Abstract:
A saddlebag support assembly for use on a motorcycle includes a mounting member mounted to the motorcycle&#39;s shock bolt. A portion of the mounting member extends below a lower edge of the motorcycle&#39;s rear fender. The saddlebag support assembly also includes front and rear arms having front and rear plates. The front plate is mounted to the portion of the mounting member below the lower edge of the rear fender. An internal support member is mounted to the shock bolt and extends rearwardly thereof. The internal support member includes a depending portion defining a slot that receives the rear plate. The rear plate is fastened to the depending portion of the internal support member. The saddlebag support assembly further includes a bottom support for supporting the saddlebag from underneath, and a bracket having quick-release bosses. Quick-release fasteners are used to secure the saddlebag to the quick-release bosses from the inside of the saddlebag.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention relates to a mounting system for a mounting a motorcycle saddlebag to the rear fender of a motorcycle.  
         SUMMARY  
         [0002]    The invention provides a motorcycle having a frame that includes a shock mounting portion. A shock bolt mounts a first end of a shock to the shock mounting portion of the frame. The second, opposite end of the shock is interconnected with the rear wheel of the motorcycle. A rear fender is positioned over a portion of the rear wheel, and includes an inner surface facing the rear wheel and an outer surface facing away from the rear wheel. The rear fender also has a lower edge.  
           [0003]    The motorcycle includes a saddlebag and a saddlebag support assembly supporting the saddlebag. A mounting member is directly mounted to the shock bolt. The mounting member extends adjacent the inner surface of the rear fender, and has a lower end extending below the lower edge of the rear fender. A fastener releasably mounts a portion of the saddlebag support assembly to the lower end of the mounting member. The mounting member preferably has an elongated collar portion defining a threaded bore into which the shock bolt is threadably received. The collar may include flats to facilitate positioning the mounting member in an operating position or a stowed position.  
           [0004]    The motorcycle may also include an internal fender support mounted to the shock bolt and extending rearwardly of the frame along the inner surface of the rear fender. The internal fender support is directly mounted to the rear fender to support it. A second portion of the saddlebag support assembly may be directly mounted to the internal fender support. Preferably, the internal fender support includes a depending portion extending downwardly below the lower edge of the rear fender, and it is to this depending portion that the second portion of the saddlebag support assembly is directly mounted. The depending portion may define a slot that receives the second portion of the saddlebag support assembly, and a carriage bolt or other fastener preferably secures the second portion of the saddlebag assembly within the slot.  
           [0005]    A turn signal module may be mounted to a rear end of the rear fender. The turn signal module preferably extends along the lower edge of the rear fender and covers the depending portion of the internal fender support, so that the depending portion cannot be seen during ordinary operation of the motorcycle.  
           [0006]    The rear fender may be mounted to a seat pan portion of the frame, and preferably includes an inner fender and an outer fender. The internal fender support preferably includes threaded studs that extend through the inner fender, and onto which nuts are threaded to secure the inner fender to the internal fender support. The outer fender is positioned over the studs and nuts so that they are not visible during ordinary operation of the motorcycle.  
           [0007]    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  
       [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a side view of a motorcycle embodying the present invention.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a side view of the rear portion of the motorcycle with the saddlebag and saddlebag support assembly removed.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the rear portion of the motorcycle.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the saddlebag support assembly and rear portion of the motorcycle.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the shock mounting portion of the motorcycle frame.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 6 is a side view of the saddlebag support assembly mounted to the rear portion of the motorcycle.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 7 is a section view taken along line  7 - 7  in FIG. 6.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 8 is an exploded section view taken along line  8 - 8  of FIG. 6.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the mounting member portion of the saddlebag support assembly.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 10 is a section view taken along line  10 - 10  in FIG. 1.  
         [0018]    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  
       [0019]    [0019]FIG. 1 illustrates a motorcycle  10  having a frame  14 , and an engine and transmission assembly  18  mounted to the frame  14 . A steering assembly  22  is pivotally mounted to the frame  14 . A front wheel  26  is rotatably mounted to the steering assembly  22  and supports the front of the motorcycle  10 . A rear wheel  30  is rotatably interconnected with the frame  14  and supports the rear of the motorcycle  10 . The rear wheel  30  is driven by operation of the engine and transmission assembly  18 . The motorcycle  10  also includes a seat  34  upon which a motorcycle operator may sit while operating the motorcycle  10 . A pair of saddlebags  38  (one of which is illustrated in FIG. 1 and the other of which is on the opposite side of the motorcycle—see FIG. 10) are mounted to the rear of the motorcycle  10 , as will be described below in more detail.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2 better illustrates the rear portion of the motorcycle  10  with the saddlebags  38  removed. The frame  14  includes a shock mounting portion  42 . A shock  46  has a first end mounted to the shock mounting portion  42 , and a second end coupled to the rear wheel  30 . The second end is coupled to the rear wheel  30  either by direct mounting to the rear wheel axle, or by being mounted to a swing arm interconnecting the rear wheel  30  to the frame  14 . Left and right internal supports  50  are mounted to the shock mounting portion  42  of the frame  14  and extend rearwardly. A rear fender  54  is mounted to the internal supports  50 , as will be described in more detail below. The rear fender  54  includes a lower edge  58 , an inner surface  62  (FIGS. 8 and 10) generally facing toward the rear wheel  30 , and an outer surface  66  facing away from the rear wheel  30 .  
         [0021]    Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the internal supports  50  each include a shock bolt hole  70 , a mounting hole  74 , a threaded hole  78  (e.g., a nut welded to the internal support  50  or a threaded insert), a pair of threaded studs  82 , and a depending portion  86  defining a slot and having a square aperture  90 . The frame  14  includes a seat pan  94  that is welded or otherwise affixed to the shock mounting portion  42  of the frame  14 . The seat pan  94  is a heavy-duty stamped metal piece. The rear fender  54  includes an inner fender  98  and an outer fender  102 . The inner fender  98  is preferably a heavy-duty stamped aluminum piece, but may be constructed of any suitable material. The inner fender  98  acts as an extension of the seat pan  94 . The inner fender  98  defines the inner surface  62  of the rear fender  54 . The outer fender  102  is a more decorative piece and provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance for the rear fender  54 . The inner and outer fenders  98 ,  102  are mounted to the seat pan  94  with suitable fasteners  106 , and the fasteners  106  are covered by the seat  34 .  
         [0022]    Referring to FIGS.  3 - 5 , the shock mounting portion  42  of the frame  14  includes a through-hole  110  and a threaded blind bore  114  extending through its inner surface. A shock bolt  118  extends through the through-hole  110 , and through the shock bolt hole  70  in the internal support  50 . A threaded fastener  122  extends through the mounting hole  74  in the internal support  50  and is threaded into the threaded blind bore  114 .  
         [0023]    As seen in FIGS. 3, 6, and  8 , the threaded studs  82  extend through holes  126  in the side of the inner fender  98 . Nuts  130  are threaded onto the threaded studs  82  to sandwich the inner fender  98  between the nuts  130  and the internal support  50 . The inner fender  98  includes nut pockets  132  that receive the nuts  130 . A threaded fastener  134  extends through holes  138  in the inner fender  98  and seat pan  94 , and is threaded into the threaded hole  78  in the internal support  50 . The nuts  130  on the studs  82 , and the head of the fastener  134  are between the outer fender  102  and the inner fender  98  once the outer fender  102  is attached to the rear portion of the motorcycle  10 .  
         [0024]    Referring back to FIG. 2, the motorcycle  10  also includes a turn signal module  140  that wraps around the rear portion of the rear fender  54 . The depending portion  86  of the internal support  50  extends below the lower edge  58  of the rear fender  54 . The turn signal module  140  depends from the lower edge  58  of the rear fender  54 , and includes a side reflector  144  that covers the depending portion  86  of the internal support  50 . The internal support  50  is therefore not visible during ordinary operation of the motorcycle  10  because it is obscured by the rear fender  54  and the side reflector  144 .  
         [0025]    Referring now to FIGS. 4, 6,  8 , and  9 , a mounting member  148  includes an elongated collar portion  152  that extends through the shock bolt hole  70  in the internal support  50 , and into a counter bore  156  in the shock mounting portion  42 . The shock bolt  118  threads into a threaded bore  160  in the collar portion  152 . The mounting member  148  also includes a flat extension arm  164  extending adjacent the inner surface  62  of the inner fender  98 . The extension arm  164  extends below the lower edge  58  of the rear fender  54 , and includes a pocket  166  and a mounting hole  168  in the pocket  166  and below the lower edge  58 .  
         [0026]    [0026]FIGS. 4 and 10 illustrate left and right saddlebag support assemblies  172 . The left and right saddlebag support assemblies are substantially mirror images of each other, and therefore only one saddlebag support assembly is described below. The saddlebag support assembly  172  includes front and rear arms  176 ,  180  supporting respective front and rear mounting plates  184 ,  188 . The saddlebag support assembly  172  also includes a bottom support  192  extending between the lower extremities of the front and rear arms  176 ,  180 , and a bracket  196  extending between middle portions of the front and rear arms  176 ,  180 . A rear cross-support  200  extends between the bottom supports  192  of the left and right assemblies  172 , and around the rear end of the rear fender  54 , thereby providing further stability to both assemblies  172 .  
         [0027]    The bottom support  192  and the bracket  196  are preferably welded to the front and rear arms  176 ,  180 , but may alternatively be integrally formed with one or both of the front and rear arms  176 ,  180 , as by casting or another suitable method. The rear cross-support  200  is preferably welded to the bottom supports  192 , but may alternatively be integrally formed with the bottom supports  192 . The front and rear mounting plates  184 ,  188  are also preferably welded to the upper extremities of the front and rear arms  176 ,  180 , respectively, but may alternatively be integrally formed therewith.  
         [0028]    Referring to FIGS. 4, 6, and  8 , the front mounting plate  184  includes a hole  204  that is aligned with the mounting hole  168  in the arm  164  of the mounting member  148 . A front fastener  208  and nut  212  are used to join the mounting arm  164  and the front mounting plate  184  of the saddlebag support assembly  172 . The front fastener  208  is easily accessible because it is below the lower edge  58  of the rear fender  54 . The head of the front fastener  208  is contained within the pocket  166  in the extension arm  164 .  
         [0029]    As seen in FIGS. 4, 6,  8 , and  10 , the rear mounting plate  188  is generally square in shape, and includes a recessed nut pocket  216  and a square hole  220 . The rear mounting plate  188  fits within the slot in the depending portion  86  of the internal support  50 , and the square holes  220 ,  90  of the rear mounting plate  188  and depending portion  50  are aligned. A carriage bolt  224  has a square shank  228  that snugly fits in the square holes  220 ,  90 , and is not rotatable within the square holes  220 ,  90 . The carriage bolt  224  also includes a threaded end  232  onto which a nut  236  is threaded to secure the rear mounting plate  188  to the depending portion  86  of the internal support  50 . The nut  236  is received in the nut pocket  216  to provide a low profile to the mounting structure and provide as much clearance as possible for the rear wheel  30  within the rear fender  54 .  
         [0030]    Referring to FIGS.  4 - 6  and  10 , the bracket  196  includes a pair of threaded inserts  240 . Bumpers or cushions  244  are mounted to the bottom support  192  with fasteners  248 . The saddlebag  38  is mounted to the support assembly  172  by resting the bottom of the saddlebag  38  on the bumpers  244  and aligning holes  252  in the side of the saddlebag  38  with the threaded inserts  240 . Screws  256  are extended through the holes  252  and into the threaded inserts  240 . Grommets  260  are inserted into the holes  252  in the saddlebag  38  to ensure a substantially weather-tight fit.  
         [0031]    The saddlebag support assembly  172  may be removed from the motorcycle  10  by unthreading the nuts  212 ,  236  from the front fastener  208  and the carriage bolt  224 . It should be noted that access to both the front fastener  208  and the carriage bolt  224  is facilitated by the fasteners  208 ,  224  being below the lower edge  58  of the rear fender  54 . Because the front mounting plate  184  is mounted to the end of the mounting member arm  164 , rather than directly to the shock bolt  118 , the saddlebag support assembly  172  may be removed from the motorcycle  10  without removing the shock bolt  118 .  
         [0032]    The mounting member  148  may be left on the motorcycle  10 , even when the saddlebag support assembly  172  is not mounted thereto. Only the end of the extension arm  164  is visible below the lower edge  58  of the rear fender  54 . The collar  152  is provided with flats  264  (see FIG. 9) to engage flats in the counter bore  156  in the shock mounting portion  42  of the frame  14 . The flats  264  may be aligned to position the mounting member  148  in the operating position (illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 6), or in a stowed or retracted position (illustrated in phantom in FIG. 6). When in the stowed position, the mounting member  148  is pivoted up within the confines of the rear fender  54 , and out of view. As used herein, the phrase “within the confines of the rear fender” means above the lower edge  58  and between the inner surfaces  62  of the sides of the rear fender  54 .  
         [0033]    To move the mounting member  148  between the operating and stowed positions, the shock bolt  118  must be loosened and then re-tightened after the mounting member  148  has been repositioned. Therefore, if one wishes to maintain the aesthetics of the lower edge  58  of the rear fender  54  with the saddlebags  38  removed, one has only to remove the saddlebag support assemblies  172 , loosen the shock bolt  118 , pivot the mounting member  148  to the stowed position (such that the appropriate flat  264  registers with the flat in the counter bore  156 ), and re-tighten the shock bolt  118 . Additionally, the flats  264  serve to resist rotation of the mounting member  148  as the shock bolt  118  is tightened. The extension arm  164  may also be positioned in the operating and stowed position without the use of the flats  264 , as the tightness of the shock bolt  118  substantially prevents any pivoting of the mounting member  148  with respect to the shock mounting portion  42  of the frame  14 .