COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR AN INNOVATION PATENT in the name of Matthew Grant Burns entitled "MOTORCYCLE VISOR WIPER" Filed by: FISHER ADAMS KELLY Patent and Trade Mark Attorneys Level 29 12 Creek Street BRISBANE QLD 4000
AUSTRALIA
1 MOTORCYCLE VISOR WIPER FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a wiper for a visor. In particular, although not 5 exclusively, the invention relates to a wiper for removing rain from a motorcycle visor. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Riding a motorcycle can be a dangerous activity, even in perfect weather 10 conditions. Accordingly, motorcycle riders wear helmets to prevent or minimise head injuries in the event of an accident. Visors are usually attached to these helmets to provide additional protection for the face and eyes. The dangers involved in riding a motorcycle are compounded in wet weather conditions, not only due to slippery road surfaces, but also as a 15 result of reduced visibility caused by rain collecting on the visor of the helmet. To overcome this problem, many motorcyclists use their glove or a cloth to wipe the surface of the visor. This is not an effective solution as often the 20 glove or cloth will also be wet, resulting in smudging or smearing of the water which will obstruct the rider's vision. Mechanical wiper blade devices are available for attachment to helmet visors; however these are expensive, cumbersome, and the wiper blade itself may obstruct the motorcyclist's vision. 7015521 2 Water repellant solutions may also be applied to the visor of a helmet so that rain contacting the surface of the visor will bead into small drops and roll off the visor. However, these solutions must be applied to the visor in advance 5 of the wet weather conditions and must be reapplied periodically to remain effective. Professional motorcyclists often apply layers of removable thin plastic film, referred to as tear-offs or peel-offs, to their visors which can be removed 10 when the surface of the visor is obstructed by road grime, bugs and the like. These products are not generally suited to wet weather conditions as only a few layers of plastic film may be applied at a time, making them a very short term solution in a heavy downpour. Further disadvantages of this product include the need to dispose of the plastic films whilst riding, and the 15 expense. OBJECT OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to ameliorate one or more of the abovementioned problems associated with the prior art or at least to provide 20 a useful alternative. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In one form, the present invention resides in a wiper for removing rain from the surface of a motorcycle visor, comprising: 701552_1 3 a body having a wiping edge shaped to match the contour of the visor and a gripping portion; and attachment means for releasably mounting the body to a motorcycle. 5 In the preferred embodiment, the wiping edge of the body is substantially straight and the gripping portion of the body is curved. Preferably, the attachment means is a suction cup that adheres to the 10 motorcycle. However, persons skilled in the field will appreciate that other forms of attachment means, such as hook and loop fasteners, for example Velcro®, or magnets would also be suitable. Preferably, the body is manufactured from a foam material such as closed 15 cell foam, for example Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) or Polyethylene (PE) foam. The body may also be manufactured from other foam materials such as open cell foam, upholstery foam, Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), rubber or other 20 suitable materials. Preferably, the wiper adapted to is releasably mount on the fuel tank of a motorcycle. 7015521 4 Alternatively, the wiper may be releasably mountable to other parts of the motorcycle, such as the handlebars, the fairing, or the windshield. The attachment means could also comprise a releasable socket or holder which is mounted onto the motorcycle fuel tank, handlebars or the like for receiving 5 the body. In another form, a wiper blade may be present on one or both sides of the wiping edge of the body. 10 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS To enable the invention to be fully understood, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG 1 shows sketched views of a wiper for a motorcycle visor 15 according to the present invention; FIG 2 illustrates the wiper shown in FIG 1 attached to the fuel tank of a motorcycle; and FIG 3 shows an individual using the wiper shown in FIG 1 to wipe the surface of a motorcycle visor. 20 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIG 1, there is shown a perspective view of a wiper 10 formed from a resilient material such as foam material or rubber. The wiper 10 has a body 11 with a wiping edge 12 and a gripping portion 13. The wiping edge 12 701552_1 5 is substantially straight to match the contour of standard motorcycle visors. The wiping edge may be fitted with a wiping blade of different material suitable for wiping. 5 The gripping portion 13 is curved to fit comfortably in the hand of the motorcycle rider and also to decrease air resistance. In a preferred embodiment, the body 11 has an aperture 14 for receiving a suction cup 15 to enable the body 11 to be releasably attached to a motorcycle (Fig 2). It should be appreciated that other forms of attachment means, for example 10 Velcro@, would also be possible. Referring to FIG 2, there is shown a wiper 10 attached to a motorcycle 20. In a preferred embodiment, the wiper 10 is releasably mounted to the fuel tank 22 of the motorcycle 20. In this position, the wiper 10 will not interfere with 15 the operation of the motorcycle 20, and the rider can easily access the wiper 10 without taking their eyes off the road for a long period of time. It should however be appreciated that the wiper 10 may be releasably attached to other parts of the motorcycle 20, such as the handlebars 24, the fairing (not shown), or the windshield (not shown). 20 FIG 3 shows a motorcycle rider 30 using the wiper 10 of the present invention. In wet weather conditions, the rider 30 removes the wiper 10 from the fuel tank of the motorcycle. Then, holding the wiper by the gripping portion 13, the rider 30 places the wiping edge 12 in contact with the visor 31 7015521 6 and moves the wiper 10 in sideways motion along the surface of the visor 31 to remove rain. After use, the wiper 10 can easily be re-attached to the fuel tank of the motorcycle with the suction cup. 5 701552_1