Title of Invention

"A DEVICE FOR REGULATING THE POSITION OF A STEERING BAR OF A TWO-WHEELED OR THREE-WHEELED VEHICLE"

Abstract A device for regulating the position of a steering bar in a two-wheeled or three-wheeled vehicle with respect to a steering column (13), comprising a support (18) for a steering bar (19) pinned (at 34) with respect to an extension (15) of the steering column (13), between a support (18) for a steering bar (19) and an extension (15) of the steering column (13) , which provides for certain devices (14, 16, 17, 20) allowing a predetermined rotation of the support (18) for the steering bar (19) with respect to the extension (15) of the steering column (13) in a plane essentially corresponding to the direction of forward motion of the vehicle. In particular, these devices comprise on one hand a toothed sector (14) and on the other hand a worm screw (16) engaging with each other and firmly attached, one to the extension (15) and the other to the support (18) for the steering bar (19). The device also provides for a hand-wheel (20) to allow a manual rotation.
Full Text A device for regulating the position of a steering bar of a two-wheeled or three-wheeled vehicle.
This invention refers to a device for regulating.
the position of a steering bar in a two-wheeled or
three-wheeled vehicle.
In two-wheeled or three-wheeled vehicles, in
7,
particular bicycles and/or motor vehicles such as scooters, the position of the steering bar with respect-to that of the user is always the same during its normal usage. There are in fact no two-wheeled or three-wheeled vehicles on the present market, capable of offering any regulating possibility-
The steering bar is generally tied in an absolutely fixed manner to the; steering column or tube.
Only a single exception is known in this state of the art, represented by a steering bar' fitted with a sliding motion along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle itself. This allows approaching and/or distancing the
steering bar from the driver or his seat, in a linear
* longitudinal direction.
The scope of this invention is to produce a device capable of allowing a broad variability of the position of the steering bar, so as to optimize the distance of the" handles and the other elements carried by the steering' bar with respect to the .user.
A further scope is to produce a device capable of being regulated directly and without problems by the user.
These scopes according to this invention are achieved by producing a device capable of regulating the position of a steering bar in a two-wheeled or three-wheeled vehicle.
A device for regulating the position of a steering bar of a two-wheeled or
three-wheeled vehicle with respect to the steering column , characterized
in that it comprises a support for a steering bar pinned with respect to an
extension of said steering columlp. , between said support for a steering
bar and said extension of said steering column where devices are
provided which allow a predetermined rotation of said support for said steering bar with respect to said extension of said steering column in a plane corresponding to forward motion of the vehicle.The characteristics and advantages of a device for .regulating the position of a steering bar in a two-wheeled or three-wheeled .vehicle according to this invention will become clearer from the following description, offered for exemplifying and non-limiting
purposes/ referred to the simplified drawings attached, in which:
Figure 1 is a partial section of a device for
regulating the position of a steering bar .in a two-
wheeled or three-wheeled vehicle according to this
invention, and (
Figure 2 is a partial section of the device shown in Figure 1.
SajLd figures show a device for regulating the position of a steering bar in a two-wheeled or three-wheeled vehicle.
•*T"
In particular, it will in the following be noted that this device allows an angular regulation around a
ixed axle 12 firmly attached to a steering tube 13 and perpendicular to the forward motion of the vehicle. Some devices are in fact provided which allow the predetermined rotation of a support 18 for a steering bar 19 with respect to an extension 15 of the steering column 13 in a plane essentially corresponding to the direction of forward motion of the vehicle.
The device, indicated in its overall form by the number 11, is in fact constituted by a toothed sector 14, welded to a clamp 15 attached to the upper extremity of the steering column 13 of the vehicle.
The toothed sector 14 engages with a spiral worm screw 16, which is firmly attached to but free to rotate around a maneuvering shaft 17. The maneuvering shaft 17 is sustained by a box support 18 which is also free to rotate around the axis 12 arranged on the clamp 15. It should also be noted that the upper part of the box support 18 is welded to a steering bar, of any kind, as shown in a simplified manner in only a central portion 19.A rotation of the maneuvering shaft 17, for example by acting on a hand-wheel 20 provided at an extremity, causes and produces an overall rotation of the box support 18, and consequently of the steering bar 19 around the axis of rotation 12. The hand-wheel 20 produces the manual command for the rotation and the regulation between the parts.
This rotation is possible thanks to the fact that the box support 18 provides some slotted central holes 39, on either of its sides 40 set crosswise to the direction of the vehicle's forward motion or parallel to the axis 12, which allow the emergence, even if only to a partial degree, of the toothed sector 14. This occurs during the shifting of the box support 18, which carries both the steering bar 19 and the worm screw 16 with respect to the toothed sector 14.
It can also be noted that the device according to this invention allows to recover the play between the teeth of the toothed sector 14 engaged with the spiral worm screw 16 thanks to the presence of a silentblock 21 or elastic material acting as a shock absorber. This silentblock 21 is made of plastic material or rubber, vulcanized between the worm screw 16 and a bushing 22, and positioned in a manner firmly attached to the rotation by an extension 23 of the maneuvering shaft 17. The attachment is for instance achieved by a flat recess 24 provided on the extension 23 or by any other element allowing a stable engagement.
The regulating of the inter-axle between the axle 12 and an axle 25 around which the maneuvering shaft 17 can be rotated is done by rotating an eccentric bushing 26. At the end of the desired regulation, this eccentric bushing 26 is maintained in position by a platelet 27 locked onto the box support 18 thanks to two screws 28.
The possible slipping-off of the maneuvering shaft 17 is impeded by a terminal bushing 29, which stops at a thickened extremity 37 of the central bushing 22. The terminal bushing 29 is kept in place by a nut 30 screwed onto a free extremity 31 of the shaft 17 itself.
The cinematic irreversibility of the toothed coupling between the sector 14 and the screw 16 is assured by an identical value of the helical angle of the spiral screw, which is less than the friction angle between the metals in contact.
Appropriate washers 32 and 33 are of course provided between the bushing 29 and the external part of the box support 18, one of which 33 is curved and determines a certain elastic loading for a stable positioning of the parts, while at the same allowing a regulation by the hand-wheel 20.
A spacer 36 is placed between a shaft 34 carrying the oscillating box support 18 and a tubular element 35 carrying the sector 14.
It is evident that the user can, by rotating the hand-wheel 20 placed at the extremity of the maneuvering shaft 17, induce the mentioned regulating action by engaging the worm screw 16 with the toothed sector 14, which is firmly attached to the steering column 13.
This in fact causes the steering bar 19 to rotate in the sense of the arrow 38, thus approaching or distancing the steering bar from the user or his seat
according to a linear longitudinal direction, in the same sense of motion of the vehicle.
This device according to the invention therefore solves the technical problem of positioning the steering bar at will with respect to the user of a two-wheeled or three-wheeled vehicle. Such a device is particularly suitable for motor vehicles, for instance scooters and the like.



WE CLAIM:
1. A device for regulating the position of a steering bar of a two-
wheeled or three-wheeled vehicle with respect to the steering column
(13), characterized in that it comprises a support (18) for a steeringtfl9)
A pinned (at 34) with respect to an extension (15) of said steering column
(13), between said support (18) for a steering bar (19) and said extension
(15) of said steering column (13) where. devices (14, 16, 17, 20) are

provided which allow a predetermined rotation of said support (18) for said steering bar (19) with respect to said extension (15) of said steering column (13) in a plane corresponding to forward motion of the vehicle.
2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said devices comprise on
one hand a toothed sector (14) and on the other a worm screw (16)
engaging with each other and firmly attached, one to said extension (15)
of said steering column (13) and the other to said support (18) for said
steering bar (19).
3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said devices are associated
with a hand-wheel (2p) for a manual control of said regulation.
4. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said worm screw (16) is
firmly attached to a maneuvering shaft (17) which is supported but free
to rotate on said box support (18).
5. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said maneuvering shaft
(17) carries an element made of a elastic shock-absorbing material (21).
6. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein a bushing (22) is
interposed between said element made of elastic shock-absorbing
material (21) and an extension (23) of said maneuvering shaft (17).
7. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said maneuvering shaft
(17) carrying said worm screw (16) is arranged on said box support (18)
by interposing an eccentric bushing (26).
8. A device as claimed in claim 7, wherein said eccentric bushing (26)
is blocked, at the end of the desired regulation, by a platelet (27)
attached to said box support (18).
9. A device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said maneuvering shaft
(17) carrying said worm screw (16) provides at one extremity a
maneuvering hand-wheel (20) and at the other extremity a thread
capable of receiving a lock nut (30).
10. A device as claimed in claim 9, wherein at least one washer (32,
33) is placed between said lock nut (30) and said box support (18).
11. A device as claimed in claim 10, wherein said at least one washer
(32, 33) is of an elastic type.
12. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said toothed sector (14) is
capable of freely passing through slots (39) provided in said box support
(18).
13. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said toothed sector (14) is
tied to a clamp (15) attached to an upper extremity of said steering
column (13) of the vehicle.
14. A device for regulating the position of a steering bar in a two-
wheeled or three-wheeled vehicle, as substantially described and
illustrated in enclosed drawings.

Documents:

911-del-1999-abstract.pdf

911-del-1999-claims.pdf

911-del-1999-correspondence-others.pdf

911-del-1999-correspondence-po.pdf

911-del-1999-description (complete).pdf

911-del-1999-drawings.pdf

911-del-1999-form-1.pdf

911-del-1999-form-13.pdf

911-del-1999-form-19.pdf

911-del-1999-form-2.pdf

911-del-1999-form-3.pdf

911-del-1999-form-5.pdf

911-del-1999-form-6.pdf

911-del-1999-gpa.pdf


Patent Number 216104
Indian Patent Application Number 911/DEL/1999
PG Journal Number 12/2008
Publication Date 21-Mar-2008
Grant Date 07-Mar-2008
Date of Filing 25-Jun-1999
Name of Patentee PIAGGIO & C. S. P. A
Applicant Address VIALE RINALDO PIAGGIO, 25, PONTEDERA, PISA, ITALY,
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 ALESSANDRO ROTTA VIA RIO FRESCO-FORM IA LATINA, ITALY
2 GIUSEPPE PEDANI VIA GIOVANNI DA VERRAZZANO 3-EMPOLI, FLORENCE, ITALY
PCT International Classification Number B61K 3/08
PCT International Application Number N/A
PCT International Filing date
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 MI99A 000821 1999-04-20 Italy