GB2129484A

GB2129484A - Adjustable clamp

Info

Publication number: GB2129484A
Application number: GB08327285A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Sadaharu Tsuyama
Original assignee: Tsuyama Mfg Co Ltd
Current assignee: Tsuyama Mfg Co Ltd
Priority date: 1982-10-22
Filing date: 1983-10-12
Publication date: 1984-05-16
Also published as: DE3336241A1; SE8305392D0; SE8305392L; SE454079B; GB2129484B; JPS6220386Y2; CA1217175A; DE3336241C2; JPS5964384U; FR2534871B1; GB8327285D0; FR2534871A1

Abstract

The clamp, for mounting a lamp on a bicycle comprises a channel-like base with a fixed member 5 and a slider 9 having a transverse pin 7 guided in slots 6 in the base 1. An adjustment screw 15 connects the fixed member to the slider. A first clamping arm 12 is held by the screw 15 against the fixed member 5 and a second clamping arm 13 is rotatably fixed on the pin 7 of the slider 9 the outer ends of arms 12, 13 being releasably connectible. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Mounting device This invention relates to a mounting device for articles to be mounted on bar-like members, for instance for a lighting device for a bicycle.

There has been a mounting device for a lighting device for a bicycle in which a part of pipe of the bicycle handlebar is clamped by a pair of arcuate arm members. However, such mechanism is not appropriate for a bicycle when its pipe of the handlebar is extremely of small or large diameter.

Accordingly, the invention provides a mounting device for mounting an article to a bar-like member comprising a base having a portion for fixing to the article, a pair of opposed members extending from the said portion such as to define with said portion a channel, each having a bearing slot extending parallel to the said portion of the base in opposing relation, a fixed member disposed on said portion in the line of the channel, a slider extending across the channel between the bearing slots and mounted for sliding movement in each slot, an adjustment means connecting the fixed member and the slider and enabling adjustment of the distance therebetween, a first fastening arm having one end fixed to the fixed member and a second fastening arm having one end rotatably fixed to the slider and the other end forming a retaining mechanism with the other end of the first fastening arm.

In an alternative aspect the invention provides a mounting device for a lighting device for a bicycle comprising a base having a horizontally fixed portion on which an upright member having thereon a through hole, and a pair of vertical portions extending from opposing sides of the horizontally fixed portion, each having horizontal bearing slot in opposing relation, the base being fixed to the bottom of the lighting device, a slidable shaft member bridged between the bearing slots of the vertical portions of the base, the slidable shaft member being freely movable in horizontal direction, a slider having a threaded hole, whose both ends are inserted by the slidable shaft member so that the slider is held perpendicular to and between the vertical portions, an adjustment screw inserted into the through hole of the upright member on the base so that its end may be adjustably engaged with the threaded hole of the slider, a first fastening arm having one end which is inserted between a screw head of the adjustment screw and the through hole of the upright member on the base, a second fastening arm having one end rotatably fixed on the slidable shaft member and the other end forming a retaining mechanism with the other end of the first fastening arm, and a position pin having both ends fixed between upper end portions of the vertical portions of the base for abutting against an inner face of the second fastening arm when assembled;; When applied to mounting cycle accessories to bicycle handlebars, the device can provide effective circumferential dimension adjustment mechanism to suit various diameter of pipes of the bicycle handlebar on which the mounting device is mounted.

In another aspect the present invention includes a mounting device such as to provide a mounting device for a lighting device for a bicycle which has an adjustment mechanism for an inner effective circumferential dimension for enabling the mounting of the device onto the pipe of bicycle handlebar having any diameter.

Preferably, the device further comprises a positioning pin extending between free end portions of the said opposed members for abutting against an inner face of the second fastening arm when assembled.

Preferably, adjustment means is a screw threaded bolt extending through the fixed member and in threaded engagement with the slider.

Preferably, the slider is mounted in the slots by a shaft bridging between the slots and passing through mounting holes in the slider.

Preferably the opposed members are each wall members extending from opposed sides of the base portion parallel to one another.

Preferably, the fixed member is a wall extending from the base portion and across the channel.

Preferably then, the slider is a wall member lying parallel to the fixed member and having a pair of lugs perpendicular to the wall face of the slider through which passes means mounting the slider to the slots.

Preferably, said retaining mechanism is a quick release latch.

The invention includes a cycle accessory fixed to the base of a mounting device as described, e.g. a cycle lamp.

The invention includes a bicycle having such an accessory.

The invention also includes a method for mounting an article to a bar-like member comprising fixing the article to the base of a mounting device described, adjusting the adjustment means so that the first and second fastening arms tightly encircle the bar and coupling the said retaining mechanism.

The present invention will be illustrated by the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:~ Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device according to the invention (upside down); Fig. 2 is a front view of the device shown in Fig.

1; Fig. 3 is a side view of the device in a partially fragmentary manner, of the device shown in Figure 1; Fig. 4 is a rear view of the device shown in Fig.

1 ; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the device shown in Fig. 1 mounted on a bicycle.

The present invention is not to be restricted to the embodiment shown.

A base denoted by reference numeral 1 and made of a U-shaped iron plate is comprised of a horizontally fixed portion 2 and vertical portions 3, 3 extending vertically from opposite sides of the horizontally fixed portion 2. A lower surface of the horizontally fixed portion 2 (which is an upper surface in assembled state) is fixed to a bottom surface of a lighting device so that the fastening device is mounted integrally with the lighting device. An upright member 5 having therein a throughwhoíe 4 is mounted on the horizontal portion 2 which stands perpendicularly to the vertical portions 3, 3, and a pair of horizontal elongated bearing slots 6, 6 are formed in the vertical portions 3, 3 in a facing relation. Both ends of a slidable shaft member 7 are slidably inserted into the bearing slots 6, 6.Bent fixed portions 8, 8 are fixed inside the slidable shaft member 7 with respect to the bearing slots 6, 6.

A slider 9 is provided between the vertical portions 3, 3 so as to slide in a direction perpendicular to the vertical portions 3, 3. The slider 9 is horizontally moved together with the slidable shaft member 7 which is to be fixed. The bent fixed portions 8, 8 of the slider 9 allow both ends of the slidable shaft member 7 to be stably received in the bearing slots 6, 6. In addition, a threaded hole 10 is provided in the middle of the slider 9. Reference numeral 11 denotes an adjustment screw which is inserted from the through hole 4 of the upright member 5 on the base 1. The end of the adjustment screw 1 1 is threadedly engaged with the threaded hole 10 in the slider 9. Reference numerals 12 and 13 denote first and second fastening arms respectively, and their inner surface are so formed as to conform with a pipe configuration of the bicycle handlebar.A through hole 14 is provided at the end of the first fastening arm 12 and is positioned between the through hole 1 4 of the upright member 5 through which the adjustment screw 11 is driven and the screw head 15 of the adjustment screw 11. One end of the second fastening arm 13 is bifurcated into two cylindrical bearing portions 1 6. In assembly, a part of the slidable shaft member 7 between the bent fixed portions 8 and 8 of the slider 9 is inserted into the cylindrical bearing portions 16. The first and second fastening arms 12 and 13 are respectively provided with retaining portion 17 and retained portion 18 forming one-touch engaging mechanism hitherto well-known.A positioning pin 19 is provided between the upper end portions of the vertical portions 3, 3 of the base 1 (at the lower end portions when assembled), that is, the pin 19 is fixedly bridged therebetween and at the above end portions of the bearing slots 6 on the side opposite to the screw head 1 5 of the adjustment screw 1 The positioning pin 19 serves to position the second fastening arm 13 while abutting against the inner side of the second fastening arm 13 when the device is assembled on the pipe of the bicycle handlebar.

The adjustment mechanism with the adjustment screw 11 will now be described in detail.

A temporary mounting is first carried out by using the first and second fastening arms 12 and 13 onto the pipe of the bicycle handlebar. At this time, judgement as to whether the space between the fastening arms 12 and 13 is widened or narrowed is made. In case that the space should be narrowed, the adjustment screw 1 1 is threadedly advanced, whereby the end of adjustment screw 1 1 is advanced and projected through the slider 9. Namely, upon assembling, the screw head 1 5, the end of the first fastening arm 12 and the upright member 5 are in abutment with each other, and the slider 9 is moved, as the adjustment screw 1 1 is inserted threadedly, towards the above described three abutment members together with the second fastening arm 13. As a result, the space between the ends of the fastening arms 12 and 1 3 is narrowed.An inner circumferential dimension of the thus assembled mounting device corresponds to the sum of the inner circumferential dimensions of the fastening arms 12 and 13 and space between the fastening arms 13 and 13.

Accordingly, as the adjustment screw 1 1 is threadedly advanced to narrow the space between the fastening arms 12 and 13, the mounting inner effective circumferential dimension decreases. Inversely, to widen the effective inner circumferential dimension, the adjustment screw 1 1 is rotated reversely thereby the space between the fastening arm 12 and 13 increases. Upon mounting the mounting device onto the pipe of the bicycle handlebar, arcuate portions 20 formed on upper peripheral portions of the vertical portions 3, 3 of the base 1 are applied from above the pipe of the bicycle handlebar to conform therewith. In this condition, the pin 19 is brought into contact with the inner surface of the second fastening arm 13 so that the pipe 21 is aligned with the mounting device.

As shown in Fig. 5, the lighting device 22 is mounted on the pipe 21 pf the well-balanced condition.

The first fastening arm 1 2 of the mounting device may be rotated around the adjustment screw 1 1 to bring it to horizontal to the base for compact packaging for transportation.

As has been described, according to the present invention, no difficulty can be encountered at all even when the diameter of the pipe of handlebar onto which the mounting device for the lighting device is to be mounted is different, and it is particularly advantageous that the adjustment may readily be achieved by means of the adjustment screw. The device has not only adjustment function but also the construction which allows the lighting device to be mounted in a well-balanced condition in assembling, utilizing the position pin for the second fastening arm.

Furthermore, when the lighting device is packaged, the first fastening arm may be held horizontal thereby reduction in size for packaging.

Claims

1. A mounting device for mounting an article to a bar-like member comprising: a base having a portion for fixing to the article, a pair of opposed members extending from the said portion such as to define with said portion a channel, each having a bearing slot extending parallel to the said portion of the base in opposing relation, a fixed member disposed on said portion in the line of the channel, a slider extending across the channel between the bearing slots and mounted for sliding movement in each slot, an adjustment means connecting the fixed member and the slider and enabling adjustment of the distance therebetween, a first fastening arm having one end fixed to the fixed member and a second fastening arm having one end rotatably fixed to the slider and the other end forming a retaining mechanism with the other end of the first fastening arm.

2. A mounting device as claimed in Claim 1 further comprising a positioning pin extending between free end portions of said opposed members for abutting against an inner face of the second fastening arm when assembled.

3. A mounting device as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the adjustment means is a screw threaded bolt extending through the fixed member and in threaded engagement with the slider.

4. A mounting device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the slider is mounted in the slots by a shaft bridging between the slots and passing through mounting holes in the slider.

5. A mounting device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the opposed members are each wall members extending from opposed sides of the base portion parallel to one another.

6. A mounting device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the fixed member is a wall extending from the base portion and across the channel.

7. A mounting device as claimed in Claim 6 wherein the slider is a wall member lying parallel to the fixed member and having a pair of lugs perpendicular to the wall face of the slider through which passes means mounting the slider to the slots.

8. A mounting device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said retaining mechanism is a quick release latch.

9. A mounting device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

10. A mounting device for a lighting device for a bicycle comprising: a base having a horizontally fixed portion on which an upright member having thereon a through hole, and a pair of vertical portions extending from opposing sides of the horizontally fixed portion, each having horizontal bearing slot in opposing relation, the base being fixed to the bottom of the lighting device, a slidable shaft member bridged between the bearing slots of the vertical portions of the base, the slidable shaft member being freely movable in horizontal direction, a slider having a threaded hole, whose both ends are inserted by the slidable shaft member so that the slider is held perpendicular to and between the vertical portions, an adjustment screw inserted into the through hole of the upright member on the base so that its end may be adjustably engaged with the threaded hole of the slider, a first fastening arm having one end which is inserted between a screw head of the adjustment screw and the through hole of the upright member on the base, a second fastening arm having one end rotatably fixed on the slidable shaft member and the other end forming a retaining mechanism with the other end of the first fastening arm, and a positioning pin having both ends fixed between upper end portions of the vertical portions of the base for abutting against an inner face of the second fastening arm when assembled.

11. A cycle accessory fixed to the base of a mounting device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 10.

12. A cycle lamp fixed to the base of a mounting device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 10.

13. A bicycle having one or more lamps or other accessories mounted thereto by a mounting device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 10.

14. A method for mounting an article to a barlike member comprising fixing the article to the base of a mounting device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 10, adjusting the adjustment means so that the first and second fastening arms tightly encircle the bar and coupling the said retaining mechanism.