GB2266079A

GB2266079A - Adjustable bicycle handlebar.

Info

Publication number: GB2266079A
Application number: GB9210166A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Robin Mayes
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-01-20
Filing date: 1992-05-12
Publication date: 1993-10-20
Also published as: GB9201101D0; GB9210166D0

Description

ADJUSTABLE BICYCLE HANDLEBAR Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an adjustable bicycle handlebar.

Background to the Invention The handlebar of a bicycle is an essential part of the bicycle's steering control. Additionally, the handlebar performs an important role in supporting the rider and usually also provides an interface for operation of the braking controls.

The configuration and position of the handlebars relative to the seat of the bicycle is critical to both rider comfort and cycle performance. The majority of conventional bicycles make provisions for spanner adjustment of the height of both the seat and handlebars of the cycle to suit the rider.

However, few allow for instantaneous adjustment and little variety exists in the configurations of bicycle handlebar available. These are generally one of two types.

Racing bicycle handlebars, or drop handlebars, curve in an arch extending forwardly of the stem by which they are mounted to the bicycle. These handle bars allow the rider to lean forwardly in either a semi-prone or more fully prone position to reduce bodily air resistance and increase pedalling thrust. Such handlebars are not, however, ideally suited to cycling in suburban traffic since body turning movements are restricted and hence allround visibility and manoeuvrability are also restricted.

The rearwardly angled handlebars of a city or mountain bicycle are adapted to enable the rider to cycle in a substantially more upright position. No provision is made to allow the rider to adopt a more prone position and, therefore, speed is sacrificed.

In recent years the limitations of conventional bicycle handlebar designs have begun to be appreciated and a number of modified handlebar designs have been developed. Amongst these developments are the forming of a bicycle handle bar in to a rectangular loop extending forwardly of the handlebar stem to provide additional support for the rider when exhausted. In other designs the handlebars have been provided with adjustment facilities to enable the angle of the handle bars relative to the handlebar stem to be adjusted. However, none of these designs of handlebar overcome the problem of enabling simple adjustment of the pitch of the handlebars as the cyclist cycles along. Furthermore, none of the existing designs is fully versatile enabling the rider to alter his posture to optimise power or visibility and manoeuvrability over changing terrain.

Summarv of the Invention According to the present invention there is provided an adjustable bicycle handle bar which comprises: a handlebar frame having a stem-mounting cross-bar adapted to be pivotally mounted to a handle bar stem of a bicycle so that the angle of pitch of the handle bar may be adjusted relative to the bicycle; and a locking assembly which comprises a locking pin adapted to cooperatively engage with any one of two or more sockets in a socketed body, the locking pin and socketed body each being mounted to a respective one of the handle bar frame and a said handlebar stem to enable the handle bar to be locked at a pitch position by co-operative engagement of the locking pin and a said socket.

Comparatively low force is required to withdraw the pin from a first socket to enable the handlebar to be tilted to a new pitch position and the locking pin inserted into a second socket to lock the handlebar in that new position. The operation may be carried out with ease whilst the cyclist continues to cycle along.

The sockets in the socketed body need not be discrete but may form part of a continuous channel such as, for example, a "J"-slot.

Advantageously the locking pin extends adjacent and parallel to the stemmounting cross-bar of the handlebar frame.

Preferably the locking pin is mounted to the stem-mounting cross-bar such as to be securely fixed against rotation thereabout.

Suitably the socketed body is substantially annular such as to extend around the stem mounting cross bar.

Advantageously the socketed body is provided with more than two sockets spaced radially apart around the stem-mounted cross-bar so that the locking pin may be locked at one or more intermediate pitch positions.

The handle bar is suitably provided with end stop means to limit the extent of pitch adjustability of the handlebar to within a 100" movement and more preferably to within a 60 movement. This is an important safety feature preventing excessive forward or rearward travel of the handlebar should the locking pin not properly engage with a socket. The destabilisation of the bicycle in such circumstances is thereby minimised.

Advantageously the end stop means comprise the locking pin or another pin which co-operatively engages with a slot in a member fixed, in use, to the handle stem, the slot extending in an arc around the stem-mounting cross bar.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an adjustable bicycle handle bar which comprises: a handle bar frame having a stem-mounting cross-bar adapted to be pivotally mounted to a handlebar stem of a bicycle to enable the pitch of the handlebar relative to the bicycle to be adjusted, the stem-mounting cross-bar of the handlebar frame serving to provide two first gripping portions of the handlebar frame, two side extensions of the stem-mounting cross-bar being provided extending curving forwardly and upwardly and being joined at their forwards ends by a second cross-bar. A handlebar frame of this shape provides a range of different gripping positions to enable the rider to vary his/her posture. This greatly increases the range of cycling positions achievable.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a bicycle having an adjustable handlebar of the first or second aspects of the present invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an adjustable handlebar embodying the invention fitted to the handlebar stem of a bicycle.

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the components of the handlebar of Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a detailed view of part of a second version of locking pin suitable for use in the invention.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment Referring to Figure 1, the handlebar frame 1 comprises a tube of strong lightweight metal or alloy such as, for example, aluminium alloy, formed into a broadly rectangular shape having a handlebar stem mounting cross-bar 2 which is substantially centrally pivotally mounted to the handlebar stem 23 of the bicycle. The respective ends of the stem-mounting cross bar 2 are extended forwardly and curve upwardly to provide side arms 4, 4'. A second cross bar 5 links the forward ends of the side arms 4, 4'. Each of the two cross bars 2, 5 and the side arms 4, 4' may be gripped by the rider, providing a range of gripping positions.

The stem-mounting cross bar 2 is formed in two lengths which are joined by a spindle 40. The spindle 40 (see Figure 2) has a smooth central portion and splined ends 26. The splined ends 26 of the spindle 40 are inserted into the respective open ends of the lengths of the stem-mounting cross bar 2. The bearing for spindle 40 comprises a shell 22 which, as illustrated, comprises two halves which fit around the central portion of the spindle 40 and are secured together by Allen bolts 25, but may alternatively be formed as one piece and slipped over one end 26 of the spindle 40. The bearing 22 is, in turn, bolted by a threaded stud to the handlebar stem 23 and welded in place thereto.

The open ends of the handlebar stem-mounting cross bar lengths are clamped to the splined ends 26 of the spindle 40 by clamping shells 27, 28.

Like the spindle bearing 22, these shells are suitably formed of two halves which are bolted together to securely clamp them in place and clamp the mounting cross-bar 2 to the spindle 40. Each clamping shell 27, 28 has a splined inner face thereby preventing its rotation around the axis of the cross bar 2.

Each clamping shell 27, 28 has a secondary role in providing an end stop facility. A peg 29 is provided extending from each side of the spindle bearing 22 which is adapted to co-operatively engage with a corresponding slot 30, 31 provided in a respective shell 27, 28. The doubling of the end-stop arrangement, as illustrated, provides an extremely robust arrangement.

The spindle bearing 22 allows pivotal movement of the handle bar frame 1 about the spindle 40 to an extent dictated by the end stop facility 29, 30, 31.

Locking of the handle bar frame 1 at a selected pitch position is achieved by co-operative engagement of a locking pin 13 with one of a number of sockets 15-18 provided in an arcuate array extending laterally through the spindle bearing 22. The locking pin 13 illustrated in Figure 2 is fastened to the stemmounting cross bar 2 by a bracket 21 and is retractable by means of a caliper cable 12 extending from a trigger 11 of the type normally used for bicycle braking systems. The trigger 11 may be mounted rearwardly of the conventional bicycle brake triggers 32, as shown in Figure 1. The pin 13 is resiliently biased into engagement with one of the sockets 15-18 by a compression spring 20.

The locking pin 13 is held against relative rotation about the stem mounting cross bar 2 not only by the bracket 21 but also by virtue of the fact that it passes through an aperture 18, 19 provided in each of the clamping shells 27, 28.

A modified version of the locking pin 13 is illustrated in Figure 3 and comprises a lengthened pin 13 which is directly manipulable by means of a lever 32. The mounting 21 of the locking pin 13 and the provision of a spring 20 are as for the Figure 2 embodiment. However, by pulling the pin 13 outwardly from the locking assembly 14 with the thumb of one hand while continuing to grip the handlebar frame 1 with the fingers of that hand, the handle bar frame may be released from being locked in a particular pitch position with ease. It has been found in practice that this latter design of release mechanism is more effective than the caliper cable version.

Referring again to Figure 1, the pitch position of the handle bar frame 1 is suitably adjustable within a range of 60 of movement, having at least three locking positions to obtain optimum benefit from the design.

The outstanding versatility of the design of the present invention may be achieved through embodiments other than those described and illustrated.

The locking assembly 14 need not, for example, incorporate a pair of clamping shells 27, 28 nor need the locking pin be mounted to the handle bar frame 1 rather than to the handle bar stem 23. Numerous alternative embodiments are encompassed within the scope of the invention.

Claims

ClAIMS

1. An adjustable bicycle handle bar which comprises: a handlebar frame having a stem-mounting cross-bar adapted to be pivotally mounted to a handle bar stem of a bicycle so that the angle of pitch of the handle bar may be adjusted relative to the bicycle; and a locking assembly which comprises a locking pin adapted to co-operatively engage with any one of two or more sockets in a socketed body, the locking pin and socketed body each being mounted to a respective one of the handle bar frame and a said handlebar stem to enable the handle bar to be locked at a pitch position by co-operative engagement of the locking pin and a said socket.

2. A handle bar as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the locking pin extends adjacent and parallel to the stem-mounting cross-bar of the handlebar frame.

3. A handle bar as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the locking pin is mounted to the stem-mounting cross-bar such as to be securely fixed against rotation thereabout.

4. A handle bar as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the socketed body is substantially annular such as to extend around the stem mounting cross bar.

5. A handle bar as claimed in Claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein the socketed body is provided with more than two sockets spaced radially apart around the stem-mounted cross-bar so that the locking pin may be locked at one or more intermediate pitch positions.

6. A handle bar as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein there is provided end stop means to limit the extent of pitch adjustability of the handlebar to within 100" movement.

7. A handle bar as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the end stop means comprise the locking pin or another pin which co-operatively engages with a slot in a member fixed, in use, to the handle bar stem, the slot extending in an arc around the stem-mounting cross bar.

8. An adjustable bicycle handle bar which comprises: a handle bar frame having a stem-mounting cross-bar adapted to be pivotally mounted to a handlebar stem of a bicycle to enable the pitch of the handlebar relative to the bicycle to be adjusted, the stem-mounting cross-bar of the handlebar frame serving to provide two first gripping portions of the handlebar frame, two side extensions of the stem-mounting cross-bar being provided extending curving forwardly and upwardly and being joined at their forwards ends by a second cross-bar.

9. A bicycle having an adjustable bicycle handle bar as claimed in any preceding claim.