JP2000302074A - Frame for bicycle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the damage of a cable arranged along a pipe member and its corrosion by water by forming a groove for storing the cable together with a pipe part by a cable hold part and engaging a member for blocking an opening part with an opening part of the groove. SOLUTION: A down tube 14 is formed by extrusion using aluminum alloy as a material, and a pipe part 26 having circular cross section continuous in the peripheral direction and a cable hold part 27 extending along the direction of axial line of the pipe part 26 are integrally formed. The cable hold part 27 forms a groove together with the pipe part 26 to engage a cap 28 made of an elastic body with the opening part of the groove detachably. The cable hold part 27 is formed in a series continuously from a front end to a rear end of the pipe part 26 in a section opposing to a road surface in the down tube 14 (a lower side of the down tube 14).

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bicycle frame in which cables such as wiring of electrical components and brake wires are routed along a pipe member.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to route electrical components and brake cables along a bicycle frame, a plurality of binding members are provided on an outer peripheral portion of a pipe member of the frame, and the cables are connected by the binding members. Is held.

[0003]

However, when the cable is routed along the outer periphery of the pipe member as described above, the appearance is impaired because the cable is exposed,
In addition, there is a problem that not only is it easily damaged, but also it is easily corroded by splashing water.

[0004] Such a problem is solved by adopting a structure in which a cable is inserted into a pipe member, or by using a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 8-24.
This problem can be solved by adopting a structure in which the cable is covered with a vehicle body cover as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4664.

[0005] However, if a structure is adopted in which a cable is inserted into the inside of the pipe member, drilling for forming a cable insertion through hole in the pipe member, cable insertion work through the small through hole, and the like are performed. And the number of man-hours increases, resulting in an increase in cost. Further, even when a structure is adopted in which the cable is covered by the body cover together with the pipe member, the number of parts is increased by the amount of the body cover and the cost is increased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and it is possible to prevent a cable routed along a pipe member from being damaged or corroded by water while reducing costs. It is intended to provide a frame for use.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, a bicycle frame according to the present invention comprises a pipe member for laying a cable, a pipe section having a sectional shape continuous in a circumferential direction, and an axial line of the pipe section. The cable holding portion is formed integrally with the cable holding portion extending in the direction by extrusion, and the cable holding portion forms a groove for accommodating the cable together with the pipe portion, and an opening for closing the opening is formed in an opening portion of the groove. The members are engaged.

According to the present invention, the cable can be held in the cable holding portion by housing the cable in the cable holding portion and engaging the member for closing the opening with the cable holding portion.

A bicycle frame according to a second aspect of the present invention is the bicycle frame according to the first aspect,
The cable holding portion is formed below the pipe portion, and the member for closing the opening is configured to close the cable holding portion over the entire area in the longitudinal direction.

According to the present invention, the cable can be stored in the cable holding portion with the frame turned upside down. Further, the cable can be held by one opening closing member. Further, the intrusion of dust and water into the cable holding portion can be blocked by the opening closing member.

A bicycle frame according to a third aspect of the present invention is the bicycle frame according to the second aspect,
A member for closing the opening is formed of an elastic body, and a cable holding piece facing the inside of the cable holding portion is integrally formed inside the member for closing the opening.

According to the present invention, the cable in the cable holding portion can be supported by the cable holding piece made of an elastic body.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bicycle frame according to the second aspect.
The member for closing the opening is a cable. According to the present invention, a member exclusively for closing the opening of the cable holding portion is not required.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First Embodiment Hereinafter, an embodiment of a bicycle frame according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. Here, a description will be given of a form adopted when the bicycle frame according to the present invention is applied to an electric assist bicycle.

FIG. 1 is a side view of an electric assisted bicycle employing a frame according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a view showing a main part, FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a front end of a down tube, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a down tube.

In these figures, the reference numeral 1 denotes an electric assisted bicycle according to this embodiment. In this electric assist bicycle 1, a motor 4 is mounted on a hub 3 of a front wheel 2, and the power of the motor 4 is increased or decreased so as to correspond to a force for depressing a pedal 5, that is, a level of human power for driving a rear wheel 6. It has a configuration.

The front wheel 2 has a structure in which a rim 2a is connected to the hub 3 via spokes (not shown) to fix the axle 2b to a front fork 7 and rotatably support the hub 3 on the axle 2b. Let me. The motor 4 built in the hub 3 has a structure for driving a rotating part of the hub 3.

The front fork 7 constitutes a part of the frame 8 of the electric assist bicycle 1 and has a head pipe 9
The steering wheel 11 is fixed via a handle stem 10 at the upper end. This handle 11
, An operation switch 12 of an electric drive system having the motor 4 is attached. Further, a head lamp 13 that is turned on using a battery 24 described later as a power supply is attached to a pipe member 7a on the right side of the vehicle body of the front fork 7.

The entire frame 8 including the front fork 7 is formed of a pipe material. More specifically, the frame 8 includes the front fork 7 and the head pipe 9, a down tube 14 extending rearward from the head pipe 9, a seat tube 15 extending upward from the rear end of the down tube 14, The chain stay 16 includes a chain stay 16 extending substantially horizontally rearward from the rear end of the down tube 14, and a seat stay 17 connecting the rear end of the chain stay 16 and an upper portion of the seat tube 15.

A hanger pipe (not shown) is welded to the rear end of the down tube 14, and a pedal crankshaft 18 is rotatably supported on the hanger pipe. The pedal crankshaft 18 has the pedals 5 mounted on both ends thereof through cranks 19 in the same manner as a conventionally known bicycle, and a chain sprocket (not shown) for driving rear wheels is fixed to the right side of the vehicle body. This chain sprocket is a chain 2
The freewheel 21 of the rear wheel 6 is connected to the freewheel 21 via the reference numeral 0.

On the left side of the vehicle body at the axial center of the rear wheel 6, a rear wheel brake 22 having a conventionally known structure is provided. The hub 6a of the rear wheel 6 is provided with an internal transmission (not shown). This transmission employs a conventionally well-known structure in which a shift is operated by operating a shift operation element (not shown) provided on the handle 12 side.

A saddle 23 is fixed to the upper end of the seat tube 15 via a seat post 15a. An electric drive system and a headlamp 13 are provided on the rear side of the seat tube 15 and above the hanger pipe. A battery 24 for supplying power is mounted. Although not shown, a sensor for detecting human power and a controller for controlling the motor 4 are arranged near the hanger pipe.

The battery 24 and the controller among the members of the electric drive system located near the hanger pipe are:
Wiring 25 extending along the down tube 14 (FIG. 1)
) Is connected to the motor 4 of the front wheel 2 and the operation switch 12 of the handle 11. Here, the structure of the down tube 14 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

The down tube 14 is formed by extrusion using an aluminum alloy as a material. As shown in FIG. 2, a pipe section 26 having a circular cross section continuous in the circumferential direction and extending along the axial direction of the pipe section 26. The cable holding portion 27 is formed integrally. In this embodiment,
The down tube 14 constitutes a pipe member according to the present invention.

The cable holding portion 27 forms a concave groove together with the pipe portion 26, and an elastic cap 28 is detachably engaged with the opening of the concave groove. In this embodiment, a cable holding portion 27 is formed continuously from the front end to the rear end of the pipe portion 26 at a portion of the down tube 14 facing the road surface (under the down tube 14) without interruption.

In the cable holding portion 27, the wiring 25 of the electric drive system and the wire 29 of the rear wheel brake 22 are provided.
And a wire 30 for operating the transmission in the rear wheel hub
And a wiring 31 for connecting the headlamp 13 to the battery 24. Although illustration is omitted for the front wheel brake and the wire for the front wheel brake, a wire having the same structure as a conventionally known bicycle front wheel brake is mounted.

The front end and the rear end of the down tube 14 extend around the pipe portion 26 over the entire circumference of the head pipe 9,
Only the cable holding portion 27 is removed by cutting so as to be welded to the hanger pipe. With this structure, a space is formed between both ends of the cable holding portion 27 in the front-rear direction and the tip of the pipe member. In this embodiment, the wirings 25 and 31 and the wires 29 and 30 are led out from this space, and it is not necessary to provide an opening for leading out these cables.

As shown in FIG. 2 (b), the cap 28 has an arc-shaped cross section, and has a structure in which the cable holding portion 27 is closed over the entire area in the longitudinal direction. The cap 28 constitutes a member for closing the opening according to the present invention.

To fix the cap 28, a holding groove 27a is formed in the opening of the cable holding portion 27 so as to extend over the entire area in the longitudinal direction, and both ends of the cap 28 are engaged with the holding groove 27a. Has gone by. That is, the cap 28 is held so as not to be detached from the cable holding portion 27 by its own elasticity.
By attaching the cap 28 to the cable holding portion 27 in this manner, the wirings 25 and 31 and the wires 29 and 3
0 can be held so as not to fall off the down tube 14.

Of the wires 25 led out from the front end of the cable holding portion 27 to the vicinity of the head pipe 9, those connected to the operation switch 12 are wired upward through the sides of the head pipe 9. The connection to the motor 4 and the headlamp wiring 31 are inserted through the inside of the pipe member 7a on the right side of the vehicle body of the front fork 7, or the motor side, along the pipe member 7a,
Wired to the headlamp side.

In order to hold the wiring 25 and the wire 29 of the rear wheel brake on the bicycle frame 8 constructed as described above, the frame 8 is turned upside down. That is, first, the frame 8 is moved so that the cable holding portion 27 of the down tube 14 is opened upward.
And the wires 25 and the wires 29 are inserted into the cable holding portion 27 from above and accommodated therein.

Thereafter, the cap 28 is connected to the cable holding portion 2.
7 from above. By attaching the cap 28 in this manner, the wiring 25 and the wire 29 are held by the down tube 14.

Therefore, this bicycle frame 8 is
A tying member for holding the wirings 25 and 31 and the wires 29 and 30 (hereinafter, simply referred to as a cable) is attached, a through hole for inserting the cable is formed in the down tube 14, Since the cable can be held in the down tube 14 without inserting the cable into the down tube 14 from the small through hole, the wiring operation is simple and the number of steps in the wiring process can be reduced.

Further, since the cable can be stored in the cable holding portion 27 and the cable does not protrude from the down tube 14, the cable is hardly damaged. Further, since the cable is not stored in the cable holding portion 27 and does not appear on the exterior of the vehicle body, a cover for covering and hiding the cable is not required.

Further, since the cable is held by one cap 28, the wiring operation is further simplified, and the cap 28 is
And become less noticeable. In addition, cap 2
Since the cable 8 is formed of an elastic body and is engaged with the entire area of the opening of the cable holding section 27, it is possible to prevent dust and water from entering the cable holding section 27 with the cap 28. Therefore, the cable is hardly corroded.

In this embodiment, a structure is adopted in which one cap 28 covers the entire area of the cable holding section 27. However, the cap 28 is formed in a plurality of parts and is formed in the longitudinal direction of the cable holding section 27. It may be mounted at intervals. Further, the pipe member 7a on the right side of the vehicle body of the front fork 7 may have the same structure as the down tube 14. When this structure is adopted, the pipe member 7
a is extruded so as to have a pipe portion on the front side of the vehicle body and a cable holding portion on the rear side, and a cap is engaged with the cable holding portion in a state in which wiring for the motor is accommodated.

Second Embodiment A cap 28 can be formed as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are views showing another embodiment of the bicycle frame according to the present invention. FIG. 3 (a) is a perspective view showing a down tube cut away, and FIG. 3 (b) and FIG. It is sectional drawing of a tube. In these drawings, the same or equivalent members as those described in FIGS. 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description is omitted.

In the down tube 14 shown in FIG. 3, the cable holding portion 27 is formed so that the lower portion of the pipe portion 26 is partially depressed inward, so that the outer shape becomes elliptical. The cap 28 to be engaged with the cable holding portion 27 is made of rubber and integrally forms a cable holding piece 32 facing the inside of the cable holding portion 27.

By providing the cable holding piece 32 on the cap 28 in this manner, the cables (the wirings 25 and 31 and the rear wheel brake wires 2) in the cable holding portion 27 are provided.
9. The transmission wire 30) can be supported by the cable holding piece 32. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the cable from vibrating in the cable holding portion 27 and to attenuate the vibration even if the cable vibrates. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the covering material of the cable from being damaged by the friction with the down tube 14 due to the vibration, and to prevent the cable from vibrating and generating noise.

The down tube 14 shown in FIG. 4 is formed so that a wall 33 separating the pipe section 26 and the cable holding section 27 is flat, and the outer shape is elliptical. The cap 28 is formed to have an H-shaped cross section, and the inside portion 34 facing the pipe portion 26 faces the inside of the cable holding portion 27 over the entire area. The inner part 34 is a third aspect.
The cable holding piece according to the invention described in (1) is constituted.
Even when the configuration shown in FIG. 4 is employed, the same effect as when the configuration shown in FIG. 3 is adopted can be obtained.

Third Embodiment The cap 28 can be constituted by wiring 25 as shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the bicycle frame according to the invention described in claim 4. In this figure, the same or equivalent members as those described in FIGS. 1 to 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description is omitted.

The down tube 14 shown in FIG. 5 has a structure in which the wiring 25 is held between the openings of the cable holding portion 27. More specifically, the distal end surfaces 35 facing each other are formed in the cable holding portion 27 in a V-shaped cross section, and the wiring 25 is engaged between the inner side surfaces 33, 33. The wire 2 of the rear wheel brake 22 is provided in the cable holding portion 27.
9, transmission wire 30 and headlamp wiring 31
Is stored.

By adopting this structure, a member (a cap 28 in the first and second embodiments) for exclusively closing the opening of the cable holding portion 27 becomes unnecessary, so that the number of parts can be reduced. Cost can be reduced.

The cable for closing the opening of the cable holding portion 27 is a wire 29 of the rear wheel brake 22.
Alternatively, another cable such as the transmission wire 30 may be used.
When these relatively thin cables are used, the outer diameter of the wiring 25 is also reduced because the opening width is reduced.

In each of the first to third embodiments described above, the example in which the present invention is applied to the electric assist bicycle 1 has been described. However, the frame according to the present invention is applicable to a bicycle that runs only by human power. Can also be applied.

[0046]

As described above, according to the present invention, the cable is held in the cable holding portion by housing the cable in the cable holding portion and engaging the member for closing the opening with the cable holding portion. Therefore, the wiring work of the cable is simple, the man-hour in the wiring process can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced. Further, since the cable can be stored in the cable holding portion and the cable does not protrude from the pipe member, the cable is hardly damaged. Further, since the cable is hidden by the cable holding portion and hardly appears on the appearance of the vehicle body, a cover for covering and hiding the cable is not required, and a bicycle frame excellent in design can be provided.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the cable can be stored in the cable holding portion with the frame turned upside down, and the cable can be held by one opening closing member. it can.

Therefore, the wiring work is further simplified, and the member for closing the opening is made inconsistent with the pipe member. Further, since the cable can be covered and protected by the pipe member and the member for closing the opening, the cable is harder to be damaged. Furthermore, since the intrusion of dust and water into the cable holding portion can be blocked by the opening closing member, the cable is hardly corroded.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the cable in the cable holding section can be supported by the cable holding piece made of an elastic material. The vibration can be attenuated even if it is performed. Therefore, it is possible to provide a bicycle frame that can prevent the covering material of the cable from rubbing against the pipe member due to the vibration and not generating noise due to the vibration of the cable.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since a member for exclusively closing the opening of the cable holding portion is not required, the number of parts can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of an electric assisted bicycle employing a frame according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a main part.

FIG. 3 is a view showing another embodiment of the bicycle frame according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a view showing another embodiment of the bicycle frame according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing one embodiment of the bicycle frame according to the invention described in claim 4;

[Explanation of symbols]

1: electric assisted bicycle, 14: down tube, 25, 3
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Wiring, 26 ... Pipe part, 27 ... Cable holding part, 2
8: Cap, 29, 30 ... Wire, 32 ... Cable holding piece.

Claims (4)

[Claims] A pipe member for wiring a cable has a structure in which a pipe portion having a cross-sectional shape continuous in a circumferential direction and a cable holding portion extending along an axial direction of the pipe portion are integrally formed by extrusion. A bicycle frame, wherein the cable holding portion forms a groove for accommodating a cable together with the pipe portion, and a member for closing the opening is engaged with an opening of the groove. 2. The bicycle frame according to claim 1, wherein the cable holding portion is formed below the pipe portion, and the member for closing the opening is structured to close the cable holding portion over the entire area in the longitudinal direction. A bicycle frame, characterized in that: 3. The bicycle frame according to claim 2, wherein the member for closing the opening is formed of an elastic body, and a cable holding piece facing the inside of the cable holding portion is integrally formed inside the member for closing the opening. A bicycle frame characterized by being formed. 4. The bicycle frame according to claim 2, wherein the member for closing the opening is a cable.