NL2032815A - Cable positioning device for bicycle - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a bicycle cable positioning device adapted for being mounted between a handlebar stem and a front fork stem. The handlebar stem 5 comprises a main body which is provided at two ends thereof with a handlebar buckle ring for receiving a handlebar and a front fork buckle ring for securing the front fork stem in position, respectively. The cable positioning device includes at least two covers adapted for being fixed to the handlebar stem to cover up the main body and the front fork buckle ring, such that at least one routing space is 10 defined among the at least two covers, the main body and the front fork buckle ring. By positioning cables in the routing space, the device herein is able to prevent the cables from getting tangled, damaged or worn out. The assemblable covers further facilitate easy removal, assembly, adjustment and maintenance of the cables. 15 Fig. 2

Description

CABLE POSITIONING DEVICE FOR BICYCLE

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a bicycle cable positioning device and, more particularly, to a bicycle cable positioning device which is useful for cable routing to prevent cables from getting tangled, damaged or worn out. The device comprises a pair of easily assemblable covers to facilitate removal, assembly, adjustment and maintenance of the cables.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Bicycles are a commonly used means of transportation. Its power source comes from pedaling by human force and does not need electricity or gasoline, making it very environmentally friendly and suitable for serving as a general tool of transportation or a leisure sports equipment. Since riding bicycles has been promoted for its recreation and environmental benefits, more and more people are selecting it for transportation. Conventionally, the front wheel of a bicycle is mainly used to control the balance and steering of the bicycle. The front wheel is connected to the handlebar through the front fork, so that it may be steered by turning the handlebar in desired direction to achieve the smooth steering and balance control.

However, the common control cables mounted on a bicycle (such as brake cables, shift cables, headlight power control cables, etc.) have to be routed carefully to prevent them from entanglement, abrasion and damage by shear force during riding. R.O.C. Patent Nos. 1243131, M570271 and M571339 propose bicycle stem tubes provided with cable routing means, where the hollow tubular- shaped stem tubes are either perforated or formed with guide channels to accommodate and provide protection to the cables.

Conventionally, those cables are accommodated in an internal route defined either between the front fork stem and the front fork shaft, or within the front fork shaft. Such an architecture, however, has the drawbacks of including too many constituting components, being hard to assemble and leading to high manufacturing cost. Additional limitations may arise if the bearing hub is integrally formed with the stem tube. The internal routing architecture also means that the stem tube has to be dissembled whenever the cables routed therein need be replaced or adjusted, making the maintenance and repair task time-consuming and cumbersome. Moreover, in the case where the cables are routed between the front fork stem and the front fork shaft, the cables could easily be worn out, and this would in turn affect the convenience and safety of riding.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above drawbacks, an object of the invention is to provide a bicycle cable positioning device and, more particularly, to a bicycle cable positioning device which is useful for cable routing to prevent cables from getting tangled, damaged or worn out. The device comprises a pair of easily assemblable covers to facilitate removal, assembly, adjustment and maintenance of the cables.

The bicycle cable positioning device according to the invention is adapted for being mounted between a handlebar stem and a front fork stem of a bicycle. The handlebar stem comprises a main body which is provided at two ends thereof with a handlebar buckle ring for receiving a handlebar and a front fork buckle ring for securing the front fork stem in position, respectively. The cable positioning device comprises at least two covers adapted for being fixed to the handlebar stem to cover up the main body and the front fork buckle ring, such that at least one routing space is defined among the at least two covers, the main body and the front fork buckle ring.

According to the technical features above, the covers are configured to space apart from the main body and the front fork buckle ring to constitute the at least one routing space. The covers are formed at their ends facing to the main body with a first through-hole communicating with the ambient and formed at their ends facing to the front fork buckle ring with a second through-hole communicating to the ambient.

According to the technical features above, the main body comprises an upper portion and a lower portion having a width smaller than that of the upper portion, and the covers are adapted to cover the lower portion.

According to the technical features above, the lower portion is formed by tapering both ends of the upper portion inwardly and the two covers are adapted to cover two ends of the lower portion, respectively.

According to the technical features above, the device further comprises at least one fastener for fixing the covers to the main body.

According to the technical features above, the device further comprises at least one snap unit for establishing connection between the covers and the handlebar stem.

According to the technical features above, the snap unit comprises a snap-fit projection and a recess for engagement with the snap-fit projection.

According to the technical features above, the handlebar buckle ring extends laterally and is formed with a front axle hole for receiving the handlebar, and the front fork buckle ring extends longitudinally and is formed with a rear axle hole for receiving the front fork stem.

According to the technical features above, the handlebar buckle ring is provided with a screw for tightening the handlebar, and the front fork buckle ring is provided with a screw for tightening the front fork stem.

According to the technical features above, the covers are configured to conform in contour to the main body and the front fork buckle ring.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective structural view of the cable positioning device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is another perspective structural view of the cable positioning device according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the cable positioning device according to the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cable positioning device according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In order to facilitate the examiner's understanding of the technical features, content, and advantages of the invention and the efficacies it can achieve, the invention will be described in detail as follows in the form of embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings used herein are merely for the purpose of illustration and supplement for the invention, and may not be the true proportions and precise configurations after the invention is implemented. Therefore, relationships between the proportions and configurations of the attached drawings should not be used to interpret or limit the scope of claims in the actual implementation.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cable positioning device according to the invention. As shown, a handlebar stem 10 is connected to a head tube 21 of a bicycle frame, on which a head parts set 22 is sleeved. The head parts set 22 is provided with a bearing (not shown) which is arranged coaxial with the head tube 21. The head tube 21 is adapted for connection to a front fork. The front fork comprises a front fork stem 23, which is inserted through the head tube 21 and the head parts set 22 and protrudes above the head parts set 22.

Now referring to FIG. 2, the cable positioning device herein is adapted for being mounted between the handlebar stem 10 and the front fork stem 23. The handlebar stem 10 includes a main body 11, which is provided at two ends thereof with a handlebar buckle ring 12 and a front fork buckle ring 13, respectively. The handlebar buckle ring 12 is adapted for receiving a handlebar 24, whereas the front fork buckle ring 13 is adapted for securing the front fork stem 23 in position. The handlebar buckle ring 12 extends laterally and is formed with a front axle hole 121 for receiving the handlebar 24. The handlebar buckle ring 12 is further provided with screws 122 for tightening the handlebar 24. The front fork buckle ring 13 extends longitudinally and is formed with a rear axle hole 131 for receiving the front fork stem 23. The front fork buckle ring 13 is further provided with a screw 132 for tightening the front fork stem 23.

The cable positioning device herein comprises at least two covers 41. As shown in FIG. 3, the covers 41 may be fixed to the handlebar stem 10 to cover up the main body 11 and the front fork buckle ring 13, such that at least one routing space 42 is defined among the covers 41, the main body 11 and the front fork buckle ring 13. The covers 41 are configured to conform in contour to the main body 11 and the front fork buckle ring 13 and space apart from the main body 11 and the front fork buckle ring 13, so as to constitute the at least one routing space 42. The covers 41 are formed at their ends facing to the main body 11 with a first through-hole 421 communicating with the ambient and formed at their ends facing to the front fork buckle ring 13 with a second through-hole 422 communicating to the ambient.

According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the main body 11 comprises an upper portion 111 and a lower portion 112. The lower portion 112 5 has a width smaller than that of the upper portion 111. The lower portion 112 is formed by tapering both ends of the upper portion 111 inwardly. The two covers 41 of the cable positioning device cover the left and right sides of the lower portion 112, respectively, and the front fork buckle ring 13, such that the covers 41, once assembled, generally conform in contour to the upper portion 111 and the head tube 21. The covers 41 are fixed to the main body 11 with at least one fastener 43 (which may, by way of example, be a screw). At least one snap unit is provided for establishing connection between the covers 41 and the handlebar stem 10, which may comprise a snap-fit projection 44 and a recess 45 for engagement with the snap-fit projection 44. According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the respective covers 41 are provided with at least two snap-fit projections 44 for engagement with the recesses 45 formed in the main body 11 and the front fork buckle ring 13, respectively. Taking advantage of the snap engagement between the snap-fit projection 44 and recess 45, and the fixation by the fastener 43, the covers 41 can be easily disassembled from and reassembled to the handlebar stem 10.

A cable 50 comprises at least one cord adapted for connection at one end thereof to a bicycle controller (such as a derailleur controller, a seat height controller, a brake lever, etc.) and connection at the other end thereof to a bicycle element (such as a derailleur, a telescopic seat post, a brake, etc.). By virtue of the structural arrangement disclosed herein, a user can conveniently and easily insert the cable 50 into the routing space 42 via the first through-hole 421 from the bottom side of the handlebar stem 10 and further insert the cable 50 into the interior of the head tube 21 through the second through-hole 422. By hiding the cable 50 inside the bicycle frame, the device disclosed herein is able to prevent the cable 50 from getting tangled, damaged or worn out and further optimizes the appearance of the whole bicycle. The covers disclosed herein, which are configured to be easily dissembled and re-assembled, is able to facilitate removal, assembly, adjustment and maintenance of the cable 50.

The invention provides an improved cable positioning device for bicycle.

While the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments above, it should be recognized that the preferred embodiments are given for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention and that various modifications and changes, which will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (10)

Conclusions: A bicycle cable positioning device adapted to be mounted between a handlebar stem and a front fork stem of a bicycle, the handlebar stem comprising a main body provided at two ends thereof respectively with a handlebar clamp ring for receiving a handlebar and a front fork clamp ring for securing in place holding the front fork stem, the device characterized in that : the cable positioning device includes at least two covers adapted to be attached to the stem to cover the main body and the front fork clamping ring so that between the at least two covers, the main body and the front fork clamping ring defines at least one passage space. The bicycle cable positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the covers are configured to be spaced from the main body and the front fork clamping ring to form the at least one grommet space, and wherein the covers form a first grommet at their ends facing the main body which is in communication with the environment and at their ends directed towards the front fork clamping ring form a second through hole which is in communication with the environment. The bicycle cable positioning device according to claim 2, wherein the main body includes an upper portion and a lower portion having a width narrower than that of the upper portion, and the covers are adapted to cover the lower portion. The bicycle cable positioning device according to claim 3, wherein the lower portion is formed by tapering both ends of the upper portion inwardly and the two covers are adapted to respectively cover two ends of the lower portion. The bicycle cable positioning device according to claim 1 - 4, further comprising at least one fastener for attaching the covers to the main body. The bicycle cable positioning device according to claims 1 - 4, further comprising at least one snap unit for establishing connection between the cover caps and the handlebar. The bicycle cable positioning device of claim 6, wherein the snap unit includes a snap protrusion and a recess for engagement with the snap protrusion. The bicycle cable positioning device according to claim 1 - 4, wherein the handlebar clamping ring extends laterally and is formed with a front axle opening for receiving the handlebar, and wherein the front fork clamping ring extends longitudinally and is formed with a rear axle opening for receiving the front fork stem. The bicycle cable positioning device according to claim 8, wherein the handlebar clamping ring is provided with a screw to fix the handlebar, and wherein the front fork clamping ring is provided with a screw to fix the front fork stem. The bicycle cable positioning device according to claim 8, wherein the covers are configured to conform to the contours of the main body and the front fork clamping ring.