Brake shift levers and bicycle handlebars

Abstract

It provides brake and shift levers suitable for small hands. [Solution] The brake shift lever 300 includes a grip member 310 and a brake lever 320. The grip member has a minimum width and includes a grip portion 3111 and a connecting portion 3112. The connecting portion is connected to the grip portion. The brake lever is pivotably connected to the connecting portion of the grip member. The minimum width of the grip member is 30 mm or less.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a brake shift lever and a bicycle handlebar provided with the brake shift lever. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a brake shift lever designed for riders with small palms and a bicycle handlebar provided with the brake shift lever.

[0002] Description of Related Art Bicycles are suitable for a wide range of ages, and people from children to adults can ride bicycles. However, the hand sizes of riders vary, and generally children have small hands. Therefore, how small-handed riders can safely control a bicycle is a major issue to be solved.

[0003] For small-handed riders, the existing brake shift levers have the following problems. First, since the cross-sectional perimeter of the grip body is relatively large, it is difficult for the rider to fully grip the brake shift lever, the grip becomes unstable, and the riding comfort deteriorates. Second, since the grip width between the brake lever and the grip body is too large, the rider cannot effectively hook the brake lever, which not only reduces the braking force but also may cause safety concerns due to a delay in reaction. Based on this, the development of a brake shift lever suitable for small hands has become an urgent issue that the industry players are eager to solve.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the brake shift lever includes a grip member and a brake lever. The grip member has a minimum width and includes a grip portion and a connection portion. The connection portion is connected to the grip portion. The brake lever is pivotally connected to the connection portion of the grip member. The minimum width of the grip member is 30 mm or less.

[0005] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a bicycle handlebar includes a handlebar and a brake shift lever. The brake shift 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 pivotably connected to the connecting portion of the grip member. The minimum width of the grip member is 30 mm or less. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] This disclosure can be better understood by reading the detailed description of the embodiments below and referring to the accompanying drawings below. [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram showing a bicycle handlebar according to an embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the brake shift lever on the bicycle handlebar in the embodiment shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a partial side view showing the bicycle handlebars in the embodiment shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a front view showing the brake shift lever on the bicycle handlebar in the embodiment shown in Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] This embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. For clarity, some implementation details are described below. However, it should be noted that this disclosure should not be limited by implementation details, that is, in some embodiments, implementation details may not be necessary. Also, in order to simplify the drawings, some conventional structures and elements are shown in a simplified form, and repeated elements may be represented by the same reference numerals.

[0008] When an element (or device) is described as being "connected" to another element, it should be understood that this could mean either a direct connection or an indirect connection, i.e., an intervening element. In contrast, when an element is described as being "directly connected" to another element, there is no intervening element between them. Furthermore, while terms such as "first," "second," and "third" are used in this specification to describe various elements and components, these elements and components are not limited by these terms. Therefore, the first element or component described below may be called the second element or component.

[0009] Please refer to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram showing a bicycle handlebar 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a plan view showing the brake shift lever 300 of the bicycle handlebar 100 in the embodiment of Figure 1. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the bicycle handlebar 100 includes a handlebar 200 and a brake shift lever 300.

[0010] The brake shift lever 300 is mounted on the handlebar 200 and comprises a grip member 310 and a brake lever 320. The grip member 310 comprises a grip portion 3111 and a connecting portion 3112. The connecting portion 3112 is connected to the grip portion 3111. The brake lever 320 is pivotably connected to the connecting portion 3112 of the grip member 310. In particular, the grip member 310 has a minimum width W, which is 30 mm or less.

[0011] Therefore, the brake shift lever 300 of this disclosure, with its compact grip member 310, can be easily and fully gripped even by people with small hands, making it suitable for riders with small hands.

[0012] The bicycle handlebar 100 can be mounted on a road bike, and the handlebar 200 may be a drop handlebar. In other embodiments, the handlebar may be other types of handlebars such as a flat handlebar, a time trial handlebar, or a bullhorn handlebar, but the disclosure is not limited to these.

[0013] The handlebar 200 may comprise a cross tube 210 and two bent tubes 220. In some embodiments, the cross tube 210 is attached to a road bike frame (not shown), and the cross tube 210 and the two bent tubes 220 may be integrally molded, or the two bent tubes 220 may be individually connected to both ends of the cross tube 210 via threaded connections. Furthermore, each of the two bent tubes 220 curves downward relative to the cross tube 210 and extends rearward, with a brake shift lever 300 mounted on one of the two bent tubes 220 and a brake lever (reference numerals omitted) corresponding to the shape of the brake shift lever 300 mounted on the other. The aforementioned brake lever is operated solely to control the brakes of the road bike, whereas the brake shift lever 300 can be operated to simultaneously control both braking and shifting of the road bike.

[0014] The cross tube 210, the two bent tubes 220, and the brake / shift levers 300 are all designed for the rider to grip, and the choice of grip position depends on the rider's personal habits and riding conditions. Specifically, the rider's posture when gripping the cross tube 210, the two bent tubes 220, and the brake / shift levers 300 corresponds to the top position (also known as "on the tops"), the drops position (also known as "on the drops"), and the foot position (also known as "on the foot"). The top position reduces fatigue and increases comfort while riding. The drops position is typically used on descents or during full sprints, minimizing air resistance and effectively conserving energy. The foot position allows for simultaneous operation of brakes and gears, making it suitable for both uphill climbs and sprints.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2, the grip member 310 defines axis A, and the grip member 310 may have two opposing sides 310a and 310b. The two opposing sides 310a and 310b are arched and gradually approach axis A, so the grip member 310 has a minimum width W near its neck. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the grip member 310 has a cross-sectional circumference 310s at the position corresponding to the minimum width W, and the cross-sectional circumference 310s is in the range of 95 mm to 110 mm. Due to the compact structure with a minimum width W and cross-sectional circumference 310s, riders with small hands can place the space between their fingers at the position of the grip member 310 corresponding to the minimum width W and cross-sectional circumference 310s, and their thumb and index finger can naturally wrap around the grip member 310. Therefore, even with a rider's small hands, the grip member 310 can be easily and completely covered, and the remaining fingers can be used to operate the brake lever 320 to perform braking and gear shifting operations.

[0016] Please refer to Figures 1-4. Figure 3 is a partial side view showing the bicycle handlebar 100 in the embodiment of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a front view showing the brake shift lever 300 of the bicycle handlebar 100 in the embodiment of Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1-4, the brake shift lever 300 may further include a positioning member 330. The positioning member 330 may be, but is not limited to, a band or a clamp ring. The positioning member 330 is positioned on the grip portion 3111 of the grip member 310 and is configured to connect the grip member 310 to one of the two bent tubes 220 of the handlebar 200, for example, the grip member 310 is fixed to the right bent tube 220 of the handlebar 200.

[0017] The grip member 310 may further include a main body 311 and a grip sleeve 312. The main body 311 consists of a grip portion 3111 and a connecting portion 3112. The grip sleeve 312 covers the main body 311 at least partially. In some embodiments, the main body 311 may be formed of a metallic material. The grip sleeve 312 may be formed of a flexible material (e.g., an elastically deformable material). For example, the grip sleeve 312 may be formed of plastic and / or rubber. Furthermore, the grip sleeve 312 completely covers and adheres to the grip portion 3111 of the main body 311, providing anti-slip and shock-absorbing effects and improving the rider's grip comfort. The minimum width W of the grip member 310 is obtained by measuring the grip portion 3111 and the grip sleeve 312 together, and the cross-sectional circumference 310s is measured similarly. Conventional brake shift lever assemblies typically include a grip body, an outer cover, and a grip sleeve, arranged from the inside out, with the cross-sectional circumference of the grip body being approximately 120mm to 130mm. Compared to conventional brake shift lever assemblies, the brake shift lever 300 of this disclosure reduces the overall size of the grip member 310 by eliminating the outer cover, achieving a cross-sectional circumference 310s in the range of 95mm to 110mm, making it suitable for riders with smaller hands.

[0018] The grip member 310 may further 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. The connecting portion 3112 is provided with a pivot 340 that passes through it, and the brake lever 320 includes a pivot portion 321 and a lever portion 322. One end of the pivot portion 321 is connected (fitted) to the pivot 340 and is movably connected to the connecting portion 3112. The other end of the pivot portion 321 is positioned to extend in the direction from the upper surface 310c toward the lower surface 310d. The lever portion 322 is connected to the other end of the pivot portion 321. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the pivot portion 321 has a first axis and is pivotably connected to the pivot 340 about the first axis. The lever portion 322 has a second axis distinct from the first axis and extends outward along the second axis, thereby forming a bent structure BS between the pivot portion 321 and the lever portion 322. A concave groove G is formed on the underside of the bent structure BS between the pivot portion 321 and the lever portion 322. This groove G can be configured to increase the contact area of ​​the rider's fingertips when pulling the brake lever 320, thereby allowing the rider to grip the brake lever 320 more effectively and increase braking force.

[0019] The lever portion 322 includes an upper lever section 3221 and a lower lever section 3222 that are connected to each other. A shortest distance may exist between the outer surface and the upper surface 310c of the upper lever section 3221, and this shortest distance is defined as the grip width gd1 in the foot position. The bent tube 220 of the handlebar 200 has an inner curved surface 221, and another shortest distance exists between the outer surface and the inner curved surface 221 of the lower lever section 3222, and this other shortest distance is defined as another grip width gd2 in the drops position (i.e., on the drops). In this embodiment, the other grip width gd2 in the drops position is greater than the grip width gd1 in the foot position. It is worth noting that the grip width of brake shift lever assemblies in the prior art is mainly between 70 mm and 75 mm. Compared to conventional brake-shift lever assemblies, the grip width gd1 of the brake-shift lever 300 of this disclosure in the foot position ranges from 45 mm to 60 mm, and another grip width gd2 in the drop position can range from 70 mm to 80 mm. Therefore, by shortening the grip width of the conventional technology to the above range of grip width values ​​of this disclosure, the brake-shift lever 300 ensures that riders with small hands can fully operate the brake lever 320.

[0020] In Figures 3 and 4, the pivot portion 321 of the brake lever 320 pivots along direction D with respect to the pivot 340. Specifically, the brake lever 320 is switchable 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 remains stationary. The operating position refers to another position where the brake lever 320 is pulled by the rider to the point of full braking. In other words, the brake lever 320 pivots circumferentially (i.e., in direction D) with respect to the pivot 340, switching between the stationary position and the operating position.

[0021] Furthermore, the pivot portion 321 is positioned to extend downward along the perpendicular bisector M of the pivot 340. The lower lever section 3222 of the lever portion 322 is further away from the perpendicular bisector M than the upper lever section 3221. Specifically, the lever portion 322 can be positioned to be inclined outward from the junction of the pivot portion 321 and the lever portion 322 (for example, 15 to 20 degrees) and away from the perpendicular bisector M. As a result, when the brake lever 320 switches between the stationary and operating positions, the travel stroke of the brake lever 320 does not interfere with the bent tube 220.

[0022] In some embodiments, when the brake lever 320 is in the operating position, a first projection region (not shown) can be formed by projecting the lever portion 322 of the brake lever 320 onto the plane of symmetry of the handlebar 200 (i.e., the central cross section perpendicular to the cross tube 210 in Figure 1). A second projection region (not shown) can be formed by projecting the bent tube 220 of the handlebar 200 onto the plane of symmetry, and the first projection region may partially overlap or not overlap with the second projection region. For example, when the rider engages the brake lever 320 and applies full braking, the projection regions of the brake lever 320 and the bent tube 220 in the side view may be separated by a distance of zero. This indicates that the first projection region does not overlap with the second projection region. On the other hand, the outward inclination of the lever portion 322 with respect to the perpendicular bisector M can even cause the projected areas of the brake lever 320 and the bent tube 220 to form a negative distance, indicating that the first projected area partially overlaps with the second projected area, thereby extending the travel stroke of the brake lever 320. Thus, the brake shift lever 300 of this disclosure avoids interference between the brake lever 320 and the bent tube 220 even with a reduced overall size, prevents the problem of insufficient brake lever stroke during full braking, and ensures that riders with small hands can fully operate the brake shift lever 300.

[0023] Furthermore, a shift operation button 350 can be provided on the lever portion 322 of the brake lever 320. The shift control by the brake shift lever 300 is mainly based on the rider's shift request and timing, and is realized when the rider presses the shift operation button 350 to send a shift command.

[0024] In summary, the brake shift lever and the bicycle handlebar of the present disclosure provide the following advantages. (1) Based on a compact structural configuration, a rider with small hands can easily and completely wrap the grip member of the brake shift lever, reducing the discomfort caused by excessive hand extension, and making it a brake shift lever suitable for the rider. (2) With a short grip width configuration, it ensures complete control of the brake shift lever by a rider with small hands. And (3) With a configuration where the lever portion is inclined outward, it avoids interference between the brake lever and the vent tube of the handlebar, extends the brake stroke, and provides a better linear braking force.

[0025] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to its specific embodiments, other embodiments are also possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended utility model registration claims should not be limited to the description of the embodiments included herein.

[0026] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made to the structure of the present disclosure without departing from the scope or spirit of the present disclosure. From the above, the present disclosure intends to encompass changes and modifications of the present disclosure as long as they fall within the scope of the following utility model registration claims.

Claims

1. A grip member having the minimum width, The grip part, A grip member including a connecting portion connected to the aforementioned grip portion, The grip member comprises a brake lever pivotably connected to the connecting portion, A brake shift lever in which the minimum width of the grip member is 30 mm or less.

2. The brake shift lever according to claim 1, wherein the grip member further has a cross-sectional circumference at a position corresponding to the minimum width, and the cross-sectional circumference is in the range of 95 mm to 110 mm.

3. The aforementioned grip member is The main body is composed of the grip portion and the connecting portion, The brake shift lever according to claim 1, further comprising a grip sleeve that covers at least a portion of the main body.

4. The grip member further has an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface being further away from the brake lever than the lower surface, and the connecting portion is provided with a pivot that passes through it. The aforementioned brake lever is A pivot portion, wherein one end of the pivot portion is connected to the pivot and pivots about the pivot, and the other end of the pivot portion is positioned to extend in the direction from the upper surface toward the lower surface, A lever portion connected to the other end of the pivot portion, including an upper lever section and a lower lever section connected to each other, The brake shift lever according to claim 1, comprising:

5. The brake shift lever according to claim 4, wherein a concave groove is formed between the pivot portion and the lever portion.

6. The brake shift lever according to claim 4, wherein the pivot portion is arranged to extend along the vertical bisector of the pivot, and the lower lever portion of the lever portion is further away from the vertical bisector than the upper lever portion.

7. Handlebars and The brake shift lever is mounted on the handlebar, The aforementioned brake shift lever A grip member having the minimum width, The grip part, A grip member including a connecting portion connected to the aforementioned grip portion, The grip member has a brake lever that is pivotably connected to the connecting portion, A bicycle handlebar in which the minimum width of the grip member is 30 mm or less.

8. The bicycle handlebar according to claim 7, wherein the brake shift lever further has a positioning member, the positioning member is positioned on the grip portion of the grip member and is configured to connect the grip member to the handlebar.

9. The bicycle handlebar according to claim 7, wherein the grip member further has a cross-sectional circumference at a position corresponding to the minimum width, and the cross-sectional circumference is in the range of 95 mm to 110 mm.

10. The aforementioned grip member is The main body is composed of the grip portion and the connecting portion, The bicycle handlebar according to claim 7, further comprising a grip sleeve that covers at least a portion of the main body.

11. The grip member further has an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface being further away from the brake lever than the lower surface, and the connecting portion is provided with a pivot that passes through it. The aforementioned brake lever is A pivot portion, wherein one end of the pivot portion is connected to the pivot and pivots about the pivot, and the other end of the pivot portion is positioned to extend in the direction from the upper surface toward the lower surface, A lever portion connected to the other end of the pivot portion, It comprises an upper lever compartment and a lower lever compartment, The upper lever section has a shortest distance between its outer surface and its upper surface, and this shortest distance is defined as the grip width in the foot position. The lower lever section is connected to the upper lever section, and there exists another shortest distance between the outer surface of the lower lever section and the inner curved surface of the handlebar, and this other shortest distance is defined as another grip width in the drop position. The bicycle handlebar according to claim 7, wherein the other grip width in the drop position is greater than the grip width in the foot position.

12. The bicycle handlebar according to claim 11, wherein the grip width in the foot position is in the range of 45 mm to 60 mm, and the other grip width in the drop position is in the range of 70 mm to 80 mm.

13. The bicycle handlebar according to claim 11, wherein the pivot portion has a first axis, the lever portion has a second axis different from the first axis, a bent structure is formed between the pivot portion and the lever portion, and a concave groove is formed on the lower side of the bent structure.

14. The bicycle handlebar according to claim 11, wherein the pivot portion is arranged to extend along the vertical bisector of the pivot, and the lower lever portion of the lever portion is further away from the vertical bisector than the upper lever portion.

15. The bicycle handlebar according to claim 11, wherein the brake lever switches between a stationary position and an operating position relative to the grip member, and when the brake lever is in the operating position, the lever portion is projected onto the plane of symmetry of the handlebar to form a first projection region, and the handlebar is projected onto the plane of symmetry to form a second projection region, and the first projection region partially overlaps with the second projection region.

16. The bicycle handlebar according to claim 7, wherein the handlebar is a drop handlebar.

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