Abstract:
A bicycle spoke fixture assembly is provided. The bicycle spoke fixture assembly includes a cushion member being placed in a space of the hole on the wheel wall allowing the spoke to pass through to latch, and a locking member passing through a through hole at the periphery of the hub and connecting the threaded section of the spoke. The A bicycle spoke fixture assembly makes the assembly and disassembly of a spoke quickly, and also enhances the strength of the wheel.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a bicycle spoke fixture assembly, and more particularly to a fixture assembly with spokes passing through a hole on a wheel rim and latching to a cushion member, such that this end of the spoke is secured to a locking member disposed at a hole along the periphery of a hub.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Please refer to  FIG. 1  for a connecting structure that connects bicycle spokes to a hub. The spoke  1  has a threaded section  2  on a first end, and a screw head  3  on a second end. The spoke  1  is passed through a spoke hole  5  on the periphery of a bicycle hub  4 . Since the screw head  3  is larger than the external diameter of the spoke  1 , therefore the screw head  3  is clipped into the inner periphery of the spoke hole  5  of the hub  4 . The threaded section  2  at the first end of the spoke  1  is secured to an adjusting screw head  7  disposed at the inner edge of the hub  4 , so that the spoke  1  is pulled with an appropriate tension for resisting the force produced by the wheel rim  6  when the bicycle is moving. However, when it is necessary to replace the prior-art spoke  1  structure, the used spoke  1  must be cut first in order to remove the used spoke  1 . Most importantly, it is very difficult to install a new spoke  1 , mainly because it is difficult to pass the spoke  1  slantingly outward through the spoke hole  5  of the hub  4 , and installation is limited by the wheel axle transversally passing through the center of the bicycle hub  4 . The process is time-consuming and laborious. Further, since the adjusting screw head  7  for securing the spoke  1  is disposed on the wheel rim  6 , the angle of each adjusting screw head  7  is different, and users must rotate the wheel rim  6  to secure one adjusting screw head  7  before removing the spoke  1  by a screwdriver, which is very inconvenient.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a bicycle spoke fixture assembly. The assembling method of the present invention is to pass a spoke through a spoke hole into a hub at the center of the wheel, and lock the spoke at the periphery of the hub. The locking member adjusts to pull the spoke taught, which is easy and convenient to assemble/disassemble.  
         [0004]     Another objective of the present invention is to provide a bicycle spoke fixture assembly, which has a circular space in the wheel for accommodating a plurality of cushion members, and passing the cushion members through the space. Such an arrangement not only latches a screw head at one end of the spoke, but also enhances the strength of the wheel. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]      FIG. 1  is an illustrative view of a prior-art connecting structure for connecting a bicycle spoke with a wheel.  
         [0006]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the bicycle spoke fixture assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0007]      FIG. 3A  is a cross-sectional view of the bicycle spoke fixture assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0008]      FIG. 3B  is a view of the details as depicted in  FIG. 3A .  
         [0009]      FIG. 4  is a planar view of the bicycle spoke fixture assembly according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0010]     To make it easier for our examiner to understand the objectives of the invention, its structure, innovative features, and performance, we use a preferred embodiment together with the attached drawings for the detailed description of the invention.  
         [0011]     Please refer to  FIGS. 2 and 3 A for the bicycle spoke fixture assembly according to the present invention, comprising a metal spoke  10 , a screw head  11  being disposed at a first end of the spoke  10  and larger than the external diameter of the spoke  10 , and a threaded section  12  being disposed at a second end of the spoke  10 ; 
        a wheel rim  20 , having two circular walls  21  symmetrically on the left and right sides, a bottom wall  22  of the two circular walls  21  coupled to the inner edge of the wheel rim  20 , a wheel wall  23  of the two circular walls  21  transversally coupled to the middle of the wheel rim  20 , such that the two wheel walls  21 , bottom wall  22 , and wheel wall  23  encloses a circular space  24  at the inner ring of the wheel rim  20 , and a hole being disposed at an appropriate distance on the wheel wall  23 , and a spoke hole  26  being smaller than the hole  25  and corresponding to the hole  26 , and the space  24  at the cross section of the wheel has a V-shaped bottom;     a cushion member  30 , being substantially in a trapezium shape and corresponding to the bottom of the space  24  of the wheel rim  20 , and two corresponding semi-circular positioning pillars  31  being extended from the bottom and latching into the spoke hole  26  at the bottom wall  22  of the wheel rim  20 , and the cushion member  30  at the front and rear of the top having an accommodating groove  32 , and a positioning hole  33  disposed at the accommodating groove  32  and being vertically interconnected, and a long groove  34  being extended from both sides of the accommodating groove  32  and interconnected with the positioning hole  33 , and the long groove  34  passing through the upper and lower sides of the cushion member  30  for receiving another type of flat spoke  20 ;     a locking member  40 , being in a cylindrical shape (as shown in  FIG. 3B ) and having a screw head  41  at one end for a screwdriver or a wrench to rotate the locking member  40 , and a screw hole  42  on the other end of the locking member  40 , and after the locking member  40  passes through the through hole  51  disposed on the periphery of a hub  50  and the screw head  41  being latched, another screw hole  42  of the locking member  40  being locked into the threaded section  12  of the spoke  10 , so that the spoke  10  couples to the wheel rim  20  with the hub  50  as shown in  FIG. 4 .        
 
         [0015]     By means of the foregoing structures, the cushion member  30  is vertically disposed in the space  24  of the hole  25  on the wheel wall  23  when the spoke  10  is assembled to match the two circular walls  21  of the space  24  to restrict the cushion member  30  from rotating and moving freely, and the positioning pillar  31  of the cushion member  30  is mounted precisely into the spoke hole  26  of the wheel rim  20 , and then the spoke  10  passes through the hole  25  on the wheel wall  23  of the wheel rim  20 , so that the screw head  11  of the spoke  10  is clipped at the outer wall of the positioning hole  33  and disposed in the accommodating groove  32 , and the threaded section  12  of the spoke  10  is inserted into the locking member  40  on the hub  50  to lock with the screw hole  41  of the locking member  40  for pulling the spoke  10  and keeping the spoke  20  at a specific tension.  
         [0016]     Since the cushion members  30  of the present invention are disposed in the circular space  24  of the wheel rim  20  to match the number of spokes  10 , which is similarly to general ribs for enhancing the strength of the wheel rim  20 .  
         [0017]     Most importantly, the spokes  10  of the present invention are passed through the holes  25  disposed on the outer periphery of the wheel wall  23  of the wheel rim  20  into the hub  50  and then secured to a locking member  40  on the hub  50 . Since the position for adjusting the tightness of the spokes  10  are at the periphery of the hub  50 , it is obviously used for adjusting and concentrating all spokes  10  to the periphery of the hub  50 . Unlike the traditional bicycle wheel rim  6  as shown in  FIG. 1 , the present invention allows users to tighten all locking members  40  one at a time without requiring users to rotate the wheel rim  20  from time to time to adjust the locking angle and directions.  
         [0018]     If it is necessary to replace a spoke  10 , the users insert the spoke  10  from the outer periphery of the wheel rim  20  and pass the spoke  10  through the hole  25 , the spoke hole  26  of the wheel rim  20 , and then lock the spoke  10  to the locking member  40  on the hub  50 . Since there is no other component on the outer periphery of the wheel rim  20 , the user has enough working space to pass the spoke  10  and connect the spoke  10  with the wheel rim  20  and the hub  50  easily.