend towards the rear of the vehicle and do not have the flexibility to extend upwardly like the unitary rear grip types, as the aesthetics of the vehicle may be hampered. Moreover, attaching a cushion to split type rear grips is practically not feasible, which renders the split type rear grips devoid benefits with respect to providing or enhancing passenger comfort. Furthermore, in most of the existing two wheeled vehicles, there is no back rest provided for resting the back of at least the pillion riders, and in some two-wheeled vehicles though the backrest is provided, the backrest is secured as a separate component, and it will remain in the stationary position. Such a configuration of the backrest is complex and cannot be integrated in the topology of seat of the vehicle, and also hinder easy access of the vehicle from rear end.
[005] Present disclosure is directed to overcome one or more limitations stated above or other such limitations associated with the existing arts.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[006] One or more shortcomings of conventional vehicle grips are overcome, and additional advantages are provided through the vehicle and the lever mechanism as claimed in the present disclosure. Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered as a part of the claimed disclosure.
[007] In one non-limiting embodiment of the disclosure, a lever mechanism for operating a seat of a vehicle between a flat position and a raised position is disclosed. The lever mechanism includes a support member secured to a frame of the vehicle, and at least one lever. The support member is defined with a first profiled section. The at least one lever has a grip section, and a connecting section extending from the grip section, where the connecting section is defined with a second profiled section and a meshing section. The at least one lever is configured to be

actuatable between a first position and a second position relative to the support member to selectively couple the second profiled section with the first profiled section. Further, the mechanism has a movable member secured to at least a portion of the seat and configured to couple with the meshing section. At the first position of the at least one lever, the first profiled section couples with the second profiled section, and at the second position of the lever, the first profiled section decouples from the second profiled section. Actuation of the at least one lever to the second position allows swiveling of the at least one lever which operates the seat through the movable member between the flat position and the raised position. The mechanism allows the seat or a split section of the seat to be conveniently and effortlessly transformed into backrest for supporting a pillion and/or luggage. The transformation from seat to backrest and vice versa may be attained simply by applying manual torque on the lever with minimum effort.
[008] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the lever is a grip of the vehicle, and the grip is configured to be actuated between the first position and the second position in vehicle width direction. The grip of the vehicle provides flexibility to be used as a lever without need for a new or a separate lever for actuating the seat. The at least one lever in the swiveled condition may take up heavier loads and may effectively support loads having longer dimensions.
[009] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first profiled section and the second profiled section are defined with teeth profiles. Further, the movable member comprises at least one collar defined with internal splines, the internal splines configured to couple with external splines defined in the meshing section.
[0010] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the mechanism comprises a left lever and a right lever, where at least one of the left lever and the right lever is biased towards a shaft of the support member by at least one resilient member. The resilient member stores energy when tensed and releases energy when restored to free state which is beneficial in easy actuation of the lever from the second position to the first position.
[0011] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first position of the at least one lever restrains the swiveling of the at least one lever.
[0012] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the movable member includes a bracket, the bracket having a base, and an arm extending curvedly from the base towards the support member. The arm is configured to secure the seat. Further, a left support member and a right

support member extend upwardly from the base, where each of the left support member and the right support member supports at least one collar.
[0013] In another non-limiting embodiment of the disclosure, a grip for a vehicle is disclosed. The grip is defined by a grip section and a connecting section extending from the grip section. The connecting section is defined with a first meshing section. The grip is configured to be actuatable between a first position and a second position relative to a support member to selectively couple the first meshing section with a second meshing section defined in the support member. At the first position of the grip, the first meshing section couples with the second meshing section, and at the second position of the grip, the first meshing section decouples from the second meshing section. Actuation of the at least one lever to the second position allows swiveling of the at least one lever which facilities moving the grip away from the original position which improves access to the vehicle seat from the rear end without hindrance.
[0014] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first meshing section and the second meshing section are accommodated in a cylindrical enclosure.
[0015] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the mechanism comprises a left lever and a right lever, where at least one of the left lever and the right lever is biased towards a shaft of the support member by at least one resilient member. The resilient member stores energy when tensed and releases energy when restored to free state which is beneficial in easy actuation of the lever from the second position to the first position.
[0016] In yet another non-limiting embodiment of the disclosure, a seat for a vehicle is disclosed. The seat includes a seat body mounted on a pair of seat rails secured to a frame of the vehicle. The seat body extends along the pair of seat rails along a front and a rear direction of the vehicle with at least a portion of the seat body defined with a split section operable between a flat position and a raised position. Further, the seat includes a lever mechanism for operating the split section of the seat between the flat position and the raised position. The lever mechanism includes a support member secured to a frame of the vehicle, and at least one lever. The support member is defined with a first profiled section. The at least one lever has a grip section, and a connecting section extending from the grip section, where the connecting section is defined with a second profiled section and a meshing section. The at least one lever is configured to be actuatable between a first position and a second position relative to the support

member to selectively couple the second profiled section with the first profiled section. Further, the mechanism has a movable member secured to at least a portion of the seat and configured to couple with the meshing section. At the first position of the at least one lever, the first profiled section couples with the second profiled section, and at the second position of the lever, the first profiled section decouples from the second profiled section. Actuation of the at least one lever to the second position allows swiveling of the at least one lever which operates the split section of the seat through the movable member between the flat position and the raised position. This allows quick conversion of the split section of the seat to act as a seat or as a backrest in the vehicle.
[0017] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the split section forms a portion of rear seat cushion in the flat position, and a backrest in the raised position.
[0018] In still another non-limiting embodiment of the disclosure, a two wheeled vehicle is disclosed. The vehicle includes a front wheel, a rear wheel in line with the front wheel, a steering mechanism, a power unit, and a transmission unit coupling the power unit to the rear wheel. Further, the vehicle includes a frame, comprising a head tube configured to support the steering mechanism, an upper frame member and a lower frame member connected to and extending downwardly and rearwardly from the head tube, and a pair of side rails extending rearwardly from the lower frame member. The vehicle then includes a seat having a seat body mounted on a pair of seat rails secured to the side rails in the frame of the vehicle, the seat body extending along the pair of seat rails along a front and a rear direction of the vehicle. At least a portion of the seat body is defined with a split section operable between a flat position and a raised position. Further, the vehicle includes a lever mechanism for operating the split section of the seat between the flat position and the raised position. The lever mechanism includes a support member secured to a frame of the vehicle, and at least one lever. The support member is defined with a first profiled section. The at least one lever has a grip section, and a connecting section extending from the grip section, where the connecting section is defined with a second profiled section and a meshing section. The at least one lever is configured to be actuatable between a first position and a second position relative to the support member to selectively couple the second profiled section with the first profiled section. Further, the mechanism has a movable member secured to at least a portion of the seat and configured to couple with the meshing section. At the first position of the at least one lever, the first profiled section couples with the second profiled section, and at the second position of the lever, the first profiled section

decouples from the second profiled section. Actuation of the at least one lever to the second position allows swiveling of the at least one lever which operates the split section of the seat through the movable member between the flat position and the raised position. This allows quick conversion of the split section of the seat to act as a seat or as a backrest in the vehicle
[0019] It is to be understood that the aspects and embodiments of the disclosure described above may be used in any combination with each other. Several of the aspects and embodiments may be combined together to form further embodiments of the disclosure.
[0020] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
[0021] The invention itself, together with further features and attended advantages, will become apparent from consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. One or more embodiments of the present invention are now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanied drawings wherein like reference numerals represent like elements and in which:
[0022] FIG. 1A illustrates side view of a vehicle with the seat shown in flat position, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure
[0023] FIG. IB illustrates side view of a vehicle with the seat shown in raised position, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0024] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a frame of a vehicle, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0025] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a lever mechanism for operating the seat between the flat position and raised position, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0026] FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the lever mechanism shown in FIG.
3;

[0027] FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the lever mechanism of FIG. 3 without the movable member;
[0028] FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of a split section of the seat operated to the raised position by the lever mechanism of FIG. 3, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0029] FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate side views of the split section of the seat in the flat position and the raised position respectively, along with magnified views of first profiled section and second profiled section in coupled and decoupled conditions respectively, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure; and
[0030] FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate top view of the mechanism of FIG. 3 with sectional views of the mechanism along X-X and Y-Y respectively, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0031] The figures depict embodiments of the disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the vehicle or the mechanism illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein. The drawings referred to in this description are not to be understood as being drawn to scale except if specifically noted, and such drawings are only exemplary in nature.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0032] While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiment thereof has been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however that it is not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternative falling within the spirit and the scope of the invention.
[0033] It is to be noted that a person skilled in the art would be motivated from the present disclosure and modify various features of the vehicle, without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Therefore, such modifications are considered to be part of the disclosure.

Accordingly, the drawings show only those specific details that are pertinent to understand the embodiments of the present disclosure, so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skilled in the art having benefit of the description herein.
[0034] In the present disclosure, the term "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.
[0035] The terms "comprises", "comprising", or any other variations thereof used in the disclosure, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, such that a mechanism or an assembly that comprises a list of components does not include only those components but may include other components not expressly listed or inherent to such a mechanism, or an assembly. In other words, one or more elements in the mechanism or the assembly proceeded by "comprises... a" does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the mechanism or the assembly.
[0036] The terms like "at least one" and "one or more" may be used interchangeably or in combination throughout the description.
[0037] For better understanding of the disclosure, reference would now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying figures and description here below. Further, in the following figures, the same reference numerals are used to identify the same components in various views.
[0038] While the present disclosure is illustrated in the context of a vehicle, however, the frame, the seat, the grip and associated aspects and features thereof can be used with other type of vehicles as well. It is to be noted that terms such as "two-wheeled vehicle" and "vehicle" are interchangeably used throughout the description. The term "two-wheeled vehicle" includes vehicles such as motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, mopeds, scooter type vehicle, all-terrain vehicles (ATV) and the like.
[0039] The terms "front/forward", "rear/rearward/back/backward", "up/upper/top/upward", "down/lower/lower ward/downward", "bottom", "left/leftward", "right/rightward" used therein represents the directions as seen from a vehicle driver sitting astride.

[0040] Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, same numerals will be used to refer to the same or like parts. Embodiments of the disclosure are described in the following paragraphs with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. In FIGS. 1 to 8, the same element or elements which have same functions are indicated by the same reference signs.
[0041] The various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the illustrated embodiments; rather, these embodiments are intended to fully and completely disclose the subject matter of the disclosure to those skilled in this art. Thicknesses and dimensions of some components may be exaggerated/magnified for clarity.
[0042] Herein, the terms "attached", "connected", "interconnected", "contacting", "mounted", "coupled" and the like can mean either direct or indirect attachment or contact between elements, unless stated otherwise.
[0043] Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a lever mechanism for operating a seat of a vehicle between a flat position and a raised position. The lever mechanism includes a support member secured to a frame of the vehicle, a movable member, and at least one lever. The support member is defined with a first profiled section. The at least one lever has a grip section, and a connecting section extending from the grip section, where the connecting section is defined with a second profiled section and a meshing section. In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first profiled section and the second profiled section are defined with teeth profiles. The at least one lever is configured to be actuatable between a first position and a second position relative to the support member to selectively couple the second profiled section with the first profiled section. Further, the movable member is secured to at least a portion of the seat and configured to couple with the meshing section. In an embodiment, the movable member comprises at least one collar defined with internal splines, the internal splines configured to couple with external splines defined in the meshing section of the connecting section. In an embodiment, at the first position of the at least one lever, the first profiled section couples with the second profiled section, and at the second position of the lever, the first profiled section decouples from the second profiled section.

[0044] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the first position of the at least one lever restrains the swiveling of the at least one lever. Further, actuation of the at least one lever to the second position allows swiveling of the at least one lever which operates the seat through the movable member between the flat position and the raised position. In an embodiment of the disclosure, the lever is a grip such as a rear grip of the vehicle, and the grip is configured to be actuated between the first position and the second position in vehicle width direction. In an embodiment of the disclosure, the mechanism comprises a left lever and a right lever, where at least one of the left lever and the right lever is biased towards a shaft of the support member by at least one resilient member. The movable member in the mechanism also includes a bracket. The bracket has a base, and an arm extending curvedly from the base towards the support member. The arm is configured to secure the seat. Further, a left support member and a right support member extend upwardly from the base, where each of the left support member and the right support member supports at least one collar.
[0045] The present disclosure also discloses a grip for a vehicle. The grip has a grip section and a connecting section extending from the grip section. The connecting section is defined with a first meshing section. The grip is configured to be actuatable between a first position and a second position relative to a support member to selectively couple the first meshing section with a second meshing section defined in the support member. At the first position of the grip, the first meshing section couples with the second meshing section, and at the second position of the grip, the first meshing section decouples from the second meshing section. Actuation of the at least one lever to the second position allows swiveling of the at least one grip.
[0046] The present disclosure also discloses a seat for a vehicle. The seat includes a seat body mounted on a pair of seat rails secured to a frame of the vehicle. The seat body extends along the pair of seat rails along a front and a rear direction of the vehicle with at least a portion of the seat body defined with a split section operable between a flat position and a raised position. Further, the seat includes a lever mechanism described above for operating the split section of the seat between the flat position and the raised position. In another embodiment, the present disclosure discloses a two wheeled vehicle. The vehicle includes a front wheel, a rear wheel in line with the front wheel, a steering mechanism, a power unit, and a transmission unit coupling the power unit to the rear wheel. Further, the vehicle includes a frame, comprising a head tube configured to support the steering mechanism, an upper frame member and a lower frame

member connected to and extending downwardly and rearwardly from the head tube, and a pair of side rails extending rearwardly from the lower frame member. The vehicle then includes a seat having a seat body mounted on a pair of seat rails secured to a pair of side rails in a frame of the vehicle, the seat body extending along the pair of side seat along a front and a rear direction of the vehicle. At least a portion of the seat body is defined with a split section operable between a flat position and a raised position. Further, the vehicle includes a lever mechanism described previously for operating the split section of the seat between the flat position and the raised position.
[0047] The following paragraphs describe the present disclosure with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. In the figures, the same element or elements which have similar functions are indicated by the same reference signs.
[00035] FIGS. 1A and IB illustrate side views of a two-wheeled vehicle (50) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The vehicle (50) referred to herein, embodies a motorcycle. Alternatively, the vehicle (50) may embody any other ridden vehicles such as motorized scooters, all-terrain vehicles (ATV) etc. without limiting the scope of the disclosure. The vehicle (50) comprises, among several other components, a front-end structure (102) and a rear end structure (104). The front-end structure (102) forms the front portion of the vehicle (50) [Front end structure and front portion are interchangeably used throughout the specification]. The rear end structure (104) forms the rear portion of the vehicle (50) [Rear end structure and rear portion are interchangeably used throughout the specification].
[00036] The front-end structure (102) comprises a front ground engaging member (114), and a steering mechanism (10) to steer or manoeuvre the front ground engaging member (114). The front ground engaging member (114) may be operatively connected to the steering mechanism (10). The steering mechanism (10) comprises a handlebar (118). The handlebar (118) is configured to be rotated by the rider to steer the vehicle (50). Further, the front-end structure (102) comprises a front cushion (120) [alternately referred to as shock absorbers] provided on either side of the front ground engaging member (114) to absorb shocks and impacts. The front cushion (120) may be associated with the steering mechanism (10). The front-end portion (102) may also include a power unit having a transmission unit (40) which may include gearbox, transmission shaft, etc., among other components. The power unit may also include a prime mover (30), for example, an internal combustion engine or an electric motor associated with

the transmission unit (40). The power unit takes part in power generation and transfer to a rear ground engaging member (112) to propel the vehicle (50).
[00037] Further, the front-end structure (102) includes a dash assembly (125) adjacent to the handlebar (118) as shown. The dash assembly (125) may include a display unit (not shown). The display unit displays information about the vehicle (50) to the rider. The dash assembly (125) may comprise additional components such as, LCD, GPS, and Graphical User Interface (GUI) etc. without limiting the scope of the invention. Further, the front-end structure (102) may further comprise additional components such as mirrors, head lamps, front fenders etc. without limiting the scope of the invention.
[00038] Referring again to FIGS. lAand IB, the rear end structure (104) includes a seat having a seat body (200), a rear ground engaging member (112), a taillight (142), and a lever mechanism (100) having a lever or a grip (4), among other sub-assemblies or components. The seat body (200) provides seating for a rider and a passenger of the vehicle (50) and may be firmly supported by seat structure (140) covered by a seat structure body. The rear ground engaging member (112) underlies the seat body (200) and is driven by the power unit. Further, the vehicle (50) may include electronic connections (not shown) and hydraulic connections (not shown). The electronic connections may embody a wire harness. The hydraulic connections may embody fluid hoses. Furthermore, the rear end structure (104) may comprise additional components such as suspension system(s), exhaust, rear footrest, rear fender, license plate etc., without limiting the scope of the invention.
[00039] FIGS. 1A and IB also illustrate a split section (20) of the seat body (200) in two different positions i.e., a flat position (FP) as shown in FIG. 1 A, and a raised position (RP) as shown in FIG. IB. The operation of the split section (20) from (FP) to (RP) and vice versa is attained through a lever mechanism (100), which will be explained in detail in the forthcoming paragraphs. The seat body (200) as shown in FIGS. 1A and IB may be a full seat configuration, which should not be construed as a limitation, as the vehicle (50) may have the split type seat configuration [as shown in FIG. 7A and 7B] having a parted front seat cushion (FS) and a rear seat cushion (RS) which are independent from each other. Further, the seat body (200) may be of a saddle type seat having a split section (20) which may lie in a flat position [FIG. 7A] to serve as the rear cushion (RS) in entirety. The split section (20) may be operated to the raised position (RP) [FIG. 7B] so that it may serve as a backrest, while the remaining portion of the rear cushion (RS) may still allow the pillion to be seated on it. Thus, the split section (20) may

conform to the profile of the rear cushion (RS). In a seat configuration which is not of split type, the split section (20) forming a part of a single cushion may be operated between FP and RP in a similar manner. The term "split section (20)" is interchangeably referred to as "seat (20)" for the purpose of simplicity and the same should not be construed as a limitation.
[00040] FIG. 2 depicts a frame (60) as a skeletal part of the vehicle (50) which provides structural rigidity or sturdiness to the vehicle (50). The frame (60) has a frontal frame portion (61) which may support the steering mechanism (10) having the handlebar (118) [FIG. IB] through a head tube or head pipe (80). Further, the frame (60) may include an upper frame member (60A) and a lower frame member (60B) connected to and extending from the head tube (80) [directly or indirectly]. A pair of side rails (LS, RS) extends upwardly and rearwardly from the lower frame member (60B) and support the left seat rail (LSR) and right seat rail (RSR), respectively, as shown. The left seat rail (LSR) and right seat rail (RSR) may in turn support the seat body (200) of the vehicle (50).
[0048] FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are embodiments of the present disclosure illustrating the lever mechanism (100) for operating the seat (20) [or split section (20)]. FIG. 3 depicts an assembled view while FIG. 4 illustrates an exploded view of the lever mechanism (100). The lever mechanism (100) is referred to as mechanism (100) throughout the specification for the sake of simplicity. The mechanism (100) as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 includes a support member (1) which may be rigidly affixed to a vehicle frame (60) or a subframe by at least one of thermal joining or mechanical joining. In an embodiment, the support member is welded to the vehicle frame (60). The support member (1) may remain stationary and support the movement of associated components/sub-assemblies of the mechanism (100). The support member (1) may include a base plate (la) which may have a slot or a cutout (1S) to accommodate a portion of a movable member (7) present in the mechanism (100). The base plate (la) may also have protruding elements (lb) extending upwardly for supporting the seat body (200) or a portion of the seat body (200), as shown clearly in FIG. 6. The support member (1), as shown in FIG. 4, may include a shaft (2) which may be integrally formed with the base plate (la) or joined to the base plate (la) by means of joining processes, including but not limited to welding. The joint is depicted by the numeral (J). The shaft (2) affixed to the base plate (la) may also remain stationary while allowing other components of the mechanism (100) to move relative to it. The shaft (2) may be a hollow cylindrical member defined with a first profiled section (2a), which may include, but not limited to teeth profiles or splines (2a). In an embodiment, the first profiled

section (2a) includes a plurality of square teeth, although other forms of teeth or spline types are possible.
[0049] Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the mechanism (100) includes a movable member (7) [best shown in FIG. 4] which may be secured to at least a portion of the seat (20) or the split section (20) of the seat body (200). In an embodiment, the movable member (7) is structured to operate the seat or the split section (20) of the seat from a usual flat position (FP) [FIG. 1 A] to a raised position (RP) [FIG. IB], and vice versa. In an embodiment, the movable member (7) may be in the form of a bracket having a base (7a), and an arm (7c) extending curvedly from the base (7a) towards the support member (1). The arm (7c) may curvedly extend towards the base plate (la) such that a portion of the arm (7c) may be rotatably introduced inside the slot (IS) defined in the support member (1). The extreme end (7d) of the arm (7c) may project or protrude from within the slot (IS) upon rotation of the movable member (7), as depicted in FIG. 3. In an embodiment, the seat (20) or split section (20) of the seat body (200) may be affixed to the extreme end (7d) of the arm (7c) so that the seat body (200) or the split section (20) of the seat also moves along with the extreme end (7d) upon actuation of the movable member (7). Further, the movable member (7) includes a left support member (7L) and a right support member (7R) that extend upwardly from the base (7a). One or both of the left support member (7L) and the right support member (7R) may support at least one collar (3) which may be in the form of a cylindrical enclosure. In an embodiment, the collar (3) may be manufactured integrally with one or both the of the left support member (7L) and the right support member (7R), or may be joined by any of the known joining techniques, including but not limited to welding. The joint or the interface between the right and left support members (7L, 7R) and the collar (3) is depicted by numeral (JM) in FIG. 4. In an embodiment, the at least one collar (3) may be defined with internal splines (3a) [or internal teeth profiles] which may surround the first profiled section (2a) defined in the shaft (2) of the support member (1). However, the internal splines (3a) may not engage or even have a contact with the first profiled section (2a), and may simply form an enclosure around the first profiled section (2a).
[0050] The mechanism (100), as shown in FIG. 4, also comprises at least one lever (4) which, in an embodiment, may be the grip [or grab handle or grab bar] of the vehicle (50). As an exemplary configuration, FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate two levers (4L) and (4R) which may manifest as left and right rear grips, respectively, of the vehicle (50). The at least one lever (4) has a grip section (4a) which allows a user to grip or clasp for the purpose of support. The lever (4) may

further include a connecting section (4b) extending from the grip section (4a) towards the shaft (2). In an embodiment, the connecting section (4b), similar to the shaft (2), may be a hollow cylindrical member having a second profiled section (5) at an extremity, and a meshing section (6) defined adjacent to the second profiled section (5) as shown in FIG. 4. The second profiled section (5) and at least a portion of the meshing section (6) may reside inside the hollow portion of the collar (3). The first profiled section (2a), the second profiled section (5) and the meshing section (6) concealed within the collar (3) may be seen FIG. 3. The collar (3), therefore, serves as a link between the lever (4) and the movable member (7). In an embodiment, the internal splines (3a) [or internal teeth] defined in the collar (3) may surround the second profiled section (5) like the first profiled section (2a), however, the internal splines (3a) may not engage or have a contact with the second profiled section (5). In another embodiment, the second profiled section (5) may include teeth or splines which may selectively engage with and disengage from the first profiled section (2a) upon actuation of the lever (4). In an embodiment, the second profiled section (5) may be defined with square teeth [although other teeth types are possible] which may mesh with the corresponding square teeth defined on the first profiled section (2a), so that free rotation or angular actuation of the lever (4) may be completely restrained. This restraint may be due to stationary nature of the support member (1) and the shaft (2).
[0051] Further, meshing section (6) defined adjacent to the second profiled section (5) may be defined with external splines or teeth. Due to this configuration, the meshing section (6) may engage or mesh with the internal splines (3a) defined in the at least one collar (3). The meshing or engagement between the meshing section (6) and the internal splines (3a) may allow the lever (4) to rotate or angularly displace the movable member (7) about the axis (A-A). However, the rotation may be possible if the second profiled section (5) is disengaged or decoupled from the first section (2a). Decoupling or disengaging of the second profiled section (5) from the first profiled section (2a) may be attained by actuating the lever (4) away from the shaft (2) along the axis (A-A), ensuring that the meshing section (6) may still remain engaged or meshed with the internal splines (3a) of the collar (3). The actuation direction is referenced by the arrow depicted by numeral (AD) in FIG. 4. In an embodiment, the position of the lever (4) corresponding to engaged/meshed/coupled condition of the first profiled section (2a) and the second profiled section (5) may be a first position (PI) of the lever (4), and a disengaged/ /decoupled condition of the first profiled section (2a) from the second profiled section (5) may correspond to a second position (P2) of the lever (4). The first position (PI) of the lever (4) showing coupling/engagement/meshing of the first profiled section (2a) with the second

profiled section (5) is shown in FIG. 5. The lever (4) may be freely swiveled or rotatably actuated only in the second position (P2) because of the disengagement of the second profiled section (5) from the first profiled section (2a). In an embodiment, the mechanism (100) may include at least one resilient member (8) disposed inside the hollow region of the shaft (2) and the connecting section (4b) of the at least one lever (4). The resilient member (8) may include, but not limited to an axial spring which may bias the lever (4L) and/or (4R) relative to the shaft (2). For instance, in the first position (PI) of the left lever (4L), the connecting section (4b) may ensure a free/unloaded state of the axial spring (8) relative to the shaft (2), or relative to the connecting section (4b) of the right lever (4R). When the lever (4) is actuated towards the second position (P2) from the first position (PI), the axial spring (8) may undergo tensile deformation. This may allow the axial spring (8) to store the resilient energy, so that the same energy may be released to assist the movement of the lever (4) back to the first position (PI) when a user attempts to actuate the lever (4) towards the first position (PI) from the second position (P2).
[0052] Now, reference is made to FIGS. 6 and 7 along with FIGS. 3-5 described above to detail the mode of operation of the mechanism (100) of the present disclosure. Reference is also made to FIGS. 8A and 8B to illustrate the operational mode. FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of the seat body (200) where the split section (20) of the seat body (200) lies in the raised position (RP) by operation of the mechanism (100). FIG. 7A illustrates a side view of the split seat section (20) in the flat position (FP) with the lever (4) being oriented along [parallel or substantially parallel] the vehicle longitudinal direction (VLD). FIG. 7B illustrates a side view of the split section (20) in the raised position (RP) with the lever (4) being oriented along [parallel or substantially parallel] the vehicle height direction (VHD). The relative positions of the movable member (7), the levers (4L and 4R), and the split section (20) corresponding to raised position (RP) is clearly shown in FIG. 6. As evident from FIG. 6, one or both the levers (4L) and (4R) may be linearly actuated to second position (P2) so that the levers (4L and 4R) may be freely swiveled about the axis (A-A). In an embodiment where two levers (4L and 4R) are in consideration, both the levers (4L and 4R) may be applied with linear forces in opposing directions [away from the shaft (2)] in the direction (AD) [see FIG. 4] to bring the levers (4L and 4R) to the second position (P2). The lever(s) [4L and/or 4R] brought to the second position (P2) causes the second profiled section (5) to decouple from the first profiled section (2a) as illustrated in magnified portion (MRP) of FIG. 7B. This may allow the lever (4) to be swiveled about the axis (A-A) in the direction (SD) as shown in FIG. 6. In other

words, the lever (4) may be swiveled from vehicle length direction (VLD) [as shown in FIG. 7A] to the vehicle height direction (VHD) as shown in FIG. 7B. This results in an actuation of the split section (20) from the flat position (FP) to the raised position (RP) as evident from FIG. 7A switching/transiting to FIG. 7B. In the raised position (RP), the split section (20) may serve as a backrest to the pillion or may serve as a support for luggage loaded on the rear seat cushion (RS). The resilient member (8) [FIG. 4] may be in a free state or in a tensile state when the lever (4) is actuated linearly to the second position (P2). In an embodiment, any one of the two levers (4A or 4B) may be used to actuate the split section (20) from the flat position (FP) to the raised position (RP) and vice versa, while the other lever (4B or 4A) may serve the regular purpose of a vehicle grip or grab handle. In an alternate embodiment, the structure of the collar (3) associated with either of the levers (4L and 4R) may be such that the collar (3) allows simultaneous linear actuation of both the levers (4L and 4R) between the first position (PI) and the second position (P2). This way, operation of the split section (20) by any one lever of both the levers (4L and 4R) may be inhibited, and simultaneous operation of both the levers (4L and 4R) would be essential.
[0053] Once the intended purpose of the split section (20) in the raised position (RP) is served, the lever (4L and/or 4R) may be swiveled back from vehicle height direction (VHD) to vehicle length direction (VLD) by applying manual force or torque. This transition from the condition shown in FIG. 7B to the condition shown in FIG. 7A actuates the split section (20) from the raised position (RP) back to the flat position (FP), to manifest the split section (20) as a portion of the rear cushion (RS). The actuation from the raised position (RP) to the flat position (FP) of the split section (20) may again be effectuated by engagement/coupling/meshing of the meshing section (6) with the internal splines (3a) defined in the collar (3) of the movable member (7). Once the lever (4) is swiveled back to second position (P2), it may be linearly actuated back to the first position (PI) by restoring force of the at least one resilient member (8) towards the shaft (2) i.e., opposite to direction (AD) as shown in FIG. 4. Actuation to the first position (PI) results in engagement/coupling of the second profiled section (5) with the first profiled section (2a) as illustrated in magnified portion (MFP) of FIG. 7A and FIG. 5. In the first position (PI), the coupling/engagement restrains the lever (4) from rotation, thereby performing its regular purpose of a rear grip or a grab handle. The resilient member (8) may return to free state during the actuation of the lever (4) to the first position (PI), thereby releasing the resilient energy stored during the tension. The free state/undeformed condition of the resilient member (8) during the first position (PI) is illustrated in sectional view taken along

X-X in FIG. 8A, while the tensile/ deformed condition when the lever (4) is in the second position (P2) is illustrated in sectional view taken along Y-Y in the FIG. 8B. In an embodiment, once the lever (4) is swiveled to a position shown in FIG. 6B, the lever (4) may be linearly actuated back to the first position (PI), so that the second profiled section (5) couples with the first profiled section (2a), and further actuation of the backrest/raised position (RP) of the split section (20) may be inhibited.
[0054] In an embodiment of the disclosure, the mechanism (100) of the present disclosure may be employed in a vehicle without association with the split section (20) of the seat body (200). In such a condition, the movable member (7) may be eliminated from the mechanism (100) as shown in FIG. 5, and the meshing section (6), the second profiled section (5) and the first profiled section (2a) may be enclosed within a cylindrical enclosure similar to the collar (3). The cylindrical enclosure may be joined or defined integrally with the base plate (la) so that the cylindrical enclosure may simply surround the meshing section (6), the second profiled section (5) and the first profiled section (2a) without having any contact with them. In an embodiment, the lever (4) may be swiveled upwardly or downwardly and may be held in any angular position relative to the axis (A-A).
[0039] The mechanism (100) of the present disclosure may provide several inherent advantages.
[0040] One advantage is that the mechanism (100) may allow the seat or a split section (20) of the seat body (200) to be conveniently and effortlessly transformed into backrest for supporting a pillion and/or luggage. The transformation from seat to backrest and vice versa may be attained simply by applying manual torque with minimum effort.
[0041] Another advantage is that the resilient member (8) stores energy when tensed/deformed and release energy when restored to free state which is beneficial in easy actuation of the lever (4) from the second position to the first position.
[0042] Yet another advantage is that the grip of the vehicle provides flexibility to be used as a lever without need for a new or a separate lever for actuating the seat.
[0043] While few embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the above embodiments and modifications may be appropriately made thereto within the scope of the invention.

[0052] While considerable emphasis has been placed herein on the particular features of this invention, it will be appreciated that various modifications can be made, and that many changes can be made in the preferred embodiments without departing from the principles of the invention. These and other modifications in the nature of the invention or the preferred embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the invention herein, whereby it is to be distinctly understood that the foregoing descriptive matter is to be interpreted merely as illustrative of the invention and not as a limitation.
[0053] It is to be understood that a person of ordinary skill in the art may develop a vehicle or a frame or a cross member of similar configuration without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. Such modifications and variations may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure covers such modifications and variations provided they come within the ambit of the appended claims and their equivalents.
Equivalents:
[0054] With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.
[0055] It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as "open" terms (e.g., the term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to," the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," the term "includes" should be interpreted as "includes but is not limited to," etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles "a" or "an" limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such

recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases "one or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or "an" (e.g., "a" and/or "an" should typically be interpreted to mean "at least one" or "one or more"); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of "two recitations," without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, and C, etc." is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., "a system (100) having at least one of A, B, and C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances, where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, or C, etc." is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., "a system (100) having at least one of A, B, or C" would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" will be understood to include the possibilities of "A" or "B" or "A and B." While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope being indicated by the following claims.

claim:

1. A lever mechanism (100) for operating a seat (20) of a vehicle (50) between a flat
position (FP) and a raised position (RP), the lever mechanism (100) comprising:
a support member (1) secured to a frame of the vehicle (50), the support member (1) defined with a first profiled section (2a);
at least one lever (4) comprising a grip section (4a), and a connecting section (4b) extending from the grip section (4a), the connecting section (4b) defined with a second profiled section (5) and a meshing section (6), the at least one lever (4) configured to be actuatable between a first position (PI) and a second position (P2) relative to the support member (1) to selectively couple the second profiled section (5) with the first profiled section (2a); and
a movable member (7) secured to at least a portion of the seat (20), the movable member (7) configured to couple with the meshing section (6); wherein, at the first position (PI) of the at least one lever (4), the first profiled section (2a) couples with the second profiled section (5), and at the second position (P2) of the lever (4), the first profiled section (2a) decouples from the second profiled section (5), and wherein actuation of the at least one lever (4) to the second position (P2) allows swiveling of the at least one lever (4) which operates the seat (20) through the movable member (7) between the flat position (FP) and the raised position (RP).
2. The lever mechanism (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lever (4) is a grip of the vehicle, and wherein the grip is configured to be actuated between the first position (PI) and the second position (P2) in vehicle width direction.
3. The lever mechanism (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first profiled section (2a) and the second profiled section (5) are defined with teeth profiles.
4. The lever mechanism (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movable member (7)
comprises at least one collar (3) defined with internal splines (3a), the internal splines
(3a) configured to couple with external splines defined in the meshing section (6).
5. The lever mechanism (100) as claimed in claim 1 comprises a left lever (4L) and a right
lever (4R), wherein at least one of the left lever (4L) and the right lever (4R) biased
towards a shaft (2) of the support member (1) by at least one resilient member (8).

6. The lever mechanism (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first position (PI) of the at least one lever (4) restrains the swiveling of the at least one lever (4).
7. The lever mechanism (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movable member (7) comprises:
a bracket (B), comprising:
a base (7a);
an arm (7c) extending curvedly from the base (7a) towards the support member (1), the arm (7c) is configured to secure the seat (20); and
a left support member (7L) and a right support member (7R) extending upwardly from the base (7a), wherein each of the left support member (7L) and the right support member (7R) supports at least one collar (3).
8. A grip for a vehicle (50), comprising:
a grip section (4a), and a connecting section (4b) extending from the grip section (4a), the connecting section (4b) defined with a first meshing section (5), wherein, the grip (4) configured to be actuatable between a first position (PI) and a second position (P2) relative to a support member (1), to selectively couple the first meshing section (5) with a second meshing section (2a) defined in the support member, and wherein, at the first position (PI) of the grip (4), the first meshing section (5) couples with the second meshing section (2a), and at the second position (P2) of the grip (4), the first meshing section (5) decouples from the second meshing section (2a), and wherein actuation of the at least one lever (4) to the second position (P2) allows swiveling of the at least one grip (4).
9. The grip as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first meshing section (5) and the second meshing section (2a) are accommodated in a cylindrical enclosure.
10. The grip as claimed in claim 8 comprises a left lever (4L) and a right lever (4R), wherein at least one of the left lever (4L) and the right lever (4R) is biased towards a shaft (2) of the support member (1) by at least one resilient member (8).
11. A seat for a vehicle (50), comprising:

a seat body (200) mounted on a pair of seat rails (LSR, RSR) secured to a frame (60) of the vehicle (50), the seat body (200) extending along the pair of seat rails (LSR, RSR) along a front and a rear direction of the vehicle (50), wherein at least a portion of the seat body (200) is defined with a split section (20) operable between a flat position (FP) and a raised position (RP); and
a lever mechanism (100) for operating the split section (20) of the seat body (200) between the flat position (FP) and the raised position (RP), the lever mechanism (100) comprising:
a support member (1) secured to a frame of the vehicle (50), the support member (1) defined with a first profiled section (2a);
at least one lever (4) comprising a grip section (4a), and a connecting section (4b) extending from the grip section (4a), the connecting section (4b) defined with a second profiled section (5) and a meshing section (6), the at least one lever (4) configured to be actuatable between a first position (PI) and a second position (P2) relative to the support member (1) to selectively couple the second profiled section (5) with the first profiled section (2a); and
a movable member (7) secured to at least a portion of the seat (20), the movable member (7) configured to couple with the meshing section (6); wherein, at the first position (PI) of the at least one lever (4), the first profiled section (2a) couples with the second profiled section (5), and at the second position (P2) of the lever (4), the first profiled section (2a) decouples from the second profiled section (5), and wherein actuation of the at least one lever (4) to the second position (P2) allows swiveling of the at least one lever (4) which operates the split section (20) of the seat body (200) through the movable member (7) between the flat position (FP) and the raised position (SP).
12. The seat as claimed in claim 11, wherein the split section (20) forms a portion of rear seat cushion (RS) in the flat position (FP), and a backrest in the raised position (RP).
13. A two wheeled vehicle (50), comprising:
a front wheel (114);
a rear wheel (112) in line with the front wheel (114);
a steering mechanism (10),

a power unit generating (30), and a transmission unit (40) coupling the power generating unit (30) to the rear wheel (112);
a frame (60), comprising:
a head tube (80) configured to support the steering mechanism (10), an upper frame member (60A) and a lower frame member (60B)
connected to and extending downwardly and rearwardly from the head tube
(80); and
a pair of side rails (LS, RS) extending rearwardly from the lower frame
member (60B);
a seat, comprising:
a seat body (200) mounted on a pair of seat rails (LSR, RSR) secured to
the pair of side rails (LS, RS) in the frame (60) of the vehicle (50), the seat body
(200) extending along the pair of seat rails (LSR, RSR) along a front and a rear
direction of the vehicle (50), wherein at least a portion of the seat body (200) is
defined with a split section (20) operable between a flat position (FP) and a
raised position (RP);
and
a lever mechanism (100) for operating the split section (20) of the seat body (200) between the flat position (FP) and the raised position (RP), the lever mechanism (100) comprising:
a support member (1) secured to a frame of the vehicle (50), the support member (1) defined with a first profiled section (2a);
at least one lever (4) comprising a grip section (4a), and a connecting section (4b) extending from the grip section (4a), the connecting section (4b) defined with a second profiled section (5) and a meshing section (6), the at least one lever (4) configured to be actuatable between a first position (PI) and a second position (P2) relative to the support member (1) to selectively couple the second profiled section (5) with the first profiled section (2a); and
a movable member (7) secured to at least a portion of the seat (20), the movable member (7) configured to couple with the meshing section (6);
wherein, at the first position (PI) of the at least one lever (4), the first profiled section (2a) couples with the second profiled section (5), and at

the second position (P2) of the lever (4), the first profiled section (2a) decouples from the second profiled section (5), and wherein actuation of the at least one lever (4) to the second position (P2) allows swiveling of the at least one lever (4) which operates the split section (20) of the seat body (200) through the movable member (7) between the flat position (FP) and the raised position (SP).