Tail lamp structure for motorcycle

• US 20030063472A1
• Filed: 08/09/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ban, Tetsuo, Shibata, Yumio
• Granted Patent: US 6,793,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/473
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 6/045 indicating braking

Abstract

A tail lamp unit is disposed inside a rear end portion of a rear cowl of a motorcycle. The rear end portion has a shape whose lateral width narrows or tapers toward an upper end of the rear cowl. A tail lamp is disposed on an upper portion of the tail lamp structure and a brake lamp is disposed beneath the tail lamp, thereby ensuring a sufficient lighting area of the brake lamp.

Claims

1. A tail lamp structure for a motorcycle, said tail lamp structure comprising:

a tail lamp unit having an upper tail lamp portion and a lower tail lamp portion;

a rear cowl having a rear end portion and an upper end, said rear end portion having a tapered shape with a lateral width narrowing toward the upper end of said rear cowl; and

a tail lamp being disposed in the upper tail lamp portion and a brake lamp being disposed in the lower tail lamp portion.

2. The tail lamp structure according to claim 1, further comprising a pair of mounting portions on left and right sides of a longitudinally intermediate portion of the rear cowl.

3. The tail lamp structure according to claim 1, wherein said tail lamp unit includes a front portion and a rear side.

4. The tail lamp structure according to claim 3, further comprising:

a lamp holding portion provided on the front portion of the tail lamp unit; and

a tail lamp cover mounted on the rear side of the tail lamp unit, said tail lamp cover having a tapered shape corresponding to the tapered shape of the rear cowl.

5. The tail lamp structure according to claim 4, the lamp holding portion including a row of LEDs in an upper portion of the lamp cover forming said tail lamp.

6. The tail lamp structure according to claim 4, the lamp holding portion including rows of brake lamp LEDs arrayed in a lateral direction, said LEDs for the brake lamp being provided in a lower portion of the lamp cover.

18. The tail lamp structure according to claim 5, the lamp holding portion including rows of brake lamp LEDs arrayed in a lateral direction, said LEDs for the brake lamp being provided in a lower portion of the lamp cover.

7. A tail lamp structure for a motorcycle having a first rear fender and a second rear fender, wherein said second rear fender is mounted to a rear portion of the first rear fender, said tail lamp structure comprising:

a tail lamp unit having an upper tail lamp portion and a lower tail lamp portion;

a rear cowl having a rear end portion and an upper end, said rear end portion having a tapered shape with a lateral width narrowing toward the upper end of said rear cowl; and

a tail lamp being disposed in the upper tail lamp portion and a brake lamp being disposed in the lower tail lamp portion; and

a pair of left and right rear blinkers mounted to a boundary portion between the first rear fender and the second rear fender.

8. The tail lamp structure according to claim 7, wherein the tail lamp unit is disposed in a space formed between the rear end portion of the rear cowl and a rear end portion of the first rear fender disposed beneath the rear cowl.

9. The tail lamp structure according to claim 7, further comprising a pair of mounting portions on left and right sides of a longitudinally intermediate portion of the rear cowl.

10. The tail lamp structure according to claim 7, wherein a rear end portion of the second rear fender covers the lower tail lamp portion of the tail lamp unit.

11. The tail lamp structure according to claim 7, wherein a rear end portion of the first rear fender covers the upper tail lamp portion of the tail lamp unit.

12. The tail lamp structure according to claim 7, wherein the first and second rear fenders each have a tapered shape, said tapered shapes of said first and second rear fenders narrowing toward the rear end portion of the rear cowl.

13. The tail lamp structure according to claim 7, wherein said tail lamp unit includes a front portion and a rear side.

14. The tail lamp structure according to claim 13, further comprising:

a lamp holding portion provided on the front portion of the tail lamp unit; and

a tail lamp cover mounted on the rear side of the tail lamp unit, said tail lamp cover having a tapered shape corresponding to the tapered shape of the rear cowl.

15. The tail lamp structure according to claim 14, the lamp holding portion including a row of LEDs in an upper portion of the lamp cover forming said tail lamp.

16. The tail lamp structure according to claim 14, the lamp holding portion including rows of brake lamp LEDs arrayed in a lateral direction, said LEDs for the brake lamp being provided in a lower portion of the lamp cover.

17. The tail lamp structure according to claim 15, the lamp holding portion including rows of brake lamp LEDs arrayed in a lateral direction, said LEDs for the brake lamp being provided in a lower portion of the lamp cover.