Technical Field

[0001] The present subject matter as described herein relates to a front fender assembly for a motorcycle. 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 entry of undesirable . foreign matter including mud splash and water splash. Generally, the fender is designed in a manner such that it follows an arch shaped profile of a wheel so that it obstructs water or mud splashed by a rotating wheel from entering into the internal parts of the motorcycle. While a front fender prevents water and mud from splashing onto parts lying in a front portion of the motorcycle such as a front suspension member, an engine and the like, a rear fender prevents water and mud from entering into parts such as a battery box, air cleaner, a muffler and the like lying in a rear portion of the motorcycle.

[0003] Apart from preventing mud splash and water splash onto parts of the motorcycle, the. front fender "also supports a front fork assembly on a brace fender member disposed therein. Further, a light reflecting device is also disposed in the front fender.

[0004] Typically, the light reflecting device such as a side reflex reflector is provided in motorcycles to enable.safe vehicle operation in low . light conditions by indicating vehicle's presence, position, and direction of travel. Typically, the. light reflecting device is directly mounted onto the front fender. In a known art, to enable mounting of the light reflecting device, a recess is provided on both sides of the front fender. The recess is provided in a flat side surface of the front fender so that the light reflecting device is located in a plane parallel to a motorcycle longitudinal plane. In cases where there is even a slight variation in size of the recess at the time of manufacturing, mounting of the light reflecting device gets affected, leading to creation of gap between the front fender and the light reflecting device. Thus, aesthetic appeal of the motorcycle gets affected. Moreover, providing a recess in a flat surface of the front fender increases design complexity of the front fender, since difficulty of ejecting the front' fender from a mould increases. Additionally, as per the conventional mounting scheme, the light reflecting device cannot be installed in front fenders without a recess, thereby affecting freedom of design. Summary of the Invention

[0005] - The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances.

[0006] . It is an object of the present invention to provide a front fender, assembly that includes a mounting member adapted to receive a light reflecting device, wherein inclusion of said mounting member enables to achieve a high degree of freedom of design for" the front fender assembly.

[0007] It is another object of the present invention to provide a front fender assembly that includes a mounting member adapted to receive a » light reflecting device, wherein inclusion of said mounting member aids in improving the overall aesthetic appeal of the motorcycle.

[0008] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a front fender assembly that includes a mounting member adapted to receive a light reflecting device, wherein inclusion of said mounting member aids in reducing mould complexity of a front fender of said front fender assembly.

[0009] The present invention therefore contemplates to provide a front fender assembly that includes a mounting member for receiving a light reflecting device.

[0010] Thus, the present subject matter relates to a front fender assembly for a motorcycle. Accordingly, the front fender assembly as per the present disclosure includes a front fender to cover a front wheel of the motorcycle, a brace fender provided in an underside of the front fender to receive a front fork assembly and a mounting member adapted to be mounted to the front fender and capable of receiving a light reflecting device. The mounting member as per ah aspect of the present invention serves to mount the light reflecting device to the front fender. As per the present disclosure, the mounting member includes a mounting strip for mounting to the front fender. The mounting member further includes a receiving arm extending from a base of said mounting strip to receive the light reflecting device. Said mounting member is combinedly mounted to the front fender together with the brace fender. Thus, structure of the mounting member ensures that the same can be mounted to the front fender without involving any change in the design of the front fender. As a result, the light reflecting device can be easily secured to any existing front fender assembly with the aid of the mounting member, thus facilitating in improving the freedom of design of the front fender assembly.

[0011] The foregoing objective and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Brief Description of Drawings
[0012] 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:

[0013] FIG.1 illustrates a side view of a motorcycle in accordance, with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] FIG-2 illustrates a perspective view of a front fender assembly of the motorcycle in accordance with an embodiment the present invention.

[0015] FIG.3 illustrates a detailed view of the front fender assembly depicting a mounting member of said front fender assembly in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] FIG.4 illustrates a perspective view of said mounting member in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] FIG.4 illustrates a front view of said mounting member in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

. [0018] The present invention relates to a front fender assembly 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 striking internal parts of the motorcycle. However, apart from preventing mud splash and water splash onto internal parts of the motorcycle, the front fender also supports a front fork assembly and a light reflective device.-Since a provision in the form of a recess, provided conventionally in the front fender for mounting the light reflecting device to the front fender, affects not only the aesthetics but also the freedom of design of the front fender, there is a need to provide an alternative for mounting the light reflecting device on the front fender.

[0019] To this end, the present invention discloses a front fender
assembly that includes a mounting member for a light reflecting device. As per an aspect of the present invention said mounting member is adapted to be removably mounted to the front fender.

[0020] The front fender assembly including the mounting member would be explained 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 motorcycle and looking forward. Furthermore, a longitudinal axis unless otherwise mentioned refers to a front to rear axis relative to the motorcycle, while a lateral axis unless otherwise mentioned refers, generally to a side to side, or left to right axis relative to the motorcycle.

[0021 ] FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of a motorcycle 10 in accordance with the present invention. The motorcycle 10 includes a body frame 11 to support different parts of said motorcycle 10. A head pipe 12 is provided at a front end of the body frame 11. The head pipe 12 supports a steering shaft (not shown) rotatably in a certain range and a front fork assembly 13 pivotally. In an upper portion of the head pipe 12, a handlebar 14 is rotatably integrally connected to the steering shaft. A front wheel 15 is journaled to a lower end of the front fork assembly 13 and is rotated in a certain range by steering the handlebar 14.

[0022] In a front portion of the body frame 11a fuel tank 16 is arranged immediately behind the handlebar 14 and is disposed over an engine 17. Further, a cover assembly 20 is mounted on either sides of the fuel tank 16"for protecting the fuel tank 16 from damage arid also for ' improving the aesthetic appeal of the motorcycle 10.

[0023] A seat 25 is placed immediately behind the fuel tank 16. The seat 25 includes a front rider portion and rear pillion portion. A cloth protecting, member 26 is disposed below the seat 25 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 26 so as to facilitate a pillion rider to place his/her feet.

[0024] Suspensions are provided for comfortable steering of the motorcycle 10 on the road. While the front fork assembly 13 is connected to the steering shaft via an upper bracket 12a and a lower bracket 12b, a rear suspension assembly which is a hydraulic damped arrangement, is connected to a portion of the body frame 11. The rear suspension assembly comprises at least one rear suspension 31 preferably, on a left hand side of the motorcycle 10. 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 32 in. the front portion of the motorcycle 10 and a taillight 33 in the rear portion of the motorcycle 10 is also included. Further, a light reflecting device 36 such as a side reflex reflector is mounted to a front fender 35a for visibility of said motorcycle in low light conditions.

[0025] The engine 17 is supported to the body frame 11 by being suspended in a front lower portion of the body frame 1~1. The engine 17 is equipped with an exhaust system that includes an exhaust pipe (not shown) connected to the engine 17 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.

[0026] Further, a swing arm 40 extending rearwards is swingably connected to a rear lower portion of the body frame 11. The rear wheel 30 is rotatably supported at a rear end of the swing arm 40. Power from the engine 17, suspended in a front lower portion of the body frame .11 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 wheel 30.

[0027] A rear fender 45 for covering an upper side of the rear wheel 30 is mounted to a rear portion of the body frame 11. Most of the rear portion of the body frame 11 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.

[0028] FIG.2 illustrates a perspective view of a front fender assembly 35 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] In. accordance with a first embodiment, and as represented in FIG.2 and FIG.3, the front fender assembly 35 includes a front fender 35a to cover the front wheel 15 (shown in FIG.1), a brace fender 35b removably mounted to the front fender 35a for* attachment with the front fork assembly 13, and a mounting member 35c removably mounted to the . front fender 35a to receive the light reflecting "device 36.
[0030] As may be seen, the brace fender 35b extends along a width of the front fender 35a, in an underside and in a substantially front portion thereof, and is provided with a pair of side mounting holes 35ba for attachment with the front fork assembly 13 and the front fender 35a.

[0031] Particularly, as may be seen in FIG.2, the front fork assembly 13 abutting with the front fender 35a on both sides thereof, and particularly abutting on an outside portion thereof, is sandwich mounted to the front fender 35a together with the brace fender 35b, from the underside of said front fender 35a.

[0032] Further, as per the present embodiment, and as may be seen in FIG.3, said mounting member 35c is also sandwich mounted to said front fender 35a along with the brace fender 35b. In other words, both the front fork assembly 13 and the mounting member 35c are sandwich mounted to the front fender 35a through the brace fender 35b by means of fasteners. Said sandwich mounting is done from the underside of the front fender 35a and on both sides thereof. Merely two fasteners are used to sandwich mount the mounting member 35c, the brace fender 35b and the front fork assembly 13 to the front fender 35a. In the present embodiment, whereas the front fork assembly 13 is disposed to abut the outside portion of the front fender 35a, the brace fender 35b and the mounting member 35c are disposed on the underside of said front fender 35a.

[0033] In another embodiment of the present invention, and as depicted in FIG.4, the mounting member 35c adapted to receive the light reflecting device 36 may be integrally formed with the brace fender 35b. \n other words, the brace fender 35b disposed on the underside of the front fender 35a is formed in a manner such that at least a portion of the same extends substantially outside the front fender 35a, so that said light reflecting ^evice 36 may be received. Thus, said brace fender 35b including the mounting member 35c is detachably attached with the front fender 35a.

[0034] Thus, the present invention contemplates detachable attachment of said mounting member 35c with the front fender 35a.

[0035] With reference to FIG.3 and FIG.5, a structure of the mounting member 35c is explained below. The mounting member 35c includes a mounting strip 35ca and a receiving arm 35cb. In the present embodiment said receiving arm 35cb is L shaped and extends from a base of the mounting strip 35ca. Further, while the mounting strip 35ca is provided with a pair of mounting holes 35cab, the receiving arm 35cb is provided with a receiving hole 35cbc. The receiving arm 35cb follows a slightly curved profile of a side wall 35aa (shown in FIG.3) of-the front fender 35a, so that in assembled condition of the mounting member 35c, at least, a portion of the receiving arm 35cb lies in a plane which is substantially parallel to a longitudinal plane of the motorcycle 10. Further, when the motorcycle 10 is viewed sidewardly, a portion of the receiving arm 35cb protrudes vertically downwards from a flat side surface 35ab (shown in FIG.3) of the front fender 35a. Particularly, when the mounting member 35c is integrally formed with the brace fender 35b (shown in FIG.4), it is formed in a manner such that the mounting strip 35ca overlaps with a bottom portion of said brace fender 35b, so that the pair of mounting holes 35cab overlaps with a pair of mounting orifices provided in said brace fender 35b. Further, the receiving arm 35cb extends below said bottom portion of the brace fender 35cb.

[0036] An assembly, sequence for the front fender assembly 35, firstly involves locating the brace fender 35b on the front fender 35a, thereafter the mounting member 35c disposed over the brace fender 35b is fastened together with the brace fender 35b, arid the front fork assembly 13, to the front fender 35a by means of a pair of fasteners on one side of the front fender 35a. Similarly, the mounting member 35c is fastened to the other side of the front fender 35a. A final step of the assembly sequence involves fastening the light reflecting device 36 to the mounting member 35c through the receiving hole 35cbc.

[0037] As per another embodiment of the present invention, said mounting member 35c may be directly removably mounted to the front fender 35a, said front fender 35a having a mounting provision for receiving the front fork assembly 13. In other words, as per an aspect of the present invention, the mounting member 35c may be sandwich mounted to the front fender 35a together with the front fork assembly 13.

[0038] Thus, without involving the use of many fasteners, the light reflecting device*"36 is mounted to the front fender 3.5a. Moreover, as per the present disclosure, the mounting of the light reflecting device 36 to the front fender 35a does not involve the need for provision of a recess in the front fender 35a. As a result, mould complexity of the front fender decreases and aesthetics of the motorcycle do not get affected. Further, the design of the mounting member ensures that the light reflecting device can be retrofitted onto any motorcycle front fender.

[0039] 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 front fender assembly (35) for a motorcycle (10), said front fender assembly (35) comprising:

a front fender (35a) to cover a front wheel (15) of said motorcycle (10), and adapted to be detachably attached to a front fork assembly (13) of said motorcycle (10),
wherein, said front fender assembly (35) further comprises a mounting member (35c) adapted to receive a light reflecting device (36), said mounting member (35c) being adapted to be removably mounted to said front fender (35a).

2. The front fender assembly (35) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said front fender assembly (35) further includes a brace fender (35b) , adapted to be sandwich mounted to said front fender (35a) together with the front fork assembly (13) of said motorcycle (10)

-3. The front fender assembly (35) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mounting member (35c) includes a mounting strip (35ca), and a receiving arm (35cb) extending from a base of said mounting strip (35ca).

4. The front fender assembly (35) as claimed in claim 2, wherein at least one portion of said receiving arm (35cb) follows a curved profile of a side wall (35aa) of the front fender (35a), and wherein further, at least a second portion of said receiving arm (35cb) extends along a flat side surface (35ab) of said front fender (35a).

5. The front fender assembly (35) as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the mounting member (35c) is disposed in a manner so that at least a portion of the mounting strip (35cb) overlaps with a portion of the brace fender (35b), and at least a portion of the receiving arm (35cb) extends from base of said mounting strip (35cb)..

6. A motorcycle (10) including the front fender assembly (35) as claimed in claims 1^