Patent ID: 9415827
Filing Date: 2016-08-16
CPC Classification: B62J,B62K,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. A protective cover system for an axle clamp, wherein the axle clamp is coupled to a front fork of a motorcycle, comprising: a cover plate shaped to cover and conform to at least a portion of an axle clamp outer surface, the axle clamp having a first pinch bolt hole and a second pinch bolt hole, the axle clamp outer surface portion located generally perpendicular to a motorcycle front wheel, the cover plate including an impact face facing outward from the axle clamp when the cover plate is coupled to the axle clamp, the cover plate having a first bolt hole located so that when the cover plate is coupled to the axle clamp, the first bolt hole is concentric to the first pinch bolt hole, the cover plate having a second bolt hole located so that when the cover plate is coupled to the axle clamp, the second bolt hole is concentric to the second pinch bolt hole, the cover plate comprising a resilient and flexible material, the cover plate including a cover plate width generally equal to an axle clamp width of the axle clamp in a direction generally perpendicular to the motorcycle front wheel when the cover plate is coupled to the axle clamp, the cover plate including a thickness configured for resisting breakage of the cover plate and protecting the axle clamp from damage when the cover plate sustains impact during use of the motorcycle, a first spacer, of generally cylindrical shape, and comprising a rigid material, with a first spacer longitudinal axis coinciding with a first bolt hole longitudinal axis, a first spacer upper portion extending through at least a portion of the first bolt hole and coupled to the cover plate, whereby a cover plate interior face at the first spacer is separated from an axle clamp outer face when the first spacer is coupled to the axle clamp at the first pinch bolt hole; a second spacer, of generally cylindrical shape, and comprising a rigid material, with a second spacer longitudinal axis coinciding with a second bolt hole longitudinal axis, a second spacer upper portion extending through at least a portion of the second bolt hole and coupled to the cover plate, at the second hole location, whereby the cover plate interior face at the second spacer is separated from the axle clamp outer face when the second spacer is coupled to the axle clamp at the second pinch bolt hole; a first bolt including a first bolt head and a threaded first bolt shaft, the first bolt shaft passing through the cover plate at the first bolt hole, the first spacer, and the first pinch bolt hole, wherein the first bolt head is mounted on a first spacer end proximate to the impact face of the cover plate, and the first bolt is threadably coupled to a first axle clamp top pinch bolt hole and a first axle clamp bottom pinch bolt hole; a second bolt including a second bolt head and a threaded second bolt shaft passing through the cover plate at the second bolt hole, the second spacer, and the second pinch bolt hole, wherein the second bolt head is mounted on a second spacer end proximate to the impact face of the cover plate, and the second bolt is threadably coupled to a second axle clamp top pinch bolt hole and a second axle clamp bottom pinch bolt hole, whereby the cover plate is coupled to the axle clamp so that the impact face is adjacent to the axle clamp outer surface, whereby the cover plate sustains an impact and flexes to absorb the impact and contact the axle clamp to distribute the impact over an axle clamp contact surface, whereby impact damage to the axle clamp is reduced.