Bicycle Meter Stay Cable Management Bobbin
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Solution Overview
Problem
The appearance of electrically assisted bicycles is compromised by slack electric cables, which are often long to accommodate various models, leading to a conspicuous and unsightly sagging when bundled with brake wires.
Innovation Solution
A meter stay with a bobbin and accommodation case that winds the electric cable at a slight angle, reducing the visible surface area and accommodating extra cable length, while maintaining structural integrity and aesthetics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the electric cable is made long to accommodate various models of electrically assisted bicycles, then the adaptability of the cable is improved, but the cable becomes slack and conspicuous, spoiling the appearance of the bicycle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies nesting by placing the excess electric cable inside the accommodation case, which is integrated into the meter stay structure. The cable is stored within the housing of the meter assembly, concealing it from view while maintaining accessibility. This resolves the contradiction by accommodating the long cable (improving adaptability) within a compact form factor (maintaining appearance).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the internal three-dimensional space of the meter stay and accommodation case to store the excess cable. By transitioning from a two-dimensional surface arrangement to a three-dimensional internal volume utilization, the cable is hidden within the structure rather than being visible externally, thus maintaining aesthetic appearance while accommodating cable length variations.
2Shape
If the electric cable is wound around the bobbin to reduce sagging, then the appearance is improved, but the bobbin size and accommodation case size increase in the diametric direction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making only the necessary portion of the cable visible and arranging the bobbin and accommodation case to minimize their visual impact. The cable is wound in a controlled manner within the local space of the accommodation case, and the case itself is integrated into the meter stay structure to reduce its visual prominence, thus improving appearance without requiring excessive size increases.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the accommodation case with the meter stay structure, making them an integrated assembly rather than separate components. This combination allows the accommodation case to utilize the existing structural space of the meter stay, reducing the overall volume increase while still providing the necessary cable winding functionality to improve appearance.
3Quantity of substance
If the large surface of the accommodation case is oriented toward the rider, then the cable can be accommodated, but the appearance is spoiled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by orienting the accommodation case and bobbin at specific angles relative to the meter display plane. The axial direction of the bobbin is positioned at an angle between 45-135 degrees relative to the normal of the display plane, creating an asymmetric arrangement that minimizes the visible surface area to the rider while maintaining adequate cable accommodation capacity through optimized internal geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the meter stay structure as an intermediary element that mediates between the cable accommodation requirement and the appearance requirement. The accommodation case is integrated into the meter stay, and the entire assembly is positioned and oriented to conceal the cable storage while maintaining functionality, thus resolving the contradiction through the intermediary structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A meter stay to attach a meter to a vehicle includes a base to support the meter, an accommodation case to accommodate a portion of an electric cable to electrically connect the meter and an external device to each other, a bobbin around which a portion of the electric cable is windable and located inside the accommodation case, and an attachment tool to attach the base and the accommodation case to the vehicle. An axial direction of the bobbin has a polar angle larger than about 45 degrees and smaller than about 135 degrees with respect to a direction normal to a display plane of the meter supported by the base.