Bicycle headset with internal cable routing

Abstract

A headset with internal cable routing, intended for mounting on a bicycle head tube, comprising: A cup body, configured to be fixedly inserted into a bicycle head tube, said cup body including an annular outer ring, which penetrates the head tube and bears against its inner wall, thus ensuring that said cup body remains stationary. A protruding positioning element, in contact with the axial flat surface of the head tube end, allowing axial positioning of the cup body. An annular inner ring, concentric or not with said outer ring. At least one ribbed connecting element, disposed between said outer ring and said inner ring, ensuring the mechanical connection between them.At least one receiving cavity, formed between said outer ring and said inner ring, said receiving cavity communicating with the inside of said steering tube. A removable sealing element, designed to fit with said cup body, said sealing element comprising at least one protrusion that penetrates said receiving cavity of said cup body, at least one cable passage through said protrusion, allowing the passage of a cable, said cable passage being able to provide access to the inside of said steering tube.

Description

Title of the invention: Bicycle headset with internal cable routing Technical field

[0001] The invention relates to bicycles, and in particular to a headset with internal cable passage. Prior art

[0002] The headset is an important part of the front end of a bicycle, playing a key role in supporting the front wheel and allowing it to steer properly. It is located between the front fork and the frame, usually divided into two parts, upper and lower, and is equipped with ball or conical bearings to ensure smooth, stable steering.

[0003] A bicycle is typically equipped with numerous cables for electrically or physically operating the bicycle. These cables extend from the handlebars to the outside of the frame for routing, but exposed cables are prone to clutter, wear, and aesthetic issues. Therefore, some bicycle manufacturers route some of the cables through the headset and hide them inside the head tube to form an internal cable routing structure. Some common headsets allow the cables to pass into the headset through the inner race of the upper bearing, making it difficult to maintain the headset. If the user wishes to replace or repair the bearing, the cable must be disconnected or cut before replacement, which is relatively inconvenient.

[0004] Another commonly used headset structure chooses to bypass the upper bearing, but it requires the design of an additional cable routing structure, which increases the overall height and width of the headset, which relatively affects other structural designs of the bicycle. On the other hand, the structure of this type of headset is generally formed in one piece and has a dedicated design, which requires indexing with a specific head tube, making it difficult for third-party manufacturers and consumers to install it on their own products, and its compatibility is poor.

[0005] Therefore, how to provide a headset that can have an internal cable routing function and is compatible with generic bicycles on the market is one of the problems that urgently need to be solved by bicycle manufacturers. Statement of the invention

[0006] The main objective of this invention is to provide a headset with internal cable routing, which can have the function of internal cable routing and is compatible with current standard bicycle dimensions.

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned creative objective, the present invention discloses a front headset with internal cable routing, which is installed on a steering tube and comprises: A cup body, configured to be fixedly inserted into a bicycle head tube, said cup body comprising an annular outer ring, penetrates the head tube and bears against the inner wall thereof, thus ensuring that said cup body is held immobile. A projecting positioning element, coming into contact with the axial flat surface of the end of the head tube, allowing the axial positioning of the cup body. An annular inner ring, concentric or not, with said outer ring. At least one ribbed connecting element, arranged between said outer ring and said inner ring, ensuring the mechanical connection between them. At least one receiving cavity, provided between said outer ring and said inner ring, said receiving cavity communicating with the interior of said head tube. A removable sealing element adapted to fit with said cup body, said sealing element comprising at least one protrusion which penetrates into said receiving cavity of said cup body, at least one cable passage hole, passing through said protrusion, allowing the passage of a cable, said cable passage hole being able to give access to the interior of said head tube.

[0008] In one embodiment, the sealing element comprises a generally annular stop portion, one end of the protrusion is connected to an axial side of the stop portion, and the other end extends in a direction away from the stop portion.

[0009] In one embodiment, the cable passage hole only penetrates the projection but not the stopper portion under normal conditions, having a closed state at one end; when the user wants to pass the cable through the cable passage hole, the cable passage hole is opened at both ends by penetrating the stopper portion corresponding to the position of the cable passage hole so that the cable can pass through.

[0010] In one embodiment, a tapered surface is provided at one end of the inner annular portion of the cup member; and an inclined surface is provided at the inner edge of the convex portion of the sealing member for abutting the tapered surface of the cup member.

[0011] In one embodiment, the upper end of the sealing member comprises an upper covering portion, one end of which extends towards the interior and covers the upper surface of the inner annular portion of the bowl element.

[0012] In one embodiment, the lower end of the sealing member has a lower covering portion, one end of which extends outwardly and covers the lower surface of the outer annular portion of the bowl member.

[0013] In one embodiment, the outermost end of the seal comprises an outer covering portion, one end of which is a chamfered structure and covers the outer surface of the outer annular portion of the bowl.

[0014] In one embodiment, an inwardly facing indicator groove is provided on the outer surface of the outer annular portion of the bowl.

[0015] In one embodiment, the bowl has a plurality of receiving grooves arranged in an approximately annular shape; the sealing member has a plurality of projections arranged in an approximately annular shape and extending respectively into the receiving grooves, and each of the projections is provided with a plurality of cable passage holes.

[0016] In one embodiment, a headset with internal cable routing is installed on a head tube, and comprises: a cup, which is disposed at one end of the head tube and has a plurality of receiving grooves connected to the inside of the head tube; and a plurality of sealing components, which are detachably connected to the upper cup component; each of the sealing components has a protrusion that extends into the corresponding receiving groove; each of the protrusions is provided with at least one cable passage hole for allowing a cable to pass through any one of the cable passage holes to extend into the head tube.

[0017] The internally routed headset provided by the invention can allow the cable to extend into the head tube to form an internal routing function through the headset structure and the seal, and will not interfere with the operation of the bearing. On the other hand, since the cup and the seal are designed to extend inside the head tube, the problem that the height of the conventional internally routed headset is too high and affects the structure and appearance of the bicycle can be solved. It is particularly important to note that the headset of this invention can be applied to the head tube structure of generic bicycles on the market. This invention can effectively provide third-party manufacturers and consumers with a more convenient internal cable routing headset during maintenance.

[0018] The following is a detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention in accordance with the object and effect of the invention. Brief description of the drawings

[0019] [Fig-1] is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the present creation. [Fig.2] is an exploded view of a first preferred embodiment of the present creation. [Fig.3] is a sectional view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Fig.4] is a partial sectional view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Fig.5] is a partial sectional view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Fig.6] is a partial sectional view of a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Fig.7] is a partial sectional view of a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Fig.8] is a perspective view of a fifth preferred embodiment of the present creation. [Fig.9] is a sectional view of the bowl and sealing member of a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention. Description of the embodiments

[0020] The following description with reference to the various drawings is a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It is to be understood that these drawings and descriptions are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the present invention. In addition, the terms "upper" and "lower", "left" and "right", "front" and "rear", "first" and "second" described in the specification are used to clearly illustrate the relative positions of components or mechanisms and are not intended to be limiting terms.

[0021] Referring to [Fig. 1] to [Fig. 4], a first preferred embodiment of the present invention relates to an internal cable routing headset assembly, which is installed at one end of a head tube 1 of a bicycle. The head tube 1 has an accommodating space 2 therein, and an opening 3 is provided on the side wall surface of the head tube 1 and connected to the routing space 2. The headset assembly mainly comprises: a member bowl 10, a sealing element 20, a rolling element 30, a compression ring 40 and a cover 50.

[0022] The cup element 10 is removably mounted on one end of the head tube 1 and extends into the housing space 2 of the head tube 1 to be fixed. In this embodiment, the cup element 10 is an upper cup element disposed at the upper end of the head tube 1. In other embodiments, the cup element may also be a lower cup element disposed at the lower end of the head tube. More specifically, the cup 10 comprises an outer annular portion 11, an inner annular portion 12 and a plurality of ribs 13. The outer 11 and inner 12 rings form a substantially concentric annular structure, one being larger than the other. The outer ring 11 surrounds the radially outer side of the inner ring 12 and has an outer diameter greater than that of the latter.The outer annular portion 11 has a downwardly extending extension portion 110, so that when the cup member 10 is disposed on the head tube 1, the extension portion 110 extends into the head tube 1 and abuts against the inner wall surface of the head tube 1. In this embodiment, two opposing indication grooves 111 are further provided on the outer circumference of the outer annular portion 11 for the user to confirm that the cup 10 can be aligned at a specific position. The lower edge of the inner annular portion 12 has a plurality of tapered surfaces 120. The ribs 13 are located between the outer ring portion 11 and the inner ring portion 12, and two ends thereof are connected to the outer ring portion 11 and the inner ring portion 12, respectively.Thus, the ribs 13 separate the outer annular portion 11 and the inner annular portion 12 into a plurality of receiving grooves 14. In this embodiment, the number of ribs 13 is six and they are arranged radially between the outer ring portion 11 and the inner ring portion 12 to separate the six receiving grooves 14. The receiving grooves 14 have the same size and are arranged symmetrically. However, the structure of the cup 10 of the present invention is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the number, arrangement, and size of the ribs and receiving grooves can be freely changed. For example, the arrangement of the ribs can be asymmetrical, so as to form receiving grooves. The ribs may be arranged asymmetrically with different sizes; or the area of ​​the ribs may be larger than the area of ​​the receiving grooves, so that the cup has fewer receiving grooves; or the inner ring portion may form an eccentric structure relative to the outer ring portion. In other words, any structure having the annular portion outer 11, the inner annular portion 12, at least one rib 13 and at least one receiving groove 14 on the bowl 10 does not deviate from the scope of the present invention.

[0023] The sealing member 20 is an annular member connected to the bowl member 10 in a detachable manner. The sealing member 20 has a support portion 21 and a plurality of convex portions 22. The support portion 21 is an annular sheet. The convex portions 22 are generally in the form of hook-shaped blocks, which are arranged around an axial side of the abutment portion 21, one end of which extends in a direction away from the abutment portion 21, and a gap is formed between two adjacent convex portions 22. Each of the protrusions 22 has at least one cable passage hole 220, which penetrates the protrusion 22 from bottom to top. In normal operation, none of the cable passage holes 220 penetrates the abutment portion 21, so that they form a sealed state with a closed end.Additionally, an inner edge of each projection 22 is formed with an inwardly extending inclined surface 221 corresponding to the tapered surfaces 120 of the bowl 10.Thus, when the sealing member 20 is connected to the cup member 10, the projections 22 extend into the receiving grooves 14 of the cup member 10, and at the same time, the inner surface of the abutment portion 21 abuts the outer surface of the inner ring portion 12 of the cup member 10, and the outer surface of the projections 22 abuts the inner surface of the outer ring portion 11 to limit its radial displacement; and the lower surface of the abutment portion 21 abuts the upper surface of the outer ring portion 11 and the inclined surfaces 221 of the projections 22 abut the tapered surfaces 120 of the inner ring portion 12 to limit its axial displacement, so that the sealing member 20 can be firmly fixed to the cup member 10.In other embodiments, the contact surface between the sealing member and the cup member may also be configured in any other shape, such as a spherical contact surface or an irregular contact surface.

[0024] The rolling element 30 is disposed in the inner ring portion 12 of the cup element 10 to allow the passage of a fork tube (not shown) of a front fork. The compression ring 40 is disposed on the inner edge of the rolling element 30 and is located between the cover 50 and the rolling element 30 to provide a compression function. The cover 50 is disposed above the ring 40 and covers the cup 10. The inner annular portion 12 is open on its upper face. The rolling element 30, the compression ring 40 and the cover 50 are conventional structures of a headset assembly, and their details are not repeated here.

[0025] According to the above structural configuration, the actual operation and application of the headset with internal wiring in this invention are as follows:

[0026] To insert a cable 4 into the head tube 1, the user simply needs to use a pointed tool to penetrate the stop portion 21 of the sealing member 20 corresponding to one of the cable passage holes 220 located below, so that these holes are open at both ends. The cable 4 can then be inserted into the housing space 2 of the head tube 1 through the cable passage holes 220, and then taken out of the opening 3 of the head tube 1, thereby forming an internal wiring structure. The advantage of the invention is that the cable passage holes 220 of the sealing member 20 are in a sealed state with one end closed under normal conditions, and are only opened when necessary, thus effectively maintaining the sealing of the head tube 1.On the other hand, the structure in which the cup 10 and the sealing member 20 are hidden inside the head tube 1 can effectively reduce the overall height of the entire headset, and its structure is compatible with generic bicycle structures on the market.

[0027] Please refer to [Fig.5], the internal cable routing headset described in the second preferred embodiment of the present invention has a similar structure to that of the first preferred embodiment, and the same structure will not be described in detail here. But in this embodiment, the upper part of the sealing member 20 is further provided with an upper covering part 23, one end of which is connected to the upper part of the sealing member 20, and the other end of which extends inward and covers the upper surface of the inner annular part 12 of the cup member 10 to form an axial fixation.

[0028] Please refer to [Fig.6], the internal cable routing headset described in the third preferred embodiment of the present invention has a structure similar to that of the first preferred embodiment, and the same structure will not be described in detail here. However, in this embodiment, the lower end of the sealing member 20 further comprises at least one lower covering portion 24, one end of which is connected to the protruding portion 22. The other end extends outwardly and covers the lower surface of the outer annular portion 11 of the cup 10 to form an axial attachment.

[0029] Please refer to [Fig.7], the internal cable routing headset described in the fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention has a similar structure to that of the first preferred embodiment, and the same structure will not be described in detail here. But in this embodiment, the outer periphery of the sealing member 20 is further provided with an outer covering portion 25, one end of which is connected to the outer side of the sealing member 20, and the other end of which extends obliquely outward to form a chamfered structure, so that the outer covering portion 25 can cover the outer surface of the outer annular portion 11 of the bowl member 10 to form a fixed structure.

[0030] Please refer to [Fig.8] and [Fig.9], a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention describes another headset with internal cable routing, and its structure is similar to that of the first preferred embodiment, and the same structure will not be repeated here. In this embodiment, the entire headset with internal cable routing comprises a cup member 60 and a plurality of sealing members 70. The cup member 60 has a plurality of substantially circular receiving grooves 61 connected to the inside of a head tube 5. The sealing members 70 are plug-shaped structures and are detachably connected to the cup member 60. Each of the sealing members 70 has a support portion 71 and a protruding portion 72.The protrusion 72 extends into the receiving grooves 61 of the cup 60, and the abutment portion 71 abuts against the upper surface of the cup 60. The protrusion 72 is provided with a cable passage hole 720, which penetrates the protrusion from bottom to top and does not penetrate the abutment portion 71 in a normal state, forming a closed shape at one end. When the user needs to insert a cable 6 into the head tube 5, the user only needs to penetrate the position of the abutment portion 71 of any one of the sealing members 70 corresponding to the cable passage hole 720, so that the cable passage hole 720 is open at both ends, and the cable 6 can be inserted into the head tube 5 through the cable passage hole 720 to form an internal wiring structure.

[0031] In summary, the internal cable routing headset provided by the present invention can allow the cables to extend into the head tube to form an internal routing function through the structure of the cup and the sealing member, without interfering with the operation of the rolling member and maintaining the sealing of the cables. On the other hand, since the cup and the sealing member are in contact, the design of this internal cable routing headset solves the problem of other external cable routing headsets outside the bearing, but having too high a footprint, affecting the performance of the bicycle and the overall aesthetics.

[0032] The above examples are preferred embodiments and design drawings of the present invention. However, these preferred embodiments and design drawings are only examples and do not limit the scope of the rights of the present invention. Any implementation by equivalent technical means or within the scope of the rights covered by the "scope of the patent application » below does not depart from the scope of the present invention and is within the rights of the applicant. Benchmark indices

[0033] [1] Head tube [2] Housing space [3] Opening [4] Cable [5] Head tube [6] Cable

[10] Bowl element

[11] Outer ring

[110] Extension

[111] Indication groove

[12] Inner ring

[120] Conical surface

[13] Ribs

[14] Receiving grooves

[20] Sealing element

[21] Stop

[22] Convex parts

[220] Cable passage holes

[221] Inclined surfaces

[23] Upper covering part

[24] Lower covering part

[25] Outer covering part

[30] Rolling element

[40] Compression ring

[50] Cover

[60] Bowl element

[61] Receiving grooves

[70] Sealing elements

[71] Support part

[72] Projecting part

[720] Cable passage hole

Claims

Claims

1. An internal cable routing headset for mounting on a bicycle head tube, comprising: a. A cup body, configured to be fixedly inserted into a bicycle head tube, said cup body comprising: i. An annular outer ring penetrates the steering tube and bears against the inner wall thereof, thus ensuring that said cup body remains stationary. ii. A positioning projection, contacting the axial flat surface of the end of the head tube, allowing axial positioning of the cup body. iii. An annular inner ring, concentric or not, to said outer ring. iv. At least one ribbed connecting element, arranged between said outer ring and said inner ring, ensuring the mechanical connection between them. v. At least one receiving cavity, arranged between said outer ring and said inner ring, said receiving cavity communicating with the interior of said steering tube. b. A removable sealing element adapted to fit with said bowl body, said sealing element comprising: i. At least one protrusion which penetrates into said receiving cavity of said bowl body. ii. At least one cable passage hole, passing through said protrusion, allowing the passage of a cable, said cable passage hole being able to provide access to the interior of said steering tube.

2. The internal cable routing headset according to Claim 1, characterized in that the sealing element is provided with: a. An annular bearing portion, formed to at least partially surround said steering tube. b. At least one protrusion, extending axially from said annular bearing body, said protrusion being configured to fit into said receiving cavity of said cup body.

3. The internal cable routing headset according to Claim 2, wherein: a. The cable routing hole passes only through the protrusion, without passing through the bearing portion, thus presenting a sealed end. b. Insertion of the cable by the user causes the perforation of the bearing portion coinciding with the entry hole, thus transforming the latter into a passage, completely passing through the sealing element.

4. The internal cable routing headset of Claim 1, wherein: a. The annular inner ring of the cup body is provided with a tapered end b. The protrusion of the sealing element is provided with an internal chamfer which bears on the tapered end of said annular inner ring.

5. The internal cable routing headset according to Claim 1, characterized in that the sealing element is provided with an upper lip which covers the upper part of said annular inner ring of said cup body, and directed inwards.

6. The internal cable routing headset according to Claim 1, characterized in that the sealing element is provided with a lower lip which covers the lower part of said annular outer ring of said cup body, and directed outwards.

7. The internal cable routing headset according to Claim 1, characterized in that the sealing element is provided with a lower surface conical at its radial end, and which covers the outer part of said annular outer ring of said cup body.

8. The internal cable routing headset according to Claim 1, characterized in that the annular outer ring of said cup body is provided with an indexing groove on its outer surface.

9. The internal cable routing headset according to Claim 1, characterized in that the cup body is provided with a plurality of housings arranged in an annular configuration; the sealing element is provided with a plurality of annular protrusions, each of which has at least one cable routing hole and is inserted into a housing.

10. A headset with internal cable routing, intended to be mounted on a bicycle head tube, comprising: a. A cup body, fixed to one end of a head tube, comprising a plurality of housings communicating with the interior of said head tube. This cup body is provided with a lower protruding portion which penetrates into the head tube and bears against the inner wall thereof, thus ensuring that said cup body is held immobile. b.A plurality of removable sealing elements designed to be attached to the bowl body; each sealing element includes a protrusion engaging in the corresponding housing; each of said protrusions includes at least one sealed cable passage hole, and designed in such a way that the insertion of the cable by the user causes the perforation of the sealed part, thus transforming the passage hole into a passage completely passing through the sealing element, allowing a cable to pass through any of these holes in order to be introduced into the steering tube.