Vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10604205-B2
Application number	US-201715845273-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2017
Priority date	Dec 27, 2016
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

A vehicle includes a vehicle frame, a steering swivel unit supported on a head pipe of the vehicle frame and angularly movable about a steering axis, a steering handle mounted on the steering swivel unit, and a cover assembly covering the steering swivel unit from above, wherein the cover assembly includes a fixed cover fixed to a vehicle body and a movable cover covering an upper opening defined in the fixed cover, and the movable cover is angularly movable in unison with the steering handle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle including a vehicle frame, a steering swivel unit supported on a head pipe of the vehicle frame and angularly movable about a steering axis, and a steering handle mounted on the steering swivel unit, said vehicle comprising:
a cover assembly covering the steering swivel unit from above, wherein said cover assembly includes:
a fixed cover fixed to a vehicle body, the fixed cover having a hollow tubular member; and
a movable cover covering an upper opening defined in the fixed cover and being angularly movable with respect to said fixed cover, the movable cover having a peripheral wall having a same shape as the hollow tubular member,
wherein said movable cover is angularly movable in unison with said steering handle.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said movable cover has an opening defined in an upper wall of said movable cover, and a handle holder that supports said steering handle on said steering swivel unit is fitted in said opening.

3. The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein said opening is shaped complementarily to an outer profile of said handle holder.

4. The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein said movable cover has an upwardly extending rib formed along a peripheral edge of said opening.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said movable cover includes an upper wall which is circular in shape as viewed along said steering axis and the peripheral wall extends from a peripheral edge of the upper wall toward said fixed cover.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a front cover which covers said head pipe on a front side of said head pipe,
wherein said front cover includes an extension cover extending rearwardly from an upper edge of said front cover, said extension cover having a rear edge contiguous to a front edge of said movable cover.

7. A vehicle including a vehicle frame, a steering swivel unit supported on a head pipe of the vehicle frame and angularly movable about a steering axis, and a steering handle mounted on the steering swivel unit, said vehicle comprising:
a cover assembly covering the steering swivel unit from above, wherein said cover assembly includes a fixed cover fixed to a vehicle body and a movable cover covering an upper opening defined in the fixed cover and being angularly movable with respect to said fixed cover, and
a steering handle turning mechanism that makes said steering handle angularly movable about said steering axis relatively to said steering swivel unit,
wherein said cover assembly covers said steering handle turning mechanism from above, and
wherein said movable cover is angularly movable in unison with said steering handle.

8. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the hollow tubular member of the fixed cover is cylindrical.

9. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the peripheral wall of the movable cover has a same size as the hollow tubular member of the fixed cover so that the peripheral wall of the movable cover is vertically contiguous with the hollow tubular member of the fixed cover.

10. The vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein the fixed cover comprises a boxed shaped portion with an upper face and the hollow tubular member extends upward from the upper face.

11. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the fixed cover comprises a boxed shaped portion with an upper face and the hollow tubular member extends upward from the upper face.

12. The vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein the fixed cover further comprises a rearward extension extending from the boxed shaped portion.

13. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the movable cover has a single central opening allowing the passage of steering axis.

14. The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the head pipe extends downward from the steering handle and a front cover is in front of the cover assembly and covers the head pipe.

15. A vehicle including a vehicle frame, a steering swivel unit supported on a head pipe of the vehicle frame and angularly movable about a steering axis, and a steering handle mounted on the steering swivel unit, said vehicle comprising:
a cover assembly covering the steering swivel unit from above,
wherein said cover assembly includes a fixed cover fixed to a vehicle body and a movable cover covering an upper opening defined in the fixed cover and is angularly movable with respect to said fixed cover,
wherein the fixed cover covers an entire perimeter of the steering axis in the upper opening of the fixed cover,
wherein the vehicle has a front cover that covers the head pipe from a front side of the head pipe,
wherein the fixed cover is provided as a separate part from the front cover, and
wherein the movable cover is angularly movable in unison with said steering handle.

16. A vehicle including a vehicle frame, a steering swivel unit supported on a head pipe of the vehicle frame and angularly movable about a steering axis, and a steering handle mounted on the steering swivel unit, said vehicle comprising:
a cover assembly covering the steering swivel unit from above,
wherein said cover assembly includes a fixed cover fixed to a vehicle body and a movable cover covering an upper opening defined in the fixed cover and is angularly movable with respect to said fixed cover,
wherein the fixed cover covers an entire perimeter of the steering axis in the upper opening of the fixed cover,
wherein the fixed cover comprises a boxed shaped portion and a hollow tubular member disposed centrally, in a transverse direction of the vehicle, on an upper face of the boxed shaped portion and extending toward the fixed cover, an inner peripheral surface of the hollow tubular member defines the upper opening, and
wherein the movable cover is angularly movable in unison with said steering handle.

17. The vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein the fixed cover covers an entire perimeter of the steering axis in the upper opening of the fixed cover,
wherein the steering handle turning mechanism is provided at an upper side of the steering swivel unit, and
wherein the movable cover covers the steering handle turning mechanism from above.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ito Masamoto

Classifications

• B62K21/22

  adjustable · CPC title

• B62K25/08

  for front wheel · CPC title

• B62K5/08

  with steering devices acting on two or more wheels · CPC title

• B62J45/4151

  for sensing lateral inclination of the cycle · CPC title

• B62M7/02

  with engine between front and rear wheels · CPC title