Joints and connections – Articulated members – Lockable at fixed position
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-19
2003-01-07
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3679)
Joints and connections
Articulated members
Lockable at fixed position
C403S321000, C403S377000, C403S379600, C224S501000, C224S510000, C224S512000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06503019
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a replaceable top tube which has two engaging ends for respectively hooking to the seat post and the handlebar stem. Each of the engaging ends has a sleeve which is slid along the longitudinal tube of the replaceable top tube.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Bicycles can be carried on outside of cars by using a bicycle carrier which has a clamp device to hold the top tube of the bicycle and two engaging devices are used to fix the bicycle. However, some bicycles have no top tube so that these bicycles cannot be carried on the bicycle carrier. In order to improve the shortcoming, a replaceable top tube is developed and shown in
FIGS. 6
to
8
. The replaceable top tube
70
includes a tube
71
with two hooks
73
connected to two ends of the tube
71
, and two engaging members
70
are pivotally connected to the tube
71
. Each of the engaging members
70
has a groove
723
defined in an inside thereof and a hole
722
is defined through the engaging member
70
and communicates with the groove
723
. A protrusion
711
extends from the tube
71
so that when the engaging member
70
is pivoted toward the hook
73
, the protrusion
711
is slid in the groove
723
and engaged with the hole
722
. An inclined surface
721
on the engaging member
70
is matched with another inclined surface
731
defined in a distal end of the hook
73
. The two hooks
73
may hook the seat post
60
or the seat tube and the handlebar stem of the bicycle.
The way that the engaging member
70
is pivoted relative to the tube
71
could be interfered by objects on the bicycle so that the user often takes a lot of time to adjust the position of the hooks
73
to successfully hook the seat post
60
and the handlebar stem. Besides, the area of the engaging members
70
is so small that it results a large pressure to the user's hand.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a replaceable top tube which comprises an outer tube having a first aperture in a first end thereof and an inner tube has a first end thereof retractably received in a second end of the outer tube. A first sleeve is slidably mounted to the first end of the outer tube and has a first hole which is located in communication with the first aperture. A locking plate is fixedly connected to the first sleeve and a first hook is fixedly connected to the first end of the outer tube. The locking plate is engaged with the first hook when the first sleeve is not pulled. A resilient member is located in the first end of the outer tube and a pushing end extends through the first aperture and the first hole.
A second aperture is defined through a wall of a second end of the inner tube and a second sleeve is slidably mounted to the second end of the inner tube and has a second hole which is located in communication with the second aperture. Another locking plate is fixedly connected to the second sleeve and another hook is fixedly connected to the second end of the inner tube. The another locking plate is engaged with the another first hook when the second sleeve is not pulled.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a replaceable top tube that has two sleeves which are pulled along the tube so that it is easy to use.
The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.
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patent: 5149112 (1992-09-01), Nauman et al.
patent: 5169042 (1992-12-01), Ching
patent: 5217149 (1993-06-01), Simonett
patent: 5282555 (1994-02-01), Muir et al.
patent: D371332 (1996-07-01), Chapple et al.
patent: 5558349 (1996-09-01), Rubin
patent: 5639001 (1997-06-01), Brady
patent: 5706680 (1998-01-01), Wroble
patent: 5711397 (1998-01-01), Flora et al.
patent: 5779386 (1998-07-01), Eichhorn
patent: 5865044 (1999-02-01), Wu
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patent: 6223569 (2001-05-01), Wu
Graber 2000 catalog, p. 8, see #3037 bike beam.*
Bauer Vehicle Gear 2000 catalog, p. 7, see alternative bike adapter.
Browne Lynne H.
Hewitt James M.
Rosenberg , Klein & Lee
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