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EP-4622850-B1 - EASY OPENING TOP CASE

EP4622850B1EP 4622850 B1EP4622850 B1EP 4622850B1EP-4622850-B1

Inventors

  • CANDELO, ROBERTO

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20231006

Claims (8)

  1. Top case (1) for motorcycle (100), comprising: - a lower half-shell (2) connectable to a motorcycle (100); - an upper half-shell (3) hinged to the lower half-shell (2) configured to move between a closed position, wherein the lower half-shell (2) and the upper half-shell (3) form a storage compartment (10), and an open position, wherein the upper half-shell (3) is in part spaced from the lower half-shell (2); - a lifting device (4) configured to exert on the upper half-shell (3) an opening torque (T) with decreasing intensity; wherein the lifting device (4) comprises an arm (5) hinged to the lower half-shell (2) and an elastic element (6) configured to push the arm (5) towards the upper half-shell (3); characterized in that the distal end of the arm (5) is configured to slide over an internal surface of the upper half-shell (3).
  2. Top case (1) for motorcycle (100) according to claim 1, wherein the distal end of the arm (8) comprises one or more rollers (7) configured to roll over the inner surface of the upper half-shell (3).
  3. Top case (1) for motorcycle (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper half-shell (3) comprises a thickening (14) where the distal end of the arm (5) slides on the inner surface of the upper half-shell (3).
  4. Top case (1) for motorcycle (100) according to any one of preceding claims, wherein the elastic element (6) comprises a torsion spring (6).
  5. Top case (1) for motorcycle (100) according to any one of preceding claims, wherein the lifting device (4) comprises a support (8) connected to the lower half-shell (2) and the arm (5) is connected to the lower half-shell (2) through the support (8).
  6. Top case (1) for motorcycle (100) according to claim 5, wherein the support (8) is connected to the bottom (2A) of the lower half-shell (2).
  7. Top case (1) for motorcycle (100) according to any one of preceding claims, in which the hinging axis (A1) of the arm (5) to the lower half-shell (2) is offset with respect to an axis hinging (A2) of the upper half-shell (3) to the lower half-shell (2).
  8. Top case (1) for motorcycle (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an end-of-stroke device (9) for limiting an opening angle of the upper half-shell (3) with respect to the lower half-shell (2).

Description

TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD The present invention relates to the field of storage containers for motorcycles, in particular the field of rear top cases for motorcycles. BACKGROUND ART The prior art comprises various known solutions for storing objects in a motorcycle. Motorcycles, unlike motor cars, do not comprise a passenger compartment, therefore items must be stored in special compartments of the motorcycle. Generally, these compartments are impermeable to protect the items from weathering. Motorcycle compartments can be small, e.g., to contain a pair of gloves or the vehicle documents, or large, e.g., to contain one or more helmets. Traditional storage compartments are rear top cases for motorcycles and scooters or underseat compartments for scooters. For scooters, top cases placed in the front are also known. Easy opening top cases, i.e., comprising elastic elements adapted to facilitate the opening of the top case, are also known from the prior art. A relevant example is provided by document KR20130001629U, which discloses two solutions for facilitating the opening of the lid of the top case. A first solution comprises a hinge provided with a torsion spring and a second solution comprises a piston. In the first solution, the torsion spring is mounted coaxially to the hinge. The first solution has the drawback that the torsion spring must be very large and stiff to apply a sufficient torque to open the lid. This aspect can create very high concentrations of forces at the contact points between the spring and the lid, which can lead to deformation or rupture of the latter. Moreover, this first solution does not allow varying the strength of the hinge opening torque according to the excursion of the lid. The second solution with the piston, on the other hand, has the drawback that the piston is highly bulky and reduces the housing space or access thereto. Since the housing space in a motorcycle is always small due to the size of the vehicle, the space required for the movement and excursion of the piston is a space lost inside the top case. WO 2022/167879 A1 discloses the features of the preamble of claim 1. SUMMARY It is a first object of the present invention to solve the drawbacks of the known solutions by a motorcycle top case, comprising a lower half-shell and an upper half-shell. The lower half-shell is connectable to a motorcycle. The upper half-shell is hinged to the lower half-shell and is configured to move between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, the lower half-shell and the upper half-shell form a storage compartment. In the open position, the upper half-shell is spaced apart from the lower half-shell to allow access to the storage compartment. The top case further comprises a lifting device configured to apply an opening torque with decreasing strength to the upper half-shell. The top case thus devised allows for an easy or automatic opening of the upper half-shell minimizing the dimensions inside the top case and minimizing the risk of jamming of the lifting device. Moreover, the top case thus devised allows for a less abrupt opening of the upper half-shell. In an alternative embodiment, the lifting device can be configured to apply an opening torque with decreasing strength to the lower half-shell. The lifting device comprises an arm hinged to the lower half-shell and a spring element configured to push the arm towards the upper half-shell. This embodiment allows the upper half-shell to be pushed by the arm, which in turn is pushed by the elastic element. The arm allows applying the pushing force of the spring element at a more suitable point of the upper half-shell to carry out the opening more efficiently and avoid tension concentrations on the upper half-shell. In an alternative embodiment, the lifting device can comprise an arm hinged to the upper half-shell and a spring element configured to push the arm towards the lower half-shell. The distal end of the arm is configured to slide on an inner surface of the upper half-shell or, in the case of a not claimed alternative embodiment, on an inner surface of the lower half-shell. The rubbing allows friction to be formed between the arm and upper half-shell which dampens the opening torque of the top case. In particular, the distal end of the arm can comprise one or more rollers configured to roll on the inner surface of the upper half-shell. The rollers allow reducing friction between arm and upper half-shell, allowing the selection of smaller and hence more cost-effective spring elements. Advantageously, the upper half-shell can comprise a thickening where the distal end of the arm slides over the inner surface of the upper half-shell. The thrust of the lever thus discharges onto a thicker portion, which avoids cracks in the material of the upper half-shell and facilitates the distribution of forces thereon. Preferably, the elastic element can comprise a torsion spring. This type of elastic element is cost-effectiv