Abstract:
A windshield assembly for use on a motorcycle includes a lower windshield mount fastened to the triple tree of the motorcycle. A windshield is pivotally mounted to lower windshield mount. A break-away mechanism is mounted to an upper portion of the windshield and releasably couples the windshield to an arm that is directly coupled to the handlebars of the motorcycle. If a predetermined force is applied to the windshield the break-away mechanism will release the windshield from the arm allowing the windshield to pivot.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention relates to motorcycle windshields.  
         SUMMARY  
         [0002]    The present invention provides a windshield assembly for use on a motorcycle. The windshield assembly has a single lower windshield mounting member with a mounting portion and a pivot portion. The mounting portion is supported by the triple tree of the motorcycle, and the pivot portion has single a pivot pin. A windshield is pivotally mounted to the pivot pin. A break-away mechanism releasably couples the windshield to the handlebars of the motorcycle. In response to a predetermined force being applied to the windshield, the breakaway mechanism permits the windshield to pivot about the pivot pin.  
           [0003]    The mounting member may be generally V-shaped and is preferably directly mounted to the triple tree. The pivot portion may include a pivot boss fixed to the mounting member such that the pivot boss supports the single pivot pin. A lower windshield boss may be pivotally coupled to the pivot pin, and the windshield is preferably resiliently coupled to the lower windshield boss.  
           [0004]    The break-away mechanism preferably includes a boss mounted to the windshield, and an arm with a first end fixed to the handlebars and a second end releasably coupled to the boss. The boss may include a threaded bore and the windshield may include a through hole. A resilient grommet may be positioned within the through hole in the windshield, and a windshield mounting fastener may be extended through the through hole and the grommet, and may be threaded into the threaded bore to fasten the windshield to the boss.  
           [0005]    Either the boss or the second end of the arm may include a socket portion, and the other of the boss or the second end may include a ball portion. The socket portion preferably includes a resilient member (e.g. a split-ring spring clip) releasably securing the ball portion within the socket portion. The first end of the arm is preferably clamped to the handlebars of the motorcycle with a clamping assembly.  
           [0006]    Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed description, claims, and drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a motorcycle with a windshield assembly embodying the current invention.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is an enlarged view partially in section showing the steering area of the motorcycle illustrated in FIG. 1.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the windshield assembly.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 is an enlarged top view of the lower windshield mount area.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 5 is a section view of the windshield assembly.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 6 is an enlarged exploded view of the mounting arm area.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 7 is an enlarged section view of the mounting arm area.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 8 is an enlarged section view of the break-away mechanism.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the break-away mechanism with the mounting arm withdrawn from the cavity.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the break away mechanism with the mounting arm partially inserted into the cavity.  
     
    
       [0017]    Before one embodiment of the invention is explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including” and “comprising” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. The use of “consisting of” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass only the items listed thereafter. The use of letters to identify elements of a method or process is simply for identification and is not meant to indicate that the elements should be performed in a particular order.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0018]    [0018]FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a motorcycle  10  including a frame  14 , a triple tree  22 , a pair of fork members  26  mounted to the triple tree, a front wheel  30 , a handlebar assembly  34 , and a windshield assembly  38 . The frame  14  includes a steering tube  42  and the triple tree  22  includes a steering column  46  pivotally received within the steering tube  42  by bearings  48 . The fork members  26  extend down from the triple tree  22  and the front wheel  30  is rotatably coupled between the fork members  26  for rotation about an axis  50 . The handlebar assembly  34  is mounted to the triple tree  22  and is actuable to pivot the triple tree  22 , steering column  46 , fork members  26 , and front wheel  30  with respect to the frame  14  to steer the motorcycle  10 .  
         [0019]    Referring now to FIGS.  3 - 5 , the windshield assembly  38  includes a generally V-shaped lower windshield mounting member  54 . The mounting member  54  includes a mounting portion in the form of opposite legs  58 . Each leg  58  defines a through hole  60  having a counter bore  62 . A fastener  66  is extended through each leg  58  and engages a threaded hole  70  in the triple tree  22 . Because of the counter bores  62 , a majority of the head portion of each fastener  66  is surrounded by the leg  58  of the mounting member  54  and is substantially hidden from view. The mounting member  54  also includes a pivot portion  72  defining a pair of threaded blind holes  74 . A fastener  76  is threaded into each hole  74  and mounts a pivot boss  78  to the pivot portion  72  of the mounting member  54 .  
         [0020]    The pivot boss  78  includes a pivot pin  82  having a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the axis  50 . A lower windshield boss  86  is pivotally coupled to the pivot boss  78  by the pivot pin  82 . A windshield  90  is coupled to the lower windshield boss  86  by fasteners  94  extending through a resilient grommet  98  positioned in a through hole  102  of the windshield  90 . The fasteners  94  are threaded into threaded bores  106  defined in the lower windshield boss  86 . A rigid insert  110  including a lip  111  occupies the annular space between the fasteners  94  and the grommet  98  to retain and prevent deformation of the grommet  98  when the fasteners  94  are tightened. The resilient grommet  98  reduces the likelihood of windshield cracking by reducing the development of highly concentrated stresses around the perimeter of the through hole  102  (e.g. due to wind buffeting the windshield  90  or due to misalignment of the windshield  90  and mounting member  54 ). Thus, the windshield  90  is pivotally coupled to the triple tree  22  of the motorcycle  10 .  
         [0021]    Referring now to FIGS.  3 - 8 , the windshield assembly  38  includes upper support assemblies  112  (illustrated most completely in FIGS. 6 and 7). The upper support assemblies  112  are generally associated with right and left sides of the motorcycle  10  and are substantially identical, thus only one of the upper support assemblies  112  is described below.  
         [0022]    The upper support assembly  112  includes an upper windshield boss  114 . The windshield  90  is coupled to the upper windshield boss  114  in a similar manner as that described above for the lower windshield boss  86  and includes a grommet  118  positioned in a through hole  122  of the windshield  90 . A fastener  126  is passed through the grommet  118  and threaded into a threaded bore  130  of the upper windshield boss  114 . A rigid tubular insert  134  including a lip  136  is used to retain and prevent deformation of the grommet  118  when the fastener  126  is tightened.  
         [0023]    Referring now also to FIG. 9, The upper windshield boss  114  includes a portion  138  extending rearwardly from the windshield  90  and defining a substantially cylindrical cavity  142  therein. The cavity  142  includes a substantially frusto-spherical terminal end, and has a length L1 and a diameter D1. A circumferential groove  146  extends around the circumference of the cavity  142  and is located a distance L2 from the terminal end. The circumferential groove  146  has a substantially semi-circular cross-section having a first radius R1.  
         [0024]    The upper support assembly  112  also includes a split-ring spring clip  150  retained within the circumferential groove  146  of the cavity  142 . The spring clip  150  has an outer diameter D2 and an inner diameter D3. In a relaxed state, the outer diameter D2 is larger then the diameter D1 of the cavity  142  such that insertion of the spring clip  150  into the cavity  142  requires compressing the spring clip  150 . The spring clip  150  may then snap into place in the circumferential groove  146 . The spring clip  150  is preferably made from circular spring steel wire having a radius R2 smaller then the radius R1 of the circumferential groove  146 . Preferably, the clearance between the spring clip  150  and the circumferential groove  146  due to the difference between R1 and R2 will allow the spring clip  150  to expand radially until its inner diameter D3 is substantially equal to the diameter D1 of the cavity  142 . Alternatively, another suitable resilient member may be used in the cavity  142 .  
         [0025]    Referring specifically to FIGS. 6 and 7, the upper support assembly  112  also includes a support arm  154  including a first end  158  and a second end  162 . The first end  158  includes an axially extending threaded bore  164  and is coupled to the handlebar assembly  34  by way of two cooperating C-shaped members  170 . The C-shaped members  170  are pivotally coupled to each other at one end by a pin  174 . The other ends of the members  170  include alignable through holes  178  such that the members  170  may be placed around the handlebar assembly  34  and a fastener  182  may be extended through both members  170  and threaded into the threaded bore  164  of the arm  154 . Tightening the fastener  182  draws the C-shaped members together between the head of the fastener  182  and the end  158  of the arm  154  such that C-shaped members  170  are rigidly clamped to the handlebar assembly  34 .  
         [0026]    Referring now to FIGS.  8 - 10 , the second end  162  of the arm  154  is substantially frusto-spherical and includes a ball portion  186  and a recessed portion  190 . The ball portion  186  includes a diameter D4 slightly smaller then the diameter D1 of the cavity  142  but larger then the relaxed inner diameter D3 of the spring clip  150 . Insertion of the ball portion  186  into the cavity  142  results in the ball portion  186  first contacting the relaxed spring clip  150 . Because the spring clip  150  has an inner diameter D3 smaller than the diameter D4 of the ball portion  186 , additional force is required to insert the ball portion  186  further into the cavity  142 . As additional force is applied, the spring clip  150  expands radially into the additional clearance previously discussed in the circumferential groove  146  allowing the ball portion  186  to continue moving further into the cavity  142 . A point is reached (see FIG. 10) where the spring clip  150  is expanded to a maximum diameter such that the inner diameter D3 of the spring clip  150  is approximately equal to the outer diameter D4 of the ball portion  186 . Further insertion of the ball portion  186  beyond this point results in contraction of the spring clip  150  (see FIG. 8) such that the spring clip  150  snaps around the recessed portion  190  of the arm  154 , simultaneously drawing the ball portion  186  completely into the cavity  142 . Once completely inserted into the cavity  142  (shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 and shown in phantom in FIG. 10), the frusto-spherical ball portion  186  snugly engages the frusto-spherical terminal end of the cavity  142 . Thus, the windshield  90  is releasably coupled to the handlebar  166  of the motorcycle  10 .  
         [0027]    If sufficient force is applied to the windshield  90  from the handlebar assembly  34  area of the motorcycle  10 , the ball portion  186  will be urged to withdraw from the cavity  142 . In this event, the spring clip  150  will expand into the additional clearance of the circumferential groove  146 , allowing the ball portion  186  to be fully extracted from the cavity  142 . The windshield  90  will then freely pivot in a forward direction about the pivot pin  82 .  
         [0028]    One skilled in the art will quickly realize the advantages of the present invention. Split-ring spring clips  150  of the type used in the current invention are commercially available in, and are held to strict manufacturing standards for, a variety of sizes and stiffnesses. With the present invention, a designer may select the value of force required to allow the windshield  90  to “break away” simply by selecting a spring clip  150  with an appropriate stiffness. As used herein, the term “break away” refers to the ball portion  186  being released from the cavity  142  and the windshield  90  pivoting in a forward direction about the pivot pin  82 . A stiffer spring clip  150  will result in a higher value of break-away force whereas a softer spring clip  150  will result in a lower break-away force. Also, the presence of a single pivot pin  82  eliminates the potential for binding due to misalignment of multiple pivot pins that must be collinear to function properly.