Patent Publication Number: US-2010111595-A1

Title: Quick release device for bicycle

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a quick release device, and more particularly to a quick release device including a hollow lever arm for increasing the strength of the quick release device and for decreasing the weight of the quick release device and for decreasing the manufacturing cost for the quick release device. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Various kinds of typical quick locking or quick release mechanisms have been developed and comprise two movable ear members, a tie rod slidably engaged between the ear members, and a handle or lever arm having a cam member coupled to the tie rod for easily and quickly clamping or locking or securing the ear members together, and/for easily and quickly releasing the ear members from each other. 
     For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,672 to Kawai, U.S. Pat. No. 5,027,628 to De Rocher et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,879 to Zoor disclose three of the typical quick locking or quick release mechanisms each comprising a rotatable handle or lever arm coupled to a tie rod for easily and quickly moving the ear members toward or away from each other. 
     However, normally, the handles or lever arms are made of metal materials and are made of a rod-shaped and solid structure such that the handles or lever arms may include a greatly increased weight and a greatly increased manufacturing cost, and may include a relatively decreased strength. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,992 to Shui-Te, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,836 to Chang disclose two further typical quick locking or quick release mechanisms each comprising a planar handle or lever arm coupled to a tie rod for easily and quickly moving the ear members toward or away from each other, and the planar handle or lever arm may include one or more openings formed therein for decreasing the weight and the manufacturing cost of the typical quick locking or quick release mechanisms. 
     However, the handles or lever arms include a planar structure such that the strength of the handles or lever arms may be greatly decreased. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional handles or lever arms for the quick release devices. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a quick release device including a hollow lever arm for increasing the strength of the quick release device and for decreasing the weight of the quick release device and for decreasing the manufacturing cost for the quick release device. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a quick release device comprising an attaching member including a chamber formed therein, and including a first end member and a second end member located close to each other for forming a slot between the first and the second end members, and including an aperture formed through the first and the second end members and communicating with the slot of the attaching member, a tie rod received and engaged in the aperture of the first and the second end members, and including an end portion engaged with the first end member, and including a free end portion, a lever arm including a longitudinal structure having a first end and a second end, and including a bore formed through the lever arm for allowing the weight of the lever arm to be greatly decreased, and including a cam member formed on the second end of the lever arm for engaging with the second end member, and including a channel formed in the cam member for forming two limbs in the cam member and for slidably receiving the free end portion of the tie rod, and including an orifice formed in the limbs of the cam member and communicating with the channel of the cam member, and a shaft rotatably received in the orifice of the limbs of the lever arm and extended and engaged through the channel of the cam member, and the free end portion of the tie rod being engaged and secured to the shaft for allowing the cam member to selectively secure the first and the second end members together and to selectively release the first and the second end members from each other when the lever arm is moved relative to the attaching member, the hollow lever arm may include an increased bending strength. 
     The bore of the lever arm is preferably a blind bore or the like. The bore of the lever arm is communicating with the channel of the cam member. The first end of the lever arm includes a smaller outer diameter than that of the second end of the lever arm. 
     The lever arm includes a hand grip provided on the first end of the lever arm. It is preferable that the lever arm includes a circular-shaped cross section, or includes a cylindrical shape, or includes at least one flat surface formed on an outer peripheral portion thereof. 
     A cam seat may further be provided and attached onto the free end portion of the tie rod and contacted and engaged with the second end member, and the cam seat includes a curved recess formed therein for engaging with the cam member and for allowing the cam member to be smoothly moved or rotated relative to the cam seat. 
     Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a portion of a quick release device in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a lever arm of the quick release device; and 
         FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of the lever arm of the quick release device taken along lines  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, and initially to  FIG. 1 , a quick release device  1  in accordance with the present invention comprises an attaching member  10  including a substantially C-shaped structure having a chamber  11  formed therein for receiving various objects (not shown), such as the handlebars of the bicycles, the seat posts of the bicycles, the wheel devices or the wheel hubs of the bicycles, etc., and for easily and quickly attaching and securing the handlebars, the seat or saddle posts, the wheel devices, the wheel hubs or other objects onto the bicycle. 
     The C-shaped attaching member  10  includes two end portions or end members  12 ,  13  located close to each other and positioned one above the other for forming a slot  15  between the end members  12 ,  13 , and includes an aperture  14  laterally formed through both of the end members  12 ,  13  thereof and intersecting or communicating with the slot  15  that is formed between the end members  12 ,  13  of the attaching member  10  for receiving a pole or tie rod  20  therein. The tie rod  20  is thus engaged through the aperture  14  of the end members  12 ,  13  and includes an enlarged head  21  formed or provided on one end portion thereof for engaging with one of the end members  12 . 
     The tie rod  20  includes an outer or free end portion  22  extended out of the other end member  13 , and a wear-resist pad or gasket or cam seat  23  attached onto the outer or the free end portion  22  of the tie rod  20  and contacted or engaged with the other end member  13 , in which the cam seat  23  includes a curved recess  24  formed therein and located or facing away from the other end member  13 . The quick release device  1  further includes a handle or lever arm  30  having a cam member  31  formed or provided on one end  33  thereof for attaching onto the free end portion  22  of the tie rod  20  and for engaging with the curved recess  24  of the cam seat  23 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1-3 , the lever arm  30  includes a longitudinal structure having a substantially circular-shaped cross section, or having a substantially cylindrical shape, and includes one end or first end  32  having a smaller outer diameter than the other end or second end  33 , and includes a rounded or spherical knob or hand grip  34  formed or provided on the first end  32  thereof for being comfortably held by the user, and includes one or more cut off portions or flat surfaces  35  ( FIG. 2 ) formed on the outer peripheral portion thereof, and includes a blind bore  36  ( FIG. 3 ) formed through the longitudinal lever arm  30 , and includes the cam member  31  formed or provided on the other end or second end  33  thereof. 
     The lever arm  30  includes a channel  37  formed in the cam member  31  and intersecting or communicating with the bore  36  of the lever arm  30  for forming two limbs  38  and for slidably receiving the free end portion  22  of the tie rod  20 , and includes an orifice  39  formed in the cam member  31  and intersecting or communicating with the channel  37  of the cam member  31  or of the lever arm  30  for rotatably receiving a shaft  40  therein ( FIG. 1 ), the shaft  40  is arranged substantially perpendicular to the lever arm  30  and engaged through the orifice  39  of the limbs  38  of the cam member  31  and also extended or engaged through the channel  37  of the cam member  31 . The free end portion  22  of the tie rod  20  may be engaged or secured to the shaft  40  with latches or fasteners (not shown), threading engagements or the like. 
     In operation, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the lever arm  30  may be pulled or moved toward or away from or relative to the attaching member  10  to actuate the cam member  31  to engage with and/or to act onto the cam seat  23  and the end member  13  of the attaching member  10  for allowing the end members  12 ,  13  to be selectively and solidly secured together and thus to solidly secure onto the object, or for allowing the end members  12 ,  13  to be released or separated from each other and for allowing the end members  12 ,  13  to be easily and quickly attached onto and disengaged from the object when required. 
     It is to be noted that the lever arm  30  includes a longitudinal structure having a substantially circular-shaped cross section, or having a substantially cylindrical shape, and having a bore  36  ( FIG. 3 ) formed through the longitudinal lever arm  30 , and having one end or first end  32  having a smaller outer diameter than the other end or second end  33  for allowing the stiffness and the bending strength of the lever arm  30  to be greatly increased, and for allowing the weight of the lever arm  30  to be greatly decreased, and thus for allowing the attaching member  10  to be easily and quickly and effectively attached or secured onto the various objects or disengaged from the various objects. 
     Accordingly, the quick release device in accordance with the present invention includes a hollow lever arm for increasing the strength of the quick release device and for decreasing the weight of the quick release device and for decreasing the manufacturing cost for the quick release device. 
     Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.