Abstract:
A water motorcycle includes a motorized surfboard unit having a deck portion and driven by a drive motor, and a motorbike frame unit detachably mounted on the deck portion by means of retaining hook units. The motorbike frame unit includes a seat module provided with a rider&#39;s seat, and a handle module provided with an upright handlebar frame. The surfboard unit can be used independently for surfing or combined with the motorbike frame unit to function as a water motorcycle.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority of Taiwanese Patent Application No. 100133197, filed on Sep. 15, 2011, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    This invention relates to a water motorcycle, more particularly to a motorized-surfboard-based water motorcycle which can serve as a surfboard or a water motorcycle. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    There are a variety of watercrafts, such as motorized surfboards, water motorcycles, etc., which can be employed for water sport activities. A conventional watercraft generally includes a board or a seat to permit a user to stand, sit or lie thereon, and a control handle for actuating and controlling a drive motor. A user who wants to enjoy different water sport activities needs to have various kinds of watercrafts, which entails the problem of storage. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    An object of the present invention is to provide a motorized-surfboard-based water motorcycle which can be configured to function as a surfboard or a water motorcycle. 
         [0007]    According to this invention, the motorized-surfboard-based water motorcycle includes a motorized surfboard unit and a motorbike frame unit. The motorized surfboard unit includes a surfboard hull module which has nose and tail ends, a deck portion disposed between the nose and tail ends and having a deck surface. The deck portion has front and rear regions, and a juncture region interposed therebetween. A drive motor is disposed below the deck surface for propelling the surfboard hull module. The motorbike frame unit includes a seat module and a handle module. The seat module extends in a longitudinal direction to terminate at forward and rearward marginal regions which are disposed adjacent to the juncture region and the rear region, respectively, in an assembled position. The handle module includes a handlebar erecting frame extending to terminate at a rear end which is connected with the forward marginal region, and a front end which is releasably secured to a securing site on the front region proximate to the nose end so as to permit the handlebar erecting frame to be displaced to the assembled position. The handlebar frame is connected to the handlebar erecting frame, and has a handlebar end which is configured to be in an upright position when the handlebar erecting frame is displaced to the assembled position. 
         [0008]    The motorized-surfboard-based water motorcycle further includes a front retaining hook unit configured to bring the front end into a position-locking engagement with the securing site, and a rear retaining hook unit configured to bring the rearward marginal region into a position-locking engagement with the tail end. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a motorized-surfboard-based water motorcycle according to this invention in an assembled state; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the first embodiment when a seat module is mounted on a surfboard hull module; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a fragmentary enlarged side view showing a front retaining hook unit of the first embodiment; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view showing a right retaining hook unit of the first embodiment; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a motorized-surfboard-based water motorcycle according to this invention in an assembled state; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a side view of the second embodiment; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a fragmentary enlarged side view showing a front retaining hook unit of the second embodiment; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view showing a right retaining hook unit of the second embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0018]    Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that same reference numerals have been used to denote like elements throughout the specification. 
         [0019]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the first embodiment of a motorized-surfboard-based water motorcycle according to the present invention is shown to comprise a motorized surfboard unit  1  and a motorbike frame unit  2 . 
         [0020]    The motorized surfboard unit  1  includes a surfboard hull module  11 , a drive motor  6 , an electrically conductive cable  4 , and rear, front, left and right retaining hook units. 
         [0021]    The surfboard hull module  11  has nose and tail ends  111 ,  112  opposite to each other in a longitudinal direction, a deck portion  16  which is disposed between the nose and tail ends  111 ,  112  and which has a deck surface  161  that is configured to permit a rider to stand, sit or lie thereon for surfing. The deck surface  161  has front and rear regions  162 ,  163  proximate to the nose and tail ends  111 ,  112 , respectively, and a juncture region  164  interposed between the front and rear regions  162 ,  163 . The drive motor  6  is disposed in an interior of the deck portion  16  below the deck surface  161  for propelling the surfboard hull module  11 . The electrically conductive cable  4  is electrically coupled with the drive motor  6  to control the surfboard hull module  11 , and extends from the front region  162  to be connected to a handgrip  41 . The motorized surfboard unit  1  may be any kinds of known motorized surfboard. 
         [0022]    The motorbike frame unit  2  includes a seat module  21  and a handle module  24 . 
         [0023]    The seat module  21  extends in the longitudinal direction to terminate at forward and rearward marginal regions  211 ,  212  which are disposed adjacent to the juncture region  164  and the rear region  163 , respectively, in an assembled position. In this embodiment, the seat module  21  has a saddle shell which is interposed between the forward and rearward marginal regions  211 ,  212 , and which includes a seat member  22 , and left and right straddle segments  213 ,  214  that are disposed to rest on the rear region  163 , and that are configured to permit the seat member  22  to be spaced apart from the rear region  163  in an upright direction that is transverse to the longitudinal direction. 
         [0024]    The handle module  24  includes a handlebar erecting frame  241  and a handlebar frame  244 . The handlebar erecting frame  241  extends in the longitudinal direction to terminate at a rear end  242  and a front end  243 . The rear end  242  is pivotally connected with the forward marginal region  211  about a hinge axis oriented in a transverse direction that is transverse to the longitudinal and upright directions. The front end  243  is releasably secured to a securing site on the front region  162  of the deck surface  161  proximate to the nose end  111  so as to permit the handlebar erecting frame  241  to be displaced to the assembled position. The handlebar frame  244  has a connected end  245  connected to the handlebar erecting frame  241 , and a handlebar end  246  configured to be disposed in an upright position when the handlebar erecting frame  241  is displaced to the assembled position. The handlebar end  246  is in the form of a transverse rod such as that of a known water motorcycle. 
         [0025]    The rear retaining hook unit has a pair of hooking members  31  which is disposed on the rearward marginal region  212  of the seat module  21  and which is configured to downwardly hook on the tail end  112  so as to bring the rearward marginal region  212  into a position-locking engagement with the tail end  112 . 
         [0026]    With reference to  FIG. 3 , the front retaining hook unit includes a positioning ring  13  which is disposed at the securing site on the front region  162 , a lever  34  which is pivotally mounted on the front end  243  of the handlebar erecting frame  241  about a fulcrum axis that is parallel to the hinge axis and which has a retained end  342  and a hooking end  341 . The hooking end  341  is configured such that, when the retained end  342  is pressed downward manually, the hooking end  341  is forced upward to hook on the positioning ring  13 . A retaining member  35  is disposed on the front end  243 , and is configured such that, immediately after the retained end  342  is pressed downward, the retaining member  35  is snapped engaged with the retained end  342  to thereby bring the front end  243  into a position-locking engagement with the securing site on the front region  162 . 
         [0027]    With reference to  FIG. 4 , each of the left and right retaining hook units includes a protrusion  12  which is disposed on the juncture region  164 , a pressing member  32  which is disposed on a corresponding one of the left and right straddle segments  213 ,  214  to be press-engaged with the juncture region  164  when the seat module  21  is displaced to the assembled position, and an hooking latch  33  which is pivotally mounted on the pressing member  32  and which is configured to hook on the protrusion  12  when the pressing member  32  is pressed-engaged with the juncture region  164 , thereby bringing the corresponding one of the left and right straddle segments  213 ,  214  into a position-locking engagement with a corresponding one of left and right peripheral sites on the juncture region  164 . 
         [0028]    Referring further to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , when it is desired to utilize this embodiment as a water motorcycle, the seat module  21  is firstly mounted on the rear region  163  of the surfboard hull module  11  such that the hooking members  31  of the rear retaining hook unit engage the tail end  112 , and the pressing members  32  of the left and right retaining hook units are press-engaged with the juncture region  164  so that the hooking latches  33  respectively engage the protrusions  12 . Thereafter, the handle module  24  is turned pivotally downward so that the handlebar erecting frame  241  is displaced to the assembled position where the handlebar frame  244  is in the upright position. The lever  34  is subsequently turned rearward about the fulcrum axis, and by pressing the retained end  342  downward, the hooking end  341  is brought to engage the positioning ring  13 , and the retained end is snap-engaged with the retaining member  35 . The handlebar end  246  may be positioned near the handgrip  41  so that the rider can grip the handlebar end  246  and control the drive motor  6  through the electrically conductive cable  4  when riding. 
         [0029]    A power supply, such as a battery  5 , may be disposed within the seat module  21  to be operably coupled to the drive motor  6 . 
         [0030]    As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the second embodiment of the motorized-surfboard-based water motorcycle according to this invention is similar to the first embodiment in construction. In the second embodiment, the seat module  21  has a seat mounting member in the form of a saddle plate which is interposed between the forward and rearward marginal regions  211 ,  212 , and which have left and right saddle halves  215 ,  216  that extend away from each other in the transverse direction to terminate at left and right anchoring regions  217 ,  218 , respectively. 
         [0031]    Further, as shown in  FIG. 7 , the front retaining hook unit includes a securing stem  15  which is disposed at the securing site on the front region  162 , a tightening lever  37  which is pivotally mounted to the front end  243 , and a retaining member  35 ′ which is pivotally mounted to the tightening lever  37 . The retaining member  35 ′ has a hooking end  351  configured to upwardly hook on the securing stem  15 . The tightening lever  37  is operable to bring the hooking end  351  into tightening engagement with the securing stem  15 . 
         [0032]    Further, as shown in  FIG. 8 , each of the left and right retaining hook units includes a securing stem  14  disposed on the juncture region  164 , a tightening lever  36  which is pivotally mounted to a corresponding one of the left and right anchoring regions  217 ,  218 , and a retaining member  33 ′ which is pivotally mounted to the tightening lever  36 . The retaining member  33 ′ has a hooking end  331  which is configured to upwardly hook on the securing stem  14 . The tightening lever  36  is operable to bring the hooking end  331  of the retaining member  33 ′ into a tightening engagement with the securing stem  14 , thereby bringing the corresponding one of the left and right anchoring regions  217 ,  218  into a position-locking engagement with a corresponding one of left and right peripheral sites on the juncture region  164 . 
         [0033]    As illustrated, the motorbike frame unit  2  can be detachably mounted on the motorized surfboard unit  1  by means of the retaining hook units in a convenient manner, so that the rider can use the surfboard unit independently as a surfboard for surfing or use the surfboard unit  1  in combination with the motorbike frame unit  2  as a water motorcycle. Thus, the present invention has the benefits of versatility and space-saving. 
         [0034]    While the present invention has been described in connection with what are considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretations and equivalent arrangements.