Abstract:
A bicycle brake device includes a brake shoe, a warning device installed in the brake shoe, a power supply device electrically connected with the warning device, and two conductors separately mounted in the brake shoe and respectively electrically connected with the warning device and the power supply device. Each conductor has one end thereof exposed to the outside of the brake shoe for touching the wheel rim or brake disc of the bicycle upon a brake operation to close the circuit, causing the warning device to generate a warning signal.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to bicycle brake technology and more particularly, to a bicycle brake device having a warning function. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Taiwan Patent 553149 discloses a brake light for bicycle, which comprises a brake shoe and a light-emitting unit. The brake shoe is affixed to a brake arm and movable with the brake arm, comprising a touch rod. The light-emitting unit comprises a battery and a warning device. The battery is mounted in the brake shoe, having two opposite terminals. The warning device is mounted in one side of the brake shoe, having one contact pin thereof electrically connected with one terminal of the battery. When the brake shoe is moved by the brake arm to force the resilient touch rod into contact with the wheel rim, the touch rod will force the other contact pin of the warning device into contact with the other terminal of the battery. At this time, the battery is electrically connected to provide battery power to the warning device, causing the warning device to give off light for warning. 
         [0005]    In the aforesaid prior art design, the touch rod of the brake shoe has a rib connected to an annular groove at the brake shoe so that the touch rod is elastically movable in the annular groove. When the touch rod touches the wheel ring, it will be forced backwards to push the other contact pin of the warning device. According to this design, the touch rod is not affixed to the brake shoe. Thus, the touch rod tends to be biased by an external force. If the touch rod is improperly biased, it may be unable to positively push the respective contact pin of the warning device, resulting in a contact error. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a bicycle brake device having a warning function, which provides an excellent electric contact effect for generating a warning signal positively. 
         [0007]    To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, a bicycle brake device comprises a brake shoe, a warning device, a power supply device and two conductors. The brake shoe is connected to a brake caliper and movable with the brake caliper. The warning device is adapted for generating a warning signal. The power supply device is electrically connected with the warning device for providing the warning device with the necessary working power. The conductors are separately mounted in the brae shoe and respectively electrically connected with the warning device and the power supply device. Each conductor has one end thereof exposed to the outside of the brake shoe. When the brake shoe are moved with the brake caliper and pressed on a wheel rim or brake disc of the bicycle, the conductors are electrically connected, causing the warning device to generate a warning signal, achieving a warning effect. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is an elevational view of a bicycle brake device in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the bicycle brake device in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a circuit block diagram of the bicycle brake device in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a schematic drawing illustrating an operation status of the bicycle brake device in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view of a bicycle brake device in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a schematic drawing illustrating a bicycle brake device installed in a bicycle in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is an elevational view of a power supply device for a bicycle brake device in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a schematic drawing illustrating an operation status of a bicycle brake device in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is a schematic drawing illustrating an operation status of a bicycle brake device in accordance with a sixth embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 10  is a schematic drawing illustrating an operation status of a bicycle brake device in accordance with a seventh embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 11  is a circuit block diagram of the bicycle brake device in accordance with the seventh embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 12  is a schematic drawing illustrating an operation status of a bicycle brake device in accordance with an eighth embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a bicycle brake device  10  in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention is shown comprising a brake shoe  20 , a warning device  22 , a power supply device  24  (see  FIG. 2 ) and two conductors  26 . 
         [0021]    The brake shoe  20  is fixedly fastened to a brake caliper  30  by a connection rod  28 , and movable with the brake caliper  30  toward a wheel rim  32  (see  FIG. 4 ). 
         [0022]    The warning device  22  can be a light-emitting diode or buzzer. According to this embodiment, the warning device  22  is a light-emitting diode installed in a rear end of the brake shoe  20  and exposed to the outside of the brake shoe  20 . 
         [0023]    The power supply device  24  according to this embodiment is a built-in battery set inside the brake shoe  20 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , and electrically connected with the warning device  22  by an electric wire for providing the warning device  22  with the necessary working power. 
         [0024]    The conductors  26  according to this embodiment are tin rods fixedly mounted in the brake shoe  20  and spaced from each other at a distance, each having one end thereof exposed to the surface of the brake shoe  20 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , one conductor  26  is electrically connected with the warning device  22  by an electric wire, and the other conductor  26  is electrically connected with the power supply device  24  by an electric wire. Arranging the two conductors  26  in one same brake shoe  20  is not a limitation. Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the two conductors  26  can be respectively installed in one respective brake shoe  20 . 
         [0025]    When the user operates the brake, the brake shoe  20  is moved with the brake caliper  30  toward the wheel rim  32  and then pressed on the wheel rim  32 . At this time, a friction force is produced between the brake shoe  20  and the wheel rim  32  to achieve a braking effect. At the same time, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the exposed end of each conductor  26  is kept in contact with the wheel rim  32  that is normally made of an electrically conductive material (such as metal, carbon fiber or any other electrically conductive material), and therefore the warning device  22 , the power supply device  24 , the conductors  26  and the wheel rim  32  are electrically connected, causing the warning device  22  to give off light (or to buzz). Therefore, a visual (or audio) warning signal is produced when the user operates the brake to stop the bicycle, enhancing bicycle-riding safety. Further, the power supply device  24  is not limited to the aforesaid built-in battery design. Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the power supply device  24  can be a detachable battery mounted on the frame  34  of the bicycle and electrically connected with the warning device  22  and the conductors  26  by a connection interface  242 . Thus, the brake device  10  can use the warning device  22  to achieve a warning effect, and allows replacement of the power supply device  24  when the power supply device  24  fails. Therefore, the invention facilitates application and maintenance. Alternatively, the power supply device  24  can be a friction-driven dynamo as shown in  FIG. 7 , or a hub dynamo as shown in  FIG. 8 . According to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 , the power supply device  24  is a friction-driven dynamo comprising a dynamo body  244  and a wheel rotor  246 . The dynamo body  244  is electrically connected with the warning device  22  and the conductors  26 , comprising an armature  248 . The wheel rotor  246  is connected to the armature  248  of the dynamo body  244  and kept in contact with the wheel rim  32  of the bicycle. When the wheel rim  32  is rotated, the wheel rotor  246  is synchronously driven to rotate, and therefore the armature  248  of the dynamo body  244  is rotated with the wheel rotor  246  to drive the dynamo body  244  in generating electricity for the warning device  22 . According to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 8 , the power supply device  24  is a hub dynamo that generates electricity for the warning device  22  during rotation of the wheel rim  32 . Further, the electricity generated by the power supply device  24  can be stored in a storage battery and then provided to the warning device  22  by the storage battery. 
         [0026]    Further, the arrangement of mounting the warning device  22  in the rear end of the brake shoe  20  is not a limitation. Alternatively, the warning device  22  can be mounted on the frame  34  of the bicycle near the rear side of the bicycle, and electrically connected with the power supply device  24  by a wired method as shown in  FIG. 9 , or a wireless method as shown in  FIG. 10 . When a wireless method is adopted, RFID (radio frequency identification) technology is employed to transmit a brake signal. In this case, as shown in  FIG. 11 , the brake device  10  further comprises a transmitter  42 , a receiver  44 , a microprocessor  46  and a battery  48 . The transmitter  42  is electrically connected with one conductor  26  and the power supply device  24 , and integrated with the power supply device  24  to form a power supply unit  50  that is mounted on the frame  34  of the bicycle. The receiver  44  is electrically connected with the battery  48  and the warning device  22  by means of the microprocessor  46 , and integrated with the microprocessor  46 , the battery  48  and the warning device  22  to form a warning unit  52 . The warning unit  52  can be mounted on the frame  34  of the bicycle, an attached part of the bicycle, or a personal item carried by the bicycle rider. Thus, when the exposed end of each conductor  26  touches the wheel rim  32 , the transmitter  42  will be driven to transmit a brake signal to the receiver  44 , and the receiver  44  will transmit the signal to the microprocessor  46 , causing the microprocessor  46  to drive the warning device  22  in generating a warning signal. 
         [0027]    The brake device  10  is not limited to the aforesaid rim brake design. Alternatively, the brake device  10  can be a disc brake, as shown in  FIG. 12 . According to this disc brake design, the brake shoes  20  are mounted on the respective disc brake calipers  60  and movable with the respective disc brake caliper  60  to abut against the brake disc  62 . When the brake shoes  20  are abutted against the brake disc  62 , the conductors  26  in the brake shoes  20  are forced into contact with the brake disc  62 , and therefore the circuit in the brake shoes  20  is closed, causing the warning device  22  to generate a warning signal. 
         [0028]    In conclusion, the conductors of the brake device in accordance with the present invention are fixedly mounted in the brake shoe(s) for positive connection by the wheel rim or brake disc of the bicycle, avoiding any contact error and assuring high reliability. 
         [0029]    Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.