Leg shields in vehicle

• US 8,047,597 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2009
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Motors
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Nakamura, Kozo
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Kiran B.
• Application Number:
  US12/485,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20090250963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 296/78.1, 237/12.3 A, 454/156, 454/121, 165/42, 165/43, 165/202, 165/204
• US Class Current: 296/78.1
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 17/06 Leg guards

Abstract

A leg shield for covering a rider'"'"'s leg from front includes a shielding body positioned forwardly of a foot rest and having a ventilation opening defined therein, and a vent door pivotable about an axis of pivot for selectively opening and closing the ventilation opening. The vent door has first and second ends spaced from each other in a direction conforming to the axis of pivot and is rotatably supported at the first and second ends by first and second door support members, respectively. The axis of pivot is positioned spaced from the ventilation opening in a direction towards an inner surface of the shielding body, and the first and second door support members of the shielding body are positioned spaced away from the ventilation opening when viewed from front.

Claims

1. A leg shield for use in an automotive vehicle for covering a leg of a rider from front, which comprises:

a shielding body positioned forwardly of a foot rest and having a ventilation opening defined therein; and

a vent door pivotable about an axis of pivot for selectively opening and closing the ventilation opening;

wherein the vent door has first and second ends being spaced from each other in a direction conforming to the axis of pivot and being pivotably supported at the first and second ends by first and second door support members in the shielding body;

wherein the axis of pivot is positioned spaced from the ventilation opening inwardly of an inner surface of the shielding body; and

wherein the first and second door support members in the shielding body and the axis of pivot are positioned spaced away from the ventilation opening when viewed from front,

wherein the vent door has an outer surface capable of angularly moving along an inner surface of the leg shield during pivotal movement of the vent door and the entirety of the vent door, during the full opening thereof, overlap the shielding body when viewed from the front.

2. The leg shield for use in the automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a reinforcement rib formed in the inner surface of the shielding body so as to protrude inwardly of the shielding body over an entire circumference of the ventilation opening.

3. The leg shield for use in the automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second ends of the vent door is formed with a to-be-supported member supported pivotably by the corresponding door support member of the shielding body and further comprising a lever connected to the to-be-supported member for selectively opening and closing the vent door,

wherein the lever is positioned spaced away from the axis of pivot to protrude inwardly of the vent door.

4. The leg shield for use in the automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a lever for selectively opening and closing the vent door, the lever being fitted to one of the first and second ends of the vent door, which is positioned on an upper portion of the vent door,

wherein the lever is positioned spaced away from the axis of pivot to protrude inwardly of the vent door.

5. The leg shield for use in the automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the ventilation opening is formed in a rectangular shape and the axis of pivot extends in a direction lengthwise of the ventilation opening and wherein a sectional shape of the vent door along the axis of pivot represents a curved shape bulged outwardly from the first and second ends.

6. The leg shield for use in the automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the ventilation opening is formed in a rectangular shape and the axis of pivot extends in a direction lengthwise of the ventilation opening and wherein a sectional shape of the vent door along the axis of pivot represents a curved shape bulged outwardly from the first and second ends.

7. The leg shield for use in the automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a regulating member provided in the shielding body and engageable with the lever for regulating a stroke of pivotal movement of the vent door during at least one of full opening and completely closing.

8. The leg shield for use in the automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a regulating member provided in the shielding body and engageable with the lever for regulating a stroke of pivotal movement of the vent door during at least one of full opening and completely closing.

9. The leg shield for use in the automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a door adjusting mechanism for adjusting the opening of the vent door in stepwise fashion, the door adjusting mechanism having a plurality of engagement holes formed in one of the shielding body and the vent door and corresponding respectively to the stepwise opening of the ventilation opening, and an engagement element formed in the other of the shielding body and the vent door for selectively engaging in any one of the engagement holes when the door is pivoted, the engagement element being normally urged into one of the engagement holes by a spring force.

10. The leg shield for use in the automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the automotive vehicle is a motorcycle.

11. A leg shield for use in an automotive vehicle for covering front portion of a leg of a rider, which comprises:

a shielding body positioned forwardly of a foot rest and having a ventilation opening defined therein; and

a vent door pivotable about an axis of pivot for selectively opening and closing the ventilation opening;

wherein the vent door has first and second ends being spaced from each other in a direction conforming to the axis of pivot and being pivotably supported at the first and second ends by first and second door support members in the shielding body;

wherein the axis of pivot is positioned spaced from the ventilation opening inwardly of an inner surface of the shielding body;

wherein the first and second door support members in the shielding body are positioned spaced away from the ventilation opening when viewed from front; and

wherein the vent door has an outer surface capable of angularly moving along an inner surface of the leg shield during pivotal movement of the vent door and a portion of the vent door, during a partial opening of the vent door, overlaps the shielding body in a longitudinal direction when viewed from the front of the shielding body.

12. The leg shield for use in the automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 11, wherein the entirety of the vent door, during a full opening of the vent door, overlaps the shielding body when viewed from the front of the shielding body.

13. The leg shield for use in the automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first and second ends of the vent door are formed with a to be supported member supported pivotably through a first pivotal support unit and a second pivotal support unit by the corresponding door support member of the shielding body, respectively;

and

wherein the first pivotal support unit and the second pivotal support unit are positioned to be spaced a distance from each other in the pivotal axial direction with their respective axes aligned with each other on the same line to thereby define the axis of pivot.

14. The leg shield for use in the automotive vehicle as claimed in claim 13, wherein the ventilation opening is formed in a rectangular shape and the axis of pivot extends in a direction lengthwise of the ventilation opening and wherein a sectional shape of the vent door along the axis of pivot represents a curved shape bulged outwardly from the first and second ends.