Brakes – Vehicle – Velocipede
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-26
2001-08-28
Schwartz, Christopher P. (Department: 3613)
Brakes
Vehicle
Velocipede
C188S024210
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279688
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to bicycle brake control cables and more particularly to quick release devices for detaching brake control cables from brake arm or operating members.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Bicycle brake systems typically comprise an actuating or brake lever assembly operatively connected by a control cable within a housing to a responding or brake arm assembly. The brake arm assembly includes a pair of brake arms or operating members pivotally attached to a bicycle frame element at one end and to the control cable at another end, each brake arm including a brake pad positioned such that the two pads sandwich the rim of a bicycle wheel. Actuation of the brake lever by a rider draws the brake arms toward each other until they clamp down on the rim thereby slowing the bicycle. In order to achieve responsive braking, the brake pads are positioned close to the rim with the lever in an undeflected position to reduce the travel of the pads during lever actuation. Consequently, the brake arms must be drawn apart from their adjusted position close to the rim to allow removal of the wheel. To allow the brake arms to be readily drawn apart, a quick release feature is typically included to disengage at least one brake arm from the control cable. The present invention is an improvement to quick release devices for brake control cables and the like.
Numerous types of bicycle brake mechanisms are known in the art including drum brakes, cantilever brakes, disk brakes, caliper brakes and linear-pull brakes.
FIG. 1
depicts a conventional linear-pull brake system including a brake lever assembly
10
operatively connected by a control cable
20
within a cable housing
22
to a brake arm assembly
30
.
FIG. 2
is a front view of the conventional linear-pull brake arm assembly of FIG.
1
.
FIG. 3
is an isometric view of the quick release device of the linear-pull brake arm assembly of FIG.
1
.
Typically, the brake lever assembly
10
consists of a brake lever
40
pivotally mounted at one end to a lever housing
42
attached to a bicycle handlebar
44
. One end of the control cable
20
is operatively attached to the brake lever
40
at a cable attachment point
46
such that as the brake lever
40
is deflected by a rider's hand toward the handlebar
44
, the tension on the brake cable
20
is increased thereby actuating the brake arm assembly
30
.
A second end of the control cable
20
is secured by a cable anchor bolt
50
to one end of a first brake arm
60
pivotally attached about a pivot
62
to a first bicycle frame member
180
. A first end of a yoke
70
is hingedly connected to a second brake arm
80
at pivot
81
, the brake arm
80
pivotally connected to a second bicycle frame member
190
at pivot
82
. First and second brake pads
90
,
92
connected to brake arms
60
,
80
, respectively, are positioned on either side of a bicycle rim
94
.
Typically, a first end of cable housing
22
abuts a barrel adjuster
86
operatively connected to lever housing
42
, with a second end of cable housing
22
abutting a ferrule
112
located at a first end of a noodle
110
. A barrel
95
located at a second end of the noodle
110
includes an attachment plate
96
configured to be removably coupled to a second end
84
of yoke
70
, and a conical surface
98
configured to be removably coupled to a first end
101
of an elastically compressible bellows
100
. The control cable
20
slides reciprocally within cable housing
22
, noodle
110
, ferrule
112
, barrel
95
, and bellows
100
. As installed, a second end
103
of the bellows
100
is located proximate the cable anchor bolt
50
. During lever actuation the bellows member
100
is compressed as the brake arms
60
,
80
are drawn together.
The barrel
95
is configured to be removably inserted through an aperture
115
located at a second end
84
of the yoke
70
, with a slot
113
extending from the aperture
115
to an edge of the yoke
70
. Attachment plate
96
of barrel
95
is configured to abut the second end
84
of the yoke
70
as the remaining portion of the barrel
95
is inserted through aperture
115
.
Typically, the brake arms
60
,
80
are spring biased to pivot in an outward direction away from the rim
94
. As installed, the brake pads
90
,
92
are positioned proximate the wheel rim
94
such that when the brake lever
40
is deflected by a rider's hand, the brake pads will contact the wheel rim
94
thereby slowing the bicycle. Because the brake pads
90
,
92
are positioned relatively close to the rim
94
, the bicycle wheel cannot be removed from the brake arm assembly without first detaching the barrel
95
from the yoke
70
thereby allowing the outwardly biased brakes arms
60
,
80
to pivot apart. In conventional brake arm assemblies this operation is achieved as follows. Initially, the first end
101
of the bellows
100
is be pulled apart from surface
98
of the barrel
95
by displacing the bellows in a direction X thereby breaking the seal formed between the barrel
95
and the bellows
100
and exposing the bare control cable
20
. The barrel
95
is then retracted from aperture
115
of the yoke
70
in a direction Y. Finally, the barrel
95
is lifted in a direction Z as control cable
20
passes through slot
113
of the yoke
70
. In order to reattach the barrel
94
to the yoke, this procedure must be repeated in reverse order. This rather cumbersome procedure makes it difficult to engage and disengage the barrel
95
from the yoke
70
. Additionally, removal of the bellows
100
from the barrel
95
breaks the seal between these members exposing the bare control cable to moisture and allowing dirt and debris to become trapped inside the bellows, barrel, and noodle leading to premature wear, corrosion and reduced braking performance. Furthermore, repeated attachment and detachment of the bellows
100
to the barrel
95
causes the bellows to stretch and fray over time, preventing the bellows from fitting tightly onto surface
98
of the barrel
95
and resulting in a permanent loss of sealing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to facilitate wheel removal by providing a quick release device that permits a user to readily disengage a brake control cable from a brake operating member. It is another object of this invention to provide a quick release device for a brake control cable that does not require disengagement of the bellows member from the barrel member thereby preserving the seal between these members during wheel removal. It is a further object of this invention to provide a quick release device having an easily graspable surface with which to engage and disengage the quick release device from the brake operating member.
According to this invention, a quick release device for use with cable-actuated operating members is provided including an elastically deformable member connected to a rigid housing, both the housing and deformable member configured to slidably receive a control cable therethrough. The housing includes a graspable portion for easy disengagement of the quick release from the operating member and an engagement portion configured to be removably engaged with an attachment portion of the operating member without detaching the deformable member from the housing.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5704453 (1998-01-01), Tsai
patent: 5855529 (1999-01-01), Sigimoto
patent: 5857932 (1999-01-01), Sigimoto
Goldman Charles M.
Smith Timothy J.
Bartz C. T.
Perkins Jefferson
Piper Marbury Rudnick & Wolfe
Schwartz Christopher P.
SRAN Corporation
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