Abstract:
A shock absorbing handlebar brace attached between handlebar sides. The shock absorbing handlebar brace includes a telescoping center section with a compressible rubber insert to allow the brace to slightly extend upon impacts to reduce rider fatigue.

Description:
[0001]    The present application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/624,829 filed Apr. 16, 2012, which application is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to handle bars and in particular to a brace for strengthening handlebars. 
         [0003]    Off road motorcycle and bicycle racing is widely popular. In the course of traveling over dirt roads and paths, riders often exert significant force on their handlebars. When jumps are encountered, even greater force may be exerted on the handlebars when the rider lands. These forces can easily bend and ruin the handlebars. 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,499 discloses an inverted “U” shaped brace attached to opposite sides of the handlebars. While the brace of the &#39;499 patent strengthens the handlebars, it also produces a sharp and unpleasant force upon landing following jumps which may result in rider fatigue and/or breakage of the handlebar portions of the handlebars outside the connection to the crossbar. A solid crossbar limiting flexing of the handlebars thereby causing the rider to absorb more of the force exerted upon landing, resulting in rider fatigue. By limiting the amount of flex in the handlebar, more force is applied to the outer section of the bar (grip area) during a landing which can cause the handlebars to break resulting in injury to the rider. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a shock absorbing handlebar brace which is attached between handlebar sides. The shock absorbing handlebar brace includes a telescoping center section with a compressible rubber insert to allow the brace to slightly extend upon impacts to reduce rider fatigue. 
         [0006]    In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a shock absorbing handlebar brace. The handlebar brace includes a left side, a right side, and a coupling connecting the left side to the right side. The left side includes a left mounting ear at a left end and a male threaded right end. The right side includes a right mounting ear at a right end, a smoothed reduced diameter left end, and a female threaded passage in the left end. The coupling includes a female threaded left end threadably cooperating with the male threaded right end of the left side, a concave cylindrical mouth at a coupling right end, and a mostly solid portion to the right of center having a fastener passage therethrough, the fastener passage coaxial with the coupling. A rubber tube resides inside the coupling to the left of the mostly solid portion. A threaded fastener runs through the rubber tube and the mostly solid portion and threads into the female threaded left end of the right side. A washer resides between a head of the threaded fastener and the rubber tube. 
         [0007]    In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a shock absorbing handlebar brace. The shock absorbing handlebar brace allows the bars to go through a controlled flex within a set range and absorb initial impact shock without allowing the bar to flex beyond the point where the bar will bend and have a change in permanent set. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0008]    The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  shows a shock absorbing handlebar brace according to the present invention attached to handlebars. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  shows a front view of the shock absorbing handlebar brace according to the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  shows an enlarged front view of the shock absorbing handlebar brace according to the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of the shock absorbing handlebar brace according to the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  shows a cross-sectional view of the shock absorbing handlebar brace according to the present invention taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  shows an exploded perspective view of the shock absorbing handlebar brace according to the present invention 
       
    
    
       [0015]    Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0016]    The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims. 
         [0017]    A shock absorbing handlebar brace  10  according to the present invention attached to handlebars  12  is shown in  FIG. 1  and a front view of the shock absorbing handlebar brace  10  is shown in  FIG. 2 . The handlebar brace  10  includes mounting ears  18  for attachment to rising portions  11  of the handlebars  12 . The mounting ears  18  may be attached to the handlebars  12  by, for example, ring clamps  14  including rubber insulation  16 . The rubber insulation  16  may be provided in various thicknesses to adapt the shock absorbing handlebar brace  10  to handlebars  12  of varied diameters and contours (bends). In one embodiment, the brace has a diameter D of preferably about 12 mm and the ears  18  are a length L 1 , of preferably about 265 millimeters, apart. 
         [0018]    The brace  10  includes a coupling  24  about centered on the brace  24 . The coupling has a length L 4  of preferably about 60 mm and has lands  23  for fitting a wrench, the lands  23  having a length L 6  of preferably about 7 mm and spaced a length L 5  of preferably about 40 mm from an end of the coupling  24 . The coupling  24  is further spaced from a left ear  18  by a length L 2  and spaced from a right ear by a length L 3 , the lengths L 2  and L 3  preferably about 102.5 mm. 
         [0019]    An enlarged front view of the shock absorbing handlebar brace  10  is shown in  FIG. 3  and a perspective view of the shock absorbing handlebar brace  10  is shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0020]    A cross-sectional view of the shock absorbing handlebar brace  10  taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 3  is shown in  FIG. 5  and an exploded perspective view of the shock absorbing handlebar brace  10  is shown in  FIG. 6 . The shock absorbing handlebar brace  10  includes a left side  22 , a right side  20 , and the coupling  24  connecting the left side to the right side. The left side  22  includes the left mounting ear  18  at a left end and a male threaded right end  22   a.  The right side  20  includes a right mounting ear  18  at a right end, a smoothed reduced diameter left end  20   a,  and a female threaded passage  21  in the left end. The coupling  24  includes a female threaded left end  24   a  threadably cooperating with the male threaded right end  22   a  of the left side  22 , a concave cylindrical mouth  24   b  at a coupling right end, and a mostly solid portion  24   c  to the right of center having a fastener passage  25  therethrough coaxial with the coupling  24 . A compressible member  26  residing inside the coupling  24  to the left of the mostly solid portion  24   c,  the compressible member  26  preferably a rubber tube. A threaded fastener  28  runs through the rubber tube  26  and the mostly solid portion  24   c  and threadedly into the female threaded passage  21  in the right side  20 . A washer  30  resides between a head  28   a  of the threaded fastener  28  and the rubber tube  24 . The coupling  24  has a length L of preferably approximately 60 millimeters. 
         [0021]    While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.