Signals and indicators – Vehicle – Transmission indicator
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-27
2003-06-03
Gutierrez, Diego (Department: 2859)
Signals and indicators
Vehicle
Transmission indicator
C074S489000, C116S284000, C116S305000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06571726
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is about a device for monitoring the position of a gear lever, especially about the device installed on handle of bicycle for monitoring gear lever position, and further that rotating handle to shift gear lever.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There are two sorts of gear lever shifting for a multi-speed bicycle, one by turning a gear lever, and the current fashion is by rotating a handle to shift a gear lever for changing speed.
However, the device of the current fashion for rotating a handle to shift gear lever does not include a device that monitors the gear lever position. By the traditional way, the bike rider touches the gear lever to sense the shifted gear lever position. On the other hand, the device for current fashion is that the bike rider must directly read the gear lever position symbol (generally it is a numeral) on the gear lever device. For dimensional considerations, the gear lever position symbol is usually not large enough to read easily. Hence, under the conditions of low light, passing through a tunnel, not concentrating on the gear lever position at high speed, not being close to the gear lever device, etc., the gear lever position is not easily and rapidly judged.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The main object of this invention is to provide a device for easily, rapidly and clearly monitoring the gear lever position.
The second object of this invention is to offer a device for monitoring the gear lever position, even under lightless circumstance.
The third object of this invention is to offer a device for monitoring the gear lever position, which provides an auxiliary light source for the device when under lightless circumstances.
To reach these objects, the invention at least consists of one internal tube, one external tube, one adjust handle, one cover and one flexible piece. The internal tube comprises one ring-shape outer rim, one slot formed on the outer rim and one hollow and axial sheath for fixing to a bike handle. The outer diameter of the sheath is smaller than the inner diameter of the outer rim so as to form a storage space between the sheath and the outer rim. On a suitable position of the slot, there is a window going through and connecting between slot and the storage space. The external tube is a hollow structure and surrounds the sheath, thus, enabling relative rotating motion between external tube and sheath. A position ring for showing the gear lever position is installed on the storage space relative to the external tube. The window is just above the position ring, and a plurality of gear lever position symbols are on the position ring. An adjust handle surrounds the external tube, and they rotate together. Between the internal side of the position ring of the external tube and the external side of the sheath, is set a flexible piece. The cover wraps inside the slot, and a fish-shaped lens is set on the cover. The fish-shaped lens is a convex lens, and the position for the fish-shaped lens is located on an imagine line from the rider's eyes to the position ring. Defining a line Z that is perpendicular to the axial direction of the sheath and the foresaid imagine line is line S, the angle between line Z and line S is from 25 to 70 degrees. The design is to amplify the position symbols of window, and further that window shows only a single position symbol so as to not confuse the rider.
In a preferred embodiment, the position symbols are made by fluorescence, therefore, rider can easily read symbols in lightless circumstances, such as passing through tunnels.
In another preferred embodiment, a position of the outer rim of the internal tube relative to the window has a light source for lighting up the position ring, such that, the symbols are still readable even in lightless circumstances.
The further preferred embodiment includes, installed on the outer rim of internal tube, an electrical source and a switch. The electrical source controls a light source via the switch.
The fourth preferred embodiment is that the light source is a LED.
The fifth preferred embodiment includes a wire guide on the internal tube. The wire guide is hollow to enable a speed-change wire, to pass through, then passing by internal tube and connecting both ends, to the transmission device and external tube. Rotating the external tube for tightening and loosening the speed-change wire, and the transmission device is controlled to change speed as well.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4895455 (1990-01-01), Horning
patent: 5134897 (1992-08-01), Romano
patent: 5476019 (1995-12-01), Cheever et al.
patent: 5676020 (1997-10-01), Jordan et al.
patent: 5799541 (1998-09-01), Arbeiter
patent: 6244207 (2001-06-01), Chen
patent: 2001/0022035 (2001-09-01), Veloce
Chiang Chi-Liang
Ou Bou-Yi
Tsai Jimmy
Wu Shang-Fei
Courson Tania C.
Gutierrez Diego
Sunrace Roots Enterprise Co., Ltd.
Troxell Law Office PLLC
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