GB2028411A

GB2028411A - A Clamp for Mounting a Housing on a Bar

Info

Publication number: GB2028411A
Application number: GB7833628A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Yoshigai Kikai Kinzoku KK
Current assignee: Yoshigai Kikai Kinzoku KK
Priority date: 1978-08-07
Filing date: 1978-08-17
Publication date: 1980-03-05
Also published as: GB2028411B

Abstract

A clamp for mounting a housing on a bar comprises a housing 3, e.g. for a cycle brake lever 1, mounted on a bar 6 by a band 13. An engagement member 15 with headed lugs 16 engaged in key-hole apertures 14 formed in the ends of the band is drawn into the housing by a bolt 17 provided within the housing and extending through the engagement member in screw-thread engagement thereby to fasten the band to the handle bar. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A Device for Mounting a Housing on a Bar The present invention relates to a device for mounting a housing on a bar, and more particularly to a device for mounting a brake or clutch operating lever assembly on a handle bar for use in bicycles or motor cycles.

Conventional devices for mounting a lever assembly on a handle bar, for example devices for mounting a brake operating lever assembly on the handle bar of a bicycle, comprise a housing pivotably supporting an operating lever, a fastening band fitting around the handle bar, an engagement means engaged at its opposite ends with the opposite ends of the fastening band, and a bolt provided within the housing and extending through the engagement means in screw-thread engagement therewith to draw the nut into the housing along with the ends of the fastening band and to thereby fasten the band to the bar. The engagement means has at its opposite ends projections engaged in apertures formed in the opposite ends of the fastening band, which band is made of thin steel sheet and is necessarily so biased at all times so as to bring the band ends out of engagement with the nut.Thus the engagement means is held engaged with the band only in the direction in which it is pulled into the housing. It is not held engaged with the band against the outward biasing force of the band.

Accordingly when the bolt loosens with respect to the engagement means during cycling, the engagement means will come out of engagement with the fastening band, resulting in the likelihood that the lever assembly will drop off the handle bar. Furthermore, before the bolt is screwed into the engagement means to mount the lever assembly on the handle bar, the ends of the fastening band must be inserted into the housing and held engaged with the nut by hand. This is a troublesome procedure.

According to the present invention therefore there is provided an assembly for mounting a housing on a bar which comprises a housing, a fastening band for disposition about said bar, engagement means removably engageable with each end of said fastening band, and securing means whereby said engagement means may be adjustably positioned with respect to said housing, thereby drawing said band tightly about said bar and securing the housing thereto; the arrangement being such that the engagement means interlocks with the ends of said fastening band such that they cannot inadvertently disengage.

The invention will now be described, by way of illustration only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a brake lever assembly incorporating an embodiment of the invention on a bicycle; Figure 2 is an enlarged view in section taken along the line Il-Il in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing an engagement means; Figure 4 is a side elevation showing a fastening band with the engagement means held engaged therewith; Figure 5 is a fragmentary view partly in section and showing an engagement means before it is engaged with the fastening band; Figure 6(1) is a view partly in section and showing a lug of the engagement means as inserted in an aperture in the fastening band; Figure 6(11) is a view in section taken along the line VI--VI in Figure 6(1);; Figure 7(1) is a view partly in section and showing a lug of the engagement means held engaged in the aperture of the fastening band; Figure 7(11) is a view in section taken along the line VIl-VIl in Figure 7(1); Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view on an enlarged scale showing another embodiment of this invention; and Figure 9 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view showing a conventional device for mounting a brake operating lever assembly on a handle bar for use in bicycles.

With reference to Figures 1 and 2, an operating lever 1 which is made from light alloy and substantially U-shaped in cross section has base portions 2 inserted in a housing 3 and is turnable on a pivot 4 extending through housing 3. The housing 3 has a lower open end 5 fitting to a handle bar 6. A support 8 is fitted in a boss 7 formed on the front wall of the housing 3. A bowden cable 9 comprises a wire casing 10 and an inner wire 11 extending therethrough. The wire casing 10 is supported at its one end by the support 8. The inner wire 11 extends through the support 8 into the housing 3. The end of the inner wire 11 is secured to a holder 1 2 provided in the operating lever 1 transversely thereof.

The lever assembly is used for operating the brake device, such as caliper brake, of a bicycle.

The lever 1, when turned on the pivot 4, pulls the inner wire 11, actuating the brake device connected to the other end of the bowden cable.

A fastening band 13 is in the form of a formed strip of thin steel sheet and fits around the handle bar 6. An engagement means 1 5 has opposite lugs 1 6 engaging in apertures 14 formed in the opposite ends of the band 1 3. The engagement means 1 5 with the opposite ends of the band 1 3 engaged therewith is inserted in the housing 3 through its lower open end 5. A bolt 17 extends through the pivot 4 diametrically therethrough.

Through a clearance formed between the lever 1 and the housing 3 when the lever 1 is turned, a screwdriver may be inserted into the housing 3 to adjust the bolt 1 7 relative to the engagement means 15, pulling the same into the housing 3, whereby the band 13 is fastened to the handle bar 6 and the lever assembly is thereby mounted on the handle bar 6.

With reference to Figures 3 and 4, each of the lugs 1 6 of the engagement means 1 5 include a shank 1 8 having a circular cross section and projecting oppositely from the engagement means 1 5 and a flange 1 9 at the outer end of each shank 1 8. The flange 1 9 has a substantially rectangular cross-section having long sides a and short sides b; the long sides a being positioned at right angles to the axis of internally threaded portion 20 of the engagement means 1 5. The apertures 14 formed in the band 13 are elongated longitudinally of the long axis of band 13 and each have long sides A and short sides B. The apertures 14 are in conformity with the flanges 1 9 in shape and size, permitting the flange to.

pass there through. As seen in Figures 2 the fastening band 13 has a substantially circular curved middle portion 21 in conformity with the periphery of the handle bar 6 and the ends thereof are bent to provide parallel end portions extending from the middle portion 21 and constituting legs 22.

The lugs 1 6 of the engagement means 1 5 are engaged into the apertures 14 of the fastening band 13 in the manner to be described below with reference to Figures 5 to 7. Figure 5 shows a lug 1 6 of the engagement means 1 5 opposed to the aperture 14 of the fastening band 13. The flange 1 9 may then be inserted into the aperture 14 as indicated in the broken line. The engagement means 1 5 with its shank 1 8 positioned in each aperture 14 is then turned through 90 degrees as seen in Figures 7(1) and 7(11), whereby the long sides a and A of the flange 1 9 and aperture 14 are positioned at right angles to each other with the end portion legs 22 of the band 13 in engagement with the inside surface of the flange 19.Since the band 13 has its legs 22 biased outwardly away from each other, the band 13 is held in tight and intimate contact with the inner surfaces of the flange. When the length of the short sides b of the flange 1 9 is made equal to the diameter of the shank 1 8 and the length of the short sides B of the aperture 14 is made substantially equal to the diameter of the shank, the shank 1 8 is retainable in the aperture 14 free of any backlash widthwise of the band 1 3. To remove the engagement means 1 5 from the fastening band 13, the engagement means 1 5 with its shank 1 8 positioned in each aperture 14 is turned through 90 degrees to the position shown in Figures 6(1) and 6(11).The engagement means 1 5 is thereafter slightly moved to register the flange 19 with the aperture 14, and the flange 1 9 is withdrawn from the aperture 14.

Figure 8 shows another embodiment of this invention. An engagement means 23 has lugs 24 each including a shank 25 projecting oppositely from the engagement means 23 and bearing a flange 26 formed at the outer end thereof. The flange 26 is of a reactangular form disposed at right angles to the axis of the internally threaded portion 27 of the engagement means 23. A fastening band 28 has at its each end an aperture 29 including a large open portion 30 elongated to a rectangular form widthwise of the band and conforming to the shape of the flange 26 and a small open portion 31 positioned closer to the band end than the large open portion 30 and intercommunicating with the large open portion 30, the shank 25 being fittable in the small open portion 31.In this embodiment, the flange 26 on the engagement means 23 is passed through the large open portion 30, and the engagement means 23 is then moved so that the shank 25 fits into the small open portion 31, whereby the band 28 can be engaged with the inside surface of the flange 26.

Figure 9 shows a conventional device. An engagement means 32 is merely formed with a tongue 33 at each of its opposite ends, while a band 34 has apertures 35 in its opposite ends.

The band 34 is a substantially U-shaped strip of thin steel sheet and has its opposite ends biased outward away from each other. To install the parts in place, the opposite ends of the band 34 held by the hand to clamp the engagement means 32 therebetween with the tongues 33 engaged in the apertures 35 are inserted into a housing, and a bolt in the housing is screwed int the engagement means 32. Accordingly before the bolt is screwed into the engagement means 32 to pull the nut into the housing, the band 34 must be held in engagement with the engagement means 32. This procedure is troublesome. Further when the bolt loosens, the opposite ends of the band 34 are liable to expand outward to release the engagement means 32, with the resulting likelihood that the lever assembly will drop off the handle bar.

Claims

1. An assembly for mounting a housing on a bar which comprise a housing, a fastening band for dispositioning about said bar, engagement means removably engageable with each end of said fastening band, and securing means whereby said engagement means may be adjustably positioned with respect to said housing, thereby drawing said band tightly about said bar and securing the housing thereto; the arrangement being such that the engagement means interlocks with the ends of said fastening band such that it cannot inadvertently disengage.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the engagement means is a screw-threaded member and the securing means is a bolt for cooperation therewith.

3. An assembly according to claim 2 wherein the engagement means comprises a pair of oppositely and outwardly directed shanks each terminating in a flange.

4. An assembly according to claim 3 wherein the axis of each shank is perpendicular to the axis of the screw thread.

5. An assembly according to either of claims 3 or 4 wherein the flange has a substantially rectangular or circular cross-section.

6. An assembly according to claim 5 wherein each end of the fastening band comprises an aperture conforming to and being slightly iarger than the cross-sectional profile of its respective flange.

7. An assembly according to claim 6 wherein the aperture is disposed in the band such that it may engage the flange only when in a position other than its position in use.

8. An assembly according to any preceding claim wherein a portion of the band conforms with a portion of the outer periphery of the bar such that the ends of said band are not significantly outwardly biased.

9. An assembly substantially as hereinbefore set forth with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A bicycle brake housing comprising an assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

11. A method of mounting a housing on a bicycle or motor cycle handle bar which comprises utilizing an assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 10.