Integrated control device and integrated handlebar for bicycle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10759495-B2
Application number	US-201815870200-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2018
Priority date	Jan 12, 2018
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

An integrated handlebar for a bicycle includes a handlebar and at least one integrated control device, wherein the handlebar has at least two free ends and the integrated control device includes a base engaged with at least one of the free ends, a brake lever and an electronic controller. The brake lever has a front end pivotally connected with the base and a rear end. The brake lever has a mounting portion, being located at a distance not greater than ¾ length of the brake lever from the rear end and not directly on the rear end. The electronic controller includes an operation member disposed on the brake lever, which includes at least one operation part adapted to be triggered by fingers of a rider to control an action of the operation member so as to drive the electronic controller to output an electronic signal to an electronic component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An integrated control device for a bicycle, adapted to be installed on a handlebar of the bicycle which has at least two free ends, comprising:
a base, adapted to be engaged with one of the two free ends of the handlebar, wherein the base includes a fixing portion, one end of the fixing portion is inserted into one of the two free ends of the handlebar in a manner that the base is unable to rotate relative to the handlebar;
a brake lever, having a front end and a rear end, wherein the front end of the brake lever is pivotally connected with the base to allow the brake lever to pivot relative to the base; the brake lever has a mounting portion, being located between the rear end and a site not greater than ¾ length of the brake lever from the rear end and not directly on the rear end, and wherein the brake lever pivots relative to the handlebar in one direction only; and
an electronic controller, having an operation member and being disposed at the mounting portion of the brake lever, wherein the operation member is located in the mounting portion and has at least one operation part being adapted to be triggered by fingers of a rider to control the operation member so as to make the electronic controller output an electronic signal to an electronic component and actuate the electronic component;
wherein the at least one operation part of the electronic controller is comprised of three operation parts, which are respectively a first operation part, a second operation part, and a third operation part; when the first operation part is triggered by the rider, the electronic controller would output the electronic signal for actuating a first action of the electronic component; when the second operation part is triggered by the rider, the electronic controller would output the electronic signal for actuating a second action of the electronic component, wherein the second action is different from the first action; when the third operation part is triggered by the rider, the electronic controller would output the electronic signal for actuating a third action of the electronic component, wherein the third operation part is connected to and processed together with the first operation part or the second operation part, thereby enabling the third operation part to drive the first operation part or the second operation part simultaneously when the third operation part is triggered by the rider; the third action is identical to the first action or the second action; wherein the first operation part is located on the mounting portion at a distance of ½ length of the brake lever from the rear end and the third operation part is located on the mounting portion at a distance of ½ length of the brake lever from the rear end, and wherein the first operation part and the third operation part are located at two opposite sides of the brake lever; while the second operation part is located on the mounting portion adjacent to the rear end of the brake lever.

2. The integrated control device of claim 1 , wherein the first operation part, the second operation part, and the third operation part are integrally formed.

3. An integrated handlebar for a bicycle, comprising:
a main handlebar, having a stem disposed at a middle section thereof, wherein the stem is adapted to be installed on a head tube of the bicycle, and the main handlebar has two free ends located at two sides of the stem respectively;
two auxiliary handlebars, disposed on the middle section of the main handlebar and extending forwardly with respect to the bicycle, wherein the two auxiliary handlebars are respectively located at the two sides of the stem, and each of the two auxiliary handlebars has a free end; and
at least one integrated control device, including:
a base, adapted to be engaged with one of the two free ends of the main handlebar or at least one of the free ends of the two auxiliary handlebars, wherein the base includes a fixing portion, one end of the fixing portion is inserted into one of the two free ends of the main handlebar in a manner that the base is unable to rotate relative to the main handlebar;

a brake lever, having a front end and a rear end, wherein the front end of the brake lever is pivotally connected with the base to allow the brake lever to pivot relative to the base; the brake lever has a mounting portion, being located between the rear end and a site not greater than ¾ length of the brake lever from the rear end and not directly on the rear end, and wherein the brake lever pivots relative to the main handlebar in one direction only; and
an electronic controller, disposed at the brake lever and having an operation member, wherein the operation member is installed in the mounting portion and has at least one operation part adapted to be triggered by fingers of a rider to trigger the operation member so as to make the electronic controller output an electronic signal to an electronic component and actuate the electronic component;
wherein the at least one operation part of the electronic controller is comprised of three operation parts, which are respectively a first operation part, a second operation part, and a third operation part;
when the first operation part is triggered by the rider, the electronic controller would output the electronic signal for actuating a first action of the electronic component; when the second operation part is triggered by the rider, the electronic controller would output the electronic signal for actuating a second action of the electronic component, wherein the second action is different from the first action; when the third operation part is triggered by the rider, the electronic controller would output the electronic signal for actuating a third action of the electronic component; wherein the third operation part is connected to and processed together with the first operation part or the second operation part, thereby enabling the third operation part to drive the first operation part or the second operation part simultaneously when the third operation part is triggered by the rider; the third action is identical to the first action or the second action; and wherein the first operation part is located on the mounting portion at about a distance of ½ length of the brake lever from the rear end and the third operation part is located on the mounting portion at a distance of ½ length of the brake lever from the rear end, and the first operation part and the third operation part are located at two opposite sides of the brake lever, while the second operation part is located on the mounting portion adjacent to the rear end of the brake lever.

4. The integrated control device of claim 3 , wherein the first operation part, the second operation part, and the third operation part are integrally formed.

5. The integrated control device of claim 3 , wherein the at least one integrated control device comprises two integrated control devices, and the bases of the two integrated control devices are respectively engaged with one of the two free ends of the main handlebar.

6. The integrated control device of claim 3 , wherein the at least one integrated control device comprises two integrated control devices, and the bases of the two integrated control devices are respectively engaged with one of the two free ends of the two auxiliary handlebars.

7. The integrated control device of claim 3 , wherein the at least one integrated control device comprises four integrated control devices, and the bases of two of the four integrated control devices are respectively engaged with one of the two free ends of the main handlebar, while the bases of the other two of the four integrated control devices are respectively engaged with one of the two free ends of the two auxiliary handlebars.

Assignees

• Tien Hsin Industries Co Ltd

Inventors

• Vandermolen Mark

Classifications

• B60T7/085 Primary

  by electrical means, e.g. travel, force sensors · CPC title

• B62M25/08

  with electrical or fluid transmitting systems · CPC title

• B62K21/125

  Extensions; Auxiliary handlebars · CPC title

• B62K23/06

  Levers · CPC title

• B62L3/02

  for control by a hand lever (hand levers for control of cycles in general B62K23/06) · CPC title