Engine control tilt switch for motorcycles

• US 20040256170A1
• Filed: 06/20/2003
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dowon D. Gaudiano
• Original Assignee: Dowon D. Gaudiano
• Inventors: Gaudiano, Dowon D.
• Granted Patent: US 6,938,717 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/282
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/14 responsive to accident or emergency, e.g. deceleration, tilt of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 27/00 Safety equipment

Abstract

A tilt switch to be carried by a motorcycle and connected in an engine control circuit to control the rotational speed of the motorcycle engine in response to the front end of the motorcycle lifting off the ground during rapid acceleration events (e.g. a “wheelie”) to prevent the motorcycle from flipping over and causing injury or death to the operator and/or his passenger. Also connected in the engine control circuit is an on/off override switch that is located at the front of the motorcycle so as to be in easy reach of the operator. When the front wheel of the motorcycle is elevated with the override switch moved to the on position, the tilt switch will assume a closed switch condition to complete the engine control circuit. The engine control circuit then causes the engine speed of the motorcycle to slow such that the acceleration of the motorcycle will be correspondingly reduced, whereby the front wheel will automatically return to the ground to prevent the motorcycle from flipping over. With the override switch in the off position, the engine control circuit will be disabled regardless of the level of the motorcycle and the switch condition of the tilt switch carried thereby.

Claims

1. For use on a motor vehicle having front and rear wheels,

a level detector that is responsive to the elevation of the front wheel of the motor vehicle off the ground;

and

an electrical engine control circuit within which said level detector is connected to control the operation of the engine of the motor vehicle,

said level detector having an open circuit condition by which to disable said electrical engine control circuit when each of the front and rear wheels of the motor vehicle is in contact with the ground, and said level detector having a closed circuit condition by which to complete said electrical engine control circuit when the front wheel of the motor vehicle is lifted above the ground during an acceleration for causing the engine speed of the motor vehicle to slow and the acceleration of the motor vehicle to be correspondingly reduced, whereby the front wheel of the motor vehicle will return to the ground to prevent the motorcycle from flipping over.

2. The level detector and engine control circuit recited in claim 1, wherein the motor vehicle on which said level detector and circuit are used is a motorcycle.

3. The level detector and engine control circuit recited in claim 1, wherein said level detector is a tilt switch.

4. The level detector and engine control circuit recited in claim 3, wherein said tilt switch includes a pair of spaced switch contacts and an electrically conductive liquid, said tilt switch having said open circuit condition by which to disable said engine control circuit when the electrically conductive liquid is isolated from said pair of switch contacts and said pair of switch contacts are disconnected from one another, and said tilt switch having said closed circuit condition by which to complete said engine control circuit when said pair of switch contacts are immersed in the electrically conductive liquid and said switch contacts are thereby electrically connected to one another.

5. The level detector and engine control circuit recited in claim 1, wherein said engine control circuit also includes an on/off override switch connected in electrical series with said level detector, said override switch being placed in an on position to complete said engine control circuit when said level detector has said closed circuit condition, and said override switch being placed in an off position to disable said engine control circuit regardless of whether said level detector has said open or said closed circuit condition.

6. The level detector and engine control circuit recited in claim 5, wherein said level detector is attached to the rear of the motor vehicle, and said on/off override switch is attached to the front of the motor vehicle at a location so as to lie in easy reach of the operator, said motor control circuit also including electrical wires running between the front and rear of the motor vehicle by which to connect said level detector to said override switch.

7. In combination:

a motorcycle having front and rear wheels, and

a tilt switch connected in an electrical engine control circuit to control the speed of the engine of the motorcycle, said tilt switch carried by the motorcycle so as to have an open switch condition by which to disable said engine control circuit when each of the front and rear wheels of the motorcycle is in contact with the ground and a closed switch condition by which to complete said engine control circuit when the front wheel of the motorcycle is elevated above the ground during acceleration for causing the engine speed of the motorcycle to slow and the acceleration of the motorcycle to be correspondingly reduced, whereby the front wheel will return to the ground to prevent the motorcycle from flipping over.

8. The combination recited in claim 7, also including an on/off override switch connected in said engine control circuit in electrical series with said tilt switch, said override switch being placed in an on position to complete said engine control circuit when said tilt switch has said closed switch condition, and said override switch being placed in an off position to disable said engine control circuit regardless of whether said tilt switch has said open or said closed switch condition.