Abstract:
A license plate mounting to be mounted a foot peg mounting tab of a motorcycle frame. The license plate mounting is deflectable from an extended position to a deflected position with the extended position extending outward away from the frame of the bicycle and the deflected position places the license plate frame in juxtaposition to the motorcycle frame. The license plate frame is readily movable from the deflected position back to the extended position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    This invention pertains to a frame for mounting of a license plate and more particularly to a license plate frame which is to be mounted in conjunction with a motorcycle frame which permits the license plate frame to be movable from an extended position to a deflected position.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    License plates are commonly mounted in conjunction with the rear fender of a motorcycle. However, some motorcycles are custom constructed so as to not permit the mounting of the license plate on the fender. In such a situation, it has been common in the past to mount the license plate on a separate license plate frame which is mounted on the frame of the motorcycle with the license plate frame extending in an outward direction. This outwardly extending frame is readily subjected to being struck by a fixed object or a person&#39;s leg. If the motorcycle frame contacts a fixed object, it is readily capable of being broken. When contacting a person&#39;s leg, the person&#39;s leg is readily susceptible to injury.  
           [0005]    Also, there are times when motorcycles fall over from an upright position. This could happen when the motorcycle is on its mounting stand, or it could happen in an accident situation when the motorcycle is being operated. Invariably, in such a situation, the force caused by the weight of the motorcycle is applied directly to the license plate frame causing the license plate frame to break.  
           [0006]    There is a need to construct a license plate frame for a motorcycle which would not be subjectable to being broken upon the license plate frame encountering an outside force.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0007]    A primary objective of the present invention is to construct a license plate frame that will readily deflect from an outwardly extended normal usage position to a retracted or deflected position to be located alongside the motorcycle frame.  
           [0008]    Another objective of the present invention is to construct a license plate mounting which could be manufactured at a reasonable cost and therefor sold to the ultimate consumer at a reasonable cost.  
           [0009]    Another objective of the present invention is to construct a license plate mounting which can be readily attached on an after market basis to a motorcycle not requiring any special skill.  
           [0010]    The license plate mounting in the present invention utilizes a license plate frame that has a V-shaped recess. The V-shaped recess is to connect with a V-shaped cam surface mounted on a sleeve. The frame is connected to the sleeve by means of a biasing fastener arrangement which will permit the license plate frame to deflect relative to the sleeve upon the application of a small outside force from the extended position to a deflected position located alongside the frame of the motorcycle. The sleeve is to be fixedly secured onto a foot peg mounting tab of the motorcycle frame. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is to be made to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise arrangement shown in the drawings.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the license plate mounting of the present invention showing such to be mounted in conjunction with a motorcycle frame;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the license plate mounting of the present invention showing the license plate mounting in the normal usage position which is also defined as the extended position;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 3 is an end view of the license plate mounting of the present invention taken along line  3 - 3  of FIG. 2;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4 is an isometric view of a portion of the license plate mounting of the present invention which is shown in a partially deflected position; and  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5 is an exploded isometric view of the license plate mounting of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0017]    Referring particularly to the drawings, there is shown the license plate  10  of this invention. The license plate mounting  10  would normally be constructed of a metallic material, such as aluminum or steel. However, it is to be considered within the scope of this invention that it could be constructed of other rigid materials, such as plastic.  
         [0018]    The mounting  10  includes a license plate frame  12 . The license plate frame  12  includes a rectangularly shaped cavity  14  within which is adapted to be located a license plate for a motor vehicle, such as a motorcycle. The license plate is not shown. Integrally connected to the license plate frame  12  is an extension  16 . The extension  16  includes a through hole that is formed of a smaller diametered section  18  and a larger diametered section  20 . The upper end of the extension  16  terminates in a V-shaped recess  22 .  
         [0019]    A sleeve  24  includes a through hole  26 . The through hole  26  is to have mounted therein a fastener (not shown) with this fastener to extend through a hole (not shown) formed within a mounting tab  28  of a motorcycle frame  30 . The fastener, which is not shown, is to be secured to foot peg shaft  32  on which is pivotally mounted a foot peg  34 . The foot peg  34  is to be pivoted from the upwardly extending position shown in FIG. 1 to a downwardly extended position which is located substantially horizontal as opposed to the vertical position shown in FIG. 1 which will permit the foot peg  34  to connect with a foot (not shown) of a motorcycle rider. Normally, the mounting tab  28  is solely for the purpose of mounting of the foot peg  34  and the foot peg shaft  32 . However, the license plate mounting  10  of this invention is capable of using this mounting tab  28  as also the means of mounting the license plate mounting  10  of this invention onto the motorcycle frame  30 .  
         [0020]    The sleeve  24  has a V-shaped cam surface  36 . This V-shaped cam surface  36  is formed thirty degrees from horizontal on each side of the V making the total angle of the V-shaped cam surface to be one hundred twenty degrees. The V-shaped recess is also has the same angular relationship. Formed within the sleeve  24 , and connecting with the V-shaped cam surface  36 , are a pair of holes  38  and  40 . Hole  38  is to snugly connect with a pin  42  and hole  40  is to snugly connect with a pin  44 . Pins  42  and  44  are usually constructed of a plastic material and are integrally connected to a protective plate  46 . This protective plate  46  will also be of the same plastic type of material. The protective plate  46  assumes the same V-shaped configuration as previously described so that the plate  46  will be located directly against the V-shaped cam surface  36 . It is a function of the protective plate  46  to provide a smooth, low frictional surface that will permit relative movement between the sleeve  24  and the extension  16 .  
         [0021]    The protective plate  46  includes a hole  48  which is located between the pins  42  and  44 . A bolt fastener  50  has mounted thereon a coil spring  52 . The bolt fastener  50  and the coil spring  52  are to be mounted within the large diameter section  20  with the threaded end  54  of the bolt fastener  50  extending through the smaller diameter section  18 , through the hole  48  and be threadably secured within a hole  49  formed in sleeve  24 . The bolt fastener  50  is to be tightened sufficiently so that it will take about three and one-half pounds of force required to strike the license plate frame  12  to cause relative pivoting movement to occur of the license plate frame  12  relative to the sleeve  24 . This relative movement is shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings.  
         [0022]    With the license plate frame  12  in the position shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, the license plate would be readily observable rearward of the motorcycle, which is required by state traffic laws. If the motorcycle tips over, of if the license plate  10  encounters some exterior object, it is capable of pivoting in either direction from the outwardly extended position shown in FIG. 1 to a position located in juxtaposition with the motorcycle frame. This side-by-side locating of the license plate frame  12  relative to the motorcycle frame  30  will place the license plate frame  12  in an “out of the way” position hopefully preventing breakage of the license plate mounting  10 .  
         [0023]    The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential attributes thereof. Reference should be made to the appending claims rather than the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.