Patent Publication Number: US-2015068357-A1

Title: Bicycle cable sleeve

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a bicycle cable sleeve. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Generally speaking, the brake system or transmission system of a bicycle is controlled by users via a brake cable or a shift cable connecting to the handles. Users&#39; forces can be transmitted through the brake cable or shift cable to the brake system or the transmission system to slow the speed down, brake, or the like. 
     Therefore, bicycle cables like brake cable or shift cable are essential. The bicycle cables have to been connected from the handles to the functioning area (for example, the brake system), and the bicycle cables will go through the bicycle frames and extend a distance. The bicycle cables are often adequately bent to match with the bicycle frames. However, when the bicycle cables are pulled, it is harder for bent bicycle cables to transmit forces precisely, and the bicycle cables can even be stuck and broken and thus be risky when riding bikes. 
     Regarding the above-mentioned disadvantage, a sleeve of bicycle cable is developed for allowing bicycle cables to dispose in and move in it axially. With this device, the moving routes of bicycle cables can be made sure and positioned, so the situations that bicycle cables are stuck or ill-functioned could be prevented, and the bicycle cables could be protected from impact, abrasion or the damage caused by rain or sunlight. 
     Generally speaking, the sleeve includes an inner layer formed by entangled metal cables and a cladding layer covering the cables, and the cladding layer is often made from polypropylene to provide better weather-endurance and stronger structure; however, the metal cables have strong structure but not enough pliability. When being bent too much, the metal cables could break. 
     The present invention is, therefore, arisen to obviate or at least mitigate the above-mentioned disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
     The main object of the present invention is to provide a bicycle cable sleeve which can provide better pliability and endurance. 
     The main object of the present invention is to provide a bicycle cable sleeve, including an inner tube, a fiber layer and an outer cladding layer. 
     The inner tube is provided for allowing a bicycle cable to dispose in, and the fiber layer is formed by a plurality of strand wires arranged and entangled around the inner tube. Each strand wire is made from glass fiber. An outer surface of the fiber layer is formed with a plurality of concave slits between each two neighboring strand wires. The outer cladding layer made from nylon covers the outer surface of the fiber layer, and part of the outer cladding layer fills the concave slits up. 
     The bicycle cable sleeve of the present invention uses glass fiber strand wires to entangle, so it has better pliability. The outer cladding layer made from nylon can connect with the glass fiber better to make the whole structure more stable. Furthermore, because nylon is highly weather-enduring, impact-resistant and friction-resistant, the present invention becomes more endurable. 
     The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment(s) in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective breakdown drawing of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a drawing showing the present invention in use. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the present invention provides a bicycle cable sleeve  10 , including an inner tube  11 , a fiber layer  12  and an outer cladding layer  13 . 
     The inner tube  11  has a cavity provided for allowing a bicycle cable  20  to dispose in, and the inner tube  11  is preferably made from polyethylene, Teflon or plastic steel. The fiber layer  12  is formed by a plurality of strand wires  121  arranged and entangled around the inner tube  11 . Each strand wire  121  is made from glass fiber. An outer surface of the fiber layer  12  is formed with a plurality of concave slits between each two neighboring strand wires  121 . More specifically, the strand wires  121  are generally cylindrical; therefore, even if the strand wires  121  are tightly entangled with each other, there will still be a plurality of concave slits formed on the outer surface. The outer cladding layer  13  covers the outer surface of the fiber layer  12 , and part of the outer cladding layer  13  fills the concave slits up. The outer cladding layer  13  is made from nylon, and preferably, the outer cladding layer  13  is made by covering the outer surface of the fiber layer  12  with melted nylon and cooling it down. The melted nylon will flow and permeate into the concave slits so as to fill up the concave slits and make the outer cladding layer and the fiber layer stick together. 
     Please refer to  FIGS. 1 to 3  along with  FIG. 4  for actual practice. The bicycle cable sleeve  10  of the present invention is provided to be disposed around a bicycle cable  20 , the cable for transmitting forces such as a brake cable or a shift cable. The bicycle cable  20  needs to be connected to the brake system and other devices, so the bicycle cable sleeve  10  has to be extended in accordance with the bicycle cable  20  and adequately bent to match with the extending route of the bicycle cable. Since the fiber layer  12  of the present invention is made from glass fiber, the pliability of the bicycle cable sleeve is better than that of the sleeve entangled with metal cables. The outer cladding layer  13  is made from nylon, so the adhesive force with the fiber layer  12  is greater. Therefore, when the bicycle cable sleeve is bent, the outer cladding layer  13  and the fiber layer  12  will not easily fall off from each other; hence, the integrality of the structure can be maintained. 
     Given the above, through the fiber layer made from glass fiber, the bicycle cable sleeve of the present invention has better pliability. In addition, the outer cladding layer made from nylon provides stronger adhesive force with the glass fiber, so the outer cladding layer can stick with the fiber layer tightly. The outer cladding layer further has good scratch-proof, weather-enduring and impact-resistant abilities, so the fiber layer, the inner tube and the bicycle cable disposed in the outer cladding layer are well protected and thus become more endurable. Besides, the present invention replaces metal with glass fiber to reduce weight. 
     Although particular embodiments of the invention have been describe 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.