Patent Application
20140083826
1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to bicycle bells and/or electrical contacts utilizing the handle bar mounted cable housing and associated brake lever.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, a bicycle warning bell is mounted on the handlebar requiring the rider to remover his or her hand from the brake to operate the bell. Prior art has arranged the bell to be placed on the brake cable housing allowing the operation of the bell without removing the hand from the brake. Various patents exist such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,424,863, and 7,806,071 that use the hand brake cable housing of a bicycle hand brake as a platform to mount a bell, consisting of, in its simplest form, a bell dome, a spring loaded clapper and a lever. Activation of this simple bell is accomplished by using the index finger or thumb to depress and quickly release the bell lever, causing the clapper to strike the bell dome.
Conventionally, a bicycle or motorcycle button switch is mounted on the handlebar causing the rider to take his or her hand off the brake lever or other lever and move the hand to press the button switch to cause a closing of the switch operatively connected to a bell, or siren, or light or other purpose. Prior art of switches in brake levers exist as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,729,750.
The current invention is an improvement in that it combines the functions of the handle bar mounted brake component and the bicycle bell thus saving manufacturing costs. Safety is preserved as the hand does not have to leave the brake to activate this bell.
The upper cable housing is modified to accept a bell dome on stalk. The already spring loaded hand brake lever is modified to accept a flexible striker post that supports a clapper. At rest, with brake not activated, the clapper and bell rest in close proximity on their respective components separated by a gap.
Background:
As to the brake system, when normally installed there is a small amount of “free play” in the system to insure that the brake pads fully withdraw after engagement and do not contact the bicycle rim unless the brake lever is purposely engaged.
Operation:
To ring the bell in the above described configuration, the brake lever is squeezed to the extent that the free play allows without engaging the brake, and quickly released. Upon release the spring loaded brake lever will snap closed carrying the flexible shaft mounted striker/clapper with it. Because the bell striker has built up momentum it will continue to travel forward, closing gap, striking the bell dome and ringing the bell. The number and volume of chime will depend on the weight of the striker, flexibility of the shaft, and width of the gap. This squeeze/ release action can be repeated quite rapidly as needed. Note that the addition of the bell dome to the cable housing, or the addition of the shaft mounted clapper to the brake lever will not interfere with the normal operation of the hand brake.
As to the striker, it may be mounted vertically for simplicity of design, manufacture, and assembly. The brake lever could have a hole to receive the striker assembly. The striker could then be just a plastic peg with a formed stop near one end and a formed clapper bulb at the other end. The peg end is to be inserted into the hole. Or the striker assembly could be composed of a peg, a length of spring, and the striker bulb. Or the ends of the spring could be unwound and straightened where one end may be inserted into hole in the brake lever, the other end may be inserted into clapper bulb. In any case sticker shaft/clapper bulb assembly would all be in a straight line with no bends necessary or wanted. By being some form of a straight affair there will be no issue of orientation. Simply insert the peg end into the hole. The striker shaft may be extended beyond bulb and therefore it is possible to “flick” the striker with the index finger thus ringing the bell without removing fingers from levers.
As to mounting the bell: These cable housings are generally cast. The castings could be modified to include a volcano like protuberance having a center hole in it. Into this hole would be inserted a peg with the bell dome attached to it.
It is therefore one object of the invention to provide a bicycle bell mounted on the brake cable housing and a bell striker to be mounted on the associated brake lever thereby utilizing the already present handlebar mounted brake components.
It is another object of the invention to provide an electric contact mounted on the brake housing and a striker-electric contact to be mounted on a brake lever thereby using the already present brake components to make an electrical contact and closing a switch for use with electronic bell, siren, and or lights or other purpose.
It is another object of the invention to provide the bell striker to have a spring shaft to increase bell striker force/momentum against the drum.
It is another object of the invention to provide the bell striker to have a weighted clapper head to increase bell striker force/momentum against the drum.
It is another object of the invention to provide the components to the invention may be manufactured in unity or as add-on.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.
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