Abstract:
A kickstand support pad for use as a stable surface between a motorcycle kickstand and soft or unstable terrain. The kickstand pad defines a groove into which the end of the kickstand is placed and held in position. The groove locates the kickstand to prevent it from sliding off the pad and also locates the kickstand in the optimal position for the kickstand pad to provide a stable surface. A tether may be attached to allow the user to attach the kickstand pad to the motorcycle and also pick up the kickstand pad without bending over. A relief pocket is provided to ensure the kickstand pad does not rest on the means used to attach the tether to the kickstand pad.

Description:
PRIORITY  
       [0001]    This application claims priority from Provisional Patent Application No. 60/288,389 filed May 3, 2001, entitled “MOTORCYCLE KICKSTAND PAD”  
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates to motorcycle accessories, and more particularly to kickstand pads.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Art  
           [0005]    The riding of motorcycles is a popular means of transportation and recreation. Motorcycles have and continue to increase in sophistication, cost, and popularity. When parked, motorcycles are supported in an upright position by a kickstand. A kickstand for a motorcycle must provide a stable support to prevent the motorcycle from tipping over and causing damage to the motorcycle or nearby objects.  
           [0006]    Motorcycles are used outdoors and upon arrival at a destination are parked on a variety of materials such as asphalt, cement, sand, dirt or grass. Many of these surfaces fail to provide the necessary support for a kickstand preventing the motorcycle from staying in an upright position. The kickstand may gradually sink into the surface until the motorcycle tilts to an angle great enough to cause it to tip over. Some surfaces that are normally stable may also cause motorcycles to tip, for example, a kickstand may sink into asphalt on a hot day, damaging the cycle and potentially nearby vehicles. The damages caused by and to the motorcycles cost insurance companies substantial amounts of money each year.  
           [0007]    To prevent motorcycles from tipping over, a rider many times will use any available materials to provide a more stable support under the kickstand. Space is limited on a motorcycle, therefore these materials are many times found at the destination. Examples of these materials may include newspapers, crushed cans, pieces of wood, magazines, tennis shoes or even the rider&#39;s helmet. Some bikers use flat pieces of metal to provide a more stable base as may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,521,031 to Huth. The kickstand pad as shown in Huth only provides a larger surface area for the kickstand to rest on. The kickstand pad in Huth is also difficult to place under the kickstand while parking the motorcycle and difficult to pick up from under the kickstand as the rider prepares to leave. The rider must get off the motorcycle, take out the kickstand pad, put down the kickstand, and attempt to position the kickstand in the middle of the kickstand pad. When leaving, the rider must hold the motorcycle upright while bending over to remove and pick up the kickstand pad. Many times these awkward procedures to place or remove the kickstand pad causes the motorcycle to tip over because the rider is off balance while removing or replacing the kickstand pad. If the motorcycle tips over while the rider is placing or removing the kickstand pad, the motorcycle may cause injury to the rider. As more riders of motorcycles age, bending over to pick up the kickstand pad while holding onto the motorcycle is increasingly difficult to perform without causing back strain or other injuries.  
           [0008]    One method of solving the problem of placing the kickstand pad under the kickstand is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,957 to Printy, which discloses a foldable handle attached to a flat kickstand pad. This handle is bulky and time consuming to operate even though it allows the user to pick up the kickstand pad without bending over. Yet another example of a kickstand pad may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,987 to Marsh et al which uses a flat pad with a chain attached by a bolt to the kickstand pad and the other end attached to one of the foot pegs. The user must still bend down to grab the chain. The bolt attaching the chain to the kickstand pad may cause the kickstand pad to be unstable and wobble. This prevents the kickstand pad from providing a stable supportive surface for the kickstand. The combination of the chain and kickstand pad are also heavy and bulky to store on a motorcycle where space is limited.  
           [0009]    Another problem with kickstand pads is that they allow the kickstand to slide off the pad if the pad tilts or moves on soft or rocky ground. One device that attempts to prevent the kickstand from sliding off the pad while providing a solid base may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,387 to Maranell et al. Maranell discloses a flat base on which a somewhat oval wall rests with spikes on the bottom of the kickstand pad. The kickstand is held in place on the pad, and the pad is prevented from moving. This pad is also problematic. First, most parking lot owners do not want anyone using damaging spikes on the parking lot. Second, some motorcycles may have a kickstand with a base that is too long or an odd shape that is unable to fit within the oval. Third, the kickstand pad is bulky and difficult to carry, especially because the sharp spikes and tall oval wall make it hard to store safely on a motorcycle. Further, the size of the pad also makes it difficult to carry on a motorcycle, especially if the motorcycle does not have any storage bags or compartments.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    The aforementioned problems are overcome by the present invention comprising a kickstand pad that securely locates and places the kickstand while providing a large surface area to prevent the kickstand from sinking into the ground. In a preferred embodiment, the kickstand pad is made out of lightweight aluminum without any sharp corners or edges. In a more preferred embodiment, the kickstand pad includes a recessed V-groove to locate and hold the kickstand. The kickstand pad is sized and shaped to minimize the amount of space it takes up during transportation on the motorcycle while yet providing a large enough surface area to prevent the kickstand from sinking into the ground, and thereby prevent the motorcycle from tipping.  
           [0011]    An optional reminder cord may attach to the kickstand pad and be clipped to the motorcycle to allow the rider to easily retrieve the pad without bending over. This alleviates back stress and eliminates the problem of the motorcycle tipping over while the rider is retrieving the pad. The pad also includes a relief pocket to allow the pad to sit flat on the ground without the kickstand or pad rocking or moving while the kickstand is placed on the pad.  
           [0012]    These and other objects of the invention will be more fully understood and appreciated by reference to the detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the kickstand pad and a kickstand supporting a motorcycle drawn in phantom lines;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a top view of the kickstand pad; FIG. 3 is a cross section of the pad in FIG. 2 at line  3 - 3 ; and  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a kickstand pad attached to a reminder cord, the cord broken to show indeterminate length. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0016]    The present invention provides a kickstand pad  10  that securely holds a motorcycle kickstand K to prevent the motorcycle M from tipping over. The kickstand pad  10  generally defines a groove  12 , a chamfer  14 , a relief pocket  18  and a hole  16 .  
         [0017]    Construction  
         [0018]    The groove  12  is somewhat a V or U shape, as can be seen in FIG. 2. The groove  12  is defined on the top side  11  of the kickstand pad  10 . The groove  12  includes a base wall  32  and sidewalls  34   a  and  34   b . In the preferred embodiment, these walls  32 ,  34   a  and  34   b  define a chamfer  14 , which helps place the kickstand K within the groove  12 . In the preferred embodiment, these walls  32 ,  34   a  and  34   b  include both the chamfer  14  and a straight wall  15 . The chamfer  14  is generally sloped at about a 45° angle, although other angles may readily be used. The base wall  32  and the sidewalls  34   a  and  34   b  may alternatively be formed without the chamfer to help keep the kickstand K located in the groove  12  of the kickstand pad  10 . In the preferred embodiment, the base wall  32  and sidewalls  34   a  and  34   b  are about a quarter inch thick to allow the kickstand pad  10  to hold the kickstand K securely on the pad  10 . Of course, other any other thickness of the base wall  32  and sidewalls  34   a  and  34   b  may readily be used. The size of the groove  12  may vary substantially depending on the size of the pad and the size of the kickstand K. In the preferred embodiment, the V groove  12  is sized and shaped to securely hold the majority of the kickstands K on motorcycles M, as shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0019]    The kickstand pad  10  is shown in FIG. 2 as having a somewhat circular shape. It should be readily recognized that other shapes such as rectangles, squares, octagons and hexagons or any other shape may readily be used to securely hold the kickstand K while providing a stable base.  
         [0020]    The kickstand pad  10  further defines a release pocket  18  and a hole  16 . In the preferred embodiment, the relief pocket  18  and hole  16  are located near the bottom sidewall  32  of the groove  12 . The relief pocket  18  is located on the bottom side  13  of kickstand pad  10 . In the preferred embodiment, the hole  16  is centered approximately over the relief pocket  18 . In an even more preferred embodiment, the hole  16  is located approximately ¾ an inch beyond the bottom sidewall  32  of the groove  12 . Of course it should be readily apparent that the hole  16  and the relief pocket  18  may be located almost anywhere on the pad  10 .  
         [0021]    In the preferred embodiment, the outer sidewalls  40  include a chamfer  14  near the top side of the kickstand pad  10 , as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The kickstand pad  10  may also include a chamfer (not shown) around the bottom perimeter of the outer sidewalls  40 . Also in the preferred embodiment, the edges  42  where the sidewalls  34   a  and  34   b  of the groove  12  meet the outer sidewalls  40  may be rounded to eliminate any sharp points.  
         [0022]    In the preferred embodiment, the kickstand pad  10  is sized to be easily stored, for example in a shirt pocket. In an even more preferred embodiment, the kickstand pad  10  is sized to have a diameter of less than five inches. In yet an even more preferred embodiment, the kickstand pad  10  is sized to have a diameter of less than four inches.  
         [0023]    In an alternative embodiment, the kickstand pad  10  may include a cord kit  20 , which allows a cable  22  to attach to the kickstand pad  10 . The cord kit  20  generally includes a cable  22  and at least one hook  24 . The cable  22  is preferably made out of plastic coated braided steel. Of course the cable may be readily made out of other materials such as plastic, string, nylon fibers, steel or even plastic or metal chain links. The cable  22  is well known in the industry and crimped over on itself at both ends providing the loops. The cable  22  may be looped through the hole  16  to permanently attach to the pad  10  or more preferably a snap hook  24  attach to the kickstand pad  10  through the hole  16  as shown in FIG. 4.  
         [0024]    The kickstand pad  10  may also include large flat areas to allow a user or seller to customize the pad for the addition of logos.  
         [0025]    Manufacture and Use  
         [0026]    The kickstand pad  10  is manufactured using generally conventional machinery. In the preferred embodiment, the kickstand pad  10  is machined out of a block of aluminum with a CNC Mill. The CNC mill cuts out the groove, relief pocket  18 , chamfer  14  and hole  16  from an aluminum block (not shown). The method of using a CNC machine to mill a solid block of aluminum is well known in the art. Of course it should be readily apparent that other machinery and techniques such as molding may also be used. The cord kit  20  may also be manufactured using conventional techniques and materials. In the preferred embodiment, a roll of braided steel that is plastic coated is cut to the proper length. The ends of the cord  22  fold over in loops and are crimped together. Of course the cord  22  may be bought from a third party already premanufactured to be attached to the kickstand pad  10 . Any logos desired to be added may be CNC&#39;d during the milling operation or etched in later. The kickstand pad  10  may also be anodized in a variety of colors to protect the aluminum and customize the kickstand pad  10  to the user&#39;s preferences.  
         [0027]    To use the kickstand pad  10 , the user clips the cord kit  20  using the snap hooks  24  to the hole  16 . Because the relief pocket  18  is centered under the hole  16 , when the cord kit  20  is attached to the kickstand pad  10 , the kickstand pad  10  may still rest flat on the ground. This also allows the cord kit  20  to have movement while the user attaches it to the motorcycle without moving the kickstand pad  10  on the ground. The relief pocket  18  also prevents the snap hooks  24  or any other means of attaching the cord kit  20  to the kickstand pad  10  from causing the kickstand pad  10  from rocking on the ground due to an unstable base from any protrusion beyond the plane of the base  13 . Once the kickstand pad  10  is placed on the ground, the rider lowers the kickstand K on the motorcycle M and rests it within the groove  12 . In the preferred embodiment, the walls  32 ,  34   a  and  34   b  being in a combination of a U and a V shape allow the kickstand K to slide into the groove  12  to the point where it wedges itself against the walls  34   a ,  34   b  and  32  so that it does not slip off the kickstand pad  10 . To remove the kickstand pad  10 , the user simply tilts the motorcycle M upright, places the kickstand K in the retracted position and grabs the cord  22  to pull it off the ground without bending over. This prevents the motorcycle M from accidentally tipping over while the user is trying to retrieve the kickstand pad  10 . The kickstand pad  10 , after use is stored on the motorcycle or in a pocket of the rider.  
         [0028]    The above description is that of a preferred embodiment of the invention. Various alterations and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpreted in accordance with the principals of patent law including the doctrine of equivalents.