Abstract:
A cruise control for a vehicle having a mounted rotatable accelerator sleeve and throttle housing which is mounted to a handlebar. The cruise control mounts entirely to the accelerator sleeve and rotates in perfect unity with the throttle when it is rotated. The cruise control is mounted between the throttle housing and the rubber/plastic grip&#39;s inner end, directly onto the accelerator sleeve. When the single button of the cruise control is pressed, the cruise control engages and uses friction against the surface of the throttle housing to hold the throttle in place. The operator can force the throttle to rotate by overpowering the friction caused by the cruise control, or preferably, they can disengage the cruise control by pressing the single button again, resetting the cruise control to be engaged again by pressing the single button.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of Provisional application No. 61/870,767 Filed 27 Aug. 2013. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    In many vehicles, such as motorcycles, which use handlebars for steering, the speed of the vehicle is controlled by a mounted rotatable accelerator sleeve unit that is fastened to the right end of the handlebar, which is usually wrapped with a rubber or plastic grip. This rotatable accelerator sleeve, which is commonly called a throttle, is directly coupled to the vehicle&#39;s throttle housing, which transfers the rotation of the sleeve into either 1 or more throttle cables or an electronic sensor. Thus, by rotating the accelerator sleeve, the engine in the vehicle will either accelerate, maintain or decelerate the speed of the vehicle, depending on the direction of the rotation. 
         [0005]    For convenience and safety purposes, the throttle is typically designed, using a biased return spring, to rotate the throttle back to its resting position, which will maintain the vehicle&#39;s engine idle and prevent the vehicle from accelerating. Thus, to maintain a constant speed, the operator of the vehicle must hold the throttle firmly at a desired rotational position, overpowering the throttle&#39;s biased return springs. During a long distance motorcycle trip, for example, a motorcycle operator may become fatigued due to the efforts of holding the throttle in one steady position. Lack of motion in the arm, lack of circulation, numbness, vibration injuries because of vibrations from the road and the engine and many other factors can cause numerous injuries to the operator&#39;s hand, or even serious injury if the operator&#39;s hand falls asleep due to exhaustion, distracting the operator from focusing on the road. 
         [0006]    Many devices and methods have been designed to allow an operator of a handlebar steered vehicle to maintain a desired cruising speed without requiring a constant force applied to the throttle by the operator. These devices may be referred to generally as motorcycle cruise controls and/or throttle lock devices. 
         [0007]    Some devices require the owner of the vehicle to drill into their throttle housing to mount the device firmly to the throttle housing, which damages the vehicle&#39;s warranty. The use of these devices can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,256,197 A, 4,137,793 A, 20100294077 A1. 
         [0008]    One such device requires the owner of the vehicle to mount the device to the handlebar itself, taking up precious space on the handlebars, restricting the use of other safety gear such as hand guards and could block the operator&#39;s usage and view of the controls and dash displays. The use of such a device can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,446 A. 
         [0009]    Some devices require electricity to work properly. Such a device can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,318,490 B1. 
         [0010]    Another device fastens over the throttle&#39;s rubber/plastic grip but is not fixed in place. It can be moved, rotated and slide side to side by the operator during the operation of the vehicle. This device covers sections of the throttle grip, restricting the operator&#39;s full use of the grip, which was not intended by the manufacture of the vehicle and may easily be accidentally bumped by the operator, causing the vehicle to dramatically decelerate or accelerate with unintended consequences. The use of this device can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,386 A. 
         [0011]    One device simply covers sections of the throttle grip and restricts full use of the throttle. It takes away space for the operator&#39;s hand, especially when the operator is wearing riding gloves. The use of one such device can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,446 A. 
         [0012]    Another device is designed to disengage once the front brake lever is pulled. This is a safety concern for a motorist. If the device malfunctions, it will prevent the operator from using the front brakes, which, for a motorcycle, provides 75% of the vehicle&#39;s stopping power. Not only can the device malfunction and prevent the front brake from engaging, but the cruise control could be stuck in the “on” position and may not be overpowered by the operator. The use of this device can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,820,710 B2. 
         [0013]    Still, other devices mount to the bar end of the throttle grip and requires the operator to grab the device and rotate it in the direction of acceleration of the engine&#39;s throttle grip to engage the device. This can be extremely dangerous when operating the vehicle off-road with gloves on. The use of these devices can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. D593463 S1, D593462 S1, D593464 S1. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    The present invention provides a cruise control for any handlebar steered vehicle which uses a mounted rotatable accelerator sleeve unit, or the like, and throttle housing, or the like, to accelerate, maintain and decelerate the speed of the engine and vehicle. This invention allows the owner of the vehicle to install this cruise control directly onto the rotating plastic sleeve without needing to drill into their throttle housing, which could void any warranty on the vehicle, it does not mount to the handlebar itself, which gives the operator more space near the hand controls and dash displays, it functions without the need of an electronic connection, it has no direct connection to front brake which simplifies the construction and prevents any potential malfunction of the cruise control, which could in turn prevent the front brake from being used to slow down and stop the vehicle in an emergency, it does not engage by rotating the throttle, which will prevent the operator from accidentally engaging the cruise control while wearing gloves and/or riding off-road, and it does not cover the throttle&#39;s grip in any way. 
         [0015]    More specifically, this cruise control can be mounted on a wide variety of mounted rotatable accelerator sleeves units with varying throttle sleeve diameters due to its unique use of the pivotable clamping arm, single body piece, body hinge and cinching bolt. With the use of serrated inner teeth on the clamp and body, this cruise control can securely mount to any average size accelerator sleeve. The mounting point for this invention is located next to the throttle housing, clamped onto the accelerator sleeve which protrudes from the throttle housing, between the throttle housing and the accelerator sleeve&#39;s rubber/plastic grip&#39;s flange or inner end. This will give the operator easy access to the cruise control with their thumb. 
         [0016]    For vehicles with accelerator sleeves, cruising speeds are at different positions of rotation in relation to the handlebars, but all previously designed cruise controls stay in the same location in relation to the handlebars. While the operator&#39;s hand rotates to accelerate, maintain or decelerate the vehicle, the location of the fixed controls of the cruise control in relation to the operator&#39;s rotated hand has now changed dramatically, which hinders the use of the controls of the cruise control, causing distraction and discomfort to the operator as they try to reach for the controls of the cruise control and causes safety issues when the operator tries to engage or disengage the cruise control. With this invention, when the operator accelerates the engine and vehicle by rotating the accelerator sleeve, the entire invention rotates with the accelerator sleeve, holding the invention and its controls in perfect ergonomic positioning during the entire ride. If the operator chooses to slow the vehicle, they should disengage the cruise control, then re-engage the cruise control at a slower speed. Their hand will not need to awkwardly move to press, roll or otherwise engage/disengage the cruise control. This invention rotates naturally with the operator&#39;s hand, not distracting the driver or causing discomfort while they manipulate the controls of the cruise control. This invention is a great advantage for any operator&#39;s safety, which has never been seen in a handlebar steered vehicle cruise control before. 
         [0017]    For further simplification from other cruise controls, this invention uses only one button to engage and disengage the cruise control. This button can be moved to engage the cruise control, then moved again to disengage the cruise control. When the button is moved to engage the cruise control, a small stopper in the side of the single body piece will protrude from the single body piece and press against the surface of the throttle housing, creating sufficient pressure between the throttle housing and the cruise control, which in turn causes sufficient friction to hold the accelerator sleeve from naturally rolling back to its resting position. At all times, this invention can be overridden by the operator to accelerate or decelerate the engine and vehicle. This may disengage the cruise control. When the button is moved to disengage the cruise control, the stopper will then retract into the single body piece, allowing free rotational movement of the accelerator sleeve without any friction. Once the cruise control is disengaged, the mechanism inside the single body piece will reset, so when it is moved again, it will engage the stopper and start the entire process over again. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a sectional view of a rubber/plastic grip fixed to the rotatable accelerator sleeve which covers the end of the handlebar and is mounted to the throttle housing which attaches to the handlebar and has two throttle cables protruding from its housing. 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  has a perspective view of  FIG. 1 , viewed from the position of the vehicle&#39;s operator, where the rubber/plastic grip is covering the accelerator sleeve, which is covering the handlebar and attached to the throttle housing that has two throttle cables protruding out of the top. 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  has a perspective view of  FIG. 1 , viewed from the position of the vehicle&#39;s operator, which shows how this cruise control invention mounts to the rotatable accelerator sleeve unit, between the throttle housing and the rubber/plastic grip, with its control button protruding in an ergonomic position for the operator to use their thumb to engage and disengage the cruise control. 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is a side perspective view of the cruise control which shows the side of the invention that faces the throttle housing, with its rectangular protruding stopper, its single body piece which attaches to the pivotable clamp arm in two places, one with a hinge and a second with a nut and bolt which allows it to clamp to varying throttle sleeve diameters, and the control button which is properly extended in its resting position. 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  is a side perspective view, similar to  FIG. 4  but showing how the pivotable clamp arm can be cinched down to fit varying throttle sleeve diameters. 
           [0023]      FIG. 6  is a side perspective view, similar to  FIG. 4  but without the pivotable clamp arm attached to the single body piece by either the hinge nor the nut and bolt holes. 
           [0024]      FIG. 7  is a side perspective view of the cruise control which shows the side of the invention that faces away from the throttle housing and towards the rubber/plastic grip. It shows how the single body piece and the pivotable clamp arm can fit between a very narrow gap between the throttle housing and the rubber/plastic grip. 
           [0025]      FIG. 8  is a side perspective view, similar to  FIG. 5 , showing the control button in its properly extended resting position. 
           [0026]      FIG. 9  is a side perspective view, similar to  FIG. 5 , but showing the control button in its fully compressed position which will either engage the stopper mechanism or disengage the stopper mechanism, compressing the control button will perform the opposite response of the stopper in its current position. 
           [0027]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view, very similar to  FIG. 3  but viewing the side of the invention which faces the throttle housing, showing the stopper fully disengaged and recessed into the single body piece and showing the bolt holes in the clamp arm. This perspective shows the thin vertical serrated walls on both the pivotable clamp arm and the body piece. 
           [0028]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view, similar to  FIG. 10 , but showing the stopper fully engaged and protruding out of the single body piece. 
           [0029]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the invention from a short distance away from the end of the handlebar, where the cruise control is mounted to the throttle sleeve between the throttle housing and the rubber/plastic grip, where the mounted rotatable accelerator sleeve unit is at rest and rotated to a stop because of the biased springs pulling on the throttle cables. 
           [0030]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view, similar to  FIG. 12 , but showing the rotatable accelerator sleeve unit rotated back to a comfortable cruising position for the operator, with the stopper engaged, holding the throttle in place because of the friction between the throttle housing, the invention and the throttle sleeve, which now overpowers the springs in the throttle cables from rotating the throttle sleeve back to its resting position like in  FIG. 12 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0031]    This invention  12 , illustrated in the accompanying drawings, is meant to be used as a cruise control  12  for a vehicle which is steered by handlebars  1  and accelerates, maintains and decelerates its speed with a mounted rotatable accelerator sleeve unit  9 , similar to a motorcycle. An example of this type of mounted rotatable accelerator sleeve unit  9  is shown in  FIGS. 1-3  and  12 - 13 . In  FIG. 1  the rubber/plastic grip  4  is fixed to the accelerator sleeve  5  which is mounted to the throttle housing  2 . The throttle housing  2  is mounted to the handlebars  1 , and has, in this example, two throttle cables  3  protruding out of the throttle housing  2 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 2  shows the exposed segment of the accelerator sleeve  5  between the throttle housing  2  and the rubber/plastic grip  4 , which is where the invention  12  will be mounted. In  FIG. 3 , the cruise control  12  is attached to the mounted rotatable accelerator sleeve unit  9 , and when combined  20 , shows where the invention  12  attaches to the accelerator sleeve  5 .  FIG. 4  shows the pivotable clamping arm  10 , its outer hinge  14  and the sidewall of the bolt hole  15 .  FIG. 4  shows the invention  12  in a position where the nut and bolt  16  have only been cinched down slightly, allowing the invention  12  to be mounted to accelerator sleeve  5  with a large diameter.  FIG. 4  is a perspective view, viewing the side of the invention  12  that faces the throttle housing  2 . In this view, you can see how the stopper  18  is positioned in relation to the pivotable clamp arm  10  and the single button  8 .  FIG. 5  shows the invention  12  with the nut and bolt  16  cinched tight to fit on an accelerator sleeve  5  with a narrow diameter.  FIG. 6  shows the pivotable clamp  10  fully detached from the single body piece  11  and easily displays the inner part of the hinge  13  and the outer part of the hinge  14 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view looking at the invention&#39;s  12  side which faces away from the throttle housing  2 .  FIGS. 7 and 10  shows the pivotable clamp arm&#39;s  10  thinner vertical serrated wall  19  and the body piece&#39;s  11  vertical serrated wall  22 . The vertical serrated walls  19  and  22  are thinner than the overall width of the pivotable clamp arm  10  and the body piece  11 , allowing the clamp  10  and body piece  11  to mount in a very small segment of the accelerator sleeve  5  between the throttle housing  2  and the grip  4 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 8  shows the single button  8  in its properly extended resting position. When this button  8  is pressed in by the operator&#39;s thumb, like in  FIG. 9 , it will be forced back out by a spring-like mechanism housed within the single body piece  11 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 10-11  show exactly how the stopper  18  protrudes and retracts from the single body piece  11 .  FIG. 10  shows the stopper  18  completely recessed in the single body piece  11 , this is how the stopper  18  rests when the invention  12  is fully disengaged.  FIG. 11  shows the stopper  18  protruding from the single body piece  11 , this is how the stopper  18  rests when the invention  12  is fully engaged. 
         [0036]      FIG. 12  shows the combination  20  of the invention  12  attached to the mounted rotatable accelerator sleeve unit  9 , similar to  FIG. 3 . The marker  21  at the end of the grip is showing the accelerator sleeve  5  in its rested state in  FIG. 12 .  FIG. 13  shows the invention  12  and the mounted rotatable accelerator sleeve unit  9  fully combined  20  but unlike in  FIG. 12  where the accelerator sleeve  5  is at rest,  FIG. 13  shows the accelerator sleeve  5  rotated back to give the operator a comfortable cruising speed, and the invention  12  is holding the mounted rotatable accelerator sleeve unit  9  in place. The marker  21  in  FIG. 13  denotes the rotation of the mounted rotatable accelerator sleeve unit  9  and the cruise control  12  combined  20 . 
         [0037]    This invention has many advantages over other types of motorcycle cruise controls and throttle locks due to its unique design and function. Some devices require the owner of the vehicle to drill into the throttle housing to mount the device, which may void the vehicle&#39;s warranty. Other devices require the owner of the vehicle to mount the device to the handlebar itself, taking up precious space on the handlebar, restricting the use of other safety gear such as hand guards and could block the operator&#39;s usage and view of the vehicle controls and dash display. Still, other devices require the owner of the vehicle to mount the device to the bar end of the handlebar, these types of throttle locks activate when the operator grips the device and rotates it as they rotate the throttle to accelerate. This is very dangerous and cumbersome for the rider, especially if they are wearing thick gloves and grab the device unintentionally, thus activating the device inadvertently. None of these previously mentioned devices, nor any others not mentioned here, function by rotating with the operator&#39;s hand and throttle as the operator accelerates the vehicle. All of the devices mentioned are mounted in place to either the handlebar, the throttle housing or some other non-rotating part, in order to hold the device as an anchor point. This causes a problem since the operator&#39;s hand doesn&#39;t remain in the same place while they rotate the throttle. Once they rotate the throttle, their hand will rotate away or towards the fixed controls of the cruise controls. The operator has to adjust their hand according to where the cruise control is located. Every time they change speeds, the controls for the cruise control will be in a different location. 
         [0038]    My invention  12  is different. It rotates naturally with the operator&#39;s hand and the throttle  5 . With my invention  12 , the controls  8  of my cruise control  12  will move in unison with relation to the operator&#39;s hand as they rotate the throttle  5  between various speeds. This invention&#39;s  12  controls  8  will always be perfectly located in relation to wherever the operator places their hand and the throttle  5 . This is a great advantage for the operator since they will no longer need to slide their hand around the throttle  5  in order to manipulate the controls  8  of the cruise control  12 . My invention  12  does not have an anchor point attached to the handlebars  1 . My invention  12  doesn&#39;t need the owner to mount it to the throttle housing  2 , they simply tighten the clamp  10  and the body piece  11  to the rotatable accelerator sleeve  5 . My invention  12  does not cover any portion of the rubber/plastic grip  4 , it gives the operator full use of the grip  4 , as the manufacture intended. 
         [0039]    All visible parts of this invention  12 , seen in all FIGS. can be fashioned out of any hard metal or plastic or the like by a CNC process, injection molding, die cast molding or any other parts building machine. The parts within the single body piece  11 , which are not visible in the FIGS., can be fashioned from similar materials by the same manufacturing processes common to machine shops and the like. 
         [0040]    For proper use of this invention  12  on a vehicle, the operator must first detach the nut and bolt  16  and disjoint the outer hinge  14  from the inner hinge  13 , which will completely remove the clamp  10  from the single body piece  11 . The body piece  11  will then need to be positioned under the accelerator sleeve  5  between the throttle housing  2  and the grip  4 , as in  FIG. 3 . Now, join the inner hinge  13  and the outer hinge  14  to connect the pivotable clamp arm  10  to the body piece  11 , then place the bolt  16  through the clamp&#39;s  10  bolt hole  15  and through the body piece&#39;s  11  bolt hole  17 , then cinch the clamp arm  10  down by tightening the nut and bolt  16  until sufficient pressure is made around the accelerator sleeve  5  between the clamp&#39;s  10  vertical serrated wall  19  and the body piece&#39;s  11  vertical serrated wall  22 . The cruise control  12  is now securely attached to the accelerator sleeve  5  and will not slide side to side or rotate around the accelerator sleeve  5 , but will move in conjunction with the accelerator sleeve  5 . 
         [0041]    To operate the mounted rotatable accelerator sleeve unit  9  to accelerate the vehicle, the operator will need to rotate the accelerator sleeve  5  which in turn accelerates the speed of the engine and the vehicle, as well as turns the invention  12  in perfect rotational unity with the accelerator sleeve  5 , since the two parts are now attached to each other. Once the operator has reached the desired speed, they can simply use their thumb to press the button  8  in fully, which engages the invention  12  and forces the stopper  18  to protrude from the body piece  11 . Once the operator has fully pressed the button  8  in, the stopper  18  will be held in place by the mechanism inside the body piece  11  and the button  8  will automatically extend out of the body piece  11  back to its proper resting position. Now the cruise control  12  is fully engaged and holding the accelerator sleeve  5  in place by using the friction caused from the stopper  18  pressing against the throttle housing  2 . This friction is strong enough to resist the biased spring tension on the throttle cables  3  which is constantly trying to rotate the accelerator sleeve  5  back to its resting position, however, it is not strong enough to resist pressure the operator places on the accelerator sleeve  5  if they choose to override the cruise control  12  and accelerate or decelerate the vehicle with the cruise control  12  fully engaged. 
         [0042]    When the operator chooses to disengage the cruise control  12 , they need to press the button  8  fully in to allow the mechanism inside of the body piece  11  to retract the stopper  18  into its recessed hole within the body piece  11 . Once the button  8  is fully pressed in and the stopper  18  has fully retracted, the button  8  will automatically extend out of the body piece  11  back to its resting position, ready to start the entire cycle over again.