Abstract:
An adjustable extension lever to be attached to a control lever of a vehicle such as an all-terrain vehicle, snowmobile, motorcycle or personal watercraft to extend the lever surface available to be contacted during control of the vehicle and including a bendable lever extension that will bend under a bending force greater than the operating force required to operate the vehicle control lever to insure a comfortably located thumb and/or palm engagement surface on an extender connected to and pivot able with the control lever.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   Not Applicable 
   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   Not Applicable 
   REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX 
   Not Applicable 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   This invention relates to operating levers for vehicles and is particularly concerned with such levers as are commonly used in the control of a vehicle throttle setting, vehicle brake control and/or vehicle clutching operations. 
   More particularly, the invention is related to lever extensions employed to extend the length of existing levers and/or to make actuation of such levers and the particularly the holding of such levers for an extended period of time, more comfortable for a user. 
   While generally making it easier for an operator to manipulate control levers extensions do not provide the same degree of comfort for all users. The size of a user&#39;s hand and the reach of the user&#39;s fingers and thumbs varies from user to user. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   It has been recognized in the past that thumb operated throttle control levers commonly used on all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, personal water-craft and many other vehicles are often difficult to hold in a set position since the user&#39;s thumb may tire and release the throttle lever. This is particularly true when the throttle lever is being held for slow vehicle travel and when the pivoting end of the lever is at its greatest distance from a handgrip being grasped by the vehicle user, thus requiring maximum stretch by the user&#39;s hand to hold the control lever in position. 
   Even if the user is not holding the throttle lever for slow vehicle travel the hand stretch required to hold the lever in an open throttle position may be very tiring, particularly for persons having small hands. A user of a vehicle equipped with brake control levers or clutch control levers and having small hands may also find it difficult to operate the brakes or clutch of the vehicle. 
   In U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,023 it is recognized that the thumb of a user of a vehicle equipped with a conventional throttle lever will often tire when the lever is actuated, particularly at low throttle settings when a wide spread between hand and thumb is required. The patent discloses use of primary and secondary pivoted levers to reduce the thumb pressure required as the throttle is opened and held during vehicle travel. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,758,364 also recognizes that a user&#39;s hand may tire when actuating the throttle lever of a snowmobile. The patent discloses a glove to be worn by the user of the vehicle and having a strap extending between the forefinger and the thumb of the glove. The strap engages the throttle lever such that as the user&#39;s gloved hand grasps and rotates on the handgrip of a snowmobile the strap engages and actuates the throttle lever. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,167 discloses use of a finger operated control lever for snowmobiles and other vehicles, which is a secondary acceleration device to the primary thumb operated throttle control lever of the vehicle. When the operator&#39;s thumb becomes tired, the finger throttle is used to continue riding while resting the thumb. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,494,113 discloses an extension attachment that can be used with the operating levers of a great many different types and models of vehicles having thumb, finger and hand operated control levers. When used, the extension lever may decrease the travel distance required for lever movement during control operations and allows a user to operate the control lever with the palm of the hand, after initiating pull on the extension lever with the thumb, rather than relying on a spread thumb for continued control lever operation. 
   The extension lever is made of durable materials and is molded to have a hand engaging extender and hinged attachment plates with individual segments to facilitate securement of the extender as a continuation of the control lever to which the extension lever is attached. A shoulder provided on at least one attachment plate extends beneath control lever structure to prevent turning of the extension lever relative to the control lever. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention, like that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,914,113, is a lever that substantially universally adaptable for use on all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, watercraft and motorcycles and the like. The lever of the present invention further provides means for shaping of the handle projection of the lever to make the handle projection adjustable to better accomodate the reach of each particular user&#39;s fingers and thumbs. 
   OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
   Principal objects of the present invention are to provide an extension lever that is easily and securely attached to existing control levers mounted to handlebars of a variety of types and models of vehicles and that is shaprf to individual needs to facilitate easier handling and operation of the control levers. More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a lever to be used in the control of a vehicle, for example, an all-terrain vehicle, a snowmobile a motorcycle or a personal water craft, and to greatly reduce fatigue of the thumbs, fingers and hands of a user of the vehicle. 
   Other objects are to provide an extension lever that is durable, economically produced and that can be manipulated either by use of a thumb or by a portion of a user&#39;s palm while the user&#39;s hand is gripping a handlebar of the vehicle. 
   Still another object is to provide an extension lever that is shaped by a user to make it individually comfortable to use and that is easy to install on a vehicle. 
   FEATURES OF THE INVENTION 
   Principal features of the extension lever of the invention include a handle or engaging extender with a bendable metal core projecting from a pocket in a soft handle cover that attaches to a first one of a pair of attachment plates. The attachment plates have a pair of spaced apart ‘living hinges’ between them. 
   A second one of the pair of attachment plates has segments separated by slots extending from an edge of the attachment plate, through a thickened portion of the second attachment plate and into a thinner portion of the second attachment plate and towards the living hinges. The living hinges are formed in an even thinner portion that connects the attachment plates. A shoulder formed on the thickened portion of the second attachment plate will engage structure of a vehicle control lever to prevent turning of the extension lever with respect to an existing vehicle control lever. 
   A lever core is made of metal and will bend under pressure that is considerably greater than pressure applied to the lever handle during operation of a vehicle on which the lever is secured. The core will retain the shape to which it is bent under the greater pressure until being re-bent to a desired shape using such greater pressure. The core will not bend under the pressure applied by a user during operation of a motor vehicle. Preferably the extension lever components, other than the metal core, are molded of a very durable nylon material, or the like, that is softer than the metal core. An extender portion of the core fits into a pocket formed in an extender handle with a soft outer surface. 
   The first and second attachment plates are made sufficiently thick to remain rigid during installation and use on a vehicle. The core extends from a pocket of the extender and the extender, with core in place is fitted to a side of one attachment plate. Holes through the one attachment plate and the metal core correspond to holes through the second attachment plate. The holes through the first attachment plate are also counter-bored so that locking nuts to be threaded onto the bolts extending through the second attachment plate and through the first attachment plate during installation are recessed into the first attachment plate. 
   The metal core extends into a pocket of the extender portion which is formed from a suitable rubber material to provide an extender portion having a soft cover that is comfortable to the thumb, fingers and hand of a user. A hand engaging face of the extender portion has a rough textured portion to prevent slippage of a thumb or finger during use of the lever extension. 
   With the slots between adjacent segments of the second attachment plate extending through the thickest portion of the second attachment plate and into a thinner portion of the second attachment plate the segments are somewhat flexible. As the extension lever is positioned for securement to a control lever of a vehicle, the living hinges are bent to position the attachment plates at opposite sides of the control lever to which the extension lever is to be connected. The bolts through the segments of the second attachment plate are directed through the holes of the first attachment plate and are threaded into the nuts provided in the second attachment plate. Tightening of the nuts onto the bolts securely clamps the control lever between the attachment plates and positions the shoulder formed by the thickest portion of the second attachment plate to move beneath structure of the control lever. During such clamping the segments flex to allow the attachment plates and shoulder to conform to the shape of the control lever and insure clamping even on control levers of varying shapes. 
   Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains from the following detailed description and drawings, disclosing what is presently contemplated as being the best mode of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings: 
       FIG. 1  is perspective view of an adjustable extension lever of the invention secured to a throttle control lever shown on a handlebar of a vehicle and with the throttle control lever and the handlebar grip shown fragmentarily and in phantom; 
       FIG. 2 , an exploded perspective view of the adjustable extension lever of the invention, shown with the attachment plates folded along the living hinges for installation on a throttle control lever; 
       FIG. 3 , a side elevation view of one side of the adjustable extension lever, as shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4 , a vertical section view, taken on the line  4 — 4  of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 5 , a top plan view of the extension lever as shown in  FIG. 3 ; and 
       FIG. 6 , a bottom plan view. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Referring now to the drawings: 
   In the illustrated preferred embodiment, the adjustable extension lever of the invention is shown generally at  10 . Adjustable extension lever  10  has an extender portion, shown generally at  12 , that is secured to and projects from a control lever  70  (see  FIG. 1 ) using an attachment means, an attachment portion, or an attachment structure.  FIGS. 1–6  illustrates the extender portion  12  secured to and projecting from a first attachment plate  14  and a second attachment plate  16  that is connected to the first attachment plate  14  by a strap  18  having a pair of parallel extending, spaced apart hinges  20  and  22  of the well known kind often referred to as ‘living hinges’ that extend fully across the strap  18 . Second attachment plate  16  has an intermediate portion  24  that is thicker than the strap  18  and a base portion  26  that is thicker than the intermediate portion  24 . The second attachment plate  16  also has segments  28 ,  30  and  32 , with slots  34  and  36  separating adjacent segments. The slots  34  and  36  extend from the edge  38  of the second attachment plate  16  through the base portion  26  and into the intermediate portion  24  so that the segments are individually flexible from the intermediate portion  24  to accommodate attachment of the extension lever, as will be further described. A shoulder  39  is formed on each segment between the junction of the base portion  26  and the intermediate portion  24 . 
   Holes  40  are provided through the segments  28 ,  30  and  32  and the holes are each counter-bored to receive ends  46  of bolts  48  inserted into the holes. 
   Spaced apart holes  50 ,  52  and  54  are provided through the first attachment plate  14  and when the adjustable extension lever  10  is folded along the living hinges  20  and  22 , the bolts  48  extending through the holes  50 ,  52  and  54  will extend into the holes  40  of the second attachment plate to be threaded into nuts  56  positioned in the counter-bores of the holes  40 . 
   Extender portion  12  comprises a metal core or first material  60  having a depending flange  62  and a projecting handle  64  and a cover or second material  66 . 
   Cover  66  is molded from a suitably strong, durable material onto the handle  64 , the cover  66  is a suitable strong, soft material such as rubber that will give the handle a comfortable feel when engaged by the thumb or hand of a user. A roughened pattern  67  may be provided on the cover  66  to prevent slippage of the thumb or hand of the user from the handle. The cover  66  includes a pocket  65  (see  FIG. 4 ) formed therein that is sized to receive the handle  64 . 
   Extension lever  10  is secured to a projecting control lever  70  ( FIG. 1 ) by folding the extension lever along the living hinges  20  and  22  and then positioning the extension arm over the control lever such that the first and second attachment plates  14  and  16  are on opposite sides of the control lever  60 . Bolts  48  are inserted through holes  40  and holes  50 ,  52  and  54  and are threaded into nuts  56  to clamp the attachment plates securely to the control lever with the handle  64  projecting from the end of the control lever  70 . The flexibility of segments  28 ,  30  and  32  allows the bolts  48  to thread into nuts  56  even if adjustments must be made to the positioning of the attachment plates  14  and  16  in using the extension lever  10  with different kinds and models of vehicles. 
   As segments  28 ,  30  and  32  of second attachment plate  16  are pulled toward the first attachment plate  14  by threading of bolts  48  into nuts  56  the portions of shoulder  39  on the segments are moved beneath structure of the control lever to which the extension lever is connected. The shoulder  39  further prevents rotation of the extension lever  10  relative to the control lever  60 . 
   A user wraps the fingers of a hand around a handgrip  62  ( FIG. 1 ) and uses the thumb of the hand to engage the surface  67  and to pull the extension lever  10  and the control lever  60  towards the handgrip  62 . The user may then rotate the hand to place the portion of the palm at the base of the thumb against surface  58  to thereby use the palm of the hand to hold the extension lever and attached control lever in a throttle open position. Turning of the palm of the hand against the rubber cover  66  will change the throttle setting of the vehicle and the thumb does not become tired during operation of the vehicle. 
   The metal from which core  60  is formed is bendable and will retain the shape to which it is bent from a first shape to a second, set, or retained shape (see  FIGS. 1 ,  5  and  6 ) until such time as the force required to bend the core is again applied to again bend the core into a third shape (see  FIGS. 5 and 6 ). The metal selected and the thickness of the core is selected such that a greater force must be applied to the core to bend the handle with respect to the flange than is required to be applied to the extension lever to operate the vehicle control lever to which the extension lever is affixed. Consequently, after the extension lever is affixed to a control lever sufficient force is applied to the handle to bend the handle to a position easily reached by the user of the vehicle. The handle can be re-bent by a similar force application, if desired, to best accommodate another user. Once bent to a desired position a lesser force application to the handle will pivot the control lever to which the extension lever is affixed. 
   Although a preferred form of my invention has been herein disclosed, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is by way of example and that variations are possible without departing from the subject matter coming within the scope of the following claims, which subject matter we regard as our invention.