DESC:FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to rear frame structure and more particularly to a pillion handle of a two-wheeled vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

[0002] A pillion handle in motorcycles, usually comprises of a holding part on sides of a rider, a rear holding part and a mounting lug to mount the pillion handle on a vehicle frame. The front portion of the pillion handle generally has a lug for pillion handle mounting to the frame. The mounting lugs extend in vehicle width wise direction at the rear bottom portion of the pillion seat and come out of the pillion seat from the sides through side panels on each side. Moreover, in order to provide a minimum operating clearance between the tail cover and pillion handle as well as seat base and tail cover, there is a cut-out provided in corresponding locations of the seat base and tail cover. This leads to a visible gap leading to poor aesthetics and water entry during water wash.
[0003] Moreover, In order to provide a minimum operating clearance between the tail cover and pillion handle as well as seat base and tail cover, there is a cut-out provided in corresponding locations of the seat base and tail cover. This leads to a visible gap leading to poor aesthetics and water entry during water wash. In some instances, the rider requires to put a luggage/carrier box in the rear portion for holding or storing articles. In doing so, under the loaded conditions, there is a deflection in seat base. This leads to lowered clearance between seat base and pillion handle. As the gap is critical, it will lead to vibration and even in deformation at times. Therefore, the pillion handles needs to be shaped such that even under loaded condition, a uniform gap is maintained.
[0004] The mounting lugs extend to join with the side-holding portion of the pillion handle. The pillion handle is shaped such as to extend rearward from the side holding area, to join the rear holding area. Thus, the length between the side holding area and rear holding area is unsupported, this acts as a cantilever beam and the rear holding area gets the maximum vibration in driving conditions.
[0005] Moreover, Since there is a limit up to which the mounting lugs can extend outward in vehicle width direction to keep the bending moment acting on it to a minimum, the side holding portion of the pillion handle is just above the tail cover and surrounding a part of rear periphery of the pillion seat. As a result, when the pillion rider sits, the side holding portions become an obstruction for the buttocks of the pillion, leading to discomfort of the pillion. Moreover, since the grabbing portion placed rearwardly and is extending above the tail lamp of the vehicle, grabbing the grabbing portion of the pillion handle is difficult which puts strain on the arms of the pillion rider.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Hence, to obviate the problems associated with the existing pillion handles, the current invention describes a pillion handle wherein the mounting portion extends rearwardly on vehicle longitudinal axis until reaching a middle portion, after which the middle portion branches in rearwardly upward direction on both sides away from the longitudinal axis for a predetermined length and thereafter in forwardly downward direction along vehicle longitudinal axis to form a grabbing portion on both the sides of the vehicle.
[0007] The pillion handle bar as described in the present invention reduces vibrations coming onto the rear portion by providing sufficient amount of support while at the same time; it does not obstruct the pillion thighs from the sides. The pillion handle mounting lug support is provided at a substantially rear end portion of the pillion seat. Thus, the pillion handle as per the current invention has mounting lugs extending rearward and upward, to join the holding area that has a forwardly slanting profile. The holding area extends to the front portion, such as to be located without obstruction; below the pillion thighs. As the length of unsupported portion of the pillion handle is reduced in the present invention, the vibration coming onto the holding area is minimum. Moreover, a pillion can sit comfortably. Since a slanted clearance is provided between pillion handle and the seat and tail cover, the deflection occurring due to loading does not affect the gap between seat base and pillion handle.
[0008] A step is provided on tail cover L, R and centre in a slanting manner, such that they join to form a corresponding shape of the pillion handle. The pillion handle is integrated with the seat locator near its mounting lug. Thus, number of parts is significantly reduced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 shows typical two-wheeled vehicle.
[00010] Figure 2 illustrates frame structure of a typical two-wheeler.
[00011] Figure 3 illustrates pillion handle mounting on rear frame structure of two wheeled vehicle as per prior art.
[00012] Figure 4 illustrates pillion handle mounting on rear frame structure of two wheeled vehicle as per prior art.
[00013] Figure 5 illustrates pillion handle on rear frame structure of two-wheeled vehicle as per current invention.
[00014] Figure 6 illustrates exploded view of pillion handle mounting on rear frame structure of two-wheeled vehicle as per current invention.
[00015] Figure 7 illustrates pillion handle of two-wheeled vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[00016] The present invention describes a pillion handle in which vibration coming onto the pillion handle is minimized by providing sufficient amount of support while at the same time; it does not obstruct the pillion thighs. Another advantage of the current invention is to minimize the visible gap between the seat, tail cover and the pillion handle to reduce gap and improve aesthetics. The pillion seat is usually provided with an L shape locator integrally molded to the seat base. This locator is positioned on a frame bracket, having corresponding cutout, and mounted onto the vehicle. The need to have an additional frame bracket, leads to higher number of parts. Hence, a seat locator is integrated to the pillion handle to reduce the number of parts.
[00017] Figure 1 illustrates headlamp 1, fuel tank 2, front cover 3, rider seat 4, pillion seat 5, pillion handle 6, tail lamp 7, front fender 8, rear wheel 9, front wheel 10, engine 11 and saree guard 12. The rider sits on the rider seat 4 while driving the vehicle while the pillion rider sits on the pillion seat 5. The rider holds the handle bar with his hands and his/her foot rests on a rider foot rest. The pillion rider holds the pillion handle 6 to get support and sit back on the vehicle with his legs supported on a pillion rider footrest. “F” shows forward direction and “R” indicates reverse direction with respect to the vehicle.
[00018] Figure 2 illustrates engine 11, air filter 21, side tube LH 22, side tube RH 23, and cross tube 24. The rider seat 4 and pillion seat 5 are mounted and supported on the side tube LH 22, side tube RH 23.
[00019] Figure 3 illustrates a pillion handle according to prior art showing a side tube LH 22, side tube RH 23, side panel RH 31, side panel LH 32, pillion handle LH 33, pillion handle RH 34, pillion handle RH mounting 35 and pillion handle LH mounting 36. The pillion handle is bifurcated into two pieces namely pillion handle LH 33 and pillion handle RH 34. Both these separate pieces of the pillion handle are mounted on the cross member 24 using pillion handle RH mounting 35 and pillion handle LH mounting 36. As illustrated in the drawing, a cutout is made in the side panel RH 31 and side panel LH 32 to accommodate the side protruding profile of the pillion handle LH 33 and pillion handle RH 34.
[00020] Figure 4 illustrates side panel RH 31, side panel LH 32, pillion handle LH 33, pillion handle RH 34, pillion handle RH mounting 35 and pillion handle LH mounting 36. Also as illustrated in both the Figures3 & Figure 4, the grabbing portions of the pillion handle LH 33 and pillion handle RH 34 extends rearwardly in the vehicle longitudinal direction due to which holding the grabbing portion is difficult. Moreover, the cutout portion in the side tube leads to aesthetic disturbance.
[00021] Figure 5 illustrates the pillion handle according to the current invention. Figure 5 shows pillion seat 5, tail lamp 7, and side panel LH 32, grabbing portion RH 51, pillion handle middle portion 52 and grabbing portion LH 53. As illustrated, the grabbing portions namely the grabbing portion RH 51 and the grabbing portion LH 53 extend forwardly in the vehicle longitudinal direction after branching from pillion handle middle portion 52 which places the said grabbing portion RH 51 and the grabbing portion LH 53 on the sides of the pillion rider’s thighs which is easy to access and hold.
[00022] Figure 6 illustrates the exploded view of the pillion handle 70 (Figure 7) mounting as per the current invention. Figure 6 shows the side panel RH 31, side panel LH 32, grabbing portion RH 51, grabbing portion LH 53, mounting portion RH 61, mounting portion LH 62, pillion handle middle portion 63, mounting bracket cross member 64, fasteners RH 66, fasteners LH 67, branch RH 68 and branch LH 69. The pillion handle as described in the current invention is a single piece pillion handle. The fasteners RH 66 and fasteners LH 67 are used to fasten the mounting portion RH 61 and mounting portion LH 62 of the pillion handle 70.
[00023] The pillion handle 70, from the mounting portion RH 61 and mounting portion LH 62 extends towards rearwardly towards the longitudinal axis until a pillion handle middle portion 63. After pillion handle middle portion 63 it branches into branch RH 68 and branch LH 69 away from the vehicle longitudinal axis for a predetermined length after which it progresses forwardly downwardly in the vehicle longitudinal direction thus forming grabbing portion RH 51 and grabbing portion LH 53.
[00024] Figure 7 shows the pillion handle as per the current invention in detail. Figure 7 shows grabbing portion RH 51, grabbing portion LH 53, pillion handle middle portion 63, branch RH 68, branch LH 69, pillion handle mounting hole RH 66' and pillion handle mounting hole LH 67'. The front end portion of the grabbing portions (51, 53) extend beyond said mounting holes (66’, 67’) in vehicle forward direction as illustrated by dotted lines passing through (66’, 67’) . The profile of the pillion handle from the grabbing portion RH 51, grabbing portion LH 53 through branch RH 68, branch LH 69 and the grabbing portion RH 51, grabbing portion LH 53 functions as to hold the pillion rider’s back portion comfortably while the grabbing portion RH 51, grabbing portion LH 53 are on the sides of the thighs so that the grabbing portion RH 51, grabbing portion LH 53 could be held with ease by hands of the pillion rider.
,CLAIMS:We claim:
1. A rear structure (40) of a saddle riding vehicle, the rear structure (40) comprising:
a body frame comprising at least two side tubes (22, 23) spaced apart in a vehicle width direction;
atleast one cross-member (24,64) attached to said side tubes (22,23) of said vehicle;
a seat mounted on said body frame, the seat includes a front occupant seat (4) on which a driver is to be seated and a rear occupant seat (5) on which a passenger is to be seated, the front occupant seat (4) and the rear occupant seat (5) being provided integrally or separately with each other in vehicle longitudinal direction;
atleast one side cover (31,32) covering both the sides of the vehicle body frame;
a pillion handle (6, 70) comprising a mounting portion (61, 62) with mounting holes (66’, 67’), a middle portion (63) and atleast one grabbing portion (51, 53) on each side of the said rear occupant seat (5) to be grasped by a rear occupant during driving, the mounting of the pillion handle (6, 70) on the cross member (24) for attachment lies below the rear occupant seat (5);
characterized in that,
the mounting portion (61, 62) extends rearwardly in vehicle longitudinal axis (L-L’) until reaching the said middle portion (63), after which the middle portion (63) branches in a substantially rearwardly upward direction on both sides away from the longitudinal axis (L-L’) for a predetermined length and in forwardly downward direction along vehicle longitudinal axis (L-L’) thereafter to form said grabbing portions (51, 53).

2. The rear structure (40) of the saddle riding vehicle as claimed in Claim 1 wherein a front end portion of the grabbing portions (51, 53) extend beyond said mounting holes (66’, 67’) in vehicle forward direction.

3. The rear structure (40) of the saddle riding vehicle as claimed in Claim 1 wherein cross-member (24, 64) attached to said side tubes (22,23) by way of atleast one of welding and fasteners.