Patent Abstract:
The present invention comprises a generally rectangular base with two longitudinal containment lips and two semi-arcuate lips on the front and rear for the containment and display of motorcycles or similar vehicles. The apparatus is uniquely suited to hold and display motorcycles or similar vehicles in an aesthetically pleasing manner while also containing and fluid leaks or spillage that may occur during the storage or display. A pair of adjustable stands holding the vehicle. Each stand can be selectively raised and fixed in a vertical position and adjusted to hold the vehicle. The stands can be lowered to the surface when not in use or removed.

Full Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a Continuation in Part and claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/970,345 filed Oct. 21, 2004 now abandoned that claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/513,715 filed on Oct. 24, 2003. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a floor covering device for motorcycles, off-road sport vehicles and the like, and more particularly to a tray with raised sides for said vehicles to sit upon for storage, to contain fluid spills, or for display purposes. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Countless Americans enjoy riding motorcycles. The feeling of freedom and pure exhilaration while cruising the countryside with the wind in your hair is a leisure time activity for many. Many others do it out of necessity in the time of rising gas prices. Whatever the reason one has for riding a motorcycle, they do require maintenance. Any spilled liquid such as oil or gas is difficult to clean up from surfaces such as concrete and asphalt. Finally, those with prized motorcycles that are worthy of being displayed at a show or museum are constantly looking for an edge that will set their bike apart from others on display. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which motorcycles can be stored, worked on, and displayed in a manner without the disadvantages as described above. The development of the present invention fulfills this need. 
     A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents already issued that dealt directly with the aforementioned problems; however, the following table lists patents that were considered related: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 U.S. Pat. No. 
                 Inventor 
                 Issue Date 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 6,558,769 
                 Chwala 
                 May 6, 2003 
               
               
                   
                 6,234,452 
                 Johnson 
                 May 22, 2001 
               
               
                   
                 6,120,876 
                 Walton 
                 Sep. 19, 2000 
               
               
                   
                 6,095,499 
                 Johnson 
                 Aug. 1, 2000 
               
               
                   
                 6,062,162 
                 Dean 
                 May 16, 2000 
               
               
                   
                 5,979,878 
                 Blankenship 
                 Nov. 9, 1999 
               
               
                   
                 5,927,689 
                 Johnson 
                 Jul. 27, 1999 
               
               
                   
                 5,639,067 
                 Johnson 
                 Jun. 17, 1997 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,452, U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,499, U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,689 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,067, all issued in the name of Johnson, discloses a hand-operable motorcycle stand. The devices described by Johnson involve the use of a compact, hand-operable stand merely for aiding in the raising and lowering the motorcycle. The patents issued to Johnson do not take into account the primary concern of protecting floor surfaces. Also, the Johnson patents involve many moving parts and are mainly concerned with the servicing of the motorcycle and not with displaying the motorcycle in a visually appealing manner, as is the case with the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,878 issued in the name of Blankenship, is similar in scope to the Johnson patents, but includes pull cables, in that it involves the means to raise and lower the motorcycle for servicing, but doesn&#39;t have any of the features or advantages of the present invention. 
     U Several patents have been issued describing devices for protecting the interior floor of a garage or other automobile storage or service facility. Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 6,558,769 issued to Chwala and U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,876 issued in the name of Walton has as a feature the benefit of a protector for the floor of a garage or the like that is manufactured out of a unitary material of construction and is designed to collect anything that may fall from a vehicle, including rain, snow, or slush. However, the Walton patent is concerned with protecting the floor of the garage specifically from liquid runoff from a 4-wheeled automobile and is not suitable for the aesthetic display of a 2-wheeled vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,162, issued to Dean, is essentially a garage parking aid. The Dean device includes an anti-skid mat with means to contain any fluid spillage and a marker to aid in parking a vehicle into a garage. Again, the present invention differs from the prior art in that it is concerned with the visually appealing means of storing and displaying a motorcycle. 
     Consequently, a need has been felt for providing a device that can store and display a motorcycle, as well as other off-road sport vehicles, in an aesthetic manner and at the same time protect the floor of the facility in which it resides. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a visually appealing means to display motorcycles or the like. 
     It is therefore another object of the present invention to provide means for protecting the ground or floor of a storage facility, garage, driveways, and similar surfaces from leaking fluids associated with motorcycles or, the like. 
     It is another object of the present invention to make any cleaning of leaking fluids quick and easy. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a secure means to retain the wheels of a motorcycle or the like. 
     Briefly described according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus is provided to protect the floor of a facility that stores or displays motorcycles or the like in an aesthetically pleasing manner. It is of a generally large, flat, rectangular construction that allows one to drive a motorcycle or similar vehicle onto it. Two (2) of the four (4) sides have a lip designed to contain any spilled materials. The other two (2) sides consist of a raised roll-over lip to facilitate one to drive the motorcycle or like vehicle onto the device and has an added feature of preventing the vehicle from rolling off. The roll-over lip has an added benefit of containing spilled fluids. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the material of construction is a highly polished, one-eighth (&#39;/8) inch thick unitary piece of aluminum diamond plate. In order to best utilize the present invention, the user simply lays it flat upon the surface to be protected. Next, the motorcycle or similar vehicle is driven or rolled onto the present invention and placed in a parked position. The polished surface of the preferred embodiment presents a visually pleasing display and the diamond plated aluminum construction, in conjunction with the raised lips, provide means to retain the vehicle on the device. The raised lips and roll-over lips on the circumference of the device also help to contain spilled fluids. 
     The vehicle is retained in place by a pair of stands that are in preferred embodiment that include a holding member are pivoted so that the stands can be lowered to the surface when not in use, for storage of the device or transportation of the device. When in use the stands are locked into a generally vertical position. 
     The present invention is portable and can be used for any number of vehicles deigned worthy of display by the user. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the floor protective device for motorcycles and the like  10 , according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a top view of the floor protective device for motorcycles and the like  10 , according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the floor protective device for motorcycles and the like  10 , according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a left-side view of the floor protective device for motorcycles and the like  10 , according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a frontal view of the floor protective device for motorcycles and the like  10 , according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; and, 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the floor protective device with stands in the generally vertical position. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTIVE KEY 
     
         
         
           
               10  floor protective device 
               15  polished diamond-plate 
               16  front roll-over lip 
               17  rear roll-over lip 
               18  left-side spill containment lip surface 
               19  right-side spill 
               20  stand attaching member 
               21  stand pivot 
               22  stand member 
               23  first aperture 
               24  holding member 
               25  second aperture 
               26  crank 
               27  holding surface 
           
         
       
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment, herein depicted within  FIGS. 1 through 6 . However, the invention is not limited to the described embodiment, and a person skilled in the art will appreciate that many other embodiments of the invention are possible without deviating from the basic concept of the invention and that any such work around will also fall under scope of this invention. It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention, and that example configurations shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. 
     The terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced items. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1-5 , a perspective view of the floor protective device  10  is disclosed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, for protecting the floor of a storage facility or like from motorcycles or similar vehicles. The device aids in containing any fluid spills or leaks that are so often associated with storing and displaying vehicles for any amount of time. Any unsightly build-up of oil or antifreeze on the ground of the storage or display facility can become a safety hazard if not contained or cleaned properly. The floor protective device  10  also has as an added feature to display said vehicle in an aesthetically pleasing manner. By placing the floor protective device  10  directly underneath the vehicle, the above problems are eliminated. 
     The floor protection device for motorcycles and the like  10  is comprised of a unitary sheet of polished one-eighth (⅛) inch thick diamond plate aluminum with four sidewalls forming an open upper volume to support the motorcycle or similar vehicle and to contain fluid spills. The aluminum sheet is generally rectangular in shape, and the surface of the plate has a preformed and polished diamond-plate stamped arrangement  15 . This particular type of plate provides the necessary tread to retain the vehicle&#39;s wheels without the extra step for chocking the wheels in order to ensure that the vehicle will not move off the floor protective device  10 . Also, the polished surface renders a mirrored look that provides an extremely pleasing visual experience. 
     During manufacturing, the sheet is bent perpendicularly in the vertical plane with respect to the polished diamond-plate surface  15  along the long sides of the floor protective device  10  into the left-side containment lip  18  and right-side containment lip  19  at a height sufficient for the containment of spillages. Also, the front and rear portions of the floor protective device  10  are rolled in the vertical position, thus fashioning the front roll-over lip  16  and rear roll-over lip  17 , respectively. These roll-over lips are rolled in a semi-arcuate shape to a height matching that of the left-side containment lip  18  and right-side containment lip  19 . The lip can be formed in the metal sheet or can be made in separate sheets and attached to the metal sheet. 
     As seen in  FIG. 5 , at the points of contact between the front roll-over lip  16  and left-side containment lip  18  and right-side containment lip  19  there exists means to effect a permanent contact point in order to produce a seal for the ultimate means of containing any spills from the vehicle on display. The permanent contact points may be achieved via adhesive or heat-bonding means. Similarly, the rear roll-over lip  17  is affixed to the left-side containment lip  18  and right-side containment lip  19  in a similar fashion. After the points of contact have been permanently sealed together, the left-side containment lip  18  and right-side containment lip  19  is rounded off at the same semi-arcuate radius as the front roll-over lip  16  and rear roll-over lip  17  to prevent any sharp edges protruding outward, thereby, creating another safety hazard (see  FIG. 4 ). 
     Turning to  FIG. 6 , a pair of stand attaching members  20  is attached to the surface  15 . Each attaching member  20  is fixably attached to surface  15  with a conventional fastener such as a bolt (not shown). The attaching member  20  has a pivot  21 . A stand  22  is attached at a first aperture  23  at a predetermined spacing from the bottom end of the stand  22  through which the pivot  21  is accommodated. Pivot  21  has an adjuster to hold stand  22  in a fixed position. In the preferred embodiment, the pivot  21  is a bolt and the adjuster is a nut (not shown). The stand  22  can be lowered to surface  15  when not in use, for storage or for transportation of the device by rotating the stand  22  from a generally vertical position to a generally horizontal position. At least one adjusting means, in the preferred embodiment with a threaded holding member  24  in a threaded second aperture  25 , a predetermined distance from the top end of the stand  22 , with crank  26  and holding surface. In the preferred embodiment each stand  22  has a threaded holding member  24 , aperture  23 , crank  26 , and holding surface  27 . 
     To use the invention, the user simply lays the apparatus flat upon the surface to be protected, such as garages, driveways, showroom floors, or any other storage and/or display facility. Next, the motorcycle, off-road sports or similar vehicle is driven or rolled onto the device. The vehicle, which rests on top of the floor protective device, is then stored or displayed at the length of time as determined by the user. 
     To hold a motorcycle or similar vehicle in place each stand  22  is raised into a generally vertical position. Each stand  22  held in the generally vertical position by an adjuster such as a bolt as pivot  21 . The stand is lowered by loosening the adjuster such as a nut (not shown) on the bolt as pivot  21  and lowering the stand to the surface. 
     When storing or displaying the vehicle has been completed, the user merely rolls or drives the vehicle off the floor protective device. 
     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention and method of use to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, and to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is understood that various omissions or substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstance may suggest or render expedient, but is intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims of the present invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1