Abstract:
A foot operated throttle for all-terrain vehicles having an engine for propelling the vehicle, two handlebars for steering the vehicle, and a throttle lever connected to one of said two handlebars for controlling the speed of the engine, the foot operated throttle including a foot pedal assembly connected to an all-terrain vehicle for selective actuation by a foot of an operator of an all-terrain vehicle, and a cable assembly connected to the foot pedal assembly and to a throttle lever mounted on a handle bar of the all-terrain vehicle for movement of the throttle lever.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to control systems for all-terrain vehicles. In particular, the present invention relates to throttle systems for all-terrain vehicles. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     All-terrain vehicles have become very popular throughout the world, and especially in the United States. All-terrain vehicles are sometimes referred to by the abbreviation “ATV”. Such all-terrain vehicles have an internal combustion engine for propelling the vehicle and handlebars for steering the vehicle. Control of the throttle of the engine of an all-terrain vehicle is commonly connected to right handlebar of the vehicle by a spring loaded lever located near the end of one of the right handlebar of the vehicle. The throttle lever is positioned on the handlebar for convenient engagement by the thumb of the right hand of the rider of the vehicle while the fingers of the right hand grasp a handgrip commonly located on the end of the handlebars. 
     To operate the conventional throttle mounted on the right handlebar of an all-terrain vehicle, the right hand must remain on the handgrip on the handlebar for the thumb of the right hand to engage the throttle lever mounted on the handlebars. If the right hand is needed to perform other tasks, the throttle must be released causing the all-terrain vehicle to decelerate rapidly. 
     There is thus a need for providing a throttle system which may be engaged when the right hand is needed to perform tasks other than holding the right handlebar while the throttle of the all-terrain vehicle is depressed. 
     Related art of which applicants are aware are the following: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,040,596; 3,600,968; 4,059,025; 4,109,546; 4,109,746; 4,197,761; 4,811,620; 5,197,347 and 5,967,252. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a foot-operated throttle for all-terrain vehicles. 
     In accordance with the present invention there is provided a foot operated throttle for all-terrain vehicles having an engine for propelling said vehicle, two handlebars for steering said vehicle, and a throttle lever connected to one of said two handlebars for controlling the speed of said engine, including a foot pedal assembly connected to an all-terrain vehicle for selective actuation by a foot of an operator of an all-terrain vehicle, and a cable assembly connected to the foot pedal assembly and to a throttle lever mounted on a handle bar of the all-terrain vehicle. 
     The foot throttle of the present invention has the advantage of being quickly and easily connected to any all-terrain vehicle. 
     The foot throttle of the invention has the additional advantage of enabling an all-terrain vehicle operator to free the hand normally used to activate the throttle of the all-terrain for other uses while the throttle of all-terrain vehicle is controlled by one foot of the operator. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a partly cut-away perspective view of the foot throttle system of the invention, 
     FIG. 2 is a partly cut-away side view of the foot throttle of FIG. 1 being depressed by the foot of the rider shown in phantom lines, and 
     FIG. 3 is a partly cut-away perspective view of the foot throttle of FIG. 1 shown attached to a common all-terrain vehicle of the prior art depicted in phantom lines. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, the foot throttle of the invention is generally indicated by the numeral  10 . A common all-terrain vehicle well known in the art on which foot throttle  10  is connected is generally indicated in FIG. 3 by the numeral  12 . 
     A portion of the right handlebar of all-terrain vehicle  12  is generally indicated by the numeral  14  in FIGS. 1 and 3. As can be best seen in FIG. 1, right handlebar  14  has a common throttle lever  16  well known in the art which is pivotally connected to common cylindrical throttle housing  18  well known in the art. Handlebar  14  also has a common handgrip  20  well known in the art connected at the end thereof, and a conventional brake actuating lever  22  well known in the art pivotally connected to handlebar  14  adjacent to handgrip  20  to slow are stop all-terrain vehicle  12 . 
     Cylindrical throttle housing  18  is rigidly connected to handlebar  14  in a conventional manner well known in the art. A throttle cable sheath  18   a  extends from cylindrical throttle housing  18  to the throttle of the engine of all-terrain vehicle  12  as is well known in the art to control the engine speed of all-terrain vehicle  12 . Throttle cable sheath  18   a  has a common movable throttle wire  18   b  therein as is well known in the art which is connected to the throttle of the engine of all-terrain vehicle  12 . Throttle cable sheath  18   a  is connected to handlebar  14  by clamp  14   a.    
     Thus to operate the throttle of the engine of all-terrain vehicle  12 , throttle lever  16  is moved toward and away from handgrip  20  as indicated by the arrow  24  in FIG. 1 by the thumb of the right hand of the operator of all-terrain vehicle  12  as is well known in the art. Movement of throttle lever  16  causes throttle wire  18   b  to move backward and forward as indicated by the arrow  26  in FIG. 1 vary the speed of the engine of all terrain vehicle  12 . Throttle housing  18  has a common spring mechanism well known in the art to bias throttle lever  16  away from handgrip  20  when the thumb of the operator of all-terrain vehicle  12  is released from throttle lever  16  to lower the speed of the engine of all-terrain vehicle to an idle. 
     Foot throttle assembly  10  includes a pedal assembly generally indicated by the numeral  30  which is connected to throttle lever  16  by a throttle cable assembly generally indicated by the numeral  31 . Pedal assembly  30  includes a pivoting, preferably generally rectangular throttle pedal generally indicated by the numeral  32  which is depressed by the foot  33  of the operator of all-terrain vehicle  12  as indicated by the arrow  35  in FIG.  2 . Throttle pedal  32  pivots upwardly and downwardly as indicated by the arrow  37  in FIG.  1 . 
     Throttle pedal  32  has a plurality of spaced apart hollow circular rings  32   a  at one end thereof for pivotal connection to stationary base plate  34 . Base plate  34  is preferably generally rectangular in shape and has a plurality of spaced apart hollow circular rings  34   a  at one end thereof for alignment and receipt between rings  32   a  for pivotal connection of throttle pedal  32  to base plate throttle pedal  32 . Rings  32   a  and rings  34   a  are pivotally held in alignment by pin  36  about which rings  32   a  rotate. 
     Base plate  34  is preferably rigidly connected to mounting plate  38 . Mounting plate  38  preferably has a plurality of bolt receiving holes  38   a  therein for receipt of bolts  39  shown in FIG.  2 . Bolts  39  are also received in existing bracket  40  of all-terrain vehicle  12  for connecting pedal assembly  30  to all-terrain vehicle  12  as shown in FIG.  3 . If desired, mounting plate  38  and pedal assembly  30  could be connected to all-terrain vehicle  12  in any desired manner known to those skilled in the art. For example, mounting plate  38  could be welded to existing structural members of all-terrain vehicle  12 , or mounting plate  38  could be eliminated and base plate  34  could be connected to all-terrain vehicle by bolting, welding, or the like. 
     A spring  42  for biasing throttle pedal  32  upwardly is coiled about pin  44 . Pin  44  is rigidly connected to spring bracket  46 , and spring bracket  46  is rigidly connected to the top side  34   a  of base plate  34 . One end  42   a  rests against the top side  34   a  of base plate  34  and the other end  42   b  of spring  42  presses against the bottom side  32   c  of throttle pedal  32  to place an upwardly biasing force on the bottom side  32   c  of throttle pedal  32 . 
     A pedal stopping bracket generally indicated by the numeral  29  limits the upward movement of throttle pedal  32  is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Pedal stopping bracket  29  has a leg  29   a  rigidly connected perpendicularly to base plate  34 , and a horizontal arm  29   b  which contacts the upper surface  32   b  of throttle pedal  32  when the foot  33  of the operator is removed from throttle pedal  32 . 
     Also connected to the bottom side  32   a  of throttle pedal  32  is a throttle cable driving assembly generally indicated by the numeral  48 . Throttle cable driving assembly  48  includes two throttle cable driving assembly brackets  50 — 50  rigidly connected to bottom side  32   a  of throttle pedal  32 . Received in brackets  50 — 50  is the elongated center portion  52   a  of U-shaped cable holder clamp  52 . Elongated center portion  52   a  has two parallel arms  52   b — 52   b  extending therefrom which have inward turned ends  52   c — 52   c  which are parallel to elongated center portion  52   a . Ends  52   c — 52   c  are rotatably received in the generally cylindrical cable holder  54 . 
     Cable holder  54  is preferably generally cylindrical in shape and has two outer edges  54   a — 54   a  which slide over the top surface  34   a  of base plate  34  as indicated by the arrow  56  in FIG. 2 as throttle pedal  32  pivots downward as indicated by arrow  35  in FIG.  2 . As throttle pedal  32  pivots downward as indicated by arrow  35  in FIG. 2, clamp  52  rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow  58  in FIG.  2 . 
     Foot throttle cable  60  is a wire which is connected at its lower end to cable holder  54  by conventional cable clamps  62  and  64  and the upper end of throttle cable  60  is connected to throttle lever  16  by clamp  16   a . The upper end of sheath  66  is rigidly connected to handle bar  14  by clamp  14   b  which is connected to bracket  14   c  on handlebar  14 . Foot throttle cable  60  is slidably received in sheath  66 . Sheath  66  is rigidly connected to base plate  34  by bracket  68  and rigid tube  70 . Sheath  60  is snugly received in rigid tube  70  to prevent cable  60  and sheath  66  from bending at the lower end of sheath  66  as cable  60  driven into sheath  66  as indicated by the arrow  72  in FIG.  2 . 
     As can be seen from the above detailed description of the invention, the foot throttle of the present invention can be quickly and easily connected to any all-terrain vehicle. The foot throttle  10  of the invention enables an all-terrain vehicle operator to free the hand normally used to activate the throttle lever  16  for other uses while the throttle of all-terrain vehicle  12  is controlled by one foot of the operator. 
     Although the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in detail above, it should be understood that the invention is no sense limited thereby, and its scope is to be determined by that of the following claims: