Headlight mounting arrangement

• US 7,571,787 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2006
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Harley-Davidson Motor Company Group Incorporated (Harley-Davidson Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Harley-Davidson Motor Company Group LLC (Harley-Davidson Incorporated)
• Inventors: Saiki, Scott J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Freedman; Laura
• Application Number:
  US11/535,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20070075514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 180/210, 180/311, 180/312, 180/908, 280/5.509, 280/124.103, 280/124.134, 362/43, 362/52, 362/57, 362/59, 362/469, 362/473, 362/476, 362/507, 362/525, 362/475
• US Class Current: 180/210
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 21/007 means for adjusting the wheel inclination
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 21/05 between wheels on the same axle but on different sides of the vehicle, i.e. the left and right wheel suspensions being interconnected
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/144 with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/312 The spring being a wound spring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/128 Damper mount on vehicle body or chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/129 Damper mount on wheel suspension or knuckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/143 on the vehicle body or chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/148 on the unsprung part of the vehicle, e.g. wheel knuckle or rigid axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/414 Cardan joints
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/122 Trikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/45 Rolling frame vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/00 Pivoted suspension arms; Accessories thereof means for maintaining substantially constant wheel camber during suspension movement B60G3/26; articulations for wheels B60G5/00; leaf spring attaching means B60G11/10, B60G11/12; trailing arm twist beam axle attaching means B60G21/052; articulations in general F16C
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0035 relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0483 mounted on a bracket, e.g. details concerning the mouting of the lamps on the vehicle body
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/124 by mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 6/027 Supporting means therefor, e.g. mounting brackets
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2005/001 Suspension details for cycles with three or more main road wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/027 Motorcycles with three wheels specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/023
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/05 characterised by a single rear wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/10 with means for inwardly inclining the vehicle body on bends
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 180/908 : Motor vehicles with short wheelbase

Abstract

A vehicle comprising a frame, at least one wheel operable to contact a substantially horizontal support surface, a prime mover supported by the frame and in driving engagement with the at least one wheel, a suspension system operable to maintain the frame in an upright position while driving along a straight path and to permit the frame to lean relative to the support surface while cornering, and at least two headlights coupled to the suspension system and arranged in a substantially horizontal configuration, wherein the headlights remain in the substantially horizontal configuration when the frame is in the upright position and when the frame is leaning.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a frame;

at least one wheel operable to contact a substantially horizontal support surface;

a suspension system operable to maintain the frame in an upright position while driving along a straight path and to permit the frame to lean relative to the support surface while cornering; and

at least one headlight mounted on the suspension system and arranged in a substantially horizontal configuration, wherein the headlight remains in the substantially horizontal configuration when the frame is in the upright position and when the frame is leaning.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the suspension system includes a substantially horizontal transverse beam pivotally connected to the frame and first and second lean actuators pivotably connected between the frame and the transverse beam, the first and second actuators actuable to lean the vehicle while cornering, and wherein the transverse beam remains substantially horizontal when the vehicle leans.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the at least one headlight is supported by the transverse beam.

4. The vehicle of claim 2, wherein the suspension system further includes at least two control arms pivotably connected to the frame and extending from the frame in substantially opposite directions.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, further comprising at least two damping members pivotably supported at a first end by the control arms and pivotably supported at a second end by pivot members extending through the transverse beam.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, further comprising a headlight bracket for supporting the headlight, the headlight bracket being supported by the transverse beam and including an aperture through which the pivot member extends.

7. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising two front wheels, and wherein the at least one wheel is a single rear wheel.

8. A vehicle comprising:

a frame;

at least one wheel rotatably coupled to the frame and operable to contact a substantially horizontal support surface;

a suspension system operable to maintain the frame in an upright position while driving along a straight path and to permit the frame to lean relative to the support surface while cornering, the suspension system including a transverse beam pivotally coupled to the frame; and

at least one headlight having a substantially horizontal orientation when the frame is in the upright position and maintaining the substantially horizontal orientation when the frame is leaned while cornering, the orientation of the at least one headlight relative to the transverse beam of the suspension system being substantially unchanged when the frame is leaned from the upright position while cornering.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the at least one headlight is mounted on the transverse beam.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the suspension system further includes at least two control arms pivotably connected to the frame and extending from the frame in substantially opposite directions, and first and second lean actuators pivotably connected between the frame and the transverse beam, the first and second lean actuators actuable to lean the vehicle while cornering.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, further comprising at least two damping members pivotably supported at a first end by the control arms and pivotably supported at a second end by pivot members extending through the transverse beam.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, further comprising a headlight bracket for supporting the headlight, the headlight bracket being supported by the transverse beam and including an aperture through which the pivot member extends.

13. The vehicle of claim 8, further comprising two front wheels, and wherein the at least one wheel is a single rear wheel.

14. A vehicle comprising:

a frame;

at least one wheel operable to contact a substantially horizontal support surface;

a suspension system operable to maintain the frame in an upright position while driving along a straight path and to permit the frame to lean relative to the support surface while cornering; and

at least one headlight mounted on the suspension system and arranged in a first orientation when the frame is in the upright position while driving along a straight path, wherein the headlight leans at an angle relative to the first orientation while cornering, and wherein the angle of the lean of the headlight is less than the angle of the lean of the frame while cornering.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the suspension system includes a substantially horizontal transverse beam pivotally connected to the frame and first and second lean actuators pivotably connected between the frame and the transverse beam, the first and second actuators actuable to lean the vehicle while cornering, and wherein the transverse beam remains substantially horizontal when the vehicle leans.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the at least one headlight is supported by the transverse beam.

17. The vehicle of claim 15, further comprising at least two damping members pivotably supported at a first end by the control arms and pivotably supported at a second end by pivot members extending through the transverse beam.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, further comprising a headlight bracket for supporting the headlight, the headlight bracket being supported by the transverse beam and including an aperture through which the pivot member extends.

19. The vehicle of claim 14, further comprising two front wheels, and wherein the at least one wheel is a single rear wheel.

20. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the angle of the lean of the headlight is less than 10 degrees when the angle of the lean of the frame is approximately 30 degrees while cornering.