Bicycle Brake Lever Cap Off-Center Foot Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Bicycle brake levers often have pointed ends that pose a risk of impalement in falls or accidents, and existing solutions like caps with enlarged surfaces can interfere with handlebar operation or leave the lever exposed.

Innovation Solution

A brake lever end cap with an elongated leg portion and a foot portion that extends forward, covered by a resilient outer material with a tapered section and finger ridges, designed to fit over the lever end and provide a larger surface area to prevent impalement while allowing full lever operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a cap with enlarged surface is placed to cover the pointed end of the brake lever, then the impalement risk is reduced, but the cap creates interference with the handlebar and prevents sufficient lever closure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimpairedment riskVSAvoidlever closure capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The end cap extends primarily in the lateral dimension (perpendicular to the lever axis) rather than longitudinally, creating a low-profile cap that provides protective surface area without interfering with the lever's pulling motion toward the handlebar

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The cap is designed with different geometric properties at different locations: a broad lateral extent for protection, but a limited longitudinal extent to avoid handlebar interference, creating a localized protective element that doesn't compromise operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Object-affected harmful factors

If an extension on the end of the handlebar is provided to cover the lever end, then some protection is achieved, but the lever end remains exposed and misalignment or rotation can still cause impalement risk

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimpairedment riskVSAvoidprotection reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The end cap is designed to fit over the brake lever itself, nesting the protective cap onto the lever shaft, ensuring that the protection moves with the lever and remains aligned regardless of handlebar rotation or misalignment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of extending the handlebar forward to cover the lever (external protection), the solution inverts the approach by placing the protective cap directly on the lever end (intrinsic protection), ensuring the protection travels with the lever

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS11618526B2Bicycle brake lever cap

Publication Date: 2023.04.04 PERRONE MICHAEL

AI summary

A brake lever end cap includes an elongated leg portion in which at least a portion of the brake lever is seated, and a foot portion joined to the leg portion and an end of the leg portion. The leg portion is joined to the foot portion such that the end of the leg portion joined to the foot portion is off center relative to the foot portion, and nearer the rear of the foot portion such that the majority of the foot portion extends forward of the leg portion.