Retractable windshield and flare panel assembly

• US 5,857,727 A
• Filed: 04/25/1997
• Issued: 01/12/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Craig W. Vetter
• Original Assignee: Craig W. Vetter
• Inventors: Vetter, Craig W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, D. Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORROW, JASON S
• Application Number:
  US08/842,963
• Time in Patent Office: 627 Days
• Field of Search: 296/89, 296/84.1, 296/78.1, 296/96.11, 280/304.3
• US Class Current: 296/78.1
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 17/04 Windscreens
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 17/10 Ventilation or air guiding devices forming part of fairings

Abstract

A retractable windshield and flare panel assembly for a motorcycle includes a vertically moveable windshield and a pair of oppositely-moving, horizontally-retractable flare panels. A motor-driven drive screw drives a vertically moving threaded drive block. The drive block engages the windshield to move the windshield vertically. A pair of flare panel sliders are also mounted to the drive block and engage elongated slots in the flare panels. The elongated slots extend in both horizontal and vertical directions so that the flare panel sliders function as cams to move the flare panels horizontally. The drive screw is turned by a reversible motor to move the threaded drive block up and down. This vertically positions the windshield and by cam action horizontally positions the flare panel slides on each side of the windshield module. The curved movable windshield and the left and right flaring panels are arranged to slide past each other within a structurally strong module formed as a sandwich having front and rear windshield support panels and a flare support panel with the windshield and flare panels slideably mounted thereto.

Claims

1. A windshield and flare panel module for a motorcycle, comprising:

a vertically moveable windshield having side edges;

windshield guides for engaging and guiding the side edges of the windshield as the windshield edges move vertically;

a pair of oppositely-moving, horizontally-retractable flare panels extending on respective side of said motorcycle, wherein each of said pair has top and bottom edges;

flare panel guides for engaging and guiding the top and bottom edges of each of the pair of horizontally retractable flare panels as the pair of horizontally retractable flare panels move horizontally; and

a mechanism for simultaneously moving the windshield vertically and the flare panels horizontally.

2. The windshield and flare panel module of claim 1 wherein the mechanism for moving the windshield vertically and the flare panels horizontally includes:

a drive screw; and

a threaded drive block which engages and moves with the drive screw wherein the drive block is coupled to the windshield flare panels coupled to the horizontally-retractable flare panels.

3. The windshield module of claim 1 wherein the mechanism for moving the windshield vertically and the flare panels horizontally includes:

elongated cam slots formed in the movable left and right flare panels at an angle with the horizontal;

a pair of flare panel sliders coupled to the drive block, each of said panel sliders engaging one of the elongated slots formed in a respective one of the pair of left and right flare panels; and

means for turning the drive screw to move the threaded drive block vertically and thereby horizontally position the pair of flare panel sliders.

4. The windshield and flare panel module of claim 1 wherein the means for engaging and guiding the side edges of the windshield as the windshield edges move vertically includes windshield tracks for engaging and guiding the side edges of the windshield as the windshield edges slide vertically in the windshield tracks.

5. The windshield and flare panel module of claim 1 wherein the means for engaging and guiding the top and bottom edges of each of the pair of horizontally retractable flare panels as the pair of horizontally retractable flare panels move horizontally includes a pair of flare panel tracks for engaging and guiding the top and bottom edges of the horizontally retractable flare panels as the horizontally retractable flare panels move horizontally.

6. The windshield and flare panel module of claim 1 wherein the windshield is curved and wherein the windshield module includes means for reinforcing the curved windshield to provide resistance to wind-induced deformation and vibration of the windshield.

7. The windshield and flare panel module of claim 6

wherein the windshield guides are positioned between a first windshield support panel and a second windshield support panel;

wherein the flare panel guides are positioned between the one of the windshield support panels and a flare support panel;

wherein the windshield support panels and the flare support panel are curved to provide a curved support structure for the curved windshield.

8. The windshield and flare panel module of claim 7 including vertically extending angle brackets fixed to the flare support panel to provide additional rigidity to the windshield and flare panel module.

9. A windshield and flare module for a motorcycle, comprising:

a vertically moveable windshield having side edges;

windshield guides having tracks provided between the rear windshield support panel and a flare panel support panel, said flare panel tracks engaging and guiding the side edges of the windshield as the windshield edges slide vertically in the windshield tracks;

a pair of oppositely-moving, horizontally-retractable flare panels each of said pair having top and bottom edges;

flare panel guides having tracks provided between the rear windshield support panel and a flare panel support panel, said flare panel tracks engaging and guiding the top and bottom edges of the horizontally retractable flare panels as the horizontally retractable flare panels move horizontally as the pair of horizontally retractable flare panels move horizontally; and

a mechanism for moving the windshield vertically up and down and for moving the flare modules horizontally, the mechanism including;

a screw;

a windshield retainer for engaging a hole formed in the windshield;

elongated slots formed in the movable left and right flare panels and a pair of flare panel sliders, each of the sliders engaging a respective one of the slots formed in a respective left and right flare panels, wherein said elongated slot extends in both vertical and horizontal directions;

a threaded drive block which engages the screw and which is coupled to the windshield retainer and to the flare panel sliders; and

means for turning the screw to move the threaded drive block to vertically position the windshield and simultaneously horizontally position the flare panel sliders on each side of the windshield module.

10. The windshield and flare module of claim 9:

wherein the windshield guides are positioned between a first windshield support panel and a second windshield support panel;

wherein the flare panel guides are positioned between the one of the windshield support panels and a flare support panel; and

wherein the windshield support panels and the flare support panel are curved to provide a curved support structure for the curved windshield.

11. The windshield and flare module of claim 10 including vertically extending angle brackets fixed to the flare support panel to provide additional rigidity to the windshield and flare panel module.

12. The flare module of claim 11 wherein the means for turning the screw to move the threaded drive block and vertically position the windshield and horizontally position the flare panel sliders on each side of the windshield module includes a reversible motor.

13. A flaring module assembly for a motorcycle:

a vertically moveable curved windshield which has side edges;

front and a rear windshield support panels fixed together around the windshield;

windshield guides fixed between the front and rear windshield support panels and having tracks formed therein for engaging and guiding the side edges of the windshield as the windshield edges slide vertically in the tracks;

a flare support panel;

a movable left flare panel having parallel top and bottom edges;

left flare panel guides fixed between the rear windshield panel and the rear panel and having for engaging and guiding the edges of the left flare panel as the left flare panel slides horizontally in the left flare panel tracks;

a movable right flare panel having parallel top and bottom edges;

right flare panel guides fixed between the rear windshield panel and the flare support panel and having tracks for engaging and guiding the edges of the right flare panel as the right flare panel slides horizontally in the tracks;

vertically extending angle brackets fixed to the flare support panel to provide additional rigidity to the windshield and flare panel module;

a mechanism for moving the windshield vertically up and down and for moving the left and right flare modules horizontally, the mechanism including;

a screw;

a windshield retainer for engaging a hole formed in the windshield;

elongated slots formed in the movable left and right flare panels and a pair of flare panel sliders, each of the sliders engaging a respective one of the slots formed in a respective left and right flare panels;

a threaded drive block which engages the screw and which is coupled to the windshield retainer and to the flare panel sliders;

means for turning the screw to move the threaded drive block and vertically position the windshield and horizontally position the flare panel sliders on each side of the windshield module; and

a motor for turning the screw to vertically position the windshield in its tracks and to position the windshield and the left and right flare panel in their respective tracks; and

wherein the curved movable windshield, left and right flaring panels, all of the tracks, the fixed front windshield panel, the fixed rear windshield panel, the fixed flaring rear panel are arranged to slide past each other.