Adjustable Lever Guard

Abstract

A motorcycle lever guard which houses an in-built adjustability system including a base arm (1, figure 1) and a connecting arm (2, figure 1), operated by pivoting fastener (10, figure 1) and fastener

Description

This invention relates to a lever guard for handlebar-controlled vehicles, such as motorized and nonmotorized two-wheeled vehicles, trikes, quads, or the like. More specifically but not exclusively the invention relates to a protective guard fixture for motorcycles, wherein such lever protection is used to prevent control levers such as brake and clutch levers being inadvertently activated by unintentional contact. In situations like motorcycle track racing, the proximity of racers can lead to unintentional physical interactions. In certain instances, these interactions may involve contact between a racer, or a component of a competing motorcycle, and a control lever situated near the outer end of the handlebar, such as a brake or clutch lever, on another motorcycle. Consequently, incidents can occur, such as the inadvertent activation of a brake lever, resulting in sudden and high-speed deceleration that may result in an accident. Similarly, motorcycles filtering in traffic on public roads come into close contact with other vehicles; in certain instances, contact between a motorcycle handlebar lever and part of another vehicle (such as the wing mirror of a car) can occur and this can result in similar circumstances. Traditional lever guards typically offer fixed protection for the brake lever, without adjustment options, which leads to a compromised performance on many vehicles. In the prior art, there are limitations in terms of adaptability and customisation, as they lack mechanisms for adjusting the position and angle of the guard to suit various riding conditions and rider preferences, resulting in a compromised performance of handlebar lever protection. In order to achieve the above purpose, the invention adopts the following technical solutions: The present invention proposes a lever guard assembly with in-built adjustability, through use of a pivotal fastener between two connecting arm, allowing rotation and angle adjustment. The adjustability is provided by the utilisation of two fixings, one acting as a pivot and the other as a fixing fastener. This rotational adjustment gives the guard a wider range of motion. The adjustability of the lever guard arm is controlled by three different fixing positions so that the position can be modified to suit the motorcycle. The adjustability is also provided by the rotation upon the axis of the bar end clamp so that the position can be modified to suit the motorcycle. The adjustability is supported by an end-piece which can also be rotated to accommodate for the different positions available to the user. Additionally, the lever guard protrudes vertically below the handlebar before reverting to a horizontal plane; this design benefits racers who often use extreme body positions when cornering. The additional space around the bar allows them to hang off the bike with their hand and wrist rotated parallel to the bar without interference from the guard. The invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows the assembled lever guard with the in-built adjustability. Figure 2 shows an orientation of the assembled lever guard. Figure 3 shows an orientation of the lever guard assembly - including Sub-assembly A and Subassembly B. Figure 4 shows the lever guard assembly attached to the right hand-side of a motorcycle handlebar. Figure 5 shows the three different positions available provided by the adjustability system. In Figure 1, the view of the lever guard presents the in-built adjustable set-up, with fastener (11) removed from the assembly. The removal of fastener (11) allows the connecting arm (2) to pivot when fastener (10) is also loosened; the fastener (11) can then be re-fixed into one of three positions, determining the position of the connecting arm (2) relative to the base arm (1). The view also presents how the end-piece (3) connects to the connecting arm (2) and can be adjusted through the loosening and fixing of fastener (12). In Figure 2, the view of the lever guard presents the fastener (9) which is used to fix the lever guard in position while being adjusted on the rotational axis of the end clamp (4), once positioned the fastener (9) is tightened to fix the orientation. In Figure 3, a view of the two sub-assemblies which make up the lever guard assembly. (Subassembly A) consists of the base arm (1), the connecting arm (2) and end-piece (3) and respective precision fasteners (9), (10), (11), and (12). (Sub-assembly B) consists of the end cap (4) and the expanding fastener assembly (5), (6), (7) and respective bolt (8). (Sub-assembly B) fixes into motorcycle handlebar by fastening bolt (8) and is used as a base for (Sub-assembly A) to clamp onto, fixing it to the motorcycle handlebar as seen in Figure 4. In Figure 4, a view of the lever guard attached to the right-hand side of a motorcycle handlebar. In Figure 5, the views of the lever guard present the three levels of in-built adjustability available to the lever guard through the repositioning of fastener (11) into the connecting arm (2).

Claims

1) A lever protection guard for a handlebar-controlled vehicle comprising;a clamped base arm, said base arm having an integrated pivotal adjustability system anda connecting arm, said arm in conjunction with said base arm provides fixable positions for the lever guard determined by said pivotal adjustability system.2) A lever protection guard for a handlebar-controlled vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said base arm has an adjustable system comprising of a pivot and fixing position.3) A lever protection guard for a handlebar-controlled vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said connecting arm has fixing points provided to correspond with said base arm fastener and fixing positions.4) A lever protection guard for a handlebar-controlled vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said adjustability system is fixed into position by the clamping of two arms and a secondary fastener which locates into set positions to offer angular adjustment.

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