Patent Publication Number: US-2011049206-A1

Title: Tie-able securing device for bicycle

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a tie-able securing device, and more particularly to a tie-able securing device for a bicycle. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Because of lack of the bright sunlight, the sight and visibility of a bicycle rider at night are noticeably weakened, thus, they eventually affect the rider to distinguish and monitor the traffic. Moreover, to depend merely on the reflective warning lights of the rack and the frame of the bicycle during the night ride is passive and ineffective. Hence, bicycle manufacturers have developed attachable warning lights to be mounted on bicycles. On the one hand, the mounted warning lights increase the illuminating degree so that the sight and visibility of night rides are reinforced; on the other hand, the safety of night rides is enhanced because the mounted warning lights actively achieve the goal of providing definite light sources to caution other vehicles. 
     A conventional warning light is shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 . The conventional warning light includes a light body  1  having two light sources  10  aligned at the front end and a soft belt  11  extended from the back end to provide a warning light effect. At the end of the belt  11  consists a hole  111 . The two light sources  10 , the belt  11 , and its concave track are on the same axial direction. The top of the light body  1  protrudes to form a fastening body  12  to fasten the hole  111  of the belt  11 . To mount the light on the bicycle, the light body  1  is positioned on the tube of the bicycle frame, the belt  11  is circled around the frame, and a coil structure is formed with the fastening body  12 . Thus, the light body  1  is firmly tied on the bicycle. 
     A better illuminating method of the warning lights is to expand the light sources horizontally to the front. Therefore, a ray of a broad-wide illuminating area is formed in front of the bicycle so that the bicycle rider can monitor the road ahead and the nearby traffic condition. Normally the warning lights are secured on the flat tubes or the horizontal handlebars. The light body  1  is positioned directly at the top of the tube so that a broad-wide illuminating area in front of the bicycle is shaped. However, due to the structural design that the light sources  10  and the belt  11  are set in the same axial direction, the illuminating area will be changed from horizontal to vertical if the light body  1  is fixed on a vertical tube or on a side of a tube due to the curved handlebar tubes of a road bicycle or a racing bicycle. Though an illuminating area can still be formed in front of the bicycle, the level illuminating area is relatively reduced because the illuminating area has been changed from horizontal to longitudinal. Thus, the visibility of the road ahead and the nearby surroundings to the bicycle rider is greatly lowered. 
     In addition, the light body  1  has only one belt  11  and the fastening body  12  to fix to the top of the tube. Since the belt  11  has to support the weight of the light body  1 , the caliber of the belt  11  is made rough and inelastic. If it is tied with a single circle on a tube having the diameter over 18 mm, it largely restricts the flexibility of warning light assembly. Besides, when traveling on a bumpy road, the light body  1  may be abruptly shifted due to the insufficient positioning force of the belt  11  and the fastening body  12  under continuous vibration of the bicycle frame. As a result, an accident may occur when the bicycle rider suddenly loses his control of the traffic. 
     Moreover, in addition to the warning lights being secured on the bicycle with a tie-able securing design, other peripheral gadgets such as meters, physical sensor devices, or GPS that facilitate riding functions or provide information are generally mounted on the bicycle with the tie-able securing design. When the design is poor, the gadgets can be easily fallen off from the bicycle because the securing system is not firm enough. 
     As mentioned above, the present tie-able securing design for warning lights or other peripheral gadgets not only limits the application of bicycle assembly which may affect the illuminating effect but also brings potential risk to a bicycle rider because of an unexpected fall-off or damage. Hence, an improvement of the design is crucial. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the disadvantages of the conventional tie-able securing warning light device. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The main objective of the present invention is to provide a tie-able securing device for a bicycle. 
     To achieve the objective, a tie-able securing device for a bicycle in accordance with the present invention comprises a body, a functional module mounted on the body, a first belt bendably extending from the body, a second belt bendably extending from the body, a first fastener extending from the body, and a second fastener extending from the body. The functional module includes a stopwatch, two ruminants, and a button for operating the stopwatch and the two ruminants. The functional module has a molding surface formed on the body. The body has two grooves defined in a surface thereof opposite to molding surface. The two grooves cross to each other. Each of the first belt and the second belt is positioned on a surface different from the molding surface. Each of the first fastener and the second fastener selectively corresponds to each of the first belt and the second belt. A distal end of each of the first belt and the second belt is alternatively secured on the first fastener and the second fastener. Each of the first belt and the second belt has an eyelet defined in a distal end thereof. Each of the first fastener and the second fastener has two bosses laterally protruding from a distal end thereof. The eyelet of each of the first belt and the second belt has an inner diameter being slightly greater than an outer diameter of each of the first fastener and the second fastener. A width of the two bosses including the first/second fastener is slightly greater than the inner diameter of the first/second belt. The first belt and the second belt are positioned on a same side of the body. The first fastener and the second fastener are positioned on another side of the body opposite to the first belt and the second belt. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the first belt is positioned opposite to the second belt and the first fastener is positioned opposite to the second fastener. The first belt and the second belt can be alternatively secured on the first fastener and the second fastener for suiting different bicycle elements. 
     Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a tie-able securing device for a bicycle in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the tie-able securing device for a bicycle in accordance with the present invention in another direction; 
         FIGS. 3-7  are operational views of the tie-able securing device for a bicycle in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the tie-able securing device of a second embodiment in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a conventional tie-able securing warning light device; and 
         FIG. 10  is an operational view of the conventional tie-able securing warning light device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings and initially to  FIGS. 1-4 , a tie-able securing device for a bicycle in accordance with the present invention comprises a body  2 , a functional module  20  mounted on the body  2 , a first belt  23   a  flexibly extending from the body  2 , a second belt  23   b  flexibly extending from the body  2 , a first fastener  24   a  extending from the body  2 , and a second fastener  24   b  extending from the body  2 . 
     The functional module  20  includes a stopwatch  201  (or an odometer), two ruminants  202 , and a button  203  for operating the stopwatch  201  and the two ruminants  202 . In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the functional module  20  has a molding surface  21  formed on the body  2 . The molding surface  21  is formed with a skull design. The stopwatch  201  is positioned on a forehead of the skull. The two ruminants  202  are respectively positioned on two eyes of the skull. The button  203  is positioned on a nose of the skull. The body  2  has two grooves  22  defined in a surface thereof opposite to molding surface  21 . The two grooves  22  cross to each other. 
     Each of the first belt  23   a  and the second belt  23   b  is positioned on a surface different from the molding surface  21  such that the first belt  23   a  and the second belt  23   b  are staggered from the functional module  20 . The first belt  23   a  and the second belt  23   b  are formed of soft material. Each of the first fastener  24   a  and the second fastener  24   b  selectively corresponds to each of the first belt  23   a  and the second belt  23   b . A distal end of each of the first belt  23   a  and the second belt  23   b  is alternatively secured on the first fastener  24   a  and the second fastener  24   b . Each of the first belt  23   a  and the second belt  23   b  has an eyelet  231  defined in a distal end thereof. Each of the first fastener  24   a  and the second fastener  24   b  has two bosses  241  laterally protruding from a distal end thereof. The eyelet  231  of each of the first belt  23   a  and the second belt  23   b  has an inner diameter being slightly greater than an outer diameter of each of the first fastener  24   a  and the second fastener  24   b . A width of the two bosses  241  including the first/second fastener  24   a / 24   b  is slightly greater than the inner diameter of the eyelet  231  of the first/second belt  23   a / 23   b  to prevent the two bosses  241  of the first/second fastener  24   a / 24   b  detaching from the eyelet  231  of the first/second belt  23   a / 23   b . In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first belt  23   a  and the second belt  23   b  are positioned on a same side of the body  2 . The first fastener  24   a  and the second fastener  24   b  are positioned on another side of the body  2  opposite to the first belt  23   a  and the second belt  23   b . When the two bosses  241  of the first/second fastener  24   a / 24   b  securely pass through the eyelet  231  of the first/second belt  23   a / 23   b , the two bosses  241  of the first/second fastener  24   a / 24   b  are slightly struck in the eyelet  231  of the first/second belt  23   a / 23   b  for fixing the first/second belt  23   a / 23   b  on the first/second fastener  24   a / 24   b  to adapt to tie the body  2  on a bicycle. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 3-5 , a vertical tube  3   a  and a horizontal tube  3   b  of a bicycle frame are alternatively, correspondingly, and partially received in the two crossed grooves  22  of the body  2 . The two grooves  22  can also correspondingly suit to a curved handlebar (not shown) or a horizontal handlebar  3   c  of the bicycle. When assembling the body  2  on the tube  3   a / 3   b , the tube  3   a / 3   b  is partially received in a corresponding groove  22 . The first belt  23   a  and the second belt  23   b  are bended to encircle the tube  3   a / 3   b . The bosses  241  of the first belt  23   a  are securely passed through the eyelet  231  of the first belt  23   a  and the bosses  241  of the second belt  23   b  are securely passed through the eyelet  231  of the second belt  23   b  such that the two belts  23   a ,  23   b  are crossed for tying the body  2  on the tube  3   a / 3   b . The molding surface  21  is positioned frontward on the bicycle for providing a wide illuminated area. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 6-7 , the first belt  23   a  and the second belt  23   b  are reiteratively crossly tied the body  2  such that a weight of the body  2  is supported by the first belt  23   a  and the second belt  23   b . The two belts  23   a ,  23   b  have great ductility to tie the body  2  on a tube having an outer diameter less than 18 millimeters. The two belts  23   a ,  23   b  can be inserted into a bicycle basket  3   d  and tied the body  2  on the basket. The two belts  23   a ,  23   b  can be extended and repeatedly enclose multiple spokes  3   e  of the bicycle for tying the body  2  on a bicycle wheel. Therefore, the tie-able securing device according the present invention provides a great adaptability for suiting different bicycle elements. 
     With reference to  FIG. 8 , that shows a second embodiment of the tie-able securing device for a bicycle in accordance with the present invention. The elements and effects of the third embodiment which are the same with the first embodiment are not described, only the differences are described. In the second embodiment of the present invention, the first belt  23   a  is positioned opposite to the second belt  23   b  and the first fastener  24   a  is positioned opposite to the second fastener  24   b . In the preferred embodiment according to the present invention, the first belt  23   a  and the second belt  23   b  are aligned in a same phantom line. The first fastener  24   a  and the second fastener  24   b  are aligned in a same phantom line. The first belt  23   a  and the second belt  23   b  can be alternatively secured on the first fastener  24   a  and the second fastener  24   b  for suiting different bicycle element. 
     Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.