An accessory, called a diabolo, for a vehicle with at least two wheels, a device and method of holding such an accessory

Abstract

Accessory (1), called diabolo, for two-wheeled machine (21), said accessory (1) being couplingable to one of the suspension arms (22) of said machine to allow, in cooperation with a similar accessory (1) couplingable to the opposite suspension arm (22), support on a workshop stand (23) for maintaining said machine in an upright state with at least one of the wheels (21) away from the ground, this accessory (1) being in the form of a rod (2) comprising a threaded part (3) and a first external circumferential groove (4). The first groove (4) is located between the threaded portion (3) and a second groove (5) delimited by two flanks (61, 62) which together form a receiving recess (8) suitable for receiving an attachment device, such as a sling hook. The flank (61) furthest from the threaded portion (3) forms a gripping zone (7) for the rod (2) during rod (2) manipulation. Figure for the abbreviation: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: Accessory, called a diabolo, for a vehicle with at least two wheels, device and method of holding such an accessory

[0001] The present invention relates to an accessory, called a diabolo, for a machine with at least two wheels and a device and a method of holding comprising such an accessory.

[0002] It relates in particular to an accessory, called a diabolo, for a machine with at least two wheels comprising at least two front or rear suspension arms in opposition, said accessory being able to be coupled to one of the suspension arms of said machine to allow, in cooperation with a similar accessory coupled to the opposite suspension arm, support on a workshop stand for maintaining said machine in an upright state with at least one of the wheels away from the ground, this accessory being in the form of a rod comprising at least one threaded part and an external circumferential groove.

[0003] Sliding weights that can be attached to the front or rear suspension arms of a wheeled vehicle, such as a motorcycle, to hold the vehicle upright with at least one wheel off the ground are well known to those skilled in this field. These sliding weights now present a number of drawbacks. Their design necessitates the use of a tool for their installation on a suspension arm. They only allow the vehicle to be lifted from underneath using a stand and are often left on the vehicle after maintenance.

[0004] An object of the invention is to provide an accessory and a retaining device incorporating such an accessory whose designs make it possible to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

[0005] To this end, the invention relates to an accessory, called a diabolo, for a machine with at least two wheels comprising at least two opposing front or rear suspension arms, said accessory being couplingable to one of the suspension arms of said machine to allow, in cooperation with a similar accessory couplingable to the opposing suspension arm, support on a workshop stand for maintaining said machine in an upright position with at least one of the wheels raised off the ground, this accessory being in the form of a rod comprising at least one threaded portion and an external circumferential groove, characterized in that the external circumferential groove, called the first groove, is disposed between the threaded portion and an additional external circumferential groove, called the second groove, this second groove being delimited by two sides and a bottom forming, at the level of its side furthest from the threaded portion,a gripping area for the rod, allowing for rod manipulation by screwing, and, between its sides, a receiving recess suitable for receiving a sling attachment device, such as a hook.

[0006] The presence of two side-by-side circumferential grooves offers numerous advantages. It allows for lifting from below using a support leg or from above using slings for lifting one of the machine's wheels. Lifting from above can be done at a location on the accessory away from the machine, thus reducing the risk of damage to the machine's fairing by the slings. The two grooves increase the length of the rod, facilitating its gripping and installation by screwing without tools. The increased visibility of the accessory due to its greater length also normally prevents it from being left on the machine. A gripping area for the rod at the second groove, which is rotationally fixed to the threaded portion of the rod, allows the rod to be operated by screwing.Thus, no tools are required to rotate the threaded part of the rod.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the invention, the second groove has a width measured along the longitudinal axis of the stem that is less than the width of the first groove. Because the first groove is wide, it is no longer necessary to fine-tune the center-to-center distance of the kickstand. Preferably, the first groove has a minimum width of at least 15 mm, preferably between 20 and 30 mm, at the bottom of said first groove.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the invention, the bottom of the second groove is concave with the concavity facing outwards from the second groove. The concave shape facilitates the attachment of a sling attachment device, such as a hook. This concave shape also prevents the attachment device from accidentally detaching.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the invention, the first groove is delimited by two sides and a bottom. The side of the first groove furthest from the threaded portion and the side of the second groove closest to the threaded portion each have a conical shape. In particular, the conical shape is a frustoconical shape with the smaller base of the frustocon adjacent to the bottom of the groove. This design allows the sides to form guide ramps towards the bottom of the groove for elements, namely a part of the support leg or a sling attachment, to be positioned in said groove.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the invention, the flank of the first groove furthest from the threaded part and the flank of the second groove closest to the threaded part are connected by a cylindrical part to form a cylindro-conical assembly.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the invention, the flank of the second groove furthest from the threaded portion has a convex circumferential peripheral surface with the convexity facing outwards from the flank. This shape facilitates gripping the accessory at the end of the rod forming part of said accessory to allow hand screwing of said accessory.

[0012] The invention further relates to a holding device, for holding in an upright state with at least one of the wheels away from the ground, a machine with at least two wheels comprising at least two front or rear suspension arms facing each other, said device comprising at least two accessories, called diabolo, each coupleable to one of the arms of the pair of front or rear suspension arms facing said machine and a workshop stand, a part of each accessory being able to engage with the workshop stand for holding said two-wheeled machine in an upright state with at least one of the wheels away from the ground, characterized in that each accessory conforms to that described above and the part of each accessory able to engage with said workshop stand is formed by the first groove of each accessory.

[0013] The invention further relates to a holding device, for maintaining in an upright state with at least one of the wheels away from the ground, a machine with at least two wheels comprising at least two front or rear suspension arms facing each other, said device comprising at least two accessories, called diabolo, each coupleable to one of the arms of the pair of front or rear suspension arms facing each other, characterized in that the device comprises at least one gantry comprising two slings each equipped with a hooking element capable of engaging with a part of one of the accessories for maintaining in an upright state said two-wheeled machine with at least one of the wheels away from the ground, in that each accessory conforms to that described above, and in that the part of each accessory engaging with a hooking element is formed by the second groove of each accessory.

[0014] The invention further relates to a method of maintaining, for maintaining in the upright state with at least one of the wheels away from the ground, a machine with at least two wheels comprising at least two front or rear suspension arms in opposition, said method comprising, for the or at least one of the pairs of suspension arms in opposition, at least one coupling step, to each suspension arm of said pair of arms, of an accessory, called a diabolo, and a step of engaging a part of said accessory with a workshop stand, characterized in that each accessory conforms to that described above.

[0015] The invention further relates to a method for maintaining, in an upright state with at least one of the wheels raised off the ground, a vehicle with at least two wheels comprising at least two facing front or rear suspension arms, said method comprising, for one or at least one of the facing pairs of suspension arms, at least one coupling step, to each suspension arm of said pair of arms, of an accessory, called a diabolo, characterized in that said method comprises a step of engaging a part of said accessory with a hooking element of a sling of a gantry comprising at least two slings each equipped with a hooking device and in that each accessory conforms to that described above. Brief description of the drawings

[0016] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following description of exemplary embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0017] [Fig-1] represents a schematic view of a holding device in the configuration for securing the device from below;

[0018] [Fig.2] represents a partial perspective view of a holding device in the configuration for securing the device from below;

[0019] [Fig.3] represents a schematic view of a holding device in the configuration for holding the device from above;

[0020] [Fig.4] represents a partial perspective view of a holding device in the configuration for holding the device from above;

[0021] [Fig.5] represents a perspective view of an accessory according to the invention.

[0022] As mentioned above, the invention relates to an accessory 1, called traditionally diabolo, intended to be used in cooperation with an identical or similar accessory 1 to enable, in cooperation with a lifting device, such as a workshop stand 23 or a gantry 24 equipped with slings 25, the holding in an upright state of a machine 20 with at least two wheels, such as a motorcycle, with at least one of the front or rear wheels of the machine raised off the ground, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 4. The upright state corresponds to a state in which the wheels of the machine extend in a substantially vertical plane.

[0023] The accessory 1 is fixed by screwing onto one of the suspension arms 22 of the machine 20. Indeed, the machine 20 comprises by construction at least two opposing suspension arms 22 which can extend at the level of the rear wheel of the machine, as illustrated in figures 2 and 4.

[0024] Each suspension arm 22 extends between the wheel axle and the chassis of the machine and includes a hole for receiving said accessory 1 by screwing. Equivalently, such a machine 20 may include two opposing suspension arms 22 which may extend at the front wheel of the machine 20. Each front suspension arm 22 extends between the wheel axle and the chassis of the machine and includes a hole for receiving said accessory 1 by screwing.

[0025] The accessories 1 of a pair of accessories are intended to be coupled to the opposite front or rear suspension arm 22. The accessories 1 of a pair of accessories can be attached, one, to one of the suspension arms 22, the other, to the other of the suspension arms 22 of a pair of opposite suspension arms 22, that the pair of suspension arms 22, either the front suspension arm pair or the rear suspension arm pair. Thus, in the coupled state, the accessories 1 extend on either side of the wheel 21, as illustrated in the figures.

[0026] To enable such coupling, the accessory 1 is in the form of a rod 2 comprising at least one threaded part 3. The thread thus extends, at least from one end of the rod 2, as can be seen in [Fig.5], to enable coupling by screwing this end of the rod 2 to the suspension arm 22.

[0027] The rod 2 includes from this threaded end, in the direction of the opposite end, at least one external circumferential groove 4, called the first groove 4, and an additional external circumferential groove, called the second groove 5.

[0028] The first groove 4 which extends between the second groove 5 and the threaded part 3 comprises a bottom 93 and two sides represented in 91 and 92 in the figures, the side closest to the threaded part 3 being represented in 92.

[0029] Similarly, the second groove 5 comprises a bottom 63 and two sides 61 and 62. The side of the second groove furthest from the threaded part 3 is the side shown in 61. Generally, the first groove 4 forms a receiving housing intended to receive part of a support strut, while the second groove 5 forms a receiving housing 8 intended to receive a hooking element 26, formed here by a hook, of a sling 25.

[0030] Thus, the first groove 4, closer to the threaded part 3, allows the reception of a lifting device from below, while the second groove 5, further from the threaded part 3, allows the reception of a lifting device from above, formed here by a gantry 24 with two uprights and a cross member connecting the uprights and two slings 25 extending from the cross member and terminated at each of their ends opposite to that connected to the cross member by a hook-type attachment 26 suitable for at least partially surrounding the bottom of the second groove 5.

[0031] The workshop support 23, more particularly visible in [Fig.2], is generally formed of two uprights and a base connecting the uprights together which here has the shape of a horizontal U, but this base can take on a large number of forms.

[0032] Each upright of the workshop stand 23 is shaped, at its upper end, to form a cradle suitable for partially surrounding the bottom of the first groove 4.

[0033] With the upper ends of the support legs in the first grooves of the opposing accessories 1, the wheel of the machine is raised off the ground, as can be seen in [Fig. 2]. Similarly, when the attachment members 26 are engaged in the second grooves of the two opposing accessories 1, the wheel of the machine 20 is raised off the ground, as can be seen in [Fig. 4].

[0034] The flank 61 of the second groove 5, furthest from the threaded portion 3, forms a gripping zone 7 for the end of the rod 2, enabling rotational drive for screwing. Indeed, the gripping zone 7 for the rod 2 and the threaded portion 3 are rotationally fixed. Thus, when the gripping zone 7 is rotated, causing the rod 2 to rotate, the threaded portion 3 rotates, allowing the rod to be screwed in. This rotationally fixed assembly eliminates the need for a tool.

[0035] To facilitate this grip and make it pleasant to the touch, the flank 61 of the second groove 5, furthest from the threaded part 3, has a circumferential peripheral surface 11 convex with convexity turned outwards from the flank 61.

[0036] Thus, this circumferential peripheral surface forms with the end face of the stem, which is generally convex, a doorknob shape.

[0037] In the examples shown, the second groove 5 has a width measured along the longitudinal axis of the rod 2 that is less than the width of the first groove 4. Generally, the width of this second groove is at least 10 mm, and preferably between 10 and 20 mm, while the width of the first groove is at least 15 mm, preferably between 20 and 30 mm, at the bottom of said first groove. The total length of the accessory 1 is preferably between 80 and 120 mm.

[0038] The concave shape of the second groove 5 helps to position the sling attachment 26 within said groove. The curvature of the concavity develops from one 61 of the flanks towards the other flank 62 of the second groove 5.

[0039] As mentioned above, the flank 91 of the first groove 4, furthest from the threaded part, and the flank 62 of the second groove 5, closest to the threaded part 3, each have a conical shape and are connected by a cylindrical part 10 to form a cylindro-conical assembly.

[0040] In practice, for maintaining the vehicle 20 in an upright position with at least one of the wheels 21 away from the ground, the holding method may include, for the or at least one of the pairs of suspension arms 22 in relation, at least one coupling step to each suspension arm 22 of said pair of arms of an accessory 1, as described above, and a step of engaging a part of said accessory 1 with a workshop stand 23, that is to say with the upper end of the upright of said stand.

[0041] Since the length of each upright of the workshop stand 23 is greater than the height between the accessory 1 and the ground, simply coupling the stand to the accessories 1 causes the wheel to lift.

[0042] For the implementation of this method, the holding device 12 includes at least two accessories 1 and a workshop stand 23.

[0043] Alternatively or in addition, the method for maintaining the upright state of said machine 20 with at least one of the wheels 21 of the machine 20 away from the ground may include, for the or at least one of the pairs of front or rear suspension arms 22 in relation, at least one coupling step to each suspension arm 22 of said pair of an accessory 1, as described above, and a step of engaging a part of said accessory 1 with a hooking element 26 of a sling 25 of the gantry 24.

[0044] The length of the slings 25 is chosen to allow lifting of the wheel in the coupled state of the hooking devices 26 equipping the slings 25 in the second grooves of the accessories.

[0045] By implementing this method, the holding device 12 therefore comprises at least two accessories 1 and a gantry 24 with at least two slings 25 each equipped with a hooking element 26 capable of engaging with the second groove 5 of said accessory.

[0046] The process steps described above illustrate the simplicity of implementing accessories 1 without compromising their versatility.

Claims

Demands

1. Accessory (1), referred to as a diabolo, for a machine (20) with at least two wheels (21) comprising at least two opposing front or rear suspension arms (22), said accessory (1) being couplingable to one of the suspension arms (22) of said machine (20) to allow, in cooperation with a similar accessory (1) couplingable to the opposing suspension arm (22), support on a workshop stand (23) for maintaining said machine (20) in an upright position with at least one of the wheels (21) raised off the ground, this accessory (1) being in the form of a rod (2) comprising at least one threaded portion (3) and an external circumferential groove (4), characterized in that the external circumferential groove (4), referred to as the first groove (4), is disposed between the threaded portion (3) and an additional external circumferential groove, referred to as the second groove (5), this second groove (5) delimited by two sides (61, 62) and a bottom (63) forming,at the level of its flank (61) furthest from the threaded part (3), a gripping zone (7) for the rod (2) for maneuvering the rod (2) by screwing and, between its flanks (61, 62), a receiving housing (8) suitable for receiving an attachment element (26), such as a hook, of a sling (25).

2. Accessory (1), called diabolo, for device (20) with at least two wheels (21) according to claim 1, characterized in that the second groove (5) has a width, taken along the longitudinal axis of the rod (2), less than the width of the first groove (4).

3. Accessory (1), called diabolo, for device (20) with at least two wheels (21) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the bottom (63) of the second groove (5) is concave with the concavity facing outwards from the second groove (5).

4. Accessory (1), called diabolo, for a device (20) with at least two wheels (21) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the first groove (4) is delimited by two flanks (91, 92) and a bottom (93), in that the flank (91) of the first groove (4) furthest from the threaded part (3) and the flank (62) of the second groove (5) closest to the threaded part (3) each have a conical shape.

5. Accessory (1), called a diabolo, for a device (20) with at least two wheels (21) according to claim 4, characterized in that the flank (91) of the first groove (4) furthest from the threaded part (3) and the flank (62) of the second groove (5) closest to the threaded part (3) are connected by a cylindrical part (10) to form a cylindro-conical assembly.

6. Accessory (1), called diabolo, for a device (20) with at least two wheels (21) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the flank (61) of the second groove (5) furthest from the threaded part (3) has a circumferential peripheral surface (11) convex with convexity turned outwards from the flank (61).

7. A holding device (12) for maintaining in an upright position, with at least one wheel raised off the ground, a machine (20) with at least two wheels (21) comprising at least two opposing front or rear suspension arms (22), said device (12) comprising at least two accessories (1), referred to as "diabolo" arms, each couplingable to one of the arms (22) of the pair of opposing front or rear suspension arms (22) of said machine, and a workshop stand (23), a portion of each accessory (1) being adapted to engage with the workshop stand (23) for maintaining in an upright position, said machine (20) with two wheels (21) raised off the ground, characterized in that each accessory (1) conforms to any one of claims 1 to 6 and in that the portion of each accessory (1) adapted to engage with said stand (23) workshop is formed by the first groove (4) of each accessory (1).

8. A holding device (12) for maintaining a two-wheeled (21) vehicle (20) in an upright position with at least one wheel (21) raised off the ground, comprising at least two facing front or rear suspension arms (22), said device (12) comprising at least two accessories (1), referred to as "diabolo" arms, each couplingable to one of the arms (22) of the pair of facing front or rear suspension arms (22), characterized in that the device (12) comprises at least one gantry (24) comprising two slings (25), each equipped with a hooking element (26) capable of engaging with a portion of one of the accessories (1) for maintaining said two-wheeled (21) vehicle (20) in an upright position with at least one wheel (21) raised off the ground, in that each accessory (1) conforms to one of the claims 1 to 6,and in that the part of each accessory (1) that engages with a fastening element (26) is formed by the second groove (5) of each accessory (1).

9. A method for maintaining, for keeping in an upright state with at least one of the wheels (21) away from the ground, a machine (20) with at least two wheels (21) comprising at least two front or rear suspension arms (22) facing each other, said method comprising, for the or at least one of the pairs of suspension arms (22) facing each other, at least one coupling step, to each suspension arm (22) of said pair of arms, of an accessory (1), called a diabolo, and a step of engaging a part of said accessory (1) with a workshop stand (23), characterized in that each accessory (1) conforms to one of claims 1 to 6.

10. A method for maintaining, for maintaining in an upright state with at least one of the wheels (21) away from the ground, a machine (20) with at least two wheels (21) comprising at least two front or rear suspension arms (22) facing each other, said method comprising, for the, or at least one, pair of suspension arms (22) facing each other, at least one coupling step, to each suspension arm (22) of said pair of arms (22), of an accessory (1), called a diabolo, characterized in that said method comprises a step of engaging a part of said accessory (1) with a hooking element (26) of a sling (25) of a gantry (24) comprising at least two slings (25) each equipped with a hooking element (26) and in that each accessory (1) conforms to one of claims 1 to 6.

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