Patent Publication Number: US-2004057463-A1

Title: Light emitting bicycle bell with power generating means

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention relates to bicycle bells and, more particularly, to a light emitting bicycle bell with power generating means that generates electricity to turn on light emitting diodes when operated to ring.  
       [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art  
       [0004] A regular bicycle bell is generally comprised of a bell body, a lever, and a gear transmission mechanism driven by the lever to move strikers against protruded blocks inside the bell body, causing the bell body to ring. Therefore bicycle bells with light source means. According to these designs, a battery is used to provide the necessary working voltage to the light source.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005] The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is one object of the present invention to provide a bicycle bell, which emits light when operated to ring. It is another object of the present invention to provide a light emitting bicycle bell, which generates power to turn on light emitting diodes when driven to ring. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a light emitting bicycle bell, which produces sound and light effects simultaneously when operated. To achieve these and other objects of the present invention, the light emitting bicycle bell comprises A light emitting bicycle bell comprising a casing, the casing admitting light and having a center shaft, a stepped driving gear pivoted to the inside of the casing, a lever pivoted to and partially extended out of the casing, a smoothly arched rack formed integral with one end of the lever inside the casing and meshed with the stepped driving gear, a bell body covered on the casing, the bell body having a hollow center stem fixedly fastened to the center shaft of the casing and a plurality of protruded blocks equiangularly spaced around an inside wall thereof, a transmission gear mounted on the center shaft of the casing and meshed with the stepped driving gear, and a plurality of strikers, which strike the protruded blocks of the bell body  4  to produce sound when the user operated the lever to rotate the steeped driving gear and the transmission gear, and a power generating and light emitting mechanism installed in the casing and linked to the transmission gear and driven to generate power and to turn on light emitting diodes thereof upon rotary motion of the transmission gear.  
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0006]FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a light emitting bicycle bell according to the present invention.  
     [0007]FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional assembly view of the present invention, showing the light emitting bicycle bell operated. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
     [0008] Referring to  1  and  2 , a light emitting bicycle bell is shown comprising a casing  10 , the casing  10  having a center shaft  11 , a stepped driving gear  13  pivoted to the inside of the casing  10 , a lever  12  pivoted to and partially extended out of the casing  10 , a smoothly arched rack  120  formed integral with one end of the lever  12  inside the casing  10  and meshed with the stepped driving gear  13 , a bell body  14  covered on the casing  10 , the bell body  14  having a center stem  15 , which has an axially extended center hole  150  fastened to the center shaft  11  of the casing  10  and a plurality of protruded blocks  16  equiangularly spaced around the inside wall, a transmission gear  21  mounted on the center shaft  11  of the casing  10  and meshed with the stepped driving gear  13 , and a plurality of strikers  25 , which strike the protruded blocks  16  of the bell body  14  to produce sound when the user operated the lever  12  to rotate the steeped driving gear  13  and the transmission gear  21 .  
     [0009] The main features of the present invention are outlined hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 again.  
     [0010] The casing  10  admits light. A power generating and light emitting mechanism  30  is installed in the casing  10  and linked to the transmission gear  21 . The power generating and light emitting mechanism  30  is comprised of a winding assembly  31 , a magnetic core  35 , and a plurality of LEDs (light emitting diodes)  34 . The winding assembly  31  is fastened to a bottom disk  20  of the transmission gear  21 , having positive and negative plate electrodes  32  and  33  respectively provided at the top and bottom sides. The positive and negative lead-out wires of the LEDs  34  are respectively connected to the positive and negative plate electrodes  32  and  33  of the winding assembly  31 . The magnetic core  35  is fixedly mounted on the center stem  15  of the bell body  14  within the winding assembly  31 . When the winding assembly  31  rotated with the bottom disk  20  of the transmission gear  21  relative to the magnetic core  35  upon rotary motion of the stepped driving gear  13 , an electric current is produced to turn on the LEDs  34 .  
     [0011] The aforesaid strikers  25  are respectively mounted on respective upright rods  24  of a wheel  22  and secured thereto by a respective lock nut  26 . The wheel  22  has a center through hole  23  for the passing of the center step  15  of the bell body  14 , and a plurality of retaining holes  220  spaced around the center through hole  23 . The positive plate electrode  32  of the winding assembly  31  has protruded portions  320  respectively fastened to the retaining holes  220  of the wheel  22  to secure the wheel  22  to the winding assembly  31  for synchronous rotation relative to the bell body  14 .  
     [0012] Referring to FIG. 2 again, the casing  10  is fixedly fastened to one handlebar of the bicycle. When alternatively turning the lever  12  back and forth, the stepped driving gear  13  is driven by the rack  120  to rotate the transmission gear  21  alternatively clockwise and counter-clockwise, thereby causing the power generating and light emitting mechanism  30  to generate power and to turn on the LEDs  34 , and at the same time, the strikers  25  are moved with the wheel  22  and the winding assembly  31  to strike the protruded blocks  16  of the bell body  14 , causing the bell body  14  to ring. Furthermore, the aforesaid LEDs  34  can be of different colors such as blue, purple, yellow, red, white, green, etc. Therefore, a colorful lighting effect is produced when the bicycle rider operates the bicycle bell,  
     [0013] A prototype of light emitting bicycle bell with power generating means has been constructed with the features of FIGS. 1 and 2. The light emitting bicycle bell with power generating means functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.  
     [0014] Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described 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.