Patent Publication Number: US-2023158365-A1

Title: Auxiliary handle assemby of exercise bikes

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Fields of the Invention 
     The present invention is a Continuation-In-Part patent application of applicant&#39;s former patent application with the application Ser. No. 17/179,325, filed on Feb. 18, 2021. 
    
    
     2. Descriptions of Related Art 
     The auxiliary handle as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/179,325 is a handlebar that is movably mounted on a handle of an exercise bike to simulate a bicycle handlebar. The exercise bikes as disclosed in Taiwanese Utility Number M562142, M598171, Taiwanese Patent Number 1587890, CN210384705U, CN209596488U and CN107029393B, disclose a handle that can be adjusted its height so that different users can comfortably operate the exercise bikes. However, the handles as mentioned above generally includes a foam sleeve which makes slippery of the user&#39;s hands, especially when sweats attached to the users&#39; hands. Some of the users are used to grip a bicycle handlebar rather than the handle of the exercise bike. 
     The present invention intends to provide an auxiliary handle assembly for an exercise bike to eliminate the shortcomings mentioned above. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an auxiliary handle assembly for an exercise bike, and comprises an extension handle including a first section, a second section and a bent section which is connected between the first and second sections. The first section has the first end which is a connection end connected to one of two ends of the bent section, and the second end of the first section is connected to a first clamp. The first clamp includes a first curved face formed to the underside thereof. Two first recesses are defined in the first curved face. The second section has a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion has the first end thereof connected to another one of the two ends of the bent section. The second portion is formed to the second end of the first portion. 
     A second clamp includes a second curved face formed to a top thereof. The second curved face faces the first curved face. Two second recesses are defined in the second curved face. Multiple bolts extend through the second clamp and are connected to the first clamp. 
     Two plates are two curved plates and located between the first and second curved faces. Each plate includes two grooves formed to the outer face thereof. Multiple notches are located in the inner bottom of each groove. 
     Two first positioning units each include a first resilient member and a first bead. The first resilient members are respectively located in the two first recesses and bias the two first beads. The two first beads are respectively engaged with the notches of the two grooves of the plate whose outer face faces the first clamp. 
     Two second positioning units each include a second resilient member and a second bead. The second resilient members are respectively located in the two second recesses and bias the two second beads. The two second beads are respectively engaged with the notches of the grooves whose outer face faces the second clamp. 
     A grip is mounted to the first portion of the second section. A bar end is connected to the second portion of the second section. 
     The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view to show the auxiliary handle assembly of the present invention; 
         FIG.  2    is an exploded view of the auxiliary handle assembly of the present invention; 
         FIG.  3    is an exploded view of the auxiliary handle assembly of the present invention and the exercise bike handlebar; 
         FIG.  4    is another exploded view of the auxiliary handle assembly of the present invention and the exercise bike handlebar; 
         FIG.  5    is a perspective view to show the two auxiliary handle assemblies of the present invention are connected to the exercise bike handlebar; 
         FIG.  6    is a cross sectional view to show the operation of the first and second positioning units; 
         FIG.  7    shows that the two plates are mounted to the exercise bike handlebar; 
         FIG.  8 A  is a cross sectional view, taken along lines of  FIG.  6   ; 
         FIG.  8 B  is a cross sectional view, taken along lines of  FIG.  8 A ; 
         FIG.  9    is a perspective view to show the two auxiliary handle assemblies of the present invention are connected to the exercise bike; 
         FIG.  10    shows a water bottle frame is to be connected to the auxiliary handle assembly of the present invention, and 
         FIG.  11    a water bottle is to be put in the water bottle frame. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIGS.  1  to  9   , the auxiliary handle assembly  100  for an exercise bike of the present invention comprises an extension handle  200  including a first section  220 , a second section  222  and a bent section  223 . The bent section  223  is connected between the first and second sections  220 ,  222 . The first section  220  has a first end that is a connection end  221  and is connected to one of two ends of the bent section  223 , and a second end of the first section  220  is connected to a first clamp  210 . The first clamp  210  includes a first curved face  211  formed to the underside thereof. Two first recesses  212  are defined in the first curved face  211 . The second section  222  has a first portion  224  and a second portion  225 . The first portion  224  has a first end thereof connected to another one of the two ends of the bent section  223 , and the second portion  225  is formed to the second end of the first portion  224 , 
     A second clamp  300  includes a second curved face  310  formed to the top thereof. The second curved face  310  faces the first curved face  211 . Two second recesses  320  are defined in the second curved face  310 . Multiple bolts extend through the second clamp  300  and are connected to the first clamp  210 . 
     Two plates  400  are two curved plates and located between the first and second curved faces  211 ,  310 . Each plate  400  includes two grooves  420  formed to the outer face  410  thereof. Multiple notches  430  are located in the inner bottom of each groove  420 . 
     Two first positioning units  500  each include a first resilient member  510  and a first bead  520 . The first resilient members  510  are respectively located in the two first recesses  212 , and bias the two first beads  520 . The two first beads  520  are respectively engaged with the notches  430  of the two grooves  420  of the plate  400  whose outer face  410  faces the first clamp  210 . 
     Two second positioning units  600  each include a second resilient member  610  and a second bead  620 . The second resilient members  610  are respectively located in the two second recesses  320 , and bias the two second beads  620 . The two second beads  620  are respectively engaged with the notches  430  of the grooves  420  whose outer face  410  faces the second clamp  300 . 
     A grip  710  is mounted to the first portion  224  of the second section  222 . A bar end  720  is connected to the second portion  225  of the second section  222 . The grip  710  includes an end portion  711  and a grip portion  712 . The grip portion  712  is made of rubber and secured to the end portion  711 . 
     The extension handle  200  is an L-shaped extension handle and the diameter of the extension handle  200  is the same as a bicycle handlebar. A user can choose desired grip  710  and the bar end  720 . 
     As shown in  FIGS.  1  and  2   , the connection end  221  of the first section  220  is a tapered section. The diameter of the first section  220  is increased toward second end of the first section  220 . It is understood that the tapered section of the connection end  221  reinforces structural strength of the first section  220 . 
     The two plates  400  are mounted to the handlebar  810  of an exercise bike  800  and do not drop from the handlebar  810 . The radial size of each plate  400  is slightly smaller than that of the handlebar  810  so that the two plates  400  are slightly expanded outward and are mounted to the handlebar  810 . Therefore, the two plates  400  do not drop from the handlebar  810  as shown in  FIG.  7   . 
     In addition, each of the two plates  400  includes an inner face  450  which is a non-continuous smooth surface. In this embodiment, multiple ridges and grooves are formed in the inner face  450  so that the friction between the plates  400  and the handlebar  810  assists the two plates  400  to be mounted to the handlebar  810  as shown in  FIG.  7   . Especially when the handlebar  810  is coated with a foam sleeve, the ridges and grooves of the inner face  450  of each plate  400  are able to firmly hold the foam sleeve. 
     As shown in  FIGS.  2 ,  3  and  6   , a locking member  330  extends through the second clamp  300  and contacts against the outer face  410  of the plate  400  that faces the second clamp  300  to prevent the extension handle  200  and the second clamp  300  from movement relative to the plates  400 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  2   , two sides of each plate  40  protrude beyond the first and second clamps  210 ,  300 . Each plate  400  includes multiple marks  440  formed to the two sides of the outer face  410  thereof. The first clamp  210  includes an index  213  which points one of the marks  440 . 
     When adjusting the angle of the extension handle  200  forward or backward, as shown in  FIGS.  8 A and  8 B , the locking member  330  is loosened, the extension handle  200  and the second clamp  300  are pivoted relative to the plates  400 , so that the first and second curved faces  211 ,  310  slide along the two respective outer faces  410  of the two plates  400 . Each of the first beads  520  removes from the notch  430  and moves along the groove  420  until the first bead  520  is engaged with another notch  430 . Similarly, each of the second beads  620  removes from the notch  430  and moves along the groove  420  until the second bead  620  is engaged with another notch  430 . The locking member  330  is tightened again to set the adjusted angle of the extension handle  200 . 
     The first and second beads  520 ,  620  are respectively biased by the first and second resilient members  510 ,  610 , when the first and second beads  520 ,  620  are engaged with the notches  430 , the user is acknowledged by the change of force applied to the first and second beads  520 ,  620 . The notches  430  are defined in the inner bottom of the groove  420  corresponding thereto, and the outer face  410  of each plate  400  is a curved face, so that the angle adjustment can be smoothly operated and there are multiple angular positions to be set. 
     The marks  440  are made corresponding to the positions of the notches  430 , the user can directly check the index  213  and the mark  440  to know the angle that the extension handle  200  is adjusted. In other words, after the horizontal positon of the handlebar  810  of the exercise bike  800  is set, the user can easily check the angular position of the extension handle  200  of the present invention. 
     As shown in  FIGS.  10  and  11   , a water bottle frame  730  is connected to the connection end  221  and the bent section  223  by extending multiple screws through the water bottle frame  730  and connected to the connection end  221  and the bent section  223 . A water bottle  740  can be put in the water bottle frame  730 . 
     While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.