Bicycle Lever Offset Design for Small Hand Accessibility
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Bicycles with control devices on the handlebar often pose difficulties for riders with small hands to operate the levers effectively, as the protruding portions are not within easy reach, leading to uncomfortable grip positions and potential operational challenges.
Innovation Solution
The bicycle control device features a lever with a protruding portion offset from a reference plane, positioned between 23.2 mm and 50 mm, and a shortest distance from the saddle point to the outermost point ranging from 50 to 80 mm, allowing easy access for small hands, while maintaining a comfortable grip width and accommodating various hand sizes through interchangeable levers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the lever is positioned close to the handlebar center, then it is easy to reach for riders with large hands, but riders with small hands cannot easily reach the lever
Solution Approach 1:
The lever is extended in the lateral direction (perpendicular to the handlebar center plane) rather than only in the longitudinal direction. This dimensional change allows the lever's outermost point to reach riders with small hands while maintaining appropriate positioning for riders with large hands.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever has different structural characteristics at different locations: the proximal end portion is positioned between the opposed surfaces for structural support, while the distal end portion extends outward with a protruding portion that specifically targets accessibility for riders with small hands. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between different user groups.
2Ease of operation
If the lever protruding portion is extended outward to reach small hands, then accessibility improves, but the grip width becomes excessively wide
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of extending the lever primarily in the longitudinal direction (which would increase grip width), the invention extends it in the lateral dimension perpendicular to the handlebar center plane. This allows the outermost point to reach 23.2mm or more from the reference plane while keeping the longitudinal extension controlled at 50mm or less, thus improving accessibility without excessively widening the grip.
3Ease of operation
If the lever is positioned further from the handlebar center, then it becomes accessible to riders with small hands, but the structural stability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The lever has differentiated structural characteristics: the proximal end portion positioned between the opposed surfaces provides structural support and stability, while the distal end portion extends outward to improve accessibility. This local differentiation allows the lever to maintain structural integrity at the supported end while achieving extended reach at the operational end.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever extension occurs primarily in the lateral dimension rather than the longitudinal dimension, which reduces the impact on structural stability. The protruding portion extends 23.2mm or more laterally from the reference plane while the longitudinal extension from the proximal end is controlled at 50mm or less, maintaining a favorable strength-to-length ratio.
Data Source
AI summary
A bicycle control device comprises a bracket member including a first end portion and a second end portion with a saddle portion provided in between the first end portion and the second end portion for gripping. The second end portion has a pair of spaced apart walls with opposed surfaces. The control device further comprises a lever pivotally provided around a pivot axis extending between the opposed surfaces. The lever includes a protruding portion extending in an axial direction of the pivot axis to an outermost point that is at least 23.2 mm offset from a reference plane parallel to a bicycle center plane and defined at a midpoint between the opposed surfaces, as viewed from a parallel direction parallel to the reference plane.