Abstract:
A handlebar device which engages the inside of a handlebar and has an enlarged end with a perimeter that is greater than the handlebar grip so that the user can push against the device with the side of their hand or pull on the device by grabbing onto the enlarged end. The device is anchored inside the handlebar by a cam system and a threaded fastener. The device can have an illumination element therein for providing additional lighting for the vehicle.

Description:
The application is a C-I-P of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/800,921 filed on Feb. 13, 1997, now abandoned the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to handlebar grips and extensions, and more particularly to grips and extensions with a light therein and grips and extensions for use on vehicles that employ maximum rider input (i.e., use the rider&#39;s weight) when changing the direction of the vehicle. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The use of personal outdoor vehicles, for example, snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, and personal watercraft, has grown in popularity as these vehicles have become faster, more responsive, more reliable, and more versatile. Because of the increased speed, reliability, and responsiveness of these vehicles, the rider must have control of the vehicle at all times, particularly at high rates of speed and when the rider is attempting to make tight turns or travel over uneven or sloped terrain. Maneuvering of these vehicles requires the rider to exert substantial force on the ends of the handlebars. For example, a snowmobile rider “bending” the snowmobile in deep powder may shift all of his/her weight to the inside of the turn and pull with both arms on the handlebar grips. In another example, a snowmobile rider turning left in deep powdery snow pulls on the left handlebar grip toward his chest and pushes on the right handlebar grip. The rider primarily pulls instead of pushes because of the risk of the rider&#39;s hand slipping off of the right handlebar grip because there is no stop on the end of the handlebar grip. The use of primarily only one arm during these high force turns causes considerable rider fatigue. 
     The increased speed and ever increasing numbers of personal vehicles in use is generating a need for greater visibility of these vehicles at farther distances away. In addition, these vehicles are commonly ridden at night because of their reliability. 
     Handlebar grips for helping the rider maintain a grip on the handlebar are well known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,519 shows a handlebar grip having a covering of flexible needles on a cylindrical tubular handgrip body which is slid over the free end of a handlebar and held in place by a stopper and screw anchor which engages the inside of the handlebar. U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,202 describes a motorcycle handlebar safety grip which fits axially onto a handlebar and has an elongated, hollow, main grip body with a stopper on the far end of the grip. U.S. Design Pat. Nos. 323,280 and 314,700 both show hollow handlebar grips which fit over a handlebar. 
     Devices for improving bicycle safety are also well-known. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,623,954, 4,656,564, 4,716,502, 4,875,142 and 5,247,431 show lights designed to fit into the hollow ends of the bicycle handlebars. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,169 shows a running light assembly integrated with the end of a motorcycle handlebar and hand grip. The assembly includes a tubular grip sized to fit over a tubular end portion of the motor cycle handlebar and a light bulb carried within the handlebar. 
     Handlebar devices which extend beyond the end of the handlebar and project generally perpendicular to the handlebar have been used to allow riders a better surface to pull against (see U.S. Pat. No. Des. 376,124). 
     Despite the usefulness of each of these devices for their intended purposes, there is a need for a handlebar device for use on outdoor personal vehicles which improves riding performance and vehicle safety. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a device which engages the inside of a handlebar. The present invention anchors to the inside of the handlebar such that the invention can be used with an existing handlebar grip (and heater, if present). However, the device can also be integrally formed with its own grip. The enlarged end of the device has a perimeter greater than the handlebar grip, the rider can push against the device with the side of their hand such as during cornering, or grasp the device, such as during side-hilling (i.e., travelling across a sloping surface) without the rider&#39;s hand slipping off the end of the grip and with less fatigue. The enlarged end does not interfere with the rider&#39;s safety as the device does not have any long external projections that may contact the rider, windscreen, throttle, or brake lever. 
     In one aspect of the present invention, the device has an illumination element therewith to provide additional lighting to the vehicle for greater safety for the rider. The illumination element located on the ends of the handlebars can be seen from many directions with respect to the vehicle. In addition, the illumination element is relatively high on the vehicle so as to be seen from greater distance and is less likely to be obstructed by dust, dirt, mud, or snow. The illumination element can be wired to the brake light and turn signal system so as to provide redundancy to that system. 
     In another aspect of the invention there is provided a device associated with the grasping surface of a handle bar having a rigid first end with a perimeter larger than the perimeter of the grasping surface and an opening therethrough along an imaginary axis of the device, a member extending longitudinally away from the first end along the imaginary axis and dimensioned to fit within an opening in the handle bar, the imaginary axis extending the entire length of the device being coaxial with an imaginary axis of the grasping surface of the handle bar, an element configured to displace the longitudinally extending member, and an elongated member extending through the opening in the first end and engaging the element to force the longitudinally extending member against an internal surface of the handle bar. 
     In yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a device associated with a grasping surface of a handle bar having a rigid first end having a perimeter larger than the perimeter of the grasping surface and an opening therethrough and along an imaginary access of the device, a member extending longitudinally away from the first end along the imaginary axis and dimensioned to fit within an opening in the handle bar, an element configured to displace the longitudinally extending member, an elongated member extending through the opening in the first end and engaging the element to force the longitudinally extending member against an internal surface of the handle bar, and an illumination element located within the rigid first end. 
     It is contemplated that the illumination element may be a light bulb or other illuminating devices. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     As used herein, like reference numerals will designate similar elements in the various embodiments of the present invention wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded view in accordance with one embodiment of the device; 
     FIG. 2 is a right side elevational view of the device of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a left side elevational view of the device of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the device of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the device of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 3 taken along line  6 — 6 ; 
     FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of a second embodiment of the device; 
     FIG. 8 is a left side elevational view of the second embodiment of the device; 
     FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of the device; 
     FIG. 10 is an exploded partial cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 9; 
     FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the invention; and 
     FIG. 12 is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of the device with a swept design. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-5 initially, there is shown device  100  for use with handlebar  62  of an outdoor personal vehicle such as, but not limited to, a snowmobile, all-terrain vehicle, or personal watercraft. The handlebar  62  having an axis  63  is shown without a grip thereon but one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that a large variety of handlebar grips can be used. In the instance of a snowmobile, there can be heater tape (not shown) wrapped around the handlebar below the grip and wired into the snowmobiles electrical system to keep the rider&#39;s hands warm. The device  100  is attached to a handlebar having a conventional grip thereon by cutting away the end of the grip to expose the opening  64  in the end of the handlebar  62 . The device  100  has a longitudinally extending member  12  which extends away from the enlarged end  10  along an axis  63  extending the length of the device  100 . The enlarged end  10  is a disk shaped member, as shown in FIG. 1, and is also described herein as a rigid first end of the device. The member  12  is dimensioned such that it fits within the opening  64  in the handlebar  62 . In this embodiment, the longitudinally extending member  12  is comprised of a pair of longitudinally extending curved fingers  28  and  29  which define a slot or key way  36  therebetween. It is within the scope of the invention that there may be multiple longitudinally extending curved fingers defining a plurality of slots. 
     A camming element  18  fits within the area defined by inner surfaces  66  and  67  of the curved FIGS. 28 and 29, respectively (FIG.  3 ). The camming element  18  is configured to displace the longitudinally extending fingers  28  and  29  outward. The camming element  18  has a central opening  56  therethrough with threads  30  therein (FIGS.  9  and  10 ). The camming element  18  is a conical frustum but as one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize other camming elements or shapes can be used as well. The element  18  has at least one protrusion or key  34  on its outer surface which fits into the slot or keyway  36  of the longitudinally extending member  12  to prevent the camming element  18  from rotating. The enlarged end  10  has a recess  32  and a central opening  26  therethrough that opens into the area defined by the inner surfaces  66  and  67  of the curved fingers  28  and  29 , respectively. The head of a fastener  14  sits in the recess  32  for safety and appearance purposes. The fastener or elongated member  14  fits through the opening  26  to engage the threads  30  in the camming element  18 . Initially, the fastener  14  is only threaded into the element  18  far enough to engage the threads  30  and pull the element  18  into the area between the curved fingers  28  and  29  just far enough for the key  34  to engage the slot  36 . 
     In the assembled condition, the distal end of the element  18  and of the fingers  28  and  29  are inserted into the opening  64  of the handlebar  62 . The device  100  is pushed into the handlebar  62  until the end surface  68  of the handlebar abuts a surface  44  (FIGS. 6 and 9) of the enlarged end  10  at which position the distal end of the handlebar  62  is located in the annular cavity  40  formed between the outer surface of the curved fingers  28  and an inner surface of an inner annular wall  42 . The inner annular wall  42  extends around the outer surface of the distal end of the handlebar  62  when surface  68  abuts surface  44  to provide additional support. The fastener  14  is then rotated clockwise to pull the camming element  18  farther into the area between the curved fingers  28  and  29  to force the fingers against the inner surface  61  of the handlebar  62 , thus anchoring the device  100  within the handlebar  62  (FIG. 9) by friction fit. An optional washer  16  can be used to protect the device. In this way, the device  100  is anchored inside of the handlebar such that a user can push against the surface formed by an outer annular wall  48  or pull on the device  100  by grasping the enlarged rigid end  10  without the device becoming dislodged from the handlebar. In addition, the user does not have to replace the existing grip or reduce the grasping area available on the handlebar. 
     The outer annular wall  48  and the inner annular wall  42  define an annular cavity  46  (FIG. 6) which allows for slight expansion of the annular wall  42  if the handlebar  62  fits snugly into the annular cavity  40 . 
     An alternative embodiment for the device  100  is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The longitudinally extending member  112  is a single cylindrical member that is expandable without using slots (such as in the first embodiment) or grooves in the member  112 . As the camming element  18  is drawn into the member  112 , the cylindrical member  112  expands to contact the internal surface of the handlebar as described previously. 
     FIGS. 9 and 10 depict a cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of the device. The device  200  is substantially the same as device  100  described above and operates substantially the same. The device  200  has two differences from the device  100 . First, the device  200  has a grip  22  integrally formed with the device which replaces an existing discrete handlebar grip that may already be on the handle bar. The grip  22  is slid over the handlebar  62  and can be used with or without existing handlebar heating tape. The grip  22  may also be described herein as a handlebar grasping surface or a grasping surface of a handlebar. Second, the device  200  has an illumination element  20  located within the enlarged end  10 . The illumination element  20  is in electrical communication with the lighting system  70  of the vehicle. The enlarged end  10  comprises a removable cover  24  which attaches to a base  54  either by press fit or threadingly. An annular surface  58  of the cover  24  fits snugly or threadingly into the recess  60  in the base  54 . The removable cover  24  allows access to the illumination element  20  and the fastener  14 . 
     The illumination element  20  can be a 12 volt incandescent bulb that remains illuminated at a constant intensity when power is applied to provide safety lighting like running lights for the vehicle. The illumination element  20  can also be wired to the brake lights and/or turn signals of the vehicle to provide additional safety. Other illuminating elements can be used such as, but not limited to, electroluminescent lights, chemical luminescent lights, and light emitting diodes. 
     It is within the scope of the invention that the handlebar device  100  and  200  may include either the integrally formed grip  22 , the illumination element  20 , or both (as shown in FIGS.  9  and  10 ). 
     FIG. 11 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a device  300  according to the present invention which is configured to receive electrical wires for uses such as heating of the handlebar grip or illumination of the handlebar end. The device  300  includes the enlarged end  10  and the longitudinally extending member  12  extending from the enlarged end. The longitudinally extending member  12  includes two C-shaped arms or curved fingers  28  and  29 . These curved fingers  28  and  29  are separated by two slots or keyways  36   a  and  36   b.    
     The camming element  18  in the embodiment of FIG. 11 is provided with a recess  72  which extends in a longitudinal direction along an exterior of the camming element. The recess  72  is configured to accommodate electrical wires which may be used to provide energy to an illumination system in the enlarged end  10  as shown in the embodiment of FIGS. 9 and 10. Alternatively, the electrical wires provided in the recess may be used to deliver energy to heating tape which is wrapped around the handlebar  62  in the conventional manner. In this case the electrical wires extend from an interior of the handlebar  62 , through the recess  72 , and around the end  68  of the handlebar to the heating tape. The electrical wires may be connected to the illumination system, the heating system, or both systems. 
     Along each side of the recess  70  are first and second keys  34   a  and  34   b  which abut opposite edges of the larger keyway  36   a  and guide the camming element  18  in the longitudinally extending member  12 . A third key  34   c  on an opposite side of the camming element  18  fits into the smaller keyway  36   b  of the longitudinally extending member  12 . The device  300  of FIG. 11 operates in the same manner as the other embodiments described above. In particular, tightening of the fastener  14  causes the camming element  18  to be pulled into the longitudinal extending member  12  spreading the fingers  28  and  29  apart and forming a friction fit between the exterior of the fingers and the interior of the handlebar  62 . 
     FIG. 12 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the device  400  with a swept design. The swept design is more comfortable for the user and prevents fatigue, bruising, and chafing due to extended use. This swept design for the device  400  is particularly configured to be received on handlebars which when viewed in a top view are angled to the rear of the vehicle towards the rider. The angle handlebar configuration is conventional for snowmobiles. When the device  400  is used with a vehicle having these angled handlebars, a cutaway or outwardly swept inner corner  74  of the disk shaped enlarged end  10  prevents the enlarged end from digging into the side of the user&#39;s palm during extended use. The term outwardly swept corner is used to described a corner which is angled outwardly away from the handlebar. The corner  74  is cut away at an angle θ of approximately 10 to 40 degrees, preferably about 10 to 30 degrees and more preferably about 20 degrees. An outer corner  76  opposite the inner corner  74  may also be angled outwards away from the handlebar to provide a relatively constant thickness of the disk shaped end  10 . The end view of the swept embodiment of the device  400  is disk shaped as shown in FIG.  2 . The angled portion of the disk shaped end  10  preferably extends around about one quarter to one half of the circumference of the end, more preferably between one third and one half of the circumference. 
     The devices  100 ,  200 ,  300 , and  400  according to the present are preferably molded of a rigid plastic material with the enlarged end  10  and the longitudinally extending member  12  integrally molded. The camming member  18  may include a threaded insert of metal which is molded into the body of the member to prevent rotation. 
     While several particular embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.