Patents by Inventor Franz Berkmann

Franz Berkmann has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6742798
    Abstract: A bipod support for a two-wheeler is provided which swivels about an axis extending in a transverse direction of the vehicle. For its operation, a foot lever can be swiveled about this swiveling axis from a first end position for the driving operation into a second end position for parking the two-wheeler. In this case, during the swiveling for placing the two-wheeler in an intermediate position, the bipod support touches the ground with both its feet and, starting from this intermediate position, the two-wheeler and the axis of the bipod support are swiveled about another swiveling axis along the connection line of the two ground contact points of the feet, until the bipod support has reached its second end position. One of the two feet of the bipod support, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the two-wheeler, projects farther toward the front than the other to thereby cause a temporary tilting of the vehicle toward the driver during parking operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2004
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Franz Berkmann
  • Publication number: 20020130487
    Abstract: A bipod support for a two-wheeler is provided which swivels about an axis extending in a transverse direction of the vehicle. For its operation, a foot lever can be swiveled about this swiveling axis from a first end position for the driving operation into a second end position for parking the two-wheeler. In this case, during the swiveling for placing the two-wheeler in an intermediate position, the bipod support touches the ground with both its feet and, starting from this intermediate position, the two-wheeler and the axis of the bipod support are swiveled about another swiveling axis along the connection line of the two ground contact points of the feet, until the bipod support has reached its second end position. One of the two feet of the bipod support, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the two-wheeler, projects farther toward the front than the other to thereby cause a temporary tilting of the vehicle toward the driver during parking operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2002
    Publication date: September 19, 2002
    Applicant: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Franz Berkmann
  • Patent number: 6182993
    Abstract: A motorcycle has at least one suspension strut, with at least one manually operable adjusting mechanism for changing the spring pretensioning and/or damping properties of the suspension strut. The adjusting mechanism is mounted separately from the suspension strut on the motorcycle. At least one actuating element or member on the adjusting mechanism can be brought into two different positions on the motorcycle, an adjusting position for manually adjusting the adjusting mechanism and a stowage position in which the adjusting member is located so that it does not project beyond a contour of the motorcycle located nearby.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Franz Berkmann
  • Patent number: 5799963
    Abstract: A telescopic front wheel suspension for a motorcycle has an unsprung part which by way of a ball joint rotatable about a virtual steering axis is connected by a four bar mechanism with a part of the motorcycle which is fixed to the frame. The four bar mechanism consists of two control bars which, swivellably by way of swivel pins fixed to the frame, are connected by a coupler. The coupler supports the unsprung part of the telescopic front wheel suspension. The four bar mechanism is designed such that its swivel pins fixed to the frame, when viewed in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the motorcycle, are situated in front of additional swivel pins of the coupler which swivellably connect the coupler with the control bars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Franz Berkmann