GB2335948A

GB2335948A - Coupling with remote release

Info

Publication number: GB2335948A
Application number: GB9903834A
Authority: GB
Inventors: George Quinn
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-03-27
Filing date: 1999-02-22
Publication date: 1999-10-06
Anticipated expiration: 2019-02-22
Also published as: GB2335948B; GB9903834D0; GB9806571D0

Abstract

A system for releasably securing a person to e.g. a bicycle comprises a fastening which itself comprises an anchoring member in the form of a pin 25 which can be secured to the person by means of a flexible connection and a loop 27 on the pin. An anchorage housing 9 is secured to a crossbar 6 by straps 10, and slidably receives an anchorage member in the form of a piston 14. The piston is operated via a Bowden cable having a core 20 and a sheath 21 from a hand lever on the handlebar of the bicycle. On squeezing the hand lever the pin 25 is held against withdrawal from the housing 9 by the piston 14.

Description

1 2335948 SYSTEM FOR RELEASABLY SECURING A PERSON TO A VEHICLE OR CRAFT

This invention relates to a fastening system for releasably securing a person to a vehicle or craft.

The system can be used e.g. with sail boards wherein the user's feet may be secured to the board while the user wishes this but can be released in the event of the sail board overturning. The system can also be used by competitive motorcyclists for additional security at speed when cornering.

The invention, however, finds particular utility in the field of competitive cycling. In competitive cycling when the cyclists wish to develop more drive they lift themselves clear of the saddle in order to press harder downwards on the pedals. Much of the thrust developed by the cyclists is used to lift them off the saddle and thus the weight of the cyclists is the main source of power supplied to the pedals. When using the invention, however, more of the thrust developed by the cyclists is applied to the pedals because the degree to which they can lift themselves off the saddle is restricted by the fastening systeT.r..

According to the invention, there is provided a system for releasably securing a person to a vehicle or craft, the system comprising a fastening which itself comprises an anchoring member adapted to be secured to the person, an anchorage housing mounted or adapted to be mounted at a convenient location on the vehicle or craft, and an anchorage member movably 2 mounted within the anchorage housing for releasably holding the anchoring member within the anchorage housing and an actuating means mounted or adapted to be mounted at another convenient location on the vehicle or craft, the actuating means being such as to require physical effort to be applied to it by the person in order for the anchorage member to hold the anchoring member securely within the anchorage housing and to release the anchorina member for removal from the anchorage housing when no physical effort is applied to the actuating means.

Preferably, the anchoring member is in the form of a locating pin which can be inserted into an opening in the anchorage housing and retained in the opening against a minimum withdrawal force when no physical effort is applied to the actuating member, but locked against a withdrawal force, by the anchorage member when physical effort is applied to the actuating member.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a diagram of a cyclist in a situation where thrust applied to the pedals is insufficient to lift the cyclist off the saddle and the cyclist is loosely secured to the bicycle; Fig. 2 is similar to Fig. 1 except that thrust applied to the pedals is now sufficient to lift the cvclist off the saddle and the cyclist is tightly 3 secured to the bicycle so that more thrust is delivered to the pedals; Fig. 3 shows one form of a fastening mounted on the crossbar of a bicycle; Fig. 4 shows an anchoring member forming part of t-he fastening in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of an anchorage housing and an anchorage member forming parts of the fastening in Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is an exploded view of an anchorage housing and an anchorage member of another form of fastening for mounting on the crossbar of a bicycle; Fig. 7 shows a modified form of anchorage member for use with the anchorage housing in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 shows an anchoring member for use with either anchorage member in Figs. 6 and 7; Fig. 9 shows another form of a fastening mounted on the crossbar of a bicycle and has some simi'Larities with the embodiment shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5; Fig. 10 is a vertical isometric sectional view of the fastening in Fig. 9; Fig. 11 shows a further form of a fastening mounted on the crossbar of a bicycle in a similar rnanner +Co the fastening shown in Fig. 9; and Fig. 12 is a vertical sectional view of the fastening in Fig. 11.

Referring to Fig. 1, a cyclist 1 is shown riding a bicycle 2 in a normal cruising position resting on the saddle 3. In this position the cyclist is loosely 4 connected to the bicycle either by a flexible connection 4 extending between a harness worn about the chest of the cyclist and a fastening 5 on the crossbar 6 or bv a flexible connection 4a extending between a belt worn about the waist of the cyclist and a fastening 5a on the rear fork 7 under the saddle. Fig. 2 is similar to Fig. 1 but shows the cyclist 1 lifted off the saddle 3 applying thrust to the pedals 8 against tension in the tightened flexible connection 4 or 4a.

In Figs. 3, 4 and 5 one form of fastening 5 comprises a cylindrical anchorage housing 9 secured alongside the crossbar 6 by straps 10 received in circumferential recesses 11. A longitudinal recess 12 Js provided along one side of the housing 9 for locating with the crossbar 6. An axial bore 13 in the housing 9 slidably receives an anchorage member in the form of a piston 14 having a circumferential relief in an intermediate portion. The relief comprises a shoulder 15, a waist portion 16, and a portion 17 tapering to the waist portion from the full diameter of the piston. The bore 13 also houses a coiled compression spring 18 which is constrained between a sli-loull-A-'er 1-9 at cne end of hore, and one end of the niston 14. one end of a core 20 of a Bowden cable is secured within a bore in the niston 14 and extends through the spring 18 and a sheath 21 of the Bowden cable to a hand lever 22 on the handlebar 23 of the bicycle. The bore 13 is intersected by an off-centre cross-bore 24 positioned to occupy the space between the shoulder 15 and one side of the waist portion 16 when the piston 14 is in the relaxed end position shown in Fig. 5 determined by adjustment of the sheath. The cross-bore 24 is intended slidably to receive an anchoring member in the form of a locating pin 25 having a number of narrowed portions 26 spaced apart along its length and a loop 27 for securing to the flexible connection 4 in the form of a strap. When the hand lever 22 is relaxed the shoulder 15 lightly contacts the pin 25 but then the hand lever 22 is squeezed the tension in the Bowden cable core 20 moves the tapered portion 17 of the piston 14 across the bore 24 so as to jam into a selected one of the narrowed portions 26 of the pin 25 and thus prevent withdrawal of the pin from the bore 24.

In Fig. 6 another form of fastening 5 comprises a box-shaped anchorage housing composed of a channelshaped base portion 28 having four screwthreaded bores 29, two in each upstanding wall 30, and a plain bore 31 in one of the walls 30. The housing also comprises a plate 32 having holes 33 to align with the bores 29, a hole 34 to align with the bore 31 and two -'further locat-ing holes 35. The housing is completed by a cover portion 36 having holes 37 to align with the holes 33 and bores 29, and a hole 38 to align with the hole 34 and the bore 31. The cover portion is recessed at 39 where an anchorage member, in the form of two levers 40 and 41, is pivotally mounted on pegs 6 42 which are nroud of the cover portion 36 so as to be received in the holes 35 when the parts 28, 32 and 36 are assembled together by inserting screws into the holes 37 and 33 and the bores 29 and, in so doing, tightened about the crossbar 6. The core 20 of the Bowden cable is attached to the lever 41 through the spring 18 constrained between the levers 40 and 41 and h e _ sheath 21 of the Bowden cable is attached to the lever 40. Both levers 40 and 41 have mutually facing cut-cuts 43 which, by adjustment of the sheath 21, loosely contact the pin 25 when the hand lever 22 is released. However, the cut-outs 43 can close together across the aligned holes 38 and 34 and bore 31 and Lnus act on a selected narrowed portion 26 of the pin 25 inserted into the aligned holes and bore to prevent withdrawal of the pin on squeezing the hand lever 22. in Fia. 7 is shown a modification to the arrangement shown in Fig. 6 in that in the recess 39 of the cover portion 36 the anchorage member is in the form of a single lever 44 having an elongate hole 45 which can move across the aligned holes 38 and 34 and bore 31 from an adjusted relaxed position where the pin 25 is lightly contacted and so as to act on a selected narrowed portion 26 of the pin 25. In this modification the core 21 of the Bowden cable is attached to the lever 44 while the sheath of the Bowden cable is attached directly to the cover portion 36.

-,7 In Fia. 8 is shown a modification of the pin 25 shown in Fig. 4 and which -,'-s designed particularly for use with the arrangement of Figs. 6 and 7 in that the edges of the cut-outs 43 in the levers 40 and 41 and the edges of the hole 45 in the lever 44 can positively engage in a selected one of a number of right-angled annular recesses 46 spaced along the length of the shank 47 of the pin.

In Figs. 9 and 10 yet another form of fastening 5 comprises a solid barshaped anchorage housing 48 having two parallel bores 49 and 50 extending lengthwise of the housing. one bore 49 extends from the upper end of the housing 48, as shown in Fig. 10, to a shoulder 51 from which extend to the lower end of the housing a narrower screw- threaded bore 52. The other bore 50 extends from the upper end of the housing 48 to a point short of the lower end. A cross-bore 53 extends from one side edge of the housing 48, across the bore 49 and opens into the bore 50. The start of the bore 53 between the side edge of the housing and the bore 49 is screw- threaded and removably receives a grub screw 54.

The bore 49 and shoulder 51 are the respective eauvalen+L--s of the bore 13 and shoulder 19 in Fia. 5. The identical piston 14 having the same parts 15, 16 and 17, and the same arrangement of coiled compression spring 18, Bowden cable core 20 and sheath 21, as shown in Fig. 5, are used in Fig. 10. Here the similarity ends as the locating pin 25 having the 8 narrowed portions 26 and the loop 27, as shown separately in Fig. 4, is inserted into the parallel bore 50 in Fia. 10, rather than the cross-bore 24 in Fig. 5, and the interaction between the piston 14 and t-he pin 25 is effected by the provision of a ball 55 inserted into the cross-bore 53 and lving between the piston 14 and the pin 25. Thus, when the hand lever 22 is squeezed the tension in the Bowden cable core 20 moves the tapered portion 17 of piston 14 downwards so as to force the ball 55 into a selected one of the narrowed portions 26 of the pin 25 and thus prevent withdrawal of the pin from the bore 50.

in Fig. 9 the anchorage housing 48 is shown slung on the crossbar 6 by means of a strap 56 having its ends secured to the housing by means of a pin 57 inserted in a bore 58 (Fig. 10). Another strap forms the connection 4.

The form of fastening 5 shown in Figs. 11 and 12 resembles that in Figs. 9 and 10 to some extent in that the relative positioning of the Bowden cable core 20 and sheath 21 and the spring 18 on one hand and the pin 25 on the other hand, is the same. However, the bar-shaped anchorage housing 48 differs insofar as the bores 49 and 53 in Fig. 10 are replaced by a shaped recess 58 accessible by means of a removable cover iDlate 59. The recess 58 has one portion 60 accommodating the spring 18 and another portion 61 accommodating pivotal movement of an anchoring member in the form of a lever plate 62. The recess portion 9 61 extends across the bore 50 and the lever plate 62 has an opening 63 through which the pin 25 extends. The beaded end of the core 20 is received in a slot 64 at the free end of the lever plate 25 and the spring 18 is constrained between the lever plate and one end of the recess portion 60. Another bore 65 extends from one side edge of the housing 48 to the other and across the bore 50. Each end of the cross- bore 65 is screw-threaded and removably receives a grub screw 66. Between each grub screw 66 and the pin 25 is a ball 67 engaging the pin 25 and a small compression spring 68 constrained between the grub screw 66 and the ball 67. The crossbar 6, the strap 56 and the strap forming the connection 4, as shown in Fig. 9, are also shown in Fig. 11.

An advantage with the form of fastening in Figs. 11 and 12 is that the user can feel a releasable detent action as the pin 25 is inserted into the bore 50 and the sprung balls 67 engage with a selected one of the narrowed portions 26 of the pin 25. When the hand lever 22 is squeezed the lever plate 62 tilts with respect to the pin 25 so that the opening 63 goes into a jamming relationship with the next narrowed portion 26 of the pin and thus prevents withdrawal of the pin from the bore 50.

Once the hand lever 22 is relaxed the pin 25 remains located in the anchorage housing until it is either withdrawn by hand or by the rider leaving the bicycle. Instead of being attached to a bicycle the - 0 anchorage housing may be incorporated into the frame during manufacture.

11

Claims

1. A svstem for releasably securing a person to a vehicle or craft, the system comprising a fastening which itself comprises an anchoring member adapted to be secured to the person, an anchorage housing mounted or adapted to be mounted at a convenient location on the vehicle or craft, and an anchorage member movably mounted within the anchorage housing for releasably holding the anchoring member within the anchorage housing and an actuating means mounted or adapted to be mounted at another convenient location on the vehicle or craft, the actuating means being such as to require physical effort to be applied to it by the person in order for the anchorage member to hold the anchoring member securely within the anchorage housing and to release the anchoring member for removal from the anchorage housing when no physical effort applied to the actuating means.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the anchoring member is in the form of a locating pin which can be inserted into an opening in the anchorage housing and retained in the opening against a minimum withdrawal force when no physical effort is applied to the actuating member, but locked against a withdrawal force, by the anchorage member when physical effort is applied to the actuating member.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein the locating pin has a number of narrowed portions spaced is apart along its length so that the pin can be locked against a withdrawal force by engagement of the anchorage member with a selected one of the narrowed portions.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the anchorage member comprises a piston slidably received in the anchoraae housing for movement relative to the pin, the pin having a tapered portion for taking part in locking the iDin against a withdrawal force.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein the pin and the piston are respectively received in intersecting but offset bores in the housing so that the tapered portion can jam into a selected one of the narrowed Dortions.

6. A system according to claim 4, wherein the pin and the piston are respectiveIy received in parallel bores in the housing, a cross-bore interconnects the parallel bores and houses a ball which is engageable by the tapered portion to jam the ball into a selected one of the narrowed portions.

7. A system according to claim 3, wherein the anchorage member comprises a lever arrangement pivotally mounted in the housing for movement relative to the)in and -Dresenting edge means for jamming engagement with a selected one of the narrowed portions.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein means are provided in the housing for releasable detent action with another narrowed portJon of the pin.

13 10. A system substantially to Fig. 6 of

9. A system for releasably securing a person to a vehicle or craft, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings. according to claim 9, but modified as hereinbefore described with reference the accompanying drawings. 11. A system according to claim 10, but modified substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 7 of the accompany drawings. 12. A system according to claim 10 or 11, but modified substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 8 of the accompanying drawings. 13. A system according to claim 9, but modified substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 9 and 14. A svstem of the accompanying drawings. according to claim 13, but modified substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 11 and 12 of the accompanying drawings.