Patent Application
20230032350
The invention relates to the transportation of handlebar-controlled vehicles. More specifically, the invention relates to protective devices fitted to such vehicles during transport. Even more specifically, the invention relates to a device which protects the handlebar grip and adjacent control levers of such a vehicle from becoming damaged and protects the nearby objects from damage during transport.
The present invention discloses a sleeve device which is attached to the end of the handlebars of a vehicle, said vehicles including, but not limited to, bicycles, motorcycles, scooters, motorized tricycles, and all-terrain vehicles, said vehicles having grips installed at the ends of the handlebars and handlebar-mounted control levers adjacent to the grips. The device of the invention shields the grips and control levers, thus protecting the grips and levers from potential damage arising from unintended contact of the grips and levers with nearby objects during the transportation of the vehicle. The device also protects nearby objects, such as other vehicles and the surroundings, from potential damage by contact with the vehicle's grips or control levers. The device actuates the vehicle braking system by constraining the brake lever to its fully pulled position, preventing the braked wheel or wheels from rotating, thus minimizing movement of the vehicle during transport.
The said metal mandrel shown in
The invention relates to a protective device to be utilized on the handlebar of a vehicle equipped with control levers mounted on the handlebar adjacent to the handlebar grips. The device of the invention prevents the grips and control levers from imparting damage to the surroundings when the vehicle is transported. The device of the invention further protects the control levers and grips from damage by contact with nearby objects during transportation of the vehicle. The device of the invention further keeps a brake control lever in the fully pulled position, thus actuating the brake and preventing rotation of the braked wheel or wheels.
Many vehicles have a handlebar to control the movement of the vehicle. Such vehicles include, but are not limited to, bicycles, motorcycles, motorized tricycles, motorized scooters, and all-terrain vehicles. Many vehicles which have a handlebar to control the movement of the vehicle are fitted with grips at the end of the handlebar intended to be grasped by the operator and provide comfort and safety as the vehicle is driven, and may provide padding and vibration damping. Many grips have an additional control function. Such additional function may be, for example, in a grip well-known to those with skill in the art as a twist grip, to control the acceleration of a motorized vehicle. Another function of a twist grip may be to shift gears on a bicycle. Many vehicles which have a handlebar to control the movement of the vehicle are also fitted with control levers mounted adjacent to the grip and intended to be utilized while the hand is grasping the grip. These levers serve, for example, to actuate the clutch or a braking system.
It is standard in the industry that motorcycle grips are mounted at the ends of a handlebar and lever controls extend from the handlebar which allow the operator to actuate the clutch and the front wheel braking apparatus. A typical arrangement of handlebar (A), grip (B), and control lever (C) is shown in
It is often desirable when transporting motorcycles, bicycles, or other vehicles with handlebars to minimize the potential for unintended movement of the vehicle. It is well known that one way to minimize unintended movement is to actuate the braking system so that rotation of the braked wheel or wheels is prevented. Several products to accomplish this are commercially available, and range from a simple clip mechanism, available from, inter aliA, RevZilla (Philadelphia), KiWav (Taipei, Taiwan), and BikersBitz (Bangkok, Thailand) to sturdy keyed locks such as those sold by, among others, Grip-Lock (Christchurch, New Zealand), Bully Locks (San Antonio, Tex.), or Oxford LeverLock (Whitney, Oxfordshire, England). With all of these devices, the brake lever is constrained in the fully actuated position, leaving the lever exposed with no protection, and capable of imparting damage to nearby objects during transportation.
Therefore, there is a need for a means to shield the grips and levers and protect them from damage to nearby objects and also to protect nearby objects from potential damage caused by contact with grips and/or levers.
There is a need for a means to prevent rotation of the braked wheel which also shields the grip and lever, minimizing unintended movement of the vehicle during transportation and protecting the grips and levers from damage due to contact with nearby objects and protecting nearby objects from potential damage due to contact with the grips and shields.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which covers the ends of the grips and the control levers of a handlebar-controlled vehicle, thus preventing damage to the vehicle's grips and levers due to contact with nearby objects during transportation of the vehicle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device which covers the ends of the grips and the control levers of a handlebar-controlled vehicle, thus preventing damage to nearby objects due to contact with the grips and levers during transportation of the vehicle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device which actuates the braking mechanism of a vehicle equipped with a handlebar-mounted braking lever, thus minimizing movement of the vehicle by preventing rotation of the braked wheel or wheels during transport.
The device of the invention is fabricated from a flexible polymer essentially in the shape essentially that of a hollow right cylinder with a first open base and a second solid base. The invention is used by fully pulling the control lever mounted on a handlebar next to the grip, and sliding the open end of the device over the lever and grip. The applied device effectively covers the ends of both the grip and the control lever, providing the aforesaid protection. The spring mechanism in the control lever system forces the lever to hold the protective device in place.
Several polymeric materials may be utilized to practice the invention, including, but not limited to, neoprene, vinyl, rubber, silicone, ethylene vinyl acetate, and low-density polyethylene. Many other polymeric materials exhibit acceptable attributes of flexibility, strength, and resistance to wear, which make them suitable for fabrication into the device of the invention, and are within the scope of the invention.
The dimensions of the polymeric sleeve of the invention are determined by the diameter of the handlebar, diameter and length of the grip, and the length and curvature characteristics of the lever. These dimensions may vary depending on the type and brand of the vehicle. Ideally, the inside diameter of the sleeve should be essentially equal to the distance between the outer surface of the fully pulled grip to the distal outer surface of the grip, measured at about ⅞ of the length of the grip.
The inner length of the sleeve is ideally equal to about ⅞ of the full length of the grip, denoted in
The wall of the sleeve should be thick enough to provide protection of the grip and control lever from damage from interaction with nearby objects. The wall of the sleeve should be thick enough to provide protection from damage to nearby objects from the grip and control lever. The wall thickness is chosen to allow the sleeve to be flexible enough to stretch slightly upon installation and form a tight-fitting but easily removable sheath. The wall thickness can vary from 0.05″ to 0.10″. A typical wall thickness is 0.075″.
The device of the invention may be fitted with an additional element to augment its protective qualities. A reinforcing external cushion made from polymeric material can be affixed to the closed end of the sleeve. The polymeric material may be, but is not limited to, neoprene, vinyl, rubber, silicone, ethylene vinyl acetate, and low-density polyethylene.
The device of the invention may also be reinforced by the addition of an interior cushion. The interior cushion may be fabricated from polymeric material. The polymeric material may be, but is not limited to, neoprene, vinyl, rubber, silicone, ethylene vinyl acetate, low-density polyethylene, and polyvinyl chloride/nitrile butadiene rubber/neoprene. The interior cushion should have a diameter which allows it to be inserted into the sleeve, as depicted in
In one non-limiting embodiment of the invention, a device is fabricated from polymeric material in the shape essentially that of a hollow right cylinder with a first open base and a second solid base. The device is manufactured by a dip-molding process well-known to those with skill in the art. A mandrel of the appropriate dimensions is selected, pre-heated, and dipped into a liquid polymer formulation. After the appropriate dwell time, the mandrel is removed from the liquid and the coated mandrel is heat cured. After cooling, the product is removed from the mandrel to provide the device of the invention having an inner diameter of 1.63″, an inner length of 4.0″, and a wall thickness of 0.075″.
In another non-limiting embodiment of the invention, the device manufactured by the aforementioned dip-molding process is fitted with an external cushion fabricated from a polymeric material which is attached to the closed end of the cylinder sleeve. The external cushion of this embodiment is manufactured by the aforementioned dip-molding process. The external cushion has a shape essentially that of a hollow right cylinder with a first open base and a second solid base, as graphically depicted in
In another embodiment of the invention, an external cushion is provided during the dip-molding process using techniques known to those with skill in the art. In this embodiment, a mandrel of the appropriate dimensions is lowered into the appropriate liquid polymer bath to a first depth and maintained for a first dwell time. Then the mandrel is partially extracted, leaving the bottom portion of the sleeve in the dip tank for a second dwell time. Then the mandrel is fully extracted, cured, and cooled. The article of this embodiment is then stripped or removed from the mandrel to provide a protective sleeve like that depicted in
In still another embodiment of the invention, a protective device with an internal cushion is provided. A circle is cut out from polymeric material such as, but not limited to, commercially available IA″ polyvinyl chloride/nitrile butadiene rubber/neoprene (chlorinated rubber) closed cell foam polymer to provide a cushion with essentially the shape of a right cylinder with diameter of 1.5″ and a height of IA″. The foam cushion is inserted into the sleeve produced by the aforementioned process and affixed to the bottom of the sleeve with cyanoacrylate adhesive, affording a device of the invention like that depicted in
The object of the invention is to provide a flexible, durable protective polymer sleeve or sheath which is installed over the grips and control levers of a vehicle. After much experimentation, it was found that a sleeve with its cross-section in the shape of a flattened asymmetric tapered oval provided superior results. The said flattened asymmetric tapered oval cross-section, as depicted in
The end face of the mandrel, the face which is to be immersed in liquid polymer, may be further modified by machining techniques well known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Further modifications include, but are not limited to, the introduction of spikes, grooves, waffle patterns, crosshatch patterns, holes, nubs, and corrugation. The purpose of such modifications is to introduce unique features to the product after die-molding. These unique features enhance the performance of the product by providing more resilience of the polymer at the inside face of the sleeve endcap. In one non-limiting example, grooves were machined into the mandrel face to give a pattern as depicted in
