Brake lever and bicycle handlebar

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a brake handle and a bicycle handle. The bicycle handle has a brake handle. The brake handle includes a holding member and a brake lever. The holding member has a minimum width and includes a holding portion and a connecting portion. The connecting portion connects the holding portion. The brake lever is pivoted to the connecting portion of the holding member. The minimum width of the holding member is less than or equal to 30 mm. Thus, the holding member can be fully covered by small palms, so that the brake handle can be suitable for riders with small palms.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a brake lever and a bicycle handlebar having the aforementioned brake lever, and more particularly to a brake lever sized for riders with small hands and a bicycle handlebar having the aforementioned brake lever. Background Technology

[0002] Cycling is suitable for a wide range of ages, including children and adults. However, riders' hands vary in size, and children's hands are generally smaller. Therefore, how riders with small hands can safely control a bicycle is a primary issue that needs to be addressed.

[0003] For riders with small hands, existing brake and shift levers have the following problems: Firstly, the cross-sectional perimeter of the grip is too long, making it difficult for riders to fully grasp the lever, leading to instability and a poor riding experience. Secondly, the distance between the brake lever and the grip is too great, making it difficult for riders to effectively hook the brake lever, resulting in insufficient braking force and even safety concerns due to slow response. Therefore, developing a brake and shift lever suitable for riders with small hands has become a pressing issue for the industry. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, this disclosure provides a brake shift lever and bicycle handlebars that, through a small-sized structural configuration of the grip components, are suitable for riders with small hands and ensure that riders with small hands can fully control the brake shift lever.

[0005] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a brake lever is provided, comprising a gripping member and a brake lever. The gripping member has a minimum width and includes a grip portion and a connecting portion. The connecting portion is connected to the grip portion. The brake lever is pivotally connected to the connecting portion of the gripping member. The minimum width is less than or equal to 30 mm.

[0006] According to the aforementioned embodiment of the brake lever, the gripping member may further have a cross-sectional perimeter opposite to the minimum width, and the cross-sectional perimeter is between 95 mm and 110 mm.

[0007] According to the aforementioned embodiment of the brake lever, the grip member may further include a body and a grip sleeve. The body is composed of a grip portion and a connecting portion. The grip sleeve at least partially covers the body.

[0008] According to the aforementioned embodiment of the brake lever, the grip member may further have an upper surface and a lower surface, with the upper surface being further away from the brake lever than the lower surface. A pivot is provided through the connecting portion, and the brake lever includes a pivot portion and a lever body. One end of the pivot portion is connected to the pivot and pivots about the pivot, while the other end of the pivot portion extends along a direction from the upper surface toward the lower surface. The lever body is connected to the other end of the pivot portion and includes an upper lever portion and a lower lever portion that are interconnected.

[0009] According to the aforementioned embodiment of the brake lever, a recessed groove can be formed between the pivot joint and the lever body.

[0010] According to the aforementioned embodiment of the brake lever, the pivot joint can be extended along a vertical line of the pivot, and the lower part of the lever body is further away from the vertical line than the upper part.

[0011] According to another embodiment of this disclosure, a bicycle handlebar is provided, comprising a handlebar and a brake lever. The brake lever is mounted on the handlebar and includes a grip member and a brake lever. The grip member has a minimum width and includes a grip portion and a connecting portion. The connecting portion is connected to the grip portion. The brake lever is pivotally connected to the connecting portion of the grip member. The minimum width is less than or equal to 30 mm.

[0012] According to the bicycle handlebar of the aforementioned embodiment, the brake shift lever may further include a positioning member. The positioning member is disposed on the grip portion of the grip member and is used to couple the grip member to the handlebar.

[0013] According to the bicycle handlebar of the aforementioned embodiment, the gripping member may further have a cross-sectional perimeter opposite to the minimum width, and the cross-sectional perimeter is between 95 mm and 110 mm.

[0014] According to the bicycle handlebar of the aforementioned embodiment, the grip member may further include a body and a grip sleeve. The body is composed of a grip portion and a connecting portion. The grip sleeve at least partially covers the body.

[0015] According to the bicycle handlebar of the aforementioned embodiment, the grip member may further have an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface being further away from the brake lever than the lower surface. A pivot is provided through the connecting portion, and the brake lever includes a pivot portion and a shaft portion. One end of the pivot portion is connected to the pivot and pivots about the pivot, while the other end of the pivot portion extends along the upper surface toward the lower surface. The shaft portion is connected to the other end of the pivot portion and includes an upper shaft portion and a lower shaft portion. The upper shaft portion has an upper grip distance between itself and the upper surface. The lower shaft portion is connected to the upper shaft portion and has a lower grip distance between itself and an inner curved surface of the handlebar, wherein the lower grip distance is greater than the upper grip distance.

[0016] According to the bicycle handlebars of the aforementioned embodiments, the grip distance at the top position can be between 45 mm and 60 mm, and the grip distance at the bottom position can be between 70 mm and 80 mm.

[0017] According to the bicycle handlebar of the aforementioned embodiment, a recessed groove can be formed between the pivot joint and the shaft.

[0018] According to the bicycle handlebar of the aforementioned embodiment, the pivot joint can be extended along a vertical line of the pivot, and the lower part of the handlebar is further away from the vertical line than the upper part.

[0019] According to the bicycle handlebar of the aforementioned embodiment, the brake lever can be switched between a stationary position and an operating position relative to the gripping member. When the brake lever is in the operating position, the lever body is projected onto a symmetrical plane of the handlebar to form a first projection area, and the handlebar is projected onto the symmetrical plane to form a second projection area, wherein the first projection area may partially overlap with or not overlap with the second projection area.

[0020] The bicycle handlebar according to the aforementioned embodiment may be a pull-down handlebar. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 A perspective view of a bicycle handlebar according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0022] Figure 2 Draw Figure 1 A top view of the brake shifter of the bicycle handlebars in the embodiment;

[0023] Figure 3 Draw Figure 1 A partial side view of the bicycle handlebars in the embodiment; and

[0024] Figure 4 Draw Figure 1 Front view of the brake shifter of the bicycle handlebars in the embodiment.

[0025] [Symbol Explanation]

[0026] 100: Bicycle handlebars

[0027] 200: Handlebars

[0028] 210: Horizontal tube

[0029] 220: Drop handlebars

[0030] 221: Inner curved surface

[0031] 300: Brake Shifter

[0032] 310: Grip component

[0033] 310a, 310b: Opposite side surfaces

[0034] 310c: Top surface

[0035] 310d: Lower surface

[0036] 310s: Perimeter of the cross section

[0037] 311:Ontology

[0038] 3111: Grip section

[0039] 3112: Connecting part

[0040] 312: Grip

[0041] 320: Brake lever

[0042] 321: Pivot section

[0043] 322: Shaft

[0044] 3221: Top of the swing

[0045] 3222: Downswing section

[0046] 330: Positioning component

[0047] 340: Pivot

[0048] 350: Gear shift control button

[0049] A: Axis

[0050] D: Direction

[0051] G: Clearance slot

[0052] gd1: Top grip distance

[0053] gd2: Grip width at the bottom of the grip

[0054] M: Perpendicular bisector

[0055] W: Minimum width Detailed Implementation

[0056] Several embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. For clarity, many practical details will be set forth in the following description. However, it should be understood that these practical details should not be used to limit the scope of this disclosure. That is, in some embodiments of this disclosure, these practical details are not essential. Furthermore, for the sake of simplicity in the drawings, some conventional structures and elements will be illustrated in a simple schematic manner; and repeated elements may be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0057] Furthermore, in this document, when a component (or unit, module, etc.) is "connected" to another component, it can mean that the component is directly connected to the other component, or that the component is indirectly connected to the other component, meaning that there is another component between the component and the other component. Only when it is explicitly stated that a component is "directly connected" to another component does it indicate that there is no other component between the component and the other component. The terms "first," "second," and "third" are only used to describe different components and do not limit the components themselves; therefore, "first component" can also be referred to as "second component." Moreover, the combinations of components / units / circuits in this document are not combinations generally known, conventional, or customary in this field. Whether the components / units / circuits themselves are customary cannot be used to determine whether their combination relationships are easily performed by someone of ordinary skill in the art.

[0058] Please refer to the following: Figure 1 and Figure 2 ,in Figure 1 A perspective view of a bicycle handlebar 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2 Draw Figure 1 A top view of the brake lever 300 of the bicycle handlebar 100 in this embodiment. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the bicycle handlebar 100 includes a handlebar 200 and a brake shifter 300.

[0059] A brake lever 300 is mounted on a handlebar 200 and includes a gripping member 310 and a brake lever 320. The gripping member 310 includes a gripping portion 3111 and a connecting portion 3112. The connecting portion 3112 is connected to the gripping portion 3111. The brake lever 320 is pivotally connected to the connecting portion 3112 of the gripping member 310. Notably, the gripping member 310 has a minimum width W, which is less than or equal to 30 millimeters (mm).

[0060] Therefore, the brake lever 300 disclosed herein can be easily and completely covered by a small hand due to the small size of the grip member 310, thus making it suitable for riders with small hands.

[0061] The bicycle handlebar 100 can be mounted on a road bicycle, and the handlebar 200 can be a drop-down handlebar. In other embodiments, the handlebar can also be other types of handlebars, such as flat handlebars, time trial handlebars, and bull horn handlebars, but this disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0062] The handlebars 200 may include a cross tube 210 and two drop handlebars 220. In some embodiments, the cross tube 210 may be assembled onto a road bicycle frame (not shown), and the cross tube 210 and the two drop handlebars 220 may be integrally formed, or the two drop handlebars 220 may be threadedly connected to the two ends of the cross tube 210 respectively. Furthermore, each of the two drop handlebars 220 is curved downwards and rearwards relative to the cross tube 210, and one of the two drop handlebars 220 is provided with a brake shift lever 300, while the other is provided with a brake lever (not labeled) corresponding to the shape of the brake shift lever 300. The aforementioned brake lever is only used to operate and control the braking action of the road bicycle, while the brake shift lever 300 can be operated to simultaneously control the braking and shifting actions of the road bicycle.

[0063] The 210mm handlebars, 220mm drop bars, and 300mm brake shifter are all designed for rider gripping, with the choice of grip position depending on the rider's personal habits and riding distance. Specifically, the riding posture for gripping the 210mm handlebars, 220mm drop bars, and 300mm brake shifter corresponds to the tops, drops, and hood positions, respectively. The tops position reduces fatigue and makes riding more comfortable. The drops position is typically used for downhill riding or full sprints and absorbs less air resistance to effectively save energy. The hood position combines braking and shifting, making it suitable for both climbing and sprinting.

[0064] from Figure 2 From this perspective, the gripping member 310 can define an axis A, and the gripping member 310 can have two pairs of side surfaces 310a and 310b. Both pairs of side surfaces 310a and 310b are arc-shaped and recessed towards axis A, such that the gripping member 310 has a minimum width W approximately at its neck. Furthermore, from... Figure 1 The grip member 310 may also have a cross-sectional perimeter 310s opposite to the minimum width W, and the cross-sectional perimeter 310s is between 95mm and 110mm. Based on the small size structure configuration of the minimum width W and the cross-sectional perimeter 310s, riders with small hands can place their thumb and forefinger on the grip member 310 at the position corresponding to the minimum width W and the cross-sectional perimeter 310s, and let their thumb and forefinger naturally wrap around the grip member 310, so that they can easily and completely cover the grip member 310, and at the same time use the remaining fingers to control the brake lever 320 to perform braking and shifting operations.

[0065] Please refer to the following: Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 ,in Figure 3 Draw Figure 1 A partial side view of the bicycle handlebar 100 in the embodiment. Figure 4Draw Figure 1 Front view of the brake lever 300 of the bicycle handlebar 100 in this embodiment. Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the brake shift lever 300 may further include a positioning member 330. The positioning member 330 may be, but is not limited to, a clamping ring or a clip. The positioning member 330 is disposed on the grip portion 3111 of the grip member 310 and is used to couple the grip member 310 to one of the drop handlebars 220 of the handlebar 200, for example, fixed to the right drop handlebar 220.

[0066] The grip member 310 may further include a body 311 and a grip sleeve 312. The body 311 is composed of a grip portion 3111 and a connecting portion 3112. The grip sleeve 312 at least partially covers the body 311. In some embodiments, the body 311 may be made of a metallic material. The grip sleeve 312 may be made of a compliant material (e.g., a resiliently deformable material). For example, the grip sleeve 312 may be made of plastic and / or rubber. Furthermore, the grip sleeve 312 completely covers and closely fits the grip portion 3111 of the body 311 to provide anti-slip and shock absorption and increase rider grip comfort. It should be noted that the minimum width W of the grip member 310 is measured together with the grip portion 3111 and the grip sleeve 312, as is the cross-sectional perimeter 310s. The conventional brake lever assembly consists of a grip body, an outer cover, and a grip sleeve, arranged sequentially from the center outwards, with the conventional body having a cross-sectional perimeter of approximately 120mm to 130mm. Compared to the conventional brake lever, the brake lever 300 disclosed herein reduces the overall size of the grip member 310 by removing the internal outer cover, achieving a cross-sectional perimeter 310s between 95mm and 110mm, thus making it suitable for riders with small hands.

[0067] The gripping member 310 may also have an upper surface 310c and a lower surface 310d. The upper surface 310c is further away from the brake lever 320 than the lower surface 310d. A pivot 340 is provided through the connecting portion 3112, and the brake lever 320 includes a pivot portion 321 and a lever body 322. One end of the pivot portion 321 is connected to the pivot 340 and movably coupled to the connecting portion 3112. The other end of the pivot portion 321 extends along the upper surface 310c toward the lower surface 310d. The lever body 322 connects to the other end of the pivot portion 321. A recessed relief groove G (shown in the figure) can be formed between the pivot portion 321 and the lever body 322 (i.e., at the connection between the pivot portion 321 and the lever body 322). Figure 4 The clearance groove G is located below the pivot 340 and is used to increase the force application area of ​​the fingertips on the brake lever 320, making it easier for the rider to effectively hook the brake lever 320, thereby improving braking force.

[0068] The stem portion 322 includes an upper stem portion 3221 and a lower stem portion 3222 connected to each other. An upper grip distance gd1 may be present between the upper stem portion 3221 and the upper surface 310c. The handlebar 200's drop handle 220 has an inner curved surface 221, and a lower grip distance gd2 may be present between the lower stem portion 3222 and the inner curved surface 221, with the lower grip distance gd2 being greater than the upper grip distance gd1. It is worth noting that the grip distance of conventional brake shifters is mostly between 70mm and 75mm. Compared to conventional brake shifters, the upper grip distance gd1 of this disclosure can be between 45mm and 60mm, and the lower grip distance gd2 can be between 70mm and 80mm. Therefore, the brake lever 300 disclosed herein, by shortening the grip distance of conventional brake levers to the aforementioned grip distance configuration value, ensures that riders with small hands can fully control the brake lever 320.

[0069] At Figure 3 and Figure 4 In this configuration, the pivot portion 321 of the brake lever 320 pivots about a pivot 340 in a direction D. Specifically, the brake lever 320 can switch between a stationary position and an operating position relative to the grip member 310. The stationary position refers to the position where the brake lever 320 is not operated by the rider and is stationary. The operating position refers to the position where the brake lever 320 is operated by the rider to apply full braking. In other words, the brake lever 320 can pivot about the pivot 340 in a circumferential direction (i.e., direction D) and switch between the stationary position and the operating position.

[0070] Furthermore, the pivot portion 321 extends downward along a vertical line M of the pivot 340. The lower portion 3222 of the lever body 322 is further away from the vertical line M than the upper portion 3221. Specifically, the lever body 322 can be angled outward from the connection point between the pivot portion 321 and the lever body 322 at an angle (e.g., between 15 and 20 degrees) away from the vertical line M. In this way, when the brake lever 320 is switched between the rest position and the operating position, the travel of the brake lever 320 will not interfere with the handlebar 220.

[0071] In some embodiments, when the brake lever 320 is in the operating position, the lever body 322 of the brake lever 320 projects onto a symmetrical plane of the handlebar 200 (i.e., Figure 1A first projection area (not shown) can be formed by a cross-section perpendicular to the horizontal tube 210. The drop handlebar 220 of the handlebar 200, projected onto the plane of symmetry, can form a second projection area (not shown). The first projection area may partially overlap with or not overlap with the second projection area. For example, when the rider hooks the brake lever 320 and brakes to the bottom, the projection areas of the brake lever 320 and the drop handlebar 220 on the side may be 0, meaning that the first projection area does not overlap with the second projection area. On the other hand, based on the structural configuration of the lever body 322 flaring outward relative to the vertical line M, the projection areas of the brake lever 320 and the drop handlebar 220 on the side in this disclosure may be further negative, meaning that the first projection area partially overlaps with the second projection area, thereby extending the travel of the brake lever 320. Therefore, the brake shifter 300 disclosed herein will not cause the brake lever 320 to interfere with the drop handlebar 220 when braking to the bottom due to its small overall size, thus preventing the brake lever 320 from having too short a travel. This ensures that riders with small hands can fully control the brake shifter 300.

[0072] Furthermore, the lever body 322 of the brake lever 320 may be equipped with a shift control button 350. The shift control provided by the brake shift lever 300 is mainly based on the rider's shifting needs or timing, and the shifting function is achieved by transmitting shifting commands through pressing the shift control button 350 with the rider's finger.

[0073] In summary, the brake shifter and bicycle handlebars disclosed herein have the following advantages: First, due to their small size and structural configuration, the grip components of the brake shifter can be easily and completely covered by small hands, reducing discomfort from overextension for riders with small hands, thus making them suitable for riders with small hands. Second, the short grip width ensures that riders with small hands can fully control the brake shifter. Third, the outward-flaring shaft avoids interference between the brake lever and the handlebar's drop, and extends the brake lever's travel to provide better linear force application.

[0074] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present disclosure. Any person skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present disclosure shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A brake shift lever, characterized in that, Include: A gripping member having a minimum width and comprising: One holding part; and A connecting part, connecting the gripping part; and A brake lever is pivotally connected to the connecting portion of the gripping member; The minimum width is less than or equal to 30 millimeters.

2. The brake lever as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The gripping member also has a cross-sectional perimeter opposite to the minimum width, and the cross-sectional perimeter is between 95 mm and 110 mm.

3. The brake lever as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The grip component also includes: A main body, comprising the gripping part and the connecting part; and A grip sleeve that at least partially covers the body.

4. The brake lever as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The gripping member also has an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface being further away from the brake lever than the lower surface, the connecting portion having a through-pivot, and the brake lever comprising: A pivot joint, wherein one end of the pivot joint is connected to the pivot and pivots about the pivot, and the other end of the pivot joint extends along the upper surface toward the lower surface; and A shaft, connecting the other end of the pivot, and including an upper shaft portion and a lower shaft portion connected to each other.

5. The brake lever as described in claim 4, characterized in that, A recess is formed between the pivot and the shaft to create a clearance groove.

6. The brake lever as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The pivot portion extends along a vertical line of the pivot, and the lower part of the shaft is further away from the vertical line than the upper part.

7. A bicycle handlebar, characterized in that, Include: A handlebar; and A one-brake shift lever, installed on the handlebars of the bicycle, and includes: A gripping member having a minimum width and comprising: One holding part; and A connecting part, connecting the gripping part; and A brake lever is pivotally connected to the connecting portion of the gripping member; The minimum width is less than or equal to 30 millimeters.

8. The bicycle handlebar as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The brake lever also includes a positioning member disposed on the grip portion of the grip member and used to couple the grip member to the handlebar.

9. The bicycle handlebar as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The gripping member also has a cross-sectional perimeter opposite to the minimum width, and the cross-sectional perimeter is between 95 mm and 110 mm.

10. The bicycle handlebar as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The grip component also includes: A main body, comprising the gripping part and the connecting part; and A grip sleeve that at least partially covers the body.

11. The bicycle handlebar as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The gripping member also has an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface being further away from the brake lever than the lower surface, the connecting portion having a through-pivot, and the brake lever comprising: A pivot joint, wherein one end of the pivot joint is connected to the pivot and pivots about the pivot, and the other end of the pivot joint extends along the upper surface toward the lower surface; and A shaft, connecting the other end of the pivot, and comprising: A top section, having an upper grip distance between it and the upper surface; and The lower lever section connects to the upper lever section and has a lower grip distance between it and an inner curved surface of the handlebar, wherein the lower grip distance is greater than the upper grip distance.

12. The bicycle handlebar as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The grip width at the top position is between 45 mm and 60 mm, and the grip width at the bottom position is between 70 mm and 80 mm.

13. The bicycle handlebar as described in claim 11, characterized in that, A recess is formed between the pivot and the shaft to create a clearance groove.

14. The bicycle handlebar as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The pivot portion extends along a vertical line of the pivot, and the lower part of the shaft is further away from the vertical line than the upper part.

15. The bicycle handlebar as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The brake lever switches between a stationary position and an operating position relative to the gripping member. When the brake lever is in the operating position, the lever body is projected onto a symmetrical plane of the handlebar to form a first projection area, and the handlebar is projected onto the symmetrical plane to form a second projection area. The first projection area may partially overlap with or not overlap with the second projection area.

16. The bicycle handlebar as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The handlebars are pull-down handlebars.

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