Supports – Brackets – Specially mounted or attached
Patent
1988-08-02
1990-10-23
Foss, J. Franklin
Supports
Brackets
Specially mounted or attached
248278, A47B 9606
Patent
active
049646036
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to mountings for attaching an article to a generally cylindrical support, and in particular but not exclusively to a mounting for attaching a bicycle lamp to a bicycle.
There are many different types of mounting for attaching articles to cylindrical supports, but for the most part they are either severely limited in the range of diameters which they can accommodate, do not grip the support sufficiently tightly for many purposes or are insufficiently rigid. One area where special difficulties are encountered is in the mounting of bicycle lamps (or other attachments) to bicycles. To date most mountings have only been able to accommodate to small range of handlebars or frame sizes, and there have, therefore, had to be separate mountings for front and rear lights. In addition for safety reasons the British standards are being continually updated to require a very firm grip so that the lamp cannot be dislodged from its set position during travel. Similar problems are encountered when mounting instruments on hand gliders.
One object of the invention is to provide an improved mounting which overcomes some or all of these difficulties.
From one aspect the invention consists in a mounting for attaching an article to a generally cylindrical support comprising a main body defining a recess for receiving the support, means for supporting the article on the main body, a clamp member movable relative to the main body and means urging the clamp member and the body together such that a portion of the clamp member extends into the recess to clamp the support in the recess.
Preferably the portion is formed such that the clamping force will act essentially radially on the support and additionally, or alternatively, it is formed such that the engagement with the support will be along a long or narrow elongate surface.
The mounting may further include a resilient element mounted in the recess for conforming to or engaging a surface of the support when the support is clamped in the recess. The recess may be generally triangular in section.
The urging means may include a threaded bolt, extending through the clamped member and the main body, and a nut, so that the clamp member and the body may be held between the head of the bolt and the nut. Preferably the bolt head is held captive relative to the clamp member and the clamp member may be formed with an elongate slot through which the bolt passes to allow lateral movement of the clamp member relative to the bolt.
The support means may include means for holding the article and a first coupling for allowing rotation of the holding means about a first axis. In a preferred embodiment the support means also includes a second coupling for allowing rotation of the holding means about a second axis lying at an angle to the first axis, for example they may be orthogonal. Each coupling may be lockable, for example, the first coupling may be lockable in a selected rotational position by the clamp member. Conveniently one or both of the couplings may be constituted by circular couplings.
As mentioned previously the support means may include means for holding the article, and in a preferred embodiment this is in the form of a spade. The spade may be keyed.
The invention also includes a bicycle lamp in combination with a mounting as defined above.
From another aspect the invention consists in a mounting for attaching a bicycle lamp to the bicycle having a spade for supporting the lamp and coupling for providing two rotational degrees of freedom for the spade.
Although the invention has been defined above, it is to be understood that it includes any inventive combination of the features set out above or in the following description. The invention is not necessarily limited to mountings, lenses or reflectors which achieve the stated objects.
The invention may be performed in various ways, and specific embodiments will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a side view of a mounting; body of the mounting of FIG.
REFERENCES:
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patent: 2596020 (1952-05-01), Fletcher et al.
patent: 2689995 (1954-09-01), Smith
patent: 3784140 (1974-01-01), Auerbach
Foss J. Franklin
Imbiex (Monmouth) Limited
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