Bicycle braking system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11001336-B2
Application number	US-202016934335-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2020
Priority date	Sep 25, 2019
Publication date	May 11, 2021
Grant date	May 11, 2021

Abstract

A bicycle braking system includes a lever assembly, a parking brake mechanism, and a positioning assembly. The lever assembly includes a housing and a brake lever pivotably disposed on the housing. The housing has a first positioning structure, and the brake lever has an engagement portion. The parking brake mechanism includes a control handle pivotably disposed on the housing so as to be engaged or disengaged with the engagement portion. The positioning assembly includes a positioning handle pivotably disposed on the control handle and having a locked position and an unlocked position. when the positioning handle is in the locked position, the positioning handle is positioned at the first positioning structure so as to stop the control handle from be pivoted with respect to the housing. When the positioning handle is in the unlocked position, the positioning handle is removed from the first positioning structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bicycle braking system, comprising:
a lever assembly, comprising a housing and a brake lever, wherein the brake lever is pivotably disposed on the housing, the housing has a first positioning structure, and the brake lever has an engagement portion;
a parking brake mechanism, comprising a control handle and an engagement component connected to the control handle, wherein the control handle is pivotably disposed on the housing, and the control handle is pivotable with respect to the housing to make the engagement component to engage or disengage with the engagement portion; and
a positioning assembly, comprising a positioning handle pivotably disposed on the control handle and having a locked position and an unlocked position;
wherein when the positioning handle is in the locked position, the positioning handle is positioned at the first positioning structure so as to stop the control handle from be pivoted with respect to the housing; when the positioning handle is in the unlocked position, the positioning handle is removed from the first positioning structure so as to allow the control handle to become pivotable with respect to the housing.

2. The bicycle braking system according to claim 1 , wherein the parking brake mechanism further comprises a cam shaft, the control handle is connected to the engagement component via the cam shaft, the control handle is pivotably disposed on the housing via the cam shaft, the positioning assembly further comprises a positioning component connected to the positioning handle;
when the positioning handle is in the locked position, the positioning handle is positioned at the first positioning structure via the positioning component; when the positioning handle is in the unlocked position, the positioning component is removed from the first positioning structure.

3. The bicycle braking system according to claim 2 , wherein the control handle has an engaging position and a released position; when the control handle is in the engaging position, the engagement component is engaged with the engagement portion, and the positioning handle is in the locked position; when the positioning handle is in the unlocked position, the control handle is pivotable between the engaging position to the released position; when the control handle is in the released position, the engagement component is removed from the engagement portion.

4. The bicycle braking system according to claim 3 , wherein the housing further has an outer annular surface and a notch, the notch is formed on the outer annular surface, the first positioning structure is connected to an end of the notch and located farther away from the outer annular surface than the notch.

5. The bicycle braking system according to claim 4 , wherein the housing further has a second positioning structure, the second positioning structure is connected to another end of the notch and located farther away from the outer annular surface than the notch; when the control handle is in the released position, the positioning component is positioned at the second positioning structure.

6. The bicycle braking system according claim 5 , wherein the housing comprises a housing part and a positioning part, the positioning part is fixed on the housing part, the outer annular surface, the notch, the first positioning structure and the second positioning structure are located at the positioning part, the brake lever is pivotably disposed on the housing part, the control handle is pivotably disposed on the housing part and the positioning part.

7. The bicycle braking system according to claim 5 , wherein the positioning assembly further comprises a elastic component, two opposite ends of the elastic component respectively press against the control handle and the positioning handle; when the control handle is in the engaging position, the elastic component forces the positioning handle to pivot to the locked position; when the positioning handle is in the unlocked position, the positioning handle makes the elastic component to store an elastic force.

8. The bicycle braking system according to claim 7 , wherein the first positioning structure and the second positioning structure are indentations, the housing further has a first bottom surface located in the first positioning structure and a second bottom surface located in the second positioning structure, a minimum straight distance between the first bottom surface and an axis of the control handle is smaller than a minimum straight distance between the second bottom surface and the axis of the control handle, the control handle has an accommodation recess, the elastic component is in the accommodation recess; when the control handle is in the engaging position, the positioning handle is partially located outside the accommodation recess; when the positioning handle is in the unlocked position, the positioning handle is located in the accommodation recess; when the control handle is in the released position, the second bottom surface is in contact with the positioning component so as to force the positioning handle to compress the elastic component, and the positioning handle is located in the accommodation recess.

9. The bicycle braking system according to claim 8 , wherein the control handle has an outer surface and an inner surface opposite to each other, and the accommodation recess is formed on the outer surface.

10. The bicycle braking system according to claim 8 , wherein the control handle has an outer surface and an inner surface opposite to each other, and the accommodation recess is formed on the inner surface.

11. The bicycle braking system according to claim 3 , wherein the control handle is fixed on an end of the cam shaft, the cam shaft has an eccentric portion, the engagement component has a through hole, the cam shaft is rotatably inserted into the housing, the eccentric portion is movably located in the through hole of the engagement component; when the control handle is in the engaging position, the eccentric portion forces the engagement component to be engaged with the engagement portion; when the control handle is in the released position, the eccentric portion forces the engagement component to be disengaged with the engagement portion.

12. The bicycle braking system according to claim 11 , wherein a diameter of the through hole is larger than a maximum width of the eccentric portion, the parking brake mechanism further comprises an elastic component, the elastic component of the parking brake mechanism is disposed on the engagement component, and the elastic component is configured to force the engagement component to move toward the brake lever.

13. The bicycle braking system according to claim 11 , wherein the parking brake mechanism further comprises a clip, an end of the cam shaft away from the control handle sticks out the housing and is located outside the housing, the clip is fixed on the end of the cam shaft away from the control handle and in contact with the housing.

14. The bicycle braking system according to claim 3 , wherein the housing has a positioning hole, the control handle has a recess located close to the housing, the positioning assembly further comprises an elastic component a positioning bead, the elastic component of the positioning assembly is located in the recess of the control handle and in contact with the positioning bead, the positioning bead is located closer to the housing than the elastic component, the elastic component is configured to force the positioning bead to move toward the housing; when the control handle is in the released position, the elastic component force

Assignees

• Tektro Technology Corp

Inventors

• Chen Chao-Kung

Classifications

• B62L3/06

  Means for locking the actuating mechanisms (locking a cycle braking device directly B62H5/18) · CPC title

• B62L3/02 Primary

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