Patent Publication Number: US-11383788-B1

Title: Adjustable handlebar assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
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     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
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     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to handlebar assemblies and more particularly pertains to a new handlebar assembly for fitting a bicycle to a user having disparate arm reaches. The present invention discloses a handlebar assembly comprising a handlebar comprising a left section that is rotatably and selectively fixedly engageable to a right section, thus allowing selective positioning of left and right handgrips relative to a rotatable plane perpendicular to a front wheel of a bicycle. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to handlebar assemblies. Prior art handlebar assemblies have a variety of shapes and configuration, but the prior art lacks a handlebar assembly allowing selective positioning of left and right handgrips relative to a rotatable plane perpendicular to a front wheel of a bicycle. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a handlebar, which comprises a left section and a right section. A lower end of the left section and a bottom end of the right section are rotatably engaged and define a midpoint of the handlebar. The handlebar is configured to be mountable to a handlebar stem of a bicycle so that the handlebar is engaged to the handlebar stem at the midpoint. A left grip and a right grip of the handlebar are independently positionable relative to a rotatable plane, which is perpendicular to a front wheel of the bicycle and which extends longitudinally through the handlebar stem. The left section and the right section are selectively fixedly engageable so that the left grip and the right grip are fixedly positioned relative to the rotatable plane. The left section and the right section are configured to be selectively positioned relative to the rotatable plane so that the left grip and the right grip are positioned to be engaged by a left hand and a right hand, respectively, of a user having a reach disparity between their arms. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a front exploded view of an adjustable handlebar assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a rear exploded of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a side exploded view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a top exploded view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded view of an embodiment of the disclosure. exploded 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 8  is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 9  is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 10  is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 11  is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 11  thereof, a new handlebar assembly embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 11 , the adjustable handlebar assembly  10  generally comprises a handlebar  12 , which comprises a left section  14  and a right section  16 . A lower end  18  of the left section  14  and a bottom end  20  of the right section  16  are rotatably engaged and define a midpoint  22  of the handlebar  12 . The handlebar  12  is configured to be mountable to a handlebar stem  24  of a bicycle  26  so that the handlebar  12  is engaged to the handlebar stem  24  at the midpoint  22 . A left grip  28  and a right grip  30  of the handlebar  12  are independently positionable relative to a rotatable plane  32 , which is perpendicular to a front wheel  34  of the bicycle  26  and which extends longitudinally through the handlebar stem  24 . 
     The handlebar  12  is nonlinear so that the left grip  28  and the right grip  30  are offset from a line  36 , which is positioned in the rotatable plane  32  and which extends bidirectionally from the midpoint  22 . With a handlebar  12  that is linear, rotation of the left section  14  and the right section  16  would not change the position of the left grip  28  and the right grip  30  relative to the rotatable plane  32 . Any configuration of handlebar  12  that is nonlinear will result in a change in position of the left grip  28  and the right grip  30  upon rotation of the left section  14  and the right section  16 , respectively, relative to the rotatable plane  32 . 
     The left section  14  and the right section  16  are selectively fixedly engageable so that the left grip  28  and the right grip  30  are fixedly positioned relative to the rotatable plane  32 . The adjustable handlebar assembly  10  comprises a tube  38 , which has opposed ends  40  that are open. The lower end  18  of the left section  14  is insertable over one of the opposed ends  40  and the bottom end  20  of the right section  16  is insertable over the other of the opposed ends  40 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     A pair of first connectors  42  is engaged singly to the left section  14  and the right section  16  proximate to the lower end  18  and the bottom end  20 , respectively. A pair of second connectors  44  is engaged the tube  38 . The second connectors  44  are positioned singly proximate to the opposed ends  40  of the tube  38  and are complementary to the first connectors  42 . Each second connector  44  is positioned to selectively engage a respective first connector  42  so that the left section  14  and the right section  16  are fixedly positioned relative to the rotatable plane  32 . With both the left section  14  and the right section  16  fastened to the tube  38 , they are not rotatable relative to each other. 
     Each first connector  42  comprises a pair of first orifices  46 , which are opposingly positioned in a respective one of the left section  14  and the right section  16 . A fastening element  48  is configured for insertion through the pair of first orifices  46 . The fastening element  48  may comprise a pin  50 , which is insertable through the pair of first orifices  46  so that a head  52  of the pin  50  abuts the respective one of the left section  14  and the right section  16 . A second orifice  54 , which is positioned through the pin  50  distal from the head  52 , is positioned for insertion of an R-clip  56  to retain the pin  50  in position. 
     The pair of second connectors  44  comprises a plurality of apertures  58 , which are positioned in the tube  38  with each aperture  58  having an associated aperture  58  opposingly positioned in the tube  38 . The pin  50  passes through the aperture  58  and the associated aperture  58 , thus preventing rotation of the respective one of the left section  14  and the right section  16  relative to the tube  38 . Each aperture  58  may comprise a slot  60 , which extends from proximate to the opposed ends  40  of the tube  38 . 
     The present invention anticipates other methods of selectively and fixedly engaging the left section  14  and the right section  16 , such as, but not limited to, compression fittings, interlocking teeth, and the like. 
     The left section  14  and the right section  16  are configured to be selectively positioned relative to the rotatable plane  32  so that the left grip  28  and the right grip  30  are positioned to be engaged by a left hand and a right hand, respectively, of a user having a reach disparity between their arms. Reach disparities can be caused by conditions that limit extension of one arm or which cause one arm to be shorter than the other. 
     The adjustable handlebar assembly  10  also may comprise a bar  62 , which is selectively engageable to the left section  14  and the right section  16  so that the bar  62  extends between the left section  14  and the right section  16  and stabilizes the handlebar  12  in a desired configuration, as shown in  FIG. 10 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , each of a pair of first fasteners  64  is slidably engaged to a midsection  66  of a respective one of the left section  14  and the right section  16 . The first fastener  64  is configured to engage selectively and fixedly the respective one of the left section  14  and the right section  16 . A pair of second fasteners  68  is engaged singly to the bar  62  proximate to opposing ends  70  of the bar  62 . Each second fastener  68  is complementary to the first fasteners  64  so that the second fastener  68  is positioned to selectively engaging a respective first fasteners  64  to engage the bar  62  to the left section  14  and the right section  16 . 
     Each first fasteners  64  may comprise a clamp  72 , which is substantially circularly shaped. The clamp  72  is selectively positionable around the midsection  66  of a respective one of the left section  14  and the right section  16 . A pair of first holes  74  is positioned singly in the clamp  72  proximate to opposing endpoints  76  of the clamp  72 . A fastening part  78  is selectively insertable through the pair of first holes  74  to tighten the clamp  72  onto the midsection  66  of the respective one of the left section  14  and the right section  16 . The fastening part  78  may comprise a bolt  80 , a nut  82 , and a pair of washers  84 . Each second fastener  68  comprises a second hole  86  so that the fastening part  78  passes through the second hole  86  to engage the bar  62  to the midsection  66  of the respective one of the left section  14  and the right section  16 . It will be apparent to those skilled in the art of fasteners that there are a variety of fastening means that could be used to affix the bar  62  between the left section  14  and the right section  16 . 
     In use, the tube  38  is inserted into the left section  14  and the right section  16 . The midpoint  22  of the handlebar  12  then is loosely engaged to the handlebar stem  24  of the bicycle  26 . The left section  14  and the right section  16  then can be rotated to adjust the left grip  28  and the right grip  30  relative to the rotatable plane  32  so that they are optimally positioned for grasping by a user having disparate arm reaches. The pins  50  and R-clips  56  are used to fix the left section  14  and the right section  16  in position, and the handlebar stem  24  then is firmly tightened onto the handlebar  12 . The clamps  72  then are adjusted on the midsections of the left section  14  and the right section  16  so that the bar  62  fits between the clamps  72 . The bar  62  is attached using the bolts  80 , the nuts  82 , and the washers  84 . 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.