Patent ID: 6862948
Filing Date: 2005-03-08
Classification: B62K,B62M,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A shift lever for a bicycle, comprising: a housing including a clamp head for mounting the housing on a handlebar of the bicycle and a cavity therein; a pulley/gear rotatably mounted in said cavity of said housing, said pulley/gear having a first set of teeth, a second set of teeth in spaced relation to said first set of teeth; and a recess between said first and second set of teeth for securing a biased cable; a first rotatable pawl element for engaging the first set of teeth, the first pawl element being mounted to the housing; a first spring for biasing the first pawl element into engagement with the first set of teeth; a main lever mounted to said housing for rotation relative to said housing and said pulley/gear, the main lever having a thumb engaging end adapted to be engaged by a thumb of a person to effect said rotation; a second pawl element rotatably mounted at a first pivot axis for engaging the second set of teeth, the second pawl element being mounted to the main lever and being engageable by the first pawl element; a second spring for biasing the second pawl element; a slider slidably mounted on said main lever, said slider including a slider post for engagement with said first pawl element in a biased position; and a side lever pivotally mounted to said main lever for moving said slider to said biased position; whereupon for a shifting operation in a first direction, the main lever is rotated from a neutral position, whereupon the second pawl element moves away from the first pawl element and the second spring biases the second pawl element into engagement with the second set of teeth, whereby the pulley/gear rotates in a first direction with the main lever to pull the cable into the housing; and for a shifting operation in a second opposite direction, the side lever is actuated so as to move the slider to the biased position, causing the slider post to lock the main lever to the housing and to rotate the first pawl element out of engagement with the first set of teeth to permit the cable to be pulled out of the housing by the derailleur for a predetermined extent and thereby rotate the pulley/gear in a second, opposite direction, until the first pawl element releases the second pawl element, whereby the second spring biases the second pawl element into engagement with the second set of teeth to prevent further rotation of the pulley/gear.