Abstract:
A funnel for filling a container with liquid through an aperture in a side wall of the container includes a panel that has a fill spout. A rim is disposed on a lower edge of the panel and adapted to engage a lower inner surface of the side wall. A tab extends from the panel and is adapted to engage an outer surface of the side wall.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to funnels. More particularly, the invention relates to a funnel for directing a liquid into an aperture of a substantially vertical or upright surface. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0002]    In one aspect, the invention provides an open-sided funnel for filling a container with liquid through an aperture. The open-sided funnel includes a panel including a fill spout, a rim disposed on a perimeter portion of the panel for engaging the interior of the container adjacent the aperture, and a tab. The tab is disposed on a perimeter portion of the panel for engaging the exterior of the container adjacent the aperture. The fill spout defines a half-funnel-shaped receiving area that is open to a top side of the fill spout and to a lateral side of the fill spout. 
         [0003]    In another aspect, the invention provides an open-sided funnel for filling a container with liquid through an aperture. The open-sided funnel includes a panel including a liquid-receiving spout. A lip is disposed on a perimeter portion of the panel. The lip defines a radius and extending along an arc of between about 90 degrees and about 180 degrees and configured to extend through the aperture of substantially the same radius so that the lip rests against an interior edge of the aperture. A tab extends from the panel adjacent the lip. The tab is configured to inhibit the panel from passing through the aperture into the container. The panel is configured to obstruct the lower half of the aperture when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the aperture. 
         [0004]    In yet another aspect, the invention provides a motorcycle including a frame, an engine and transmission assembly supported by the frame, and a container configured to contain a liquid during operation of the engine, the container having an aperture in a side wall thereof. The motorcycle further includes an open-sided funnel for filling the container with the liquid through the aperture. The open-sided funnel includes a panel including a fill spout, an arc-shaped rim disposed on a perimeter portion of the panel and engaged with the interior of the container adjacent the aperture, and a plurality of tabs. Each one of the plurality of tabs is disposed on a perimeter portion of the panel and engaged with the exterior of the container adjacent the aperture. The fill spout defines a half-funnel-shaped receiving area that is open to a top side of the fill spout and to a lateral side of the fill spout. 
         [0005]    In yet another aspect, the invention provides a funnel for filling a container with liquid through an aperture in a side wall of the container. The funnel includes a panel that has a fill spout. A rim is disposed on a lower edge of the panel and adapted to engage a lower inner surface of the side wall. A tab extends from the panel and is adapted to engage an outer surface of the side wall. 
         [0006]    Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a motorcycle. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a left side view of an engine and transmission assembly of the motorcycle of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of a funnel according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a rear perspective view of the funnel of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a front view of the funnel of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a side view of the funnel of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  is a rear view of the funnel of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 8  is a bottom view of the funnel of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the motorcycle of  FIG. 1  having the funnel of  FIG. 3  coupled to the primary case thereof. 
           [0016]      FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view of the motorcycle and funnel, taken along line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 9 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  illustrates a motorcycle  20  having a frame  24 , a pair of wheels  28 , and an engine and transmission assembly  32 . The engine and transmission assembly  32  is shown in  FIG. 2 , separate from the motorcycle  20 . The engine and transmission assembly  32  includes a v-twin internal combustion engine  36  and a transmission  40  for driving the rear wheel  28  at various speed ratios relative to the engine speed. A primary drive (not shown) couples the output (i.e., a crankshaft) of the engine  36  with an input (i.e., main shaft) of the transmission  40 . The primary drive may also include a clutch for selectively coupling and de-coupling the engine  36  and the transmission  40 . The primary drive may be a chain drive apparatus including at least two sprockets and one endless chain that couples the sprockets so that a sprocket on the crankshaft may drive a sprocket of the clutch on the transmission main shaft. The primary drive is substantially enclosed on a side of the engine and transmission assembly  32  by a housing or primary case  44 . 
         [0019]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the primary case  44  includes a side wall  48  and a cover  52  that is bolted to the side wall  48  to close an aperture  56  ( FIGS. 9 and 10 ) in the side wall  48 . The cover  52  (sometimes referred to as a “derby cover”) provides selective access to the chamber defined by the primary case  44 . The side wall  48  is substantially vertical or upright when the motorcycle is in an upright riding position. The side wall  48  may tilt slightly away from vertical, toward the ground, when the motorcycle  20  is at rest on a left-side stand. Due to the orientation of the aperture  56  in the side wall  48  of the primary case  44 , problems can arise when attempting to insert oil into the primary case  44  through the aperture  56  in the side wall  48 . Further details of the primary case  44  can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,174,875, which is incorporated in its entirety by reference herein, although other constructions are possible. 
         [0020]      FIGS. 3-8  illustrate a funnel  60  including a main panel  64 , a lip or engagement rim  68 , and a plurality of engagement tabs  72 . The main panel  64  is substantially flat except for a generally centrally-located spout  76 , although other shape factors are optional. The spout  76  is half-funnel shaped, or in other words, it tapers from large to small in the downward direction but only provides a perimeter about half that of a conventional funnel of similar size. In the illustrated construction, the spout  76  forms substantially one-half of a cone (similar to one-half of a conventional conical funnel), which tapers down in cross-sectional area from the top end  80  of the funnel  60  toward a bottom end  82  of the funnel  60 . The half-conical spout  76  is configured to provide a large upper area for receiving a flow of liquid, and the gradually-reducing area concentrates the flow of liquid into a desired area that is smaller than the large upper area. It should be understood that the spout  76  may alternately be formed in a shape other than conical. In some constructions, the main panel  64  may be formed as one large spout that is substantially bowl-shaped or quarter-sphere-shaped with no flat portions. 
         [0021]    The funnel  60  is an open-sided funnel. In other words, the funnel  60  in its upright orientation ( FIGS. 5-7 ) does not fully surround or enclose an area at any given vertical position along its height. Rather, the funnel  60  is open to both the top end  80  and a lateral side shown as lateral direction arrow A in  FIG. 6 . Particularly, the spout  76  includes an open mouth  86  at its top end, and the spout  76  is entirely open in the lateral direction A. Thus, the spout  76  defines a half-funnel-shaped receiving area that is open to the top and open in the lateral direction A. This makes the funnel  60  particularly useful for admitting liquid into a container in a lateral direction (e.g., through an aperture in a wall that is substantially vertical or upright). The open-sided shape of the funnel  60 , along with other features described in further detail below, also make the funnel  60  particularly useful for placing directly into an aperture, such as the aperture  56  in the side wall  48  of the primary case  44 . 
         [0022]    The main panel  64  defines a perimeter from which the rim  68  and the tabs  72  project. The rim  68  extends from a continuous arc-shaped perimeter portion of the main panel  64  over an arc of about 90 degrees to about 180 degrees. In the illustrated construction, the rim  68  extends along an arc of about 120 degrees. At the location where the rim  68  projects from the arc-shaped perimeter portion of the main panel  64 , the rim  68  and the main panel  64  jointly define a radius R, which is substantially the same as a radius of the aperture  56 . The two tabs  72  project from the top of the main panel  64  in substantially opposite directions from each other, although alternate placements of the tabs  72  are possible. In addition to the two upper tabs  72 , the funnel  60  includes a handle  90  that projects from an exterior side of the spout  76  in a direction substantially orthogonal to the main panel  64 . The handle  90  provides a convenient location for a user to grasp and manipulate the funnel  60 . As shown in  FIGS. 5-7 , the handle  90  extends downward past the perimeter of the main panel  64  which allows it to double as an engagement tab similar to the tabs  72 , as discussed in further detail below. 
         [0023]    As shown in  FIG. 9 , the funnel  60  is dimensioned to be inserted into the aperture  56  in the side wall  48  of the primary case  44 . The rim  68  extends through the aperture  56  to engage the interior of the primary case  44  adjacent the aperture  56 . Once in place on the interior of the primary case  44 , the rim  68  inhibits the funnel  60  from falling out of or away from the aperture  56 . The tabs  72  engage the exterior of the primary case  44  adjacent the aperture  56  to inhibit the panel  64  and the spout  76  of the funnel  60  from passing through the aperture  56  into the primary case  44 . The bottom portion of the handle  90  also serves as an exterior positioning tab, engaging the exterior of the primary case  44  adjacent the aperture  56 . At the location of the handle  90 , the side wall  48  of the primary case  44  is pinched or sandwiched between the handle  90  and the rim  68 . The portion of the side wall  48  adjacent the handle  90  may be tightly compressed or loosely received between the handle  90  and the rim  68 . Thus, the handle  90  may aide in securing the position of the funnel  60  in the aperture  56 . 
         [0024]    As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the funnel  60  obstructs the lower half of the aperture  56  (viewed perpendicular to the plane of the side wall  48  and the aperture  56 ) when placed into the aperture  56 . The spout  76  is cupped or bowed outwardly away from the panel  64  and the aperture  56  so that the spout  76  provides a large receiving area for receiving a flow of liquid L that is poured downwardly from a container  100  at a position that is generally outward of the aperture  56  in the lateral direction as shown in  FIG. 10 . Therefore, the funnel  60  allows the flow of liquid L to be poured adjacent to the aperture  56  and laterally (and downwardly) directed into the aperture  56 , especially in a situation where it may be difficult or impossible to pour the liquid directly into the aperture  56 . Furthermore, the top half of the aperture  56  is left exposed and accessible even when the funnel  60  is in place as shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 . Thus, the top end  80  of the funnel  60  (and therefore the widest portion of the spout  76 —the mouth  86 ) is positioned substantially in line with the widest part of the aperture  56 . 
         [0025]    Unlike most conventional funnels, the open-sided funnel  60  is not necessarily designed to allow liquid to be poured into a particularly small aperture, but rather into an oddly-oriented aperture such as the aperture  56  that is placed in a substantially vertical or upright wall. As mentioned above, the frontal area of the funnel  60  ( FIG. 5 ) is only about half the cross-sectional area of the aperture  56  for which the funnel is specifically configured. As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the funnel  60  is self-positioning within the aperture  56  by way of the rim  68 , the tabs  72 , and the handle  90  and need not be held in place while liquid is being poured into the aperture  56  with the funnel  60 . Also, since the funnel  60  does not completely block or obstruct the aperture  56 , liquid may be poured directly into the aperture  56  in certain circumstances. At the user&#39;s will, and within the constraints of gravity, liquid may be poured directly through the aperture  56  with the funnel  60  serving only as a back-up spill guard or shield. Regardless of whether the liquid is poured into the spout  76  or directly into the aperture  56 , the funnel  60  inhibits the likelihood of spillage onto the outside of the primary case  44 . Particularly, the rim  68  extending down below the edge of the aperture  56  along a significant lower portion of the aperture  56  inhibits any dripping of liquid onto the outside of the primary case  44 . 
         [0026]    In one construction, the cover  52  is removed from the primary case  44 , and the motorcycle  20  receives the funnel  60  within the aperture  56  of the primary case  44 , allowing oil to be poured into the primary case  44  as shown in  FIG. 10 . However, the funnel  60  is configured to work equally well with other liquids and with other containers having an upright or vertical wall with an aperture of radius R, which is the radius of the perimeter portion of the main panel  64 . It is also noted that the aperture into which the funnel  60  is inserted for use is not limited to a circular aperture. In the illustrated construction, the funnel  60  is operable for use with any aperture having at least a semi-circular portion which has a radius about equal to R. Furthermore, the funnel  60  can maintain many of the above-described features while being formed to have an alternate perimeter shape and correspondingly-shaped rim  68  to meet the needs of a particular non-circular aperture. 
         [0027]    Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.