Abstract:
A combined storage box and vehicle condition display for a small vehicle such as a scooter. The display is mounted in the handlebar cover and the mounting is done in a way so that the display can be mounted from above and still provides a neat appearance for the finished product.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
         [0001]    This invention relates a meter display device for a saddle type vehicle such as a motor scooter.  
           [0002]    Motor scooters are very popular because of their low costs, both in acquisition and maintenance and their agility for use in traffic. In order to provide the rider for some indication of the operation of the scooter, it has been the practice to provide one or more instruments in proximity to the handlebar assembly. However, it is important that these instruments and their associated displays be mounted so as to provide a neat appearance. Unfortunately, the prior art type of constructions proposed for this purpose have not been totally successful.  
           [0003]    Frequently in order to improve the appearance of the scooter, a handlebar cover is provided over the handlebar assembly. This conceals some of the mechanism and gives rise to a neater appearance. It has been proposed to mount the instrument or display on this cover but in order to make a neat assembly; the display has been mounted from the underside of the cover with its display face showing through an opening in the cover. This provides significant difficulties in assembly and also in servicing.  
           [0004]    It is, therefore, a principal object to this invention to provide an improved display mounting arrangement for a small vehicle of the scooter type.  
           [0005]    It is a further object to this invention to provide an improved display for a motor scooter wherein the display can be mounted from above but nevertheless provides a neat appearance.  
           [0006]    Because of the small nature of these vehicles and the desirability of providing some storage compartment for small articles, storage compartments have been provided under the seat. However, this means that the rider must stop the vehicle and dismount in order to procure from or place articles in the storage compartment.  
           [0007]    It is, therefore, a still further object to this invention to provide an improved display mounting for a vehicle of this type wherein the display is mounted on the underside of a cover, which also serves a cover for a storage compartment.  
         SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
         [0008]    This invention is adapted to be embodied in a small vehicle of the scooter type wherein the vehicle has a seat upon which a rider is seated with his feet extending forwardly and downwardly. A handlebar assembly is provided at the front of the seat and the vehicle for steering of the vehicle in its path of movement. A cover is associated with the handlebar assembly. A display is mounted on the cover from above. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a motor scooter constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the control handlebar assembly for the vehicle with the storage compartment and display mounting closure in an opened position.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2A is an enlarged view of the area encompassed by the circle in FIG. 2.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken through the cover assembly and showing the storage compartment in its closed position in solid lines and in its open position in phantom.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the storage compartment closure and display mounting construction.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0014]    Referring first to FIG. 1, a motor scooter constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is identified generally by the reference numeral  11 . The motor scooter  11  includes a main body portion, indicated generally by the reference numeral  12 , from which a front wheel  13  and rear wheel  14  are suspended. The front wheel  13  is dirigibly supported by the main body portion  12  in a known manner by means that includes a front fork  15  that is steered by a handlebar assembly  16 .  
         [0015]    The rear wheel  14  underlies a rider″s seat  17  and is journalled by a suspension system, indicated generally by the reference numeral  18  and which includes a rear shock absorber  19 . An engine transmission assembly, indicated generally by the reference numeral  21  consists of an internal combustion engine  22  and a transmission  23  that drives the rear wheel  14 . This engine transmission assembly  21  is pivotally mounted on the main body portion  12  by the suspension system  18  in a suitable manner for accommodating the suspension movement of the rear wheel  14 .  
         [0016]    A foot area  24  is formed by the main body portion  12  forwardly of the seat  17  so that a rider seated on the seat may place his feet on the foot area  24 .  
         [0017]    The handlebar assembly  16  is enclosed by a cover comprised of a main cover portion  25  and which is shown in perspective view in FIG. 2 and in cross sectional in FIG. 3. Referring now specifically to those figures and the partially exploded view of FIG. 4, a combined storage and display arrangement, indicated generally by the reference numeral  26  is accommodated in the cover  25 . The cover  25  has an opening, which receives a plastic storage box  27  that forms an internal compartment  28  in which small articles may be positioned such as the article “A” shown in FIG. 3.  
         [0018]    This internal compartment  28  is bounded by sidewalls  31  and  32 , a front wall  33  and a rear wall  34 . A lower wall  35  completes this storage box  27 . A drain opening  36  is formed in the lower wall  35  so as to permit any water, which may enter it to drain out.  
         [0019]    A sealing gasket  37  is affixed to the upstanding edges of the walls  31  through  34  and is engaged by a pivoted cover or closure member, indicated generally by the reference numeral  38 , when the cover  38  is in its closed position as shown in the solid line view of FIG. 3. The cover  38  is maintained in its closed position with the box  27  and specifically the sealing gasket  37  by a latching mechanism, indicated generally by the reference numeral  39 .  
         [0020]    This latching mechanism  39  includes a slidably supported lock  41  having a leg portion  42  that is exposed immediately in front of the rider as seen in FIGS. 2 and 2A so as to slide it into engagement with a keeper  43  carried on the underside of the cover  38 . The cover  38  is pivotally supported at the forward edge thereof by a pair of spaced apart hinges  44 .  
         [0021]    In accordance with another feature of the invention, a meter display, indicated generally by the reference numeral  45  is mounted on the cover  38  in such a way that it can be mounted from above the handlebar cover  25 . To this end, the cover  38  has in its upper surface  46  a translucent panel  47  that faces a liquid crystal display  48  of a display element  49 . The display element  49  has an outstanding flange portion that is connected by threaded fasteners  51  to the cover  38  on the side opposite the face  46  when then cover  38  is in its open position as shown in the phantom line view of FIG. 3. A further cover holder  52  is affixed around the display element  49  by additional threaded fasteners  53  that are threaded into the cover  38 . This cover holder  52  has an opening that passes a wire conductor  54 , which is fixed, to the front wall  33  of the box  27  by fasteners  55 . This conductor  54  passes through an opening  56  in the lower box wall  35  and is connected by an electrical connector  57  to a vehicle mounted sensor  58 . The sensor  58  outputs information to the display element  49  for processing and display on the liquid crystal display  48 .  
         [0022]    The sensor  58  may be a sensor that senses vehicle speed and the display element  49  can display a vehicle speed either in digital or analog form or both. Of course, other information can also be displayed.  
         [0023]    Thus, it should be readily apparent that the device provides not only a compact and neat mounting for the display, but also places it in a position where it can be easily viewed by a rider seated on the seat  17 . In addition, the rider can store small articles under the display in the storage box  27  without having to leave the seat  17 . Of course, the foregoing description is that of a preferred embodiment of the invention and various changes and modification may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.