Patent Publication Number: US-2009223320-A1

Title: Handlebar grip

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to vehicular parts, and more particularly, to a handlebar grip for a vehicle. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A general bicycle handlebar includes two handgrips sleeved onto two ends thereof respectively and a cyclist can hold the handgrips for steering the bicycle. 
     To enable the cyclist to more comfortably hold the handgrips while riding the bicycle, the handgrips are usually made of resilient material for reducing the pressure under which the cyclist holds the handgrips. However, when the cyclist changes his/her riding posture or incorrectly applies a force, the cyclist&#39;s palms or wrists may feel sore and even get sport injury like nerve strain. 
     U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2008/0072702 disclosed a bicycle handlebar grip, which can support the cyclist&#39;s wrist to unbend the wrist and keep alignment between the hand and the arm as much pas possible in such a way that the nerves in the wrist can avoid strain. However, the aforesaid conventional handlebar grips could be held at only one single angle or along only one single direction, and when the bicycle is ridden on different terrains, the cyclist&#39;s wrist fails to adjustably hold the handlebar grips. As the cycling distance and time prolong, the cyclist feels that the wrists are tenser and tenser or sorer and sorer because the cyclist fails to hold the handlebar grips comfortably. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a vehicular handlebar grip, which can be adjustably held at various angles to bring more comfortableness and avoid sport strain for the cyclist. 
     The foregoing objective of the present invention is attained by the vehicular handlebar grip composed of a central portion, a grip portion, and a support portion. The central portion includes a first end and a second end. The grip portion is located at one side of the central portion, extending toward a direction away from a long axis. The support portion is located at an opposite side of the central portion relative to the grip portion, extending toward a direction against a long axis. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view taken along a line  3 - 3  indicated in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a right view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention held by a cyclist. 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention mounted to a bicycle handlebar. 
         FIG. 7  is another schematic view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention held by the cyclist. 
         FIG. 8  is a right view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention held by the cyclist. 
         FIG. 9  is a front view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic view of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention held by the cyclist. 
       FIG  11  is a front view of a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 12  is a rear view of a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 13  is a schematic view of the fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention held by the cyclist. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a vehicular handlebar grip  10  constructed according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention is composed of a central portion  20 , a grip portion  30 , and a support portion  32 . The central portion  20  includes a first end and a second end  24 . The grip portion  30  is located at one side of the central portion  20 , extending toward a direction away from a long axis extending from the first end  22  toward the second end  24 . The support portion  32  is located at an opposite of the central portion  20  relative to the grip portion  30 , extending toward a direction away from the long axis. The central portion  20  includes an axial hole  25  extending toward the second end  24  from the first end  22 , whereby an opening is formed at each of the first and second ends  22  and  24 . The handlebar grip  10  can be sleeved onto each of two ends of a bicycle handlebar  50 , as shown in  FIG. 6 , through the two openings and the axial hole  25 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-4 , the grip portion  30  includes an initial end  31 , a distal end  33 , and an arched body portion  34  located between the initial and distal ends  31  and  33 . A first interval  35  is defined between the initial end  31  and the first end  22 . A second interval  36  is defined between the distal end  33  and the second end  24 . The body portion  34  extends along the long axis  21  from the initial end  31  toward the distal end  33  to define an arc-shaped external edge. 
     The support portion  32  includes an initial end  41 , a distal end  42 , and a sheety body portion  43  located between the initial and distal ends  41  and  42 . An interval  47  is defined between the initial and first ends  41  and  22 . The body portion  43  extends along the long axis  21  from the initial end  41  toward the distal end  42  for a predetermined length. The body portion  43  has an external margin  45 . The distance between the external margin  45  and the long axis  21  gradually increases from the initial end  41  toward the distal end  42  in such a way that the external margin  45  is shaped like a wing. The external margin  45  has a plurality of concave portions  40  for placing the cyclist&#39;s fingers. The support portion  32  further includes an upper surface  46  for placing the cyclist&#39;s palm. The lateral shapes of the grip portion  30  and the support portion  32  are curvy, decreasingly extending toward a direction away from the long axis  21  to enable the grip portion  30  and the external margin  45  to be held by the cyclist&#39;s fingers. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , when the handlebar grip  10  is sleeved onto the bicycle handlebar  50  through the central portion  20  and the cyclist holds the central portion  20 , the grip portion  30  can be held by the cyclist&#39;s four fingers except the thumb and the support portion  32  is located beneath the wrist. As shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the cross-sections of the grip and support portions  30  and  32  are curvy to match the grapple of cyclist&#39;s hand, such that the cyclist&#39;s fingers can grasp the handlebar grip  10  securely. Besides, each of the cyclist&#39;s fingers can contact against and engage the external edge of the grip portion  30  to enable the hand to effectively grasp the handlebar grip  10 . 
     Because the support portion  32  covers the relatively wider area, the cyclist can change the contact area and angle that the wrist lies against the support portion  32  according to the terrains on which the bicycle is ridden. Hence, there is more space for movement of the cyclist&#39;s wrist and the alignment is maintained between the palm and the arm. 
     To sum it up, the handlebar grip  10  of the present invention is applicable to the handlebars of various sporting apparatuses or vehicles to include the following advantages: the cyclist&#39;s hands can grasp it very much; there is much space for movement of the wrist; it prevents the wrist from hovering; the palm keeps aligned with the arm; and the pressure and the counterforce applied to the ulnar nerves can be relieved for more comfortableness, longer cycling time and distance, and reducing sport injury. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , a handlebar grip  60  constructed according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention is similar to that of the first embodiment, having the following difference. The central portion  62  includes a projection  66  formed in one piece with a top side of the second end  64  and extending outward toward the same direction as that of the grip portion  67 . The projection  66  has an inclined side  69 . A concave portion  68  is formed between the inclined side  69  and the grip portion  67 . When the cyclist intends to stand on the pedals of the bicycle for cycling, the cyclist&#39;s hands can grasp the second  64  of the central portion  64  by that the part of the hand between the thumb and the index finger lies against the projection  66 , the thumb is placed at the concave portion  68 , and the other four fingers grapple the second end  64 . Therefore, such design is very convenient for the cyclist&#39;s operation and it is not necessary to install an accessory handlebar grip to the bicycle handlebar. 
     Referring to FIG  11 , a handlebar grip  70  constructed according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention is similar to that of the first embodiment, having the following difference. Each of the grip portion  71  and the support portion  72  includes a plurality of through holes  73  running therethrough in such a way that the grip portion  71  and the support portion  72  are structurally meshy. The through holes  73  can reduce the weight of the handlebar grip  70 . When the cyclist&#39;s hand grasp the central portion  74 , the palm can not only fully closely touch the handlebar grip  70  but also feel not too much pressure, thus facilitating longtime grapple for the cyclist. In addition, each of the through holes  73  can be alternatively provided with a springy member for more grapple comfortableness. 
     Referring to  FIG. 12 , a handlebar grip  80  constructed according to a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention is similar to that of the third embodiment, having the following difference. Each of the central portion  81 , the grip portion  82 , the support  83 , a lower surface  88  of the projection  87  includes a plurality of recessions  84  for reducing the weight of the handlebar grip  80 . Besides, when the cyclist&#39;s hand holds the second  85 , the thumb can be placed at the concave portion  87  and the other fingers can be placed at the recessions  84 , whereby the cyclist&#39;s hand can grasp the handlebar grip  80  much better. 
     Although the present invention has been described relative to specific preferred embodiments thereof, it is no way limited to the details of the illustrated structures but changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.