DESC:TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present subject matter relates generally to a front structure assembly for a two-wheeled vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a front fender assembly for the two-wheeled vehicle.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Generally, in a two-wheeled vehicle, fenders are disposed one above a rear wheel and another above a front wheel. The fender forms a wheel arch to prevent mud or any other foreign particles from entering into the internal parts of the two-wheeled vehicle. In particular, a front fender assembly is provided above the front wheel to avoid the said vehicle and its occupants from being splashed with mud. Likewise, a rear fender is placed between a fuel tank and the rear wheel, and to the outer side in the radial direction of rear wheel. The rear fender inhibits rainwater or the like from being thrown up by the rear wheel. Further, the front fender also protects a pair of front forks in a suspension system from stones and pebbles hitting during rough road driving conditions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to reference like features and components.
[0004] Fig. 1 shows a side view of a two-wheeled motorcycle in accordance with an embodiment.
[0005] Fig. 2 illustrates a front fender assembly along with the front forks.
[0006] Fig. 3 illustrates an exploded view of the front fender assembly along with the suspension system.
[0007] Fig.4 illustrates a perspective view of the front fender assembly according to an embodiment.
[0008] Fig.5 illustrates an exploded view of the front fender assembly.
[0009] Fig.6 illustrates a perspective view of a second member.
[00010] Fig.7 illustrates transition of wind around the pair of front forks, and the front fender assembly.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[00011] The front fender assembly and the rear fender are disposed in a vehicle front and a vehicle rear respectively, to protect the vehicle from stones and pebbles hitting the vehicle, and entering into the vehicular parts. The front fender assembly prevents the stones and pebbles from entering into the engine area and surrounding parts. It is also desirable to protect the front forks of the suspension system from stones and pebbles in vehicle riding condition. The front fender assembly may be configured to extend downwards to cover a portion of the front forks and capable of protecting the front forks from stones or pebbles hitting the front forks in vehicle riding condition. The front fender assembly configured with the downward extension does not substantially protect the front forks from stones or pebbles hitting. The problem involved in the front fender assembly configured to include side members is that, the downward extension may not be substantially capable of covering the front fork to its full length. The length of the downward extension may be substantially increased to cover a substantial length of the front forks, but the manufacturability becomes a concern.
[00012] Further, the downward extension forming part of the front fender assembly is more prone to fluttering due to increased amount of wind hitting the surface of the extended portion. The durability of the extended portion is reduced considerably due to continuous fluttering and further, the stability of the two-wheeled vehicle is affected at high-speed condition.
[00013] Hence, it is an objective of the present invention to configure a front fender assembly capable of protecting the front forks of the suspension system from stones, pebbles and any other particles from entering the front forks and be able to provide protection to a substantial length of the front fork. Further, it is an objective of the present invention to provide better stability to the vehicle at a high-speed condition.
[00014] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the two-wheeled vehicle comprises of a front fender assembly including a central member and a first member, and a second member each extending downwards from each of the lateral sides of the central member. The first member and the second member are each detachably attachable to the central member. The first member and the second member are disposed in front of the pair of front forks such that, the first member and the second member cover a substantial front portion of the pair of front forks.
[00015] In order to provide a stable functioning of the front fender assembly, a number of mountings are provided on the front fender assembly and the pair of front forks.
[00016] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first member and the second member each comprise of one or more receiving portions to receive one or more protrusions disposed on the periphery of the central member. The one or more receiving portions are snap fitted with the one or more protrusions. Through snap fitting, easy attachment and easy detachment of the first member and the second member with the central member is achieved.
[00017] Furthermore, one or more holes are provided on the periphery of each of the first member and the second member. Similarly, one or more boss of equivalent size as that of the one or more holes is provided on the central member. A mounting means including one or more bolts passes through the one or more holes and then through the one or more boss, thereby mounting each of the first member and the second member to the central member.
[00018] Therefore, the snap fitting and the one or more bolts provide a more stable mounting of the first member and the second member to the central member.
[00019] Furthermore, in order to provide a firm and stable functioning of the front fender assembly, the front fender assembly is mounted to the pair of front forks. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fluttering of the front fender assembly is prevented by mounting the front fender assembly to the pair of front forks. Various mounting provisions are provided on the front fender assembly and the pair of front forks to enable easier mounting of the front fender assembly to the pair of front forks.
[00020] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the periphery of the central member includes one or more mounting provisions facilitating mounting of the central member to the pair of front forks. The pair of front forks includes one or more projections configured to receive the one or more mounting provisions. Furthermore, the first member and the second member each comprises of one or more second mounting provisions enabling mounting of the first member and the second member to the pair of front forks.
[00021] Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, in order to provide additional strength to the central member, a holding structure is provided beneath the central member and additionally, the holding structure facilitates mounting of the central member to the pair of front forks.
[00022] Therefore, a more stable operation of the front fender assembly is obtained according to the present invention as explained above.
[00023] Furthermore, at higher speed during vehicle running condition, the fluttering of the front fender assembly due to hitting of the atmospheric air is prevented by smoothening the air flow around the front fender and the pair of front forks. The front fender assembly is assembled to the pair of front forks such that the atmospheric air hitting the front fender assembly is deviated away from the front fender assembly and deviated to flow around the pair of front forks.
[00024] Therefore, a more reliable and stable operation of the front fender assembly is achieved according to the present invention. The present subject matter and its embodiments would now be described in greater detail in conjunction with the figures in the following description.
[00025] Fig. 1 illustrates a side view of a two-wheeled vehicle, for example, a motorcycle 1 according to an embodiment. The motorcycle 1 according to an embodiment includes a front wheel 101 steered by a handlebar 102 and a rear wheel 103 supported by a swing arm 104. Steering assembly parts including the handlebar 102 and the front wheel 101 are supported for pivotal steering operation on a head pipe 105 at the front end of the vehicle body frame 106. A seat 110 for a driver and a pillion placed rearward to a fuel tank 114. An engine assembly 113 is disposed below the fuel tank. A front fender assembly 111 is provided above the front wheel 101 to avoid the said vehicle and its occupants from being splashed with mud. Likewise, a rear fender 112 placed above the rear wheel 103, and to the outer side in the radial direction of rear wheel 103. Rear fender 112 inhibits rainwater or the like from being thrown up by rear wheel 103.
[00026] The swing arm 104 along with a shock absorber 109 is supported at a front portion thereof for pivotal motion and upward and downward rocking motion on the rear side of a lower portion of the vehicle body frame 106. A suspension assembly including a pair of front forks 108 and the shock absorber 109 is provided in the two-wheeled vehicle 1 for providing better ride comfort to the rider. In general terms, the shock absorbers help cushion vehicles on uneven roads. In the two-wheeled vehicle, shock absorbers reduce the effect of traveling over rough ground, leading to improved ride quality and vehicle handling.
[00027] The vehicle body frame 106 includes the head pipe 105, a pair of left and right main frames 107.The head pipe 105 is positioned at a front-end portion of the vehicle body frame 106. The main frame 107 extends in a leftwardly and rightwardly branching state obliquely downwardly rearwardly from a lower portion of the head pipe 105.
[00028] Fig. 2 illustrates a front fender assembly assembled to the suspension assembly. From the figure, it can be inferred that the front fender assembly 201 is configured to extend downwards to cover a substantial length of the suspension system according to an embodiment. The suspension system in accordance with an embodiment comprises of a right side fork 202a and a left side fork 202b. The present invention protects the suspension assembly 202 from stones, pebbles and any other foreign material from hitting and from entering in the suspension assembly 202. The front fender assembly 201 protects the internal parts of the suspension assembly 202 and the durability of the suspension system increases.
[00029] The part of the front fender assembly, which is extending downwards is disposed in front of the suspension assembly including a pair of front forks. Therefore, impact of any stones or pebbles occurring on the suspension assembly, due to the movement of the front wheel is prevented effectively. A substantial part of the pair of front forks is protected by the proposed front fender assembly.
[00030] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the front fender assembly 201 includes a central member 201c, a first member 201b, and a second member 201a. The first member 201b and the second member 201a protect the pair of front forks from the front side.
[00031] Fig. 3 illustrates an exploded view of the front fender assembly along with the suspension assembly. It can be inferred from the figure that according to an embodiment, the front fender assembly 201 is mounted to the suspension assembly 202 through various mounting provisions provided on the front fender assembly 201 and on the suspension assembly 202. According to an embodiment of the present invention, one or more mounting provisions 205 are provided on the periphery of each of the lateral sides of the central member 201c. Further, the one or more mounting provisions 205 are configured to receive one or more first protrusions 206 provided on the suspension assembly 202.
[00032] The one or more first protrusions 206 are disposed on each of the right side fork 202a and the left side fork 202b. According to the present embodiment, the one or more first protrusions 206 are provided on a substantially upper part of the outer tube of each of the right side fork 202a and the left side fork 202b.
[00033] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a support structure 203 enables mounting of the front fender assembly 201 on to the suspension assembly 202. The support structure 203 provides required stiffness and additional support to the front fender assembly 201. The support structure 203 includes two opposite ends 203a and 203b. The two opposite ends are sandwiched between the one or more mounting provisions 205 and the one or more first protrusions 206.
[00034] Furthermore, one or more second provisions 503 are provided on a lower portion of the first member 201b and the second member 201a. The one or more second provisions 503 are mounted to one or more second protrusions 204 provided at a substantially lower portion of the outer tube of each of the left side fork 202b and the right side fork 202a.
[00035] Fig.4 illustrates a left side perspective view of the front fender assembly according to an embodiment. The front fender assembly 201 comprises of a central member 201c, a first member 201b and a second member 201a extending downwardly from the central member 201c. The first member 201b and the second member 201a extend downwards from each of the lateral sides of the central member 201c respectively. The first member 201b and the second member 201a are disposed in front of the suspension assembly 202 along a first plane ab parallel to the second plane xy passing through the right side fork 202a and the left side fork 202b.
[00036] The first member 201b and the second member 201a are parallel to each other and are detachably attached to the central member 201c. The first member 201b and the second member 201a are mounted to the central member 201c by means of one or more bolts or the like. The detachably attached arrangement of the first member 201b and the second member 201a on to the central member 201c enables easy assembly and disassembly of the front fender assembly 201. Further, the first member 201b and the second member 201a are capable of being pre-assembled on to the central member 201c before being assembled to the suspension assembly 202, in order to save the assembly time of the vehicle. The mounting arrangements of the first member 201b and the second member 201a on to the central member 201c are as described below.
[00037] Fig.5 illustrates a bottom perspective view of an exploded view of the front fender assembly. The first member 201b comprises of a plurality of mounting provisions for enabling mounting of the first member 201b on to the central member 201c. For example, the first member 201b according to an embodiment comprises of one or more receiving portions 501 for receiving one or more pips 501a disposed on the periphery of the central member 201c and one or more holes 502 are provided on the periphery of the first member 201b for bolting the first member 201b to the central member 201c. Further, the first member 201b also comprises of one or more provisions 503 disposed at a lower end enabling mounting of the first member 201b to the suspension assembly 202. The first member 201b and the second member 201a are mirror images of each other. Hence, similar mounting provisions are provided on the second member 201a as well. Since, the first member 201b and the second member 201a are mounted to the suspension assembly 202, the fluttering of the first member 201b and the second member 201a is reduced comparatively, and the durability of the front fender assembly 201 is increased. Further, the reduced vibrations in the front fender assembly 201 also increase the stability of the two-wheeled vehicle.
[00038] Furthermore, the ejection plane of the first member 201b and the second member 201a is in the vehicle width direction, therefore, the disassembly of the first member 201b and the second member 201a from the central member 201c is easier.
[00039] Fig.6 illustrates a perspective view of a second member. The second member 201a comprises of the one or more receiving portions 501 capable of receiving the one or more pips 501a disposed on the central member 201c (not shown). Further, the second member 201a comprises of the one or more holes 502 disposed on an upper surface of the second member 201a. Further, one or more second provisions 503 is provided at a lower end 504 of the second member 201a for enabling mounting of the second member 201a to the suspension assembly 202. The multiple mounting provisions on the front fender assembly 201 and the suspension assembly 202 enable mounting of all the parts of the front fender assembly 201 to the suspension assembly 202. Through the present invention, it is ensured that no part of the front fender assembly 201 is left free without mounting.
[00040] Therefore, fluttering of the front fender assembly 201 due to the atmospheric air passing through the front fender assembly 201 is reduced. Furthermore, the first member 201b and the second member 201a disposed in front of the pair of front forks deviate the atmospheric air away from the front fender.
[00041] Due to multiple mounting provisions provided on the second member 201a and similar provisions provided on the first member 201b, the fluttering of the front fender assembly 201 is reduced and the transition of atmospheric air around the front fender assembly 201 and around the suspension assembly 202 is smoother as compared to the conventional front fender assembly.
[00042] Fig.7 illustrates transition of wind around the pair of front forks, and the front fender assembly. The flow of atmospheric air is illustrated by a reference numeral 701 in the figure. The first member and the second member prevent the atmospheric air from directly hitting the central member by deviating the atmospheric air away from the front fender assembly. The atmospheric air is deviated towards the suspension assembly 202 and then towards the rear side of the vehicle 100. The construction of the front fender assembly configured to protect the substantial length of the suspension assembly 202 enables smoother transition of atmospheric air around the front fender assembly 201 and the suspension assembly 202. Hence, vibration of the front fender assembly 201 is reduced considerably and as a result, more stability is provided to the two-wheeled vehicle and the durability of the front fender assembly 201 is increased.
[00043] Furthermore, the rear end 703 of the central member 201c is lengthier than the front end 702. The lengthier rear end 703 covers most of the portion of the front wheel, thereby preventing most of the stones, pebbles and any other particles from being splashed into the nearby surrounding vehicular parts including the engine assembly (now shown).
[00044] The disadvantage of not being able to provide different color combinations and different texture as in a conventional type single mold front fender assembly is overcome in the present invention. The detachable attachment feature of the first member and the second member according to the present invention provides different color combinations and different texture to the front fender assembly without any additional tool cost. As a result of different color combinations, the aesthetics of the two-wheeled vehicle is improved.
[00045] According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the front fender assembly 201 includes a first integral member and a second integral member. The first integral member comprises of a portion of a central member and a first member and the second integral member comprises of another portion of the central member and a second member.
[00046] The present invention is thus briefly described. It will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.
,CLAIMS:I/We Claim:
1. A front fender assembly (201) for a two-wheeled vehicle (100) comprising:
a front wheel (101);
a suspension assembly (202) including a right side fork (202a) and a left side fork (202b), said right side fork (202a) and the left side fork (202b) rotatably support the front wheel (101);
a front fender assembly (201) disposed above the front wheel (101), wherein,
said front fender assembly (201) includes a central member (201c) covering at least a portion of the front wheel (101), a first member (201a) and a second member (201b) extending downwardly from lateral sides of said central member (201c), and wherein said first member (201b) and said second member (201a) are detachably attached to said central member (201c).
2. The front fender assembly (201) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first member (201a) and said second member (201b) are disposed along a first plane (ab) substantially parallel to and in front of a second plane (xy) passing through the right side fork (202a) and the left side fork (202b).
3. The front fender assembly (201) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first member (201b) and said second member (201a) comprises of one or more receiving portions (501) capable of receiving one or more pips (501a) disposed on periphery of each of lateral sides of said central member (201c).
4. The front fender assembly (201) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first member (201b) and said second member (201a) includes one or more holes (502) adapted to be mounted to one or more boss (502a) disposed on an inner surface (207) of the central member (201c).
5. The front fender assembly (201) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first member (201b) and said second member (201a) comprises of one or more mounting provisions (205) adapted to be mounted to one or more first protrusions (206) disposed on each of the right side fork (202a) and the left side fork (202b).
6. The front fender assembly (201) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first member (201b) and said second member (201a) each include a lower end (504) comprising one or more second provisions (503) adapted to be mounted to one or more second protrusions (204) disposed at a substantially lower portion of each of the right side fork (202a) and the left side fork (202b).
7. The front fender assembly (201) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said central member (201c) is supported by a support structure (203) disposed underneath and said support structure (203) includes two opposite ends (203a, 203b) sandwiched between the one or more mounting provisions (205) and the one or more first protrusions (206).
8. The front fender assembly (201) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said central member (201c) includes a rear end (703) and a front end (702), wherein the rear end (703) is lengthier than a front end (702).
9. The front fender assembly (201) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first member (201b) and said second member (201a) are parallel to each other.
10. A two-wheeled vehicle (100) comprising a front fender assembly (201) as claimed in any of the preceding claims.