Bicycle Cable Housing With Woven Reinforcement and Reflective Outer Layer

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional bicycle cable housings suffer from damage due to excessive pressure on adhesive layers when bent, and they lack visual appeal, impacting cycling safety.

Innovation Solution

A bicycle cable design featuring an inner tube, a metal layer with metal wires, a woven layer of interlaced yarn threads, and an outer layer that embeds the yarn threads radially, providing structural strength, toughness, and a reflective visual effect.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If an adhesive layer is used to fix the metal layer in a conventional housing, then the metal layer can be secured, but the adhesive layer may be damaged due to excessive local pressure when the housing is bent

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefixing strength of metal layerVSAvoiddurability of adhesive layer

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention removes the adhesive layer from the housing structure and replaces it with a groove that mechanically interlocks with the metal layer. This extraction eliminates the adhesive layer's vulnerability to bending-induced damage while maintaining the metal layer's fixation through the groove's physical constraint.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The groove acts as an intermediary structure between the housing and the metal layer, providing a mechanical connection that distributes stress evenly. Instead of relying on adhesive bonding that concentrates stress, the groove mediates the connection through its geometric interlocking with the metal layer's cross-sectional shape.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If a conventional housing with adhesive layer is used, then the structure is simple, but the appearance is monotonous with poor visual effect and no positive effect on cycling safety

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural simplicityVSAvoidvisual reflectivity

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention applies local quality by incorporating a reflective layer specifically in the outer layer of the housing, rather than making the entire structure complex. This localized addition provides enhanced visual reflectivity and safety features while maintaining the overall simplicity of the housing structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The housing employs composite materials by combining the base housing material with a reflective layer. This composite structure achieves both structural functionality and enhanced visual properties, creating a multi-functional component that improves cycling safety without significantly increasing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Data Source

PatentUS11634862B2Cable for bicycle

Publication Date: 2023.04.25 WEN YUAN HUNG

AI summary

A cable for a bicycle is provided, including: an inner tube, a metal layer, a woven layer and an outer layer. The metal layer includes at least one metal wire disposed around an outer periphery of the inner tube. The woven layer is disposed around an outer periphery of the metal layer and includes a plurality of yarn threads interlaced with one another. The outer layer is disposed around an outer periphery of the woven layer, and the plurality of yarn threads are partially embedded radially within the outer layer.