MULTI-POSITION FOOTBOARD

• US 20100175942A1
• Filed: 01/12/2009
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harley-Davidson Motor Company Group Incorporated (Harley-Davidson Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Harley-Davidson Motor Company Group Incorporated (Harley-Davidson Incorporated)
• Inventors: Nelson, Kurt C., Ketterhagen, Casey A., McNulty, Michael P., Griep, David B., DeCaluwe, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,997,604 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/90.600
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 25/04 Floor-type foot rests
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20918 Foot rests

Abstract

A footboard assembly configured to be coupled to a motorcycle supported in a vertically upright position. The footboard assembly includes a footboard and a footpeg arm. The footboard is configured to couple to the motorcycle and to support a foot of a rider. A top surface of the footboard defines a foot support plane. The footpeg arm includes an attachment portion pivotally coupled to the footboard about a pivot axis that is not parallel to the foot support plane. The footpeg arm includes a footpeg portion spaced from the attachment portion. The footpeg arm pivots about the pivot axis between a stowed position, in which the footpeg portion defines a first height and a deployed position, in which the footpeg portion defines a second height higher than the first height.

Claims

1. A footboard assembly configured to be coupled to a motorcycle supported in a vertically upright position, the footboard assembly comprising:

a footboard configured to couple to the motorcycle and to support a foot of a rider, a top surface of the footboard defining a foot support plane; and

a footpeg arm including an attachment portion pivotally coupled to the footboard about a pivot axis that is not parallel to the foot support plane, the footpeg arm including a footpeg portion spaced from the attachment portion,

wherein the footpeg arm is mounted for pivoting about the pivot axis between a stowed position, in which the footpeg portion defines a first height, and a deployed position, in which the footpeg portion defines a second height higher than the first height.

2. The footboard assembly of claim 1, further comprising a retention mechanism including

a ball and a spring coupled to one of the footboard and the attachment portion, the spring biasing the ball toward the attachment portion, and

at least one detent in the other of the footboard and the attachment portion that at least partially receives the ball when the footpeg arm is in one of the stowed position and the deployed position to releasably retain the footpeg arm in the one of the stowed position and the deployed position.

3. The footboard assembly of claim 1, wherein the footboard further includes a receiving portion that receives the footpeg arm when the footpeg arm is in the stowed position.

4. The footboard assembly of claim 3, wherein the receiving portion defines a protruding portion that abuts the footpeg arm when the footpeg arm is in the stowed position.

5. The footboard assembly of claim 1, wherein the footboard includes a cover defining a perimeter when viewed from above, and wherein the footpeg arm is substantially entirely positioned within the perimeter when the footpeg arm is in the stowed position.

6. The footboard assembly of claim 1, wherein the footboard further comprises an attachment surface substantially parallel to and in sliding contact with the attachment portion, the attachment surface perpendicular to the pivot axis.

7. The footboard assembly of claim 1, wherein the footboard further comprises

a footboard base including an outboard side and a front end when coupled to the motorcycle, and

a footboard cover coupled to the footboard base,

wherein the attachment portion is pivotally coupled to the footboard base at the outboard side adjacent the front end.

8. A motorcycle comprising:

a frame;

front and rear wheels rotatably coupled to the frame to support the frame in a vertically upright position on a horizontal support surface;

a footboard coupled to the frame and configured to support a foot of a rider; and

a footpeg arm including an attachment portion pivotally coupled to the footboard about a non-horizontal axis and a footpeg portion spaced from the attachment portion,

wherein the footpeg arm pivots about the non-horizontal axis between a stowed position, in which the footpeg portion defines a first height and a deployed position, in which the footpeg portion defines a second height higher than the first height.

9. The motorcycle claim 8, further comprising a retention mechanism including

a ball and a spring coupled to one of the footboard and the attachment portion, the spring biasing the ball toward the attachment portion, and

at least one detent in the other of the footboard and the attachment portion that partially receives the ball when the footpeg arm is in one of the stowed position and the deployed position to releasably retain the footpeg arm in the one of the stowed position and the deployed position.

10. The motorcycle of claim 8, wherein the footboard further includes a receiving portion that receives the footpeg arm when the footpeg arm is in the stowed position.

11. The motorcycle of claim 10, wherein the receiving portion defines a protruding portion that abuts the footpeg arm when the footpeg arm is in the stowed position.

12. The motorcycle of claim 8, wherein the footboard includes a cover defining a perimeter, and wherein the footpeg arm is substantially entirely positioned within the perimeter when the footpeg arm is in the stowed position.

13. The motorcycle of claim 8, wherein the footboard further comprises an attachment surface, the attachment surface substantially parallel to and in sliding contact with the attachment portion, and the attachment surface perpendicular to the pivot axis.

14. The motorcycle of claim 8, wherein the footboard further comprises

a footboard base coupled to the frame and including an outboard side and a front end, and

a footboard cover coupled to the footboard base,

wherein the attachment portion is pivotally coupled to the footboard base at the outboard side adjacent the front end.

15. A method of adjusting a footboard assembly of a motorcycle supported in a vertically upright position, the method comprising:

supporting a foot of a rider of the motorcycle with a footboard of the footboard assembly, a top surface of the footboard defining a foot support plane;

raising a footpeg portion of a footpeg arm from a first height when the footpeg arm is in a stowed position to a second height when the footpeg arm is in a deployed position by pivoting the footpeg arm of the footboard assembly about a pivot axis that is not parallel to the foot support plane; and

supporting the foot on the footpeg portion when the footpeg arm is in the deployed position.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising releasably retaining the footpeg arm in one of the deployed position and the stowed position.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving the footpeg arm in a receiving portion of the footboard when the footpeg arm is in the stowed position.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising abutting the footpeg arm against a protruding portion of the footboard when the footpeg arm is in the stowed position.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising positioning the footpeg portion at one of adjacent to and below a cover of the footboard when the footpeg arm is in the stowed position.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising positioning the footpeg portion above a cover of the footboard when the footpeg arm is in the deployed position.