Patent Publication Number: US-6991290-B1

Title: Motorcycle backrest system

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   Not applicable to this application. 
   STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
   Not applicable to this application. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates generally to motorcycle seats and backrests and more specifically it relates to a motorcycle backrest system for providing a removable backrest for a motorcycle. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Motorcycle backrests have been in use for years. The backrest extends upwardly from the base portion of the seat and allows the rider of the motorcycle to lean rewardly against to increase their comfort while riding the motorcycle. 
   A problem with conventional motorcycle backrests is that they are permanently attached to the motorcycle. A problem with conventional motorcycle seats is that they often times do not include a backrest and require the purchase of a completely new seat with an integral backrest. 
   While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for providing a removable backrest for a motorcycle. Conventional motorcycles either do not have removable driver backrests or they require the purchase of a new seat to have a drive backrest. 
   In these respects, the motorcycle backrest system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing a removable backrest for a motorcycle. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of backrests now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new motorcycle backrest system construction wherein the same can be utilized for providing a removable backrest for a motorcycle. 
   The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new motorcycle backrest system that has many of the advantages of the backrests mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new motorcycle backrest system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art backrests, either alone or in any combination thereof. 
   To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a backrest, a pair of front legs extending downwardly from the backrest, a pair of receiver members attachable to a motorcycle for receiving the lower ends of the front legs and a pair of rear legs extending from the front legs at an angle. Each of the rear legs includes an engaging end formed to catchably receive a corresponding pair of spacer members attached to the motorcycle. 
   There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
   In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to 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 and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
   A primary object of the present invention is to provide a motorcycle backrest system that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices. 
   A second object is to provide a motorcycle backrest system for providing a removable backrest for a motorcycle. 
   Another object is to provide a motorcycle backrest system that may be efficiently attached and removed from a motorcycle. 
   An additional object is to provide a motorcycle backrest system that may be utilized upon various brands and models of motorcycles. 
   A further object is to provide a motorcycle backrest system that provides a removable driver backrest. 
   Another object is to provide a motorcycle backrest system that eliminates the need to purchase a new seat to have a driver backrest. 
   Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention. 
   To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is an upper perspective view of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a front view of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a rear view of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is an exploded rear view of the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a top view of the present invention. 
       FIG. 6  is a side view of the present invention. 
       FIG. 7  is an exploded side view of the present invention with respect to a motorcycle. 
       FIG. 8  is a side view of the present invention attached to a motorcycle. 
       FIG. 9  is a rear view of the present invention attached to the motorcycle. 
       FIG. 10  is a magnified upper perspective view of the present invention attached to a motorcycle. 
       FIG. 11  is a magnified exploded upper perspective view of the rear leg with respect to the spacer member. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   A. Overview 
   Turning now descriptively to the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views,  FIGS. 1 through 11  illustrate a motorcycle backrest system  10 , which comprises a backrest  20 , a pair of front legs  30  extending downwardly from the backrest  20 , a pair of receiver members  50  attachable to a motorcycle  12  for receiving the lower ends of the front legs  30  and a pair of rear legs  40  extending from the front legs  30  at an angle. Each of the rear legs  40  includes an engaging end formed to catchably receive a corresponding pair of spacer members  14  attached to the motorcycle  12 . 
   B. Backrest 
   An exemplary backrest  20  is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 6  of the drawings. The backrest  20  may have various other shapes, styles and sizes as can be appreciated by one skilled in the art. For example, the backrest  20  may be padded or non-padded. The backrest  20  may be comprised of various materials such as but not limited to leather, vinyl, cloth and the like. 
   C. Frame 
   The frame is attached to and supporting the backrest  20  as shown in  FIGS. 1 through 6  of the drawings. The frame is removably attachable to the motorcycle  12  in order to position the backrest  20  in a desired location to support the driver of the motorcycle  12 . 
   The frame preferably includes a pair of front legs  30  extending downwardly as best shown in  FIGS. 1 through 4 . The frame also preferably includes a pair of rear legs  40  extending downwardly and rearwardly at an acute angle with respect to the front legs  30  as further shown in  FIGS. 1 through 4  of the drawings. 
   The rear legs  40  are preferably substantially parallel to one another as best illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 5  of the drawings. The rear legs  40  preferably extend from the front legs  30  as best shown in  FIGS. 3 and 6  of the drawings. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  3 ,  4  and  9  of the drawings, the front legs  30  preferably extend outwardly to accommodate the width of the shock assembly  16  for each side of the motorcycle  12 . The front legs  30  also each preferably include a lower portion  32  that extends substantially downwardly. The lower portions  32  of the front legs  30  are preferably substantially parallel to one another as shown in  FIGS. 2 through 4  of the drawings. 
   Each of the rear legs  40  includes an engaging end formed to catchably receive a corresponding pair of spacer members  14  attached to a motorcycle  12  as best shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11  of the drawings. The engaging end is preferably comprised of a curved structure with an opening for receiving a spacer member  14  as further shown in  FIGS. 10 and 11  of the drawings. 
   D. Receiver Member and Spacer Members 
   The pair of receiver members  50  are attachable to a motorcycle  12  as best shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10  of the drawings. The receiver members  50  are preferably attachable to the upper end of each shock assembly  16  as shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10  of the drawings. However, the receiver members  50  may be attached to other portions of the motorcycle  12  with minor modifications. 
   The receiver members  50  are preferably comprised of a tubular structure with an upper opening for removably receiving the lower ends of the front legs  30 . It can be appreciated that the lower ends of the front legs  30  may have a tubular structure for slidably receiving the receiver members  50  alternatively. 
   The receiver members  50  each have an extended portion  52  with an aperture  54  as best illustrated in  FIG. 6  of the drawings. The aperture  54  receives an upper threaded fastener of a shock assembly  16  as best illustrated in  FIG. 10  of the drawings. In addition, the extended portion  52  is preferably angled to extend into an interior tubular portion of a shock assembly  16  as shown in  FIG. 10  of the drawings. 
   The spacer members  14  are typically attached to a motorcycle  12  for supporting saddle bags and similar structures. The spacer members  14  are typically attached on opposing sides of the frame of the motorcycle  12  as shown in  FIGS. 7 through 10  of the drawings. The spacer members  14  are comprised of a cylindrical structure with a circular outer cross sectional shape. If the motorcycle  12  does not have the spacer members  14  preinstalled, the user simply has to install the spacer members  14  upon the motorcycle  12  utilizing conventional fasteners. 
   E. Operation of Invention 
   In use, the user removes a fastener nut from an upper end of each shock assembly  16 . The user then positions the aperture  54  of the receiver members  50  upon each of the threaded fasteners securing the upper end of the respective shock assembly  16 . The user then secures each fastener nut upon the receiver members  50  with the receiver members  50  in a substantially vertical position. 
   The user then positions the lower end of the front legs  30  into the receiver members  50 . After the front legs  30  are securely positioned within the receiver members  50 , the user then tilts the present invention rearwardly until the engaging ends  42  of the rear legs  40  are positioned about the spacer members  14  as shown in  FIG. 10  of the drawings. When the rider of the motorcycle  12  leans rearwardly against the backrest  20 , the rear legs  40  prevent the pivoting of the frame or the backrest  20 . When the user is finished operating the motorcycle  12  and/or wants to remove the backrest  20 , they simply rotate the present invention forwardly and then lift upwardly to remove the front legs  30  from the receiver members  50 . 
   What has been described and illustrated herein is a preferred embodiment of the invention along with some of its variations. The terms, descriptions and figures used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant as limitations. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many variations are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention, which is intended to be defined by the following claims (and their equivalents) in which all terms are meant in their broadest reasonable sense unless otherwise indicated. Any headings utilized within the description are for convenience only and have no legal or limiting effect.