Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/250,299 filed Dec. 30, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,948,757. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The invention relates to a windshield for motorcycles which is adjustably mounted by a holding means on the motorcycle and can be adjusted by a drive means into different positions. 
   The invention furthermore relates to a windshield for motorcycles which is adjustably mounted by a holding means on the motorcycle, the holding means having two non-parallel guides for setting different vertical and/or inclined positions of the windshield as it moves along the guides. 
   Finally, the invention relates to a drive means for an adjustably supported motor vehicle component, especially a windshield for motorcycles. 
   2. Description of Related Art 
   German Patent DE 39 41 875 C1 discloses a windshield which is mounted on a motorcycle so as to be adjustable in its height and its angular orientation by an adjustment means. The adjustment means contains at least two guide rails arranged at different angles and on each of which a respective sliding piece is movably supported. The windshield is connected to the two sliding pieces to be able to pivot around the transverse axis of the vehicle. An electric motor is located in the area of the front, lower guide rail and via a threaded rod transfers linear drive motion to the sliding piece which is supported on the front guide rail. The driving of the sliding piece via the threaded rod or a comparable dimensionally stable drive element limits the possible locations of the electric motor in the vicinity of the front guide rail. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A primary object of the present invention is to provide a windshield of the initially mentioned type with a drive device which is improved with respect to its arrangement and functionality. 
   Another object of the invention is to provide a windshield of the initially mentioned type with a holding means with two guides which is adjustably supported by a durable holding means with a simple structure. 
   A further object of the invention is to provide a drive means of simple structure for an adjustable vehicle component. 
   The initially mentioned object is achieved in accordance with the invention in that the drive means for the windshield has a cable line connection between the drive motor of the drive means and the adjustable windshield. A cable line connection which is formed, for example, in the manner of a Bowden cable, can be installed flexibly with bends or curvatures so that the drive means can be attached in the vicinity of the windshield or also farther away from it on the motorcycle without major structural limitations which entail rigid connecting elements, such as spindles or the like. 
   The initially mentioned object is also achieved in the initially mentioned windshield in accordance with the invention in that the drive means for the windshield has a lever means with at least one pivotally mounted drive lever between the drive motor of the drive means and the adjustable windshield. Rigid coupling by means of a pivotable drive lever enables reliable, play-free actuation and adjustment of the windshield. The lever ratios on the drive lever can be designed such that none of the drive movements applied to the drive lever are stepped up into large driven motions of the drive lever. This yields a compact execution of the drive unit. 
   If the drive means for the windshield has a lever means with two symmetrically arranged drive levers which are each connected on the outside end to a carriage, which is supported in the middle for pivoting in opposite directions, and which on the inner end are connected to one another by means of a movable coupling part, a uniform drive motion can be applied to two movable bearing parts of the windshield which are spaced apart from one another. 
   The second object is achieved by the first guide is mounted on the vehicle and the second guide being located on the windshield and by a driven carriage which is connected to the windshield on the first guide which is mounted on the vehicle and a vehicle-mounted part on the second guide located on the windshield being drive-engaged. Thus, both the vehicle-mounted part and also the windshield or the part connected to the windshield assume a guide function. Functionally, the carriage is connected via a cable line connection to the drive means. Here, the aforementioned advantages of the flexible arrangement of the drive means apply. A cable line connection is defined as any connections which are resistant to extension and compression, but which are flexible, and which can be flexible installed on the motorcycle, for example, in the manner of a Bowden cable. 
   Preferably, the windshield is mounted on the windshield bearing part which contains the second guide and which is connected to the carriage. In this configuration, the windshield bearing part forms a unit of the holding means and the windshield is interchangeably attached to the windshield bearing part and the holding means without effort. 
   If each cable line is guided to a respective one of a right-side and a left-side windshield bearing part or on two spaced mounting points on the windshield itself by the drive means, reliable adjustment of the windshield is ensured by this double driving. 
   Functionally, the drive means contains a rope pulley on which the cable or the rope of at least one cable or rope line can be wound and unwound. This pulley can have two adjacent peripheral grooves on which two cable lines can be wound and unwound at the same time and in the same direction so that the two cables, and thus the two windshield bearing parts, are synchronously activated. By means of one of the two cable line connections, at least one other movable part of the motorcycle can be adjusted synchronously to the motion of the windshield. 
   In one preferred embodiment, the guides are made as links in which stationary bearing elements, such as pins or the like, are guide-engaged. If the guides or links are formed to be linear, depending on the mutual assignment, a uniform adjustment motion is enabled. When the guides or links have at least one curved section, a pivoting motion of the windshield can be superimposed on the linear adjustment motion. Instead of the curved section, any shape of the guide or the link deviating from the linear section can make provide a pivoting motion of the windshield which deviates from the straight adjustment motion. 
   Preferably, the first guide or link is made in at least one longitudinal part of the holding means. This longitudinal part can be a central part of the holding means. Alternatively, there are two longitudinal parts in the right-side and left-side arrangement for the two windshield bearing parts. 
   Preferably, the longitudinal part is formed from at least two combined components which can be divided along the guide. This configuration facilitates the production of guides and the installation of the assigned components of the holding means, such as, for example, the carriage. 
   In the drive means for an adjustably supported vehicle component, especially a windshield for motorcycles, it is provided in accordance with the invention that the drive means has a cable line connection between the drive motor of the drive means and the vehicle component and a rope pulley on which at least one cable line can be wound and unwound and is guided by the drive means to the vehicle component or to a right-side and to a left-side vehicle component bearing part. 
   Furthermore, it is provided that the drive means has a lever means with at least one pivotally supported drive lever between the drive motor of the drive means and the adjustable vehicle component. 
   Further details of the configuration and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a side view the front part of a motorcycle with an adjustable windshield; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the holding means of the windshield with a drive device in the initial position; 
       FIG. 3  is a view similar to that of  FIG. 2  showing the drive device with the covering removed; 
       FIG. 4  is a view similar to that of  FIGS. 2 &amp; 3  showing the holding and drive device in the end position; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an inner side of the left-side part of the holding means; 
       FIG. 6  is a top view of the left-side part of the holding means and the drive device; 
       FIG. 7  shows in an inside view as shown in  FIG. 5 , but with the holding means in the end position as shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view from above of a second embodiment of a holding means of the windshield with a modified drive device in the initial position; 
       FIG. 9  is a view corresponding to that of  FIG. 8 , but with the holding and drive device in the intermediate position; 
       FIG. 10  is a view corresponding to that of  FIG. 8 , but with the holding and drive device in the end position; 
       FIG. 11  is a plan view of the holding means of the second embodiment in the initial position according to  FIG. 8 ; 
       FIG. 12  is a plan view of the holding means in the intermediate position according to  FIG. 9 ; and 
       FIG. 13  is a plan view of the holding means in the end position according to  FIG. 10 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The partially depicted motorcycle  1  of  FIG. 1  has a cowling  2  and a windshield  3  which is mounted above the cowling  2  by a holding means  4  such that it can route the slipstream past the motorcycle driver  5 . If necessary, the windshield  3  can be adjusted in its height and/or its angle of inclination by the holding means  4  out of a most vertical set position (shown schematically in  FIG. 1  in broken lines) into a highly inclined position (shown in solid lines). 
   The holding means  4  contains a holding frame  6  (only the part of the left part of which is shown in  FIGS. 2 to 7 ) with mounting or screw openings  7  (see,  FIGS. 5 &amp; 8 ) for fixing the holding frame  6  on the frame of the motorcycle  1  or on the cowling  2 . A drive means  8  is mounted on the central transverse part  9  of the holding frame  6 . On the longitudinal side parts  10  (only the left longitudinal part  10  being shown), a linear link guide  11  (see,  FIG. 4 ) with a, for example, rectangular cross section is formed in which an elongated carriage  12  is movably held. A front bearing pin  13  extends through a side oblong hole opening  14  of the link guide  11  into the bearing hole  15  of a windshield bearing part  16 . The carriage  12  is drive-engaged with a part, e.g., a stationary rear bearing pin  18  that projects on the back end  17  of the longitudinal part  10 , laterally to the outside, and fits into the link guide  19  of the windshield bearing part  16  which is formed as an oblong hole. The guides  11 ,  19  are non-parallel with respect to each other, as is apparent from the drawings, for varying the position of the windshield  3  in terms of height and/or inclination, when it is moved along the guides. The rear bearing pin  18  is located above the link guide  11 , and the link guide  19  of the windshield bearing part  16  runs underneath the front bearing pin  13  so that the windshield bearing part  16  is swung up around the bearing pin  13  if it is pushed lengthwise by means of the driven carriage  12  and the bearing pin  13 . The windshield bearing part  16  has mounting openings  20  for attaching the windshield  3 . 
   Next to the link guide  11  and parallel to it, a channel  21  is formed, which connects with the opening  14  of the link guide  11  (see  FIG. 5 to 7 ) and in which a drive cable  22 , which is connected to the carriage  12 , is movably held. The drive cable  22  is movably guided in jacketing  23  from the windshield bearing part  16 , via a bend  24 , to the pulley  25  of the central drive means  8 . The pulley  25  is mounted on the gear shaft of the force transmission mechanism  27  driven by the electric motor  26  (see especially  FIG. 3 ), and has a peripheral groove  28  in which the drive cable  22  can be wound and unwound and which is resistant to tension and compression. By means of a retaining pin  29  which is mounted on the end of the drive cable  22  and which is inserted in a recess of the rope pulley  25 , the drive cable  22  is attached to the pulley  25  in the peripheral direction, resistant to extension. The pulley  25  has a second peripheral groove  30  next to the first peripheral groove  28  in which, in the same direction of rotation, a second drive cable  31  for the opposing, right-side windshield bearing part (not shown) is located. The covering  32  (see  FIG. 2 ) covers and seals the pulley  25 . 
   Next to the link guide  11  and parallel to it, a channel  21  is formed, which connects with the opening  14  of the link guide  11  (see  FIG. 5 to 7 ) and in which a drive cable  22 , which is connected to the carriage  12 , is movably held. The drive cable  22  is movably guided in jacketing  23  from the windshield bearing part  16 , via a bend  24 , to the pulley  25  of the central drive means  8 . The pulley  25  is mounted on the gear shaft of the transmission  27  driven by the electric motor  26  (see especially  FIG. 3 ), and has a peripheral groove  28  in which the drive cable  22  can be wound and unwound and which is resistant to tension and compression. By means of a retaining pin  29  which is mounted on the end of the drive cable  22  and which is inserted in a recess of the rope pulley  25 , the drive cable  22  is attached to the pulley  25  in the peripheral direction, resistant to extension. The pulley  25  has a second peripheral groove  30  next to the first peripheral groove  28  in which, in the same direction of rotation, a second drive cable  31  for the opposing, right-side windshield bearing part (not shown) is located. The covering  32  (see  FIG. 2 ) covers and seals the pulley  25 . 
   When the electric motor  26  is actuated, for example, via a hand switch on the handlebars or via a speed-dependent or slipstream-dependent control, the drives cables  22 ,  31  are taken up at the same time from the position shown in  FIG. 1  in which the two windshield bearing parts  16  are located in the front position and hold the windshield  3  in the lower vertical position with a slight upward inclination, via rotation of the cable pulley  25  so that, via rearward displacement of the respective carriage  12 , the windshield bearing parts  16 , and thus the windshield  3 , are raised and inclined more dramatically against the slipstream. The end position is shown in  FIGS. 4 &amp; 7 . 
   The opposing drive motion of the electric motor  26  moves the windshield  3  back again into the reclined position or into an intermediate position. 
   If the link guide  11  is positioned so that it rises over its length relative to the lengthwise axis of the motorcycle, the front bearing pin  13 , and thus the windshield bearing part  16  and the windshield  3 , are additionally raised in its vertical position. 
   One or both link guides  11 ,  19  can have angled or curved sections so that a certain swinging behavior of the windshield  3  which is dependent on the lengthwise displacement can be fixed. 
   The largely flexibly installable drive cables  22 ,  31  of the drive means  8  enable a comparatively free arrangement of the drive means  8  relative to the movable holding means  4  or to the windshield  3  so that the electric motor  26  with the transmission  27  and the pulley  25  can also be located away from the holding means  4  and at angular positions to it, which is something which could be accomplished by a conventional mechanical coupling only with high construction cost. 
   In another embodiment of the windshield (see,  FIGS. 8 to 13 ), with a modified drive means, the holding means  4  contains a drive pulley  33  (see  FIG. 11 ) which is located on the central transverse part  9  in the middle between the two side longitudinal parts  10  (only the left longitudinal part  10  is shown) and is pivotally supported on it and is coupled to rotate with the electric motor  26  via the transmission mechanism  27 . The drive wheel  33  is covered by a cover  34  which is mounted on the transverse part  9 . The carriage  12  of the windshield bearing part  16  is U-shaped and sits movably on the guide  11  which is formed as a rail. On the two brackets  35 , which project inward from the carriage  12 , a pin  36  is mounted on which a left drive lever  37  is pivotally supported. The drive lever  37  extends roughly to the middle of the transverse part  9 , resting directly on the cover  34 , and supported to move and pivot on a pin  38  which projects upward, for example, from the cover  34  and which is held to be able to move into an elongated hole  39  in the drive lever  37 . 
   A right drive lever  40  for driving the right windshield bearing part or its carriage is located symmetrically to the left drive lever  37  and is supported in the corresponding manner by means of a pin  42  which fits into the longitudinal slot  41 . The right drive lever  40  has an inner end  43  which is bent up such that this end  43  rests on the inner end  44  of the left drive lever  37 . The inner ends  43 ,  44  of two drive levers  37 ,  40 , each contain a longitudinal guide slot  45 ,  46  in which is held a movable coupling part, e.g., the guide pin  47  which is mounted on a sliding piece  48  which is movably supported in a longitudinal guide  49  on the cover  34 . A drive part, e.g., a guide pin  50  which is eccentrically mounted on the drive wheel  33  extends through an arc-shaped slot  51  in the cover  34  (which defines a circular path) up into the longitudinal guide slot  45  in the drive lever  37  (as shown) or into the lengthwise hole  46  of the right drive lever  40 . 
   A right drive lever  40  for driving the right windshield bearing part or its carriage is located symmetrically to the left drive lever  37  and is supported in the corresponding manner by means of a pin  42  which fits into the longitudinal slot  41 . The right drive lever  40  has an inner end  43  which is bent up such that this end  43  rests on the inner end  44  of the left drive lever  37 . The inner ends  43 ,  44  of two drive levers  37 ,  40 , each contain a longitudinal guide slot  45 ,  46  in which is held the guide pin  47  which is mounted on a sliding piece  48  which is movably supported in a longitudinal guide  49  on the cover  34 . A pin  50  which is eccentrically mounted on the drive wheel  33  extends through an arc-shaped slot  51  in the cover  34  up into the longitudinal guide slot  45  in the drive lever  37  (as shown) or into the lengthwise hole  46  of the right drive lever  40 . 
   To change the position of the windshield  3 , the drive means  8  causes the drive wheel  33  to rotate and swings the windshield  3 , for example, by an angle of a maximum roughly 130° clockwise as shown in  FIGS. 8 to 13 . In doing so, the pin  50 , which slides in the longitudinal guide slot  45 , pivots the left drive lever  37  around the pin  38  so that the drive lever  37  moves the carriage  12 , and thus, the left windshield bearing part  16  to the rear via the middle intermediate position shown in  FIGS. 9 &amp; 12  into the end position which is shown in  FIGS. 10 &amp; 13  and in which the windshield  3  is raised to have a greater inclination. 
   As a result of the pin  50  which couples the two drive levers  37 ,  40  to one another, the drive motion is transferred to the two drive levers  37 ,  40  for their synchronous movement. 
   This embodiment has a small installation depth of the drive, since the drive motion takes place via the drive lever which pivots through only a comparatively small angle. The rotary motion of the pin  50  in the vicinity of the two end positions causes only minor pivoting of the two drive levers  37 ,  40 , so that starting and braking take place gently in the vicinity of the two end positions. 
   The drive means  8  is controlled via Hall sensors in the drive motor and/or via microswitches which are triggered via the drive wheel  33 . There can also be a comparable control in the first embodiment.

Technology Category: b