Abstract:
The present disclosure relates to juvenile ride-on vehicles. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a motorcycle including a frame, a front wheel, and two rear wheels mounted to the frame.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The present disclosure relates to juvenile ride-on vehicles. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a motorcycle including a frame, and a front wheel and two rear wheels mounted to the frame. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0002]    In accordance with the present disclosure, a juvenile ride-on vehicle, such as a motorcycle, includes a frame, a front wheel having an axle mounted to the frame and two faux rear wheels mounted to the frame for rotation about an axis of rotation. The present disclosure further relates to a faux rear wheel including two faux rear rims and a faux tire mounted to the frame, the faux tire enveloping the two faux rear rims such that the faux tire provides a visual appearance to an observer of a single large rear tire included on the juvenile ride-on vehicle. 
         [0003]    In illustrative embodiments, the juvenile ride-on vehicle includes a faux tire mounted in a stationary position on the frame. The faux tire includes a tread laterally extending between and over a portion of the faux rear rims and having side walls extending from the tread, the side walls being arranged in close proximity to and partially extending over the faux rear rims such that the faux tire provides a visual appearance to an observer of a single large rear tire mounted on the juvenile ride-on vehicle. 
         [0004]    Features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a juvenile ride-on vehicle, according to the present disclosure, including a frame, a front wheel mounted to the frame, and a seat mounted to the frame, and extending rearwardly from the seat is a fender, and lying under the fender is a faux tire mounted to be stationary relative to the seat and the frame, the faux tire providing an interior region receiving substantial portions of first and second faux rear rims that are each mounted to rotate about an axis of rotation relative to the stationary faux tire, the faux tire further providing a visual appearance to an observer of a single large rear tire mounted on the juvenile ride-on vehicle; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of the juvenile ride-on vehicle of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the juvenile ride-on vehicle of  FIG. 1  showing a fender extending rearwardly from the seat and overlying a battery mounted in a battery receiver formed as a cavity in an upper faux tire section of the faux tire, the upper faux tire section being mounted to the frame via fasteners through openings in a bottom portion of the battery receiver cavity, and further showing a lower faux tire section coupled to the upper faux tire section via faux tire section supports, the upper faux tire section, the faux tire section supports and the lower faux tire section cooperate to form the faux tire having an interior region, the faux tire being configured to be mounted in a stationary position on the frame behind the seat and having openings to allow the faux rear rims, each including a rear wheel and a tire in the form of a wheel band mounted thereon, to contact a riding surface and to rotate about the axis of rotation relative to the faux tire and substantially within the interior region, as suggested in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged perspective view, with portions broken away, of a rear portion of the juvenile ride-on vehicle of  FIG. 1  showing the upper and lower faux tire sections coupled together by faux tire section supports and forming the faux tire mounted on the frame, and a fender overlying a portion of the faux tire, and further showing the faux rear rims mounted to rotate about the axis of rotation within the interior region of the faux tire formed by a tread and side walls of the faux tire; 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged bottom perspective view of a rear portion of the juvenile ride-on wheeled vehicle of  FIG. 1  showing a bottom portion of a lower faux tire section of the faux tire having lower tread sections and lower side wall sections partially enveloping the two faux rear rims, the lower faux tire section having cutouts configured to accommodate frame members and openings configured to allow the two faux rear rims to contact a riding surface (see  FIGS. 1 and 2 ) and rotate about the axis of rotation, and further showing the lower faux tire section coupled to the section supports (see  FIGS. 4 ,  6  and  7 ), as suggested by the fasteners positioned on the bottom portion of the lower faux tire section and located adjacent each of the faux rear wheels; 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a substantially horizontal section view, with a portion broken away, taken through a rear portion of the vehicle along the line  6 - 6  in  FIG. 1 , and showing the faux tire including an upper faux tire section having a battery receiver cavity formed therein, a lower faux tire section coupled to the top faux tire section via section supports, a fender extending rearward from the seat and overlying the battery receiver cavity, the upper and lower faux tire sections and the fender having cutouts configured to accommodate frame members, and also showing a battery (depicted in phantom by dotted lines) housed in the cavity and a transmission (depicted in phantom by dotted lines) located in the interior region formed between the upper and lower faux tire sections, and further showing the upper faux tire section having an arc length of 180° and the lower faux tire section having forward and rearward portions having arc lengths of 33° each, thereby providing the observer (shown viewing from the rear of the vehicle) with a visual appearance of a single large rear tire mounted on the juvenile ride-on vehicle; 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a section view, with a portion broken away, taken along line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 6  and showing the lower faux tire section coupled to the section supports, the upper faux tire section and fender coupled together by fasteners, frame members coupled to a plate located in the interior region, and the battery (depicted in phantom by dotted lines) located in the battery receiver cavity, and further showing the faux rear rims having a wheel, a tire in the form of a wheel band mounted on the wheel, and a wheel cover, the faux rear rims being at least partially enveloped by an upper tread section and side walls of the upper faux tire section and mounted to rotate about the axis of rotation within the interior region of the faux tire when the wheel bands are in contact with the riding surface. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    A juvenile ride-on vehicle  10 , such as a motorcycle, comprises a frame  12  and a front wheel  14  having an axle  16  mounted to the frame  12 . Juvenile ride-on vehicle  10  further comprises a faux rear wheel  17  including first and second faux rear rims  18 ,  20 , respectively, mounted to the frame  12  for rotation about an axis of rotation  22 , as shown, for example, in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Faux rear wheel  17  also comprises a faux tire  24  mounted in a stationary position on the frame  12 . Faux tire  24  includes a tread  26  laterally extending between and over a portion of the faux rear rims  18 ,  20  and also includes side walls  28  extending from the tread  26 , as shown, for example, in  FIG. 1 . The side walls  28  are arranged in close proximity to and partially extend over the faux rear rims  18 ,  20  such that the faux tire  24  provides a visual appearance, to an observer  30 , of a single large rear tire  32  included on the juvenile ride-on vehicle  10 , as shown in  FIG. 1  and suggested in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0014]    Juvenile ride-on vehicle  10  further comprises a seat  34  mounted to the frame  12 . Extending rearwardly from the seat  34  is a fender  36  and lying under the fender  36  is the faux tire  24  mounted to be stationary relative to the seat  34  and the frame  12 . Faux tire  24  provides an interior region  38  for receiving substantial portions of the first and second faux rear rims  18 ,  20 , as suggested in  FIGS. 1 ,  4 , and  6 . 
         [0015]    As suggested in  FIG. 3 , juvenile ride-on vehicle  10  includes front wheel  14  mounted to frame  12  via axle  16 . Juvenile ride-on vehicle  10  further includes fender  36  having an upper portion  37  and a lower portion  39 , the upper portion  37  extending rearwardly from seat  34  mounted on frame  12  and the lower portion  39  extending forwardly and downwardly from seat  34 . Fender  36  overlies a battery  40  mounted in a battery receiver  42  formed as a cavity in an upper faux tire section  44  of faux tire  24 , the cavity  42  having an upwardly-facing opening  43 . Upper faux tire section  44  is mounted to frame  12  via fasteners  46  through openings  48  in a bottom portion  50  of cavity  42 . Faux tire  24  also includes a lower faux tire section  52  coupled to upper faux tire section  44  via faux tire section supports  54 . Upper and lower faux tire sections  44 ,  52 , when coupled together, meet at respective mating surfaces  44 S,  52 S on their respective outer circumferences  44 C,  52 C, such that they mate in an essentially seamless manner, as suggested in  FIG. 6 . Upper faux tire section  44 , faux tire section supports  54  and lower faux tire section  52  cooperate to form faux tire  24  having interior region  38 , as suggested in  FIG. 4 . Faux tire  24  is configured to be mounted in a stationary position on frame  12  behind seat  34 , as suggested in  FIGS. 1 ,  3 ,  4 , and  6 . Faux tire  24  includes openings  56  to allow faux rear rims  18 ,  20  to contact a riding surface  58  and rotate about axis of rotation  22  relative to faux tire  24  and substantially within interior region  38 , as suggested in  FIGS. 1 ,  4 ,  5 , and  6 . 
         [0016]    Faux rear rims  18 ,  20  each include a wheel  60 , a tire  62  in the form of a wheel band having a treaded surface  63  and concentrically overlying and surrounding wheel  60 , and a wheel cover  64  coupled to wheel  60  on an exterior side  66  of each faux rear rim  18 ,  20 , as suggested in  FIGS. 1 ,  3 , and  4 . 
         [0017]    As suggested in  FIGS. 3-6 , upper faux tire section  44  includes upper tread section  68  of tread  26 , upper side wall section  70  of side walls  28 , and cutout  72  configured to accommodate upper frame member  74 . Lower faux tire section  52  includes lower tread section  76 , lower side wall section  78  having lower rearward and lower forward sections  78 R,  78 F, respectively, and cutouts  80  configured to accommodate lower frame members  82 . Upper side wall section  70  is continuous along an outer circumference C 1  of upper tread section  68  and lower rearward and lower forward sections  78 R,  78 F of the lower side wall section  78  are discontinuous along outer circumference C 2  of lower tread section  76 . Lower faux tire section  52  further includes a bottom portion  84  having lower tread sections  76  and lower side wall sections  78  partially enveloping faux rear rims  18 ,  20 , as suggested in FIGS.  1  and  4 - 6 . As suggested in  FIGS. 4-7 , bottom portion  84  is coupled to faux tire section supports  54  via fasteners  86  shown positioned in  FIG. 5 , for example, adjacent faux rear rims  18 ,  20 . Bottom portion  84  includes openings  48  to allow wheel bands  62  of faux rear rims  18 ,  20  to contact riding surface  58 . Faux rear rims  18 ,  20  are shown, for example, in  FIG. 5  as being partially enveloped by lower tread sections  76  and lower side wall sections  70  of faux tire  24 . 
         [0018]    An observer  30  is shown, for example, viewing a rear portion  88  of ride-on vehicle  10 , as represented by arrow  90 . An additional view of rear portion  88  is shown in  FIG. 7 . As suggested in both  FIGS. 6 and 7 , lower faux tire section  52  is coupled to faux tire section supports  54  via fasteners  86  and upper faux tire section  44  is coupled to faux tire section supports  54  via fasteners  92 . Section supports  54  are configured to extend in a direction D S  essentially transverse to axis of rotation  22 . Section supports  54  are configured to lie within interior region  38  in a plane P 1  parallel to each other and essentially parallel to riding surface  58 . Fender  36  is coupled to upper faux tire section  44  via fasteners  94  (see  FIG. 7 ) and fender  36  includes cutouts  96  configured to accommodate upper frame member  74 . Battery  40 , shown in phantom in  FIG. 6 , is housed in battery receiver  42  and a transmission  98 , shown in phantom in  FIG. 6  and also shown in  FIG. 3 , is located in interior region  38  formed by upper and lower faux tire sections  44 ,  52 . A forward portion  100  of upper faux tire section  44  and a forward portion  102  of fender  36  underlie seat  34 , as suggested in  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  4 , and  6 . 
         [0019]    As suggested in  FIG. 6 , upper faux tire section  44  includes an outer dimension D 1  having an arc length L 1  of essentially 180° measured between points X and X′ on horizontal plane line P 2 , such horizontal plant P 2  being essentially parallel to riding surface  58 . Lower faux tire section  52  includes forward and rearward portions  104 ,  106 , respectively, each having an outer dimension D 2  having an arc length L 2  of approximately 33° measured between points X and X′ on a plane P 2 , respectively, and points Y and Y′ on diagonal planes P 3  and P 4 . As viewed by observer  30 , upper and lower faux tire sections  44 ,  52 , including tread  26  and side walls  28 , provide a visual appearance of a single large rear tire included on juvenile ride-on vehicle  10 , as suggested in  FIGS. 1 ,  4 , and  6 . 
         [0020]    As shown in  FIG. 7 , juvenile ride-on vehicle  10  includes frame members  74  and  82  coupled to plate  108  located in interior region  38 . Plate  108  provides, for example, an anchoring or stabilization for frame members  74 ,  82  and may also provide stabilization for upper and lower faux tire sections  44 ,  52 . Lower faux tire section  52  is shown coupled to faux tire section supports  54  via fasteners  90  and upper faux tire section  44  is shown coupled to fender  36  via fasteners  94 . Battery  40 , shown in phantom, is located in battery receiver  42  of upper faux tire section  44 . 
         [0021]    Left and right faux rear rims  18 ,  20  include wheel  60 , wheel band  62  and wheel cover  64  partially enveloped by portions of faux tire  24 , including tread  26  and side walls  28 . Openings  48  in bottom portion  84  of lower faux tire section  52  allow wheel bands  62  to contact riding surface  58  as faux rear rims  18 ,  20  rotate about axis of rotation  22 . 
         [0022]    Although the present disclosure has been described and illustrated in detail, it is to be clearly understood that this is done by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation. The scope of the present disclosure is to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims.