Abstract:
The invention is a foot-operated shift lever actuator for actuating a motorcycle gear shift lever. The shift-lever actuator has an elongate arm, which is pivotable with respect to the motorcycle. Integral with the elongate arm is a shift-lever-engaging member. Along the elongate arm is a first foot-contacting member, configured such that pressure applied to the first foot-contacting member induces a pivot motion of the elongate arm, thereby causing a vertical motion of the shift lever into the distinct shift positions.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention is related generally to motorcycles and, more particularly, to shift actuators and to methods for customizing a motorcycle with shift actuators.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Standard touring motorcycles such as a Honda Goldwing®, Model GL1800, come with factory-installed pegs upon which to place the operator&#39;s feet while the motorcycle is in operation. Such touring motorcycles are shifted by means of a toe-operated shift lever on the left side of the motorcycle forward of the footpeg. Factory provided footpegs and shift levers are strategically placed on motorcycles to allow clearance when the motorcycle is canted from vertical in a cornering maneuver to allow for maximum cornering.  
         [0003]     Despite the cornering economy of stock pegs, many riders prefer footboards. Footboards allow for a more stylish look than the stock footpegs. In addition, footboards support the entire foot thereby providing comfort to the rider during long tours. Therefore, many motorcycle owners modify their motorcycles through the replacement of footpeg with floorboards. Unfortunately, when footboards are retrofit to replace footpegs in a manner to maintain street clearance levels to preserve cornering ability, due to the added length of the footboard, the shift lever end becomes inaccessible to the operator thereby precluding operation of the motorcycle. To remedy such a situation, it is necessary to have a mechanism to link the foot to the shift lever.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     One embodiment of the invention involves a foot-operated shift lever actuator for actuating a motorcycle gear shift lever of the type having a rod-like shift-lever end movable in a generally vertical plane to distinct shift positions. The term “foot” is broadly used herein to include the foot and the foot enclosed, such as with a shoe or boot. In a similar manner, the term “toe” generally refers to the front portion of the foot, specifically including the ball of the foot, while the term “heel” includes the rer portion of the foot. The shift-lever actuator has an arm which is generally elongate with a first end and a second end. As used herein, the term “elongate” does not require linearity. As used herein, the term describes having a generally dominant longitudinal dimension, but specifically includes “L”, “S”, and “Z”-shaped ends and obtuse “V”-shapes, with a trough located between the ends. Moreover, the shape may have other deviations from linearity when viewed from other perspectives. The elongate arm is pivotable with respect to the motorcycle. Integral with the first end is a shift-lever-engaging member. The shift-lever-engaging member is interactively engaged with the shift-lever end. Along the elongate arm is a first foot-contacting member. In this way, pressure may be applied by a foot to the first foot-contacting projecting member. This pressure induces a pivot motion of the elongate arm about the pivot, thereby causing a vertical motion of the shift lever into the distinct shift positions. As used herein, the directions are given with reference to the motorcycle in upright operation. By way of example, the term “vertical” generally describes upward from the ground while the term “lateral” generally describes horizontal to the ground and outward from the side of the motorcycle. The pressure applied by the foot may selectively result in a clockwise or counterclockwise motion of the elongate arm about the pivot, typically in a vertical plane. This selection may be dependant on motorcycle gear patterns for the individual model of motorcycle. In one preferred embodiment, the first foot-contacting member is a front nub. In using the term “nub”, Applicant is describing a projection. The nub may be a knob, a bar, or any other shape projecting from the elongate arm. It is more preferred for the front nub to project laterally from the elongate arm.  
         [0005]     As describe herein, a shift-lever-engaging member is integral with the first end and is interactively engaged with the shift-lever end. In one embodiment, the shift-lever-engaging member is fork-like with an upper tine and a lower tine. In a more preferred embodiment, the shift-lever-engaging member further comprises a shift-lever-end bushing. The shift-lever-end bushing has a bushing shift-lever-end receiving channel with an inner surface. The shift-lever-end receiving channel is configured and arranged to be complementary to an outer surface of the shift-lever end. By way of example only, if the shift-lever end had a cylindrical shape, the shift-lever-end receiving channel will also be cylindrical, while if the shift-lever end had a five-pointed-star-shaped cross-section, the shift-lever-end receiving channel will also five-pointed-star-shaped cross-section, dimensioned to engage the shift-lever end. The bushing also has a bushing outer surface. The bushing is located between the upper and lower tines, typically such that the tines neatly engage the bushing outer surface. One of the attributes of an embodiment with a bushing is that in practice, it is found that a practitioner can well control the quality of the tines-to-bushing engagement. In some embodiments, typically when the shift-lever end has a non-circular cross-section, the bushing is rotatable with respect to the upper and lower tines. In some embodiments, more typically when the shift-lever end has a circular cross-section, the bushing is rotatable with respect to the shift-lever end.  
         [0006]     In another preferred embodiment, the foot-operated shift lever actuator further comprises a footboard. A footboard as described herein is configured and arranged to support a foot; a footboard is distinguishable from a peg in that a footboard is longitudinally dimensioned to support nearly the entire foot length of most operators. The footboard has a vertical pivot-support member retaining the pivot. The footboard is attached to the motorcycle. It is more preferable for the footboard to support the foot in a substantially horizontal position.  
         [0007]     In a preferred embodiment, the first foot-contacting member is located between the pivot point and the shift-lever-engaging member. In a more specific embodiment of the invention, the foot-operated shift lever actuator further comprises a second foot-contacting member, which is attached to the elongate arm between the pivot point and the second end. It is more preferable for the second foot-contacting member to be a back nub. It is even more preferable for the back nub to project laterally from the elongate arm.  
         [0008]     In another preferred embodiment, the second foot-contacting member is selectively repositionable along the elongate arm. Such selectivity allows for adjustment options in generally horizontal positions to accommodate feet of different lengths. By referring to generally horizontal positions, Applicant is specifically observing that in such embodiments, the adjustment options are typically along the portion of the elongate arm between the pivot point and the second end. Such portion of the elongate arm may make an acute angle with regard to the horizontal plane thereby making the adjustment options generally horizontal to the extent that the options offered have the same linearity as the portion of the elongate arm between the pivot point and the second end.  
         [0009]     In yet another preferred embodiment, it is preferable for the first foot-contacting member to be selectively repositionable on the elongate arm with regard to the shift-lever-engaging member. Such selectivity allows for adjustment options in vertical and horizontal positions to accommodate feet of different dimensions.  
         [0010]     Another aspect of the invention involves a method for customizing or retro-fitting a motorcycle of the type having a motorcycle gear shift lever with a rod-like shift-lever end movable in a generally vertical plane to distinct shift positions and having a peg-receiving aperture. The method comprises the steps of: (1) obtaining a footboard configured and arranged to support a foot, (2) attaching the floorboard to the motorcycle, and (3) interactively attaching the shift-lever-engaging member with respect to the shift-lever end. The footboard has a vertical pivot-support member retaining a pivot, a footboard attachment device for attaching the footboard to the motorcycle, an elongate arm having a first end and a second end, pivotably attached to the pivot at a pivot point dispensed from the first end, a shift-lever-engaging member integral with the first end, interactively engaged with the shift-lever end, and a first foot-contacting member attached to the elongate arm.  
         [0011]     In one preferred embodiment of the method, the footboard attachment device is configured for attachment to the peg-receiving aperture. In such an embodiment, the embodiment comprises the additional step of removing a peg, which may have been originally supplied as a stock part for the motorcycle, from the peg-receiving aperture.  
         [0012]     Another preferred embodiment of the method for customizing a motorcycle comprises the additional steps of: (4) obtaining a bushing with a bushing outer surface configured to interact with shift-lever-engaging member, (5) enveloping the shift-lever end with the bushing; and (6) interactively attaching the shift-lever-engaging member to the bushing outer surface. The bushing also has a bushing inner surface defining a shift-lever-end receiving channel configured and arranged to be complementary to an outer surface of the shift-lever end.  
         [0013]     It is yet another aspect of the invention to present a foot-operated shift lever motivator for moving a motorcycle gear shift lever in a generally vertical plane to distinct shift positions. Such a shift-lever motivator comprises: a floorboard attached to the motorcycle having a vertical tab, an elongate arm, a fork member, a bushing, and a first foot-contacting member. The elongate arm has a first end and a second end. The elongate arm is rotatably attached to the vertical tab at a pivot point, which is dispensed from the first end. The fork member is integral with the first end. The fork member has an upper tine with a lower surface and a lower tine with an upper surface such that there exists a tine dimension between the upper and lower surfaces. The bushing has a central cavity with an axis and with a shape complementary to an outer surface of the motorcycle gear shift lever. In this way, the bushing can envelop a portion of the motorcycle gear shift lever. The bushing also has an outer surface substantially concentric to the central cavity axis and dimensioned to be substantially equal to the tine dimension. In this way, the bushing is snugly engaged between the upper and lower surfaces. The first foot-contacting member is attached to the elongate arm at a foot-contacting-member point between the fork member and the pivot point. It is more preferable for the foot-operated shift lever motivator to have a second foot-contacting member attached to the elongate arm between the pivot point and the second end.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]     The drawings illustrate preferred embodiments which include the above-noted characteristics and features of the invention. The invention will be readily understood from the descriptions and drawings. In the drawings:  
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the lower portion of the left side of a motorcycle of the prior art.  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a motorcycle footboard attached to the lower portion of a motorcycle.  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a top view of a left, driver footboard with a shifter arm and toe and heel knobs.  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  is a side view of the footboard of  FIG. 3 .  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is a front view of the footboard of  FIG. 3 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 6  is a side view of a preferred embodiment of a shifter arm.  
         [0021]      FIG. 7  is a side view of another preferred embodiment of a shifter arm.  
         [0022]      FIG. 8  is a side view of a bushing.  
         [0023]      FIG. 9  is a back view of a bushing.  
         [0024]      FIG. 10  is a side view of a foot on a footboard encountering the underside of the front toe knob.  
         [0025]      FIG. 11  is a side view of a foot on a footboard encountering the top of a front toe knob.  
         [0026]      FIG. 12  is a side view of a foot on a footboard with the heel encountering the heel knob. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0027]      FIG. 1  shows a portion of the left side of a motorcycle  10  of the prior art. In particular, such motorcycle  10  is a touring-type such as a Honda Goldwing® Model GL1800, sold throughout the world.  
         [0028]     Motorcycle  10  is of the type having a shift lever  12  attached to the transmission system (not shown). Shift lever  12  extends laterally out from motorcycle  10  and terminates in a shift lever end  14 . Shift lever end  14  is most typically covered with a cylindrical end cap (not shown). End cap cover shift lever end  14  up to collar  16 . Cap is removable and shift lever end  14  is shown with cap removed.  
         [0029]     Also as part of the standard equipment for motorcycle  10  is a left footpeg  18  which extends laterally out from motorcycle  10 . Left footpeg  18  consists of peg body  20 , hinge  22 , and attachment bracket  24 . Peg body  20  has a generally flat peg surface  26 . Peg surface  26  has a resilient and durable coating designed to both last and to provide an anti-slip surface for an operator&#39;s foot. Peg body  20  is attached to hinge  22  to allow for peg body  20  to be rotated about hinge  22  up to motorcycle  10 . Hinge  22  is attached to attachment bracket  24 . Such attachment could be by any means including welding or integral fabrication between these components. Attachment bracket  24  is attached to motorcycle  10  by means of bracket bolts  28  extending through attachment bracket  24  to provide for securement to motorcycle  10 . In the case of a Goldwing, such bracket bolts are 6 mm allen-head type.  
         [0030]     As seen in  FIG. 2 , a floorboard assembly  30  of this invention is attached to a portion of the left side of motorcycle  10 .  
         [0031]     As better seen in  FIGS. 3-5 , floorboard assembly  30  has a floorboard  32 . Floorboard  32  is typically made of metal for durability and preferably from billet aircraft-quality aluminum for strength and weight considerations. Floorboard  32  has a foot-receiving top surface  34 . Top surface  34  is typically flat and is dimensioned to comfortably and fully receive an operator&#39;s foot. Floorboard  32  typically has a longitudinal dimension of about 12 inches and a lateral dimension of approximately 5 inches. Taking the dimensions and shape of the foot into consideration, the choice of geometric form of floorboard is arbitrary and subject to ornamental preference. Attached to floorboard top surface  34  are grip strips  36 . Grip strips  36  are rubber inlays inlaid into recessed portions of floorboard surface  34  to provide a non-slip surface for feet. Grip strips  36  are typically made of a rubber such as neoprene to provide both durability, an anti-vibrational padding, and a non-slip material. Represented as diagonal strips relative to a longitudinal centerline of floorboard  32 , it will be recognized that such arrangement is merely ornamental and that any arrangement about the surface of any configuration (including nonstrip-like geographic shapes) is satisfactory.  
         [0032]     Also supplied is a L-shaped footboard attachment bracket  38 . As seen in  FIG. 4 , footboard attachment bracket  38  has a bracket vertical portion  40  of the same profile as attachment bracket  24  (seen in  FIG. 1 ). Maintaining the same profile between replacement footboard attachment bracket  38  and original equipment manufacture stock attachment bracket  24  allows for easy retrofit installation of the footboard assembly  30  onto motorcycle  10  (as seen in  FIG. 2 ). For a similar reason, vertical portion  40  has two bolt holes  42  sized and spaced to accommodate bracket bolts  28  for attachment to motorcycle  10 .  
         [0033]     Perpendicular to, and integral with, vertical member  40  is horizontal member  44 . Horizontal member  44  extends between ears  46  of footboard  32 . Each of horizontal member and ears  44 ,  46  have a cylindrical channel (not shown) extending longitudinally therethrough. Hinge rod  48  (best seen in  FIG. 5 ) extends through ears and horizontal member  44 ,  46  thereby attaching footboard attachment bracket  38  to footboard  32 . In certain applications, it is desirable to allow hinge rod  48  to act as an axis about which footboard  32  can rotate relative to footboard attachment bracket  38 . For instance, if dragged through a tight turn, hinged footboard  32  will retract away from traveling surface by rotation about hinge rod  48  when footboard  32  encounters traveling surface, rather than break off. Hinge rod  48  typically has means to inhibit longitudinal movement once installed (e.g., an enlarged bolt head at one end and cotter pin at the other end of hinge rod  48 ).  
         [0034]     Floorboard assembly  30  also has shifter arm  50 . As better seen in  FIGS. 6 &amp; 7 , shifter arm  50  generally has a V-shape profile. At the apex of the “V” is a pivot port  52 . As seen in  FIGS. 3 and 5 , shifter arm  50  has a deviation from linearity along its length when viewed from top.  
         [0035]     As seen in  FIG. 6 , shifter arm  50  has upper and lower tines  54 ,  56 . Upper tine  54  has a lower surface  58 . Lower tine  56  has an upper surface  60  such that upper tine lower surface  58  and lower tine upper surface  60  are spaced apart a distance d 1 , creating a tine channel  62 . Tine channel  62  has a back surface  64 . Tine channel back surface  64  has a generally circular profile with radius r 1 , which is one half of the dimension d 1 . In one embodiment, tine distance d 1  is substantially equal to a shift lever end diameter d 2  (seen in  FIG. 1 ). In this way, shifter arm  50  may be directly and snugly linked to shift lever end  14 .  
         [0036]     In another embodiment a bushing  66  is used. Bushing  66  is cylindrical having a cylindrical bushing channel  68  extending therethrough of bushing channel diameter d 3 . Bushing channel diameter d 3  is substantially similar to shift lever end diameter d 2 , such that bushing  66  may be installed over shift lever end  14 . Bushing  66  has a cylindrical body portion  70  of diameter d 4  which is cylindrically concentric with bushing channel  68 . In this embodiment, tine distance d 1  is equal to bushing body portion diameter d 4  such that bushing  66  is snugly engaged by upper tine lower surface and lower tine upper surface  58 ,  60 . For clarity, it will be observed that the dimension d 1  is configured to be substantially larger if designed to directly encounter bushing  66  rather than shift lever end  14  as described in the previous embodiment.  
         [0037]     Bushing  66  has an inside surface  72  which abuts collar portion  16  when fully installed on motorcycle  10  about shift lever end  14 . Bushing  66  has collar portion  72  of a diameter d 5  which is greater than bushing body portion diameter d 4 . When installed on motorcycle  10 , bushing collar portion  74  serves to prevent lateral motion of shifter arm  50  away from motorcycle  10  in the event that in operation, bushing body portion diameter d 4  fluctuates for any reason allowing for loose interaction between upper tine lower surface and lower tine upper surface  58 ,  60  with bushing body  70  (e.g., such fluctuations due to thermal activity).  
         [0038]     Shifter arm  50  is pivotably attached with respect footboard attachment bracket  38 . Shifter arm  50  is spaced apart from vertical member attachment bracket  40  by means of cylindrical pivot spacer  76 . In one preferred embodiment, cylindrical pivot spacer  76  is integral with shifter arm  50  and has a cylindrical pivot-shaft channel  78  extending therethrough and coincident with pivot port  52 . Pivot shaft  80  extends through pivot port  52  and pivot-shaft channel  78  and is secured to vertical member  40 , thereby securing shifter arm  50  to footboard attachment bracket  38 . One such means of securement is through installation of a threaded male pivot shaft  80  into a threaded female port  82 . Even though shifter arm is secured to footboard attachment bracket  38  to prevent longitudinal torquing about pivot shaft  80  (i.e., in a vertical plane, said vertical plane extending laterally from the bike), it will be understood that said securement allows for radial rotational motion about the pivot. To facilitate radial motion about pivot shaft  80 , pivot shaft bushing  84  is installed between pivot shaft  80  and shifter arm  50  and pivot spacer bushing  86  is located between cylindrical pivot spacer  76  and vertical member  40  (as seen in  FIGS. 3 and 5 ).  
         [0039]     Alternatively, cylindrical pivot spacer  76  may be integral with vertical member  40 . In such an embodiment, pivot spacer bushing  86  is located between cylindrical pivot spacer  76  and shifter arm  50 . As a further alternative, cylindrical pivot spacer  76  may be independent of both vertical member  40  and shifter arm  50 ; in such event, a second pivot spacer bushing  86  is installed such that a pivot spacer bushing  86  is located between vertical member and pivot spacer while a second pivot spacer bushing  86  is located between pivot spacer and shifter arm  50 .  
         [0040]     As seen in  FIGS. 2-5 , toe knob  88  and heel knob  90  are attached to shifter arm  50 . Toe knob  88  and heel knob  90  are attached to shifter arm  50  by means of knob bolts  92 . Knob bolts  92  have a recessed hexed, allen-type head with a threaded shank. Knob bolt  92  extends through toe knob  88  and toe knob lever hole  94  before being secured by acorn nut  96 . In a similar manner, heel knob  90  is attached to shifter lever  50  by means of knob bolt  92  inserted through heel knob  90  and secured by acorn nut  96  (as seen in  FIGS. 3 and 5 ).  
         [0041]     As seen in  FIG. 6 , toe knob lever holes  94  may be dispensed substantially horizontally along shifter lever  50  providing placement options  94   a  to allow for placement options to adjust to different foot lengths. Additionally, an alternate vertical location  94   b  is provided to allow for placement on shift lever  50  to accommodate placement of a toe between toe knob  50  and footboard upper surface  34  as seen in  FIG. 10 . In a like manner, heel knob lever holes  98  are spaced along shifter lever  50  to allow for placement options to accommodate different foot lengths.  
         [0042]     As an alternative embodiment, a vertical placement option for the toe knob may be provided through vertical extension piece  100 . Vertical extension piece  100  is attached to shift lever  50  by means of extension bolts  102  extending through toe knob lever holes  94   a  and toe knob extension holes  104 . The vertical extension piece  100  secured to shifter lever  50  toe lever extension hole  104  may be used for securing toe knob  88  to vertical extension piece  100  by means of knob bolt  92  and acorn nut  96  as described above.  
         [0043]      FIGS. 10, 11  and  12  show shift lever  50  in operation. As seen in  FIG. 10 , a foot  106  rests on floorboard upper surface  34 . As shown, toe  108  and heel  110  encounter footboard  32 . In order to selectively shift into and out of various gears, it becomes necessary to selectively move shift lever end  14  in either an upward or downward manner. Before shifting into or out of gear, first hand clutch (not shown) is engaged. With hand clutch engaged, in order to induce a downward motion in the shift lever end  14 , toe  108 , as seen in  FIG. 11  encounters toe knob  88  pressing downward thereon in inducing a counter-clockwise rotation about pivot shaft  80  thereby forcing upper and lower tines  54 ,  56 , busing  66  and shaft lever end  14  all in a downward motion relative to the motorcycle.  
         [0044]     To induce an upward motion of shift lever end  14 , as seen in  FIG. 12 , heel  110  encounters heel knob  90  pushing down thereon. The downward force applied to heel knob  90  induces a clockwise rotation of shift lever  50  about pivot shaft  80  thereby forcing upper and lower tines  54 ,  56  and bushing  66  and shift lever end  14  upward.  
         [0045]     A selective upward motion of shift lever end  14  can also be accomplished through motion of toe as seen in  FIG. 10 . Toe  108  can encounter toe knob  88  pushing up thereon, thereby inducing a clockwise rotation of shift lever  50  thereby raising shift lever end  14 , as described above.  
         [0046]     The figures also disclose a method for retrofitting motorcycle  10  with floorboard assembly  30 . As seen in  FIG. 1 , motorcycle  10  typically comes with stock equipment such as shift lever  12  and left peg  18 . First, rubber cover (not shown) which typically comes over shift lever end  14 , is simply removed by pulling it from shift lever end  14 . Shift lever end  14  is then revealed. Due to the length of shift lever end  14 , a portion may need to be removed typically by cutting with a hacksaw leaving shift lever end  14  as shown with a portion extending laterally outward from collar  16 . Left peg  18  is removed by unscrewing bracket bolts  28 . Once bracket bolts  28  are removed from motorcycle  10 , attachment bracket  24  and left footpeg  18  may be removed from the motorcycle. Although upper and lower tines  54 ,  56  may directly engage shift lever end  14 , it is preferable to install bushing  66  over shift lever end  14 . This is accomplished by first inserting bushing  66  between upper tine lower surface and lower tine upper surface  58 ,  60  such that bushing inner surface  72  faces inward toward the bike while bushing collar portion  74  is laterally remote from the bike. Floorboard attachment bracket  38  is attached to motorcycle  10  by means of bracket bolts screwed back through bolt holes  42  and into motorcycle  10 . With footboard attachment bracket  38  firmly affixed to motorcycle  10 , bushing  66  may be installed over shift lever end  14 . This is accomplished by inserting shift lever end  14  into bushing channel  68 , pushing on collar portion  16  laterally until bushing inner surface  72  abuts collar  16 . Care will be taken to make certain that bushing collar portion  74  does not encounter either upper tine  54  or lower tine  56 . In some applications, it will be desirable to lubricate bushing body portion  70  to allow for relative rotational motion between bushing body portion  70  and upper tine lower surface and lower tine upper surfaces  58 ,  60 . In this type of installation, it is preferable that bushing inner surface  72  does not rotate with respect to shift lever end  14 . In this embodiment, when clockwise rotational motion is imparted to elongate arm  50  by means of force applied to heel knob  90 , shift lever  12  will be raised with slight rotation between upper and lower tines  54 ,  56  and bushing  66 .  
         [0047]     Alternatively, it may be preferable to lubricate between bushing channel  68  and shift lever end  14 . In this type of embodiment, upper tine lower surface and lower tine upper surface  58 ,  60  jointly secure bushing  66  such that there is no relative rotational motion between bushing  66  and tines  54 ,  56 . With a similar clockwise rotation of elongate shifter arm  50  imparted by pressure to heel knob  90 , shift lever  12  will raise with slight rotation of bushing  66  with respect to shift lever end  14 .  
         [0048]     While the principles of the invention have been shown and described in connection with specific embodiments, it is to be understood that such embodiments are by way of example and are not limiting.