Title of Invention

A HANDS FREE FOOTREST SYSTEM FOR A MOTORCYCLE

Abstract We Claim: 1. A hands free footrest system for a motorcycle, comprising a pivotably mounted spring loaded, footrest member, for occupying folded and unfolded positions; means for arresting the said member in its folded positionl, whenever the member is manually moved Against spring force, to occupy the said position; a button for releasing the said means, whenever manually depressed, to revert the said member, under spring force, to occupy its unfolded position,
Full Text

This invention relates to a liands free footrest system for a motorcycle.
The term "motorcycle" in this specification is not to be construed to mean only a motorcycle properly so called, but is also intended to mean and include cell other vehicles as well, to which this invention is applicable.
It is common knowledge that the footrests provided in motorcycles, usually those inten4ed for pillion r idlers, are of the foldable type. The user manually folds the footrests when not in use; and unfolds the same when it becomes necessary to support the user's feet thereon.
In the known art? while it is not difficult to manually fold a footrest, from its unfolddd position, by using the foot, it is often quite cumbersome to manually unfold a footrest from its folded J30sition. This is because a footrest, once folded, Occupies a position close to the body parts of the vehicle, in which position it is difficult to access it or get an adequate grip on it, by foot, to move it towards its unfolded position Frequently, the user needs to bead down and dislodge the folded footrest from position], by hand, rending the procedure irksonie.
Then again, in the known art, there is the further drawback of the footrest becoming loose after se Jerald operations and the footrest moving back, on its own, from its folded position to its unfolded position, requiring a mechanic's intervention for tightening the joints. Such a situation is also a source of the user.

This invention therefore intends to do away with the foregoing drawbacks by proposing a hands free footrest system. Thus whenever the user requires to unfold the footrest, from its folded position, all that is to be done is to depress a button by foot, for refreezing the footrest, automatically, from its folded condition, to its unfolded position under spring force. The footrest is thereafter rendered manually movable (by foot) from its unfolded position to its folded position, in which latter position it is prevented from moving back, on its own, by arresting it, automatically, in the folded position.
This invention, apart from its several advantages, is simple in construction, use and operation; has high practical utility value; is durable, needing little, if at all any, maintenance.
The hands free footrest system for a motorcycle, according to this invention, comprises a pivotable mounted, spring loaded, footrest member, for occupying folded and unfolded! positions; means for arresting the said member in its folded position, whenever the member is manually moved, against spring force, to occupy the said position; a button for releasing the said means, whenever manually depressed, to revert the said member, under spring force, to occupy its unfolded position.
This invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example, and not by way of limitation, one of possible

embodiments of the hands free footrest system proposed herein,
Fig. 1 illustrating the footrest in its unfolded position
Fig.2 illustrating the footrest in its folded position
Figs. 3 and 4 illustrating of the footrest.
The spring loaded, footrest miler 1 is spring loaded by a torsion spring 3 and occupies I folded and unfolded positions. The footrest member 1 is pivotable mounted in the footrest holder 2 by a guide pin 4 which enables the footrest member to rotatably move from its unfolded position to its folded position and vice versa. The guide pin, apart from being rotatable about its axis along with the footrest member and holder, is movable to and fro perpendicular to its axis of rotation.
Means are provided for arresting the said footrest member in its folded position, whenever the member is manually moved, against the force of the torsion spring 3, to occupy the said folded position. Such means consist of a lock bush 5 having a step which mates with a slot in the footrest holder to arrest the movement of the footrest holder, whenever the footrest member is moved to its folded position.
One end of the torsion spring is fixed to the guide pin so that the said spring keeps the footrest holder, and thus the slot, urged against the lock bush, and thus against the step so much so that as the torsion spring gets loaded when the footrest member is moved to its folded position the movable guide pin causes the slot in the footrest member to engage with the step in the lock

bush and arrest the footrest member in its folded position. The movable guide pin is also under compression force because the same spring acts as a compression spring as well. This Compression load always tries to press the guide pig down. Hence, when the guide pin and foot rest are rotated, the guide pin and foot rest move down when they discounter the slot in the foot rest holder.
The spring load pushes the guide pin and footrest down while the opposing force tries to move the guide pin and footrest up.
When the rider manually rotates the guide pin and footrest, the spring force is relieved when the guide pin and foot rest meets the slot in the foot rest holder. The guide pin and footrest moves up. Hence it gets locked in the slot.
When rider pushes the guide pin and footrest by pressing on the nut, he works against the spring and pushes the guide pin and foot rest down. Once the guide pin and footrest are outside the slot, the torsion load frees up and the guide pin and footrest rotate to relieve the torsion load. The footrest goes to the unfolded position.
A button, in the form of a dome nut 6, is located near the guide pin. With the step engaged with the slot, the dome nut, when depressed by the foot of the user, causes the movable guide pin, and thus the footrest, to move away from the step in the lock bush to disengage the slot from the step. This results the footrest to move

towards its unfolded position under the force of the torsion spring.
The nut also preloads the spring in compression apart from acting as a button.
It will be appreciated that the theisms and expressions herein are of description and of limitation, since various other embodiments of this invention are possible without departing from the scope and ambit thereof.



We Claim:
1. A hands free footrest system for a motorcycle, comprising a pivotably mounted spring loaded, footrest member, for occupying folded and unfolded positions; means for arresting the said member in its folded positionl, whenever the member is manually moved Against spring force, to occupy the said position; a button for releasing the said means, whenever manually depressed, to revert the said member, under spring force, to occupy its unfolded position,
2. A hands free footrest system as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the footrest member is pivotably mounted in a footrest holder by a guide pin which enables the footrest member to rotatably move from its unfolded position to its folded positioip and vice versa, said guide pin, apart from being rotatable about its axis, being movable to and from perpendicular
to its axis of rotation.
3. A hands free footrest system as claimed in any
one of the preceding Claims wherein the said means
consist of a lock bush having a step for mating with
a slot in the footrest holder to arrest the rotation of
the footrest holder, whenever the footrest member is
moved to its folded position.
4-A hands free footrest system as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein one end of the torsion spring is fixed to the guide pin so that the said spring keeps the footrest holder, and thus the slot.

urged against the lock bush, and thus against the step, such that as the torsion spring get§ loaded when the footrest member is moved towards its folded position the movable guide pin causes the slot in the footrest member to engage with the step in the bush and arrest the footrest member in its folded position.
S'.A hands free footrest system claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein button consists of a dome nut for preloading the spring and also for disengaging the slot from the step whenever the dome nut is depressed to depress the guide pin and cause the footrest member to move towards its unfolded position under the force of the said spring.
A hands free footrest system substantially as herein described with reference to, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.


Documents:

3074-CHE-2007 AMENDED CLAIMS 09-07-2012.pdf

3074-CHE-2007 AMENDED PAGES OF SPECIFICATION 09-07-2012.pdf

3074-CHE-2007 EXAMINATION REPORT REPLY RECEIVED 09-07-2012.pdf

3074-CHE-2007 POWER OF ATTORNEY 09-07-2012.pdf

3074-che-2007 claims.pdf

3074-che-2007 correspondence others.pdf

3074-che-2007 description (complete).pdf

3074-che-2007 drawing.pdf

3074-che-2007 form-1.pdf

3074-che-2007 form-18.pdf

3074-che-2007 form-26.pdf


Patent Number 253946
Indian Patent Application Number 3074/CHE/2007
PG Journal Number 36/2012
Publication Date 07-Sep-2012
Grant Date 05-Sep-2012
Date of Filing 20-Dec-2007
Name of Patentee TVS MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED
Applicant Address JAYALAKSHMI ESTATES NO. 24 (OLD NO.8) HADDOWS ROAD, CHENNAI 600 006
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 SORNAPPAN BANU SHARMANATH RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT, TVS MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED, JAYALAKSHMI ESTATES NO. 24 (OLD NO.8) HADDOWS ROAD, CHENNAI 600 006
2 RENGARAJAN BABU RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT, TVS MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED, JAYALAKSHMI ESTATES NO. 24 (OLD NO.8) HADDOWS ROAD, CHENNAI 600 006
3 SRINIVASAN KARTHIKEYAN RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT, TVS MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED, JAYALAKSHMI ESTATES NO. 24 (OLD NO.8) HADDOWS ROAD, CHENNAI 600 006
PCT International Classification Number B62J25/00
PCT International Application Number N/A
PCT International Filing date
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 NA