Universal fit fuel tank

• US 6,478,335 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2001
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Custom Chrome Inc.
• Original Assignee: Custom Chrome Inc.
• Inventors: Reed, John Geoffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Hurley, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US09/800,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20020121773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 280/830, 280/834, 280/835
• US Class Current: 280/835
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 35/00 Fuel tanks specially adapted for motorcycles or engine-assisted cycles; Arrangements thereof fuel tanks forming part of cycle frames B62K11/00; tanks in general B60K ; closure caps for fuel tanks B60K15/0406

Abstract

A universal fit fuel tank includes two forward adjustment channels and one rear adjustment channel. The adjustment channels are formed by attaching a retainer plate over indentations in a tunnel, the tunnel extending longitudinally through the fuel tank. Each retainer plate has an adjustment slot located over each indentation in the tunnel. A bracket is movably attached at each adjustment channel for attaching the fuel tank to a frame. Each bracket is attached to the fuel tank by passing a bolt through a hole in the bracket, through the adjustment slot, and into the adjustment channel, where the bolt threadingly engages a nut.

Claims

1. A fuel tank for mounting on a frame of a motorcycle comprising:

a housing defining a substantially enclosed reservoir for storing fuel, the housing having a tunnel that extends longitudinally through the housing; and

a bracket adjustably connected to the tunnel and connecting the housing to the motorcycle frame at a first location, wherein the tank can be mounted on a variety of motorcycle frames.

2. The fuel tank of claim 1 further comprising a second bracket adjustably connected to the tunnel for connecting the housing to the motorcycle frame at a second location.

3. The fuel tank of claim 1 further comprising:

a second bracket adjustably connected to the tunnel for connecting the housing to the motorcycle frame at a second location; and

a third bracket adjustably connected to the tunnel for connecting the housing to the motorcycle frame at a third location.

4. The fuel tank according to claim 1 further comprising:

an adjustment channel disposed in the tunnel, the adjustment channel receiving a nut having threads; and

an adjustment slot for slidably receiving a bolt, the bolt being operably attached to the bracket and passing through the adjustment slot and into the adjustment channel, whereby the bolt threadingly engages the nut.

5. The fuel tank according to claim 4, wherein the adjustment channel is formed by an indentation in a wall of the tunnel, the indentation having a retainer plate disposed thereon.

6. The fuel tank according to claim 4, wherein:

the adjustment channel is formed by an indentation in a wall of the tunnel, the indentation having a retainer plate disposed thereon; and

the adjustment channel has a longitudinal axis forming an angle of approximately 30 to 45 degrees with a vertical axis of the motorcycle frame.

7. The fuel tank of claim 1 further comprising:

a second bracket adjustably connected to the tunnel for connecting the housing to the motorcycle frame at a second location;

a first adjustment channel disposed in the tunnel, the first adjustment channel receiving a first nut having threads;

a first adjustment slot for slidably receiving a first bolt, the first bolt being operably attached to the first bracket and passing through the first adjustment slot and into the first adjustment channel, whereby the first bolt threadingly engages the first nut;

a second adjustment channel disposed in the tunnel, the second adjustment channel receiving a second nut having threads; and

a second adjustment slot for slidably receiving a second bolt, the second bolt being operably attached to the second bracket and passing through the second adjustment slot and into the second adjustment channel, whereby the second bolt threadingly engages the second nut.

8. The fuel tank according to claim 7, wherein:

the first adjustment channel is formed by a first indentation in a wall of the tunnel, the first indentation having a first retainer plate disposed thereon; and

the second adjustment channel is formed by a second indentation in a wall of the tunnel, the second indentation having a second retainer plate disposed thereon.

9. The fuel tank of claim 1 further comprising:

a second bracket adjustably connected to the tunnel for connecting the housing to the motorcycle frame at a second location;

a third bracket adjustably connected to the tunnel for connecting the housing to the motorcycle frame at a third location;

a first adjustment channel disposed in the tunnel, the first adjustment channel receiving a first nut having threads;

a first adjustment slot for slidably receiving a first bolt, the first bolt being operably attached to the first bracket and passing through the first adjustment slot and into the first adjustment channel, whereby the first bolt threadingly engages the first nut;

a second adjustment channel disposed in the tunnel, the second adjustment channel receiving a second nut having threads;

a second adjustment slot for slidably receiving a second bolt, the second bolt being operably attached to the second bracket and passing through the second adjustment slot and into the second adjustment channel, whereby the second bolt threadingly engages the second nut;

a third adjustment channel disposed in the tunnel, the third adjustment channel receiving a third nut having threads; and

a third adjustment slot for slidably receiving a third bolt, the third bolt being operably attached to the third bracket and passing through the third adjustment slot and into the third adjustment channel, whereby the third bolt threadingly engages the third nut.

10. The fuel tank according to claim 9, wherein:

the first adjustment channel is formed by a first indentation in a wall of the tunnel, the first indentation having a first retainer plate disposed thereon;

the second adjustment channel is formed by a second indentation in a wall of the tunnel, the second indentation having a second retainer plate disposed thereon; and

the third adjustment channel is formed by a third indentation in a wall of the tunnel, the third indentation having a third retainer plate disposed thereon.

11. The fuel tank according to claim 10 wherein the first and second adjustment channels each have a longitudinal axis forming an angle of approximately 30 to 45 degrees with the vertical axis of the motorcycle frame.

12. A fuel tank for mounting on a frame of a motorcycle, the fuel tank comprising:

a housing defining a substantially enclosed reservoir for storing fuel, the housing having an upper surface, a lower surface, two side surfaces, a front, and a rear, the housing also having a tunnel that extends longitudinally from the front of the housing to the rear;

a first bracket for attaching the housing to the motorcycle frame at a first location;

a first indentation located in the tunnel, the first indentation receiving a first nut for attaching the first bracket to the housing; and

a first retaining plate connected to the housing that substantially covers the first indentation, the first retaining plate having a first adjustment slot for slidably receiving a first bolt for attaching the first bracket to the housing, the first bolt passing through the first adjustment slot and engaging the first nut in the first indentation.

13. The fuel tank according to claim 12 further comprising:

a second bracket for attaching the housing to the motorcycle frame at a second location;

a second indentation located in the tunnel, the second indentation receiving a second nut for attaching the second bracket to the housing; and

a second retaining plate connected to the housing that substantially covers the second indentation, the second retaining plate having a second adjustment slot for slidably receiving a second bolt for attaching the second bracket to the housing, the second bolt passing through the second adjustment slot and engaging the second nut in the second indentation.

14. The fuel tank according to claim 12, wherein the first indentation is located in the tunnel toward the front of the housing.

15. The fuel tank according to claim 12, wherein the first indentation is located in the tunnel toward the rear of the housing.

16. The fuel tank according to claim 12 further comprising:

a second bracket for attaching the housing to the motorcycle frame at a second location;

a second indentation located in the tunnel, the second indentation receiving a second nut for attaching the second bracket to the housing;

a second retaining plate connected to the housing that substantially covers the second indentation, the second retaining plate having a second adjustment slot for slidably receiving a second bolt for attaching the second bracket to the housing, the second bolt passing through the second adjustment slot and engaging the second nut in the second indentation; and

wherein

the first indentation is located in the tunnel toward the front of the housing; and

the second indentation is located in the tunnel toward the rear of the housing.

17. The fuel tank according to claim 12 further comprising:

a second bracket for attaching the housing to the motorcycle frame at a second location;

a second indentation located in the tunnel, the second indentation receiving a second nut for attaching the second bracket to the housing;

a second retaining plate connected to the housing that substantially covers the second indentation, the second retaining plate having a second adjustment slot for slidably receiving a second bolt for attaching the second bracket to the housing, the second bolt passing through the second adjustment slot and engaging the second nut in the second indentation; and

wherein

the first and second indentations are both located in the tunnel toward the front of the housing.

18. A fuel tank for mounting on a frame of a motorcycle comprising:

a housing defining a substantially enclosed reservoir for storing fuel, the housing having an upper surface, a lower surface, two side surfaces, a front, and a rear, the housing also having a tunnel that extends longitudinally from the front of the housing to the rear, the tunnel being generally U-shaped and defining two side walls and an upper wall;

a first bracket for attaching the fuel tank to the motorcycle frame at a first selected location;

a first indentation located in the upper wall of the tunnel toward the rear of the housing, the first indentation receiving a first nut for attaching the first bracket to the housing;

a first retaining plate connected to the housing for substantially covering the first indentation, the first retaining plate having a first adjustment slot for slidably receiving a first bolt for attaching the first bracket to the housing, the first bolt passing through the first adjustment slot and engaging the first nut in the first indentation;

a second bracket for attaching the fuel tank to the motorcycle frame at a second selected location;

a second indentation located in one of the side walls of the tunnel toward the front of the housing, the second indentation receiving a second nut for attaching the second bracket to the housing; and

a second retaining plate connected to the housing for substantially covering the second indentation, the second retaining plate having a second adjustment slot for slidably receiving a second bolt for attaching the second bracket to the housing, the second bolt passing through the second adjustment slot and engaging the second nut in the second indentation.

19. The fuel tank according to claim 18, wherein:

the first retaining plate is welded to the upper wall of the tunnel to cover the first indentation; and

the second retaining plate is welded to the side wall of the tunnel to cover the second indentation.

20. The fuel tank according to claim 18 further comprising:

a third bracket for attaching the fuel tank to the motorcycle frame at a third selected location;

a third indentation located in one of the side walls of the tunnel toward the front of the housing, the third indentation receiving a third nut for attaching the third bracket to the housing; and

a third retaining plate connected to the housing for substantially covering the third indentation, the third retaining plate having a third adjustment slot for slidably receiving a third bolt for attaching the third bracket to the housing, the third bolt passing through the third adjustment slot and engaging the third nut in the third indentation.

21. The fuel tank according to claim 18 wherein the second indentation forms an angle of approximately 30 to 45 degrees with a vertical axis of the motorcycle frame.