Vehicular seat and fairing assembly

Claim 1

A two-wheeled vehicle such as a motorcycle comprising: a. a frame; b. a pair of wheels supported on said frame for rotation relative thereto; c. motor means supported on said frame operatively connected to at least one of said pair of wheels for imparting drive thereto and thereby to the vehicle; d. electrical power supply means supported on said frame; e. a fairing movable between a first position and a second position relative to said frame, said fairing including a top surface, a pair of side surfaces depending from said top surface, each of said pair of side surfaces having an edge thereof attached to an edge of said top surface, a rear surface depending from said top surface, said rear surface having an edge thereof attached to another edge of said top surface and another pair of edges thereof attached each to another edge of a corresponding one of said pair of side surfaces, said top surface, said pair of side surfaces and said rear surface cooperating together to provide therebetween an enclosure capable of receiving therewithin at least a portion of one of said pair of wheels; f. a seat operable as a support for the driver of the vehicle, said seat being rigidly mounted on said top surface of said fairing for movement therewith; g. a license plate assembly supported on said rear surface of said fairing for movement therewith; h. a taillight assembly supported on said rear surface of said fairing for movement therewith in spaced relation to said license plate assembly; i. electrical conductor means having one end thereof connected in circuit relation with said taillight assembly and the other end thereof connected in circuit relation with said electrical power supply means, said electrical conductor means being operable to permit electrical current to be drawn from said electrical power supply means and transmitted therethrough to said taillight assembly for powering said taillight assembly electrically, said electrical conductor means being flexible so as to permit relative movement to occur between said taillight assembly and said electrical power supply means; j. hinge means pivotably mounting said fairing to said frame of the vehicle for movement between said first position thereof relative to said frame wherein said fairing is located so as to position said seat mounted thereon for use by the driver of the vehicle and with said portion of said one of said pair of wheels received within said enclosure formed by said top surface, said pair of side surfaces and said rear surface of said fairing and a second position thereof relative to said frame wherein said fairing is located so as to expose and render accessible said portion of said one of said pair of wheels and the other operating components housed below the fairing, said hinge means including a pair of hinge assemblies supported in spaced relation on said frame of the vehicle, each of said pair of hinge assemblies comprising a link having one end attached to said frame of the vehicle and a pivot pin extending outwardly from one side of said link adjacent the free end of said link substantially at right angles to the major axis of said link, said pivot pin of one of said pair of hinge assemblies extending outwardly of said link thereof in a first direction and said pivot pin of the other of said pair of hinge assemblies extending outwardly of said link thereof in the opposite direction, said hinge means further including a pair of members supported from the inside of said top surface of said fairing in spaced relation relative to each other, each of said pair of members including means provided at the free end thereof cooperable with said pivot pin of one of said pair of hinge assemblies to establish a pivotal connection therebetween; and k. latching means cooperatively associated with said fairing and said frame of the vehicle operable for locking said fairing to said frame when said fairing is in the first position thereof, said latching means including a pair of members supported in spaced relation on said frame of the vehicle, each of said pair of members having an opening formed therethrough adjacent the free end thereof located so as to be aligned relative to each other, a spring biased latching pin positioned in said openings in said pair of members for movement between a locking position and a release position relative thereto, a washer received on said spring biased latching pin, a coil spring enveloping said latching pin having one end bearing against said washer and the other end against one of said pair of members operable for biasing said latching pin to the locking position thereof, and a member having one end thereof attached to the inside of said top surface of said fairing and having an opening formed therethrough adjacent the free end thereof operable for receiving the tip of said latching pin therewithin to lock said fairing relative to said frame of the vehicle.